I want to apologize because this seems like a pretty short chapter. The
next one will be longer, I promise! Just a little bit of information -
Carla does use a "bad" word in this chapter. I would have substituted
"stuff" for it, but figured it didn't fit Carla - she would have used the
word I did. I apologize if anyone is offended by that and I will try and
keep the language cleaner from now on. So, without further adieu. here is
chapter seven - hope you enjoy it! I would love to hear all feedback, both
positive and negative! -- K
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Chapter Seven
"Carla? I take it you got the email?" Eli asked, looking at his ex- girlfriend standing before him. He then looked at Grace, who gave him a weak smile.
"I'll let you guys catch up," she said and left.
Carla placed her hand on her hip, giving Eli the once over. She started to frown. "You've changed way too much," she finally said.
He looked at her wild hair and wild outfit and smiled, "You haven't changed at all. Come on in."
"Oh, believe me, I have changed," she went to the door and pulled something into the room - a baby stroller. "I want you to meet someone."
Eli's mouth dropped as he looked at the small child.
"His name is Mez. He's seven months old."
Eli was in utter shock. The child before him looked much smaller than seven months old. He would have assumed Mez was maybe two months. Regardless, he was a very cute child. Eli motioned for Carla to sit in the same chair Spencer had occupied previously, as he sat in his leather chair.
"I have no idea where his father is. He left me as soon as I told him I was pregnant. I had no one to turn to; you know how much I love my family, so I know they wouldn't support this decision. I had every intention of putting the baby up for adoption, had found a really nice couple, but once Mez was born and they saw him, they declined the adoption. so I'm stuck with a kid," she said, rolling her eyes and she brought a cigarette to her mouth to light.
"Carla. don't smoke in front of the baby!" Eli chastised. He covered his mouth, not believing that had come from his mouth. He sounded like his mother.
"Oh, please, Eli. That's why they didn't want him. I was on so much shit while pregnant, it really effected him," Then, suddenly, Carla started bawling, shaking uncontrollably. "I didn't want him, but I found out too late to have an abortion. and now, I'm stuck with him. Eli. can you help me?"
Eli was taken aback. Before him was the girl who once broke his heart by deserting him without any sort of goodbye. He knew Carla had strange priorities for the longest time, but this was ridiculous. it was as if she hadn't changed at all.
"I can give you some money if you promise to use it on necessities for Mez. You can't use it on drugs or alcohol or cigarettes. You have to change your ways, Carla. You're a mother now," Eli said, reaching for his checkbook.
"Not by choice," she harshly said, glaring at the young child before her. Mez began to fuss and she didn't even flinch. When he stared to wail, Eli looked out at the restaurant and saw some customers looking into the office, shocked.
"Carla. calm him down. I am running a business now. Please."
She reached for the baby. "How much money can you give me?"
Eli sighed, calculating how much he could offer. "One thousand dollars?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "That will do. Thanks."
He wrote the check and handed it to her. "Carla, you need help. Please get some."
She rolled her eyes. "Eli, you are so old now. Don't you miss having fun?"
He looked out at the restaurant at Grace, who was busy taking an order. "I still have fun."
Carla must have followed his gaze. "I knew you always had a thing for her. You let her tag along with us too much for a teenaged boy. You should have wanted to spend all that private time with me, but never objected when she came, too."
Eli turned his attention back to the young mother in front of him. "Carla, I was young. I thought I cared very much for you at the time and then, like that, you left me. I have changed a great deal since then."
"Well, if you ever feel like you used to, give me a ring. We could hook up sometime," she offered, placing the check into her bra. She stood up, placed Mez back into the stroller. "Bye Eli."
With that, she was gone.
**Eli - "So much for getting over Grace with Carla! If anything, I now love her even more because she is the one I want to be with - the person who still remains a constant in my life."**
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Grace filled the salt and pepper shakers silently. She and Eli were by themselves at Book Lover's - the other staff members had finished for the evening. Every now and then, she looked up at his office window. She had been too busy after Carla came to visit to see how he reacted to seeing his ex-girlfriend and now, she was a little nervous to speak with him. He was looking directly at his computer monitor, punching something on the keyboard. She finished up the last table and decided to go check on him.
She knocked softly on his opened door. He didn't look from his monitor, just said, "Come in, Grace."
She sat down in the chair and sighed. He finally tore his eyes from the computer screen and looked at her. She noticed he looked very, very tired.
"How did it go?" she asked.
"I gave her money and told her to grow up," he responded.
"I can't believe that she just turned up out of no where and acted like the last seven years never happened," Grace said.
"She didn't turn up out of nowhere. I received an email from her this afternoon, asking to meet me, and I agreed. I had no idea she meant today."
"Why on earth did you do that, Eli?" she asked.
"I don't know, Grace. I guess I've just felt. never mind," he suddenly blushed, turning his attention back to the computer.
**Grace - she frowns, "I don't like seeing him behave like this. He looks so. sad."**
She stood up and walked up to him, crouching to his level and placed her arms around him. "What's wrong, Eli?" she asked, hugging her step-brother.
**Eli - he places his face in his hands and begins to cry.**
He turned towards her, smelling that ever-present lavender and vanilla perfume, allowing his arms to wrap around her. They stayed like that for a few minutes before she pulled away.
"Eli, what's been wrong? You know you can tell me anything."
"I guess I've just been very lonely. I thought if I saw Carla, she would take me back to the time in my life when I didn't have a care in the world. Instead, she made me realize how old I am. How boring I've become."
Grace cupped her hands around his face and looked directly into his eyes. "Eli Sammler, you have matured a great deal, but there is nothing wrong with that. You have become a great person."
"Then why am I alone?" he asked, challenging her.
She placed her hands on his shoulders. "I don't know, Eli. I ask myself that same question all the time. We deserve to by happy. We deserve to be loved. We deserve to have someone to hold at night."
Eli looked deeply into her eyes, hoping that she would sense his feelings. Instead, she just stood up. "Come on. let's call it a night and go home. I'm exhausted and you can do your work tomorrow."
**Eli - sighs and pulls his hand through his hair.**
"That's sounds great, Grace."
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Coming Soon to Perspective
She entered Eli's office and found him looking at the picture of their family that was on his desk. She smiled, remembering the day it was taken.
"Are you almost done?" she asked him.
He broke his gaze from the photo and looked lovingly into her eyes for a few moments.
Grace could sense something deep in his eyes. It made her feel warm and comfortable.
**Grace - "What is happening? Why am I feeling like this? Why is Eli looking at me like this?"**
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Chapter Seven
"Carla? I take it you got the email?" Eli asked, looking at his ex- girlfriend standing before him. He then looked at Grace, who gave him a weak smile.
"I'll let you guys catch up," she said and left.
Carla placed her hand on her hip, giving Eli the once over. She started to frown. "You've changed way too much," she finally said.
He looked at her wild hair and wild outfit and smiled, "You haven't changed at all. Come on in."
"Oh, believe me, I have changed," she went to the door and pulled something into the room - a baby stroller. "I want you to meet someone."
Eli's mouth dropped as he looked at the small child.
"His name is Mez. He's seven months old."
Eli was in utter shock. The child before him looked much smaller than seven months old. He would have assumed Mez was maybe two months. Regardless, he was a very cute child. Eli motioned for Carla to sit in the same chair Spencer had occupied previously, as he sat in his leather chair.
"I have no idea where his father is. He left me as soon as I told him I was pregnant. I had no one to turn to; you know how much I love my family, so I know they wouldn't support this decision. I had every intention of putting the baby up for adoption, had found a really nice couple, but once Mez was born and they saw him, they declined the adoption. so I'm stuck with a kid," she said, rolling her eyes and she brought a cigarette to her mouth to light.
"Carla. don't smoke in front of the baby!" Eli chastised. He covered his mouth, not believing that had come from his mouth. He sounded like his mother.
"Oh, please, Eli. That's why they didn't want him. I was on so much shit while pregnant, it really effected him," Then, suddenly, Carla started bawling, shaking uncontrollably. "I didn't want him, but I found out too late to have an abortion. and now, I'm stuck with him. Eli. can you help me?"
Eli was taken aback. Before him was the girl who once broke his heart by deserting him without any sort of goodbye. He knew Carla had strange priorities for the longest time, but this was ridiculous. it was as if she hadn't changed at all.
"I can give you some money if you promise to use it on necessities for Mez. You can't use it on drugs or alcohol or cigarettes. You have to change your ways, Carla. You're a mother now," Eli said, reaching for his checkbook.
"Not by choice," she harshly said, glaring at the young child before her. Mez began to fuss and she didn't even flinch. When he stared to wail, Eli looked out at the restaurant and saw some customers looking into the office, shocked.
"Carla. calm him down. I am running a business now. Please."
She reached for the baby. "How much money can you give me?"
Eli sighed, calculating how much he could offer. "One thousand dollars?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "That will do. Thanks."
He wrote the check and handed it to her. "Carla, you need help. Please get some."
She rolled her eyes. "Eli, you are so old now. Don't you miss having fun?"
He looked out at the restaurant at Grace, who was busy taking an order. "I still have fun."
Carla must have followed his gaze. "I knew you always had a thing for her. You let her tag along with us too much for a teenaged boy. You should have wanted to spend all that private time with me, but never objected when she came, too."
Eli turned his attention back to the young mother in front of him. "Carla, I was young. I thought I cared very much for you at the time and then, like that, you left me. I have changed a great deal since then."
"Well, if you ever feel like you used to, give me a ring. We could hook up sometime," she offered, placing the check into her bra. She stood up, placed Mez back into the stroller. "Bye Eli."
With that, she was gone.
**Eli - "So much for getting over Grace with Carla! If anything, I now love her even more because she is the one I want to be with - the person who still remains a constant in my life."**
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Grace filled the salt and pepper shakers silently. She and Eli were by themselves at Book Lover's - the other staff members had finished for the evening. Every now and then, she looked up at his office window. She had been too busy after Carla came to visit to see how he reacted to seeing his ex-girlfriend and now, she was a little nervous to speak with him. He was looking directly at his computer monitor, punching something on the keyboard. She finished up the last table and decided to go check on him.
She knocked softly on his opened door. He didn't look from his monitor, just said, "Come in, Grace."
She sat down in the chair and sighed. He finally tore his eyes from the computer screen and looked at her. She noticed he looked very, very tired.
"How did it go?" she asked.
"I gave her money and told her to grow up," he responded.
"I can't believe that she just turned up out of no where and acted like the last seven years never happened," Grace said.
"She didn't turn up out of nowhere. I received an email from her this afternoon, asking to meet me, and I agreed. I had no idea she meant today."
"Why on earth did you do that, Eli?" she asked.
"I don't know, Grace. I guess I've just felt. never mind," he suddenly blushed, turning his attention back to the computer.
**Grace - she frowns, "I don't like seeing him behave like this. He looks so. sad."**
She stood up and walked up to him, crouching to his level and placed her arms around him. "What's wrong, Eli?" she asked, hugging her step-brother.
**Eli - he places his face in his hands and begins to cry.**
He turned towards her, smelling that ever-present lavender and vanilla perfume, allowing his arms to wrap around her. They stayed like that for a few minutes before she pulled away.
"Eli, what's been wrong? You know you can tell me anything."
"I guess I've just been very lonely. I thought if I saw Carla, she would take me back to the time in my life when I didn't have a care in the world. Instead, she made me realize how old I am. How boring I've become."
Grace cupped her hands around his face and looked directly into his eyes. "Eli Sammler, you have matured a great deal, but there is nothing wrong with that. You have become a great person."
"Then why am I alone?" he asked, challenging her.
She placed her hands on his shoulders. "I don't know, Eli. I ask myself that same question all the time. We deserve to by happy. We deserve to be loved. We deserve to have someone to hold at night."
Eli looked deeply into her eyes, hoping that she would sense his feelings. Instead, she just stood up. "Come on. let's call it a night and go home. I'm exhausted and you can do your work tomorrow."
**Eli - sighs and pulls his hand through his hair.**
"That's sounds great, Grace."
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Coming Soon to Perspective
She entered Eli's office and found him looking at the picture of their family that was on his desk. She smiled, remembering the day it was taken.
"Are you almost done?" she asked him.
He broke his gaze from the photo and looked lovingly into her eyes for a few moments.
Grace could sense something deep in his eyes. It made her feel warm and comfortable.
**Grace - "What is happening? Why am I feeling like this? Why is Eli looking at me like this?"**