The Summer Reunion (unedited version)

32| Until Then

I looked into his bedroom for the first time. There wasn't much to see, obviously, since this wasn't his actual room. There were however a few books on his nightstand, and I could see a sketchbook peeking out from the bottom of the pile.

"You don't have to stand at the door Andie, you can come in."

I realized I was too busy staring at his things and only walked a few feet inside his room. I gave him a half smile and wandered around the rest of his space. One of the books he was reading was one I recommended to him a while ago. Beside it was a small crumpled up piece of paper. I sat on his bed and looked closer in the dark. It wasn't crumpled, it was folded. I picked it up and turned it in my hands.

It was the paper crane I made him out of a sicky note when we were at the country club. I forgot I even made it for him. I didn't think he saw it, let alone took it.

He watched me from across the room as I stared down at the blue crane and sat down on the edge of his bed. I should make him another one, then he can have a small little crane family to put on his nightstand. I tried not to make a big deal out of the fact he kept it and placed it back where I found it.

The mattress dipped as he sat beside me. Outside it was pitch black, the only light was the moon shining through the window. I wiped my palms on my thighs. Why was I nervous? I've been alone with him thousands of times. I glanced at him sideways and caught him staring at the paper crane. Branches outside the open window darkened his face in shadows. His expression was hard to read as he stood up and walked to the other side of the bed. He sat next to me on the left side and leaned his back against the wall.

I sat next to him with my legs crossed and stared up at the ceiling fan. It wobbled as it spun, like it was about to take flight any minute. Even with the window open and the fan on, the room was stuffy and humid. I took off my thin housecoat and threw it to the end of the bed.

I sat with my back to the headboard and fanned my face. "Damn it's hot in here."

"I have that affect," he chuckled.

"I thought it had something to do with the summer weather."

He shook his head slowly and lifted a shoulder, "Nope. Just me."

Noise filtered in from the hall and we both dropped our head into our hands.

"Not going to lie," I peeked through my fingers at Grayson's pained expression, "I'm a little surprised Drew can even last this long."

He threw his head back and groaned. "I don't want to hear about that Andie."

"I'm just saying...I think we now know one reason she's with him." My shoulders shook with laughter at his expression. "I'm just saying," I raised my hands in defense, "There's not many other qualities that guy has." 

"Andie," he groaned and shook his head. 

"I'm serious Gray! Good for her. If she has to be around him every minute of everyday, she should at least be getting some." 

We were both giggling now as he reached behind him and grabbed a pillow to try and smother me with. I took it out of his hands and hit him over the head. Both of us were laughing too much to hear anything else. We both surrendered after a minute and went back to staring at the ceiling fan. 

"Can you take him with you to the volunteer meetings? When you leave I get stuck here with him and I can't take it anymore. He keeps asking me what I bench. It's weird." 

"No way," I bumped my elbow into his. "I'm not ruining my chances at the bonus because of some douchebag."

"That's why you're helping?" his eyebrows rose in question.