Grace.

Chapter 33.

My moment with Ethan was the sweetest thing ever, and naturally, I couldn't stop thinking about it. But that was all it was - a sweet moment. I wouldn't say I thought of us as friends just yet. We were...hanging out. I was drawn to his personality. All I'd ever heard about Ethan was that he was an 'asshole', and he had no heart. But every time I spoke to him, he was the complete opposite. I liked how he was real with me.
But, I had to stay true to myself. I was never a fan of being a messy, unsettled, and undecided person. My mom and sister would always say that with me, it's perfect or nothing. And they were right. With me, it was perfect or nothing. I didn't like confusion, I couldn't deal with it. I was a very organized person and I always planned ahead. So, with that, I called Edgar first thing in the morning and told him that it was time we told Mimi about us, and we did. As soon as school ended, we drove down to his house.
It wasn't out of fear, that I decided to let Naomi into my relationship with her brother. I had chosen Edgar and he had chosen me, surprisingly! It was only right to let my best friend know what was happening in my life. The biggest thing ever!
Immediately when the bell rang, I dragged Naomi to my car. "What is going on?!" She cried out. I giggled and started the car, "I'm going to see someone I've been dying to see all week, and you're coming with," I smiled. The car started and we zoomed out of school, down the road and past the mall, straight to Edgar's house.
As I drove up his garage, so many questions were going through my head. Was I ready to let her know? "My brother's house?" She questioned. I chuckled and got out of the car. Of course Edgar wasn't home yet but he'd left the key for me by the flower pot. My heart was beating fast and slow at the same time. I opened the door and invited her in, a skip in my step.
Slowly, she walked up the stairs and into the house. I had already removed my jacket and was in the kitchen pouring us drinks. Naomi looked so confused. "Grace, am I missing something?" I said nothing and with the same smile on my face, I handed her a drink. She watched as I sat on the couch all giggly and happy, like a little child. About an hour went by, the front door opened and Edgar walked in. He dropped his briefcase by the door.
"Hello, Mimi," he greeted her, with a hug. "Hello, stranger," he smiled at me, so lovingly.
He stuck his hand out and I held onto it as he pulled me up from the chair. My smile had gone from cheerful to affectionate. His hands found their way around my waist. Mine to his chest. We gazed into each other's eyes for a while, both smiling. For a moment, I forgot that Mimi was still sitting there!
My arms slid around his neck as he pulled me in closer to him. And then, without hesitation, our lips crashed into each other. It was like Naomi was not even there. We'd planned not to meet up everyday just to be extra careful. It wasn't a wise idea but we had no choice. I missed him so much and phone calls weren't enough. I had missed his touch, his lips...him.
I slowly broke away from the kiss. Both hands on his face as one gently stroked his cheek with my thumb.
"Are you kidding me?!" Naomi cried out, jumping from the chair.
Don't be mistaken. She wasn't upset. She was - THRILLED! She ran over to us and hugged us both. We chuckled, hugging her back.
"When?! Where?! How?! Why didn't you say anything?!" She asked in excitement.
We took a seat next to each other. Edgar's arm still wrapped around me.
"Well, don't blame Grace. I'm the one who wanted to wait. She convinced me otherwise."
"Wait for what?"
"He was still enjoying having me all to himself," I rolled my eyes.
"True. I wasn't ready for everyone to know until I've had enough of her. Not that I ever will," he cooed, leaning in to plant a kiss on my cheek.
"Which is why I pushed for us to tell you sooner. Eddy was never going to do it."
We both laughed, and Naomi just looked at us.
"How long has it been? You two look like you've had this going on for a really long time," she wondered.
"It hasn't been that long. Right, babe?" I said, turning to face Edgar.
"Is this the eighth week? This is the eighth week, I think," he replied.
"Two months?! I want to know everything! Who made the first move?"
"I-I did," I blushed.
"You?!" She gasped.
"She kissed me and then avoided me for days after that, but I just continued pursuing her," he revealed.
"I...was not sure it would work out. But I was wrong," I confessed, giving him a peck on the lips.
"Mimi, I asked her. I said, 'how long were you willing to keep this up?' When she kissed me the first time, it was like she'd dreamt of doing it before."
"Wait, what? Why didn't you say anything to me?! You never told me that!" I laughed.
"If I did, then you'd stop kissing me the way that you do." His eyes dropped from my eyes down to my lips.
"Still here!" Naomi called out.
"Sorry," we giggled.
But even though she had tried to stop us from being all over each other in front of her, we just couldn't stop. Thankfully, there was a bottle of alcohol to keep her company. So, she took a glass and filled it up. After playing with each other and kissing one another everywhere, we finally noticed her.
"So, what would you like to do?" Edgar asked her.
"Uhm, actually I just want to chill and watch T.V. If you don't mind. Also, I'm staying over," she said to him, kicking her shoes off.
"Okay. I'll phone Dad and let him know you're here so that Mom doesn't freak out."
"Hey, no fair! I also want to stay over," I sulked.
"Then stay," Edgar and Naomi said to me.
"I can't. Mom and I are going shopping tomorrow."
"Well, in that case. I don't have much time with you," Edgar realized. He stood up and lifted me up from the chair, carrying me. "There's food in the kitchen and the movies are down there,"he told his sister.
We disappeared into his bedroom, and he closed the door behind us. I stretched out to lock it, while he left trails of burning kisses on my neck and down my jaw, all the way to my chest and back to my lips. He eventually laid me down on the bed and he came on top of me.
"You...are going to make me go extremely crazy over you," he purred.
"Wait, you're not?" I joked.
"I am but if you keep being so amazing, you'll make me lose my mind. Literally. You have no idea how much it means to me that you finally agreed to tell Mimi about us."
"Mimi is ours. She deserved to know. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize that."
"Don't apologize. I should be the one apologizing. You were scared and I didn't understand that. I'm sorry."
"To be honest with you, I'm still scared. I don't want to see what's going to happen as soon as everyone else finds out," I stressed.
"I won't lie to you and tell you it won't be bad, it will, but I promise you...we'll get through it together. Okay?"
"Okay," I whispered.
He kissed me again and I remembered a question I had been dying to know.
"Hey, Edgar?"
"Yeah?"
"If I hadn't kissed you, would we be here today?"
He sat up on the bed, pulling me up as well.
"If I hadn't seen you that morning when you came to fetch Mimi to go to school, we wouldn't be here today," he smiled.
"Really?"
"I couldn't get you off my mind," he confessed.
How would you have felt? A guy that I had liked for years had just told me that his feelings for me were only still new.
"I've always admired you," he continued. "But when I saw you after so long, I fell for you. You're...grown now. You're a lady, no longer just Mimi's friend."
"Well, I guess I'm stuck with you, huh?"
"It looks like it. I really hope that what we're building here is for keeps. Would you be okay with that?"
"Be okay with what?" I cooed.
"Us. Our relationship being a long term thing. Because I think it's you, Grace. I think you're the one."
"Funny, because I feel the same way."
His lips broke into a smile. So, I wasn't crazy. He felt it too. He believed it! Him and I? It was destiny. It was endgame. There had been so many moments that I shared with Edgar, but that very moment? It was one I'd never forget. As we sat and talked, I felt my dreams drawing nearer and nearer to me. We practically wanted the same things: Marriage, a family, a simple peaceful life.
Naomi would be a part of it. I think that was the best part. Knowing that I'd get to have and keep my best friend in my happy ending was just the cherry on top.
But I still had to tell Ria and our parents. I still had to tell our friends, especially Lucy. I didn't want to lose her. Yes, we fought-a lot. But I loved her, so much. I couldn't lose her, she was a big part of my life, and so was Edgar.
Before heading home, I had a quick check-in with Naomi, she wasn't okay.
"Is there anything I could do to make you feel better?" I worried.
"You're in love with my brother! That's all I need right now. I'm so in love with you two already!" She grinned.
"I thought you'd be upset that I kept everything from you," I admitted.
"I understand why you did. There's so much at stake. Does Gloria know?"
"No," I sighed. "She'll kill me."
"You don't know that for sure. I mean, her and Edgar were friends. Who knows, she might be as thrilled as I am."
"I don't know. Gloria is my number one supporter. She supports all my dreams and she helps me achieve them. I'm just worried how she'd feel about me breaking the rules," I opened up.
"Changing them. Not breaking. Okay, look. If you're worried that Edgar might pressure you into having sex, he won't. Trust me! That guy has got so much respect for you. He admires you so much."
"I...I wasn't actually worried about that."
"Excuse me? Why not?"
I kept quiet and looked away.
"Why not, Grace?" She pressed.
"Okay, I'm not saying I would do it, but, I wouldn't mind if it were to happen."
She clasped both her hands to her mouth, eyes almost popping out of her skull.
"But you made a vow to yourself!"
"I know, and I'm going to stick to it."
"I'm confused."
"I made a vow, yes. But can't a girl dream for once? Have you seen how handsome your brother is?" I whispered. Edgar was still in the house. He gave us time to talk.
"Ew, gross. Listen to me. I love this whole thing that you've got going on with my brother but I'll have to disagree about you thinking about giving away something so precious to you."
"Even if it's to your brother?"
"Hell yes! Na-uh. I can't let you. I won't. For as long as I've known you, sex before marriage has been the biggest no for you. You cried a river when I told you I had lost my virginity, remember?"
"I'm actually still hurt about that."
"See? Grace, you don't have to. You honestly don't. If my brother is in it for the long haul with you, he'll respect that. I'll make sure he does."
"Mimi, trust and believe that I'm sticking to the promise I made to myself," I assured her.
"I love you. I love you. I know you hate it sometimes and it drives you crazy how everyone thinks it's weird that you're not having sex and don't know what a penis looks like."
"Hey!"
"I'm just kidding!" She laughed. "But on a serious note, don't change. You're unique and special. You're so strong, Grace. I always think about you and how you've overcome all those obstacles in your life and how you're this powerful, beautiful girl that you are today."
"Thank you," I sniffed.
"I mean it. Don't let people or love get to you. Grace, my best friend, who I've known for years isn't weak. She's headstrong and so damn confident."
"I came here to offer you a shoulder to cry on, now look who's crying," I chuckled, wiping the tears from my face.
"You're always there for us. It's your turn now. Come, let me show you some love."
She had her arms open for me, so I moved in closer and fell into them. Her embrace was exactly what I needed, and what I had missed. Gosh, the Sanders siblings meant the world to me.