Kisses were being peppered all over my neck and cheeks.

I felt myself smile despite my sleepy haze.

"Good morning, Mia," Grey whispered in my ear.

"Morning," I mumbled, refusing to pull my face away from the warmth of his chest.

"We gotta get up, sweetheart."

"Sweetheart?" I repeated, only opening one eye to peek up at him.

Grey was smiling down at me. "Yeah, sweetheart." He kissed the tip of my nose. "I think I'll be testing out nicknames for the rest of the summer."

My lips curled up into a smile. "I have absolutely no problems with this."

He chuckled. "Good. Now come on, or we're both going to be late."

Grey and I shared the bathroom as we brushed our teeth, did our skincare routine, then we decided to take turns showering even though he offered to shower with me.

Real jokester that one.

I didn't respond. I couldn't because I'd be lying if I had said it was a terrible idea. So instead, I gave him a tight-lipped smile and slammed the door in his face.

Five seconds later, a teeny tiny part of my brain was reconsidering his offer, and it rolled with it. My thoughts automatically went to the dirtiest place imaginable. Grey, naked, wet, droplets of water trickling all the way down his broad chest then down his rock-hard abs to... JESUS CHRIST! STOP THIS, MIA! I squeezed my eyes shut and palmed my forehead multiple times.

I was going to go crazy if I let my thoughts stay there.

I heard a soft double tap at the door, causing me to jump. "Hey, Mia. Don't finish all the hot water."

"Okay," I mumbled, just barely loud enough for him to hear.

"Then again, now that I think about it. I just might need a cold shower if I keep thinking the thoughts I am right now." Judging by his tone of voice, I knew he wasn't the least bit ashamed to admit that. As a matter of fact, he wanted me to know that he was thinking about me too.

I slapped my hands onto my cheeks that were probably burning red. "GREYSON! FOR GOD'S SAKE!" I muttered a curse under my breath.

I could hear his light chuckle from the other side. "Never mind. Take all the time you need."

I rolled my eyes. Was he going to be this unbearable for the rest of the summer?

I took a quick ten-minute shower, then wrapped my towel around me as I peeked out the bathroom door looking for any signs of Grey. Nowhere in sight, I hurried down the hall into my room and softly closed the door before letting out a light sigh.

"AHEM!"

I jumped. That was twice this morning, in case you weren't counting.

I whipped around to find Grey laying down on my bed with a knowing grin. "Avoiding me already?" he placed a hand over his chest. "That hurts."

"I can't even...." I didn't bother finishing that sentence.

I firmly grasped the towel with both hands at the top, holding it in place. "Can I help you?" I asked with some extra sass in my voice.

Grey pretended to think about it. "Nah... just came to borrow your charger." He held up his phone and waved it, showing me that he was indeed charging his phone. "Mine's been acting up. I need to buy a new one."

"Right. Anyways, here's an idea. How about you take the charger, leave and let me get dressed."

He smirked, typing something into his phone. "Or..."

"I don't want to hear it!" I moved to cover my ears with both hands when I realized the towel was slipping. I gasped and grabbed for it.

Grey busted out laughing at my mistake.

Kill me now.

I was not going to survive the summer like this. Let alone the next two years that we're supposed to be sharing this place.

"Grey..." I whined, hoping he would get the hint.

"Okay, okay. I'll leave," Grey said, still laughing in between.

He got up as if he was walking towards me. I shuffled aside to move out of his way while trying my best to avoid his gaze.

I figured he would walk around me, but he surprised me by grabbing my shoulders planting a quick kiss on my forehead. "I'm going to shower. Then I'll make us some breakfast."

He waited for me to respond, but all I could do was nod like an idiot.

***

Grey didn't go all out for breakfast this morning. I thought I would have French toast, scrambled eggs, and the works, but I remembered we are both crunched on time today. So he made egg, cheese, and bacon croissantwiches. My taste buds were far from disappointed. I almost made coffee but opted to wait for when I get into work to beg Freya to make me one. That girl made the most magical caffeinated drinks.

"I'll do dishes since you have to go like right now," I told him when he rested his plate in the sink. Grey was already dressed and ready to head off to his first practice session with the band. "Where's their practice anyways?"

He checked his phone. "It's a 20-minute walk from here."

"You're walking? Why don't you just borrow my truck? Then you can put the guitar in the back."

I could tell that he was about to decline the offer, so I talked him into it.

"It takes me less than five minutes to walk to work. I wasn't going to drive and waste the gas if I don't have to." I picked up the keys from the counter, took his hand, and placed them in his palm.

Grey smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

I walked him to the front door, where he slipped on his boots and grabbed his guitar case. I was too busy in my own head this morning to realize what Grey had put on.

It was a simple crew neck color-blocked t-shirt that seemed like a nice fit, hugging him in all the right places. Much like the dark jeans, he was wearing.

"Are you checking me out?" he asked with a smug grin.

I diverted my eyes. "What? NO!" My tone of voice made it very obvious that I was and that I had been caught.

Why is he like this? Inwardly groaned.

"It's fine. I like it." He winked.

Of course, he does.

"Anyways." I stepped forward to hug him.

A hug? Should I hug him goodbye? I lowered my arms hesitantly.

Maybe I should just kiss his cheek and tell him, "I'll see you later." Or do I give him one of those quick pecks on the lips and then say goodbye?

I contemplated all of these options.

Why was I complicating things?

I never worried about how I should say bye to him before. But this was different. We're dating now, and I felt like I was trying and failing to navigate through it all.

I looked to Greyson, who I was guessing had spent the past few minutes or so silently watching me work through my thoughts.

"So um..." I began without knowing where I was going with all of this. "I'll see you later." I gave him one of those single rainbow wave goodbye.

Grey's eyebrows furrowed, and he shook his head. "You're acting weird again," he said, slowly sauntering over to me.

I quickly denied it, but I knew he wasn't convinced.

I hurried to explain. "This whole thing is weird. The more I think about it, the more I worry about how to act now." I sighed, knowing I was silly. "I was here overthinking about how I should say goodbye to you."

"What do you mean?" he inquired.

I was dreading bringing this up now. I just knew he was going to laugh.

"I mean..." I was wracking my brain to think of the best explanation. "So when we're saying goodbye..." I started. "Would a hug be sufficient? Or would it be cool if I was in the kitchen and I stuck my head from around the corner and waved goodbye? Or do we always say goodbye with a kiss? Or..." I wanted to ramble on, but he kissed me, effectively shutting me up.

"Mia." Grey said my name sternly but then added a soft smile. "What did I tell you last night?"

I couldn't pinpoint exactly what he was referring to. So much was said. I shrugged in defeat.

"I said, we'll take it one day at a time," he repeated softly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

I blew out a breath of relief.

"Don't stress it too much," Grey added. "Hug, no hug. Kiss, no kiss. Single wave, no wave. It's cool. I just want it to be natural. Whatever you feel in the moment, go for it."

I nodded. "Got it. No more overthinking." I gave him two thumbs-up.

Grey laughed. "Alright." He kissed the top of my head.

Well, that was kind of perfect.

"I'll see you." Grey walked to the front door and opened it. "I'll pick you up after work, okay?" he said, looking over his shoulder, waiting for confirmation.

"Okay." I grinned, watching him leave.

Back in the kitchen, I glanced at the clock above the stove, noticed I had precisely 35 minutes to get to work. I wanted to wash the dishes and wipe down the counter before leaving.

When I noticed two keys lying next to the fruit basket, I realized that Grey had forgotten his house keys.

I took out my phone to text him and let him know, but a knock on the door stopped me in my tracks.

Grey must have discovered he didn't have them and came back.

I started to speak to the person on the other side before actually answering it. "I was just about to tell you that you forgot your-" I swung the door open.

It took a second to register the stranger standing in front of me. I haven't looked at pictures of them. I haven't bothered to watch old homemade videos to keep the memory of who they were to me and what they meant to me. I had closed my heart and pushed away from the idea of them possibly making their way back to me.

That being said, she was the last person I expected to show up at my door.

She was nervously shifting from left to right as she tightened her grip on the handle of her handbag that she held in front of her like a shield.

She looked the same. She was wearing a yellow sundress that complimented everything about her. Her mink brown hair was cut short, falling just above her collar bone. I remember she used to keep it a lot longer, and it used to make me think that she was a brunette Rapunzel. She wasn't as tall as I remembered since I've grown a few inches taller than her. Her brown eyes, though, are an exact match to my own. But where I once saw warmth and familiarity, maybe even unconditional love, I now saw confusion and regret.

"Mother," I said coldly. It hadn't been my intention to sound like that, but I couldn't help it. It was as if the years of hurt had seeped its way into my voice. There was only, but so much I could hold in at this point. I never thought I would have the opportunity to see her again, and I didn't know if I would want it. I still don't.

"Hi," Mom rushed on to say, ignoring my harsh tone of voice. "I know, I should have called, but I was afraid if I asked to stop by, you would have said..."

"No?" I finished the sentence for her. "You knew that would've been my answer but chose to come anyway?" I asked in disbelief.

What would have happened if she had been here five minutes earlier before Grey left?

Crap. I would've had a lot of explaining to do.

Mom was silent for a few seconds, "I was just dying to see you." She stepped closer, tilting her head up ever so slightly to get a better look at me. "You're so beautiful," she whispered.

I wondered if she was saying that because I was her clone but with blonde hair.

I tore my eyes from hers. "Thanks," I mumbled.

"Can I come in?" She took a peek over my shoulder. "I'd love to see the place."

I didn't answer, but I stepped aside, silently giving her the go-ahead.

What in god's name persuaded me to do that? I didn't know.

Mom slipped out of her sandals by the welcome mat and walked forward into the living room. Dragging my feet, I followed at a short distance behind her.

"Is Greyson here?" Mom looked back at me.

I shook my head.

"Oh, maybe I'll catch him next time then," she said like she was so sure she would be here again.

There was only a handful of times I remember mom seeing Greyson. Those few years were the start of our long-lasting friendship, and she hadn't been around much for that.

Mom stopped in the living room and admired the entertainment stand. The few pictures we had managed to hang up on the walls and the view from the balcony.

Then she walked over to the kitchen. "This is a great size for the two of you. Do you cook much?"

I shrugged one shoulder and scratched my forearm nervously. "Occasionally. Greyson's the better cook, to be honest. But I can bake just about any cake or pastry. It's amazing. I don't look like a balloon with all the pastries I like to consume."

Mom cracked a smile. "I see some things haven't changed about you." I was tempted to ask her what she meant by that. But I wasn't in the mood to bring up the past.

"Yup." I popped the "p" at the end.

"I had my doubt about letting you share this place with a boy, but your father trusts him and thinks of him as a family so that I couldn't argue with him on that. Your father says, you two are just friends?" She turned to me, awaiting an answer.

"Yup," I repeated my previous response. It's not like I would tell her I'm dating my best friend before telling dad that I was dating him. "So, do you want to see the rooms?" I changed the subject. Talking about almost anything other than my current love life would be preferable.

"Of course!" Mom nodded gingerly.

I quickly showed her my room, then the bathroom, followed by Grey's room.

"Isn't it going to be awkward for you when Greyson invites other girls over?" she asked.

Other girls? My heart painfully clenched at the thought. I didn't want that to happen. Then again, if we knew things weren't working out between us and we ended it at the last week of the summer as we planned, I'd have to deal with that at some point.

Well, this sucked. Why didn't I think about this before?

"I mean, and vice versa," she added, not making the situation any better.

No longer wanting to think about her question, I clapped my hands together. "Well, that's everything there is to see here." I gently nudged her forward in the direction of the living room once again.

A part of me hoped she would be pleased and leave now, but then she took a seat on the couch.

Smiling over at me, she said, "Let's talk."

Oh no.

"I have to get to work." I was grateful I had a legit excuse to avoid this. "I let Grey burrow my car today, so I'm walking."

Mom nodded, but she had disappointment written all over her face. "Your father mentioned you have a job at the café a few minutes away." She stood up, smoothing out the front of her dress. "Let me drive you."

I flicked my wrist, dismissing the offer. "It's fine. I can walk." I gave her my best reassuring smile.

Mom shook her head. She wasn't having it. "Nonsense. I'm going that way anyway. It won't be a bother."

I opened my mouth to refuse again, but then she said. "I think you can survive just a few more minutes with me. You've been doing great the last fifteen."

That may be true, but still. I sighed. "Sure. Fine, thanks." I muttered unenthusiastically.

"Great. Finish up getting ready, and I'll bring the car around front. Okay?" She sounded a bit too happy about this if you asked me.

I gave her two thumbs up and headed for my room to throw on my work shirt.

I texted Grey about the house keys before I forgot again, and I grabbed my bag, locking the door.

When I walked out front, the only car I spotted was a sleek silver Maserati SUV with tinted windows. Mom whined the down and waved me in after I spent more than a few seconds just gawking at the vehicle.

Opening the door, I hopped in and buckled my seatbelt. I did a glance around the car. Well, this looks fancy.

"You like it?" Mom asked, pulling away from the curb.

I pretended like it wasn't a big deal that she was driving an outrageously expensive car. "Yeah. It's nice." I turned my head to the window, counting down the seconds.

"I just bought it. I'm not sure how much your dad told you, but I work with my..." she paused. I could see in my peripheral that she was debating whether or not to share this info with me yet. "My husband, Michael." She gave me a nervous side glance.

"That's great, Mom," I muttered, uninterested.

You've moved on from dad and me. Good for you.

"He's your sister's father." She included that info as if that was supposed to make it better.

I stayed silent. Not knowing exactly what to say.

Mom continued to ramble on. She was trying to squeeze whatever she could into this thankfully short ride. I was basically scrambling to get out of the car when she pulled up in front of the café. "Thanks," I mumbled, opening the passenger door.

"Wait!" She called out before my feet could hit the ground.

I paused.

"Have you thought about everything I asked? The summer trip? Me? Your sister?"

I looked over my shoulder and spoke the one thing that I was sure of. "I don't know about everything else, but I'd like to meet my sister someday."

Mom released a sigh of relief. "I can do that. No problem. Just say when."

I nodded. "Okay, thanks."

"I'll be in touch!" Mom said before I closed the door.

I politely waved goodbye, not bothering to watch her drive off after turning my back.