AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m on my way to see my grandfather.”
There was a great deal of sayings about how you know a lot about a man by the way he treated animals or his parents, but Ella firmly believed a man’s true colors showed based on the relationship he had with not just his parents and siblings but his grandparents as well. The generation was so easily forgotten when life got in the way.
“Are you two close?” she asked.
He rubbed a hand under his chin, the corners of his eyes squinting slightly. “Not yet, but I hope one day we will be.”
Ella’s eyebrow arched in genuine curiosity. It was in her nature; she just couldn’t help herself. He couldn’t just dangle a piece of meat in front of her and not expect her to attack, but she’d been trying to rein in her curiosities. Her older brother, Enzo, told her it made some people uncomfortable. She didn’t think that was her problem. If they didn’t want to talk about something then they shouldn’t present it in a way that left room for questions.
She literally just met this guy, though, and they still had a bus ride home to get through. The last thing she wanted was to make either of them uncomfortable.
“That’s a loaded response,” she finally said, unable to resist the urge.
He smirked, which caused an unexpected dimple to appear in his right cheek. It was quite charming, and she tried not to stare at the adorable little indent.
“You don’t miss anything, do you?”
She shrugged. “It’s a gift, but it’s also a curse. Sometimes I can come across a bit intrusive, so please don’t feel like you have to appease me with a response… unless you want to.”
His smirk bloomed into a full smile, and it was like watching the change in seasons—the peaceful calm of winter morphing into the bright blissful spring.
“Why do I have a feeling if I don’t tell you it will eat at you this entire ride?”
“I’ll just have to create my own scenario in my head, and it’s very possible you can turn out to be the villain in my story.”
“The villain? That’s a bit harsh.”
“Can’t control what my imagination comes up with.”
He shifted in his chair, that cute dimple now staring right at her. “Now you know I can’t let myself become the villain.”
“You prefer to be the hero of your story?”
He shook his head, the dimple disappearing. “No hero.”
She couldn’t help but notice the slight tinge of sadness that crept into those two words… nor the way his lips curved downward and how he broke eye contact, his gaze drifting toward the window.
“So if you don’t want to be the villain or the hero then what do you want to be?”
“Just a guy with a story.”
“Okay then, guy with a story, hit me with it.”
He laughed. “Your grandfather is right. You are nosy.”
“You can’t say I didn’t warn you. Though, maybe in the future I should think about wearing a sign for emphasis.”
“I bet someone would take your picture and post it on the internet.”
She sucked in an exaggerated gasp. “I could go viral.” She slapped her hands against her chest and looked longingly at the ceiling. “Dreams can come true.”
He laughed again, and it was a welcomed sound. He rummaged in his messenger bag and pulled out a small plastic bag.
She pointed, unable to hide the massive smile on her face. “You did not just pull out a bag of black jelly beans.”
“Go ahead,” he said. “Tell me how they are the worst jelly bean to ever exist, that no person could actually like them. I’ve heard it all.”
Her mouth fell open, acting as if she was completely appalled by his words. “I was just going to say those are my favorite.”
