Dabbling In Sweetness

Chapter 36

 Grayson is grinning as he guides me back before my eyes widen in realization. "Abacus," I say and run to the spot I had left him. In my haste, I had forgotten about my boyfriend. I reached him sitting near the bar. He looks at me, unbothered. I take the stool next to him and grab a glass of champagne. I know I had left Grayson as well but I found him instantly in the crowd, dancing with his laughing mother. I couldn't help my own smile from forming at the two.

"Since when?" Abacus asks. I turn to him, confused and he elaborates, taking a sip of his drink. "Since when have you liked him?"

I gave him a sad look because although the question caught me off guard, it was also one I couldn't hide. I turn to look at him and sigh. "I'm not sure to be honest."

Abacus can only nod but reaches out his hand to me on the table. I take it and smile at him. "I know you heard about what went down between Grayson and me a couple of years back."

"You saw me? I was going to pretend I never saw or heard anything." I tell him, I was too nosy for my own good.

He chuckles then says, "I'm glad you did hear. I could never face you and tell you. I could barely tell Grayson."

I squeezed his hand and hesitantly tried to ask, "Does your dad- umm?"

Abacus catches on quickly and shakes his head, "No. It only happened once. My mom went ballistic on him when she found out." I look at the boy they called the golden boy. He lived with this intangible presence of responsibility and pressure. He was like me and maybe that's why I liked him back then. We both had this presence we couldn't escape from, but we were lucky to have someone on our side. "I didn't mean to use you, you know."

I smile sadly at him, "I know." I look him in his eyes and say, "We're breaking up, aren't we?" He looks down and nods his head with a tight lip. I raise his face so he can look at me again. "Abacus, you missed your friend more than you liked me, and that's okay."

"Amelia," he says.

I stand up and let go of his hand, "it's okay. I understand." I give him a kiss on the cheek, and holding his hand I say, "I couldn't have asked for a better first boyfriend."

"I couldn't have asked for a better first girlfriend," he responds. It was a bittersweet moment that I stood there looking at him, our hands stretched out in front of us. My first crush, who was perfect for me, was now saying goodbye to me. The guy I wanted to end up with for so long, was only meant for a little while. I was glad I got to know Abacus this year and glad he was in my life.

But now, I had someone else to find. I turn around, letting go of his hand and run.

I spot Grayson immediately and jump into his arms. He lifts me up and I spread my arms to the sides, reeling in this moment. He puts me down gently, stopping as our eyes meet. "Let's dance," I tell him.

He gives me a smile and puts me down as the other song starts. We move in sync and I can't help feeling that this is how it was supposed to be from the beginning. From the moment I first met him. I didn't pay attention to the stares but heard the whispers around us getting louder.

"Why are they always pretending to be better than us," a girl near us sneers.

"As if we didn't know about how his mom got the company," the guy she was dancing with replies with an eye roll. I can see Grayson stiffen but continues to guide us in the dance.

"Or what kind of person he really is," she snickers, "I remember the press when he went to jail."

That's it, I think, and ready to throw a fist, turn. However, Grayson grabs my wrist and turns me around. He looks into my eyes and slightly shakes his head. He leans in and whispers, "One thing."