While I'm Alive (An Owen Grady Story)

Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

"HIS EYES GLOWED, THE SAME COLOR AS THE DEEPER PARTS OF THE OCEAN BENEATH US, AND I SUDDENLY FOUND MYSELF THINKING I HAD BEEN RIGHT"

SONG TO LISTEN TO: BEST DAY OF MY LIFE BY AMERICAN AUTHORS

For the next two days, Owen was one of the only things on my mind. I was surprised I was at much I had liked spending time with him. I couldn't help but think Claire had been wrong, that there more to him that what was at the surface level...although the surface level was very, very nice to look at. Every night after work, I caught myself glancing towards the doors waiting to see him standing there, wearing that infamous smirk. Instead, though, I ended up meandering home alone and going to bed as soon as I had made it inside.

It was one of my precious and long awaited days off. I had collapsed into my bed the night before with every single attention of sleeping in. It was still dark when the pounding noise coming from the living room jolted me awake. I forced my eyes open, staring at the blank space of wall next to the bed. I groped around the nightstand for my phone to check the time, but couldn't find it. Then I remembered I had left it plugged in all the way out in the kitchen. The pounding noise, which I groggily realized was knocking, came again. I thought about ignoring it and going back to sleep, but my mind kept nagging at me. What if it was Claire and she had some sort of emergency and I hadn't answered my cellphone?

I let out a groan, sitting up and dragging my legs over the side of the bed. I trudged into the living room, stumbling over my purse which I'd left lying in the middle of the room for some reason. I unlocked the front door and pulled it open. Owen grinned at me from the front step. I blinked sleepily at him, too tired to care that I was standing there in my pajamas.

"Are you serious? It's still night time." I sighed, leaning against the doorframe.

"Hell yeah I'm serious, Davenport! Plus it's morning." He glanced down at watch on his wrist, checking the time. "Quarter to five to be exact."

I gave him a blank stare. "You're an idiot."

I made to swing the door shut but his hand shot out, pushing it back open. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't be like that!" He stepped around me inside my living room. I shook my head, so much for sleeping in. "You know I wouldn't be messing up your beauty sleep or whatever if I didn't have something awesome to show you."

He sank down onto the armrest of the couch, looking up at me expectantly. His hair was tousled, like he'd also just woken up, and he was dressed in a simple v-neck teeshirt and a pair of blue board shorts. I felt a tired, delirious laugh stirring inside me, wondering if those were the infamous shorts that had condemned from ever going on another date with Claire again.

"What the hell are you smirking about over there?" Owen asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Just...nice shorts." I finally blurted out, shooting him a big grin.

He glanced down at his outfit before looking back up at me, rolling his eyes. "What? Don't tell me these are on your 'dealbreaker' list too?"

"No! Absolutely not, I love them!" I teased.

One corner of his mouth tugged upwards. "Sure, whatever. Go get your ass dressed...if you have a bathing suit it's probably a good idea to throw that on too." He said with a shrug.

"Where are we going?" I asked, the word 'bathing suit' making me feel unnecessarily suspicious.

"Stop trying to always ruin the surprise." He shot back, standing up. He stretched his arms over his head, once again revealing that distracting strip of tummy. "Just meet me outside in like five minutes."