Hello There: Welcome to Chapter 8. Enjoy. Review please? We know there has to be more than one reader out there!

Disclamer: We dont own Degrassi or its characters...just Bill, Bells, Liam, and Lettie. And, Steal Your Heart belongs to Augustana


Chapter 8: Steal Your Heart—Clare's POV:

"Thank you so much for doing this Eli. You know that you really didn't have to," I say as I look into the mirror and apply a coat of red lipstick.

"Well I offered, and you know how much I love those kids. Besides this will give me an opportunity to test out my hibachi skills," He says as Annabelle begins taking out what looks like all of the cooking supplies in our kitchen.

"Bells, honey, try not to make too much of a mess," I say putting a cupcake tray back in its drawer.

"Mom, Eli promised that he'd teach me to make fried rice, right Eli?" Annabelle says looking admiringly up at the man dressed in his leather jacket and infamous black skinny jeans.

"Well I don't know how much I'd trust in my cooking skills, but I'll try my best Bells," he says mussing her wavy auburn hair.

The doorbell rings and I quickly shove my makeup bag back in my purse. I rush to the door and swing it open.

"Well hello there," He says looking approvingly over my dark blue jeans that clung to my curves, black pumps, and purple top that showed just a peek of my cleavage.

"Good evening, Owen," I say, smiling at him, "give me one moment, I'm just going to say goodbye to my kids."

"I'll be waiting," he grins and I can almost feel his eyes on my bottom as I walk away. I add an extra little sway of my hips, maybe enjoying the attention a little too much.

"You're going out with Owen?" Eli whisper-yells as I walk past him and back into the house, "I knew you were going on a date, but do you not remember how much of a jackass that guy was in high school, Clare? We hated him!"

I turn on my feet quickly and look back at him, whispering so that the kids won't hear, "No, you hated him Eli. And besides, he's been very sweet."

I swear that hear him mutter under his breath, "the bastard."

I shoot him a quick glare and it's like we're back in high school.

"Goodnight kids," I say giving them each a quick hug.

"Goodnight Eli," I give him a chaste kiss on the cheek, "remember, people change."

"Not him." He mutters again, but I ignore him.

"You have my number. Call me if there's a problem. Thank you again, Eli, I swear, at some point I'll repay you for all this favors. Maybe one day you'll have kids and I'll become your live-in babysitter," I laugh, but Eli's face is humorless. His hands are balled into fist and he seems to be staring through the door at the man behind it.

"Eli." I say repremandingly.

"Go ahead; run off to your little boyfriend."

I sigh, but I don't have time to deal with Eli and his petty jealousy. I could have been his once, but he gave that chance up years ago, back at Degrassi.

"Good night Eli." I say and swing the door open, taking a step out, and not looking back.

"Is everything settled in there?" Owen asks me with a concerned look on his face.

"It is now."

"Good." He says, snaking an arm around my waist as we walk to his car and he opens the door for m, like a perfect gentleman.

Owen is a good driver, a fast driver. Owen leaves the windows open and a relish the feeling of the windy night air in my hair.

"Where are we going?" I ask Owen, smiling as we speed down an unfamiliar road.

"Oh, you'll see. Somewhere very special." He says, wriggling his eyebrows at me.

We soon pull into a parking lot and I see a building with a neon sign on it that says 'Bowling'

"We're going bowling?" I ask him.

"I just happen to be the number one bowler in Toronto," Owen grins as he holds the door open for me.

"Oh yeah?" I smile devilishly, "we'll see about that."

We walk into the bowling alley and there are many people laughing and drinking and bowling. It's dimly lit, but there are different colored lights flashing, the music is pulsing through the place and some people are even dancing.

"This is definitely not how I remember bowling alleys from when I was a kid," I say to Owen over the music.

"Trust me Clare, you'll love it. Come on, let's go rent our shoes," He says taking my hand and pulling me along.

Surprisingly, I do love it. Owen is a pretty good bowler, but I win with the sneaking suspicion that he let me do so.

"Wow, I haven't had that much fun in such a long time," I say when the game is over.

"See, I told you that you would," he says wrapping an arm around me again, "come on, I'll buy you a drink."

I've had a two fruity cocktails and a martini before Owen has me out on the dance floor. The bowling alley scene just seems to get louder and rowdier and giddier and sexier as the night goes by. Owen grinds against my body and I begin to move with him too, losing myself in the music. And I have to admit, I kind of like it. It's been a while since I've gone out and done something like this. Even in college I wasn't much of a partier, but now, it feels so good to let loose and forget about my dead husband and all my problems for just one night. I sing along to some of the more familiar pop songs as Owen and I and all the other bowlers sway and grind and move.

I don't know how late it is when I walk with Owen to his car, and I don't think to ask him how many drinks he's had, but he seems far less intoxicated than I am. I feel drunk not on only all that alcohol, but on this night and the music and on Owen's charming self.

Owen turns the radio on full blast as we speed down the street-light lit roads. We both continue to bob our heads and sing out to the music as my tendrils of my hair get caught in the beautiful late-night breeze.

When we get to my house Owen walks me to the front door, leaving the music on in his car.

"Thank you for tonight, Owen, I had a great time," I say looking up into his dark eyes.

"Well, how could you not have had a good time? You were with me."

I laugh at his endearing cockiness.

"Goodnight Owen," I say, swinging the door open. I'm about to step into my house when he grabs me by the waist and pulls me back to him. He presses his lips to mine in a wet, hot kiss. It's a sloppy, drunken kind of kiss, but the kind of kiss that gets the fiery blood pumping through your veins. I hear the loud music coming from Owen's car and it seems to seep into the kiss and echo in my ears.

Meet me at the water
Where all your dreams come true
Tell your sisters and your brother
Well I'll be waiting for you
And when all of this is over
When all your silver turn to gold
Say a prayer for each other
Someday I'm gonna steal your heart
I'm gonna steal your heart
Gonna steal your heart away
Gonna steal your heart
Gonna steal your heart away
Now love is like an ocean
Take it down to the depths
Yeah I'm taking you with me
Taking every step to steal your heart

While Owen's lips seem to envelope my very being, out of the corner of my eye I see Eli. Standing. With his arms taught at his sides. Staring. Glaring.


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Catherine and Cat