I am back...I Am so sorry that it has taken me 3 weeks to update this story. I had chapter 9 all written out and then the "Honey" episode happened and it killed me. Adam dying was just so UGH. I had Adam in this chapter but after he died it was harder for me put him in this story. Originally this chapter was longer but I am now unsure if I should have Adam in this story or if he should be dead here too. So I am going to leave it up to you guys,PM me or review and let me know if you guys want Adam in this story. If you guys do want him he will be put into the next chapter so let me know :) Again I am so sorry for the delay on top of Adam's death classes started again and me and my husband just bought a house so it has been a lot going on in a short amount of time. Thank you for those of you who are so invested in this story. It means the world to me. Love you guys! I hope you like this chapter. The truth is revealed at the end of the chapter. The next chapter will time jump and show how Eli and Clare are handling everything.

Eli was in his kitchen cooking up some dinner so that when Clare came over it would be ready. Things between them for the past month had been amazing, he wanted so badly to ask Clare to be his GIRLFRIEND, TO BE HIS. He loved her and with each passing day that they spent together he just fell deeper and deeper in love with her, but there was the reason for leaving her 10 years ago that was still looming over them. He knew in his heart that when he told her the truth she would be gone and he would lose her all over again. Thinking about all of this caused Eli's heart to hurt. Luckily for Eli a knock at his door stopped him from truly thinking about it.

Eli walked over to the door to reveal Clare with her overnight bag, her laptop bag and a bunch of brochures in her hands.

"I could use a little help here Eli" Clare giggled

"Oh yeah my bad" Eli laughed grabbing her overnight bag and all the brochures

"What are all these brochures for Babe?"

"Oh those are Condo and House brochures. I am determined to find a new place to live"

"So I am taking it by the amount of brochures you have here that you didn't like the place you went and saw today?" Eli asked

"It was okay it just didn't feel like home. When I bought my last place I didn't get a chance to actually see it in person before I bought it. I was in the hospital and I needed somewhere to live and fast, so this time I actually get to look around and weigh out my options. I don't want some random one bedroom apartment. I want a place that once I decide to settle down and get married & have kids I don't have to worry about moving cause my place isn't big enough" Clare stated

"Ahh so that explains why this is such a huge deal. Your thinking about your future" Eli stated matter of factly

"I'm a girl Eli, its what we do" Clare giggled

Just then an alarm went off in the kitchen, which signaled to Eli that dinner was ready. Once Clare put her bag down in Eli's room she walked into the dining room to eat dinner with Eli. They fell into a light conversation talking about there day. They were laughing and just really enjoying each others company. After they finished eating dinner they cleaned up together then they each took showers getting themselves ready for the night.

When Eli got out of the bathroom he saw Clare sitting on his bed wearing her pj's (a red tank top and a pair of black boxer shorts) with all her brochures sprawled out on the bed. Eli just stood there and stared at her, he thought to himself he could get used to seeing her like this in his bed every night and one day he could picture her in that bed reading a bedtime story to their child. At that moment it hit Eli how badly he wanted a future with Clare, he wanted to be her boyfriend, he wanted to eventually purpose to her, then marry her & start a family with her. A smile spread across his face and at that moment Clare looked up at him cause she felt him staring at her.

"What?" she asked

"Sorry I couldn't help but stare at the beautiful woman sitting in my bed" Eli replied with a grin on his face

"You are so silly Babe" Clare giggled

Eli grabbed his laptop and notes and brought them to the bed with him. He figured while Clare was looking through her brochures he could get some work done. They sat on the bed in silence for about 45 minutes, Eli was super focused not even paying attention to what was going on around him. It took Clare hitting him on his shoulder to bring him out of his trance.

"Sorry Clare I was in my zone...what's Up?"

"Babe this is it" Clare said showing Eli the condo brochure

Eli grabbed the brochure from her and looked it over.

"Eli it's perfect 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, it's in Battery Park. It is literally a 10 minute drive to the paper" Clare said excitedly

"Um Honey did you happen to look at the price of this condo? I think even if we put all your money together with all of my money you still wouldn't even have close to enough money. It is a 1.1 million dollars Babe" Eli said with a frown not wanting to make Clare sad that she couldn't afford her dream Condo.

Clare started to laugh which caught Eli by surprise. He didn't understand why she was laughing at the fact that she couldn't afford her dream condo.

"We haven't discussed this have we?" Clare asked Eli

"Discussed what?" he asked with a confused expression on his face

"Babe did you ever wonder how I was able to have a 4 bedroom 3 bathroom condo on The Upper East Side before?"

"Uh no actually I never thought about it, but now that you mention it how were you able to afford it?"

"Do you remember my grandma Lucy? I think you met her a few times"

"Yeah I remember her"

"Well she passed away a few years back and me, my mom and darcy were her only family members left and she left us everything in her will and well she was very wealthy"

"So your rich?" Eli asked

"Well I guess if you have to label it then yes I am. I mean I technically don't have to work if I don't want to but you know me I can't do nothing."

"I don't know how I never noticed"

"I guess it's cause I don't flaunt my money around and I don't splurge on things I don't need. I'm still just the same Ole Clare. I just happen to have a lot of money in my bank account" Clare chuckled

"Well that's just one more thing to add to my list" Eli stated

"What list?" Clare asked

"The list of things I love about you"

"You love that I am rich?" Clare asked in a concerned voice

"No Silly Girl. I love that I had no idea. I love the fact that you are so humble about it all. I can guarantee that if you spend a good amount of money it is on other people and not yourself"

"Well I have everything I could possibly need in life so why not spend money on the people I love" Clare stated

"Speaking of spending my money on people I care about I have something for you" Clare said getting up and walking to her overnight bag to retrieve something out of it. She pulled out an envelope and walked over to Eli and handed it to him. Once he took it she crawled back into bed.

"What is this Clare?" Eli asked

"Well why don't you open it and find out?" Clare responded

Eli opened up the envelope and gasped when he saw what was in it.

"Clare these are tickets and backstage passes to the Dead Hand concert at Madison Square Garden" Eli stated with a huge smile on his face

"Oh wow really is that what was in there" Clare giggled

"Clare this is so amazing. You didn't have to get me anything, just having you here with me is all I will ever need"

Clare smiled a genuine smile and went and straddled Eli taking his face into her hands and locked eyes with him.

"Eli I am aware that I don't have to get you anything. It's a gift. You have given me the gift of being happy for the first time in 10 years and I just thought I'd show you how much its meant to me"

When Clare told him that he couldn't control himself anymore. He took her face in his hands and kissed her with so much love and passion. He then uttered the 3 words that would change everything for the 2 of them.

"I LOVE YOU...God Clare I love you so fucking much"

Clare just stayed there still straddling him looking right in Eli's eyes. She knew she felt the same way but in the moment she just couldn't utter those words back to him, but she was feeling so much love in that moment. Clare smashed her lips to his and kissed him with so much love. Eli and Clare made love that night. It wasn't just purely sex that night, it was pure love and bliss for them that night. It was a night that they would always remember, it was a night that they would look back on and know that it was the night that changed everything for them.

Eli woke up the next morning extremely happy. Happier then he had been in a really long time, but that happiness quickly faded when he noticed Clare sitting on the end of his bed with a sad worried look on her face.

"What's wrong MY LOVE?" Eli asked walking over to Clare and knelling in front of her

"It's time for you to tell me what happened 10 years ago Eli"

Eli sighed and ran his fingers through his hair nervously. His heart was heavy and starting to break because he knew this was it. This was when he was going to lose Clare all over again.

"After I left to NYU I thought everything was so perfect in my life Clare. We were together, we made love finally, I was at NYU so I decided I could handle things without my MEDS. I stopped taking them and I was doing fine without them for a while then I started to spiral out of control. I went to a party one night with some friends and got completely wasted. I ended up hooking up with some girl. I felt so guilty and I wanted to tell you so many times but I couldn't break your heart like that. I couldn't hear you cry. So I pushed you away and just stopped talking to you. That was just so much easier for me. After I got back from Toronto after that Christmas break I started going to therapy again and got back on my meds. It took me a while to get myself fully back on track. I did try to explain everything to you when I came back home for summer vacation but you were already gone to College (you got early summer classes) and no one would tell me where you went. I'm so sorry Clare, I never meant to hurt you and put you through all that. I love you Clare. I am so sorry" Eli cried

Clare just sat there with a blank emotionless expression on her face. She wasn't even looking directly at him, she was just staring off into space.

"Please Clare say something. Yell at me, hit me, cry just do something" Eli pleaded

And with that Clare stood up. Eli realized Clare was already dressed, it was like she had anticipated that she would need to be. Clare grabbed her things and walked out. She left Eli there no words or emotions to show him how she was feeling. She just left, walked out of his life leaving him an emotional wreck in his apartment. What he didn't know was that when Clare got to Alli's apartment and saw her standing in her kitchen she broke down in her best friends arms.

Well there was Chapter 9...what Did you think? I hope you liked it. Any thoughts on what is going to happen next? And please please let me know if Adam should be alive or not so I can start on the next chapter. Love you all thanks for all the support dolls.