Grace.

Chapter 24.

"Grace? Grace?!"

The sound of his voice brought me back. I blinked several times and when my brain had finally registered where I was, the room was dead quiet. Edgar had moved from the door and was now sitting besides me on the bed.
"Are you okay? I lost you there for a second."
"C-can I please have a glass of water?" I gulped.
"Sure."
He got up from the bed and headed out. I threw myself back on the bed burying my head deep into the pillow. What in the hell just happened?! My blood went cold. It all felt so real. I ran my hands on my neck and down to my boobs and then...holy crap! I gasped. Slowly, I moved my hand down to my skirt and then underneath and then inside my underwear, right down. Wet! Wet!!! Quickly, I removed my hand. Edgar walked in with a glass of water and handed it to me.
"Here you go. What were you guys drinking?" He joked.
"Vodka."
"Mh, I see."
I looked at him and couldn't get the scenario out of my head. He was so close to me and the smile on his face was making me weak. He took the glass from me once I was done.
"Anyway, I just came over to see you."
"O-okay..."
As he moved from the bed, I quickly grabbed his arm.
"Edgar."
"The last time you said my name like this..."
He licked his lower lip and I let go of his arm.
"I was so wrong for that!" I panicked, face in my hands.
But he removed them from my face, and he looked at me in the most loving way, "Was that your first kiss?"
Whoa! Slow down!
"I-it was," my voice wobbled.
"Ah. I have a lot of questions," he chuckled.
"It's not funny," I said, punching his one...boob.
"It is not. And here I was thinking you hate me."
What's up with this 'hate' thing?! Argh!
"I do not. But I do or would rather, like to be your friend and friend only," I clarified.
"You...kiss your friends?"
"Edgar!"
"Kay! Okay, little one. We'll be friends, and friends only."
Hearing him say that was heartbreaking! I cupped his face, but the alcohol finally won and I lowered down to the bed. Edgar grabbed my hand just in the nick of time as it slowly fell off his cheek. He gave it a long, gentle kiss. Getting up from the bed, he gently removed my shoes then my skirt. He pulled a blanket over me before walking out the door.
I woke up the following morning with a terrible headache and some really bad anxiety! Why'd it always happen like that?! I couldn't remember much except for my moment with Edgar. Thinking about him made my headache worse. I rolled out of bed, took the rest of my clothes off and went into the shower. Cold water first, then warm water. I held back my puke so many times until I couldn't anymore. Thank god my toilet wasn't far from the shower. As I dried up, Gloria walked in.
"Gosh, can I have your boobs?" She said, throwing herself on my bed.
"You have your own, Ria," I replied, applying lotion on my body.
"Yeah, but yours are so...beautiful," she gushed.
"You're being gross and weird," I laughed.
"On a more serious note, I am going to kill you," she snarled.
"Why?!"
"Do I need to tell Mom and Dad to take the car away from you?"
"What are you.."
"You were drunk yesterday, and you drove! Are you out of your mind?!"
"Gosh, I'm really not in the mood to be told about my mistakes. First, Edgar. Now, you. I won't do it again. Promise."
"Another reason why I am going to kill you!"
"What?"
"Edgar! I don't want you dating him or whatever it is you two are doing."
"You don't want us hanging out?"
"You and I both know that's not just it."
"It is, Ria."
"Are you sleeping with him? Grace?! What did I tell you about boys and sex?"
"Ria! I am not sleeping with Edgar or any boy for that matter!"
Gloria squinted her eyes. Her face then went back to normal again.
"Good. Sex isn't a game, it's a real thing. Once you have sex with someone, that's it! There's no turning back! I want you to be sure before you have sex, that you're doing the right thing and with the right person."
"I know. I know."
"I'm not your friend, Grace. I am your sister and I'm looking out for you. Edgar is hot, yeah, but he's bad news. Trust me."
"He was bad news," I mouthed.
"Grace!"
"Okay! Okay...I will not do anything with Eddy besides being a friend."
"Eddy? What's next? Sugarplum? Cupcake?"
"Ria..."
"There's nothing I want more than to see you happy, and you know that."
"Do I?!"
"Edgar is going to break your heart, Grace. Get out while you still can."
Gloria's words hurt me. But then again, no one knew Edgar better than she did. They were friends back in high school: hung out together, went to parties together, study groups. She's seen him and all his shenanigans. All the girls, all the secrets and a side we probably didn't know of him. But to me, he was still Eddy. The guy I fell for years ago and just clicked with. He couldn't be that bad, or could he?
At school, everyone was busy and buzzing with excitement for Homecoming. I was feeling much better since my talk with Edgar. He finally listened to me and understood! We were going to stick to being friends and friends only. My problems were sorted!
"I don't think I'll be able to go out tonight. This whole Homecoming thing is becoming stressful," Lucy confessed to us.
"I was going to hang with Caleb tonight, anyway. Sorry I didn't tell you guys earlier,"Brooke added.
"And I am not in the mood,"
Naomi sighed.
"Totally understandable. We can go next weekend," I said.
"You're happier than usual," Donna noticed.
"Well, what can I say? It's a beautiful time to be alive!" I beamed.
"You sly fox! You got a Homecoming date, didn't you?" Bebe guessed.
"Who is it?!" They all quizzed, glaring at me.
"Don't be silly. I don't have a date. I'm just happy is all. Is that a crime?"
Of course I didn't have a date...yet. Anyway, Med Prof club was great! I really enjoyed it I didn't want it to end. My favorite time at school was always late in the afternoon when little to no one was there. It was so nice and...peaceful. As I headed to my car and opened my boot, I was stopped by Ethan. He came from football practice and was still in his gear. That cropped vest?! Those abs?! That V-line?! His messy hair?! Heaven!
"Why're you still here?" He smirked.
"I had Med club," I answered, slamming my boot shut.
"Dumb question, but, why do you take all these clubs?" He wondered, walking towards me.
"It'll look good on college applications and it'll give them a clue of what I'm interested in."
He put his huge sports bag down next to me. We were standing inches away from each other. He...wasn't smelling so fresh. It was a grassy, rubbery, fleshy type of scent. But I didn't mind. Obviously it was because he had been running on the field for hours, being tackled and all of that.
"Nice. I-uh...I'm gunning for the Football scholarship," he sheepishly revealed, scratching the back of his head.
"Oh? That's nice! It's really cool!" I smiled.
"You think so?"
"Yes! Oh, man. I wish you nothing but the best. I know you'll get it," I assured him.
"How could you be so sure?" He quizzed.
"Because you're good at Football."
"I haven't seen you watch me on the stands."
"Ethan, I've seen you play. Many times."
"From a hidden spot?" He teased.
"Shut up," I smiled. "Just know that I've seen you play."
"I know. So, uh...I've been meaning to talk to you about something?"
"Need help with Trig again?" I guessed.
"N-no. It's more...personal."
"What is it?"
"Can we talk about it some other place? When I'm...clean," he chuckled.
"Oh, okay. No problem. You'll tell me when, then?"
"I'll tell you when."
"Cool." I smiled.
I guess our conversation was over, so I opened my car but he quickly stopped me. I wondered what the problem was, but he just wanted to open the door for me.
"Thank you," I blushed.
I hid my face because I could feel my cheeks turn pink! Starting the car, I stole one more glance at him and he was still looking at me. My phone chimed and I quickly got it out to check it. It was Bebe. Something was wrong with Mimi.
"Drive safe." Ethan said.
"I will, thanks!"
And with that, I zoomed out of school and rushed to go see Naomi. It was obviously Austin. When I got to her door, I could hear two voices, but I knocked anyway. "Don't tell me it's Mom." I heard. It sounded like...
"Come in!"
I opened the door and Edgar's body stiffened at seeing me appear behind it. "Grace!" They both said. I froze by the door, my eyes glued on Edgar. "I-I could come back later," I stuttered. "Nonsense! There's enough ice cream and enough space on the bed. You don't need to leave on my account, Grace."
Hesitantly, I stepped forward. Edgar and Mimi made room for me, spreading the quilt wide enough to cover me as well.
"Before you cover me up, let me go get an extra spoon for Grace."
I moved close to Mimi occupying the space Edgar was sitting on. Without a word, I gave her a warm hug.
"Bebe texted me," I began.
She remained quiet waiting for the tears to stop falling before she could speak again. "I don't get why I'm crying so much," she sniffed.
"It's because you're hurt, disappointed and confused. It's okay. It happens to the best of us."
"Mom is mad at me. Austin, I don't even want to start. I'm fighting with his girlfriend and she kicked me off of her team. I'm such a mess. Such a loser."
Edgar walked in with the extra spoon and gave it to me, taking a seat behind me, on the bed. We leaned on the wall, eating ice cream and cuddling under Naomi's soft blanket.
"You shouldn't worry yourself too much about Mom. She's like that, trust me. With her it's perfect and nothing else. Thankfully, we've got Dad. He keeps us sane."
"Yeah, I mean Ria is also mad at me for coming home drunk. Worst part, I was driving."
"You didn't get kicked off the cheer team and you don't have any boy drama."
Edgar and I both squirmed at her words and she quickly realized what she had just said.
"I-I mean..."
"It's okay, Mimi. I get what you're saying." I quickly said.
Her cheeks turned red, I think she could see how uncomfortable we'd both become. Then, the most awkward yet funny thing happened. In the silence, her window creaked open. We all watched it slide up and then Austin, who with great difficulty, jumped through it. I wasn't sure whether to burst into laughter or not. At seeing all of us sitting on Naomi's bed, his body froze. Embarrassment written all over him. I could tell by the look on his face that jumping out of that very same window is one thing he really wanted to do.
"You've got to be kidding me," growled Edgar.
"Uhm, Mimi? We'll catch up with you later. Okay?" I scurried, tugging at Edgar's arm.
We both put our shoes on and left, with Edgar giving Austin a cold stare before he did. As soon as the door shut I stopped Edgar from walking away.
"What are you doing?" He whispered.
"Are you honestly going to leave her alone with the boy who's part of the reason she's feeling like shit?" I hissed.
"So, you think eavesdropping is going to do what exactly?"
"You and I will chip in when she needs help."
"Grace..."
"Shh."
I knew their relationship very well. I knew that whenever Mimi was in tears, they'd always end up fighting. I knew how insecure he made her feel and I couldn't walk away knowing that he'd sweet talk her with more lies and make her feel like she's the one with the problem! He was the one in the wrong! Not her. And as predicted, their conversation turned into a huge argument:
"I've got this all right! And you know what? It's okay. It really is. If I'm not good enough for you except for when no one else is around, then that's fine! I know I'll be good enough for someone else. I'll be appreciated enough for the whole world to know and see."
We heard Naomi shout.
"Mimi, you're insecure about yourself and I do not know why. You're beautiful and..."
That...asshole!
"Insecure?! Really?! You know what? Get out. Jump out of that window and break your damn neck for all I care!"
You tell him, Mimi! I was so happy she was standing up for herself that I didn't even notice Edgar looking at me so surprised.
"So every time something goes wrong, you break up with me? No!"
"Yes," he joined in.
"Yes! Leave! Leave, Austin or I'll push you out that window. Don't test me!"
Okay! Things were getting out of hand now! Edgar swung the door open, and we rushed in. I quickly went to Mimi. Edgar, on the other hand, gave Austin a single nod and escorted him out of the door.
"Are you okay?" I held her.
"I just need to be alone. Please," she muttered, lip quivering.
I nodded and then hugged her one last time before leaving. When I got downstairs I found Austin and Edgar arguing. They both looked really riled up. I hate fights and arguments. So, I quickly stepped in between the two before anything bad happened.
"Stop!" I ordered, gently pushing Edgar on his chest.
"Let him go. Austin, go. Please."
He listened to me and left, quietly. I turned to face Edgar who looked really annoyed. His face softened as soon as his eyes dropped to my face, brushing my cheek softly with his fingers.
"I have to go," I breathed, turning on my heels and leaving.
He watched as I  drove away.
No one was home when I arrived, so I sat in my car for a moment. With my head leaned back and my eyes closed, I took a moment to just breathe and think. The thought of the other day resurfaced. When I was standing in front of him, I had to fight to stop myself from grabbing him and pulling him into a deep kiss. A knock on my window made me jump in my seat. It was Edgar. Was I having another fantasy again?
I slowly opened the door and stepped out. Edgar stepped back and then stepped closer to me again as soon as I was standing outside of the car.
"Are you okay? It looks like you've seen a ghost."
"Just shocked to see you here," I breathed.
"I had to see you. We need to talk, Grace."
"What about?"
"Us."
"There is no us, Edgar."
"There is and you know it. It's written in your eyes, Grace. You want me just as much as I want you."
"You're wrong and you should go. Please."
"Grace! Stop. Okay? Stop it. Stop fighting this. We tried...love. Honestly, we did. We can't continue fooling ourselves. If whoever is against this for whatever reason, then tough! I don't care because if 'us' being together is so wrong, I need them to explain to me why I feel this way about you. Why whenever I'm around you I just want to feel your skin, feel your touch...feel you. If I'm not going to be allowed to have you in my arms, where you belong, I'm going to need somebody to get you out of my head then. And good luck to them because, it won't be easy. At this point the only thing that can get me to stop thinking about you is...dying."
"Shut up," I blushed.
"Grace, did you hear what I just said? I..."
I pulled him in closer by his belt until our bodies touched. Chest-to-chest. He pulled me in even closer with both hands on my waist. He smelt so good. I ran my hands up his chest before looping my arms around his neck. Our eyes locked and then...his lips crashed into mine.
My whole body shook. I didn't hold back, I relished the moment and drank him in. His hands slid from my waist down to my butt and gently, he lifted. I gave a soft gasp before pulling away.
"Wait, is this really happening?" I whispered.
A mischievous smile broke across his face. There was a glint in his eyes. He pulled me in closer again, this time cupping my face as he kissed me. He spoke over my lips, "does this answer your question?" he asked, kissing me passionately again.
After a steamy moment, reluctantly, we both pulled away.
"You know, you could've just kissed me." I joked.
"So, you didn't hear a single word I said?"
"I heard it all."
Smiling, I threw my arms around his shoulders, kissing him again...stopping in between kisses to smile.
"So, what now?" I wondered.
He frowned. "I do not know, baby. We'll see. But don't worry too much about it. We'll be fine. Just you and me. Okay?"
I nodded.
"Let's go," he smiled, lacing his fingers through mine.