It’s not that we didn’t want you there. I would’ve loved for you to come.”
Michelle only looks at Grace trying to figure out if she is being truthful with her or not.
“I wouldn’t have gotten in your way.”
“Missy, that’s not it, I swear. I told you everything that happened at the lake. It would’ve all happened with or without you being around, so I would’ve had no reason not to want you there.”
Grace pulls an unwilling Michelle to her again. “I swear. I missed you, and I honestly wished I had asked you to come with us.”
Michelle huffs and walks away. Grace is consumed with guilt as she turns to the sink and finishes the dishes.
James and Ian are sitting on the couch watching television when Grace walks into the living room. Grace sits next to Ian and puts her hand on his leg. James looks at her and raises his eyebrow. James frowns in her direction, so she removes her hand from Ian and puts it on her own leg. James returns his gaze to the television.
“Michelle is upset because we didn’t ask her to go to the lake,” Grace blurts out.
“Oh no,” Ian says.
“She’ll get over it,” grumbles James.
Ian looks at Grace then looks at his new cell phone to see the time.
“I better get going.”
“Shoot, I should’ve waited to do the dishes till after you left,” she whines.
“Better luck next time.” James laughs. “And I hope there will be a next time, very soon,” James says, looking at Ian.
“Yeah, man, I would love that,” Ian says, as he rises to his feet.
“Is it okay if I walk him up to the corner?” Grace asks.
James just waves them both out the door, not taking his eyes off the television.
Once outside, Ian and Grace walk slowly. Hand in hand, the slower they walk the longer they get to spend time together. Grace lays her head on Ian’s arm as they walk.
“I miss you so much when I have to leave you,” he whispers and kisses her on her head. “I’ve never felt this way about any girl I’ve ever gone out with.”
“It’s the same for me, Ian. I feel like I’ve known you my entire life.”
They reach the corner and stand there holding hands, gazing at each other for a moment before Ian kisses her.
“Goodnight, baby,” Ian says, before he kisses her again.
“Night, my love,” she says, sweetly.
Ian watches Grace walk all the way back to her house, up her walkway, and into her home before he turns to begin his journey to his house.
Ian pulls his cell phone from his pocket and dials a number as he walks home.
“Hello?” asks a smoky tone on the other line.
“Jaden, what’s up man?” Ian shouts.
“Oh hey, Ian,” Jaden says, in a long, drawn out voice. “How are you, brotha? How’s life in Oregon treating you, man?”
“I met the most amazing girl, Jaden.”
Ian can hear Jaden take a puff of something. Knowing Jaden the way he does, he suspects that it is pot.
Jaden chuckles. “Can’t say I’ve heard you this excited about a chick before.”
“She’s beautiful, man. I can’t believe she even likes me, but she honestly does. She might even love me.” Ian says, emphasizing the word love.
Jaden laughs at Ian’s enthusiasm. “Is she hot?”
“I’m not kidding you, man. She is the most beautiful and amazing girl in the entire world.”
Ian describes Grace to Jaden and tells him all about how he met her, what a fantastic cook she is, how he can tell her anything, and how he spent an incredible weekend with her at the lake. He then proceeds to tell Jaden how awful he thinks Ocean View is.
“It’s like I’m living in Stepford, man.” Ian laughs.
“Sounds like home.”
“So, how is Grandpa Joe doin’, man?”
Jaden coughs in the telephone and Ian has to pull it away from his ear.
“He’s still sick. It breaks my heart, but we’re so close now, man. It’s so amazing that I get to spend all this time with him. I’m just really fuckin’ grateful to be here,” Jaden says,
Michelle only looks at Grace trying to figure out if she is being truthful with her or not.
“I wouldn’t have gotten in your way.”
“Missy, that’s not it, I swear. I told you everything that happened at the lake. It would’ve all happened with or without you being around, so I would’ve had no reason not to want you there.”
Grace pulls an unwilling Michelle to her again. “I swear. I missed you, and I honestly wished I had asked you to come with us.”
Michelle huffs and walks away. Grace is consumed with guilt as she turns to the sink and finishes the dishes.
James and Ian are sitting on the couch watching television when Grace walks into the living room. Grace sits next to Ian and puts her hand on his leg. James looks at her and raises his eyebrow. James frowns in her direction, so she removes her hand from Ian and puts it on her own leg. James returns his gaze to the television.
“Michelle is upset because we didn’t ask her to go to the lake,” Grace blurts out.
“Oh no,” Ian says.
“She’ll get over it,” grumbles James.
Ian looks at Grace then looks at his new cell phone to see the time.
“I better get going.”
“Shoot, I should’ve waited to do the dishes till after you left,” she whines.
“Better luck next time.” James laughs. “And I hope there will be a next time, very soon,” James says, looking at Ian.
“Yeah, man, I would love that,” Ian says, as he rises to his feet.
“Is it okay if I walk him up to the corner?” Grace asks.
James just waves them both out the door, not taking his eyes off the television.
Once outside, Ian and Grace walk slowly. Hand in hand, the slower they walk the longer they get to spend time together. Grace lays her head on Ian’s arm as they walk.
“I miss you so much when I have to leave you,” he whispers and kisses her on her head. “I’ve never felt this way about any girl I’ve ever gone out with.”
“It’s the same for me, Ian. I feel like I’ve known you my entire life.”
They reach the corner and stand there holding hands, gazing at each other for a moment before Ian kisses her.
“Goodnight, baby,” Ian says, before he kisses her again.
“Night, my love,” she says, sweetly.
Ian watches Grace walk all the way back to her house, up her walkway, and into her home before he turns to begin his journey to his house.
Ian pulls his cell phone from his pocket and dials a number as he walks home.
“Hello?” asks a smoky tone on the other line.
“Jaden, what’s up man?” Ian shouts.
“Oh hey, Ian,” Jaden says, in a long, drawn out voice. “How are you, brotha? How’s life in Oregon treating you, man?”
“I met the most amazing girl, Jaden.”
Ian can hear Jaden take a puff of something. Knowing Jaden the way he does, he suspects that it is pot.
Jaden chuckles. “Can’t say I’ve heard you this excited about a chick before.”
“She’s beautiful, man. I can’t believe she even likes me, but she honestly does. She might even love me.” Ian says, emphasizing the word love.
Jaden laughs at Ian’s enthusiasm. “Is she hot?”
“I’m not kidding you, man. She is the most beautiful and amazing girl in the entire world.”
Ian describes Grace to Jaden and tells him all about how he met her, what a fantastic cook she is, how he can tell her anything, and how he spent an incredible weekend with her at the lake. He then proceeds to tell Jaden how awful he thinks Ocean View is.
“It’s like I’m living in Stepford, man.” Ian laughs.
“Sounds like home.”
“So, how is Grandpa Joe doin’, man?”
Jaden coughs in the telephone and Ian has to pull it away from his ear.
“He’s still sick. It breaks my heart, but we’re so close now, man. It’s so amazing that I get to spend all this time with him. I’m just really fuckin’ grateful to be here,” Jaden says,
Similar Books
