Young Love (Bloomfield #4) by Janelle Stalder Page A

relieved sigh as I sat down on the couch, covering myself with a blanket. Netflix was on, a fresh bowl of popcorn was in my lap, and no one was knocking on my door to beg me to go out. This was a good Friday night.
    Turning on the episode I’d left off at, I wiggled into the cushion at my back and got comfortable. Mindlessly popping pieces of popcorn into my mouth, I watched the show without really hearing what was going on. It was the unfortunate truth, but my mind had other things on it.
    All throughout class I’d done my best to focus on what I was doing. Every move I’d done afterward by myself was with half the energy and effort it would normally have been. Thankfully Perrie had distracted me enough on the ride home, but now that I was by myself again, I couldn’t help but think about Grey.
    I didn’t know what to do when it came to that man. He wanted to be friends. That was…nice. It made sense of course. We had mutual friends, not to mention we lived beside each other, so it was logical to assume we were going to have to hang out with each other now and again. Which meant we couldn’t keep going on with this awkward tension between us. I had gotten that. I really did. It didn’t mean that it was easy.
    Taking a deep breath, I tried to pay better attention to the show, but I just couldn’t. Even Frank and Clair’s dramatics weren’t enough to rip me from my own musings. I gave myself a good mental shake.
    We kissed. So what? It was a while ago, and it wasn’t as though it would be happening again anytime soon. I certainly didn’t want it to.
    Liar.
    I didn’t. Grey was not my type, and I could tell I wasn’t his. Kelly was closer to his age, and seemed like the better fit. The kiss was just a mistake. One I still didn’t quite understand, but a mistake nonetheless. We just weren’t compatible. Tonight we’d gotten along, but that was just because it was a platonic hang out. I did better with those than with romantic situations.
    If anyone asked my past boyfriends, they’d confirm that I wasn’t one to really indulge in alone time. I had too much on my plate to spend any of my spare time with someone else. Relationships just weren’t on the top of my “to do” list. One day it would be, but I was young and still trying to build a future, and I’d always considered that my top priority.
    So why did it feel like Grey threatened that? He didn’t. He didn’t. Not only was he already dating someone, but there was also…there was…Okay, I didn’t know what else there was, but there were things. I was pretty certain there was a whole list of reasons why it wouldn’t work between us, I was just having a hard time thinking of them.
    Him having a girlfriend alone was reason enough for me to stay away. I was no mistress. And I liked Kelly, so the last thing I wanted to do was hurt her in any way.
    I leaned my head back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. The show was officially forgotten as I replayed the evening in my head. Grey had just been so…I didn’t know. Nice? Gentlemanly? Actually interested in what I had to say? Unlike most guys my age, Grey asked me about my life and listened when I answered. It was as if he actually cared about what I had to say, instead of just asking because that was what was expected.
    It was the first time a guy had made me dinner, and then when we sat and watched TV together, it was actually comfortable. The awkward tension between us that I’d grown use to hadn’t been there. It was strange. But I’d actually liked it.
    I groaned out loud into the silence of my apartment. What was going on with me? Could I actually be crushing on Grey Anderson? How stupid was that? It was ridiculous really. I had more sense than to lust after someone who was too old, too rough, and too far out of my league, like Grey was.
    He was just so good looking. How could any girl really ignore that? Those blue eyes could make any girl fall for them. Even someone like me, who was damn