"We're home!" Jessie yelled out once she and Grace were through the door, having just waved goodbye to Katie.

"What's for dinner?" was Jessie's next question.

Grace rolled her eyes and peeled off her coat, not hanging it on the banister as she would usually do- but draping it over her arm, she slid her hand into the pocket, and felt for the two condoms- sighing with relief when she felt them.

"You're not having dinner here tonight," Lily said, emerging from the kitchen.

"We're not?" Grace asked.

Lily bit her bottom lip, "no Grace………you and Eli are"

Jessie raised an eyebrow, "Jess- we're going over to you're mothers for dinner" Lily supplied.

Jessie almost fell backwards, but she took a deep breath, and mustered the power to ask; "why?"

"Well, myself, you're father and mother want to………..talk to you………about things……….." Lily replied, with a shaky tone.

Jessie nodded numbly, "well why do I have to go?" she spat out, without even realizing the words were in her throat.

"Well because……….." Lily began.

"I mean………your just going to dictate my life to me anyway……….its not like I'd have a say in anything……….so why don't I just stay here and when you get home you can show me what new plans you have mapped out for me!"

"Jess………it's not like that!" Lily started, "we are all eager to hear what you have to say about………."

"The idea of me seeing a psychiatrist!" Jessie supplied.

Lily swallowed, and nodded; "yes" she murmured.

"Fine! I'll go………just to tell you all where I think you can stick you're psychiatrist!" Jessie spat, and bolted up the stairs- Lily watching after her, jaw dropped.

"Jess!" Lily called out, following her stepdaughter.

Grace stood perfectly still- having no idea what was just said between her mother and Jessie. She stood, in silence, jaw agape, eyes wide and darting. Her and Eli……….alone………..tonight?

Was this the powers 'that be', whacking a giant sign infront of her? A flashing neon sign that said 'lose you're virginity tonight!'

Grace swallowed, and a small smile danced upon her lips- as she felt for the condoms again.

GRACE so this is it……….it's really going to happen……….tonight?

She slowly started walking up the stairs, towards her room, still in a state of pure shock, the smile slowly fading as she danced around the reality of sex.

GRACE (bites bottom lip nervously) this is……….it……….it's really going to happen……….tonight?


"Zoe wants to stay at you're fathers tonight………do you want to go over there too?" Lily asked her daughter.

"No……….I'm fine here………" Grace murmured.

Lily nodded, and turned back to her vanity mirror, smudging on some lipstick.

"Mum………" Grace began, as she looked up at her mother.

"Hmmm?" Lily asked, looking at her daughter's reflection in the mirror, she was sitting on the edge of her bed.

"What was you're fist time like?" Grace spoke so softly, Lily could hardly hear her.

"First time?" Lily asked, not quite understanding.

"Yes……….first time……….sex………." Grace supplied, and Lily nearly fainted.

"Why do you ask?" she said, turning to face her daughter.

"There comes a point in every teenage girls life when she asks that question, mum……….." Grace said, looking at her mother. She looked pretty tonight, wearing denim jeans and a light brown jumper, her hair hanging loosely around her shoulders. Plain……….but natural……….pretty.

"Well………ere………..it was………." Lily stammered.

"Was it perfect? Less than perfect? A total disaster? Do you want me to pretend I never asked because reliving the memory is just too horrible?" Grace asked, a small smile spreading across her lips.

Lily laughed, and tossed her hair to the side. She took a seat beside her daughter, running a hand gently through her hair.

"Sex is never perfect, sweety" she began, and Grace felt her heart sink a little. "You want it to be………..because it's you're first time, and you're entire womanhood depends on that first time being absolutely perfect!" Lily looked down at her hands, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips, "but it never is………." She said, whimsically.

"But what about you're first time?" Grace urged.

Lily sighed, and turned back to her daughter, "Jonathan Price………he was a year older than me and we'd been going out for 8 months……….. I was 17."

Lily let out a small laugh, "I remember, the girl he went out with before me was very pretty……….gorgeous even………..and they'd gone out for 12 months before he broke it off."

Grace was about to ask what that had to do with anything, when her mother continued; "Laura Benson" Lily laughed, the girl's face flashing in her mind. "It was a Saturday night, and we were at a party………and Laura was there. I got very jealous when she and Jonathan started talking………so I pulled him aside and started screaming at him!" Lily cringed slightly, but continued none the less; "I asked him if they'd had sex and if he still loved her………..I cursed him with every profanity under the sun!"

The smile tugging at Lily's lips finally broke, and crept across them; "he didn't say anything, just looked at me and let me yell at him until I was blue in the face. And then, when I was out of breath, he brushed his hand against my arm and said 'I never loved her the way I love you'……….and I remember thinking………..this is the guy I want to share my heart with……………"

"Did he have sex with her!" Grace asked, and Lily turned to her, shaking her head slightly. "He told me that they almost did………on numerous occasions………….but he couldn't do it, because it never felt right……….and that was why he left her, because them being together didn't feel right."

"I remember looking into his blue eyes" she turned to Grace, "he had lovely blue eyes!" Grace nodded, and waited for her mother to continue.

"And I asked him 'do we feel right?' and he just smiled a nodded."

Lily skimmed over the rest, cautious of the time, "we went back to his house and……….." she let the ending dwindle, until finally Grace smiled.

"It sounded perfect to me," she said.

Lily nodded, "But it wasn't………it was clumsy and awkward………….." she frowned, but then the smile broke out again; "but I suppose in the end……….you don't remember any of the bad……….you block it out, so that your only left with that perfect, sweet memory"

"And besides………its not so much the 'sex' you remember………." Lily added.

"What do you mean?" Grace asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lily looked at Grace again, "it's waking up the next morning in his arms".


And with that, Lily got up from the bed, and fussed over her hair again- leaving her daughter to leave the room in a trance……….as she pictured herself……….waking up in Eli's arms.

Eli opened the front door, and just as he walked inside the house, he met Grace who was coming down the stairs.

"Eli!" she whispered, with a smile.

He winked at her, but was careful to keep his distance, just in case his father or Lily found them. He restrained from scooping her up in his arms and kissing her.

"It's only us home tonight" she smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

Eli was about to ask why, when his father entered, and started spouting out orders, running over the details of where he would be tonight, with Jessie and Lily at Karen's house to discuss some issues concerning Jessie.

Eli nodded, "and Zoe?" he asked.

"At my dads" Grace supplied, unable to keep down a wide smile.

"Well dad……….I was sort of hoping to make an announcement tonight………." Eli started, but realized his father wasn't listening. He was hunting for the car keys.

"But I can save it until tomorrow" Eli murmured.

"Ok son" Rick said, "LILY! JESSIE! Lets go!" Rick called up the stairs once he found the keys.

"Coming!" came the joint reply.

"You kids behave tonight!" Rick warned both Eli and Grace.

Lily kissed Grace on the forehead, "don't stay up too late" she warned.

"If Katie calls tell her where I am!" Jessie said, and Eli nodded.

In a matter of seconds, Grace and Eli were standing alone, in the big empty house.

"Well this is lucky!" Eli finally breathed, turning to Grace.

There was something about her tonight. The way her hair sat carelessly on her shoulders, her wild-dark eyes, pouting red lips………there was something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Grace nodded, and stared, hard at Eli.

ELI maybe I should tell her tonight……….just her………she deserves to know before the rest of the family…………..

"Eli" Grace suddenly whispered, breaking the surreal silence.

"I love you," she said, before Eli could say anything.

"I love you too" he replied.

Grace took a few steps forward; she pressed herself up against Eli; allowing her lips to brush against his for a moment, before pulling away and talking in a husky breath; "I want to be with you"

Her curvaceous body melted next to his, as he wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her into him; "what do you……….?" Eli began, but Grace cut in by kissing him, hard, on the lips.

"I've loved you for the longest time………..and now I want to take our love that little bit further………" she supplied, kissing him again.

"Grace………" he tried, but was unable to break from her lips long enough to ask her another question.

Finally, she pulled away; and Eli panted heavily. She untangled herself from his arms, turning away from him; she took his hand in hers, and led him towards his bedroom. "I don't quite understand………." He started again, as she closed the door behind them.

Grace turned back, lunging into him; taking his head in her hands, she kissed him feverishly. And he was unable to refuse her.

Grace's hands wandered down to his shirt, fumbling with the buttons, she started to undo them quickly. Eli finally clicked, and pulled away from her.

"You want to………."

"Have sex," she said, staring at him, his first three buttons undone.

"Since when?" He asked, surprised.

Grace sighed and ran a hand through her hair; this was not how she thought it would be.

"What do you mean since when? We have talked about this for the last……….."

"2 weeks!"

Grace nodded, solemnly.

"Grace………." Eli began, stepping towards her, "I don't want you to rush into this, and regret it the next day………" he said, wrapping his arms around her.

But Grace pulled away, and stared at him icily; "why would I ever have any reason to regret loving you!" she exclaimed, her wild eyes staring into his face.

Eli stood very still for what felt like an eternity; her words echoing in his mind. If he told her tonight, about Philadelphia……….she would have every reason to regret ever falling in love with him………..

"I………….err……….." he stammered, trying to regain himself.

"Eli!" Grace sighed, stepping forward, into his arms again.

He looked down into her face; her sullen, sunken eyes staring into his, and he wrapped his arms around her middle.

"We don't have to……….if………..if you don't want to……….." she sighed, unable to mask her disappointment and surprise at his refusal.

"Don't want to!" he repeated, creasing his brow.

Grace nodded slowly, but never broke their gaze.

"Grace……….." Eli whispered, brushing a hand against her soft cheek; "look at you………..your beautiful………….." he bent down, kissing her lips softly; "breathe taking………….." he said huskily, as his lips made their way down to her collar bone, he tugged at her blue sweater, moving the collar to the side so he could kiss her; "stunning…………." He pressed his lips against her neck, kissing it gently; "incredible………..", he let the word linger as his lips found hers again, and before he kissed her, he whispered; "of course I want to have sex with you………..just look at you……….." and he kissed her, delicately at first, and then firmer as her hands pressed flat against his chest.

"Then why……….?" Grace began, as she pulled away for a moment.

Eli stopped kissing her; he pulled back so he could look into her face again; "why wont you make love to me?" Grace whispered, and felt her cheeks burn red.

Eli sighed, and untangled himself from Grace- turning around, he sighed again, and ran a hand through his hair.

"I didn't think a guy would need this much persuading………." Grace scoffed under her breath.

Eli turned around; "believe me Grace………I could start kissing you right now and never stop………there is nothing I'd like more than to peel off that blue sweater of yours and hold you……….naked………in my arms…………" the words spilled out of him, uncontrollably.

Grace stared at him; feeling her face burn deeper and deeper with every word he'd said; "then why?" she asked, sternly.

Eli sighed again, and turned away from her. "Because………I love you………and I don't want to lose you………and I don't want you to regret loving me because of a rash decision……….."

GRACE this is why I want him to have my heart.

She took a few steps forward, resting her hand on his shoulder; "that's never going to happen" she whispered, and kissed his cheek.

Eli turned around, so he was face on to her- he reached up, and cupped her head in his hands, knowing he had no control over what would happen next.

Grace's breathing became heavy, as he moved his face close to hers, so she felt his hot, sweet breath on her cheeks and neck. "I want you," she whispered, before their lips met, "and I need you" he replied'; then their lips collided in a sweet sensation.

The kiss was clumsy and careless, as Eli's hands cupped her face, she could feel them shaking, and as hers rested against his chest- he could feel hers trembling too.

Her hands began slowly unbuttoning his shirt again; but she fumbled with every button, and after a moment of trying to kiss and undo the buttons at the same time; she had to pull away to concentrate on his shirt.

She peeled it off, and kissed his bare chest three times, before looking up into his face again and kissing his lips feverishly.

He tugged at the bottom of her jumper, and she raised her arms above her head so he could slip it off- he kissed her bare chest, and brought his hands to her back, to unlatch her bra with almost no difficulty.

They were both breathing fast and heavy now, their breaths landing on each other's bare skin like a hot breeze.

Eli wrapped his arms around Grace's middle, lifting her up; he walked to his bed- and lay her down gently. While he lay on top of her, he shrugged his jeans off, undoing them quickly, and helped Grace to slip her cargos off aswell.

This years love had better last
Heaven knows it's high time
And I've been waiting on my own too long
But when you hold me like you do
It feels so right
I start to forget
How my heart gets torn
When that hurt gets thrown
Feeling like you can't go on

"Are you ok?" Eli asked, as he looked down at her; Grace only nodded in response, and wriggled beneath him so she was more comfortable. Eli positioned himself, and slowly slipped into her; "Eli………" she croaked, and he stopped. "Be gentle………" she whispered, and Eli lowered his lips, kissing her forehead lightly, she nodded; and felt him inside of her.

Turning circles when time again
It cuts like a knife oh yeah
If you love me got to know for sure
Cos it takes something more this time
Than sweet sweet lies
Before I open up my arms and fall
Losing all control
Every dream inside my soul
And when you kiss me
On that midnight street
Sweep me off my feet
Singing ain't this life so sweet

It was an awkward sensation. She closed her eyes, and let out a small breath, that sounded more like a whimper; she felt Eli ease; and the pain wasn't so bad.

This years love had better last
This years love had better last

He knew when she wasn't comfortable, and re-positioned himself. He talked to her in calming whispers- always wanting to know if she was all right. And Grace would only murmur or nod in response. It was nothing like she imagined it would be. Her mother was right when she said sex was never perfect.

So whose to worry
If our hearts get torn
When that hurt gets thrown
Don't you know this life goes on
And won't you kiss me
On that midnight street
Sweep me off my feet
Singing ain't this life so sweet

Grace knew it would hurt………but not this much………she also didn't imagine it to be so uncomfortable. And she knew she wasn't doing much, just lying there, wriggling every now and then. But in between the confusion and fear, there wasn't much else for her to do. She was glad Eli was experienced, or else she wouldn't have a clue where to start.

This years love had better last
This years love had better last
This years love had better last
This years love had better last

When it was all over, Eli rolled over so he was beside her, and Grace moved her head to his chest, curling up in a ball beside his body. He draped an arm over her bare shoulders, and ran a hand through her hair.

"Are you alright?" he asked, after an eternity of silence.

"Fine" Grace said, in a small voice.

"Grace………" Eli said.

"Hmmm?"

"I love you………I really do…….."

Grace snuggled in closer to him, knowing they only had a few hours to lie together before their parents got home; "I love you back………." She replied, and smiled.


AUTHORS NOTE: song was David Gray's 'this years love'