There Is No Truth In Him
chapter 7
Author's Note - It sucks that O&A is on hiatus for so long. I was missing some motivation and inspiration for a while. But I saw some old eps. and I caught A Walk To Remember. So umm, here goes the new chapter. Hope you enjoy. And please review! I do honestly read and enjoy your feedback!!
"Thanks for the ride," Grace muttered sullenly as she climbed out of Ajay's pick-up. It was around 8:45pm, and the air had grown chilly and the sky was dark. It had been almost three hours since she had seen Eli and she was not looking forward to their inevitable confrontation. She was still angry, mad at him for lying to her; mad at herself for letting him have such control over her. But she had had feelings for him for three years. This lingering crush, that never really faded. She was hurt because he felt the need to hide the truth from her; almost like he didn't trust her. Of course, it had crossed her mind that Eli might have lied to prevent her from being more hurt...but Grace was almost seventeen. She was a big girl and whatever news he had, she could handle. Grace's steps were slow but steady as she approached the quiet Manning/Sammler household. Turning her keys in the knob, the door pushed open with a creak.
It was dark inside. And Grace's mind hoped that Eli wasn't home yet, and she could avoid talking to him at least for tonight. She shut the door behind her, and flicked on a lamp nearby. "Eli..." Grace acknowledged startled to find him sitting in the dark. Obviously, he was waiting; he wasn't going to let her escape him. "Grace, we need...." "To talk. I know," she nodded, deciding it was best not to fight it. She followed him out into the garage.
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"I owe you an explanation," Eli said wearily. "You don't owe me anything," Grace replied icily, refusing to meet his gaze. She could feel him watching her; gauging her reactions. She was standing, her back leaning against the door and he was sitting down. His hands pressed together, elbows resting on his lap. "You deserve one, it's the least I can give you, even if you wanna break off whatever we had going. I don't want you to think I blew off you play to be with her." "Who is she?" Grace asked flatly, needing to know. "She was a girl from work I was seeing, but I swear to you nothing was going on between us when you and I..."
"I believe you," Grace's tone softened, although he could still hear the mix of hurt and anger in her voice, feel it in her presence. Eli let out a shallow sigh of relief. "Is that all?" Grace asked impatiently, feeling her eyes start to water. Her steadfast resolve was wearing, and she could feel her heart ache with pain. A pain that clenched around her heart, and she choked back a sob. Eli could feel the thick air of tension bouncing of the walls, closing in on the two of them in them. Long moments of uncomfortable silence before he responded. "Yeah, I guess so..." "Good. I'm so glad we had this talk," Grace replied sarcastically, letting a few stray tears fall as she walked briskly into the house. Then broke into a run, needing to get away get upstairs. She couldn't let Eli see her crying.
"Wait, Grace!" Eli called chasing after her. Running from his bedroom through the kitchen and family room, catching her arm as she bounded up the stairs. The tears were falling freely now, "Please let me go," she pleaded. "No...I'm sorry, I never wanted to hurt you. But then again it's always like Eli to make mistakes," he said feeling down on himself. He continued to brush tears away with his thumbs, cupping her face gently. Eli broke their intense gaze and sat on the steps. Grace felt compelled to do the same. Grace placed a comforting hand on his lap, urging him to continue. To lift his gaze and focus on her face and tell her what he was thinking, what he was feeling. To be honest with her.
"Everyone thinks I am, ya know? I am, I'm such a failure. I can't do anything right, not with school, not with work, not with my mom...you..." "You're not a failure, Eli...I really do believe you." His eyes focused on her own and she gave his thigh a gentle squeeze. "I believe IN you." Eli placed his hand atop of hers. Feeling his heart race and breath quicken. They were still staring deep into each other's eyes. "I want to change, Grace. I don't want to be a low life, I want to be someone people can be proud of,"
"Your mom loves you Eli, I'm sure she'd proud of everything you've accomplished. I think she gets upset, when she doesn't see you at your full potential. You can be so much more..."
"I got the job Grace," he said finally looking her in the eyes. "Eli, that's wonderful!" Grace assured, truly proud and happy. "I knew you could do it," she brought her other hand to caress his face. She smiled through red watery eyes. Seeing his smile in return...Grace found that she really wasn't hurting anymore. The pain in her heart had subsided and she felt warm inside. A flutter in her heart. Eli leaned in and Grace's eyes slowly fluttered closed. Their lips met softly, and sweetly and then they both pulled away and looked at each other. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?" "Yes, Eli, of course." Grace smiled, squeezing his hand lightly. Eli brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back of her hand.
Suddenly, Grace stood and pulled him up to join her. "What?" he asked curiously. "Come on, I think we both deserve comfort food right now, I'm so hungry. I haven't eaten all day." she laughed dragging him down the steps and to the kitchen. Eli plopped down on a stool by the counter. "So what are we having?" he inquired, while Grace raided the kitchen and cupboards. She pulled out to large bowls and two large spoons, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, whipped cream, and cherries and ice cream. "Oh, I see. A balanced meal." Eli joked and joined Grace in piling up the bowls with ingredients.
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When they were done, they brought their ice cream into the living room and Eli lit the fireplace. Eli plopped down on the large sofa with his bowl, putting his legs on the coffee table. And Grace kicked off her shoes and socks, as she joined him. Leaning against one arm of the sofa and resting her legs on Eli's lap. They laughed and talked late into the night. And when Grace could hardly keep her eyes open, Eli walked her to her room and kissed her goodnight at the door. A kiss that made Grace's knees weak and she wrapped her arms around his neck for support. His fingers sneaking around her waist. It was after all still their first date...
FEEDBACK PLEASE!!! Please review!!!!
chapter 7
Author's Note - It sucks that O&A is on hiatus for so long. I was missing some motivation and inspiration for a while. But I saw some old eps. and I caught A Walk To Remember. So umm, here goes the new chapter. Hope you enjoy. And please review! I do honestly read and enjoy your feedback!!
"Thanks for the ride," Grace muttered sullenly as she climbed out of Ajay's pick-up. It was around 8:45pm, and the air had grown chilly and the sky was dark. It had been almost three hours since she had seen Eli and she was not looking forward to their inevitable confrontation. She was still angry, mad at him for lying to her; mad at herself for letting him have such control over her. But she had had feelings for him for three years. This lingering crush, that never really faded. She was hurt because he felt the need to hide the truth from her; almost like he didn't trust her. Of course, it had crossed her mind that Eli might have lied to prevent her from being more hurt...but Grace was almost seventeen. She was a big girl and whatever news he had, she could handle. Grace's steps were slow but steady as she approached the quiet Manning/Sammler household. Turning her keys in the knob, the door pushed open with a creak.
It was dark inside. And Grace's mind hoped that Eli wasn't home yet, and she could avoid talking to him at least for tonight. She shut the door behind her, and flicked on a lamp nearby. "Eli..." Grace acknowledged startled to find him sitting in the dark. Obviously, he was waiting; he wasn't going to let her escape him. "Grace, we need...." "To talk. I know," she nodded, deciding it was best not to fight it. She followed him out into the garage.
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"I owe you an explanation," Eli said wearily. "You don't owe me anything," Grace replied icily, refusing to meet his gaze. She could feel him watching her; gauging her reactions. She was standing, her back leaning against the door and he was sitting down. His hands pressed together, elbows resting on his lap. "You deserve one, it's the least I can give you, even if you wanna break off whatever we had going. I don't want you to think I blew off you play to be with her." "Who is she?" Grace asked flatly, needing to know. "She was a girl from work I was seeing, but I swear to you nothing was going on between us when you and I..."
"I believe you," Grace's tone softened, although he could still hear the mix of hurt and anger in her voice, feel it in her presence. Eli let out a shallow sigh of relief. "Is that all?" Grace asked impatiently, feeling her eyes start to water. Her steadfast resolve was wearing, and she could feel her heart ache with pain. A pain that clenched around her heart, and she choked back a sob. Eli could feel the thick air of tension bouncing of the walls, closing in on the two of them in them. Long moments of uncomfortable silence before he responded. "Yeah, I guess so..." "Good. I'm so glad we had this talk," Grace replied sarcastically, letting a few stray tears fall as she walked briskly into the house. Then broke into a run, needing to get away get upstairs. She couldn't let Eli see her crying.
"Wait, Grace!" Eli called chasing after her. Running from his bedroom through the kitchen and family room, catching her arm as she bounded up the stairs. The tears were falling freely now, "Please let me go," she pleaded. "No...I'm sorry, I never wanted to hurt you. But then again it's always like Eli to make mistakes," he said feeling down on himself. He continued to brush tears away with his thumbs, cupping her face gently. Eli broke their intense gaze and sat on the steps. Grace felt compelled to do the same. Grace placed a comforting hand on his lap, urging him to continue. To lift his gaze and focus on her face and tell her what he was thinking, what he was feeling. To be honest with her.
"Everyone thinks I am, ya know? I am, I'm such a failure. I can't do anything right, not with school, not with work, not with my mom...you..." "You're not a failure, Eli...I really do believe you." His eyes focused on her own and she gave his thigh a gentle squeeze. "I believe IN you." Eli placed his hand atop of hers. Feeling his heart race and breath quicken. They were still staring deep into each other's eyes. "I want to change, Grace. I don't want to be a low life, I want to be someone people can be proud of,"
"Your mom loves you Eli, I'm sure she'd proud of everything you've accomplished. I think she gets upset, when she doesn't see you at your full potential. You can be so much more..."
"I got the job Grace," he said finally looking her in the eyes. "Eli, that's wonderful!" Grace assured, truly proud and happy. "I knew you could do it," she brought her other hand to caress his face. She smiled through red watery eyes. Seeing his smile in return...Grace found that she really wasn't hurting anymore. The pain in her heart had subsided and she felt warm inside. A flutter in her heart. Eli leaned in and Grace's eyes slowly fluttered closed. Their lips met softly, and sweetly and then they both pulled away and looked at each other. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?" "Yes, Eli, of course." Grace smiled, squeezing his hand lightly. Eli brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back of her hand.
Suddenly, Grace stood and pulled him up to join her. "What?" he asked curiously. "Come on, I think we both deserve comfort food right now, I'm so hungry. I haven't eaten all day." she laughed dragging him down the steps and to the kitchen. Eli plopped down on a stool by the counter. "So what are we having?" he inquired, while Grace raided the kitchen and cupboards. She pulled out to large bowls and two large spoons, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, whipped cream, and cherries and ice cream. "Oh, I see. A balanced meal." Eli joked and joined Grace in piling up the bowls with ingredients.
******************************************************************
When they were done, they brought their ice cream into the living room and Eli lit the fireplace. Eli plopped down on the large sofa with his bowl, putting his legs on the coffee table. And Grace kicked off her shoes and socks, as she joined him. Leaning against one arm of the sofa and resting her legs on Eli's lap. They laughed and talked late into the night. And when Grace could hardly keep her eyes open, Eli walked her to her room and kissed her goodnight at the door. A kiss that made Grace's knees weak and she wrapped her arms around his neck for support. His fingers sneaking around her waist. It was after all still their first date...
FEEDBACK PLEASE!!! Please review!!!!