Page 54 of Fall From Grace

“Cocky much?”

He squeezed me tightly. “It’s not me being cocky, it’s me trusting us.”

“Now that we… there will be no others?”

“I’ll never touch another woman,” he swore.

I laughed. “You don’t know that. We don’t know what our future holds.”

“Then do you want me to be with another one besides you?” he asked.

“NO.”

“Then I won’t. It’s that simple. We never defined our relationship before, we never put a name on it but we will now. I’m going to make you happy, Grace.”

“You already do.”

“I’m your boyfriend,” he told me then he stood up in the empty restaurant and yelled at the workers. “I’m her boyfriend. That means I get to do the dirty with her.” The workers shook their heads and laughed in the back.

I covered my face. “Noah!”

He sat back down. “I’m gonna make you happy, Grace,” he said again.

I shook my head and smiled. That was Noah. He’d try his hardest to please me now or he wouldn’t have uttered the words so easily.

This with Noah, felt like it was only the beginning.

All things started beautifully, did that mean that they all had to end ugly?

26

Grace age 16

Noah age 17

I finally have what I’ve always wanted. I know not to take it for granted.

I’ll savor her, treat her like the jewel that she is in my eyes.

She’s everything and more… So much more.

I might still be young, but I know what I want.

N.P.

I wasn’t the only one in a good mood Saturday morning. Dad twirled Mom around in the living room, saying a bunch of gooey crap that had me shaking my head and smiling. “Okay, what’s going on?” I asked as I maneuvered around them to flop down on the sofa. Gus was wagging his tail and attacking their feet.

Mom was laughing and swatting at Dad. “Your father remembered that our anniversary is today, it seems,” she told me.

“Nineteen years. Doesn’t seem like it’s been that long,” Dad muttered with a kiss to her lips. “Still feels like the first time.”

I covered my ears. “Y’all are being too ooey-gooey this morning.”

They both sniggered. “Your dad’s going to take me out later, you’ll have to cook for yourself today,” Mom informed me.

“I’m going out later anyway.”

“Who with?” Dad made sure to ask. “Are you still dating the Dustin kid?”

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