All The Wild Ones | Wildfire Series

Brown Eyed Girl

NESSA

What the hell was I thinking inviting Grayson over?

I hadn't been. I really hadn't been. I was simply bored and lonely. Everyone at home was so freaking busy doing things without me, and I hadn't been thinking at all. I just wanted someone, something, anything to keep me company.

Fuck.

Even I knew that was a lie. It wasn't just someone. It wasn't something or anything that I wanted. Because the truth was that I had such an annoyingly good time with Grayson on our lunch date before break, and I wanted to feel the way I felt that day again.

Oh my god. What were we even going to do? I glanced around my room, noting every embarrassing token of my childhood that sat out. The ballerina figurine my grandparents gave me when I got super into ballet at age six, the picture of me at Disneyland when I was eight, Mickey ears and all hanging above it.

Well, he couldn't come up here. That was for damn sure.

Maybe we could go for a walk or take a drive or—

"Is there something wrong, ćerka?"

Spinning around, I found my dad standing in my open doorway, a slight frown on his face.

I shook my head. "No." Another shake. "Well, yes. I—"

Sighing, I gave up and collapsed onto my bed.

Chuckling, my dad walked into my room and gingerly sat down next to me. He crossed his legs, settling in like he knew this wasn't going to be a short talk. His eyebrows drew together with concern, all bushy and peppered with grays. And then he was silent, waiting for me to say something more.

"There's this—" I waved my hand in the air like I'd hoped that would help him understand so I wouldn't actually have to say it. But he just continued to stare at me expectantly, so I murmured the word under my breath. "Guy. He's going to stop by in a bit."

One of those big, bushy eyebrows rose up. "This wouldn't happen to be the same guy who has been driving you home from campus, is he?"

I sighed again. "Yes."

"Rory reports that he is super awesome."

I rolled my eyes. Rory was in that age where he thought everything and everyone was super awesome. "Rory just likes him because he plays football," I said.

"Mm," Dad said with a nod, taking that in. "And I suppose that's why you're unsure about him? He reminds you of that pea-brained boy you dated last year?"

The throaty way he emphasized pea-brained boy in his Slavic accent made me swallow a giggle, especially because he followed it by making a face, one I understood all too well.

I opened my mouth to confirm, but then I stopped to actually put Grayson and Jasper side by side in my brain. And honestly, there was only one commonality. At least that I knew of.

Jasper was single-minded; everything had been about football for him. Well, maybe dual-minded. Because there was also sex on his brain. All the time. He didn't do anything unless it boosted his chances for more playing time—on the field or in bed.

Grayson was definitely trying to boost his chances for something, but it was hard to say what exactly that was. Nothing about him was single-minded, though. There was a lot more to him than football, and every time we were together, I found myself wanting to figure out what those things were. He still hadn't told me about all the instruments he played.

"No," I said. "No, he actually doesn't remind me of Jasper."

My dad cocked his head to the side. "Then what's the problem? Why not give the guy a chance?"