Hello Stranger

Chapter 7

"What are you doing here?" I ask her.

"Come here, child. Hug me," She said.

"Why are you here, Mom?" I repeat not moving from my spot at the bottom of the stairs.

She sighs, "Fine. I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay, then tell me tomorrow," I state heading toward the door where Aaron waited. I grabbed a leather jacket from the coat rack beside the door.

"I need to tell you now. It's important," She told me.

"If it's really as important as you say, you would've let me know you were coming to make sure I didn't have plans," I say facing her. "If it's important, then you'll still be here to tell me in the morning."

Before she could say anything else I ushered Aaron out the door. We got in his car and left. The party wasn't for a while longer so I wasn't sure where we were going. But the ride was silent. Neither of us said anything, but I knew he wanted to ask about my mom. We arrived at a gated house and were let in instantly. He followed the driveway to the front of the house and parked. He got out and walked around to my side, opening the door for me. I carefully got out making sure my dress didn't lift and reveal more than it should. 

He silently led me up the steps and into the large house. A grand staircase stood before me and I was in awe. "Come on, let me take you upstairs," Aaron said breaking the silence.

"You live here?" I ask as I follow him up the staircase to the third floor.

"Yeah," Aaron answers.

"Do you live here all alone?" I question.

All I Aaron said was, "No." He gave no explanation as to who he lived with, just that he didn't live alone. I figured him not giving any more details meant that he didn't want to talk about it. So, I didn't push it any.

We arrived in an office and he sat at the desk. I took the liberty of sitting on the couch in the room, not knowing what else to do. He began working on a computer. I sat and played on my phone and waited on the couch until I got bored.

"I'm bored," I sigh. "Can I walk around or something?"

"Yeah, whatever," Aaron doesn't look up at me, he just shoos me out of the room. I roll my eyes at him and leave him to work.

I was walking down the hall examining the painting that was hanging on the wall when I realized one of the doors was cracked open. The sight of a bookshelf caught my attention. I pushed the door open slowly and looked to make sure no one was in the room. It wasn't a library like I thought it would be, it was a bedroom. I went to the shelf and started looking at the books.

They were all in amazing condition and they almost all were first editions. I ran my finger along the spines of the books reading the titles as I go. I stopped when an old book caught my attention. It was Romeo and Juliet. I carefully took the book from the shelf and examine the cover. It was the only romance novel on the bookshelf that I saw.

"What are you doing?" A voice says from the doorway. I jump and drop the book I held onto the carpeted floor. I turn to see Grayson standing in the doorway. He slowly walked toward where I was standing and topped in front of me never taking his eyes off of mine. What is with the guys and eye contact? He picks up the book and looks me in my eyes again. "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite."

"What?" I ask breathlessly because of how close he stood to me.

He slid the book back into its spot beside me on the bookshelf. "Romeo and Juliet."