~A Once and Again Series~
Now and Then
Chapter 16// Just Over the Next Hill
"So, are you okay there?" Eli asked Grace over the phone.
Grace nodded, and realized he couldn't see her head gestures over the phone and added, "Yeah, my mom found out that Dimitri is married, so she's being really nice to me."
"I didn't tell her about him, you know," Eli insisted.
"I know." Grace said, and sighed. "I don't want to go back there on Monday. I don't know if I can stand to see him."
"Grace, he's married, you'll just have to accept it."
"I know," Grace bit her lip and made a decision. She was going to tell him what happened. He was the only one who would understand. "Eli, I went to his house yesterday."
"You did?" Eli asked.
"Yeah, and we kissed," Grace managed to get out.
"You did?"
"Yeah, but he stopped us, and he said he couldn't do it. He said he has to be fair to his wife.. Angelina."
"Well, isn't that a good thing?" Eli asked, making Grace snort.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it shows that he has good morals.. that he's faithful." Eli explained. "You can't change the fact that he's married, Grace. Things happen."
"I know," Grace said, "But it's so hard. I just don't understand how he could have ever married this girl, Angelina."
* * *
August called her number for the third time since he woke up that morning. He finally got an answer.
"Hello?" Angelina's chipper voice greeted him.
"Hi. How are you?"
"Oh, it's you! I'm good, baby. How are you, all alone?" Angelina asked.
"I'm fine." August answered.
A pause. "Are you?" Angelina asked.
"I am."
"Oh, well, I'm having SO much fun! The cast are just amazing. Our first night is already sold out!"
"That's good," August repositioned the phone tighter against his ear. "So, it was worth it?"
"Oh, yes!" Angelina cried.
"Do you miss me?" August said, unsurely.
"Do I miss you? I've only been gone a few days, honey." Angelina called out to someone in the background. "I've got to get back to work. But it was nice to hear from you."
"We need to talk, Angelina." August said, firmly.
"Oh, don't bring me down, Auggie! I'm having so much fun! Whatever it is, can't it wait till I get back?"
"No it can't. It's important."
Angelina paused again. "Why did you ever marry me?" Angelina asked suddenly.
"Why do you always ask? Because I love you." August reminded her.
"No, I don't think that's the truth, and you know that." Angelina's voice was heavy with sadness. "I'm sick of pretending that we're the perfect marriage, because we aren't! You never really loved me, I know that, and I thought it could work, but now I don't know if I can do it anymore. I don't know if I can be with someone who only gives me half his heart."
"Angelina--"
"No, it's true!" Angelina insisted. "This isn't working! We had a fun couple of months, but I don't think I can keep doing this, Auggie!"
"Let's talk about this in person, Angelina, not over the phone. How I about I come up to Madison next weekend?"
"Alright," Angelina said solemnly. They both knew it was ending. "I'll see you then."
"Bye, honey." August said, and she hung up. August replaced the phone and took it all in. It was ending between him and Angelina. His short marriage was coming to a close. August went into the kitchen, and poured himself a glass of wine. As he swung the refrigerator door shut again, his eyes landed on the wedding picture of him and Angelina. It was a fuzzy, slightly off center picture of the two of them standing at the all night chapel they had gotten married in. August moved the magnet off it and studied the happy couple in the picture.
(memory flashback***)
As soon as they entered the hotel room, August knew the one thing he wanted to do. He should have seen it sooner; it had probably been in the back of his head when he mentioned the idea of taking a trip to Las Vegas for spring break. He wanted to get married. He turned to Angelina, who was studying the continents of the mini-bar. "Let's do it."
"Hmm?" Angelina asked, pulling the top off of a tiny bottle of bourbon.
"Let's get married!"
Angelina turned to him, laughing, "Are you serious?"
"Extremely serious." August moved to her and took her in his arms. "We have to get married.. here, now!"
"You're crazy! None of our family is here!" Angelina complained.
"And that's a big loss?" August joked. "They won't mind. I bet they'll even still send us wedding presents."
"You think?"
"Yeah." August leaned in and kissed her softly. He brushed her long blond hair away from her face and looked intently into her eyes, "Let's do it."
Angelina smiled, and looked down at the ring on her finger, which had been on it ever since the end of the summer. They had gotten engaged only a month after meeting each other, and August knew they were ready to finally get married. Angelina nodded, "Okay. Let's do it."
Then they were busy preparing for the big day. Two hours later, Angelina wearing a white dress she had bought in the hotel gift shop, and August wearing a black suit, they stood at the altar of the tiny chapel that was just down the street from them.
"Do you take this woman, Angelina, as your wife?" The minister who was dressed in a extravagant blue, purple and green robe.
"Yes, I do." August answered, taking Angelina's hands in his.
"Do you take this man, August, as your wife?" The minister asked Angelina.
"I do." Angelina said, giving August a broad smile.
"I now pronounce you, by the state of Nevada, man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
They didn't have to be told twice. They shared a quick, happy kiss. They were married.
(***end of memory flashback)
Now and Then
Chapter 16// Just Over the Next Hill
"So, are you okay there?" Eli asked Grace over the phone.
Grace nodded, and realized he couldn't see her head gestures over the phone and added, "Yeah, my mom found out that Dimitri is married, so she's being really nice to me."
"I didn't tell her about him, you know," Eli insisted.
"I know." Grace said, and sighed. "I don't want to go back there on Monday. I don't know if I can stand to see him."
"Grace, he's married, you'll just have to accept it."
"I know," Grace bit her lip and made a decision. She was going to tell him what happened. He was the only one who would understand. "Eli, I went to his house yesterday."
"You did?" Eli asked.
"Yeah, and we kissed," Grace managed to get out.
"You did?"
"Yeah, but he stopped us, and he said he couldn't do it. He said he has to be fair to his wife.. Angelina."
"Well, isn't that a good thing?" Eli asked, making Grace snort.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it shows that he has good morals.. that he's faithful." Eli explained. "You can't change the fact that he's married, Grace. Things happen."
"I know," Grace said, "But it's so hard. I just don't understand how he could have ever married this girl, Angelina."
* * *
August called her number for the third time since he woke up that morning. He finally got an answer.
"Hello?" Angelina's chipper voice greeted him.
"Hi. How are you?"
"Oh, it's you! I'm good, baby. How are you, all alone?" Angelina asked.
"I'm fine." August answered.
A pause. "Are you?" Angelina asked.
"I am."
"Oh, well, I'm having SO much fun! The cast are just amazing. Our first night is already sold out!"
"That's good," August repositioned the phone tighter against his ear. "So, it was worth it?"
"Oh, yes!" Angelina cried.
"Do you miss me?" August said, unsurely.
"Do I miss you? I've only been gone a few days, honey." Angelina called out to someone in the background. "I've got to get back to work. But it was nice to hear from you."
"We need to talk, Angelina." August said, firmly.
"Oh, don't bring me down, Auggie! I'm having so much fun! Whatever it is, can't it wait till I get back?"
"No it can't. It's important."
Angelina paused again. "Why did you ever marry me?" Angelina asked suddenly.
"Why do you always ask? Because I love you." August reminded her.
"No, I don't think that's the truth, and you know that." Angelina's voice was heavy with sadness. "I'm sick of pretending that we're the perfect marriage, because we aren't! You never really loved me, I know that, and I thought it could work, but now I don't know if I can do it anymore. I don't know if I can be with someone who only gives me half his heart."
"Angelina--"
"No, it's true!" Angelina insisted. "This isn't working! We had a fun couple of months, but I don't think I can keep doing this, Auggie!"
"Let's talk about this in person, Angelina, not over the phone. How I about I come up to Madison next weekend?"
"Alright," Angelina said solemnly. They both knew it was ending. "I'll see you then."
"Bye, honey." August said, and she hung up. August replaced the phone and took it all in. It was ending between him and Angelina. His short marriage was coming to a close. August went into the kitchen, and poured himself a glass of wine. As he swung the refrigerator door shut again, his eyes landed on the wedding picture of him and Angelina. It was a fuzzy, slightly off center picture of the two of them standing at the all night chapel they had gotten married in. August moved the magnet off it and studied the happy couple in the picture.
(memory flashback***)
As soon as they entered the hotel room, August knew the one thing he wanted to do. He should have seen it sooner; it had probably been in the back of his head when he mentioned the idea of taking a trip to Las Vegas for spring break. He wanted to get married. He turned to Angelina, who was studying the continents of the mini-bar. "Let's do it."
"Hmm?" Angelina asked, pulling the top off of a tiny bottle of bourbon.
"Let's get married!"
Angelina turned to him, laughing, "Are you serious?"
"Extremely serious." August moved to her and took her in his arms. "We have to get married.. here, now!"
"You're crazy! None of our family is here!" Angelina complained.
"And that's a big loss?" August joked. "They won't mind. I bet they'll even still send us wedding presents."
"You think?"
"Yeah." August leaned in and kissed her softly. He brushed her long blond hair away from her face and looked intently into her eyes, "Let's do it."
Angelina smiled, and looked down at the ring on her finger, which had been on it ever since the end of the summer. They had gotten engaged only a month after meeting each other, and August knew they were ready to finally get married. Angelina nodded, "Okay. Let's do it."
Then they were busy preparing for the big day. Two hours later, Angelina wearing a white dress she had bought in the hotel gift shop, and August wearing a black suit, they stood at the altar of the tiny chapel that was just down the street from them.
"Do you take this woman, Angelina, as your wife?" The minister who was dressed in a extravagant blue, purple and green robe.
"Yes, I do." August answered, taking Angelina's hands in his.
"Do you take this man, August, as your wife?" The minister asked Angelina.
"I do." Angelina said, giving August a broad smile.
"I now pronounce you, by the state of Nevada, man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
They didn't have to be told twice. They shared a quick, happy kiss. They were married.
(***end of memory flashback)