1 Chapter 3
"And don't forget, with this awesome deal, you'll also get a free wash cloth! But remember, also call in the next two second, and you'll get everything free! Yes! Free!"
"Oh, shut up!" Grace said as the commercial went on for about 10 minutes.
"Who?" Eli jumped on the couch and stole the spot next to her.
"I thought you were at the hospital with Karen."
"No, I am going in about an hour."
"Oh…" Grace was half listening as she flipped the channels.
"Grace?"
"What?" Grace snapped, not realizing that she was being rude.
"Uh… About last night-"
"Eli, it's okay. I should have woke you up."
"I shouldn't have fallen asleep."
"How were you supposed to know?" Grace smiled.
"Trust me, I should have known."
"Eli, you aren't superman!"
"Grace… I don't want to love you."
Grace couldn't believe what he just heard.
"What?" She asked stunned.
"We can't do this Grace."
Grace was frozen. What did he just say? Breathe in, out…
"What?" She asked again.
He started to talk, but Grace didn't hear him. In the middle of him speaking, she walked away to her room. She lay in her bed and sobbed. He couldn't do this to her. No. She needed him. She didn't care if it was wrong, she loved Eli. For an hour Eli knocked on her door, begged her to let him in, but she couldn't, wouldn't face him again. Ever. This was the end of the world.
Grace woke up the next morning, and was so tired. What was happening to her? Was she dying of an illness? If she was that was fine with her!
"Grace, honey, are you okay?" Lily asked her as she came down for breakfast.
"Um, mom," Grace jerked her head up, trying not to fall asleep standing there. "I, um, I'm sick."
"Are you sweetie? Let me take your temp." Lily said reaching for her thermometer. She stuck it in to Grace's mouth. After a couple minutes, she took it out and checked it. " Honey, it doesn't say you're temp. is high…"
"Mom…" Grace groaned.
"Sweetie, if you aren't running a temp, you have to go to school…" Lily said in a singsong voice. "Oh by the way, my sweet little husband will be driving you kids to school, and Eli to his interview." Lily gave Rick a pinch on his…"buttocks". Yuck!
Ah! Her worse nightmare! Grace had to ride in the car with Eli! Oh, maybe he'll sit in the front.
"I call front!" Zoe yelled as they piled in Rick's car.
"I call window!" Jessie cried.
Just her luck…
As they rode down to school, Grace looked out the window.
"Grace?" Eli said quietly.
"Hmm?" Grace tried to act like she was fine.
"I wanted to-"
"No problem, it's better this way." Grace smiled.
"Oh…" Eli croaked. She was taking this better than Eli, apparently.
"Okay… Kids, um… I'll see you after school." Rick called after Jessie and Grace. Zoe had already been dropped off.
Eli stared at Grace as she walked into her school. She really was beautiful. He loved her so much… And he needed her. He saw Grace give a tall handsome guy a high-five. The boy reached for Grace's hand, and gave it a small kiss. What? Eli was outraged. A kiss?
"Eli, have you heard a word I said?" Rick asked.
"Uh, dad, sorry, I was thinking about something."
"E, I'm trying to tell you something, and with the deep trouble you're in, I suggest you listen."
"Dad, lay off, alright. I am going to an interview. It's not like I'm still sitting on my butt doing nothing, okay?"
"You have been for the last three weeks. How can I raise you Eli? What can I do? Just tell me, because I need to know," Rick became angrier every time he thought about Eli getting fired, and lying to the whole family.
"I'm an adult, dad. It isn't your problem."
"You're an 18 year old boy living in our garage."
"Well, maybe I should move out."
"E, you can't afford a place. Don't be ridiculous."
"You just watch me." Eli had so many problems, so much anger, and he wished his parents would just get off his back. Wasn't it about time?
"And don't forget, with this awesome deal, you'll also get a free wash cloth! But remember, also call in the next two second, and you'll get everything free! Yes! Free!"
"Oh, shut up!" Grace said as the commercial went on for about 10 minutes.
"Who?" Eli jumped on the couch and stole the spot next to her.
"I thought you were at the hospital with Karen."
"No, I am going in about an hour."
"Oh…" Grace was half listening as she flipped the channels.
"Grace?"
"What?" Grace snapped, not realizing that she was being rude.
"Uh… About last night-"
"Eli, it's okay. I should have woke you up."
"I shouldn't have fallen asleep."
"How were you supposed to know?" Grace smiled.
"Trust me, I should have known."
"Eli, you aren't superman!"
"Grace… I don't want to love you."
Grace couldn't believe what he just heard.
"What?" She asked stunned.
"We can't do this Grace."
Grace was frozen. What did he just say? Breathe in, out…
"What?" She asked again.
He started to talk, but Grace didn't hear him. In the middle of him speaking, she walked away to her room. She lay in her bed and sobbed. He couldn't do this to her. No. She needed him. She didn't care if it was wrong, she loved Eli. For an hour Eli knocked on her door, begged her to let him in, but she couldn't, wouldn't face him again. Ever. This was the end of the world.
Grace woke up the next morning, and was so tired. What was happening to her? Was she dying of an illness? If she was that was fine with her!
"Grace, honey, are you okay?" Lily asked her as she came down for breakfast.
"Um, mom," Grace jerked her head up, trying not to fall asleep standing there. "I, um, I'm sick."
"Are you sweetie? Let me take your temp." Lily said reaching for her thermometer. She stuck it in to Grace's mouth. After a couple minutes, she took it out and checked it. " Honey, it doesn't say you're temp. is high…"
"Mom…" Grace groaned.
"Sweetie, if you aren't running a temp, you have to go to school…" Lily said in a singsong voice. "Oh by the way, my sweet little husband will be driving you kids to school, and Eli to his interview." Lily gave Rick a pinch on his…"buttocks". Yuck!
Ah! Her worse nightmare! Grace had to ride in the car with Eli! Oh, maybe he'll sit in the front.
"I call front!" Zoe yelled as they piled in Rick's car.
"I call window!" Jessie cried.
Just her luck…
As they rode down to school, Grace looked out the window.
"Grace?" Eli said quietly.
"Hmm?" Grace tried to act like she was fine.
"I wanted to-"
"No problem, it's better this way." Grace smiled.
"Oh…" Eli croaked. She was taking this better than Eli, apparently.
"Okay… Kids, um… I'll see you after school." Rick called after Jessie and Grace. Zoe had already been dropped off.
Eli stared at Grace as she walked into her school. She really was beautiful. He loved her so much… And he needed her. He saw Grace give a tall handsome guy a high-five. The boy reached for Grace's hand, and gave it a small kiss. What? Eli was outraged. A kiss?
"Eli, have you heard a word I said?" Rick asked.
"Uh, dad, sorry, I was thinking about something."
"E, I'm trying to tell you something, and with the deep trouble you're in, I suggest you listen."
"Dad, lay off, alright. I am going to an interview. It's not like I'm still sitting on my butt doing nothing, okay?"
"You have been for the last three weeks. How can I raise you Eli? What can I do? Just tell me, because I need to know," Rick became angrier every time he thought about Eli getting fired, and lying to the whole family.
"I'm an adult, dad. It isn't your problem."
"You're an 18 year old boy living in our garage."
"Well, maybe I should move out."
"E, you can't afford a place. Don't be ridiculous."
"You just watch me." Eli had so many problems, so much anger, and he wished his parents would just get off his back. Wasn't it about time?