Heated // Grayson Dolan

TWELVE

*Grayson's POV*

I stared back into her eyes in shock. Picking up speed, my heart pounded against my chest. I couldn't believe she had kissed me. I've been wanting to be with her for weeks by that point.

But it felt so wrong; Dallas made me promise nothing would happen between Syd and I the second he suspected she had feelings for me. Of course, not believing she did like me helped make keeping the promise easy.

Dallas didn't want Sydney getting hurt, that's why he made me promise nothing would happen. That's another thing that made keep the promise. I didn't want her getting hurt either.

But I wouldn't let it happen. I wouldn't let myself get hurt. She's been through too much shit already and it makes my heart ache. She was too good. She was too sweet, too kind, too beautiful, too quirky, too special. She must be protected at all costs.

I glanced down at her soft lips; the more seconds that past, the more they frowned. She wanted my affection as much as I wanted hers.

Fuck it. I'll give her all my affection, all my care. She deserved it. She'd getting my full time and attention. I wouldn't allow for her to get hurt. Not by Parker, not by her own mind, not by me.

Fuck the promise I made.

I tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, cupped her cheeks in my hands, and kissed her precious lips softly yet with everything I had inside of me at the same time. Electricity sparked through my veins. Fuck what Dallas has to say. This. This was right.

"Syd..." I whispered as I slowly pulled away.

"Mhm" she hummed.

"Dallas can't find out about us. Okay?"

"Alright" she nodded. "Why, though?"

"He told me he would beat my ass if anything happened between us?"

She tilted her head to the side. "Why'd he say that?"

I shrugged even though I knew exactly why. I didn't want her to worry, she had nothing to worry about though. I promised myself she wouldn't get hurt, and I will keep it.

...

A week had passed. Sydney laid on her stomach across my bed as I played with the ends of her hair. She mindlessly scrolled through her Instagram feed.

I glanced over at her screen to see her scroll past a drawing post. I remembered when she told me she wanted to have her own digital art shop when she's older. It was the day I first convinced her to try living her life. I smiled to myself knowing she made such a huge progress in the past month's time of knowing each other.

"You draw right?" I asked even though I knew the answer.

"Yeah," she replied as she shut off her phone. She stirred over to face me. "But I haven't drawn anything since the accident."

"What?! Now, how are you going to start your own little store like those stores where people sell paintings but with digital art if you haven't drawn in months?" I asked as I sat up and folded my arms. A smirk rested on my face.

"You liar, you knew I draw." She giggled.

"What are you gonna do about it?" I rose an eyebrow.

"Nothing. I'm a pussy" She laughed loudly causing me to smile widen.

I smiled softly as I watched her look down at her nails in which she painted a pale pink color herself; I was there when she did them.

"Is college hard?" She blurted out of nowhere. I often forgot that she would just be starting freshman year that fall. Dallas, Ethan, and I would be seniors but we were each graduating a year early since we took AP and Dual Enrollment classes during high school. I was sure Sydney had too, she'd probably graduate early as well.