Perfectly Wrong | Grayson Dolan

21

Grayson
February

Brooklyn came home from work, instantly coming into my room and plopping down on the bed.

"Long day?" I asked.

"Some customers are complete assholes," she said.

"What happened?" I asked, crawling onto the bed to lay next to her.

"I had a table of twelve people who stayed for two hours, and they didn't even give me a tip."

"Awe, baby. I'm sorry."

"It happens," she said. "I'm used to shit like that."

"You don't deserve that. I know how hard you work."

"Thanks, Gray," she said, playing with the strings of my hoodie. "I love you."

"I love you too," I said, kissing her forehead.

Brooklyn sighed. "I wish I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I don't even have a plan for after graduation yet."

"You know that you're still welcome to stay here, right?"

"I don't want to overstay my welcome, Gray."

"Brooklyn, you're not. You're a part of my family now, and this family does anything for each other no matter what. You're welcome to stay here as long as you need. Ethan and I are planning on commuting anyway. Our university is only half an hour away from here. I'll still be living here too. It's not a big deal."

"Why are you actually the best?"

"Because I love you, and I'd do anything for you."

Brooklyn cuddled into my chest, closing her eyes as I started to play with her hair.

"Baby, you don't have to have anything figured out yet," I said. "You're so young, and you have so much time to decide. Don't stress too much about it. You'll find something you love. And if you don't, that's okay too. Ethan and I will be rich business owners or something, and you can have part of the company."

Brooklyn giggled. "You'd really do that for me?"

"Anything for you."

"I love you so much, Grayson. Sometimes I can't even comprehend it, but with you I feel things that I never felt before. I feel so much love, and I never knew it was a possibility."

"I never knew it either until you came into my life. I used to just use girls left and right because right thought meaningless sex would fill a void, but then I found you and realized that I could be better than that."

"You are better than that. Sometimes life just gets rough, and everyone goes through things. The past is the past, and all I care about is that you're with me now."

"Me too," I said. "You're the only girl I can imagine being with. I've never felt this way around anyone."

"Me neither. You've changed my life in so many ways."

I smiled. "You did the same for me, baby. I'm so happy that you're my girl."

"Me too. You make me happier than I've ever been."

Kissing her on the cheek, I smiled again. "I love you."

"I love you too."

There was a knock at my bedroom door, and I knew it was Ethan.

"What, E?" I asked.

He barged in without me telling him to come in, but it was fine. "Are you guys staying in tonight?"

"I just got home from work," Brooklyn said as we both sat up to talk to Ethan.

"Are you going out?" I asked Ethan.

He shrugged. "Kylie and I are trying to gunfire out what to do tonight. She's at least coming over."

"We could all go on a double date," Brooklyn suggested. "It was fun last time."

I looked at Ethan. "Why don't we take the girls up to Melting Pot? It was great last time we went with Mom and Cameron."

Ethan nodded. "Yeah. We can totally go up there. Kylie's already on her way over, so we'll leave in about a half hour."

"Sounds good," I said as Ethan left the room.

We left exactly half an hour later, Brooklyn controlling the aux as I drove. It only took twenty minutes to get there, but it was still fun for all of us to scream along to the music.

"Midnight Memories," the girls shouted as I glanced at my brother through the rear view mirror. He was smiling at Kylie and Brooklyn's current obsession with One Direction songs.

The next song was Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars, which all four of us sang along to. I was obviously driving, but everyone else was dancing along to the music.

Finally pulling into the parking lot, we made it to the restaurant.

After the car was parked and shut off, I helped Brooklyn out of the tall vehicle, holding her hand as the four of us walked into the building.

Once we were all seated in a booth, the four of us started looking at the menu.

"Hi, my name is Rachel, and I will be your server today. Can I get you all something to drink?"

"I'll take a sprite please," I spoke up.

"Alright," the waitress said before glancing at Ethan.

"Can I get a sprite as well?"

"Of course. For you?" the waitress asked Brooklyn.

"Could I please have a lemonade?"

"Of course. And you, Miss?" the waitress asked Kylie.

"Could I get a root beer?"

"Of course. I'll have those drinks right out for you guys, and then I'll get your orders."

"Thank you," Ethan and I said at the same time.

The waitress went off, and then we had our sodas a few minutes later.

"I say we get the four cheese fondue, and then get the chocolate one for dessert after," Ethan suggested.

The rest of us agreed, so we got our order in shortly after.

Brooklyn watched the waitress walk away before turning to me.

"Gray," she whispered. "I think that waitress might be my cousin."

"On which side?" I asked.

"My mom was estranged from her siblings, but that girl looks just like my Aunt Tracy."

"Don't worry about it, baby. If she mentions anything, just pretend to be confused," I whispered back.

Brooklyn nodded. "Thanks, Gray."

"That's what I'm here for. I got you. Always," I said, wrapping my arm around Brooklyn's shoulder.

She leaned her head against my cheek, and I kissed the side of her head.

"I love you," she said. "To the ends of the earth."

"To the ends of the earth," I repeated.

"Everything okay?" Ethan asked us.

Brooklyn nodded. "Everything's perfect."