The Falling of Love (3 page)

“Well, I better get goin’ if you need to fix dinner.”

His words make her sad. She does not want him to leave. She wishes he could stay forever, but she doesn’t want to ignore her household chores, either. Grace never complains about her responsibilities, and has come to accept them as so much more than household chores. Years ago, her mother taught her to cook and she still values the time in the kitchen they shared. Even though her mother is gone, cooking for her family makes her feel close to her parents and helps her remember those cherished times with her mother.

She stands and Ian follows her lead. “Thanks for coming over and helping me.”

“I think you get it now, right?”

“Totally.”

Grace walks Ian to the front door and opens it, stepping aside to let him pass by.

He stops and turns with a huge grin reaching his eyes. “Guess I’ll catch you tomorrow in math.”

“Yeah,” she says, feeling shy and lowering her eyes.

“That was actually kinda fun.”

“It was.” She brings her eyes back up to meet his and catches a glimpse of James coming up the walkway. “There’s my brother.”

Ian turns and waves to James, “Hi.”

“James, this is my friend Ian. He came over to help me with homework.”

James studies Ian with scrutinizing eyes, and then puts his hand out to him. “Hey.” He looks at Grace and she can see the doubt on his face. Grace knows, that James knows, she does not need help with homework. James steps past them into the house.

“I better go,” Ian says, as he turns to walk down the stairs of the Victorian home. “See ya tomorrow, Gracie.”

“See ya, Ian.”

“You
love
him!” Michelle teases Grace one night while they do the dinner dishes.

“I do
not
love him, Michelle!”

“You’re such a liar, you totally
love
him!” she teases again.

Grace is not comfortable talking about the feelings she has for Ian with Michelle just yet. Michelle's teasing irritates her, but there is something truly special about Ian that she cannot deny. She does not care if he dresses differently than the other kids at school. It does not bother her that he is poor, and she does not care that half the time the oil under his nails from working at Tony’s Auto is so thick that it looks like he has a Goth version of a French manicure. She may not be in love just yet, but she is completely infatuated with Ian Taylor.

“You should just tell him, ya know.”

“There’s nothing to tell, Missy.”

Michelle grabs a handful of water and splashes Grace. “Liar! I’m going to tell him, so there!”

Grace, wide-mouthed, grabs a handful of suds and water and lands it right on Michelle’s head. The girls are going at it full
force when James pushes open
the double doors to the kitchen. “I can’t leave you two alone for five minutes without you destroying the place.”

Grace turns to him and smiles. Just having him home helps to ease her restless mind.

“She’s impossible, James! Just impossible!” screams Michelle.

James looks at Grace, and they make an unspoken agreement that Michelle is the one who is impossible.

Later that night watching the sunset, James and Grace sit quietly on their front porch.

“James?” she asks, softly.

“Yeah?”

“Do you think a girl should ever tell a boy that she likes him?”

James turns his head quickly and looks at Grace with shock on his face. “First of all, no! That’s the man’s job. Second, as if you ever would, Grace. You’ve got to be the shyest kid I have ever met!”

“I’m not a kid, James,” she says, abruptly.

“Oh yes, that’s right, you’re seventeen.” He laughs. “Girls should never make the first move. Now, you know I wanna know about this boy you like.”

“It’s just Ian.” Grace says, attempting to hide how strong her feelings really are.

Another boring lesson in math has Grace uninterested in the teacher’s lesson. She constantly finds herself staring at Ian and fantasizing about him asking her on a date. Again, she can feel his gaze burning through her and again, when she dares to look, he is not staring at her. Instead, he stares at Christina Perkins. Grace’s heart drops to her stomach and a lump forms in her throat.
Christina Perkins! Are you freaking kidding me?
If flames could come out of a person’s ears, Grace would have fire coming from hers. In that instant, her heart breaks.

At lunch that day, Grace is more quiet than usual. Brandon and Michelle are going on about some new band they like, and Ian intently listens to them, while Grace tries to ignore everyone.

Ian elbows her. “What’s wrong, Gracie?”

She looks at
him,
her eyes filled with sorrow, and says nothing.

“Hey, seriously, what’s wrong?”

Grace notices that Ian’s words immediately grab Michelle’s attention. She gets up, grabs Grace’s arm, and leads her to the girls’ bathroom.

“Okay, what’s up?” Michelle asks, in a concerned voice.

Grace just looks at her emotionless. The only words she can get out are, “Christina Perkins! He likes her!”

“No way! That skank? No way! She’s a total dirty slut! She’s not even pretty! How can you even see what she looks like through all that damn hooker makeup?”

“Just stop, Missy,” Grace says, as she takes a deep breath. “If he likes her, he likes her. I just don’t get it.”

Michelle calms down, helps Grace fix her hair, and they head back to the cafeteria.

When they arrive back at their usual table, Brandon is sitting alone. Grace searches the cafeteria and spots Ian sitting at a table with Christina. She takes one look at this and runs out.

Outside she finds herself at the old oak tree and slumps down against it. She is holding back her tears with all her might. Not one to express emotions, Grace
hates
crying. She always tries suppressing her feelings in front of others, so she doesn't appear weak, but she is having a harder time than normal keeping it together.

“Hey.” Ian’s soft voice startles her. He sits next to her and elbows her. “What’s wrong, Gracie?”

Looking at him, she is unable to disguise that he has broken her heart into a million pieces. She wants to rip his head off. “Nothing! Can you just leave me alone?”

Ian looks surprised at how cold she is to him. “No, Gracie, I won’t. You’re my friend, and something is bothering you and I wanna help.”

Grace huffs, and under her breath says, “Friend.”

The expression on his face changes as his mouth sweeps up into a smile. Grabbing her by the chin he draws her face to his so that he is looking directly into her eyes. He smiles at her, and she gives him a dirty look. Suddenly he kisses her. She is stunned. Unable to move. She cannot think. She is convinced that her heart is going to beat out of her chest. Her natural reaction is to kiss him back. This is only her third kiss in her seventeen years of life, and so far, it is the winner for the best kiss.

“Why were you sitting with Christina?” she asks, still feeling the effects of his kiss.

“She called me over to ask me a math question. Is that what got your panties in a wad?”

“Well—”

“I don’t like her, Grace.”

That Friday night, Grace nervously puts on her lip gloss as she checks herself over in her bathroom mirror. She looks down at her hands, and they are shaking.

Michelle skips into the bathroom. “He’s here.”

Grace looks at her fearfully.

“Are you nervous?” Michelle asks, her blue eyes growing wide in anticipation of Grace’s response.

“Umm yeah, I’m shaking!” she says, holding her hands out to show Michelle. Grace takes a deep breath and says, “Okay! Here I go.”

“What’s the big deal, Grace? It’s not like you have never dated before.”

Grace pauses to think about Michelle’s question. “He’s different.”

Michelle giggles. “Yeah, we established that the day we met him.”

Grace snaps. “Not like that! He makes me feel different. There is just something special about him.” She grabs her purse and heads down to greet Ian.

Ian sits comfortably on the living room couch with James taking his usual seat in his easy chair.

“Grace tells me you’re a mechanic,” James says, with an eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, I’ve been working on cars since I was twelve.”

Ian can feel James looking him over. Ian is wearing worn out jeans, a rock t-shirt, and a leather jacket. When James let him in the door a few minutes before, the first thing that Ian noticed was his Aerosmith t-shirt and it made him feel a little better about his outfit.

“Can you do an oil change for me? I never have time to do it myself.”

“Sure!” Ian says, excitedly.

“I’ll pay you twenty dollars.”

“That would be awesome!”

Ian looks at his watch, wondering what is taking Grace so long, feeling nervous that she may have changed her mind about their date.

“You might be sitting there for a while.” He chuckles. “My sister can take a long time to get ready.”

Just as James utters those words, Grace glides down the stairs. She is dressed in a gray turtleneck sweater that falls into folds around her neck, dark blue skinny jeans, and a pair of dark brown boots that end at the middle of her calves. Her long blonde hair falls over her shoulders, looks clean, and is shining with healthiness. Ian's heart thuds in his chest.
Am I the luckiest guy in the world or what?

“Hi,” she says, sounding breathy.

“Hey!” he says, as he stands and rushes to the edge of the stairs to take her hand. “You look so beautiful!” The words just shoot from his mouth before he can think.

Ian hears James chuckle in the living room as he rises out of his chair and walks over to them. “Home by ten o’clock.”

“Home by eleven o’clock.” Grace teases.

“Ten thirty and no later.” James smiles. “Just where do you intend to take my sister, young man?”

Ian is disappointed and ashamed. “First, to the park and then I was hoping we could take a walk up by the lake.”

Grace smiles at him with reassurance in her eyes.

James looks at Ian with a hint of confusion. “Not dinner and a movie, huh?”

“No, sir. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten my paycheck yet.”

“The park and lake sound amazing, Ian,” Grace says, beaming.

Her smile makes him feel at ease about the date he has planned.

Grace’s feelings for Ian strengthen in this moment, which only adds to her anxiety over going on her first date with him. She can see the embarrassment on his face, but finds it admirable that he actually cares that he cannot afford dinner and a movie.

Ian walks Grace around to the passenger side of his 1975 Chevy Nova. The car is in desperate need of a paint job. Grace is unclear if the car is gray or silver due to its dull appearance. He opens the door for her, and she slides into the car.

He smiles at her after he climbs into the driver's seat. “Ready?”

“Ready!” she says, smiling back.

Ian pulls into the parking lot of the park downtown. Grace looks around, and the light outside is an amazing orange glow with hints of purple and pink painting the sky.

“It’s beautiful tonight. I wish I could paint it,” she says, softly.

Ian cocks his head to the side, stares out of his window then turns, and gives Grace a glorious smile. “It sure is.”

He hops out of the car, and she can hear him doing something in the trunk. She sits patiently with her hands folded in her lap as he opens the door for her. In his arm, he has a large paper bag with Ocean View Grocers written on the side.

“Hungry?” he asks, smiling.

Grace takes his hand, and he helps her out of the car. They walk to the gazebo in the middle of the park. It is what every small town gazebo situated in the middle of a park should look like. It is white with rich green bushes and flowerbeds placed decoratively around it.

Ian sets the grocery bag down on the bench that is positioned at the back of the gazebo and motions for Grace to take a seat. Grace’s nerves awaken in her stomach as she looks into his piercing blue eyes.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t take you to dinner, but I hope you like what I brought.”

Ian takes his seat and pulls items from the grocery bag. First, he pulls out paper towels, lays one in front of Grace on the bench, and then he pulls out two sodas.

“I noticed you drinking this kind at lunch the other day,” he says, as he places a soda in front of Grace.

“It’s my favorite,” she says, shyly.

He pulls out a bunch of green grapes that make Grace’s mouth water. Lastly, he pulls out two sub sandwiches.

“This looks perfect, Ian!” Grace says, with a giant grin spreading across her face.

They eat together with barely a word passing between them. They have been having lunch together for a couple of weeks now, and they never seem to have a problem chatting, yet now on their first date she is unable to speak a word to the handsome boy that sits before her as she picks at her food.

“I thought you were hungry?” he asks, with a smile.

She is so nervous that she can see her hands shaking.

He places his hand on her free one. “I’m not one of those guys that will judge you if you scarf down your food, Grace. Don’t be shy. Scarf away!”

Grace takes a deep breath. Never before in her life has she been so nervous on a date. She looks into Ian’s glinting blue eyes and he returns her gaze giving her the warmest, comforting smile. No longer feeling insecure to eat in front of him, she takes a giant bite of her sub sandwich.

“Now that is more like it!” he says, laughing.

Finally, she is more relaxed, which she can tell makes Ian feel more confident. The conversation between the two is unstoppable from that moment on.

Ian walks Grace to the passenger side of his car and once again helps her in. He puts their garbage in a trashcan that is in the parking lot,
then
crawls into the car with her.

“Do you mind music?”

Grace looks at him, shakes her head, and smirks. Ian reaches for his stereo, turns it on and loud rock music blares from the speakers. He quickly turns the volume down. “Sorry,” he says, appearing embarrassed.

“As if I don’t blast my music, too,” Grace says, as she reaches for the knob and turns the volume back up.

The two sit speechless, enjoying the music as they drive through thickly wooded forest roads. Ian pulls off onto a dirt road that she does not recognize. He pulls his car right up to the shore and shifts it into park. The night sky is full of stars and the crescent moon reflects off the dark lake water. Grace sighs as she looks up at the sky from the car window.

“It’s just so beautiful!” she says, amazed at all the stars in the sky.

“Do you want to get out?”

Grace wrinkles her nose and puckers her lips as she shakes her head.

Ian laughs. “Are you afraid?”

“Well, I hate bugs, Ian.”

“I’ll protect you. I promise,” he says, before he crawls out of the car.

With hesitation, Grace takes Ian’s hand as he helps her out of the car once more. She notices that he has left the headlights of the car on, illuminating the shore. Chirping crickets, cicada hisses, and the sounds of the lake water as it laps against the rock near the shore, fill the night air.

Ian reaches behind her and grabs a blanket from his back seat.
Is he planning a make out session?
Grace thinks nervously, knowing she will not allow this on their first date. After all, Ian is only the second boy she has ever dated and her brother raised her to wait till she fell in love before going further than kissing a boy.

Ian walks over to the shore, whips the blanket into the
air,
and it softly lands on the ground. He takes Grace’s hand and helps her to sit and then he takes his place next to her. He sits just close enough to where their knees are almost touching.

“I found this place last weekend,” he says, looking up at the stars, “but I have not been here at night. It’s pretty freakin’ awesome.” He brings his head down from stargazing and his eyes meet with Grace’s. “Like you.”

Grace blushes. She thinks back to Michelle’s questions earlier in the evening. Ian makes her feel like she is the only girl in the entire world, even if he was sitting at a table with Christina Perkins a few days ago.
He left her to run after me.

Ian tells Grace all about his music and about his band back in Massachusetts with his best friend, Jaden. Ian beams when he speaks of Jaden.

“Jaden lives in Los Angeles now. He is a year older than me and moved there last year when he turned eighteen. He has a band and plays clubs down there all the time!” Ian gushes.

“So your dream is to be a rock star?” she asks, grinning.

Ian tilts his head to the side and raises one of his eyebrows. “Think I’m cut out for it?”

“Absolutely! As long as you can
actually
sing. You totally have the look.”

They sit in silence and stare up at the stars.

“Sing to me,” she says, breathy.

Without hesitation or even a hint of nervousness, Ian sings for her, a song she has never heard before. She immediately gets chills all over her entire body, all the way to her pinky toes. His voice echoes off the canyon and fills the night air with a beautiful melody. At this moment, Grace knows she really, really likes this boy. He looks at her as he sings the last verse of the song. He just stares at her, wordlessly. She smiles at him with her eyes. Radiating happiness.

“Ian, I…I’m speechless,” she says, shaking her head. “Your voice is like an angel’s.”

He flips his long auburn hair over his shoulder then wraps his arms around his knees and rests his chin on them.

“I’ve never heard that song before,” she says, as she looks at him adoringly.

“Well I hope not! I wrote it,” he says, with a chuckle.

In this moment, he becomes even more amazing to her. Not only does he have one of the most beautiful male voices she has ever heard, but also the lyrics to the song were heartfelt and soulful. Ian Taylor is not a boy who should be judged by his cover. He is so much deeper than the long hair, leather jacket, jewelry, and ripped pants he wears.
There’s so much more to this boy that the other kids at school have no idea of, nor would they even care about.

“Gracie,” he says, interrupting her thoughts.

“Yeah, Ian?” she asks, in a husky voice.

“It’s ten o’clock. I better get you home.”

Disappointment runs through her body as she looks down at her watch. “Oh
my gosh
, time flies.”

Ian gets up from his place on the blanket and holds his hand out to her. He pulls her a bit too hard, and the two of them collide. He stares at her for a long moment, his arms around her waist. He breaks away from their embrace and picks up the blanket. Grace is left wondering why he did not kiss her.

Ian has Grace in front of the Hathaway home at exactly ten twenty-five. He walks around to the passenger side of his feeble old car and for the last time that night, he helps her out. He walks her up to the porch with his arm resting softly around her waist. Her heart races with the anticipation of him kissing her as they move closer and closer to her front door.

“I had an amazing time.” Grace smiles.

“Me too,” Ian says, as he stares at her.

Grace waits as expectation rises through her body, but he does not kiss her. The pain of disappointment rushes over her. This is two times in one night she has felt this way.

“Well, I guess I will see you Monday,” Ian says, as he shrugs.

“Umm yeah.”

Ian waits for Grace to open her front door and then strolls down the walkway. Grace shuts the front door behind her, still feeling the pain of disappointment. Looking into the living room, she is greeted with eager looks from Michelle and James. She frowns.

“What?” James asks.

“He doesn’t like me,” she says, sadly, as she walks up the stairs to her room.

Grace sits on her bed sulking when Michelle walks in. “What did I do wrong?” she whines.

Michelle asks Grace what happened. After Grace recounts every detail of the date, Michelle says, “You didn't do anything wrong. He likes you, stupid!”

“Then why not kiss me, or at the least ask to call me tomorrow, or something!” Grace stresses.

Michelle brushes Grace’s hair with her hand. “You, my sweet, are overreacting, as usual,” she says, rolling her eyes.

Grace cannot get Ian out of her head as she lies in bed that night.
His voice, his lyrics, he is such a gentleman, and that smile.
Her stomach clenches as once again the thought that he does not like her creeps into her mind.