Breakfast seemed to crawl by for Grace, things were tense and awkward at the table for everyone that morning. Not because they felt strange that Grace and Chris had gone on a date, but they could feel the tension between the two and nobody wanted to say something stupid to mess up the peace. “What was with that?” Justin asked Grace quietly to the side after the group had finished breakfast.

“What are you talking about Jay?” She wondered, acting stupid.

“Come on Grace, please don’t act stupid, I thought you two had fun on your date last night, or at least, that was the impression good old Chris gave me,” Justin told her.

“Oh, we did. It was so much fun,” She answered, smiling brightly.

“So, what was with the tension in the air this morning, I swear you could have cut it with a knife.”

“I don’t know, I guess I was just nervous, not big deal.”

Justin knew there was something more there; there was something deeper than her nerves, or her feelings for Chris. But what it was he didn’t know now, or possibly ever, but he knew it was there. “Alright, fine, don’t tell me, but just know this kid, he really, really likes you, and I know he would never hurt you, in absolutely anyway, ok?”

Grace turned looking up at Justin, “Thanks, Jus, you’re a pal.”

“I know, come on, you can warm-up with me, we’ll check the sound together…” Justin told her making it sound dirty as they walked off, laughing.

“Of course, what’s up?” She asked, turning around to face him.

“Us, I want things back the way they were, innocent yet meaningful flirting, and no awkwardness, ok?” He spat out.

“Guess you did wanna be quick, of course, I would love for it to be that way, and Chris?”

“Yes my dear?”

“I had a blast on our date last night.” She smiled at him as she saw his face light up.

“Me too, thanks, now I gotta run, bye,” He said, running away from her waving.

Then there was another side of Grace that wanted Chris. She wanted that co-dependency in a relationship with someone. There was a die to Grace Thomas that she had never been able to express since one fateful day in her life. Every time she thought about it that day flashed through her mind as a constant reminder of the bad tings in life. She needed to stop think about what was going on, about her feelings and anything else. She need to start living in the moment and having fun, not worry about what might happen in the future, go with the moment. It wouldn’t happen, she couldn’t let it.

Soon there was a knock on the door, interrupting her thoughts, but Grace didn’t mind today.

“Hey,” She said, seeing Chris behind the door. Why did it have to be him?

“Hey you,” She said, opening the door more so he could come in all the way.

“Can we talk?” He asked her the question that seemed to come out of his mouth a lot lately.

“Of course, what would you like to talk about?” She wondered.

“Well, me, and you I guess,” he started, confusing Grace. “Well, you remember our date?” He asked.

Of course she remembered their date, it had weighing on her mind ever since. “Of course,” She answered.

“Well, I know I told you I wanted it to go back, but I don’t. I want us to move forward, I don’t want to be just friends with you, I want to be able to do more than just tell you how I feel, I want to be able to show you.”

Grace was speechless, what did she say tot hat? The truth she supposed. “Well, Chris, to be honest I’m not sure how to say this,” She started slowly gathering her thoughts. “Look, there’s a lot about me you know, but there’s a whole lot more you don’t, and I’m not ready to tell you, or anyone, yet. This one thing affects the way things between you and me are, it affects the way I act towards you everyday, and it wouldn’t be fair if I started anything with you without being able to give you me, and all of me.” She prayed he would let it go.

Grace watched his expression fall hearing her words. She couldn’t help it, it had to be said.

“Well, why can’t you tell me? Grace I’ve known you longer than I’ve known anyone else and you’re trying to tell me you don’ trust me?”

“No Chris, it’s that even close to not trusting you it’s just that this is something only one other person on the face of this earth knows about, you have to understand it’s not something as simple as like, having ADD or something, this is a lot more complex than that,” She tried to explain to him.

“Alright, well, I thought you were going to fall into my arms now, but obviously this turned out a little bit different, if you feel like talking, you know where my room in.” He got up and walked out of her room with his head hung.

Grace stood and watched, not sure of what to do, her feelings were so mixed up by now that she wasn’t even sure where she was.

He thought for sure she liked him, she thought she was it for a while. Obviously he had been completely wrong. She didn’t like him, and she most certainly wasn’t the one.

He wracked his brain for what could possibly be so horrendous that it would affect their relationship, and yet she couldn’t tell him. He tried so hard to figure it out, yet nothing came to him.

He lay in bed, still letting thoughts run through his head, but nothing came before he fell into a restless sleep.

Grace lay in her bed, thoughts rapidly running through her head. She was restless and knew only one thing would help her.

She got quickly out of her bed and ran into the hall, pounding on Chris’s door.

Chris shot out of hid bed as he heard a loud thud on his door. “What do you want?” He asked, not seeing the person in the hallway, rubbing his eyes to adjust to the light.

Suddenly there were two lips being pressed against his and then a quick “goodnight,” before he was once again left, watching her walk away. What was that about?

Chris closed the door walking over to sit on his bed.

Grace sat on her bed wide-eyed hearing her phone ring. It was him, it had to be, who else would be calling in the middle of the night?

“Hello?” She answered the phone nervously.

“Hey,” She heard his timid voice say.

“What can I help you with MR. Kirkpatrick? It’s awful late…” She teased.

“What the heck was that all about?” He laid it out; some things just couldn’t be danced around.

“Why whatever could you be taking about my dear boy?”

“Come on Gracie, don’t do this to me now, like you said, it’s late and you’ve been incredibly mean to me already tonight,” Chris pleaded desperately.

“Alright fine, I had to do it, I really didn’t want to turn you down earlier, but, like I said there’s a lot you don’t know Chris, and honestly, I don’t want to tell you because I want you to still like me,” Grace tried to laugh at her own comment but it didn’t take his attention away from it.

“Grace, come on, don’t be stupid, you know I like you no matter what, and whatever this deep secret is, I want to know, but it’s late, so how about we talk about this in the morning, goodnight Gracie girl,” Chris said.

“Goodnight Chris,” She said, praying that by morning she would have the courage to tell him.