Fall From Grace(77)

“What the hell is wrong with you, Shane?  Are you serious right now?  You’re the guy who has slept with almost every girl in this bar, and I can’t have someone buy me a drink?”

“You told him no thank you and he didn’t listen.  And Grace, I haven’t slept with anyone since you walked into this bar that first Friday.”

I raised my eyebrows.  “Liar.  You’ve been here with girls, sucking their faces off right in front of me.”

“I haven’t slept with any of them, Grace.”

“Please don’t say anything else.  Please don’t.  I have to get out of here.  I’m exhausted and I don’t have the energy to fight with you.”

“Then, I’m taking you home and I’m staying.”

I folded my arms across my chest, “Excuse me?”  That’s what came out of my mouth, but my mind was high-fiving myself, trying to think of the sexiest thing I could wear to tease the hell out of him.

We grabbed our equipment and headed for the door without saying our goodbyes.  I texted Lea when I got outside, because I didn’t want her to worry, and I knew she and Conner would come home when she read the message.

We walked through the snow in silence.  The only sound in the streets was the sounds of our shoes crushing the snow beneath us.

When we reached the apartment, Shane went in first and searched all the rooms, while he made me stay in the front hallway.  When he felt that Carl Sumpton was not hiding somewhere, we raided the refrigerator.

Shane settled on making pancakes, while I jumped in the shower to wash the night’s show off.  When the hot water ran cold, I jumped out, wrapped myself in a towel, and walked out into the kitchen.

The spatula fell to the floor splattering pancake batter all over.  Shane’s eyes widened, “Pancakes are almost ready,” he whispered.

“There should be more hot water in about five minutes, if you want to jump in the shower,” I said.

He turned the burners on the stove off and lifted his shirt over his head.  My body hummed.  Every single nerve ending trembled with want.

He gave me a crooked smile, “Why Grace?  You think I’m dirty?”  He walked towards me slowly.

“Oh, no, Shane, I’m betting on you being filthy,” I teased.

He moved closer until I could feel his sweet warm breath on my face.  My body wanted to lurch forward into his arms and be over with it.  Just one night with Shane, get it out of my system and then I’d leave.  I’d leave and find Azazel and ask him to help me end my eternity.

The front door opened, spilling voices into the apartment.  Shane’s expression turned desperate with longing.  I turned away, walked into my room, closed the door, leaning against it and exhaling the breath that I’d been holding in.  I couldn’t even begin to understand the hold that Shane had over me. It terrified me and it made me hate myself.  I didn’t want to be the same as all those other girls and I was.  I changed into a simple pair of jeans and tank top and made my way to where everyone seemed to be.

Lea had invited a few people from the bar and they were all hanging out eating Shane’s pancakes when I ventured in.  Shane sat on the arm of the couch laughing with Ethan when I came in.  His expression softened when he saw me, and my heart ached.  How I wish that I could really be Grace and not know what heaven felt like.

Within a few minutes, Shane made his way towards me and placed his hand on the small of my back.  I didn’t flinch, I didn’t move away, and I leaned into him.  I wanted him to think that Grace would have loved him, because she would have.  And I made up my mind that, in the morning I was leaving, and nothing would stop me.