The next day, Grayson left AJ's house around noon. After she took a shower, she went to the mall to get a new hat for AJ.
When she was in line to purchase the clover colored hat she had found, two hands covered her eyes. "Guess who?" a deep voice asked. Grayson struggled free of the hand and spun around.
"Ryan!" she exclaimed. "Wow! It's been a long time!"
"July was the last time we..." he trailed off.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"Pretty good," he said. "You seem happy. Who's that green baseball cap for?"
"My boyfriend AJ," Grayson answered.
"Oh," he said. "Have you been seeing him long?"
"Two months yesterday," she answered. "Are you still seeing that girl?"
"Yes," Ryan answered. "I guess you have every reason to hate her."
"She broke us up," Grayson said. "But I've gotten over it. I hope you two are really happy."
"Thanks," Ryan said. "Well, it's been good seeing you, but I've-"
"I've gotta go too," Grayson said. It seemed natural to hug Ryan and peck him on the lips. But it didn't seem natural to AJ, who was standing in the store across the way, feeling his heart break.
Chapter 7
Lay Down Beside AJ Index
Backstreet Boys Fan Fiction Index