Free Grim Crush (Grimly Ever After) by S.L. Bynum

around.”
    “It’s okay. I’ve had family members like that. How old is she?” Shilah asked.
    “Fourteen. I think she likes you,” I teased.
    He beamed. “Really? Then you should’ve let me get to know her.”
    My face fell. “But…I thought you liked me .” I couldn’t believe I just said that. Worse, I sounded super disappointed.
    He rolled his eyes. “I was kidding . Of course I like you.”
    “Oh. Well, I like you, too.” Wow, my heart was doing all types of flips and crazy things today. These feelings I was developing were totally new. And totally scary.
    Shilah grinned. “Glad to hear it. Come on, let’s go for a walk.”
    The two of us explored the scenic area around Chad’s Cliff. Since it was the beginning of spring, everything was more gorgeous than usual. Many trees were in bloom, displaying bright yellow flowers. There were also wildflowers springing up from the ground in places, sometimes surrounding a group of cacti.
    I breathed in the floral scent in the air. It was rare that I got to appreciate the beauty of Arizona. I’d been doing it a lot more since I met Shilah.
    I made sure I steered us away from the direction that led to public places. I also kept talking so Shilah wouldn’t bring up the subject of dates again.
    About an hour later, Shilah and I ended up sitting on the grass next to the stream where we’d first talked to each other. He sat close enough to me that our thighs were touching, but I tried to keep my bare arm away from his. For some reason, skin-on-skin contact still terrified me. I remembered what it had felt like when he grabbed my wrist a few days ago and how awkward it had been. I wasn’t ready to experience that again yet.
    “Xia, can I ask you something?”
    I looked from the scintillating water in the stream to Shilah. “Depends on what you want to ask.”
    He appeared uneasy. “Since you like me…that means you don’t have a boyfriend, right?”
    I blinked. I’d heard that word before, but I didn’t know its exact meaning. “Boyfriend? You mean a friend that is a boy?”
    “Um…not exactly. I’m guessing you don’t have one, then. Unless you call it something else in Italy. Do you have someone…you’re romantically involved with?”
    There goes that word ‘romantic’ again. “N-no. I can’t have a boyfriend. I mean, I shouldn’t.” My cheeks burned.
    Shilah’s face fell. “Because of your dad again?”
    “You could say that.” If a boyfriend equaled romance, then that equaled becoming emotionally involved, which was forbidden. Rule Two of Reaping.
    “What if you took me to meet him?”
    My eyes grew wide. “No! You can never meet my father. I’d never be able to see you again.” Because it would mean Shilah was dead.
    He appeared shocked by my strong response. “Is he that strict?”
    I shook my head. “I can’t talk about it.”
    Shilah sighed heavily in frustration. I had a feeling that if this kept going on, I would lose him for good one day. I needed to be alone and think. I needed to seriously consider telling Shilah what I was.
    “What time is it?” I asked.
    Shilah glanced at his watch. “3:35. Do you have to leave?”
    “Yes. But I’ll try to be here tomorrow afternoon again.”
    “Okay. Me too.” Shilah stood and held out his hands toward me.
    I stared at them for a moment. Then I swallowed, and reluctantly placed my hands in his. The warmth of his skin was awkward again, but his touch also sent a pleasant electric current up my arms. I allowed Shilah to pull me to my feet.
    He kept holding onto my hands as he gazed down at me with his beautiful brown eyes. His face was only inches away from mine. My breath caught in my throat, and my heart banged away at my chest as though wanting to escape.
    “Xia…when are you going to stop being so mysterious?” Shilah said, his voice low.
    It sounded like a rhetorical question, but I shrugged anyway. If he had asked me right then what I was hiding from him, I might’ve told