~A Once and Again Series~
Now and Then
As always, thanks for reading..
Chapter 14//Kind of like Quicksand
Grace knew she had to go to class. She couldn't just avoid going forever, not unless she wanted to fail a class in her first semester as a college student. And she wasn't going to drop the class.. the idea of dropping it, and giving in, just disgusted her. No, she would go, she would work, she would learn, and she wouldn't show him how much his announcement was affecting her. No, it was her turn to play normal.
Grace arrived at class with a few minutes to spare. She noticed Hannah cozying up to Dimitri, but today it didn't bug her as much as before. In fact, it was a relief, because it meant that Dimitri was too busy to notice her and try to talk to her. The last thing she wanted was for him to pity her, and tell her he was sorry. She didn't know if she could take that.
Hannah backed away from Dimitri's desk and threw Grace a look of triumph. Grace hide a sneer from the poor girl. She didn't know anything. She obviously didn't know that her beloved Mr. Dimitri was married. Grace watched as Hannah sat down in the desk next to her, and a new thought came.. Maybe Hannah knew he was married and just didn't care? Grace's stomach turned over as she nervously pondered that idea.
"Shall we start?" Mr. Dimitri asked.
* * *
Grace couldn't avoid it. She had to talk to Dimitri after class, and ask him for the homework from the class she had missed on Wednesday. So, she had to talk to him. Still, she could have done it quickly, right after he ended class, but Grace found herself stalling, until the room had cleared. She moved closer to August and said quickly, "Can I have the homework from Wednesday?"
Dimitri looked up at her in surprise. His mind had been somewhere else. "Uh, sure, Grace, oh course." He opened his lesson book and read off the chapters she was supposed to have read and handed her a sheet of questions.
"Thanks," Grace said, putting the paper in her backpack. She zipped her backpack up again and put it on her back and then hesitated. But the right words wouldn't come.
Dimitri had been looking out the window and he turned back to her, filling her silence with his own words. "Did you ever find your ending?"
Grace looked up at him, her heart warming. Just having him say something like that, made her care for him even more. "Yeah, well.. kind of."
August's freckled cheeks crinkled as he smiled at her. "Kind of?"
"I'm still working on it, I guess. There's always more room for improvement. Right?"
"Exactly."
Grace smiled and turned her head, looking out the window at the clear early fall sky. "What's her name?"
"Hmm?" August said in surprise.
"Your wife?" Grace looked back at him, her voice calm and strong.
"Angelina." August told her. "She's an actress. I met her about a year ago."
"Oh, that's nice." Grace managed. They looked at each other, carefully. "Are you.. Do you have any children?" Grace asked hesitantly, suddenly picturing him and his Angelina surround by beautiful freckled kids.
August laughed. "No, no. Angelina doesn't like children very much."
"Oh, that's too bad." Grace said softly.
August shrugged and stood up. "Um, I probably shouldn't even ask, but.."
Grace smiled sweetly at him, "What?"
"Did you want to show me some of your stories?" August breathed out.
"Oh!" Grace hadn't expected that. "Yeah, of course!"
August smiled, and he sifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Tonight at my house?"
Grace looked at him, trying to study him, but trying not to show her confusion. Why was he so eager to become a part of her life again after what had happened between them? What about his Angelina? Grace felt bad, remembering Eli words.. Eli asking her if she was the kind of girl who would come between a man and his wife. But, Grace felt helpless to stop what was happening. She could not turn Dimitri down. She felt too much for him to say no. Besides, he was just going to be reading her stories, right? "Yes."
"Great.. I see you tonight then.. anytime after 6, ok?"
"Okay." Grace watched him go, immobile.
* * *
Grace knocked at the sliding glass doors, feeling a wave of déjà vu. How many times had she entered his house through these doors? Grace heard him call out and she entered. The house looked pretty much the same. There were a few changes that hinted at the fact that a woman lived her now also. Grace watched towards the fridge and couldn't help but not look at the pictures on it. There was a wedding picture..
Grace studied the face of the pretty blond standing next to Dimitri. This was Angelina.. Mrs. August Dimitri. Grace turned away from the picture in disgust and saw August standing behind her.
"Were you hungry or thirsty?" He asked her.
Grace shook her head 'no'. They looked at each other. "So, is Angelina here tonight?"
"No, she's in a traveling play. She'll be gone for a few months." August said without a hint of sorrow.
"Oh." Grace said, unsure. What did this mean?
"Come on, I can read your stories in the living room."
Grace followed him, realizing her big mistake. "I actually, kind of, forgot to bring them."
"Oh, well, then.. we'll just talk." August sat down on the couch and Grace sat down next to him.
They both looked around the room, until finally their eyes met. Grace felt her feelings for him showing on her face, despite her trying to hide them. Her eyes began to fill up with tears.
"Grace.." August said softly, reaching for her. He pulled her into a hug.
Grace cried, unabashedly on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Grace. I never meant to hurt you." August's words comforted her.
"I know you didn't." Grace pulled away from him and looked into his beautiful blue eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you, either."
"But, Grace.. you didn't!"
"No, I never came back to you.. after that kiss, I never tried to find you. I just gave up." Grace felt the words tumbling out. "I could have came to your house.. I should have, but I didn't. I just let it be over. I let our kiss be the ending. But, I always wanted to change the ending.. I always still wanted to continue on with our story."
"Grace.." August sighed softly. His hand reached for her face and brushed her cheek softly.
"August.." Grace said, saying his name out loud for the first time ever. August's eyes tinkled happily at her, and Grace let out a soft laugh. She turned her head, making his hand fall away from her face. "But, things have changed now, right?"
"Yes."
"Does that have to matter?" Grace asked, her eyes searching his. "Can't we just continue our story, anyways?"
"You should never give up on a good story," August said after a long pause.
Then they were moving together, and their lips touched briefly, ever so briefly. They tilted their foreheads together and looked into each other's eyes. Grace smiled, and he smiled back. And then they were kissing again.
(memory flashback***)
"I hate them. I do! I mean, what gives them the right?" Grace cried angrily. They were standing in his kitchen. Grace hated that the school board might take away his license. All because of some stupid girl spreading rumors.
"Well, state laws. For one thing."
"No, I'm serious! I hate it. I mean, that they, they think they can just control our lives like that!" Grace clenched her fists. "It's just so unfair!"
"Grace, it isn't that unfair," Dimitri says gently. "I'm expected-"
"No," Grace said firmly. "It's unfair to ME." August didn't say anything, just looked at her and Grace continued, "Because everyone in that entire school thinks we did all this stuff, and we never even got to even do it because you never even let me!"
August smiled at her and Grace took a step towards him, "Don't laugh at me!"
Dimitri just laughs and smiles sweetly at her, "I.I can't help it."
Grace looked intently at him, feeling her angry and frustration disappearing as she looked into his calm blue eyes. A tear fell down her cheek, but Grace didn't care. There were so many things she had to say to this man. Grace laughed slightly and looked down and then back up at the man who changed her life. "I read what you wrote, in the book you gave me.. Thank you."
August nodded a silent acknowledgment. They continued staring absorbedly at each other.
Grace moved towards him, and her hands grasped his shoulders, and without pausing to think, she kissed him. One single, all too brief kiss, but a perfect kiss all the same. She felt him leaning back into her, and he was kissing her back. Then the kiss ended and Grace moved away.
August didn't say anything. He blinked, his mouth slightly ajar with shock. Grace looked down, noticed the way their shoes were touching and laughed lightly. She looked back up and suddenly it all hits her. They had kissed. And he had kissed her back, he hadn't pulled away. "Oh my God."
"Uh huh," A silent acknowledgement from him. And the slightest of smiles from his face.
Grace looked around, at the kitchen, taking in the scenery of their first kiss with pure happiness. "I'm going home now." Grace picked up her backpack and made her exit.
(***end of memory flashback)
* * *
Now and Then
As always, thanks for reading..
Chapter 14//Kind of like Quicksand
Grace knew she had to go to class. She couldn't just avoid going forever, not unless she wanted to fail a class in her first semester as a college student. And she wasn't going to drop the class.. the idea of dropping it, and giving in, just disgusted her. No, she would go, she would work, she would learn, and she wouldn't show him how much his announcement was affecting her. No, it was her turn to play normal.
Grace arrived at class with a few minutes to spare. She noticed Hannah cozying up to Dimitri, but today it didn't bug her as much as before. In fact, it was a relief, because it meant that Dimitri was too busy to notice her and try to talk to her. The last thing she wanted was for him to pity her, and tell her he was sorry. She didn't know if she could take that.
Hannah backed away from Dimitri's desk and threw Grace a look of triumph. Grace hide a sneer from the poor girl. She didn't know anything. She obviously didn't know that her beloved Mr. Dimitri was married. Grace watched as Hannah sat down in the desk next to her, and a new thought came.. Maybe Hannah knew he was married and just didn't care? Grace's stomach turned over as she nervously pondered that idea.
"Shall we start?" Mr. Dimitri asked.
* * *
Grace couldn't avoid it. She had to talk to Dimitri after class, and ask him for the homework from the class she had missed on Wednesday. So, she had to talk to him. Still, she could have done it quickly, right after he ended class, but Grace found herself stalling, until the room had cleared. She moved closer to August and said quickly, "Can I have the homework from Wednesday?"
Dimitri looked up at her in surprise. His mind had been somewhere else. "Uh, sure, Grace, oh course." He opened his lesson book and read off the chapters she was supposed to have read and handed her a sheet of questions.
"Thanks," Grace said, putting the paper in her backpack. She zipped her backpack up again and put it on her back and then hesitated. But the right words wouldn't come.
Dimitri had been looking out the window and he turned back to her, filling her silence with his own words. "Did you ever find your ending?"
Grace looked up at him, her heart warming. Just having him say something like that, made her care for him even more. "Yeah, well.. kind of."
August's freckled cheeks crinkled as he smiled at her. "Kind of?"
"I'm still working on it, I guess. There's always more room for improvement. Right?"
"Exactly."
Grace smiled and turned her head, looking out the window at the clear early fall sky. "What's her name?"
"Hmm?" August said in surprise.
"Your wife?" Grace looked back at him, her voice calm and strong.
"Angelina." August told her. "She's an actress. I met her about a year ago."
"Oh, that's nice." Grace managed. They looked at each other, carefully. "Are you.. Do you have any children?" Grace asked hesitantly, suddenly picturing him and his Angelina surround by beautiful freckled kids.
August laughed. "No, no. Angelina doesn't like children very much."
"Oh, that's too bad." Grace said softly.
August shrugged and stood up. "Um, I probably shouldn't even ask, but.."
Grace smiled sweetly at him, "What?"
"Did you want to show me some of your stories?" August breathed out.
"Oh!" Grace hadn't expected that. "Yeah, of course!"
August smiled, and he sifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Tonight at my house?"
Grace looked at him, trying to study him, but trying not to show her confusion. Why was he so eager to become a part of her life again after what had happened between them? What about his Angelina? Grace felt bad, remembering Eli words.. Eli asking her if she was the kind of girl who would come between a man and his wife. But, Grace felt helpless to stop what was happening. She could not turn Dimitri down. She felt too much for him to say no. Besides, he was just going to be reading her stories, right? "Yes."
"Great.. I see you tonight then.. anytime after 6, ok?"
"Okay." Grace watched him go, immobile.
* * *
Grace knocked at the sliding glass doors, feeling a wave of déjà vu. How many times had she entered his house through these doors? Grace heard him call out and she entered. The house looked pretty much the same. There were a few changes that hinted at the fact that a woman lived her now also. Grace watched towards the fridge and couldn't help but not look at the pictures on it. There was a wedding picture..
Grace studied the face of the pretty blond standing next to Dimitri. This was Angelina.. Mrs. August Dimitri. Grace turned away from the picture in disgust and saw August standing behind her.
"Were you hungry or thirsty?" He asked her.
Grace shook her head 'no'. They looked at each other. "So, is Angelina here tonight?"
"No, she's in a traveling play. She'll be gone for a few months." August said without a hint of sorrow.
"Oh." Grace said, unsure. What did this mean?
"Come on, I can read your stories in the living room."
Grace followed him, realizing her big mistake. "I actually, kind of, forgot to bring them."
"Oh, well, then.. we'll just talk." August sat down on the couch and Grace sat down next to him.
They both looked around the room, until finally their eyes met. Grace felt her feelings for him showing on her face, despite her trying to hide them. Her eyes began to fill up with tears.
"Grace.." August said softly, reaching for her. He pulled her into a hug.
Grace cried, unabashedly on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Grace. I never meant to hurt you." August's words comforted her.
"I know you didn't." Grace pulled away from him and looked into his beautiful blue eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you, either."
"But, Grace.. you didn't!"
"No, I never came back to you.. after that kiss, I never tried to find you. I just gave up." Grace felt the words tumbling out. "I could have came to your house.. I should have, but I didn't. I just let it be over. I let our kiss be the ending. But, I always wanted to change the ending.. I always still wanted to continue on with our story."
"Grace.." August sighed softly. His hand reached for her face and brushed her cheek softly.
"August.." Grace said, saying his name out loud for the first time ever. August's eyes tinkled happily at her, and Grace let out a soft laugh. She turned her head, making his hand fall away from her face. "But, things have changed now, right?"
"Yes."
"Does that have to matter?" Grace asked, her eyes searching his. "Can't we just continue our story, anyways?"
"You should never give up on a good story," August said after a long pause.
Then they were moving together, and their lips touched briefly, ever so briefly. They tilted their foreheads together and looked into each other's eyes. Grace smiled, and he smiled back. And then they were kissing again.
(memory flashback***)
"I hate them. I do! I mean, what gives them the right?" Grace cried angrily. They were standing in his kitchen. Grace hated that the school board might take away his license. All because of some stupid girl spreading rumors.
"Well, state laws. For one thing."
"No, I'm serious! I hate it. I mean, that they, they think they can just control our lives like that!" Grace clenched her fists. "It's just so unfair!"
"Grace, it isn't that unfair," Dimitri says gently. "I'm expected-"
"No," Grace said firmly. "It's unfair to ME." August didn't say anything, just looked at her and Grace continued, "Because everyone in that entire school thinks we did all this stuff, and we never even got to even do it because you never even let me!"
August smiled at her and Grace took a step towards him, "Don't laugh at me!"
Dimitri just laughs and smiles sweetly at her, "I.I can't help it."
Grace looked intently at him, feeling her angry and frustration disappearing as she looked into his calm blue eyes. A tear fell down her cheek, but Grace didn't care. There were so many things she had to say to this man. Grace laughed slightly and looked down and then back up at the man who changed her life. "I read what you wrote, in the book you gave me.. Thank you."
August nodded a silent acknowledgment. They continued staring absorbedly at each other.
Grace moved towards him, and her hands grasped his shoulders, and without pausing to think, she kissed him. One single, all too brief kiss, but a perfect kiss all the same. She felt him leaning back into her, and he was kissing her back. Then the kiss ended and Grace moved away.
August didn't say anything. He blinked, his mouth slightly ajar with shock. Grace looked down, noticed the way their shoes were touching and laughed lightly. She looked back up and suddenly it all hits her. They had kissed. And he had kissed her back, he hadn't pulled away. "Oh my God."
"Uh huh," A silent acknowledgement from him. And the slightest of smiles from his face.
Grace looked around, at the kitchen, taking in the scenery of their first kiss with pure happiness. "I'm going home now." Grace picked up her backpack and made her exit.
(***end of memory flashback)
* * *