Perfect by Design

14: Grayson James

Grayson

"I gotta say, after a few days, I was starting to think you wouldn't call." Tatyana's voice sounds behind me, and I turn around, spotting her beautiful face.

"I wasn't going to. I shouldn't have." I trail off.

"Yeah, but you did." She smiles at me, and I know I don't stand a chance.

"So, Coach's daughter, huh?"

"In the flesh." She does a little twirl. "I would've told you, but I didn't think I'd ever speak to you again when I left the cafe that night."

"I'm not your dad's favorite person right now, Indy. Me hanging out with you is only going to make that worse."

"Indy? Hmm, I like it, Johnny boy." She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth, and damnit, I wish she would just stop being so... her.

"I'm serious, Tatyana."

"Trust me, Grayson. I don't like to make it a habit to interact with my dad's players." Her eyes temporarily lose their sparkle. "I'm still recovering from the last one." She practically whispers, and I want to ask questions, but if she wanted me to know, she'd tell me.

"Hey." I approach her, and her doe eyes float up to mine. At 6'3, I stand probably an entire foot taller than her. Her frame is so tiny next to mine.

"You looked like you needed a friend when you so rudely took over my table." Her eyes soften the longer she looks at me, and slowly she's coming back from whatever horrible place her mind just drifted off to.

"Walk with me?" I smile down at her, and she nods.

Side by side, we take silent steps. The sound of the wind is calming. I glance to my left and catch her black hair blowing in the wind. It looks soft. I wonder how it'd look tangled in my hand.

No. I'm keeping my hands to myself. It's one of the first lessons you learn as a kid. Parents might be on to something.

We have our first game tomorrow, and I won't be playing. That's the only thought that should be running through my head right now.

"So, friends, huh?"  Idle conversation, great idea.

"I'm a great friend! Also, not the worst person to have on your side." She nudges me, and I turn to smile at her. I don't think I've actually stopped smiling."

I start to speak, and then I notice faded marks on her arms. My eyes must linger for a second too long because her eyes jerk up to mine, and I immediately know that addressing what I saw is entirely off limits.

So instead, we return to silence. Right now, silence is the only safe space we have. I'm itching to ask her a million questions, and she is undoubtedly itching to erase the image from my head.

"Alright, friend. What's a guy got to do to get back on your dad's good side."

She laughs a little, and I already feel like I could hear that sound for the rest of my life. She's dangerous, and if I had a single working brain cell, I'd see the flashing red danger signs, but right now, all I see is blue.

"That's easy. Just be the Grayson you're allowing me to get to know. Something tells me you're much more of this guy than the guy who spent all summer frolicking around Tally."