When Our Worlds Collide (Our Worlds #1)(20)
“Why? You could have easily told the police everything. I have never given you a reason to protect me, so why did you do it? Because I’ve been trying to figure it out, Kennedy, and I can’t come up with any reasonable explanation.”
“Sit down please. You’re making me nervous,” I scoot over to the other side of my bed leaving a spot open for him to sit. He hesitantly moves over to where I am sitting and looks over at me before taking a seat next to me. I nod at him to reassure that it is okay. “We need to get a few things straight. I didn’t do it for myself. I didn’t think that I was going to benefit in letting you walk away from me with clean hands, but I knew that you would. I’ve seen you play baseball, Graham. I’m not willing to allow you to throw away your entire future because you made a bad decision. So you went out and got drunk and ran me over. I don’t believe that one moment should define you for the rest of your life.
He sits looking at me taking in everything that I just said before speaking. “You shouldn’t have done that,” he whispers just loud enough for me to hear. I raise an eyebrow knowing that he is grateful for my decision.
“The detective came and visited me in the hospital. If that’s what you really want then I can let them know that it was you, but I don’t want to do that. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“I just need a real answer from you because this whole ‘You don’t deserve to have your future ripped from you’ isn’t cutting it,” Graham argues. His voice is rapidly rising with his aggravation.
I sit there pulling at a loose piece of string on my comforter thinking about what he is asking of me. I don’t know how to answer without somehow revealing too much or embarrassing myself. Graham and I are on two different planets when it comes to high school hierarchy. He’s the King and I’m the peasant. That’s just how it is, how it will always be. I’m not under the impression that any of that will change.
I dig deep for the confidence that I need to say this to him. “This isn’t going to make much sense, but I’m going to say it anyways, so please listen. I’m only saying it once because once will be enough to embarrass me for a lifetime,” I look him directly in the eyes as I speak. I take a deep breath in and release it before I begin. “When I was standing on the stage that night I looked out in the crowd and I saw you watching me and for a split second I saw the guy who I believed that you were or at least hoped that you were. I’ve heard the rumors and see how everyone moves out of your wake in fear of being swallowed up by you. I know how everyone sees you. I just see something different I guess. Maybe I’m na?ve and you’ll prove me wrong but I’m hoping that I’ll be right about you after all.”
Did I just say that out loud?
Graham sits next to me clearly thinking about what I had said. His facial expressions change a few times trying to work it all out in his head. His cluelessness is adorable.
“Okay,” he speaks quietly and hesitantly.
Sliding over to give him more room to sit down, I push play on the remote control. The movie springs to life with Julia Roberts explaining to Richard Gere how to drive his car. Graham takes a minute to realize this is my way of inviting him to stay to watch the movie. He looks unsure as he slides off his tennis shoes and props a pillow up behind his back before leaning against my headboard to get more comfortable.
We sit watching the movie for a half an hour before I can’t contain myself anymore letting out a giggle that quickly turns into a full-fledged laugh.
“Something amusing?” he looks over at me with a playful amused smirk.
“This is a bit ridiculous, right? I mean you sitting here in my bed watching Pretty Woman with me. No one would believe us if we told them.” I glance over at him and he is watching me laugh.
“I suppose it is.” Graham’s laughter falls perfectly in with mine and echoes through my room.
God, he has a great laugh. Don’t even think about it, Kennedy. Never gonna happen. It’s best that you remember that.
“What do we do now? I mean, are we friends or…” I trail off afraid of what he will have to say and slightly embarrassed that I even asked.
“I’d say we’re friends,” Graham smiles. It doesn’t reach as far as his eyes. Clearly, he’s hesitant.
“I didn’t think Graham Black had friends that were girls,” I joke. It is one of the many rumors that I’ve heard about him.
“I don’t, but I’m willing to make an exception for you.” He keeps eye contact with me as he says it. I believe him, but what does that even mean?
We sit in silence for a while until the movie is done playing. The room falls silent for a beat until I hear my parents arguing. Not again, I don’t have it in me to deal with them tonight especially with Graham sitting right next to me. They must have forgotten that he is here or else they wouldn’t have started in on each other like this.
How convenient.
“What do you mean you got laid off?” My mother shouts.
“It’s only temporarily. They are trying to adjust the budget then I’ll be back to work,” my dad explains.
“How are we supposed to afford to send Kennedy off to Columbia when we can barely afford Will’s tuition this year?” she questions him. Her voice is rising as the argument escalates.
Graham doesn’t say anything. He just sits next to me waiting for me to break the silence. The problem is that I don’t know what to say to him. I have barely spoken to him since I moved to town freshman year and now he sits listening into my own personal hell. He must feel how uncomfortable I am. He quickly breaks the silence for the both of us.