Griffin continues to go on dates with Courtney. He even goes on dates with her after Chad and Karin have their breakup that left Chad in tears for the first time in years. He goes on dates with her and he really does start to enjoy them. He doesn't enjoy them the way Chad used to enjoy his dates with Karin, but nonetheless, Griffin does enjoy spending time with Courtney, and the more he enjoys spending time with her and likes her as a person, the easier it is to pretend.
When they're three months into their relationship, Courtney attends her first motocross race and her cheering on from the crowd does actually boost his confidence and makes him want to win even more. And when he does win, it's even easier to pretend when he's high off adrenaline and endorphins, so he pulls her into her first breath-stealing kiss. And when he pulls away and she looks up at him with flushed cheeks, swollen lips and wind mused her she's so so so pretty, but he could never love that prettiness the way any other of the motocross riders behind him could. He'd forever and always be nothing more than an admirer, but someone behind him could forever and always be drawn to her spellbound, the way she deserves to be adored.
"What was that?" she giggles up at him, still so shy but no less charming.
"What? Am I not supposed to kiss my girlfriend?"
"Of course you're supposed to," she gasps, as if she's scared that he'll decide to stop altogether and that shakes him to the core. "You can always kiss your girlfriend." And then she stands on her tiptoes to kiss him herself, and for a moment Griffin forgets he's supposed to be closing his eyes and losing himself in her. So, he closes his eyes and makes a conscious effort to look as if he feels like he and Courtney are the only two people in the world. She makes a sound against his mouth and presses herself closer, so he figures he's doing a pretty good job in doing so.
She pulls away once she's had her fill, and he tries to look disappointed and not thankful her lips are off of his. That's no way to feel, especially with the way he knows their kisses are good, and how he should be able to easily slip into them and everything about her, but he couldn't possibly. Not with the way guys are still accidentally brushing against him as they walk by and the way cologne and sweat are overriding her sweet smelling perfume, leaving him light-headed and feeling like he would rather turn around and press up against one of them and kiss them breathless instead of doing it to her.
"You should come to my competition tomorrow," Courtney has to shout over the clamor and noise around them. "I'd love to have you there cheering me on."
"I'll come," he replies, and her brown eyes light up all over again and the strawberry chapstick flavor is back on his lips.
YOU ARE READING
Free Me (bxb)
General FictionGriffin knew exactly who he could and could not be from the time he was in middle school. He could not be the boy that looked at other boys with engrossed attraction, no, that was meant for the pretty girls in his school only. He would not be that g...
