~A Once and Again Series~
Life is what you make of it
Chapter 23// Wait for Santa
"Here."
Grace looked down at what Eli was handing her. She smiled, "Eli! But it's not Christmas yet!"
Eli shrugged and pushed the present into her hands. "So, I thought Christmas Eve would be even better. And that way no one else will see and find out that we're not just stepbrother and stepsister anymore."
Grace nodded, and inwardly she frowned. She wanted to tell their family about the two of them. She just wasn't sure of how to bring it up to Eli. He kept sending her signals that he didn't want anyone to know. Grace hated the secrecy. She was aching to tell her mother. But Grace guessed she would just have to find the right time to bring it up to Eli and then they could tell everyone.
"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Eli asked, breaking into her thoughts.
"Oh, yeah," Grace said with a smile. She delicately pulled the shiny paper off the present. "Oh, Eli, it's nice."
Eli grinned and shrugged, "I thought you'd like it."
Grace held up the silver rose necklace. She immediately compared it favorite necklace, her shell necklace. The two of them were so different. Grace remembered how Augustus had told her the shell necklace was lovely. This necklace was lovely too, in a different way. This one was one was noticeably lovely while the other one had had its hidden beauty. Grace loved them both. She put the rose necklace on and enjoyed the feel of its weight against her neck. "Thanks Eli."
Eli leaned and they kissed softly. Grace got up off her bed and went to her closet. "I had planned on giving this to you tomorrow, but I guess you will just have to get it now." She went back to him and handed him the present.
Eli unwrapped it and Grace watched as he read the words. "Wow, Grace, you put all the best songs on here."
Grace shrugged, "They are some of my favorite songs. Cynthia helped me burn it on her computer."
Eli leaned and kissed her again. Grace smiled when they broke, "There's something else."
"There is?"
Grace nodded, "I haven't wrapped it yet, so.. You'll just have to wait for Santa to arrive tomorrow."
Eli shook his head, "No, I can't wait. You're going to have to tell me. I think I know how to make you tell.." Eli raised his hands and advanced on her. Grace laughed and squirmed as Eli tickled her.
"Stop!" Grace managed between laughs. Eli pinned her down with one hand and tickled her with the other.
"Say uncle."
"No!" Grace said, shaking her head, "I don't give up!" She wiggled away from him and grabbed her pillow. She used it as a shield, putting it up before her as Eli moved towards her. Eli backed her into the corner of her room. He looked down at her, and waited.
"Admit defeat! I've got you cornered. You've got nowhere to go."
Grace smiled slyly, "I've got a way out."
"Oh, you do?" Eli leaned tighter against her and the pillow. "I think you've got nothing!"
Grace shook her head, "I've got this.." She dropped the pillow and put her hands on both sides of Eli's face. She moved against him, taking up the space the pillow had just evacuated.
"I like the way you think," Eli said before she leaned in for the kill.
Grace brushed her lips lightly against his, teasing him. She pulled back, looking up into his eyes, "Say uncle."
"Uncle," Eli groaned, and Grace really kissed him this time, her lips slow and lingering. He pushed her further in the corner and they let the wall hold them upright. Grace sank into the kisses, forgetting time and the whole world, only enjoying the pleasure of being in his arms. Eli's warm hands moved up under her shirt. Their lips stayed locked in their endless embrace. Grace felt such pure passion, such pure love. Her body tingled with excitement. She held Eli tighter.
"Grace! Honey? We're going to decorate the tree and sing now!" Lily's voice said at Grace's door. They pulled apart quickly. Grace heard her mother turn the doorknob. Eli jumped down to the floor, letting Grace's bed shield him from the door.
"Grace?" Lily opened the door. "What are you doing in the corner like that?"
Grace felt Eli playfully tickling her feet and smiled. She kicked lightly at him, keeping her eyes on her mother. "Oh, nothing mom. I'll be down in one minute, okay?"
"Alright," Lily agreed and began to shut the door, "Have you seen Eli lately?"
"I'm sure he's around here somewhere." Grace said quickly. Her mother shut the door. Eli grabbed her legs and pulled her down on the floor with him.
"One minute, huh?" Eli teased. "I don't think we can get much done in a minute."
Grace rolled closer to him, "So that means I'm safe?"
"Hell no," Eli grabbed her and pulled her on top of him. He ran his fingers through her cascading brown locks. "You're beautiful."
"Shut up," Grace kissed him. "Come on. We've got to go decorate a tree."
"And sing, don't forget." They stood up. Eli stopped her before they left her room and he reached out and tucked her rose necklace underneath her shirt. "We don't want them to ask about it. I'll go down first and then you, okay?"
Grace nodded and watched him go. The pretty rose was tucked away, underneath the fabric of her shirt. No one was going to get to see how beautiful it was.
* * *
"Grace, you got a package today." Lily told her in the kitchen the day after Christmas.
"I did?" Grace asked, her words sounding too loud in the quiet house. Rick was upstairs, taking a nap Grace believed, although Rick would never admit to it. Zoe was at her friend's house. And Jessie and Eli were at their grandparent's.
"Yeah, it's on the table."
Grace went to the table and picked up the large tan bulk envelope. She glanced at the handwriting and knew who it was from. She looked over at her mother who was busy trying to figure out all the buttons on her new coffee grinder/maker. Grace held the package against her chest and escaped upstairs to her room.
The CD she had made Eli was still on her desk. She and Eli hadn't gotten anymore alone time after they had gone down to decorate the tree. She had never gotten to give him his other present before he had left to go to his mother's. She looked towards her closet where the cologne was in still sitting in its bag. She had smelled it in the store and it had been so perfect. It was sweet and musky and it made her feet tingle. Something about that scent.. Grace hadn't been planning on buying Eli cologne, but she hadn't wanted to leave it behind in the store. Something about it had just called to her.
Grace looked away from the closet, away from the unwrapped cologne and at the package in her hands. It was from Augustus. Grace couldn't imagine what it was. It was heavy, too heavy to just be papers. Grace stared at the tan package a little while longer and finally tore at the edge. She tore quickly, and it was good thing it wasn't a stack of papers, because in her frantic hurry she might have ripped them. It was a book and a small square of paper. The paper simply read: 'Merry Christmas from Santa' in Augustus' familiar script.
Grace's fingers swept over the leather-bound book. It looked old and worn. There was no title on the front and so Grace looked at the side binding to see what it was. Love is Never Lost - a collection by William Timor Timonen. Grace had never heard of it. She opened the book delicately. The first page divulged more information. It was a collection of poetry about love. The second page had the author and title again. The third page was blank, except for the small delicate handwriting on the bottom.
Grace read the words over and over, smiling. Augustus had written her an inscription.
Grace,
This book is one of my favorites
It means everything
Love always Augustus
'It means everything.' 'Love always.' Grace reread the words again and again. She looked at the title of the book again: Love is Never Lost.
* * *
Life is what you make of it
Chapter 23// Wait for Santa
"Here."
Grace looked down at what Eli was handing her. She smiled, "Eli! But it's not Christmas yet!"
Eli shrugged and pushed the present into her hands. "So, I thought Christmas Eve would be even better. And that way no one else will see and find out that we're not just stepbrother and stepsister anymore."
Grace nodded, and inwardly she frowned. She wanted to tell their family about the two of them. She just wasn't sure of how to bring it up to Eli. He kept sending her signals that he didn't want anyone to know. Grace hated the secrecy. She was aching to tell her mother. But Grace guessed she would just have to find the right time to bring it up to Eli and then they could tell everyone.
"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Eli asked, breaking into her thoughts.
"Oh, yeah," Grace said with a smile. She delicately pulled the shiny paper off the present. "Oh, Eli, it's nice."
Eli grinned and shrugged, "I thought you'd like it."
Grace held up the silver rose necklace. She immediately compared it favorite necklace, her shell necklace. The two of them were so different. Grace remembered how Augustus had told her the shell necklace was lovely. This necklace was lovely too, in a different way. This one was one was noticeably lovely while the other one had had its hidden beauty. Grace loved them both. She put the rose necklace on and enjoyed the feel of its weight against her neck. "Thanks Eli."
Eli leaned and they kissed softly. Grace got up off her bed and went to her closet. "I had planned on giving this to you tomorrow, but I guess you will just have to get it now." She went back to him and handed him the present.
Eli unwrapped it and Grace watched as he read the words. "Wow, Grace, you put all the best songs on here."
Grace shrugged, "They are some of my favorite songs. Cynthia helped me burn it on her computer."
Eli leaned and kissed her again. Grace smiled when they broke, "There's something else."
"There is?"
Grace nodded, "I haven't wrapped it yet, so.. You'll just have to wait for Santa to arrive tomorrow."
Eli shook his head, "No, I can't wait. You're going to have to tell me. I think I know how to make you tell.." Eli raised his hands and advanced on her. Grace laughed and squirmed as Eli tickled her.
"Stop!" Grace managed between laughs. Eli pinned her down with one hand and tickled her with the other.
"Say uncle."
"No!" Grace said, shaking her head, "I don't give up!" She wiggled away from him and grabbed her pillow. She used it as a shield, putting it up before her as Eli moved towards her. Eli backed her into the corner of her room. He looked down at her, and waited.
"Admit defeat! I've got you cornered. You've got nowhere to go."
Grace smiled slyly, "I've got a way out."
"Oh, you do?" Eli leaned tighter against her and the pillow. "I think you've got nothing!"
Grace shook her head, "I've got this.." She dropped the pillow and put her hands on both sides of Eli's face. She moved against him, taking up the space the pillow had just evacuated.
"I like the way you think," Eli said before she leaned in for the kill.
Grace brushed her lips lightly against his, teasing him. She pulled back, looking up into his eyes, "Say uncle."
"Uncle," Eli groaned, and Grace really kissed him this time, her lips slow and lingering. He pushed her further in the corner and they let the wall hold them upright. Grace sank into the kisses, forgetting time and the whole world, only enjoying the pleasure of being in his arms. Eli's warm hands moved up under her shirt. Their lips stayed locked in their endless embrace. Grace felt such pure passion, such pure love. Her body tingled with excitement. She held Eli tighter.
"Grace! Honey? We're going to decorate the tree and sing now!" Lily's voice said at Grace's door. They pulled apart quickly. Grace heard her mother turn the doorknob. Eli jumped down to the floor, letting Grace's bed shield him from the door.
"Grace?" Lily opened the door. "What are you doing in the corner like that?"
Grace felt Eli playfully tickling her feet and smiled. She kicked lightly at him, keeping her eyes on her mother. "Oh, nothing mom. I'll be down in one minute, okay?"
"Alright," Lily agreed and began to shut the door, "Have you seen Eli lately?"
"I'm sure he's around here somewhere." Grace said quickly. Her mother shut the door. Eli grabbed her legs and pulled her down on the floor with him.
"One minute, huh?" Eli teased. "I don't think we can get much done in a minute."
Grace rolled closer to him, "So that means I'm safe?"
"Hell no," Eli grabbed her and pulled her on top of him. He ran his fingers through her cascading brown locks. "You're beautiful."
"Shut up," Grace kissed him. "Come on. We've got to go decorate a tree."
"And sing, don't forget." They stood up. Eli stopped her before they left her room and he reached out and tucked her rose necklace underneath her shirt. "We don't want them to ask about it. I'll go down first and then you, okay?"
Grace nodded and watched him go. The pretty rose was tucked away, underneath the fabric of her shirt. No one was going to get to see how beautiful it was.
* * *
"Grace, you got a package today." Lily told her in the kitchen the day after Christmas.
"I did?" Grace asked, her words sounding too loud in the quiet house. Rick was upstairs, taking a nap Grace believed, although Rick would never admit to it. Zoe was at her friend's house. And Jessie and Eli were at their grandparent's.
"Yeah, it's on the table."
Grace went to the table and picked up the large tan bulk envelope. She glanced at the handwriting and knew who it was from. She looked over at her mother who was busy trying to figure out all the buttons on her new coffee grinder/maker. Grace held the package against her chest and escaped upstairs to her room.
The CD she had made Eli was still on her desk. She and Eli hadn't gotten anymore alone time after they had gone down to decorate the tree. She had never gotten to give him his other present before he had left to go to his mother's. She looked towards her closet where the cologne was in still sitting in its bag. She had smelled it in the store and it had been so perfect. It was sweet and musky and it made her feet tingle. Something about that scent.. Grace hadn't been planning on buying Eli cologne, but she hadn't wanted to leave it behind in the store. Something about it had just called to her.
Grace looked away from the closet, away from the unwrapped cologne and at the package in her hands. It was from Augustus. Grace couldn't imagine what it was. It was heavy, too heavy to just be papers. Grace stared at the tan package a little while longer and finally tore at the edge. She tore quickly, and it was good thing it wasn't a stack of papers, because in her frantic hurry she might have ripped them. It was a book and a small square of paper. The paper simply read: 'Merry Christmas from Santa' in Augustus' familiar script.
Grace's fingers swept over the leather-bound book. It looked old and worn. There was no title on the front and so Grace looked at the side binding to see what it was. Love is Never Lost - a collection by William Timor Timonen. Grace had never heard of it. She opened the book delicately. The first page divulged more information. It was a collection of poetry about love. The second page had the author and title again. The third page was blank, except for the small delicate handwriting on the bottom.
Grace read the words over and over, smiling. Augustus had written her an inscription.
Grace,
This book is one of my favorites
It means everything
Love always Augustus
'It means everything.' 'Love always.' Grace reread the words again and again. She looked at the title of the book again: Love is Never Lost.
* * *