~A Once and Again Series~
Now and Then
As always, thanks for reading/reviewing!
~Elvis - Return to Sender~
I gave a letter to the postman,
he put it his sack.
Bright and early next morning,
he brought my letter back.
She wrote upon it:
Return to sender, address unknown.
No such number, no such zone.
Chapter 19// Return to Sender
Grace and Eli carried her bags into his apartment. Grace plopped down on the old mattress in the spare room with a heavy sigh. "This sucks."
Eli placed the bags he was carrying on the floor. "I know, but it's the best apartment I could get for what I make."
Grace broke into a smile, "Not that! I mean this thing with my mother and my father."
".. And Mr. Dimitri?" Eli added.
"Yeah, and August." Grace smiled, touching her lips lightly. "Maybe I'll go see him tomorrow. That should help cheer me up."
"Grace, you know I care about you, right?" Eli asked gently.
"Yeah, of course," Grace said and waited for the worst.
"Grace, he's MARRIED!" Eli said in disgust. "How can you do this?"
"Oh, Eli!" Grace laughed, "He's getting divorced."
"He is?"
Grace nodded. She smiled as she thought about it. August was free to be hers! After such a long time of wanting, she was about to embark on a real relationship with the man who changed her life so easily.
"Oh," Eli said. Grace moved to get her cell phone out of her purse and Eli quietly left the room.
* * *
"Hi," Grace said as August answered his phone.
"You're out of the hospital?" He asked.
"Yeah. I'm at Eli's.. my new home, once again."
"You don't sound excited about it.." August commented.
Grace sighed into the phone. "I guess I'm not. I feel like I'm playing 'duck, duck, goose' with my mother. First I moved out to Eli's, then I went back, and now I'm back here again. I like it here, but it just doesn't feel like home. Neither does my house right now, though. But, I'll survive."
"Oh, Grace." August said softly.
Grace smiled, despite the tears that were trailing down her face. "I'm sorry. I've just been feeling sad for myself. Ignore me."
"I don't to ignore you." August said firmly.
Grace wiped at her cheeks, cradling the phone against her ear. "You're too good for me."
"You've got it backwards." August paused. "Did you want me to come over?"
Grace smiled at the thought. "No, I've got homework I've got to catch up on."
"Okay," August agreed reluctantly. "I'm glad things are working out for us, Grace."
"Me too." Grace looked at the clock with annoyance. "But I guess I should start working on my homework. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay. Bye, Grace."
"Bye," Grace said, turning off her phone.
* * *
"How are you feeling?" Eli asked a little while later.
Grace drew her glance up from the math problem she had been doing. "Oh, I'm okay."
"You're not in pain?" Eli handed her a glass of apple cider, her favorite. "I thought you might be thirsty," He explained.
"Thanks." Grace sipped the drink. "No, I'm fine. I just look like I went head first into a lawnmower or something."
"No," Eli argued, "You look beautiful."
Grace smiled. "Thanks." She touched the bandage on her forehead carefully. A small wave of pain flashed over her. "Okay, it doesn't hurt unless I do that."
Eli smiled at her and sat down next to her on the bed, pushing her math book aside. "You're sure you're okay?"
"I'm just peachy!" Grace joked, but then saw the serious expression on his face. "Eli, I'm fine, I swear."
Eli nodded, his face still somber. "I was really scared when the hospital called. I was still there, at the house, when they called. It was only maybe ten minutes after you had left to see him. They said you had been in an accident, and I just was so.. horrified. I kept thinking how you had just been there, eating breakfast with everyone, all safe, and now you were in the hospital. I was so scared that you would be.."
"Oh, Eli." Grace whispered.
"I kept thinking about when my mom got hit by that car. And I was worried that you'd be in even worse shape than she was.."
"Oh, Eli," Grace said again, and pulled him into a hug. "It's okay. I'm fine. Just a couple of bumps and bruises!"
Eli nodded against her shoulder. He pulled back. "I know that, Grace. But when I thought you might be really hurt, I couldn't stand it. I just loved you too much."
"Oh, Eli, I love you too," Grace said, sisterly.
Eli shook his head, "No, I mean I LOVE you. I've been waiting for the right time to tell you. But you've always had lingering feelings for Dimitri, so I waited. And now he's back in your life, and I never took my chance!"
Grace took a deep breath and took this all in. "Eli.." She started.
But Eli stopped her from saying more by leaning in and pushing his lips against hers. Grace let him kiss her briefly and then she pulled back. "Eli, this isn't going to happen.." She said as gently as she could.
Eli let out a harsh, forced laugh. "I didn't think it would. I just had to take my chance, or I'd regret it."
Grace looked at him with warmth in her heart. She really did love him, but only as a step-brother and as a friend. "We can still be friends, right?"
Eli nodded, "Yes. I don't want things to change between us, because of this.."
Grace let out a little sigh of relief. She then looked at her surroundings and said, "Is this going to be weird, though? I mean, me living here?"
Eli shook his head, "No. I want you to stay, Grace."
Grace nodded reluctantly, sensing that it might just be weird her living here after he had made a move on her. But she didn't have any where to go. She couldn't go back home, because it wasn't home anymore to her. She supposed she had other choices, like her dad's or Judy's, but those didn't seem right, either. And Grace knew she wouldn't be able to stand living under her dad's roof when she and August were now dating.. August.. Grace thought about him, and his house-the house she had always felt comfortable in. Grace stood up, "Eli would you hate me if I did move out?"
"No, of course not," Eli insisted, "But where would you go?"
Grace picked up her purse, and two of her bags, "Will you help me carry these back out to the car and then I'll tell you."
"Okay," Eli agreed reluctantly.
* * *
August was surprised by the knock on his backdoor. It was after eleven, and few people ever used the back door. He knew immediately who it was. Grace.
He pulled the door open to her. It had been raining heavily outside, her hair was slick against her cheeks. Seeing her like this brought up a flash of her coming in the door at the cast party, and him with the cup of wine in his hand. He looked down at his hands now, almost expecting to see that sad plastic cup in his hand.
"I'm sorry. I should have called first," Grace said, breaking him out of his dazed state.
"Oh, no, it's okay, come in." August stepped back, and as Grace entered he saw that she was carrying a couple of large bags in her hands. "Grace?" He questioned.
Grace set the wet bags down on the kitchen table. "I should called, but I thought.."
August stared at her, as she unzipped her coat, and he saw with a sluggish surprise that she was wearing the same dark red-wine colored shirt she had been the night of the cast party. Only today, she had several red cuts on her face to match the shirt. And that big white bandage.. "Are you okay?" August asked, staring at the bandage, and the dark bruise on her cheek. "You're not in pain, are you?"
Grace smiled, amused at his concern. "I'm fine."
August remembered that she had been saying something before he interrupted. "What were you saying?" He asked.
"Uh, things have changed.. and I don't think I can live with Eli anymore," Grace explained.
"What happened?" August asked.
"I'll tell you later, but now I just want to ask you an important question. I'll understand if you say no."
August looked at the bags on the table, and put two and two together. "You want to stay with me?"
"Yes," Grace said nervously. "I.. I just didn't have anywhere else to go."
"Yeah." August said.
"Yeah? I can?" Grace asked.
"Yeah, you can." August answered. Grace smiled joyfully. August reached and drew her into his arms. They shared a nice warming kiss.
* * *
Now and Then
As always, thanks for reading/reviewing!
~Elvis - Return to Sender~
I gave a letter to the postman,
he put it his sack.
Bright and early next morning,
he brought my letter back.
She wrote upon it:
Return to sender, address unknown.
No such number, no such zone.
Chapter 19// Return to Sender
Grace and Eli carried her bags into his apartment. Grace plopped down on the old mattress in the spare room with a heavy sigh. "This sucks."
Eli placed the bags he was carrying on the floor. "I know, but it's the best apartment I could get for what I make."
Grace broke into a smile, "Not that! I mean this thing with my mother and my father."
".. And Mr. Dimitri?" Eli added.
"Yeah, and August." Grace smiled, touching her lips lightly. "Maybe I'll go see him tomorrow. That should help cheer me up."
"Grace, you know I care about you, right?" Eli asked gently.
"Yeah, of course," Grace said and waited for the worst.
"Grace, he's MARRIED!" Eli said in disgust. "How can you do this?"
"Oh, Eli!" Grace laughed, "He's getting divorced."
"He is?"
Grace nodded. She smiled as she thought about it. August was free to be hers! After such a long time of wanting, she was about to embark on a real relationship with the man who changed her life so easily.
"Oh," Eli said. Grace moved to get her cell phone out of her purse and Eli quietly left the room.
* * *
"Hi," Grace said as August answered his phone.
"You're out of the hospital?" He asked.
"Yeah. I'm at Eli's.. my new home, once again."
"You don't sound excited about it.." August commented.
Grace sighed into the phone. "I guess I'm not. I feel like I'm playing 'duck, duck, goose' with my mother. First I moved out to Eli's, then I went back, and now I'm back here again. I like it here, but it just doesn't feel like home. Neither does my house right now, though. But, I'll survive."
"Oh, Grace." August said softly.
Grace smiled, despite the tears that were trailing down her face. "I'm sorry. I've just been feeling sad for myself. Ignore me."
"I don't to ignore you." August said firmly.
Grace wiped at her cheeks, cradling the phone against her ear. "You're too good for me."
"You've got it backwards." August paused. "Did you want me to come over?"
Grace smiled at the thought. "No, I've got homework I've got to catch up on."
"Okay," August agreed reluctantly. "I'm glad things are working out for us, Grace."
"Me too." Grace looked at the clock with annoyance. "But I guess I should start working on my homework. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay. Bye, Grace."
"Bye," Grace said, turning off her phone.
* * *
"How are you feeling?" Eli asked a little while later.
Grace drew her glance up from the math problem she had been doing. "Oh, I'm okay."
"You're not in pain?" Eli handed her a glass of apple cider, her favorite. "I thought you might be thirsty," He explained.
"Thanks." Grace sipped the drink. "No, I'm fine. I just look like I went head first into a lawnmower or something."
"No," Eli argued, "You look beautiful."
Grace smiled. "Thanks." She touched the bandage on her forehead carefully. A small wave of pain flashed over her. "Okay, it doesn't hurt unless I do that."
Eli smiled at her and sat down next to her on the bed, pushing her math book aside. "You're sure you're okay?"
"I'm just peachy!" Grace joked, but then saw the serious expression on his face. "Eli, I'm fine, I swear."
Eli nodded, his face still somber. "I was really scared when the hospital called. I was still there, at the house, when they called. It was only maybe ten minutes after you had left to see him. They said you had been in an accident, and I just was so.. horrified. I kept thinking how you had just been there, eating breakfast with everyone, all safe, and now you were in the hospital. I was so scared that you would be.."
"Oh, Eli." Grace whispered.
"I kept thinking about when my mom got hit by that car. And I was worried that you'd be in even worse shape than she was.."
"Oh, Eli," Grace said again, and pulled him into a hug. "It's okay. I'm fine. Just a couple of bumps and bruises!"
Eli nodded against her shoulder. He pulled back. "I know that, Grace. But when I thought you might be really hurt, I couldn't stand it. I just loved you too much."
"Oh, Eli, I love you too," Grace said, sisterly.
Eli shook his head, "No, I mean I LOVE you. I've been waiting for the right time to tell you. But you've always had lingering feelings for Dimitri, so I waited. And now he's back in your life, and I never took my chance!"
Grace took a deep breath and took this all in. "Eli.." She started.
But Eli stopped her from saying more by leaning in and pushing his lips against hers. Grace let him kiss her briefly and then she pulled back. "Eli, this isn't going to happen.." She said as gently as she could.
Eli let out a harsh, forced laugh. "I didn't think it would. I just had to take my chance, or I'd regret it."
Grace looked at him with warmth in her heart. She really did love him, but only as a step-brother and as a friend. "We can still be friends, right?"
Eli nodded, "Yes. I don't want things to change between us, because of this.."
Grace let out a little sigh of relief. She then looked at her surroundings and said, "Is this going to be weird, though? I mean, me living here?"
Eli shook his head, "No. I want you to stay, Grace."
Grace nodded reluctantly, sensing that it might just be weird her living here after he had made a move on her. But she didn't have any where to go. She couldn't go back home, because it wasn't home anymore to her. She supposed she had other choices, like her dad's or Judy's, but those didn't seem right, either. And Grace knew she wouldn't be able to stand living under her dad's roof when she and August were now dating.. August.. Grace thought about him, and his house-the house she had always felt comfortable in. Grace stood up, "Eli would you hate me if I did move out?"
"No, of course not," Eli insisted, "But where would you go?"
Grace picked up her purse, and two of her bags, "Will you help me carry these back out to the car and then I'll tell you."
"Okay," Eli agreed reluctantly.
* * *
August was surprised by the knock on his backdoor. It was after eleven, and few people ever used the back door. He knew immediately who it was. Grace.
He pulled the door open to her. It had been raining heavily outside, her hair was slick against her cheeks. Seeing her like this brought up a flash of her coming in the door at the cast party, and him with the cup of wine in his hand. He looked down at his hands now, almost expecting to see that sad plastic cup in his hand.
"I'm sorry. I should have called first," Grace said, breaking him out of his dazed state.
"Oh, no, it's okay, come in." August stepped back, and as Grace entered he saw that she was carrying a couple of large bags in her hands. "Grace?" He questioned.
Grace set the wet bags down on the kitchen table. "I should called, but I thought.."
August stared at her, as she unzipped her coat, and he saw with a sluggish surprise that she was wearing the same dark red-wine colored shirt she had been the night of the cast party. Only today, she had several red cuts on her face to match the shirt. And that big white bandage.. "Are you okay?" August asked, staring at the bandage, and the dark bruise on her cheek. "You're not in pain, are you?"
Grace smiled, amused at his concern. "I'm fine."
August remembered that she had been saying something before he interrupted. "What were you saying?" He asked.
"Uh, things have changed.. and I don't think I can live with Eli anymore," Grace explained.
"What happened?" August asked.
"I'll tell you later, but now I just want to ask you an important question. I'll understand if you say no."
August looked at the bags on the table, and put two and two together. "You want to stay with me?"
"Yes," Grace said nervously. "I.. I just didn't have anywhere else to go."
"Yeah." August said.
"Yeah? I can?" Grace asked.
"Yeah, you can." August answered. Grace smiled joyfully. August reached and drew her into his arms. They shared a nice warming kiss.
* * *