"If you love me, say yes?" Eli smiled faintly, but it quickly vanished as he stared deeper into Grace's blank face.
"Grace?" he said her name softly.
ELI maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all………..
GRACE go with him? Leave my family, friends, work, and school- for 3 months to go with Eli to New York?
Eli brushed a hand against her cheek, but she still looked far away- as though the question hadn't registered yet, and her mind was in limbo…..
GRACE 3 months? In New York? With Eli……..how could I do that?
"Grace?" he said her name again……..and felt his heart race as she opened her mouth:
"No" – the words were so simple and plain…..yet they stabbed at Eli's heart, wounding him.
"I cant Eli- because mum would never let me, and running away for 3 months- well, they'd think you were kidnapping me! And when we came back? We'd be in more trouble than when we started………YOU'D be in more trouble!" Grace searched his eyes for some sort of explanation to his feelings, but they stared back blankly at her.
"I want to be with you- and I don't want to be away from you for 3 months, but there's no way around it-" she continued, but somehow stopped herself, realizing that Eli was hearing none of her reasoning.
"You wouldn't do this for me?" Eli asked quietly.
Grace lunged forward, cupping his face with her hands; forcing him to look at her; "I love you! And I want to be with you" Eli tried averting his eyes, but Grace continued to speak "-but this isn't the way! Because we can run away, and forget about our problems for 3 months………but when we come back? We will just have to face more problems and obstacles……..more than when we started this!"
ELI she wouldn't make a random act of romance for me?
"Ok" were the only words Eli could mutter.
"Eli- Eli!" she breathed, and he forced his eyes to look into hers.
"When you get back- we are going to tell them the truth, everything! From start to finish! And we are not going to let them stop us from loving each other, ok?" Grace stared intently into his eyes, and he was forced to mutter a 'yes'.
Grace leaned forward, and planted a kiss on his forehead; pulling away she whispered, "I love you".
Eli drove Grace home at 2:00; an hour and a half before school finished.
The car ride was fairly silent; Grace tried filling it in with enlightening comments about how perfect life will be when Eli got back……….and their secret was out.
And Eli only nodded here and there; his mind silent with confusion and devastation.
Though he could quite clearly see Grace's reasoning; it didn't stop her answer from hurting him.
ELI this is my life, my dream- - not hers. And she was right; Rick and Lily would think I was kidnapping her, and things would probably be worse for the both of us when we got back.
Eli drove home; back to the deafening silence of his apartment; only to be left with his thoughts.
ELI but still- - if she loved me………..
He shook his head- not wanting his mind to think about her answer again……..he'd had the whole car ride home to do that.
Instead he listened to the messages on his answering machine;
"E- it's you're father. Lily and I want to have you over on Friday, the day before you leave. It's just going to be the family- a little goodbye for you. Ok? Call me back and tell me if you're free, it'll be around 7:30. Bye!" BEEP
"Mr. Sammler? Geoff here- just confirming you're plane tickets to New York. We brought them this morning- you are leaving this Friday, at 10:00 at night, in Business Class. Yes? That's what we agreed on, right? Hmmm, if there are ANY problems you know my number" BEEP.
"Kevin here! Wanna hear something OUT OF THIS WORLD? Some chick comes in today, sees that poster of yours that you put up in my store- and says that she saw you a few days ago and it turns out that YOU have a RECORD DEAL! Man……what is this world coming to?" BEEP
Eli pressed the 'delete' button- erasing all messages.
He stared down at the phone- and then, with a shaky hand, picked it up and held it to his ear- while dialling the now familiar number.
"Hello? Geoff?"
"Yes- its Eli"
"I was just wondering- - would it be too much trouble to book another ticket on the same flight?……………."
