** REWRITING ** Tidal Wave

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I held up a baseball cap to show Grayson. "Do you think Andrew will like it?"

Grayson bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Elle..." he started.

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

"It's bright pink!"

I rolled my eyes and threw the cap back. "Boys and pink," I mumbled under my breath as I turned away from the table holding the only remaining items

"Hey," Grayson caught my arm, “in my opinion, pink is a very manly color. Just not in Andrew's."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh yeah?"

"Mm hum," Grayson nodded.

I picked the cap back up as my lips curled up into a mean smirk. I threw it at his chest. "Then you wear it."

Grayson smirked right back. He put the hat on his head. "Then you buy it."

I crossed my arms. "Fine. Then it's your Christmas present."

Grayson copied my stance. "Fine." He took a step closer.

"Fine." I let my crutches carry me two feet forward. I crossed my arms again.

"Fine." Grayson reached and pried my arms off my chest. His long fingers wrapped around my tiny wrists. My stomach did flips.

Grayson chuckled softly. "What's the matter, Elle? Cat caught your tongue?"

My steely glare met his warm chocolate eyes and immediately melted.

"I...I." I couldn't form words. His hands moved up my forearms. Each finger slow and sure.

"Are we going to buy the hat now?" He was now tracing valentines on my upper arms.

I nodded dumbly.

He smiled, revealing his two perfect rows of teeth. "Great. Let's go." He took both my crutches in one hand and wrapped his other arm around me.

Grayson helped me to the cash register. Behind it was a little old lady. She was decked out in all this prep store had to offer.

Grayson pulled the cap off his head and slide it over the counter. "Just this please, ma'am."

She sweetly smiled up at us. The wrinkles around her eyes and her laugh lines prominently stood out. "Sure, darling."

She gingerly picked up the cap and ringed it up. I slipped out of Grayson's grip to reach for my purse.

He reached for his wallet too. "Ellie, I've got it."

"But it's your Christmas gift!" I protested.

Grayson gave me a small smile. "I don't need a gift when I have you."

My heart skipped a beat. I bit my lip and ducked my head.

The old women took Grayson's credit card from him and swiped it.

"You two are such a cute couple," she said as she passed the card back to him.

"Oh, we're not together," I said immediately.

She raised her eyebrows and glanced at Grayson's arm snugly wrapped around my shoulders, bringing me closer to him

I took a step away from Grayson. "I actually have a boyfriend."

The old lady raised her eyebrows even higher. "That isn't this young man?"

"Nope," I tried to say casually.

It didn't work.

I glanced up at Grayson. He was enjoying this too much.

"That's a shame," the women remarked as pushed the bag onto the table containing the hat wrapped in tissue paper.