C5 Greyson

“Grey,” Mia called.

Grey froze in her tracks. It was after her last lecture of the day. The damn thing lasted three hours and she barely remembered what the man said. Was Mia calling to confront her and threaten her like Brandon? Geez, where was Skye in the middle of all this?

“Mi…Mia? What’s up?”

“Shopping duh,” she said.

“Shopping? I thought you wanted to do that next week?”

“I did, but Ela insisted on doing it today. Apparently she’s run out of clothes.”

“Oh,” Grey nearly released the breath she’d been holding in. “Where are Piper and Patty?”

“It’s just the three of us.”

“You know I don’t really need to go shopping. I’d rather wait to hear back from the airline.” Grey chuckled nervously.

Mia flashed Grey her emerald eyes, “I’ll shop for you. It’s on me.”

Grey paused, “You don’t have to.”

“I know, but I want to. Shopping isn’t burden.”

Of course it wasn’t. Ela appeared wearing a black and white fur coat, wobbling in her black high heel boots, spotting black sunglasses.

“This is absolutely awful.” Ela sighed.

“You’re the one who insisted on going on.” Mia said.

“I can’t stand my shoe collection.” Ela mumbled.

“Let’s just go. I’m sure seeing racks of shoes will make you happy.” Mia opened the driver side door and climbed in.

To Grey’s surprise Ela hopped in the back leaving her to join the front seat. So much raged in Grey’s head for one she couldn’t get the image of Mia sucking on Brandon out of her head. Her cheeks even burned thinking about it. Was this treat a way to keep Grey quiet?

Brandon had to have said something. Grey also thought about Skye whom she hadn’t seen since he smashed and trashed her. Maybe they broke up and Grey hadn’t received the memo.

“So, any parties happening at the cottage any time soon?” Grey asked, only fishing for information.

“The cottage and the lake are forbidden territory for now.” Mia said, her eyes firmly on the road.

“It’s because of the baby in the woods, isn’t it?” Ela shot up in the back seat.

“Ela!” Mia gripped the wheel with both hands. “I really don’t want to talk about that.”

Grey hadn’t been to town. She’d come up with all sorts of excuses not to go to lunch or brunch with the girls. Instead, she would grab lunch from the cafeteria and sneak into the library. Mia pushed the car to a hundred. The wind whipped Grey’s hair as the silver SUV drove through an open tar road that stretched for miles before it saw a house or cottage on either side of it.

“Shoes, lingerie, new jeans!” Ela panted.

She bolted out of the car and dashed into a store with manikins on the window and an awning above the store front.

“Let’s go.” Mia sighed.

Grey still had protests on her lips, but it would do her no use. She hoped the salary she would be getting for doing West’s job was good so she could pay Mia back.

“What do I get?” Grey asked.

She bit down on her lip when Mia frowned at her. She knew it was the wrong thing to say.

“I mean everything is so nice… I can hardly choose.”

“Oh, I think that dress will look awesome on you.” Mia pointed at the white t-length dress on the manikin standing by the window.

Grey walked up to it and casually glanced at the price tag. Two hundred and sixty-five dollars. Grey’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.

“Oh, it’s on sale!” Mia said.

Grey couldn’t contain her soft groan. Now the world was mocking her.

“Well, try it on. Oh and that one. That top is to die for. I think I’ll try this one on…” Mia rumbled, as she waded through the store.

For such a small store it sure had a lot of stuff. Mia kept coming back with more stuff for Grey to try. If she wasn’t convinced before she was convinced now that shopping was an addiction.

“Grey are you going to come out?” Ela called.

“Yeah,” Grey said.

First she had to marvel at herself in the white dress. It left her shoulders bare, but had sleeves to cover her arms. It draped over her knees and captured all the curves Grey didn’t know she had. She was bare foot, but felt powerful none the less. Had she had heels on she would have felt unstoppable.

“Oh, my gosh.” Ela gasped.

“Do I have good taste or what?” Mia grinned, as Grey stepped through the changing room curtain.

“Yeah, do me next.” Ela said.

Grey patted the dress down. “It feels good. Feels really good.”

“Duh, I knew it would look great on you. Put it with the others.”

“Whoa, that was a lot of stuff Mia. I don’t need it all.”

“We haven’t even gotten to underwear yet.” Ela whimpered.

“I mean they all look great on you. It isn’t that much this is just a small shopping trip.”

What were the big shopping trips like? Grey couldn’t imagine her friend’s massive shopping haul as she went back in and tired a top that resembled a piece of lingerie and black leather jeans.

When Grey stepped out of the changing room. Mia was showing Ela a pair of floral print heels.

“You look stunning Grey.” Mia nodded approvingly.

“Goodness, do me now. Which piece is better?” Ela held up two sets of lacy underwear. A hot pink set and a sea blue pair.

“None. Go for red.” Mia frowned.

“Or a nude color.” Grey added. She didn’t know much under fancy underwear, but she’d always liked nude.

Ela looked at her choices and then at the variety of fancy underwear.

“Grey’s right. Nude will look good on you.”

“I don’t care what you wear baby as long as I’m the one seeing you in it.” Lewis barked out a laugh.

“Oh Lewis, what the hell are you doing here?” Ela scrawled and retreated into the changing room.

Lewis appeared alongside Skye. Skye’s gaze lingered on Grey as he kissed his girlfriend’s cheek.

“Hey babe,” Skye said.

“Hey,” Mia said, nonchalantly.

“Whoa, Grey who’s the lucky guy?” Lewis all but howled.

Grey frowned, but her cheeks burned with blush.

“Grey’s not dressing for a guy.” Mia said.

“Too bad, I know a certain girl that’s playing hard to get.” He said in the direction of the dressing room.

“Get lost Lewis!”

Lewis chuckled, “If it doesn’t work out. I know where to find you.”

“Uh-huh, thanks.”

Grey could feel Skye’s glare singing her skin. With his arm around his girlfriend’s waist his desire bore into her. If there was a way to silently and effectively push his attention away from her. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of what happened between them and had her labeled as easy. Grey turned to join Ela in the changing room when her attention was called back.

“Grey,” Skye said.

Grey had to fight herself not to spit out ‘what.’

“Yes?”

“You really do look good.” Skye said. Grey noticed him swallow after.

“Of course, I dressed her.” Mia said. Skye turned to smile at her and his devotion was on her.

“Are you going to show us what the lingerie looks like Ela?” Lewis called.

“Shut up Lewis!”

***

“Thanks girls. That’s exactly what I needed. Shame Lewis showed up and ruined everything.” Ela sighed on the last part.

Mia put the car in park and turned the rearview mirror to check and retouch her lipstick.

“Please, we know he’s going to be seeing it anyway.” Mia said.

Ela opened the back door and grabbed the reigns of her mountain of shopping bags. “As if.”

“Thanks for everything.” Grey said once Ela was gone.

They were in front of their dorm complex. Mia patted her pink lipstick down with her fingers then pressed them together.

“You have to be the most grateful person I know Grey.”

“I’m just used to getting stuff on my own.”

That wasn’t a lie. As soon as she could work at fifteen she was working and providing for herself and her mom.

“I’ll pay you back.”

Mia chuckled, “Take me to Greece instead.”

Mia popped the door open and walked out. Grey sighed.

“Screw me.”

After Grey dropped off her shopping bag she found herself on the path back to the castle. Since she couldn’t go to the lake for a while she needed to find another sanctuary to be Greyson Abbey. Seeking a branch off from the castle leading to the unknown, instead Grey heard footsteps crunching dry leaves behind her.

“Skye?”

Grey stumbled back and nearly fell, but Skye snatched her arm and pulled her to him. Grey pressed her palms against his chest and Skye wrapped his arms around her waist to pin her in place.

“What do you want?” Grey grumbled.

“I wanted to talk! It’s not my fault you were falling.”

“Let me go now.”

“I kind of like you this way. I saw the way you looked at me at the store. Did seeing me with Mia make you mad?”

“What?” Grey snapped. “No! I didn’t want to see you. I don’t want you to touch me either.”

“Because your jealous?”

“No, Skye. What happened between us won’t ever happen again.”

Skye’s hold on her loosened. For his own good he better get his hands all the way off her or else he’d be getting smashed where the sun doesn’t shine.

“Do you really want that Grey? I don’t.”

“Mia’s a good girl Skye. She doesn’t deserve you cheating on her.” She didn’t deserve her friend sleeping with her boyfriend either.

Skye barked out a laugh. “You think your friend’s innocent? You know she’s cheating on me?”

Grey swallowed. Oh, she knew. She saw too.

“Shocked. I was too. I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong.”

“Go do it with someone else.” Grey summoned her courage and shoved Skye back.

“Grey…” Skye seethed.

So much for finding a new sanctuary. Grey turned back to the dorm complex.

“Grey, we’re not done talking.”

“I am.” She said to herself.

“Hey.” Skye caught up to her and held her arms.

“Skye, leave her alone.” West demanded.

Skye’s hold on her dropped. He rolled his head to stare at his cousin in the high Jeep.

“Why don’t you mind your own business. We’re having a conversation.”

“No we’re not. I’m doing home.”

“Head home Skye. I’m not asking again.”

“You’re an idiot.” Skye muttered. He tore his gaze away from Grey and proceeded towards the boy’s dorm complex.

“Get in Grey.”