The Falling of Love (The Falling Series Book 1) Read online

  He kisses both of her cheeks, then her forehead, down the bridge of her nose, and stops at her lips, where he uses his to pull on hers.

  “Stop trying to butter me up, Mister.”

  “Never. I know your ways, Gracie. I know the way to your heart.”

  Unable to resist him, she leans into their kiss and plunges her tongue into his mouth as she folds her arms around his neck.

  As they drive home from school later that day, Ian sings heartfelt lyrics to a new song he just finished writing about Grace. Moved by the sincere words he sings, she becomes lost in her thoughts. It is almost as if Ian is three different people. When he sings he changes into Ian, the rock star. The moment he takes on this persona, she melts for him and she is pretty sure other girls would, too. Even at such a young age, he exudes a sexual aura. The Ian that others see is tough, sometimes rude, and a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Then there is the Ian that Grace sees on a daily basis, who is romantic, amazingly caring, thoughtful, and loving. This Ian would lay his life on the line to save Grace’s if need be. This Ian loves her just as much as she loves him. She is certain of this. This Ian says things to her that girls only dream boys would. This is her Ian, her sweet, sweet, loving Ian.

  After Ian finishes his song, she says, “You’re simply amazing.”

  He shrugs. “I don’t know about that, but I know I love what I do.” He laughs and says, “And I don’t mean workin’ at Tony’s.”

  He lays his hand on her upper thigh and squeezes it gently, without taking his eyes off the road. He keeps it there the entire drive home. This simple gesture says so much to Grace. It says that he cannot keep his hands off her. It says that he wants to show her that he loves her. The signs he gives are loud and clear.

  As Ian lies in bed, visions of Grace running through his mind, he’s overwhelmed with an aching need to see her. To touch her. To kiss her sweet lips. Tossing and turning he tries to push these thoughts away. He knows that not only would James be angry if he found out he snuck upstairs, but that Grace would probably be a little disappointed as well.

  After James agreed to let Ian move in, he set up Ian in the spare room downstairs by the kitchen, far away from Grace’s bedroom. Even though Ian understands James’s house rules and he has done his best to live by them, there have been a few times that he or Grace would slip into the other’s room at night while the rest of the house slept.

  Tonight is one of those nights where Ian just wants to see Grace. After an hour of uneasy rest, thinking only about her, Ian can no longer take it. He quietly slinks up the stairs to Grace’s room. As he tiptoes across the old wood floors, he arrives at Michelle’s door to make sure she isn’t up late on the telephone. Silence. His stomach twists as his intentions grow hot inside the pit of his stomach.

  “Gracie?” he whispers, as he quietly pushes her door open.

  Grace stirs in her bed. “What’s wrong?” she asks in a tired voice.

  “Nothing, I just miss you.”

  He sits on the edge of her bed and does not say anything for a few moments.

  Grace sits up. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Like I said, I just miss you.”

  Grace scoots over in her bed and pats the empty space next to her.

  “You sure?” he asks, unsure if he should get into the bed with her.

  She nods and pats the bed again. Ian climbs in and wraps his arms around her.

  “I love you so much. I can’t even imagine how I lived before, without you in my life. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  “I feel the same way, Ian. I never gave much thought to falling in love. I always just did what teenagers are supposed to do: go to school, joined the cheer team, and did my chores. All that seems so stupid now that I have you. None of it matters anymore. Well, except my chores.” She laughs.

  Grace moans when Ian kisses her softly on her neck and he moves his hand up and down her side.

  “I’ve had girlfriends before, but I never felt like I do with you.” His words are breathy and his breathing is heavier. “It never ached to not be near them like it does when I’m away from you. When I’m at work, or we’re in different classes, my heart, like freakin’ aches for you. Physical pain, Gracie. Right here,” he says, pointing to his chest.

  “Ian?” she asks, quietly. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

  “You can always ask me anything, babe.”

  She turns to face him. Their bodies are so close together now that the heat of his skin radiates from him. “Have you ever, um, have you ever?”

  Ian puts his finger over her lips to quiet her. “Yeah. Last year,” he whispers.

  Grace’s eyes grow wide, and a little part of her heart breaks. “Oh,” she says, lowering her eyes.

  “I was sixteen and I had a girlfriend who was a little older than me. She was not a virgin, if you catch my drift.”

  Disappointment and a bit of envy take over her emotions. “I see,” she says, shrewdly.

  “Baby, I’m sorry. That’s my past though. You can’t hold that against me.”

  Grace puts her head on Ian’s shoulder and sighs. “I just wanted, well…I thought I would be your first, and you would be mine.”

  Ian pulls her tightly to him. “Gracie, I love you more than I have ever loved anything or anyone in my whole entire life. You will be the first girl I ever make love to, I can promise you that.”

  His words do little to comfort her.

  “So,” he says, cautiously, “you’ve thought about us, and doing it?”

  Grace is grateful the lights are out so he doesn’t see that she has turned about one hundred shades of red. She does not answer right away, and she appreciates how he allows her to remain quiet, not pushing her into speaking.

  After a moment she presses her face into his neck. “Yes,” she says, softly into his skin.

  He pulls her tighter against him. “Me too.”

  “I started taking birth control, Ian. I got it two weeks ago,” she says, nervously.

  He gently kisses her on the forehead, showing his approval.

  The respect she has for him grows. She appreciates that he did not rush her into having sex with him. His honesty and sincerity only increase her love for him.

  Grace is sitting on the couch watching television when James comes home from being gone for a few days. She pops up off the couch and runs to hug him. Their affection for each other is immense. They have been through so many difficult times together and so many happy times, as well. She is beyond delighted that he is home.

  “Where is everyone?” asks James, as he pulls off his flannel jacket and hangs it on the coat rack that sits just inside the doorway.

  “Ian is at work, Missy is sleeping, and well, I’m right here,” she says, with a cute smile.

  James sits in his chair and pries off his boots. He looks exhausted, but Grace can see there is also something troubling him. His eyebrows are tightly knitted together and he keeps staring at her with his lips scrunched up to the side.

  “How are things going with me not being home?”

  “They’re great, except we really miss you,” Grace says, as she sits on the couch and folds her legs underneath herself.

  “And…are things with Ian getting serious?” he asks. His concern for her is all over his face.

  “I love him so much, James!” she exclaims out of nowhere. “He is so good to me. He makes me laugh, and we talk for hours, like we never run out of things to talk about. We never argue! He’s the perfect boyfriend and, James, he’s brilliant! You have to hear his songs!” she gushes.

  James takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly as he leans back into his chair and folds his hands together, resting them on his stomach. “I can see that you feel very strongly for him. I just worry.”

  Grace’s feelings turn from elated to frightened in an instant. “Are you going to make him move out?”

  “No, no, I’m not. Calm down. I’m just concerned. You’re stil
l extremely young. You’re only seventeen years old. You’re too young to be a housewife.”

  “James, I’m the furthest from a housewife than I could ever be. What are you saying?”

  “I’m just voicing my concern, which I have every right to do. I just want you to take it slow and…” He pauses for a moment. “And I want you to be smart. You’re an intelligent girl. You have goals in life and you don’t need to get pregnant and ruin your future. There will be absolutely no having sex with him if you want to live under this roof…” He pauses again. “If you have sex, he has to move out.” With those words, James rises off the couch, kisses a speechless Grace on the head, and heads for his bedroom.

  What the hell was that about, she wonders, as she sits on the couch, stunned. She realizes that her brother is just trying to protect her, same as he always has and always will. Did he really think I’d stay a virgin forever? She laughs aloud. Surely he didn’t believe that. She smiles to herself because she cannot imagine how hard that conversation was for him. She envisions him driving in his big rig, rehearsing what he would say, and it makes her giggle even more.

  The front door opens and Ian walks in.

  Grace jumps off the couch to greet him. “You look absolutely exhausted,” she says, as she helps him take off his coat.

  He smiles, grabs her by the waist, and kisses her deeply. “God I missed you!” he breathes.

  “Are you hungry?” she asks, as she nestles up against him.

  “Starving!”

  “Your plate is in the oven. I kept it warm for you.”

  Ian nods and then walks toward the kitchen after kissing the top of her head. Grace laughs and wonders if maybe she is just a little more housewife-ish than she cares to admit.

  “Christmastime in Ocean View is something special, Ian,” says Grace, as they walk arm in arm headed for the town square.

  Ian pulls her closer to him and wraps his arms around her to try and warm her. “It’s freezing Grace,” he says, as he shivers.

  She snuggles her head into his chest and smiles looking up at him. Her smile reaches inside of him and warms every bone in his body. Her excitement about going to watch the Christmas festivities downtown takes hold of him, and the twinkle of happiness that gleams in her eyes fills him with joy. Ian is frozen to the bone because he insisted on putting his jacket on Grace, even though she already had a sweater on.

  “Has your mother tried to call you?” she asks, timidly.

  “No.”

  It makes him uncomfortable to talk about his mother. Feelings of abandonment creep into his soul at the thought of her. Ever since his father banned him from going home, Ian waited for his mother to sneak a phone call or to stop by Grace’s to see him, but she never called and she never came by. He hates the sadness that washes over Grace’s face after he answers her. He knows that it hurts her to see him hurting. He tries to put up a front and pretend like he does not care. The look on her face tells him that she knows better.

  Ian offers nothing more in the way of words about either his family or spending Christmas with them. This isn’t the first time he has brushed Grace off. Every time Grace brings up the subject, Ian changes it. The cross look on his face tells her that even if she tries, he will not want to talk about it. She can tell that it deeply hurts him, but she does not want to pressure him into discussing it.

  They arrive at the town square and the sad feelings from before quickly disappear. It is as if the light of the small town fill her heart with hope.

  In the center of the park sits the gazebo that they frequent. It is covered in white lights that seem to illuminate the entire square. Snow lightly falls from the sky as the choir sings their Christmas carol. Ian pulls Grace tighter to his body, and she beams with delight as they enjoy the events.

  “Isn’t it wonderful!” She smiles.

  She can see that even though he is trying to play it off, that his mood has changed. The way he looks at her, with one corner of his smooth lips pulled up to the side in a sly smile, and his blue eyes twinkling in the soft glow of the winter night, tells her that he is happy. All his cares seem to have gone away with the sound of the chorus. She could not ask to be more filled with joy than she is in this moment.

  Early the next morning, cold, and dark outside, Ian is jarred awake by shrieks from Michelle coming down the hall.

  “Time to get up ya lazy bones! It’s present time!” Michelle howls.

  The thud of feet rushing down the stairs makes Ian sit up in bed and rub his eyes.

  Grace opens Ian’s door. “Wake up, sleepy head, it’s Christmas morning!”

  Ian cannot recall a time in his life where his family actually woke up early for Christmas, let alone had any kind of decent Christmas day. He stumbles out of bed and walks into the living room. Christmas music plays on the stereo. The smell of cinnamon and sugar cookie candles wafts into his nose. Michelle eagerly waves him to sit by her next to the Christmas tree. James sits in his usual spot on his easy chair with a huge grin on his face. There is barely a spot left on the living room floor to sit due to all the gifts.

  “Okay, so last year we did oldest to youngest, so this year youngest to oldest,” James says.

  “Oh, that means me!” says Michelle, as she searches for a gift. “Ian, this one is for you. See, since I’m the youngest I get to play Santa first!”

  Ian is overwhelmed by the moment. He glances at Grace, and she gives him a reassuring nod.

  “Go on, open it!” James says, waving his hand at him.

  Ian does not know what to do at first. Gifts were things rarely given to him growing up and practically never in his teen years. The only gifts he was used to receiving were secret ones he would exchange with his siblings. They had to be careful that their father did not catch them exchanging the gifts or displaying them once they were given. He looks around the room and all eyes are on him as he sits there dumbfounded with the present in his hand.

  “Open it, silly!” Grace shouts.

  “Wait, first you have to say who it’s from,” says Michelle.

  Ian looks at the gift tag. “It’s from James,” Ian says, timidly. He opens the gift slowly to discover that it is sheet music. Ian knows it may seem like such a small present to most, but for him it captures the entire concept of family. “Thank you, man!”

  James gives Ian a warm smile and a slow nod of his head which fills him with joy.

  They continue to open the mass amount of gifts spread under the Christmas tree. Everyone’s wishes and some they did not even think of, have been granted.

  Michelle is lying amidst the torn wrapping paper looking as though she has passed out. James gnaws on some beef jerky the girls got for him, and Grace just stares at Ian. I never dreamed I could feel like this.

  “James?” she asks, quietly. “Don’t we have one more gift for Ian?”

  James gets an immense grin on his face and says, “Well, you might just be right about that. Hmm, I wonder where it is?”

  Ian looks shocked. “More?”

  “Just one tiny thing,” Grace says.

  With these words, Michelle pops up out of her Christmas coma. “Ha, it’s in the garage, Ian! Don’t let them mess with you like that.”

  James rises from his chair and motions for them to walk to the coat rack. They all gather up their coats, put them on, and head outside to the garage. On the garage door is a giant red and green ribbon. On an oversized tag, in Grace’s writing are the words: To: Ian, With Love, The Hathaway Family. Ian looks puzzled.

  “You got me a garage?” he asks, jokingly.

  “Oh, just open the door, stupid!” says Michelle. She nudges Ian in the arm gently.

  Ian opens the door and gasps. In the middle of the garage is a black baby grand piano. Off to the side are a microphone and some type of recording devices. Ian gets light on his feet, and Grace has to put her arms around him to keep him steady.

  “Wha…” he gasps.

  “Merry Christmas!” they all say in harmony.r />
  “This is…this is too much,” he mutters.

  “No, man, it’s not too much,” says James laying his arm around Ian’s shoulders, “my sister never shuts up about what an incredible musician you are and I honestly didn’t need your rent money, so here you go. Amaze me!”

  After eating their Christmas feast, Grace sits next to Ian at the piano. She waits patiently as he thumbs through sheet music, looking for a familiar song to play. No words pass between them as he stumbles through a few chords of the first song he chooses from the book.

  “It’s been a while since I’ve played.”

  “It will come back to you,” she says.

  His fingers randomly press keys. “I’m so stoked. Your family….you,” he says, shaking his head in disbelief.

  Grace pulls his face to hers, and she kisses him for a lengthy moment. He grabs her waist and pulls her closer to his body, kissing her harder. As they are kissing, dampness on his cheek startles her. She pulls away from him and opens her eyes. Ian has tears streaming down his face.

  Looking into his eyes she softly wipes his tears away. “You’re our family now. This is where you belong. Don’t ever question it. Don’t ever feel you don’t deserve it, because you do. We love you so much.”

  Ian looks confused by her statement. “But all I got you was an easel and some stupid paint brushes,” he says, with guilt on his face.

  “That’s silly,” she says. “You gave me your heart, and that is the best gift anyone has ever given me.”

  Chapter 7

  They lie in bed together, both chilled by the frozen world outside. Ian watches out the window as snow drifts from the sky. Grace sleeps peacefully in his arms. He cannot help but stare at her. She is the most gorgeous creature he has ever laid his eyes on. He thinks back to the first time he saw her, peering up at him in math class. It is hard for him to believe that was only three short months ago. How did I fall so hard and so fast? He pulls her tighter, and it causes her to wake.