Chapter 3

"Don't lie to me Eli. I'm not stupid okay" Grace muttered closing her eyes so that she would not have to see the smirk that she was sure would appear on Eli's face.

"I'm not lying to you Grace. I may not exactly have been the nicest person to you lately but I never have and never will lie to you"

"That's bullshit Eli" Grace yelled sitting up, "What about that promise you made, right after I stopped tutoring you. You promised that we would stay friends. You knew how much it meant to me Eli" as tears blurred her eyes she reached for Eli's doona and hurriedly covered herself up.

Eli shook his head surprised that Grace had even remembered what he had said. "Grace, do you know how hard it's been for me to ignore you. To pretend as if you don't exist? But I had to Grace. Being your friend and living with you is too dangerous"

"What, you scared it's going to ruin your reputation or something?" Grace shot back, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Eli paused for a second, "No Grace. I was scared okay. Whenever I'm around you all I can think of is-"

"Is what Eli?"

"Is how much I want to kiss you" he said softly looking directly into her eyes.

"Then why haven't you?" Grace whispered.

"Because it wouldn't be right" Eli forced himself to drag his eyes away from hers.

"You know what, fuck you Eli" Grace said angrily but calmly, "you don't say that you want to be with me and then say it wouldn't be right. Either you want to be with me or-"

"I want to be with you"

"Then prove it" she whispered pushing back the covers and moving closer to him, "you said that you wanted it to be me and not Carla, well now's your chance".

Eli's eyes flickered down her body, and then up again and paused at her lips. "Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked as he leaned in towards her.

"Shut up" Grace smiled, her hand reaching behind his neck as their lips meet in a soft kiss.

"Grace wait" Eli pulled away breathlessly, as her hands played with the button on his jeans.

"For what?" she looked up with a smile and kissed him full on the lips. Eli deepened the kiss for a few minutes before pulling away.

"Are you a virgin?" Graces hand paused on the zipper and she rolled off the top of him.

"Does it matter if I am?" she asked hesitantly.

"No" Eli shook his head adamantly, reaching out to take her hand, "it's just that I want you to be sure. It's just sex Grace and you deserve more than that for your first time" he said softly.

Grace bit her lip, for some stupid reason she had thought that maybe this time it wouldn't just be about sex with him. That maybe it would be different with her. But obviously it wasn't, his words had just proved that. And the truth was regardless of how he felt she knew how she felt about him, and as long as she kept that in her heart, then he being her first would be the right thing.

Grace smiled and rolled over to face him, her pale bare skin in sharp contrast his own tanned skinned, "I want you to be my first Eli, regardless of what it means to you"

"Just as long as your sure" he said running his hand across her smooth waist.

"I am"

"Mmm" Grace woke up with a smile as the sun streamed in through the window. It was going to be a wonderful day she thought with happily, the events of last night flooding back into her mind.

Eli had been amazing which wasn't surprising considering she knew he was experienced but she was surprised at how gentle he had been.

With the huge smile still in place she rolled over, covering herself with the doona as she did so only to find that the spot where Eli had lay beside her was now empty.

Soon after she also discovered that he wasn't at home either, the house was completely empty.

"So Carla was looking pretty pissed off last night man" Coop said with a laugh as his ball swished cleanly through the hoop.

"Yeah well for some reason I really don't give a shit what she thinks" Eli said angrily, as he stepped up to the line to take his shoot.

"It didn't look that way to me last night" he answered back, raising an eyebrow as his friends shot missed. "What up Eli? You should have made that shot no problem"

"Carla got Grace Drunk last night"

"And?" Coop didn't understand where Eli was going with the conversation.

"Grace walked in on me and Carla"

"Oh" realization dawned on Coops friend, "So she's jealous huh?"

"Grace? Uh I wouldn't say that" Eli muttered, images of the previous nights events flashed into his mind.

"What's going on Eli?" Coop asked taking in Eli's guilty expression.

"I had sex with Grace"

"Oh"

"That's all?" Eli asked tossing the ball back to his friend.

"Well ah I don't know" Coop shook his head, "no wonder you're off your game"

"Coop, this isn't a joke" Eli snapped angrily, sinking onto the grass beside the court.

"I know, but it was just sex right? I know you guys are like related now, but maybe its best that you got it out of the way"

Eli slid his key into the door and turned it, careful to be as quiet as possible. Maybe she'll be asleep, he thought, but not very hopefully. Opening the door he shook his head. Just as he had expected, Grace was lying on the couch watching some old movie.

Walking inside he threw his keys on the table, Grace hadn't even looked his way when he had walked in. Shrugging his shoulders he walked over to the fridge, hoping that there would be something to eat. Dinner at Coops place usually consisted of a couple of microwave dinners, not exactly his ideal.

Spying the previous nights left over pizza he pulled out the box and walked back into the living room.

"What are you watching?" he asked Grace, still she didn't look at him.

"Nothing that would interest you" she said her voice full of hostility.

Eli nodded his head, "Well uh, you want some pizza?" he offered.

"What do you want Eli?" Grace finally turned around to face him. Her eyes were full of emotions, Eli could see that, but he couldn't tell what exactly. He had expected awkwardness, avoidance. But whatever this was he hadn't expected it.

"Actually I just wanted to see how you were. I mean I understand if things are a bit weird after last night but-"

"Why would it be weird Eli?" Grace asked raising an eyebrow, "It was just sex wasn't it?"

Sex with Eli was everything I expected and more, and that's just the problem. I thought I could have sex with him, just sex, without the emotions or all that crap. But when I woke up to find that he was not there, that he couldn't even stick around the following morning I realized that it wasn't just sex and all that crap. Eli was the guy that I had been in love with for so long. I had lost my virginity to him and it had meant nothing to him. Or at least that's what I can remember thinking at the time.