"Hello!... Eli, it´s me.", a female voice spoke on the other line and Eli
froze when he heard her speak. "Eli. It´s me... Carla! Are you still
there?? Eli???... Eli? Are you still listening? Eli-"
"What do you want?", Eli coldly burst out.
"I want to talk to you.", Carla tried to sound sweet and friendly. "I´m living with my father again and I thought-"
"And you thought you could call me, say a few nice things, even try to apologize for almost ruining my life then I would say how thrilled I was to hear you say those things and right away I´d crawl back to you.", Eli angrily interrupted her.
"Eli, I´m sorry. I don´t know what to say to make it up to you but I´ll-", Carla carefully tried to find the right words to say to Eli but he didn´t let her finish.
"There´s nothing you can say or do.", snapped Eli. "What you did to me is unforgivable."
"I know... that´s why I´m calling.", Carla admitted.
"I don´t have anything to talk to you.", Eli bitterly emphasized.
"Well... I don´t know what else to say but if you change your mind, you know where to find me. So-", before Carla could complete her sentence Eli hung up the phone on her.
Eli put the phone down and closed his lids, heavily sighing. He couldn´t believe that Carla was back. * Why she had to remember I exist? Specially now. *, Eli wondered and thoughts of him and Grace together came to his mind. He knew if Grace got to know that Carla was back and that she had called him, she would freak out. So he vowed not to say a word about it to his lovely Grace . But reasoned to himself, he couldn´t lie to her. Eli after a lot of thinking decided to tell Grace the truth.. * Tell her the truth is the right thing to do. *, he thought.
*
*
*
It was almost dark and Grace was still at her father´s. She spent the whole afternoon there, taking care of Maddie. Grace was about to go to Maddie's room when Tiffany got home.
"Tiffany! Hi!", Grace greeted her with a smile.
"Oh, hi.", Tiffany replied. "I'm sorry for taking so long."
"No, it's okay."
"Where's she?", Tiffany asked while she looked for some money in her purse.
"She's in her room."
"Um… Grace? Um… I don't have any change here. I guess you'll have to got to Booklovers and get the money from your father.", Tiffany said, putting her wallet back into her purse.
"No, it's okay. You don't have to pay me.", Grace grinned.
"That's nice of you, Grace but just because you're Maddie's sister doesn't mean that you're our personal slave.", Tiffany joked and Grace shyly smiled. "Go to your father, he'll give you the money."
"If you say so…", Grace snorted, taking her coat then she put it on and gathered the rest of her stuff. "Bye!"
"Bye, Grace and thank you.", Tiffany uttered and Grace left.
*
*
*
"Hey, Grace!", Judy exclaimed when she saw her niece coming in. "What are you doing here?"
"Hi, Judy. Um… is my father here. I need to talk to him.", Grace reported.
"He is. He's in the office talking to one of our food suppliers. He won't take too long.", Judy informed her while Grace rolled her eyes at Judy and glanced around the store, searching for Eli.
"Oh, okay. Um... Where's Eli?", Grace asked, trying to sound very casual.
"He left about fifteen minute ago.", Judy responded and Grace could see the question *why* written in her face.
"I was just asking because I thought her could give me a ride home.", Grace made up an excuse and Judy notice a costumer coming in the store. She excused herself and went to talk to the girl who had just came in.
Grace kept walking between the shelves there, glancing over the books, killing time while she waited for her father. When she was at the poetry section, she picked up a book but because she was very distracted she dropped the book that laid right next the one she picked. When she kneed down to grab it, a man who heard the book hitting on the ground, also kneed down to help her.
"Let me help you.", he said.
"Oh thank you but you don't have to-", Grace was about to thank him for trying to help when she lifted her eyes to look at his face. She froze when she saw who he was.
*Oh my God!*, that's was all Grace could murmur. She didn't know what to say or do. She was stunned and embarrassed because of the way he was eating her up with his eyes. Grace clumsily stood up. Her face covered with horror and embarrassment. She turned away and ran out of the store.
"Grace! Wait!", Dimitri called, holding the book.
When Grace got out she stopped to breath and calm herself down but then she heard him call again. She looked back and saw him coming towards her direction. She tried to walk away but he grabbed her arm, not letting her go.
"Grace.", Dimitri said in a low voice.
"Let me go, please.", Grace weakly muttered and he moved around her so they were face to face then he let go of her arm.
"Grace, don't runaway from me, please.", Dimitri slightly asked and she slowly lifted her eyes. "Can we talk?"
"We better not.", Grace refused, lowering her eyes again, taking a step away from him.
"Please, don't go.", he stopped her again. "I'm sorry for everything that happened."
"It wasn't really your fault.", she said, still no facing him.
"Grace, I'm not going to lie to you… I'm glad we met again.", Dimitri confessed. "I've been thinking about calling you but… well… we're here. I want to say that-"
"Please, don't.", Grace stated, realizing what he was about to say.
"No, I want to.", he emphasized. "… The way I act before… was wrong… but I was your teacher. I didn't know what to do. I had never been in a situation like that before but I'm no longer your teacher, Grace.", when Grace heard him say *that* she felt chill going through up and down her spine. "What I'm trying to say is… Grace… I want you. I know there's a huge age difference between us but I want to give us a try. I'll do whatever you want me to. I'll talk to your parents. I'll wait how long I'll need to wait. Because-"
"I'm so sorry.", Grace uttered and tears started flowing. Dimitri looked at her oddly. "Sorry I got you into this."
"Grace, you didn't-"
"Remember what I wrote in my journal?", she interrupted him and he frowned. "About…"
"About the man you were not supposed to want but wanted.", he remembered and she shook her head in agreement. "Yes, I remember."
"It wasn't about you.", Grace carefully confessed.
"What?", Dimitri looked at her in confusion. "I remember you wrote that because of this forbidden love of yours, you were able to release your emotions and be the best actress you could be.", he began and she nodded. "You told me it was because of me."
"I lied.", she got out, her ton was filled with regret. "It was because of him… what you said did affect me. It put me down and he was there for me… I told him I couldn't do the play anymore but he asked me to do it one more time… he asked to do it only for him…", as Grace confessed the truth Dimitri was desperately trying to suppress his tears. "… and I did. I did the play for him but before act 7, when I looked at the audience, looking for his face… he wasn't there…", tears fell from her misty eyes.
"So, it wasn't Rosaline speaking that night… it was you.", Dimitri figured.
"After that night we… me and him… something changed between us, we barely talked to each other so… well, you were so nice to me and you believed me… you seemed to understand me and I…", Grace carefully tried to tell Dimitri she was never in love with him but she was cut by his words.
"You were infatuated with me.", he figured, knowing what her answer would be.
"Me and him… we're together now.", she ashamedly told him the truth and he snorted a bittersweet laugh. "I'm sorry."
"No, it's alright.", Dimitri stated. "He's a lucky guy. Because you are incredible, Grace.", he exhaled and she forced herself a smile.
They awkwardly stood there for a while not knowing what to say. So Dimitri spoke, "I better go. It was pleasure to see you again, Grace Manning.", he mumbled a goodbye and they walked away in opposite directions.
*
*
*
"Grace! What happened?", Lily beamed at her when she walked into the house.
"What do you mean?", Grace suspiciously asked, thinking that someone could have seen her talking to Dimitri.
"Judy called and said you went there to talk to Jake then you disappeared.", Lily explained.
"Oh?!", Grace sighed in relief. "I got tired of waiting so I left… Is Eli here?"
"Yes, he's in room."
"I need to talk to him.", said Grace heading to the garage.
Eli was playing his guitar when Grace knocked on his door. "Who is it?"
"It's me!"
Eli took a deep breath, searching for courage inside of him to tell Grace about Carla. he wasn't sure he found it but he told her to come in. Grace got into his room and they stared each other awkwardly.
"Hey!", she said, kissing him. Grace took a seat next to him and a silence filled the room. Both didn't know how they would tell the truth, how they would tell each other that the ones that once they thought they were in love with had come back.
Eli noticed Grace was acting strangely, he thought Carla had called her and Grace also notice Eli was different too but she didn't want to believe he could have seen her with Dimitri.
"Is there anything wrong?", Eli asked and she remained in silence. "Grace? What's wrong?"
"Before I tell you I want you to promise me you won't be mad.", said Grace and Eli raised an eyebrow but agreed with her. "Okay… I went to Booklovers to see my dad and… I… I mean… Mr. Dimitri was there.", she stammered.
"What?", he got out surprised. "What he was doing there? Did he go there looking for you?"
"I don't think so. He doesn't know my aunt owns the store."
"Did you talk to him?", he questioned and she stood up, trying not to answer. "You did talk to him, didn't you?"
"You promised you wouldn't be mad.", she stated, not facing him.
"How can I not?"
"Okay, we talked. But it was no big deal, Eli.", she tried to ease his concern. "We needed to talk… I mean, after all that had happened we needed to be honest with each other… to clear things out."
"I can't believe you talked to him. I can't believe you let him get near you.", Eli's voice was filled with jealousy. "You shouldn't have talked to him. You should have walked out on him, let him talking to himself."
"I couldn't do that, Eli. you know that.", Grace slightly yelled. "That's not how civilized people act. We talked and now everything we had is buried. If we didn't have this conversation, there would always be a cloud of doubt above our heads. now it's really over."
Eli listened to her but his in love heart was still jealous, was still mad… not mad… afraid, afraid is the word. Eli got scared when Grace told him that she and Dimitri met again. He was so terrified to lose her that he even forgot to tell her about Carla. Grace stepped closer to him and they hugged tightly. She knew he was very upset.
"You better go back inside.", he stumbled, parting from her.
"Eli?", her voice was filled with fear. "Are we okay?"
"Yes, we are. I just need time to absorb all this information. That's all. Don't worry.", he tenderly assured her everything between them was fine then he kissed her and she left
"Grace, dinner's served.", Lily informed her daughter as she came running.
"I'm not hungry.", Grace barely spoke, rushing up to her room. Rick, Lily, Zoe and Jessie puzzled.
Eli didn't have dinner either, he was too worried to eat. He laid down on his bed and Grace's words kept playing on his mind. *… we needed to be honest with each other… to clear things out… that's not how civilized people act…*. As he thought of it over and over, Carla was brought to his mind and somehow Grace's words began to make sense to him. He realized he had to talk to Carla and tell her about him and Grace. Thinking that way he picked up the phone and called her.
"… Can I talk to Carla, please?", he asked the woman who answered the phone. He waited a couple of seconds then Carla spoke.
"Yes?", Carla said on the other line.
"Okay, I'll talk to you.", Eli coldly accepted to talk to her.
"Great!", she exclaimed.
"Remember where Judy's bookstore was?"
"Yes, I do.", she replied.
"Meet me in front of the store on Friday at 6:00 p.m"
"I'll be there.", she said and he hung up.
*
*
*
Three days have passed since Grace and Eli were haunted by their past. Things became a little blurry between them. They didn't have an argument or anything like that. They did make out several times but there was something in the air. Grace felt like Eli was still felling insecure for knowing that Dimitri was back and Eli was only trying t figure out a way to tell Grace he was going to meet Carla on Friday.
Grace was at home alone, it was 4:30 p.m. She was trying to concentrate on her math problems but Eli was all she could think of.
(The phone rang)
"Hello?", Grace answered it.
"Grace?", she replied and Grace's face went pale.
"Carla?", she hesitantly stammered.
"Hi! How are you?", Carla exclaimed.
"I'm, I'm fine.", Grace stumbled. "Where are you?"
"Guess what?… I'm back. I'm living with my father again.", Carla was trying to sound very excited about it.
"Oh, that's… great.", Grace couldn't disguise her shock.
"How's Eli?", Carla pretended she hadn't talked to him yet. Grace froze when Carla asked about Eli.
"Um… Carla… something happened."
"To Eli?", Carla faked surprise.
"Um… sort of. Can we meet somewhere and talk?", Grace thought it would be better if she talked to her face to face.
"yeah. Sure. Um… I'm meeting a friend tomorrow. Can you meet me in front of *My Sister's Bookstore* ?, Carla maliciously asked.
"That bookstore doesn't exist anymore. I mean, my aunt, she moved the bookstore to where my father's restaurant used to be. Now they're working together, my father and Judy. They have a bookstore-café.", Grace quickly explained.
"Oh, that's cool. But the thing is, I'm meeting this friend tomorrow, like I said before, and the place we're meeting at is next to the old bookstore so…", Carla insisted that the meeting should be there.
"For me it's fine. What time?", Grace bought her story.
"6:30"
"I'll meet you there.", Grace said goodbye and hung up. Now she was the one feeling insecure about her relationship.
*
*
*
The Thursday evening passed by really fast and Friday had come. Eli was really nervous about seeing Carla again and Grace tried to be cool with the possibility that Carla might want Eli back and Grace had no clue that her boyfriend was about to meet his old girlfriend.
The hours flown very fast and Eli left Booklovers and went to meet Carla. he decided to walk to there so he could cool his mind. On the way there, he caught a glimpse of a man that kinda seemed familiar. Eli stopped and stared the man very carefully, so he recognized him. Eli crossed the street and angrily walked towards the man.
"Hey!", Eli called and the man turned around. "You're Mr. Dimitri, right?", he said.
"You're Grace's step-brother. I-",
"Listen to me very carefully, you bastard.", Eli pushed him against a wall, threatening him. "If I hear that you went after Grace again, I'll kill you."
"Calm down, kid. I-", Dimitri tried to defend himself.
"I don't want you to call her. I don't want you to talk to her. I don't want you to even think of her. And if you're walking in the streets and you see that she's coming in you're direction I want you to cross to the opposite sidewalk. you got me? Hugh?", as Eli kept threatening him, Dimitri remembered Grace's words, *… when I looked at the audience, looking for his face… he wasn't there…*, then flashbacks of the cast party came back to his mind, *… Hey, where were you? I saved you seat *, he remembered Lily asking Eli when he got home that night and Dimitri got the picture together.
"Could you let go of me? Please?", Dimitri slightly demanded and Eli let go of him. Dimitri bitterly let a sarcastic smile appear on his face .
"What are you laughing at?", Eli nervously screamed and Dimitri nodded.
"Don't worry, *Good Orlando*.", Dimitri sarcastically began and Eli frowned. "* Fair Rosaline* is all yours. you're the only one she sees. She's yours. She's always been and she always will.", Dimitri finished and Eli anger began t fade away. Dimitri motioned a bow and left. Eli suddenly felt happy and very confident. Grace was his. He took a deep breath and went to face the other demon from their past… Carla.
*
*
"You're fifteen minutes late!", Carla joked as Eli reached her. "I missed you.", she said, putting her arms around him.
"Stop right there.", Eli firmly said, taking her arms off of him.
"What?", she played dumb.
"What do you wanna talk to me about?, Eli coldly asked and she barely recognized the Eli that was right in front of her.
"I want us to get back together."
"You got a lot of nerve!", Eli couldn't believe that after all she did to him, she thought she could have him back. "Sorry but I'm taken."
Carla made a face, figuring who he was with. "Is it Grace, isn't it?"
"Yes. Grace and I, we're together.", Eli proudly confessed and she laughed.
"Kick her to the curb and come back to me. She'll never be able to give you what I can.", Carla attempted to make him change his mind about Grace.
"You're gotta be out of your mind.", he snapped. "You don't have any idea of what she can give me."
"Hugh… you're not gonna tell me that you love her, are you?", Carla kinda mocked him.
"How come you dare to say that? You don't know anything about love.", he disputed.
"I love you.", Carla lied.
"No. You love the idea of being in love with me.", he cried out loud. "If only you could know what it feels like to be really loved… You have no idea… I can feel her touches crawling under my skin. I can hear her sweet voice whispering in my ear. I can smell the sweet scent of her… and she doesn't even have to be near me to make me feel those things. She's inside of me. Grace's taken over my soul, my heart, she's my everything. And the answer for your question is *yes*… I love her. I love her more than anything in this life.", Eli confessed his unconditional love for Grace and Carla glared at him. Eli felt so peaceful when he said he loved Grace. It was the first time he ever said that and it felt good… it felt right.
Carla was filled with anger and envy. She looked to the opposite sidewalk and saw Grace coming along. Her evil side couldn't let Eli and Grace be together so before Grace could get to them, Carla grabbed Eli's shirt and gave him a fat kiss.
"ELI??!!", Grace screamed in desperation when she saw *them* kissing. Eli pushed Carla away and saw Grace staring at them.
Grace couldn't believe her eyes. Her heart was broken into a thousand pieces. Her tears streamed down her angelic face.
"Hey, Grace! Look who's here!", Carla pretended not to know anything about Grace and Eli.
"Shut up, Carla!", Eli nervously ordered. "Grace. I can explain.", he shouted.
Grace was in tears. She didn't want to listen what he had to say so she turned around and began to leave, soundlessly.
"GRACE, WAIT!", Eli called out. "WAIT!", she didn't stop. Eli desperately crossed the street, he almost got hit by the cars but he didn't care. He had to reach her. Carla watched his desperation and for a miracle began to fell bad for tearing them apart but it was too late to go back and fix it. Carla dropped a tear of regret and left.
"Grace, wait. Please. I can explain.", Eli called again, approaching her.
"Leave me alone.", Grace burst out in tears.
"It was not my fault, Grace.", Eli grabbed her arms, making her stop.
"Let go of me. Let go of me.", she bitterly screamed and people around began to stare.
"Okay… I'm sorry.", Eli let go of her arms.
"How could you do this to me, Eli? How could you?", Grace breathlessly tried to understand.
"I didn't. you gotta believe me.", he snapped.
"I can't, she replied, crying.
"Carla set us up, Grace.", Eli said. "She knows about us. I told her. She grabbed me and kissed me."
"Don't put the blame on her, Eli", she yelled. "She 's my friend. She might be crazy but she's my friend. She would never do that to me."
"How can you take her side knowing that she only went after me in the first place because she knew she you wanted me.", Eli tried to make Grace see that Carla was really a bitch.
"I don't believe you said that.", she remarked.
" Grace, listen to me. ", tears rolled down his face. "I'm telling you the truth."
"I don't believe you.", she muttered.
"Why can't you believe me? I never gave you-"
"I saw you, Eli.", she shouted,. "I saw you."
"Don't leave me… please. I need you, Grace.", he begged her.
"You hurt me so much, Eli.", she quietly mumbled. I want you out of my life."
"Please don't-", Eli begged her again.
"God! You don't know how much I hate you right now, Eli.", she barely got out. He words were like a sharp knife penetrating his heart. "You don't know how much I hate myself right now. I believed you, Eli… I…", Grace murmured and slowly began to walk out on him.
Eli stood there. His heart broken, partly because she didn't believe him and partly because she left him. He was bleeding from inside. His soul was dying. "AHHHHHHHHAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!", he cried really loud as he watched her disappear among the people.
*
*
*
Grace invaded her house in a mad rush. lily was in the living room with Rick.
"Grace?!", Lily called.
"Just don't talk to me right now, mom.", Grace responded, running up to her room.
She got in her private sanctuary and locked the world out. She was devastated, she was deeply wounded. She felt like she was dying, very slowly. her mind wandered, she couldn't think clearly. She looked around her room and saw a CD that Cynthia had lent her. Grace hadn't have time to listen to it so she put it on her stereo, pushed *Shuffle* then *Play*. The acustic guitar started playing. As she listened to it, she fell backwards against her door and slid down , sitting on the floor. As Grace suffered over Eli, Eli suffered over her. After she left, he took his car and began to drive, not knowing where to go, he just drove. He knew he couldn't stop driving… he was lost without her.
As they cried over each other the song went on playing…
*I hate you…
I Love you.
Leave…
Don't go away.
I can't decide if I like your face or
If I wish it would stray.
You're a child but you're malicious
You're sweet but don't remember my name.
Heads I win, tails I'm lost.
Love equals pain.
I am drifting without an anchor
Through your ambiguous region
A strange continent immune to all reason
And I´m flattered by your grey matter
Inside my skin, I feel your tongue
It´s telling me I´m dirty and licking my bones
A scrape against the silence, a knife across a plate
Makes the sound of need on hate
I am drifting without an anchor
Through your ambiguous region
A strange continent immune to all reason
And I´m flattered by your grey matter
And I do not understand
Why a woman can´t just love a man
You´re amusing, you´re a real cool show
With your meat hooks and barbed wire carnival
You got moth holes in your pocket
You got moth holes in your soul
From too many false teeth and greasy flashbulbs
I am drifting without an anchor
Through your ambiguous region
A strange continent immune to all reason
And I´m flattered...
I´m flattered... by your grey matter
"What do you want?", Eli coldly burst out.
"I want to talk to you.", Carla tried to sound sweet and friendly. "I´m living with my father again and I thought-"
"And you thought you could call me, say a few nice things, even try to apologize for almost ruining my life then I would say how thrilled I was to hear you say those things and right away I´d crawl back to you.", Eli angrily interrupted her.
"Eli, I´m sorry. I don´t know what to say to make it up to you but I´ll-", Carla carefully tried to find the right words to say to Eli but he didn´t let her finish.
"There´s nothing you can say or do.", snapped Eli. "What you did to me is unforgivable."
"I know... that´s why I´m calling.", Carla admitted.
"I don´t have anything to talk to you.", Eli bitterly emphasized.
"Well... I don´t know what else to say but if you change your mind, you know where to find me. So-", before Carla could complete her sentence Eli hung up the phone on her.
Eli put the phone down and closed his lids, heavily sighing. He couldn´t believe that Carla was back. * Why she had to remember I exist? Specially now. *, Eli wondered and thoughts of him and Grace together came to his mind. He knew if Grace got to know that Carla was back and that she had called him, she would freak out. So he vowed not to say a word about it to his lovely Grace . But reasoned to himself, he couldn´t lie to her. Eli after a lot of thinking decided to tell Grace the truth.. * Tell her the truth is the right thing to do. *, he thought.
*
*
*
It was almost dark and Grace was still at her father´s. She spent the whole afternoon there, taking care of Maddie. Grace was about to go to Maddie's room when Tiffany got home.
"Tiffany! Hi!", Grace greeted her with a smile.
"Oh, hi.", Tiffany replied. "I'm sorry for taking so long."
"No, it's okay."
"Where's she?", Tiffany asked while she looked for some money in her purse.
"She's in her room."
"Um… Grace? Um… I don't have any change here. I guess you'll have to got to Booklovers and get the money from your father.", Tiffany said, putting her wallet back into her purse.
"No, it's okay. You don't have to pay me.", Grace grinned.
"That's nice of you, Grace but just because you're Maddie's sister doesn't mean that you're our personal slave.", Tiffany joked and Grace shyly smiled. "Go to your father, he'll give you the money."
"If you say so…", Grace snorted, taking her coat then she put it on and gathered the rest of her stuff. "Bye!"
"Bye, Grace and thank you.", Tiffany uttered and Grace left.
*
*
*
"Hey, Grace!", Judy exclaimed when she saw her niece coming in. "What are you doing here?"
"Hi, Judy. Um… is my father here. I need to talk to him.", Grace reported.
"He is. He's in the office talking to one of our food suppliers. He won't take too long.", Judy informed her while Grace rolled her eyes at Judy and glanced around the store, searching for Eli.
"Oh, okay. Um... Where's Eli?", Grace asked, trying to sound very casual.
"He left about fifteen minute ago.", Judy responded and Grace could see the question *why* written in her face.
"I was just asking because I thought her could give me a ride home.", Grace made up an excuse and Judy notice a costumer coming in the store. She excused herself and went to talk to the girl who had just came in.
Grace kept walking between the shelves there, glancing over the books, killing time while she waited for her father. When she was at the poetry section, she picked up a book but because she was very distracted she dropped the book that laid right next the one she picked. When she kneed down to grab it, a man who heard the book hitting on the ground, also kneed down to help her.
"Let me help you.", he said.
"Oh thank you but you don't have to-", Grace was about to thank him for trying to help when she lifted her eyes to look at his face. She froze when she saw who he was.
*Oh my God!*, that's was all Grace could murmur. She didn't know what to say or do. She was stunned and embarrassed because of the way he was eating her up with his eyes. Grace clumsily stood up. Her face covered with horror and embarrassment. She turned away and ran out of the store.
"Grace! Wait!", Dimitri called, holding the book.
When Grace got out she stopped to breath and calm herself down but then she heard him call again. She looked back and saw him coming towards her direction. She tried to walk away but he grabbed her arm, not letting her go.
"Grace.", Dimitri said in a low voice.
"Let me go, please.", Grace weakly muttered and he moved around her so they were face to face then he let go of her arm.
"Grace, don't runaway from me, please.", Dimitri slightly asked and she slowly lifted her eyes. "Can we talk?"
"We better not.", Grace refused, lowering her eyes again, taking a step away from him.
"Please, don't go.", he stopped her again. "I'm sorry for everything that happened."
"It wasn't really your fault.", she said, still no facing him.
"Grace, I'm not going to lie to you… I'm glad we met again.", Dimitri confessed. "I've been thinking about calling you but… well… we're here. I want to say that-"
"Please, don't.", Grace stated, realizing what he was about to say.
"No, I want to.", he emphasized. "… The way I act before… was wrong… but I was your teacher. I didn't know what to do. I had never been in a situation like that before but I'm no longer your teacher, Grace.", when Grace heard him say *that* she felt chill going through up and down her spine. "What I'm trying to say is… Grace… I want you. I know there's a huge age difference between us but I want to give us a try. I'll do whatever you want me to. I'll talk to your parents. I'll wait how long I'll need to wait. Because-"
"I'm so sorry.", Grace uttered and tears started flowing. Dimitri looked at her oddly. "Sorry I got you into this."
"Grace, you didn't-"
"Remember what I wrote in my journal?", she interrupted him and he frowned. "About…"
"About the man you were not supposed to want but wanted.", he remembered and she shook her head in agreement. "Yes, I remember."
"It wasn't about you.", Grace carefully confessed.
"What?", Dimitri looked at her in confusion. "I remember you wrote that because of this forbidden love of yours, you were able to release your emotions and be the best actress you could be.", he began and she nodded. "You told me it was because of me."
"I lied.", she got out, her ton was filled with regret. "It was because of him… what you said did affect me. It put me down and he was there for me… I told him I couldn't do the play anymore but he asked me to do it one more time… he asked to do it only for him…", as Grace confessed the truth Dimitri was desperately trying to suppress his tears. "… and I did. I did the play for him but before act 7, when I looked at the audience, looking for his face… he wasn't there…", tears fell from her misty eyes.
"So, it wasn't Rosaline speaking that night… it was you.", Dimitri figured.
"After that night we… me and him… something changed between us, we barely talked to each other so… well, you were so nice to me and you believed me… you seemed to understand me and I…", Grace carefully tried to tell Dimitri she was never in love with him but she was cut by his words.
"You were infatuated with me.", he figured, knowing what her answer would be.
"Me and him… we're together now.", she ashamedly told him the truth and he snorted a bittersweet laugh. "I'm sorry."
"No, it's alright.", Dimitri stated. "He's a lucky guy. Because you are incredible, Grace.", he exhaled and she forced herself a smile.
They awkwardly stood there for a while not knowing what to say. So Dimitri spoke, "I better go. It was pleasure to see you again, Grace Manning.", he mumbled a goodbye and they walked away in opposite directions.
*
*
*
"Grace! What happened?", Lily beamed at her when she walked into the house.
"What do you mean?", Grace suspiciously asked, thinking that someone could have seen her talking to Dimitri.
"Judy called and said you went there to talk to Jake then you disappeared.", Lily explained.
"Oh?!", Grace sighed in relief. "I got tired of waiting so I left… Is Eli here?"
"Yes, he's in room."
"I need to talk to him.", said Grace heading to the garage.
Eli was playing his guitar when Grace knocked on his door. "Who is it?"
"It's me!"
Eli took a deep breath, searching for courage inside of him to tell Grace about Carla. he wasn't sure he found it but he told her to come in. Grace got into his room and they stared each other awkwardly.
"Hey!", she said, kissing him. Grace took a seat next to him and a silence filled the room. Both didn't know how they would tell the truth, how they would tell each other that the ones that once they thought they were in love with had come back.
Eli noticed Grace was acting strangely, he thought Carla had called her and Grace also notice Eli was different too but she didn't want to believe he could have seen her with Dimitri.
"Is there anything wrong?", Eli asked and she remained in silence. "Grace? What's wrong?"
"Before I tell you I want you to promise me you won't be mad.", said Grace and Eli raised an eyebrow but agreed with her. "Okay… I went to Booklovers to see my dad and… I… I mean… Mr. Dimitri was there.", she stammered.
"What?", he got out surprised. "What he was doing there? Did he go there looking for you?"
"I don't think so. He doesn't know my aunt owns the store."
"Did you talk to him?", he questioned and she stood up, trying not to answer. "You did talk to him, didn't you?"
"You promised you wouldn't be mad.", she stated, not facing him.
"How can I not?"
"Okay, we talked. But it was no big deal, Eli.", she tried to ease his concern. "We needed to talk… I mean, after all that had happened we needed to be honest with each other… to clear things out."
"I can't believe you talked to him. I can't believe you let him get near you.", Eli's voice was filled with jealousy. "You shouldn't have talked to him. You should have walked out on him, let him talking to himself."
"I couldn't do that, Eli. you know that.", Grace slightly yelled. "That's not how civilized people act. We talked and now everything we had is buried. If we didn't have this conversation, there would always be a cloud of doubt above our heads. now it's really over."
Eli listened to her but his in love heart was still jealous, was still mad… not mad… afraid, afraid is the word. Eli got scared when Grace told him that she and Dimitri met again. He was so terrified to lose her that he even forgot to tell her about Carla. Grace stepped closer to him and they hugged tightly. She knew he was very upset.
"You better go back inside.", he stumbled, parting from her.
"Eli?", her voice was filled with fear. "Are we okay?"
"Yes, we are. I just need time to absorb all this information. That's all. Don't worry.", he tenderly assured her everything between them was fine then he kissed her and she left
"Grace, dinner's served.", Lily informed her daughter as she came running.
"I'm not hungry.", Grace barely spoke, rushing up to her room. Rick, Lily, Zoe and Jessie puzzled.
Eli didn't have dinner either, he was too worried to eat. He laid down on his bed and Grace's words kept playing on his mind. *… we needed to be honest with each other… to clear things out… that's not how civilized people act…*. As he thought of it over and over, Carla was brought to his mind and somehow Grace's words began to make sense to him. He realized he had to talk to Carla and tell her about him and Grace. Thinking that way he picked up the phone and called her.
"… Can I talk to Carla, please?", he asked the woman who answered the phone. He waited a couple of seconds then Carla spoke.
"Yes?", Carla said on the other line.
"Okay, I'll talk to you.", Eli coldly accepted to talk to her.
"Great!", she exclaimed.
"Remember where Judy's bookstore was?"
"Yes, I do.", she replied.
"Meet me in front of the store on Friday at 6:00 p.m"
"I'll be there.", she said and he hung up.
*
*
*
Three days have passed since Grace and Eli were haunted by their past. Things became a little blurry between them. They didn't have an argument or anything like that. They did make out several times but there was something in the air. Grace felt like Eli was still felling insecure for knowing that Dimitri was back and Eli was only trying t figure out a way to tell Grace he was going to meet Carla on Friday.
Grace was at home alone, it was 4:30 p.m. She was trying to concentrate on her math problems but Eli was all she could think of.
(The phone rang)
"Hello?", Grace answered it.
"Grace?", she replied and Grace's face went pale.
"Carla?", she hesitantly stammered.
"Hi! How are you?", Carla exclaimed.
"I'm, I'm fine.", Grace stumbled. "Where are you?"
"Guess what?… I'm back. I'm living with my father again.", Carla was trying to sound very excited about it.
"Oh, that's… great.", Grace couldn't disguise her shock.
"How's Eli?", Carla pretended she hadn't talked to him yet. Grace froze when Carla asked about Eli.
"Um… Carla… something happened."
"To Eli?", Carla faked surprise.
"Um… sort of. Can we meet somewhere and talk?", Grace thought it would be better if she talked to her face to face.
"yeah. Sure. Um… I'm meeting a friend tomorrow. Can you meet me in front of *My Sister's Bookstore* ?, Carla maliciously asked.
"That bookstore doesn't exist anymore. I mean, my aunt, she moved the bookstore to where my father's restaurant used to be. Now they're working together, my father and Judy. They have a bookstore-café.", Grace quickly explained.
"Oh, that's cool. But the thing is, I'm meeting this friend tomorrow, like I said before, and the place we're meeting at is next to the old bookstore so…", Carla insisted that the meeting should be there.
"For me it's fine. What time?", Grace bought her story.
"6:30"
"I'll meet you there.", Grace said goodbye and hung up. Now she was the one feeling insecure about her relationship.
*
*
*
The Thursday evening passed by really fast and Friday had come. Eli was really nervous about seeing Carla again and Grace tried to be cool with the possibility that Carla might want Eli back and Grace had no clue that her boyfriend was about to meet his old girlfriend.
The hours flown very fast and Eli left Booklovers and went to meet Carla. he decided to walk to there so he could cool his mind. On the way there, he caught a glimpse of a man that kinda seemed familiar. Eli stopped and stared the man very carefully, so he recognized him. Eli crossed the street and angrily walked towards the man.
"Hey!", Eli called and the man turned around. "You're Mr. Dimitri, right?", he said.
"You're Grace's step-brother. I-",
"Listen to me very carefully, you bastard.", Eli pushed him against a wall, threatening him. "If I hear that you went after Grace again, I'll kill you."
"Calm down, kid. I-", Dimitri tried to defend himself.
"I don't want you to call her. I don't want you to talk to her. I don't want you to even think of her. And if you're walking in the streets and you see that she's coming in you're direction I want you to cross to the opposite sidewalk. you got me? Hugh?", as Eli kept threatening him, Dimitri remembered Grace's words, *… when I looked at the audience, looking for his face… he wasn't there…*, then flashbacks of the cast party came back to his mind, *… Hey, where were you? I saved you seat *, he remembered Lily asking Eli when he got home that night and Dimitri got the picture together.
"Could you let go of me? Please?", Dimitri slightly demanded and Eli let go of him. Dimitri bitterly let a sarcastic smile appear on his face .
"What are you laughing at?", Eli nervously screamed and Dimitri nodded.
"Don't worry, *Good Orlando*.", Dimitri sarcastically began and Eli frowned. "* Fair Rosaline* is all yours. you're the only one she sees. She's yours. She's always been and she always will.", Dimitri finished and Eli anger began t fade away. Dimitri motioned a bow and left. Eli suddenly felt happy and very confident. Grace was his. He took a deep breath and went to face the other demon from their past… Carla.
*
*
"You're fifteen minutes late!", Carla joked as Eli reached her. "I missed you.", she said, putting her arms around him.
"Stop right there.", Eli firmly said, taking her arms off of him.
"What?", she played dumb.
"What do you wanna talk to me about?, Eli coldly asked and she barely recognized the Eli that was right in front of her.
"I want us to get back together."
"You got a lot of nerve!", Eli couldn't believe that after all she did to him, she thought she could have him back. "Sorry but I'm taken."
Carla made a face, figuring who he was with. "Is it Grace, isn't it?"
"Yes. Grace and I, we're together.", Eli proudly confessed and she laughed.
"Kick her to the curb and come back to me. She'll never be able to give you what I can.", Carla attempted to make him change his mind about Grace.
"You're gotta be out of your mind.", he snapped. "You don't have any idea of what she can give me."
"Hugh… you're not gonna tell me that you love her, are you?", Carla kinda mocked him.
"How come you dare to say that? You don't know anything about love.", he disputed.
"I love you.", Carla lied.
"No. You love the idea of being in love with me.", he cried out loud. "If only you could know what it feels like to be really loved… You have no idea… I can feel her touches crawling under my skin. I can hear her sweet voice whispering in my ear. I can smell the sweet scent of her… and she doesn't even have to be near me to make me feel those things. She's inside of me. Grace's taken over my soul, my heart, she's my everything. And the answer for your question is *yes*… I love her. I love her more than anything in this life.", Eli confessed his unconditional love for Grace and Carla glared at him. Eli felt so peaceful when he said he loved Grace. It was the first time he ever said that and it felt good… it felt right.
Carla was filled with anger and envy. She looked to the opposite sidewalk and saw Grace coming along. Her evil side couldn't let Eli and Grace be together so before Grace could get to them, Carla grabbed Eli's shirt and gave him a fat kiss.
"ELI??!!", Grace screamed in desperation when she saw *them* kissing. Eli pushed Carla away and saw Grace staring at them.
Grace couldn't believe her eyes. Her heart was broken into a thousand pieces. Her tears streamed down her angelic face.
"Hey, Grace! Look who's here!", Carla pretended not to know anything about Grace and Eli.
"Shut up, Carla!", Eli nervously ordered. "Grace. I can explain.", he shouted.
Grace was in tears. She didn't want to listen what he had to say so she turned around and began to leave, soundlessly.
"GRACE, WAIT!", Eli called out. "WAIT!", she didn't stop. Eli desperately crossed the street, he almost got hit by the cars but he didn't care. He had to reach her. Carla watched his desperation and for a miracle began to fell bad for tearing them apart but it was too late to go back and fix it. Carla dropped a tear of regret and left.
"Grace, wait. Please. I can explain.", Eli called again, approaching her.
"Leave me alone.", Grace burst out in tears.
"It was not my fault, Grace.", Eli grabbed her arms, making her stop.
"Let go of me. Let go of me.", she bitterly screamed and people around began to stare.
"Okay… I'm sorry.", Eli let go of her arms.
"How could you do this to me, Eli? How could you?", Grace breathlessly tried to understand.
"I didn't. you gotta believe me.", he snapped.
"I can't, she replied, crying.
"Carla set us up, Grace.", Eli said. "She knows about us. I told her. She grabbed me and kissed me."
"Don't put the blame on her, Eli", she yelled. "She 's my friend. She might be crazy but she's my friend. She would never do that to me."
"How can you take her side knowing that she only went after me in the first place because she knew she you wanted me.", Eli tried to make Grace see that Carla was really a bitch.
"I don't believe you said that.", she remarked.
" Grace, listen to me. ", tears rolled down his face. "I'm telling you the truth."
"I don't believe you.", she muttered.
"Why can't you believe me? I never gave you-"
"I saw you, Eli.", she shouted,. "I saw you."
"Don't leave me… please. I need you, Grace.", he begged her.
"You hurt me so much, Eli.", she quietly mumbled. I want you out of my life."
"Please don't-", Eli begged her again.
"God! You don't know how much I hate you right now, Eli.", she barely got out. He words were like a sharp knife penetrating his heart. "You don't know how much I hate myself right now. I believed you, Eli… I…", Grace murmured and slowly began to walk out on him.
Eli stood there. His heart broken, partly because she didn't believe him and partly because she left him. He was bleeding from inside. His soul was dying. "AHHHHHHHHAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!", he cried really loud as he watched her disappear among the people.
*
*
*
Grace invaded her house in a mad rush. lily was in the living room with Rick.
"Grace?!", Lily called.
"Just don't talk to me right now, mom.", Grace responded, running up to her room.
She got in her private sanctuary and locked the world out. She was devastated, she was deeply wounded. She felt like she was dying, very slowly. her mind wandered, she couldn't think clearly. She looked around her room and saw a CD that Cynthia had lent her. Grace hadn't have time to listen to it so she put it on her stereo, pushed *Shuffle* then *Play*. The acustic guitar started playing. As she listened to it, she fell backwards against her door and slid down , sitting on the floor. As Grace suffered over Eli, Eli suffered over her. After she left, he took his car and began to drive, not knowing where to go, he just drove. He knew he couldn't stop driving… he was lost without her.
As they cried over each other the song went on playing…
*I hate you…
I Love you.
Leave…
Don't go away.
I can't decide if I like your face or
If I wish it would stray.
You're a child but you're malicious
You're sweet but don't remember my name.
Heads I win, tails I'm lost.
Love equals pain.
I am drifting without an anchor
Through your ambiguous region
A strange continent immune to all reason
And I´m flattered by your grey matter
Inside my skin, I feel your tongue
It´s telling me I´m dirty and licking my bones
A scrape against the silence, a knife across a plate
Makes the sound of need on hate
I am drifting without an anchor
Through your ambiguous region
A strange continent immune to all reason
And I´m flattered by your grey matter
And I do not understand
Why a woman can´t just love a man
You´re amusing, you´re a real cool show
With your meat hooks and barbed wire carnival
You got moth holes in your pocket
You got moth holes in your soul
From too many false teeth and greasy flashbulbs
I am drifting without an anchor
Through your ambiguous region
A strange continent immune to all reason
And I´m flattered...
I´m flattered... by your grey matter
