Grayson (Completed)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Hi everyone!!  So... sorry it's been a bit, but at least it hasn't been too long.  I was actually really sad when I finished this part because when I was writing it I set it up for a really sweet scene (I actually gave myself butterflies when I wrote it), but then I kept writing the scene, and... well... I think I accidentally finished... the... book.  Um.  Don't hate me!!  I was like, really sad when I finished the chapter, but it's a really good ending and I DON'T KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  So anyway!  Enjoy the chapter.  Yeah.  Bye.  *Huddles off in the corner and prepares for mad readers* :( 

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Dusk brought a chill to the air that had me snuggling closer to Grayson on the padded deck bench. Grilling had long ago changed to drinking and reminiscing about old friendships and tales from my Family Hall of Failures. (It's quite extensive, and we even keep a photo album for evidence and posterity.) Grayson and his friends had to edit out any Shifter information from their stories, and I felt kinda bad that Allie was literally the only person in the family to not know about them.

I got up to go get refills of beer and wine coolers when I heard a timid knock on the front door. I opened it to see a very-shy looking Jessica standing almost off in the corner of the front porch. It seemed like she was hoping that I would miss seeing her.

"Hey." I smiled at her. "You came!"

"Am I too late?" She asked. "If it is I could leave." Jessica turned to start walking away, but I caught her by the wrist and gently tugged her inside the house. She gave Edgar a wayward pat on the head and followed me into the kitchen. I grabbed a new six-pack of both beer and wine coolers and shoved some into Jessica's hands as well.

"Don't worry," I told her. "Everyone's at least a little buzzed. We've been telling stories of our immature youths for the past half hour."

She let out a nervous half-laugh and clutched the alcohol tight enough that her knuckles whitened. I tapped her on the knuckles. "Let's not destroy anything, shall we?"

"That would probably be a good idea," Jessica said. She gnawed on her bottom lip. "Are you sure I should be here?"

I sighed and set one down the bottles so that my hands were free to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "I can tell you with one hundred percent surety that these people will not care how socially awkward you are. We all are in some way. I mean, English finds some way to put an innuendo into any conversation, my mother will blatantly discuss the sex lives of anyone in the room, and everyone has been trying not to slip and tell Allie that Shifters exist all night. We've had some pretty creative word substitutions, but the most common one is 'shit' in some way, shape, or form." I hugged her tighter and flicked a piece of her dark hair away from her face. "You'll do fine. And if the worst really does happen, just blame it on me."

That finally got a smile out of Jessica and she straightened her shoulders in a way that seemed to say, "I can do this." She waited for me and then we headed out to the back porch. In the short time I had been gone, tiki torches around the border of the deck had been lit.

"I found someone lurking in the shadows," I said to introduce Jessica. "Come on," I nodded to her.

I unceremoniously set the beer and wine coolers down on the table, and grabbed one for myself and Grayson before they were all quickly snatched up. I sat down and snuggled back into his warm embrace as I watched everyone react to Jessica.

"So what's your name, Sweetie?" My mother was the first one to welcome Jessica to our little powwow. I wasn't sure if that was going to be a good thing or a bad thing.