Take Me With You

THE FIRST KISS & THE FRIENDZONE

***
Over the next few weeks Grayson had taken Leah on 6 incredible dates, one was a full weekend road trip and one had been a pottery making class that proved to be one of the few things Leah wasn't amazing at in fact she was awful at it. Like seriously awful but they laughed so hard she thought her sides were splitting so it had been worth it.

He loved  to see her smile and make her laugh.

If he ever caught her looking at him too long he would make a stupid face and she would laugh. He liked that.

But this date was different, utterly unplanned, they lay awake messaging each other until 2 am.

It was mid fall by now but in California the ever temperate state it was still quite warm.

"I'm coming round" Grayson said suddenly.

"What " she replied with a cheeky emoji.

She received no reply until about 20 minutes later when she red "here come out"

She wasn't really one to break the rules and she would usually be frantic that it were a school night and she had to be up in a few hours but for some reason she didn't care.

She slipped on a quick outfit and quiet shoes and snuck silently put the back door.

She walked three houses up to where he was parked with his lights off and climbed into the SUV.

What're we doing she whispered adrenaline rising in her chest.

"You'll see he replied"

They drove a little way out into the desert maybe 45 minutes to an area Leah had never been before he pulled up on the road near some bush,they got out, he grabbed a bag of who knows what and he led her by the hand into the dark rocky scape.

For a moment she thought this felt very like a scene from a movie where you yell "he's got a knife in his bag at the naive young girl" but she trusted Grayson completely.

As they rounded a corner she smelt a scent of sulphur on the air and heard the sound of gently flowing water.

A moment later her suspicions were confirmed.

"A hot spring" she beamed.

Naturally at 3am it was completely secluded.

"But I don't have anything to swim in"

"Sorted he replied tossing her a small bag ..
"I grabbed some of my sister Cameron's for you"

"You can change wherever I'm gonna do some stuff"

She disappeared for only a couple of minutes and when she came back the whole place had been transformed, there were small tea light candles littered about the place a speaker she couldn't spot quite yet played some sam smith and there was Grayson beaming up at her from the beautiful warm water. 

"The smell is not me" he joked.

She smiled and took his hand as he led her down into the beautifully warm pool.

This is a bit small she said tugging at the triangle of his sisters bikini wading over to where he sat.

Grayson was finding it very hard to concentrate as she adjusted and readjusted and he watched as the heat from the water made beads of moisture all over her body.

"What the hell are we doing" she whispered floating backward resting her back against his chest and wrapping his arm across her.

"And how the hell did you get all this stuff together so quickly."

"I had it all ready for the weekend but then I just thought what the hell why not tonight".

She smiled to herself moving her thumb slowly across the back of his hand.

"Ok so serious question" she said laying her head back against his shoulder.

"Shoot" he replied

"Are we ..." There was a pregant pause.
"Exclusive" she added cautiously.

Again she couldn't see it but she could hear his smile in his words as he replied.

"I hope so, I mean do you want me to like officially say it coz I will" and he swung her round so she was facing him with her knees straddling his thighs.

His sunshine smile was turning her to jelly and he cleared his throat.

"Leah Mason Tryce would you be my girl"

She didn't say a single word in reply instead she moved forward slowly, pausing with her mouth hovering just above his.

"I'm yours" she whispered as she closed the gap between them and melted into him kissing him slow and deep.

She pulled back briefly.

"Oh and I don't know how I've never told you this but my full names actually Mahalia but people call me Leah for short, she's this old black singer my mum loves"

"I love it, it suits you" he beamed his head still swimming from the moment before.

"Most of my close friends and family call me Gray" he added playing aimlessly with the water.

"Oh no, the sons my favourite part of your name it makes me think of your smile, and is Gray a little, 50 shades" she added as She spun back round laying her head on his shoulder and he leant forward and kissed hers. He couldn't imagine anything more wonderful than kissing her, the way her mouth tastes would be on his mind all night he just knew it.

***

Grayson had bunked off school and slept
til Midday, Leah obviously had not she had already sent him several snaps documenting all the things he was missing at school and a shot of her pretending to sleep with the caption ' so dead rn, but so worth it '

For about 2 or 4 hours sleep
He thought she looked incredible, as always, and he watched as she talked about the train wreck of an improv class he had missed mesmerised by her lips as she spoke.

He got up got dressed and wandered down stairs to his surprise Ethan and Leah's friend Sam were down there deep in conversation over the kitchen table and as they heard him come in they whipped up a great piece of paper folding it quickly and tucked  it away.

"You're up"

"Yep, what're you two doing"

" well we don't all have the luxury of snoring our days away" Ethan chided

"Whatever" he replied moving away uninterested he just wanted cereal, and juice. That's it.

***
Ethan and Sam were like partners in crime, on the night of Tosas party they had made out but had agreed something had just felt a bit off.

In reality Ethan had felt like everything was very on but he would never admit that.

And now there was an easy friendship between them both.

The big piece of paper was a coded print out of the school, Sam was trying to work out how to hack into the school's Pa network and security cameras.

For what reason you ask.

None other than that she could and she felt like it. As was the story for most the decisions in Sam's life.

She looked longingly at Ethan as he continued scanning intently and she found herself  Wishing he hadn't agreed that night all those weeks ago when she had suggested something didn't feel right, when she was with him Anything felt right, he was crazy and spontaneous and so damn fine but being friends would do for now.

***