Free Fall From Grace by Christine Zolendz Page A

sneaky, and much more dangerous than someone like Shane, who would tell you straight out that what he wanted was nothing more than sex.
    I’d go to dinner with him and that would be it, his chance was over.  I should have known after that first gut wrenching kiss; he wasn’t the one I’d been searching for.
    Tucker purposely drove slowly.  Making small talk.  Weather, the band audition, and his law firm.  When he finally pulled up to my apartment, he kissed me quickly goodnight on my cheek and apologized again.
    Conner and Lea were curled up on the couch when I walked in.  Shane and Ethan were sitting across from each other tossing a ball.
    Shane straightened up when I walked in slamming the door behind me.
    “Hey,” I nodded to the room.
    Lea gave me a smile thick with implications, “Hey, yourself.  Where did you and Tucker go?”
    I paused in the doorway, taking off my coat.  “He took me for a ride in his car.”  I looked at Lea, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
    She jumped up with concern in her eyes and followed me into my room.  I closed the door behind her and leaned up against it.
    “Okay, what’s going on?”
    “I’m going out to dinner with Tucker on Wednesday night,” I began.  Lea’s face burst into happy laughter and she clapped her hands together.
    “Yea!  I knew one of these hotties would...”
    “Lea, I’m going to need you to help me figure out something to tell him to get him off my back,” I cut her off.
    Her smile faded and anger replaced it, “What did he do?”
    I burst out laughing. “Nothing to me. Well, he literally tried to rip my pants off me,” I showed her my busted jeans and she laughed along with me.
    “Lea, I’m sorry.  I know you wanted me to like him, so I tried to give him a chance.  He was awful.  He was like an octopus; his hands were all over me, telling me about how he thinks he found the perfect girl for his house in Long Island.  I tried, but he’s not the one for me.”
    Lea crossed her arms across her chest.  “Nobody is the one for you, Grace.  And what I want is to get you laid. I’m not asking you to get married to anyone.”
    I cringed.  “Well, the thought of Tucker kissing me again makes me want to wash my mouth out with rubbing alcohol.  Thank you very much.”
    “Ugh.  That bad, huh?”
    I nodded.  “Not everyone is a Conner!  Do you remember Harry McAllen in tenth grade?  How we all dared you to kiss him at Traci’s party.  And when you did, he vomited from drinking the wine coolers we snuck in right, into your...”
    “OKAY!  Okay,” she cut me off, waving her hands in front of her.  “Don’t remind me of that!  Okay, I understand.  But, Grace I just think that you are wasting your life by waiting for something that isn’t...”
    “Real?” I looked up at her.  “He’s real Lea. He’s more real to me than you are standing right in front of me.”
    She sighed.  “Okay, Grace.  I get the point.”  She opened the door, and turned to look at me again, “But, can’t you just think of it as practice for when Mr. Wonderful shows up?  Really Grace, what if he’s not the same person when you find him?”
    My expression must have been bad, because she immediately apologized and ran to hug me.  “I’m sorry, Grace, I just don’t want you to waste your life.”  She walked out of my room not even able to look at me again and closing the door behind her.
    I reached for the knob to go after her, but I stopped when I heard voices in the hallway.  “Is she okay?” a mumbled voice asked.
    “She’s better than anybody I know. She just wants to alone, literally,” Lea answered the voice.  I couldn’t tell who she was speaking to, but really why would I care?
    Lea couldn’t understand; why would she?  How could she?  All she knows is this.  She can never comprehend what it is I have seen, felt, and have branded on my soul.
    I needed to run to clear my head, thoughts of me leaving here for good