Lacey

He was back. Adonis Grayson was back. He preferred the shortened version of his surname Gray.

My heart was beating so fast I put my hand to my chest to calm myself down. I felt a familiar nervousness whenever I thought of him. It gave me a rush; I found it hard to breathe. It was frightening and addictive.

His band had taken the world by storm. Girls worldwide swooned over them, and he’d become a famous rock star practically over night. There had been none wavering in his commitment to do what he loved. He lived and breathed his art.

I knew he would go straight to my house once he landed to hang out with my brother. The prospect of him made my stomach flutter, and I felt annoyed how he caused me feel only with the thought of him. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face him yet. When he wasn’t on tour, he spent most of his time hanging out with my brother. They were probably playing play station and eating junk food. They were so predictable.

I had known Adonis practically my entire life, all eighteen years of it. He was best friends with my brother Alex; they were both five years older than me. My parents hadn’t believed in having children so close together in age. Having a much older brother had its downfalls. Sometimes it felt like I had three parents instead of two.

Adonis was too famous to enjoy the simple outings normal people did. It was only in our tightly knit community where he had grown up most people left him alone. It was probably the primary reason he hadn’t moved too far away.

“You have good time?” A voice pulled me out of my deep thoughts. I turned to Evan, and I plastered a fake smile to my lips. I sat in his car parked outside my house.

Our disaster of a date was over, much to my relief.

“Yeah.” I lied through my teeth, feeling a little distracted. My attention was on the boy in my house instead of the boy in the car. I couldn’t wait to end the date, but I was nervous about seeing Adonis again, after three months of his absence. Self-consciously I touched my hair. I hated my ordinary brown hair and hazel eyes.

Being home when Adonis arrived hadn’t been an option, so I had gone to Reece’s house. She was my best friend, and I had convinced her to help me get ready for my date with Evan.

“Are you sure?” She had asked before Evan had arrived to pick me up from her house. She was the only who knew about my genuine feelings for Adonis.

“Yes.” I had to get over him. Evan I had met at a party the night before. He’d asked me to go out with him sometime. I’d brushed him off initially, although I’d taken his number, anyway.

I think it was the panic at Adonis’ return that had pushed me to take the step to call Evan. I felt a moment of guilt while I gazed at Evan. He was smiling at me and I felt awful for using him.

“I really like you,” Evan revealed before he leaned a little closer.

I needed to get out, and I’d hoped that I would connect with Evan, but there had been nothing. My plan had failed. It had been, yawn all night, boring. Evan was so obsessed with himself it was annoying. He was attractive, but he knew it.

I had said little all night. Evan had held the entire conversation, making sure he was the center of each topic. I’d never met someone who could talk about themselves so much.

Too distracted with thoughts of Adonis that only when Evan covered his hand with mine did I realize he’d gotten the wrong idea. I had to let him down gently. I wasn’t interested.

“You’re nice,” I said. I couldn’t exactly tell him he was self-centered and boring. I never wanted to see him again.

Evan wasn’t listening to what I was saying because his eyes focused on my lips and he leaned forward. Before I could even register what he intended, he pressed his lips to mine. Momentarily, it stunned me for a few seconds before my brain kicked into gear and I put my hand to his chest to shove him away, but he was immovable. Panic set in as I pushed harder, this time with both my hands, but his lips moved against mine, bruising beneath his forced kiss. 

The driver’s door opened, and someone yanked Evan out of the car. It took a few seconds for my brain to register what I was seeing. Adonis stood tall and formidable with his hands fisted as his side as he loomed over a frightened Evan. His blue eyes were like steel.

“What the fuck!” He glared at a stunned Evan, and I touched my lips that felt swollen and tender. 

Adonis glanced back to me for a moment and our eyes connected. Despite the situation, one glance from him made me so vulnerable and open. My lip trembled. His jaw tightened, and I turned to face Evan, who scrambled to his feet.

Shocked at the drastic turn of events, I opened the car door and got out, stumbling. I turned to see Adonis hit Evan in the face. I gasped as I put my hands over my mouth. Evan’s hands lifted to his face as he took a step backwards. Blood dripped from his chin.

“I never want to see you near her again,” Adonis warned with a fierce glint in his eye as he flexed his bloodied hand.

Adonis gave Evan one last glare before he walked over to me. His features softened and his hands went to my arms. I still trying to piece together what had happened, everything had unfolded in seconds.

Had he watched the whole thing? I swallowed nervously.

“Are you okay?” His eyes scanned my features. Speechless, I nodded.

His thumb gently touched my lips, and I saw his jaw tighten again. My lips were tender to his touch.

“Let’s get you inside,” he said as he put a protective arm around my shoulders and walked me to the front door. 

I didn’t look back to watch Evan leave. His car started before he drove off. I was glad to get rid of him. What an asshole. I touched a hand to my lips, his forceful kiss still imprinted on my mouth. It was a reminder.

An icy shiver ran through me when I thought about what could have happened, and I felt my knees weaken. A muscular arm wrapped around my waist and Adonis pulled me closer to his side as he opened the door.

“Alex?” I questioned, sounding a little breathless.

“He left to pickup some food.” He steered me into the living room. I sank down on the sofa and he sat next to me.

“You okay?” He studied her with concerned eyes. My eyes fell to his hand he flexed.

“Yeah, it’s just I never saw... that coming.” I was still in shock.

“Be careful, Harp,” he warned me with a frown.

Harp. Only he called me that. It was a reminder he only saw me as the little sister of his best friend and nothing else. He hated his first name, so he insisted everyone call him a shortened version of his surname. His mom loved Greek mythology.

“He seemed like a nice guy,” I said, trying to defend myself. “He didn’t come with a Potential Rapist sticker on his forehead.”

“If you’d gotten out the car as sooner he might have tried nothing,” he said and my mouth dropped open. Was he serious?

“So...it’s my fault?” My temper rose. I stood up, not wanting to be near him.

He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his sun kissed blonde. It had grown a bit from the last time I'd seen him.

“I’m not saying it’s your fault.” He stood up to his full six foot two height. I hated the fact that I only reached his shoulders.

“Then what are you insinuating?” I glared at him, putting my hands on my hips.

“You were out there for a while.” He shrugged.

“You watched?” I inquired, my temper deflated.

“Yes,” he responded, looking uncomfortable, like I had caught him doing something wrong.

“Why?” My gut tightened at the idea that he’d been watching me outside with my date.

“It was late. Beside it was a good thing I was watching you...” His voice drifted off, and I felt disappointed. It was a familiar feeling with him. I kept leaving myself open to disappointment with him. It was impossible to stop the dreamer in me that kept hoping one day he would realize he felt something for me. I had to face the truth, I was wasting my time. Nothing was going to change. I would never win and he would never be mine.

I’d already closed the door on my unhealthy obsession with him, but I felt angry and frustrated that the slightest interest from him had made me throw it all out the window.

A week after he’d left to go on tour three months ago I’d turned eighteen. On my birthday, when I browsed through some gossip magazine and seen a picture of him locking lips with some beautiful girl. It had broken my hopeful heart and forced me to face the hard reality that I was living an unrealistic fairytale.

It wasn’t like I’d never seen him pictured with a girl before. I’d lost count of how many times I’d seen him with a beautiful girl and each time at chipped away at me. 


My crush on him reminded me of fairytales. The charming prince swoops in and gives the princess a happy ending. It’s what we all hope for when we are little girl. But as we grow up, we realize that will not happen. In proper life, the prince didn’t notice the princess and brought her nothing but heartbreak as she watched him move from one girl onto another.


Decision made. I would not waste another five years on him. No more. I would smother whatever I felt for him and move on before he had the chance to break my heart.

“Thanks,” I said, dropping my gaze.

“Harp,” Adonis whispered, stepping closer to me. Inside, I felt disappointment turn to a physical pain at the sound of my nickname on his lips. The closer he was, the more aware I was of him.

“How was your tour?” I wanted to change the subject.


He rubbed the back of his neck. It was then I noticed he looked tired. “Hectic,” he revealed. “After a while, staying in hotels isn’t fun anymore.”

I was envious of all the countries and cultures he’d experienced while I had never been overseas. It was depressing.

“I’m not complaining,” he added. “It’s just it’s good to be home and have home cooked food.”

I nodded my head even though I didn’t understand.


“How are the guys?” I asked, thinking of the other two members of his band.

He smiled and shook his head. “They’re good.”

I knew them well. It had been five years since they’d formed their band that had started off in a garage and moved them onto the stage in front of millions of adoring fans.


Link and Sage. Link was the man whore who shamelessly moved from one girl to another. He had broken most of the hearts of the girls in his senior year of high school. Sage was the outgoing one. He was constantly trying out new hairstyles and colors. I couldn’t even tell you what his natural hair color was. He was always telling me I would look good as a redhead, but Adonis would shake his head and tell him to get lost.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Adonis asked as his beautiful blue eyes scanned my face. The touch of his hands on my arms sent tingles across my skin. I held his gaze, trying to control the rush of emotion I felt for him at that moment. I held a fear he would see something that would reveal my genuine feelings for him. It was the last thing I needed.

It embarrassed that I felt so much for him and he was oblivious.

“Yes, I’ll be fine,” I assured him, giving him a smile to reinforce my statement.

I was still feeling a little shaky inside. I didn’t know whether that was the aftereffects of my over touchy date or the fact that I was staring at Adonis while he still held my arms in his hands.

The sound of the door opening pulled me back down to earth. I took a step back, pulling out of his hold. I turned to face my brother as he entered the room with a bag full of stuff in his arms.

“I got everything,” Alex said as he dropped the bag on to the coffee table beside the PlayStation.

“You sure you didn’t forget the chocolate chips cookies?” Adonis questioned as he rummaged through the bag. His addiction to those things was unhealthy.

He loved those biscuits. Anytime he came over to visit and there was a box of chocolate chip biscuits, he often ate them all before he left. My mom made sure she kept some for him.


My parents loved Adonis like a son. He’d practically grown up alongside us. His house only four houses away from us, at the end of the street.

Adonis pulled out the box of biscuits and opened it. Shoving a whole biscuit straight into his mouth made me shake my head. He smiled as he chewed.

Although he was famous and could live anywhere he wanted, he owned a large house in the fancy neighborhood nearby. But he spent a lot of time at home visiting his parents when he wasn’t touring.

“So how did your date go?” Alex asked as he threw an arm around my shoulder.


“Fine.” I shrugged indifferently. I didn’t miss the questioning look from Adonis as he frowned slightly at me and I shook my head gently.


My brother's finding about it would just cause unnecessary drama. Adonis had taken care of Evan, and I doubted I would ever see him again. 


Alex was pretty over protective and telling him would only lead to another encounter with Evan. A lesson Adonis had already taught him.


“You want to join us?” my brother asked. He dropped his arm from my shoulders and walked to the sofa where he sat down on the sofa and grabbed a Playstation controller.

“No,” I replied as I shook my head. I needed space away from Adonis.

“You sure?” Adonis asked as he slumped onto the sofa next to Alex and reached for the other game controller.


They would be at it till the early hours of the morning. I didn’t understand their fascination with combat games. Games like that made me anxious, and I hated the feeling. 

“Yeah,” I said as I turned to leave.

Quietly, I went upstairs to my room. It was after ten and my parents were sleeping already. Once inside my room, I closed the door. I leaned against the door. I could faintly hear them downstairs, and just the sound of his voice was enough to make my stomach flutter.

Tonight I’d let myself live in my fairytale, but tomorrow I was going to find my way back to reality.