disappearance | a novel

| three |

I came home and went straight up to my room, falling onto my bed like a beached whale would go. I felt so good, and I couldn't believe that this guy was really that interested. I was getting ready to get up and take my makeup off when my phone went off.

From: Grey - Hey Christina, it's Greyson. I really enjoyed listening to you play the piano; you're really good.

Thank you (: I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Not many people get to hear me play besides the librarian, haha

From: Grey - Wow, the world is missing out, darling .x

I blushed at his message and quickly typed a reply, sending it and screaming into my pillow. My phone kept going off almost instantly after I sent my messages back to Greyson, and everything felt really good. We kept talking all evening and late into the night, having the most amazing conversations about all of the things we had in common and what we liked. Eventually, my eyes grew heavy and I fell asleep with a grin plastered onto my face; what a day.

~

The week flew by, and before I knew it, Friday was upon me. I had spent the entire week floating around town and thinking about Greyson. Everything about him was perfect, and he was so easy to talk to. Honestly, it felt like we clicked from the moment we met. The thought of his arms wrapped protectively around my waist as I stood at the stove making pasta, and him peppering the back of my neck with soft kisses was floating around my head when the sound of the doorbell ringing and Bailey barking woke me up. I frowned, knowing I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep after that, so I just got out of bed. 

I walked down the steps and patted my dog on the head for barking at whoever was at the door, but when I looked through the glass, no one was there. Instead, a tall vase filled with white azaleas and purple orchids was standing proudly on my front porch. I smiled and quickly unlocked the door, stepping out into the cold and looking around for any sign of someone who could've left them. Seeing no one, I picked up the vase and went back inside, taking the beautiful arrangement to the kitchen and setting it gently on the island. Attached to the flowers was a card that read:

Christina,

These past few days have been the best of my existence. I hope that you like these flowers; you said that orchids were your favourite.

From, Greyson .x

I bit my lip and stood up on my tiptoes, blushing harder than I had in a very long time. I looked around the house knowing that I was alone, but just to make sure so that I could do my happy dance all by myself. I squeaked and jumped up and down, spinning in circles and chanting to myself, 'he likes me, he really likes me' over and over until I could barely breathe. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something about him felt so familiar. I just felt so comfortable around him, and I couldn't stand the thought of having not met him just a few days ago in the library.

 For the remainder of the morning, I waltzed around the house with a gigantic smile on my face and even decided to dress up for the fourth day in a row. I straightened my hair, applied makeup and wore contacts, and wore a short dress with some black suede thigh-high heeled boots, and a layered jacket to top off my look. I even wore some dark cherry liquid lipstick to match my mood.

I got in my car and drove to school, stopping on the way to grab a cup of hot tea and breakfast from the local cafe. When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw Greyson leaning against the driver's side of his truck with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. My morning instantly got even brighter as I pulled into the spot next to him and got out, giving him a little curtsy just to be cute.

He raised his eyebrows and chuckled, shaking his head at me. "Go ahead, do a little turn. I want to see this ensemble," he said as he twirled his finger around. I obliged and spun around slowly so that he could see a full 360-degree view of my outfit, giggling the entire time. When I stopped, he took hold of my hand and kissed the top. "You look stunning, as usual, love."

I smiled and said a quick 'thank you' as we linked arms and walked into the library together. Mrs. Taylor smiled and greeted the both of us, a mischevious look spreading across her face. "Good morning Miss Gates, Mr. Harper."

"Good morning, Mrs. Taylor," I said to her as she handed me the piano book. I nodded and Greyson and I walked over to the grand, unlinking arms as he propped open the lid for me. It had become sort of a routine for him and me to sit at the piano for a few hours each day, me playing melodies and Greyson listening intently, occasionally trying to catch onto the fingerings and miserably failing. We also talked a lot, mostly about our childhoods. I did most of the talking, but he only listened. I didn't know much about his childhood other than his mum dying when he was young. When I asked him how she had passed away, he just shook his head and changed the subject. 

"So, what about you? What are your parents like?" He asked eagerly, leaning on his elbow so he could get closer. 

"Well, my parents met at NYU, got married after my mom graduated and moved back here. I came along a while after, and everything was good. When I was 13, my parents got divorced because my mother wanted to move to Philly, but my dad insisted on staying here. He works in Philly, though, so he's always there now. My mum lives in Italy with her new fiancee, and I basically live alone in this huge house my dad and I built together with my dog Bailey." I finished talking and smiled tightly, looking into Greyson's eyes as he stared back intensely. I felt this overcoming sense of warmth when he looked at me as if I were always safe when we're together. But more than that, I felt this strong essence of dominance and care from him. It was odd, but it excited me.

He stared at me for a moment longer before shaking himself out of his trance and grabbing my hand in his own, the heat from his body radiating like an oven. "Let's get some coffee, love." I smiled and agreed with his idea before we both stood and left the room to Mrs. Taylor, who watched us leave with a smile on her face.

~

I got home that evening around 7 P.M. because the two of us had lost track of time at the most amazing cafe he introduced me to. We had talked, laughed, and shared so many beautiful conversations whilst we were there, and it was unreal to think that I had only known his for four days. To me, it seemed like we'd known each other forever.

I greeted Bailey and gave her some food before going into the kitchen and cooking myself something to eat, which happened to be lime and cilantro chicken with a side of crisp bell peppers and a glass of Moscato. I sat at the island and played music softly over the P.A. system as I ate, my thoughts staying with the amazing time that I had with Greyson at the cafe. When I was finished, I cleaned the kitchen and headed upstairs to my room where I sat at my desk and worked on my novel for hours before I looked at the time. 

"Fuck, it's 11:50," I laughed, stretching and standing up. I shut my laptop and went into my bathroom, taking out my contacts and removing my makeup before taking a bubble bath. When I was pruney, I got out of the tub and drained the water and slipped into a silk robe. I brushed my teeth and flossed before slipping some cheeky panties and a jumper on and getting into bed with Bailey, who was already fast asleep. I laid in the dark for awhile while I thought about how good that week had been, when I suddenly got the feeling that I wasn't alone, again.

I sat up in my bed and looked around the room and not seeing anything, but feeling as though someone was watching me. I crawled out of bed and turned my lamp on, revealing an owl on the window sill. I chuckled and sighed to myself, feeling like an idiot. Just to make sure, though, I walked down the hallway and made sure that the security system was on and that the house was locked. When I was sure that everything was alright, I went downstairs to make some tea. 

While I stood in the kitchen waiting for the Keurig to heat, I heard the sound of the wind howling outside, so I went over to the back windows to take a look at what was going on out there. Then, I saw something that I wasn't sure how to explain. There, in the middle of my yard, was a huge dog. No, a wolf. It had dark brown fur, and it was staring straight at me with the most beautiful green eyes. And, behind him beyond the treeline, there were a bunch of yellow eyes that looked at me through the trees.

Alright, loves! How was that? I know that these chapters are coming at you incredibly fast, but I'm feeling really inspired. It's so crazy how my inspirational juices just kicked back in this week, but I'm not complaining!! Let me know what you thought by giving it a vote, leaving a comment and telling your friends about it!! Until next time, .x