Grace walked home in a daze, unsure if she had just lived through those 5 minutes with Ayden.

Or if it was all just a hazy dream…….a dream she was still stumbling through…….and desperately wanted to escape.

GRACE I………..I……….I don't know!

Grace's head bowed, staring at the ground, as tears slowly ran down her pale cheeks, she didn't even know she was crying.

Her head was filled with too many thoughts to take any notice of what her emotions were trying to tell her.

Grace suddenly looked up, noticing that she'd come to the end of her street.

She turned around, and saw her house; staring at her- she'd completely walked past it, and was now 5 houses off the mark.

She turned and trudged back, she sniffed, trying to hold back the tears.

And, as she approached her front door, she swiped at the menacing tears, combed her fingers through her tousled hair………and hoped no-body would ask her any questions.

Pushing the front door open, the first thing she realised was that no-body was home.

Mum and Rick would still be at work………Zoe had ballet after school………at most, only Eli and Jessie would be home.

Grace sighed with relief; she could handle any questions that they threw at her; she could lie through her teeth if she had to.

But, as she closed the door behind her, she suddenly lost balance, and reached out, grabbing the door handle.

"Oh God" she whispered harshly, as she took rapid, stabling breaths.

Suddenly, a quick flash of Ayden's hurt face came tumbling into her mind; and she wanted to cry out……….she wanted to scream at herself………she wanted to slap herself for hurting him so much.

And she did scream out……….against her own will……..she screamed……

"ELI!"

She heard two sets of footsteps running towards her.

One came from above her; Jessie, running down the stairs.

And the other came from infront of her………..Eli.

"Eli, what happened?" Jessie's voice faded inside Grace's ears as she started crying again; and her heaving breaths blocked out any other noise.

"I………I don't know!" Eli's eyes were wide and panicked as he raced to Grace, her body doubled over, her hand clutching the door handle.

He peeled off her backpack and threw it to the ground, and placed a hand on her back.

She was heaving tears, and couldn't speak………..but she was in such pain.

"Eli……….what happened?" Jessie practically screamed, looking down at both of them from the staircase.

Eli ignored her; and in one swoop, he secured his arms around Grace's shaking body, and bundled her into a ball in his cradling arms.

"Go back to you're room Jess" Eli whispered harshly to his sister.

Jessie was too panicked to disobey, or argue, so she reluctantly walked back up the stairs.

Eli looked down at Grace's scrunched; tear stained face, pressing against his chest.

Eli had an idea about what had caused these tears………so he slowly walked towards his room, kicking the door open with one foot, he entered, and walked over to his bed, where he slowly placed Grace………who rolled over and cried into his pillow.


Her tears had stopped long ago- and now she simply lay on his bed, holding his pillow close to her face.

She could hear the soft murmurs coming from the dining room, where her family were having dinner.

The tears earlier had scared her; she didn't know where they had come from.

Or where the sudden rush of pain had emerged……….she didn't know………but for some reason, she had a terrible aching, that she wanted to be rid of.

GRACE I don't know!

The door slowly creaked open; but Grace didn't bother to see who it was, she knew it was him.

"I told dad and Lily that you were sick and sleeping………and I told Jess not to say anything," Eli whispered, as he stood at her bedside, looking down at her small body.

"Thanks" she murmured; the first words she'd uttered in what seemed like decades.

"No problem" Eli murmured; he stared down at her still body for a moment longer; the worry still pressing against his heart……….he'd never been so scared……….at that moment when he saw Grace, double over in pain.

He turned to leave, but Grace allowed more words to escape.

"Don't," she said, in a whisper.

Eli quickly stopped himself, glad for the order.

"You want to………." Eli started, eager to see if she would share her feelings.

But Grace interrupted him, by shifting her body, and sitting upright.

She tucked her legs up, and wrapped her arms around them.

She looked up at Eli…………..his face dark, from the lack of light in the room.

"I told him," she murmured, looking down at the pillow beside her.

Eli almost fell backwards when she spoke, and, not realising it; an entire decade passed before any other words were spoken.

"Eli?" she whispered, looking back at him; at his astounded, perplexed face.

Eli focused back on Grace; looking into her white, drained face.

"You told Ayden about us?" He asked, quietly.

Grace shifted her body, releasing her legs, she pulled Eli's blanket onto her cold body.

"No………saying that my step brother has feelings for me……….sounds like something from Jerry Springer" Grace murmured; trying to lighten the gloomy room.

"I told him………that I didn't love him………." Grace uttered.

Eli felt his heart warm from those words.

"………I just told him……….that there was someone else………" the words didn't taste as bad as Grace thought they would.

Eli couldn't help it; a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"That you love someone else?" he asked, cautiously.

Grace looked away; "No Eli……….just that someone returned feelings that I'd had for them"

Eli's smile still remained; as he stared at Grace's worn, tired face.

She turned to look up at him; and, even in the darkness, both could see how each other's eyes danced.

"Me?" Eli asked, in a small whisper.

"You!" Grace replied, in a light voice………..

Eli nodded once, but never took his eyes off of Grace's.

They remained that way for what seemed like a blissful eternity.

When finally, Eli slowly reached his hand out.

Grace's eyes closed, waiting for his warm touch………as his hand softly and lovingly brushed against her cheek.

"You need to rest," he murmured, as his hand caressed her soft, supple cheek.

Grace murmured in agreement, but still her eyes remained closed, and her head tilted into his warm touch.

"Don't go," she whispered; as her own hand reached up and cupped Eli's.

His entire body tingled as her warm, soft hand cupped his own; their first touch in days.

Grace opened her eyes, and smiled, as she saw how Eli's looked at their connected hands intensely, and how his eyes were wide and excited.

Eli looked into Grace's face, and felt blood rush to his cheeks as she watched his delighted face, with such focus.

ELI I………I…cant

Eli's eyes looked away, and eventually and reluctantly, he also pulled his hand away.

"Grace……….your tired, and upset………. Your not thinking straight" Eli murmured, through clenched teeth.

Grace looked down, at her fallen hand that had been holding Eli's.

"Your right……….I'm sorry…..….it's not fair of me to do this to you……….not when I'm so upset over Ayden" Grace murmured, half heartedly.

"Yeah…….." Eli sighed……….half wishing he'd said nothing, and allowed their hands and eyes to remain engulfed.

Grace shifted her body again, and got out of Eli's bed.

"Thankyou" she whispered, standing infront of him, their body's so close to touching.

She eventually walked past him, and Eli heard his door open and close.

His eyes winced closed, as his mouth curved into the smallest of smiles.