Love Me Sweetly

Chapter Nine

"We do. Don't we," Graham replies. I whip my head around to him, cracking my neck in the process. I wince at the slight pain I inflicted upon myself. Making a mental note to ask Sammy for a neck rub later.

I expect to see a mischievous look on Graham's face, but instead I find concern. I raise a questioning brow at him, but he just shakes his head, smiling back at his parents as they discuss how attractive we are as a couple.

Graham sends his parents a smile before putting his hand on the small of my back, guiding me to the table in the center of the room. He pulls out the chair for me and pushes it in. 

Very gentleman-like. 

Although I'm feeling very curious as to why Graham would just lie to his parents. I can sense a change in mood from Graham's usual happy state he seems to always be in. 

"I know Graham always gets what he wants, but I wasn't expecting it to happen so fast." Caleb says as him and Emma sit down at the table. He claps Graham on the shoulder and Graham gives him a smile that seems to be a bit fake. "I swear it seems like only met moments ago you were single," Caleb jokes to me.

I let out a light laugh out of politeness even though I'm feeling incredibly confused by the situation.  I know that me never having had a boyfriend before doesn't make me the most knowledge person on the subject of couples, but from what I've seen on t.v. and read in books someone usually asks the other if they would like to be in a relationship.

  •••  

The tension during the fundraiser was nothing compared to the awkward silence that fell through the car from the moment Graham helped me inside. Admittedly I probably should have said something seeing as how upset Graham seemed to be with me. But every time I would mean to ask him what was wrong the words just wouldn't leave my mouth.

When the car pulls to a stop in my drive way I can't seem to get out of the car fast enough. Graham doesn't even get a chance to park before I'm unbuckling my seat belt. I grab my bag and reach for the handle for the door sending him a "thank you."

"Is the idea of being in a relationship with me that horrible?" He says this in an angry way, but I ignore his tone of voice and focus on his words as I close the door and sit back in my seat. I didn't think about it before, but perhaps I offended him in some way. I shake my head. "Really. Well you nearly got whiplash earlier from hearing it." 

He stares out of the window wearing a slight frown on his face. I let myself study him for a moment. He really is handsome even when he is upset. He would almost look like he had it all together if it weren't for the slight movement of his index and middle finger dancing along the steering wheel.

"You caught me off guard." I reply still confused about the whole thing.

"I guess I did." He dishevels his dark hair somehow making it even more good-looking. I small grin makes it's way upon my face at the image, but I quickly cover it up seeing as how I don't think this is most appropriate time to start smiling like a complete creep.

We both fall in to silence and I start to think maybe that's my cue to leave but I just have to ask the question that has been nagging at me ever since the incident. "Why did you imply we were dating?"

"Because I want you."

A gasp escapes me. Surely he did not just say that. Maybe I heard him wrong or maybe this is some kind of joke. Oh it has to be a joke.

I laugh. I laugh hard and loud after the realization that he just pulled a joke on me. I get so in to my little laugh fest that I forget how awful a joke it was and the fact that Grahams looking at me like I'm insane. I quickly subside my laughter and lout a few coughs to maybe give him the impression that my coughs just sound like laughter.