Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“No, it doesn’t. Not at all. It sounds honest.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Griffin was looking at me funny, his head cocked a little. I felt the stare deep in my chest, so I looked down at my food and took a bite.
Another question sat on the end of my tongue. I debated whether to ask it or not, but who was I kidding? I was too curious not to. “You never…with Chase? You guys are so close, and I know it’s about connection with you. The two of you have more of a connection than damn near anyone I’ve ever seen so…” It took me a second to realize I’d begun holding my breath as I waited for his answer.
“No. Obviously, we never messed around, since other than the hotel guy, you’re my first man, but I didn’t feel it—the want for him. I don’t know why, really. It’s just how I feel. It was always only about friendship with Chase. We’re more like brothers.”
Why me, begged to fall from my lips. Why aren’t things the same with me? I sure as shit didn’t plan to ask that question, though. I wondered if he knew, what he would say if I did ask him. What was it about me that made Griff want me? Choose me? I’d never questioned that kind of thing before, but everything with Griffin was unique. I decided to change the subject. “Save room for funnel cake. We can’t go to the fair without it.”
Griff nodded.
“Tell me about the tattoo?” I’d been dying to know about it—the three hanging paper cranes and the designs behind them.
“Well, I’d wanted something for a while but didn’t know what. My mom, she used to fold a lot of origami. She was really interested in Japanese culture. Paper cranes are the most popular form of origami. My mom told me the story of a young girl named Sadako. She survived the bombing of Hiroshima when she was two. A few years later she ended up with leukemia as a result of the irradiation. She started folding paper cranes, planning to make a thousand of them. It was how she worked through the pain and her loss. There are a lot of legends about the paper cranes; one is that when you fold one, your dream is supposed to come true. It sounds silly, I know, but that story meant a lot to my mom, and it felt like a way to honor her.”
“It doesn’t sound silly at all. What would be your dream, Griff? I think that’s part of it too, isn’t it? Whatever it is, you deserve it.”
“Yeah, that’s part of it. Maybe I just thought the tattoo would help me discover what that dream even is. I don’t know.”
“Hmm. I think we should figure that out, sweetheart.”
He rolled his eyes, but his face flushed slightly. It was a beautiful sight.
“Okay, enough mushy stuff. We have things to do,” he teased, and I let him change the subject.
We finished eating, chatting some as we did. When we were done, I nodded toward the games, and he followed. I went straight for the baseball one, where you had to hit the bottles and make them fall.
“You know this is rigged, right?”
“Yeah, but you’ve never played with me. It’s my specialty.”
“I have a feeling you don’t think there’s much you’re not good at,” Griff said.
“Your feeling would be right.”
“Jesus, what am I going to do with you?” He wrapped an arm around me, and I liked the feel of it, the weight and his hard muscles over my shoulders, but he dropped it too quickly.
It only took me one try to win the game.
“Which one would you like?” the attendant asked.
I pointed to a bear with a grumpy face. “That one.” He handed it over, and I instantly put the toy in Griff’s arms. “I won him for you. He looks just like you, Grumpy G.”
Griff laughed before saying, “And fuck you again,” but still, he took the bear and tucked it under his arm. I liked the fact that he really kept it.
We rode a few more rides, including the Ferris wheel, which he did not kiss me on top of. We had funnel cake and then were back in the car. “So…you wanna have a sleepover at my place?” I wagged my eyebrows in an exaggerated way so he knew I was being playful and there was no obligation.
“Yeah, I think I do.” Griff had his Grumpy Bear on his lap and was fiddling with the tag.
“No obligation, though,” I said, to make sure he got what I meant.
“I know. I want to go.”
I wanted him there too.
We were quiet on the ride over. I pulled into the driveway and killed the engine in front of the little blue house I’d inherited from my grandmother. I wish she’d met Griff. The thought hit me out of nowhere, so much so that it made me feel slightly dizzy. As much as I loved my grandmother, I’d never wished something like that before.