more than this | grayson dolan (book one)

twenty seven

I grip onto the strap of my bag as I walk down the hallway. This day has been dragging and I need it to stop. My feet move over toward the courtyard while my heart begins to beat faster. The sun hits my skin as the warm outside air consumes me.

When the weather gets nicer pretty much every student eats lunch out here. I scan the tables for the brown haired boy that agreed to meet me. I finally spot him, he's sitting at a table eating a slice of pizza. I walk over to where he is and slowly take a seat across from him. This action makes him slightly jump up as he stares at me through his hazel eyes.

"Shit, you scared me." He shakes his head with a tiny laugh.

"Sorry." I laugh along with him as I extend my hands out on the table.

"So, what's up? You wanted to talk?" He raises an eyebrow up as he looks at me.

"There's a few things I want to come clean about." I sit up straight as I look him in the eyes.

He nods his head while letting out a sigh. "Okay, go ahead."

"Well, I want to talk about my relationship with Grayson." I grind my teeth while my body begins to twitch.

"Stella, it's okay if you're into him. I'm not going to force you to have feelings for me-"

"We were challenged to spend everyday together for a month, that's the reason I'm with him all the time." I come right out with the truth.

"Wait, what?" He leans into the table while furrowing his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Grayson and I never got along. We would constantly get on each other's nerves and this bothered his twin brother Ethan. A few weeks ago, right after we met, Ethan challenged Grayson and I to spend every day together for a whole month. That way we can actually get to know each other better and hopefully start getting along."

"Why would you agree to that? He treats you like shit." Tom lowly mutters.

"Ethan thought maybe we could fall for each other, which peaked my interest. Grayson was determined to win and so was I, that's why we agreed. The only rules were we couldn't kiss, sleep together, or catch any feelings. If one of us did, we lost." I shrug my shoulders as I look down at the wooden table. I know we technically already broke one of the rules, which I'm trying to forget about. "Ethan offered me four hundred dollars."

"So, you're doing this for money?" He slowly asks.

"Well, I kind of need it." I mumble without giving too much of an explanation.

"Let me get this straight, you were forced to hang out with Grayson to see if he could fall for you?"

"Yeah." I nervously gulp.

"No offense, but that's stupid." Tom states his honest opinion.

"I know, but that's why he's always around me." I try to reason with him.

"Did you win?" He pushes himself to ask.

"I don't know yet, we still have another week." I keep my strong eye contact with him.

"Did you catch any feelings for him?" He breaks it by looking down at the table.

I quickly shake my head as I lean closer to him. "I don't handle feelings very well, which you already know."

"Did you ever use me to make him jealous?" He clenches his jaw.

"Yes, I have before." I shamefully admit to him.

"When?" His shaky voice asks me.

"The day we skipped school. I pulled you past him so he would get pissed off." My throat feels scratchy as a pit of sadness and regret forms in my stomach.