AUTHORS NOTE

Ah, so good to be back! I had a lovely time, thankyou!

Are you all enjoying the new chapters?

Now, for the next few days some are gonna be a little weird, like the whole Jessie thing, and it may seem irrelevant………but everything is linked………it all has a meaning.

Just, let me show you in due course! Okey? Well enjoy……..


"Your late!"

"I'm always late!'

Judy crossed her arms, and tilted her head to the side as Eli flashed her an innocent grin.

"Yeah………but I feel as though I have to yell at you……..being you're boss and all!" she sighed.

"Well………are you done?" Eli asked, slumping his backpack on the floor of the office.

Judy waited for a moment, twirling once around in her swivel chair, then smiled back at him; "yep".

"Good………cause I actually have word to do!" he said, and turned to leave.

Judy shook her head after him, and returned to her paper work.

"Eli!" Kevin smiled as Eli approached him; a big, stupid grin that Eli just knew was attached with a stupid statement………

"Check out the new meat!" Kevin smiled, and pointed to a busty red head spilling some coffee into a mans lap.

Eli sighed and turned to Kevin, "that's great Kev………it really is……….I can see your making progress in this business………someday you'll be running the joint!" he smiled, and walked towards the sink and started pouring water.

"Ya think, really?" Kevin followed him; and before he could say anything else, Eli handed him a bucket of water.

"The cappuccino machine needs cleaning" he said quickly.

"Geez………what's with you?" Kevin asked, watching as Eli busied himself around the small café.

"Nothing………just……..nothing" Eli replied hastily, as he cleaned the bench down with a rag.

Kevin shook his head, dipped a cloth into the water, and sluggishly started washing the machine.

Eli looked up at Kevin, muttering to himself about something useless……..

ELI don't shakes his head

"Hey……..Kevin!" Eli said, in a small voice.

Kevin turned around, "yeah man?" he asked, glad to be preoccupied from the cleaning.

ELI don't!

"Can I ask you something……..like, a serious question?" Eli asked, leaning against the kitchen top.

Kevin leaned against the machine, "yeah……go for it!" he said, a little uninterested.

Eli stood straight, walking over to Kevin, as to keep their conversation quiet.

"What would you do………if you kissed a girl you could NEVER have……..then she hated you for it……….but kissed you again?" Eli asked, his brow creased as he studied Kevin's unamused face.

ELI why?

"Err………well……..do you like the girl?" Kevin asked.

"What's the difference? I kissed her, and I can't have her!" Eli replied, annoyed.

Kevin scratched at his small goatee, and looked up at Eli earnestly.

"It makes all the difference man! Like……..if you seriously dig her, she would have felt it in the kiss………if you didn't then, she would know it was just a mistake, ya know what I mean?" Kevin asked.

ELI that actually makes sense………but………how?

"I think I do" Eli said, leaning against the machine aswell, he ran a hand through his hair.

"So………If I did really 'dig' her………I wouldn't have to say anything to her after the kiss, she'd just know?" Eli asked, turning to Kevin.

He nodded once, and Eli smiled; "then she owes me an apology!" he said, to himself.

"Yeah……and the kissing you back thing……….?" Kevin began, and Eli sat up, eager to hear his thoughts.

"That's just the weird way chicks work………don't ask me chick stuff…….." Kevin muttered, and went back to cleaning the machine.

"Ask the new meat" Kevin added, nodding to the red head.

Eli sighed and shook his head, "Nah…….I'll be right" he replied.


Slip past the water line plunge in to the world I know,
hear silence all around me here I go with the flow.

Grace stared at herself in the mirror as she ran her red brush through her hair; eyeing the dark bags forming under her eyes.

don't hold me under i'm coming up for air,
like distant thunder soon i will be there.

She hummed along to the lyrics as they sifted through her bedroom and into her head, not so much concentrating on them, but allowing them to flow through her, allowing the………awkwardness of the day to wash away.

i'm in too deep, don't let me drown,
i'm in too deep, rescue me now,
so hard to keep from fading out of sight,
i'm in too deep, come save my life.

She placed her brush on the edge of the sink, and turned her head slightly, examining the straight strands that fell on her shoulders; she turned and walked into her room, still humming to the song.

i start to mouth the words but find i cannot speak
in my private universe but my arms are getting weak

this floating feeling please make it never end,
the ocean ceiling so far i can't pretend.

don't hold me under i'm coming up for air,
like distant thunder soon i will be there.

i'm in too deep...

Just as it ended, she heard the front door close creakily, and she knew Eli was home.

She breathed in slightly, and, without realizing, felt her fingers brush lightly over her lips……..she pulled her hand down quickly.

"Cause I'm in too deep…….." she hummed as she walked towards her door and stepped out into the hallway, catching a glimpse of Eli's brown jacket from the top of the stairs.

She half smiled, as she started walking slowly down the stairs; and without warning, heard herself calling his name.

"Eli" she whispered, in the quietest voice………he shouldn't have heard her, but he did, and turned around just as she came to the last step, and stood before him.

"Grace" he breathed.

She smiled again, and examined his face; the lines that were creased into the corners of his mouth from laughter, the sparkle of his green eyes, the fall of his brown ruffled hair………

"You know this is wrong" he smiled wickedly.

"I know" Grace breathed.

She studied his eyes for a moment longer, knowing what his next move would be, she didn't move away……..she remained still, and waited for the moment when their lips touched………

Their kiss was hard, but his hands brushed over her chest lightly, like air; she felt herself falling deeper and deeper into the kiss……..and just as she began to give in to his roaming hands and tempting lips………he pulled away, and she found herself staring into Ayden's eyes.

"You knew it was wrong" He said in a hoarse whisper that sent a vibration through her spine.

"She knew"

Grace turned around, to see Eli, at the top of the staircase looking down at her; she turned back to Ayden, who had a single tear rolling down his cheek.

"You knew?" he asked her, his voice trembling.

"She still knows………." Grace turned back to Eli, who was slowly walking down the stairs, towards her and Ayden, an equally hurt frown on his face.

She opened her mouth, about to whisper her apologies, but an ear piercing scream came out instead; this jarred her awake……..

Grace sat up in bed, her breaths hot and rapid, she felt sweat on her forehead, and touched it lightly.

"Grace, honey, you still awake?" Lily called from her room.

"Just going to the bathroom" Grace called back, struggling to find the words thorough her heavy breaths.

"Ok" Lily replied, and silence filled the room once more.

"Oh my god……" Grace murmured, as she flung her blankets off her hot body, she walked into the bathroom, and turned the tap on.

Washing her face, she looked back into the mirror, at the water drops falling from her brow, and studied the bags under her eyes.

She shook her head slightly, trying to clear her thoughts, and to steady herself, put her hands on either side of the basin; but she heard something crash.

She looked down and realized her red brush had fallen from it's place on the edge of the basin……..and now lay on the floor.

She stared at herself again, before turning and slipping back between the covers; forcing her stinging eyes shut………….


AUTHORS NOTE song Grace was listening to was Charlton Hill's 'deep'.