~A Once and Again Series~
Life is what you make of it
Chapter 17// Are you sure?
Grace knocked again. This time the music was turned down and a few moments later the door opened. Eli looked surprised, but happy to see her. "Hey," He said softly. He looked as if he just rolled out of bed, wearing only a tee shirt and boxers. But it was Saturday and only 11am, so Grace didn't see anything wrong in that.
"Hey, can I come in?" Grace asked shyly.
"Yeah, yeah," Eli stepped aside and let her in and then closed the door behind her. He began to clean the room up a bit, tossing clothes and shoes aside.
"Eli?" Grace said, stopping him. Eli turned and waited. "I broke up with him."
"Oh," Eli looked at the floor and then back up at her.
"I did it a week ago."
"Oh," Eli said in surprise, "Well, that's good."
"Yeah, I made the right decision," Grace said, adding silently to herself, 'at least I hope I did'. She thinks about that woman at Augustus' house and how Augustus leaned into her, kissing her. She continues with more confidence, "I had been thinking about ending it with him for a while, even before you came to talk with me. Things just couldn't work out between us. And it turns out he thought we were a mistake, anyways. I'm glad.." Grace hesitated, "I'm glad it's over between me and him."
"I'm glad too," Eli said softly. He reached out and took her hands.
Grace stared down at their linked hands. His hands were tanned and smooth, unlike Augustus' freckled hands. Grace tried to push Augustus out of her mind, but it was so hard. He had hurt her so much. She should move on, forget about him, as he had obviously forgot about her. Grace looked up, into Eli's dark brown eyes. She knew Eli cared about her, she knew Eli would never treat her the way Augustus had done. And Grace had always had feelings for Eli, ever since she was just a kid, daydreaming about the "popular guy". And when their parents had moved in together and married, Grace got to know Eli even better and she was never disappointed by what she learned. Eli had a hard outside, but inside he cared so much.
"I never thanked you, Grace," Eli said and Grace looked at him in confusion. "About saving me," Eli continued, "Bringing me back after my mother's death. You made me face reality; you made me come back to the living, even though there would be pain. You made me come back, so I could be there for my family."
"But I didn't do anything!" Grace insisted.
"You did more than you realized. You told me to come back. You made me realize I couldn't stay where I was. I was lost inside myself, in a place where there was no pain. I could have easily stayed there, but then I heard your voice and I heard you cry and you brought me back."
Grace listened to his words with awe. "I did?"
"Yeah," Eli smiled at her, "And then I knew that I loved you even more then ever."
Grace let go of his hands in surprise, "You love me?"
"Yeah, I know you don't love me, but.." Eli said with sadness.
Grace cut him off, "That's not true!"
"You do love me?"
Grace sighed, thinking. She cared for Eli and she liked him, but did she love him? And how could she love him when she stilled loved Augustus? Had she been in love with two guys this whole time? Was that possible? But, Grace was beginning to think it was possible. She was beginning to think she did love Eli.
Eli was looking at her, waiting for an answer. Grace smiled at him, "Yes, I love you."
Eli grinned and shyly turned away. Grace watched him, with a happiness in her heart. She did love him, she did. Eli turned back and moved closer to her. Grace stepped closer to him. Eli reached out for her hands and she gave them to him again. This time, however he pulled her in, against him. He stared down into her eyes and Grace saw all the love he had for her reflected in them. Suddenly she was scared, scared to kiss him. Did that even make sense?
Eli hesitated too, and the two just looked at each for a while as he held her in his arms. Grace moved her head upwards finally and Eli bent his downwards. And they kissed. His lips were soft and sweet and Grace let her fears fall away. She kissed with passion, with urgency. She kissed him for all the times she had wished she could as a kid. Their lips tangled together and Grace's body heated up. His hands were on her back and hers on his neck. Grace almost laughed at how she had been scared to kiss him, this felt perfect. She belonged in his arms. Grace lost herself in the kisses, just wanting to remain as close to him as she possibly could. His touch sent tingles up with back. His kisses sent fire to her body. It suddenly seemed like she wouldn't live if she let the fire escape her.
She pushed him softly towards his bed. He didn't notice until they fell over on top of it. "Grace?" Eli questioned. Grace kissed him again, silencing his words. Eli kissed her back, his tongue meeting up with hers. Grace used her hands to pull his shirt up, exposing his firm stomach.
"Grace," Eli pulled away from her.
"I need you," Grace whispered.
Eli looked at her and Grace saw his hands tremble. "Are you sure? We don't have to.."
"I want to." Grace assured him, but then looked away. "I've never.."
"Oh," Eli smiled, "Not even with him?"
Grace jerked at the mention of Augustus. "No." She looked at Eli, he was so handsome and he made her feel so good. This was the right thing to do, right? Or was she only trying to forget about Augustus by making love to Eli? Grace pushed that thought away. This had nothing to do with Augustus, this was only about her and Eli. She loved Eli, she did. "I want to Eli, I'm sure."
"I love you, Grace." Eli said, moving closer.
"I love you too," Grace reached for his shirt and this time he let her take it off. She reached down and pulled her own shirt off, feeling embarrassed, but happy at the same time. Eli took her into his arms and they kissed again. Grace felt intoxicated by his slow kisses. She let Eli slowly move on top of her. He reached for the zipper on her jeans. Once again, he stopped.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, yes!" Grace insisted and she stood up and took off her pants. She stood there, in her underwear, and looked at him on his bed in his boxers. She smiled and joined him on the bed. They moved under the blankets.
* * *
Life is what you make of it
Chapter 17// Are you sure?
Grace knocked again. This time the music was turned down and a few moments later the door opened. Eli looked surprised, but happy to see her. "Hey," He said softly. He looked as if he just rolled out of bed, wearing only a tee shirt and boxers. But it was Saturday and only 11am, so Grace didn't see anything wrong in that.
"Hey, can I come in?" Grace asked shyly.
"Yeah, yeah," Eli stepped aside and let her in and then closed the door behind her. He began to clean the room up a bit, tossing clothes and shoes aside.
"Eli?" Grace said, stopping him. Eli turned and waited. "I broke up with him."
"Oh," Eli looked at the floor and then back up at her.
"I did it a week ago."
"Oh," Eli said in surprise, "Well, that's good."
"Yeah, I made the right decision," Grace said, adding silently to herself, 'at least I hope I did'. She thinks about that woman at Augustus' house and how Augustus leaned into her, kissing her. She continues with more confidence, "I had been thinking about ending it with him for a while, even before you came to talk with me. Things just couldn't work out between us. And it turns out he thought we were a mistake, anyways. I'm glad.." Grace hesitated, "I'm glad it's over between me and him."
"I'm glad too," Eli said softly. He reached out and took her hands.
Grace stared down at their linked hands. His hands were tanned and smooth, unlike Augustus' freckled hands. Grace tried to push Augustus out of her mind, but it was so hard. He had hurt her so much. She should move on, forget about him, as he had obviously forgot about her. Grace looked up, into Eli's dark brown eyes. She knew Eli cared about her, she knew Eli would never treat her the way Augustus had done. And Grace had always had feelings for Eli, ever since she was just a kid, daydreaming about the "popular guy". And when their parents had moved in together and married, Grace got to know Eli even better and she was never disappointed by what she learned. Eli had a hard outside, but inside he cared so much.
"I never thanked you, Grace," Eli said and Grace looked at him in confusion. "About saving me," Eli continued, "Bringing me back after my mother's death. You made me face reality; you made me come back to the living, even though there would be pain. You made me come back, so I could be there for my family."
"But I didn't do anything!" Grace insisted.
"You did more than you realized. You told me to come back. You made me realize I couldn't stay where I was. I was lost inside myself, in a place where there was no pain. I could have easily stayed there, but then I heard your voice and I heard you cry and you brought me back."
Grace listened to his words with awe. "I did?"
"Yeah," Eli smiled at her, "And then I knew that I loved you even more then ever."
Grace let go of his hands in surprise, "You love me?"
"Yeah, I know you don't love me, but.." Eli said with sadness.
Grace cut him off, "That's not true!"
"You do love me?"
Grace sighed, thinking. She cared for Eli and she liked him, but did she love him? And how could she love him when she stilled loved Augustus? Had she been in love with two guys this whole time? Was that possible? But, Grace was beginning to think it was possible. She was beginning to think she did love Eli.
Eli was looking at her, waiting for an answer. Grace smiled at him, "Yes, I love you."
Eli grinned and shyly turned away. Grace watched him, with a happiness in her heart. She did love him, she did. Eli turned back and moved closer to her. Grace stepped closer to him. Eli reached out for her hands and she gave them to him again. This time, however he pulled her in, against him. He stared down into her eyes and Grace saw all the love he had for her reflected in them. Suddenly she was scared, scared to kiss him. Did that even make sense?
Eli hesitated too, and the two just looked at each for a while as he held her in his arms. Grace moved her head upwards finally and Eli bent his downwards. And they kissed. His lips were soft and sweet and Grace let her fears fall away. She kissed with passion, with urgency. She kissed him for all the times she had wished she could as a kid. Their lips tangled together and Grace's body heated up. His hands were on her back and hers on his neck. Grace almost laughed at how she had been scared to kiss him, this felt perfect. She belonged in his arms. Grace lost herself in the kisses, just wanting to remain as close to him as she possibly could. His touch sent tingles up with back. His kisses sent fire to her body. It suddenly seemed like she wouldn't live if she let the fire escape her.
She pushed him softly towards his bed. He didn't notice until they fell over on top of it. "Grace?" Eli questioned. Grace kissed him again, silencing his words. Eli kissed her back, his tongue meeting up with hers. Grace used her hands to pull his shirt up, exposing his firm stomach.
"Grace," Eli pulled away from her.
"I need you," Grace whispered.
Eli looked at her and Grace saw his hands tremble. "Are you sure? We don't have to.."
"I want to." Grace assured him, but then looked away. "I've never.."
"Oh," Eli smiled, "Not even with him?"
Grace jerked at the mention of Augustus. "No." She looked at Eli, he was so handsome and he made her feel so good. This was the right thing to do, right? Or was she only trying to forget about Augustus by making love to Eli? Grace pushed that thought away. This had nothing to do with Augustus, this was only about her and Eli. She loved Eli, she did. "I want to Eli, I'm sure."
"I love you, Grace." Eli said, moving closer.
"I love you too," Grace reached for his shirt and this time he let her take it off. She reached down and pulled her own shirt off, feeling embarrassed, but happy at the same time. Eli took her into his arms and they kissed again. Grace felt intoxicated by his slow kisses. She let Eli slowly move on top of her. He reached for the zipper on her jeans. Once again, he stopped.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, yes!" Grace insisted and she stood up and took off her pants. She stood there, in her underwear, and looked at him on his bed in his boxers. She smiled and joined him on the bed. They moved under the blankets.
* * *