Fallen From Grace

by Heather D'Agostino

  How was she ever going to be just friends with somebody that she wanted so much more with?

  Chapter 2

  When they got back to the dorm, Grace trudged up the front steps hoping that she wouldn’t walk in on anything that she didn’t want to see in the Commons area. That particular area was usually empty this time of night, and Hannah had seemed to be using that to her advantage lately. She had confided in Grace that Matt was going to come to the playoffs if they made it in. Grace secretly wondered if she’d room with her, and if she’d try to get her to cover for her and sneak out. Hannah never admitted that she snuck out of their room, but Grace knew she had in the past.

  The closer she got to the front door, the more her anxiety rose thinking about Greg behind her. He had kept quiet the entire walk back to the dorms. Other than offering to carry her bag for her, they really hadn’t talked.

  “You know…my frat is having a party next week. You wanna go?” he suddenly blurted out.

  “Umm,” Grace’s mouth went dry as she searched for words. A fraternity party wasn’t really her scene.

  “You know…it would give us a chance to hang out…as friends,” he shrugged as she turned to look over her shoulder at him.

  “Sure,” she sighed. “What time is it? I can meet you there.”

  “Oh no you don’t. I’ll come and get you. I don’t want you walking across campus at night, by yourself,” he shook his head and rolled his eyes.

  Grace smiled to herself as she saw his expression change from flirty to protective. Greg Neely wasn’t as much of a dick as he pretended to be at times.

  Once they reached the front steps leading up to her dorm, she reached back to grab her bag from him, “This is me. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” he wrinkled his brow at her.

  “Yeah…soccer practice. We have the playoffs to get ready for,” she shrugged and rolled her eyes at him.

  “Yeah…playoffs. I’ll let you know about the party tomorrow. I’ve got to get the details from my brothers. It’s going to be Friday night, that’s all I know right now,” he turned and began to head toward the stairs. “See you tomorrow.”

  When she turned back to face the door, she took a deep breath and shoved it open with a little more force than she intended.

  “Hannah…I’m coming in,” Grace called as she rounded the corner where several couches lined the walls. A TV was at one end, and a table that was usually used for playing cards was at the other.

  When she rounded the corner, all Grace saw was Matt’s back as he hovered over Hannah.

  “Ahhh, why didn’t you warn me?” she squealed as she turned her back to them.

  “We’ve got our clothes on,” Hannah giggled as Matt released a groan.

  When Grace turned around, Hannah had shoved Matt playfully to the other end of the sofa they were on.

  “Gracelynn, you can’t tell me you’ve never “made out” with a guy,” Matt huffed at her as he scowled.

  “Well…ugh,” Grace shook her head at them. “I still don’t want to see you two dry humping on the couch right in front of me.”

  “You missed the good stuff,” Matt grinned as Hannah smacked him in the back of the head.

  “Time’s up, buddy,” Hannah giggled. “I need time with my roommate.”

  Matt stuck his lip out in a pout, “I see how it is…you only want me for my body.”

  “That’s right,” she grinned at him, “Now get out!”

  Matt pulled himself off the couch and adjusted his shirt and jeans before heading to the door.

  “I’ll see you Friday,” he called over his shoulder before slipping out the door.

  “Friday?” Grace glanced back at Hannah.

  “Yeah, we’re going on a date,” Hannah sagged back on the couch and tossed her arm over her eyes. “Speaking of dates, how was your date?”

  “It wasn’t a date,” Grace shook her head as she kicked at the carpet and began to head for the stairs. “Let’s go up to the room.”

  “What do you mean?” Hannah turned her head to the side and wrinkled her nose at Grace as she stood to follow her upstairs.

  “We went out for pizza, ate it at the park…he kissed me,” Grace rolled her eyes as she heard Hannah gasp. “Then he told me he just wants to “have fun” nothing serious.”

  “What a jerk!” Hannah scowled.

  “I know, but the sick thing is…I still want to be around him. Hannah, he is so hot, and he doesn’t always act like a jerk,” Grace sighed in frustration as they entered the room, and she flopped on her bed.

  “What are you talking about? I thought you wanted a relationship,” Hannah huffed as she turned toward Grace.

  “I do...and I think that this might turn into one if I just give it time. I mean…when we were hanging out, he would go from an egotistical jerk to a sweet guy and then back again. Keeping up with his emotions and attitude is a lot of work,” Grace sighed as she glanced at Hannah. “I wanna give him a chance, and if being friends first is what it takes, I think I’m willing to try.”

  “I understand. Matt and I were friends first,” she snickered as she looked away.

  “What?” Grace pushed up on her elbows to look at her.

  “He kissed you, huh?” Hannah grinned.

  “Yeah, and wow,” Grace flopped back. “I wouldn’t mind more of that.”

  “So, what’s the next step in your plan to seduce him?” Hannah giggled.

  “Seduce him?” Grace rubbed her fingers on her temples to try to still all the thoughts running through her head at the moment.

  “Yeah, you know…convince him that he wants more than friendship with you?” Hannah nudged her in the ribs.

  “Well…he invited me to a party on Friday. I guess I’ll start with that,” Grace shrugged.

  “Let me pick out your clothes,” Hannah begged.

  “What…you want to dress me up like Barbie?” Grace’s brows climbed into her hairline.

  “Grace…you are a beautiful person and I love you like a sister, but you never dress yourself up,” Hannah shook her head.

  “Fine,” Grace relented. “If Hannah Montgomery thinks she can help me grab Greg Neely’s attention…go for it,” she huffed.

  “Yes!” Hannah bounced on the bed. “Poor Greg is not going to know what hit him.”

  ooooooooo

  When Friday finally arrived Grace was a nervous wreck. Other than soccer practice, she hadn’t seen Greg all week. She didn’t know if he was avoiding her or what, but it only added to her nerves.

  When she arrived back at the dorms that afternoon, Hannah was waiting for her. As she entered their room, Hannah bounced up off the bed and came rushing up to her. Hannah had clothes everywhere in the room. Several outfits had been laid out on Grace’s bed, and shoes littered the floor.

  “I’ve got a couple of things for you to choose from,” Hannah waved her arms behind her indicating the mess. “This one,” she pointed at her bed, “is my favorite though.”

  When Grace walked over to Hannah’s bed, she swallowed the lump in her throat. The outfit that Hannah liked was sexier than anything that Grace had ever worn.

  “Hannah,” Grace sighed “I don’t know about that.”

  “Oh come on…live a little,” Hannah giggled. “I’m sure Greg will like it.”

  Upon closer examination, she saw that the outfit consisted of Hannah’s clothes, not hers.

  “Um Hannah, that’s your skirt. You are aware that I’m significantly taller than you, right?” Grace sighed.

  She had placed a black pleated skirt with a short-sleeved red sweater on the bed. The skirt was supposed to hit above the knee. Hannah was five-foot two. Grace was five-foot nine. She knew by looking at the skirt that it was going to fit her like a mini.

  “That’s why you’re going to wear these with it,” she pointed to a pair of black knee boots.

  “I don’t want to look like a hooker!” Grace squealed.

  “You won’t. Just try it, pl
ease?” Hannah begged.

  Deciding that she could always change, Grace nodded, and began to put on the outfit. Hannah was right - she looked hot.

  “See, I was right,” Hannah giggled. “You look amazing!”

  “Yeah, ok,” Grace shrugged. “I do look pretty good.”

  “Pretty good?” Hannah huffed.

  “Ok, pretty great,” Grace giggled as Hannah pushed her to sit down and handed her a brush.

  The red sweater was clinging to Grace’s bust, offering the look that she had more up there than her B sized chest. The black skirt skimmed against her thighs a good four inches above her knees. The boots were the ticket to sexiness though. They made her already long legs look longer. She smiled at herself as she thought about what Greg would think of her outfit.

  “You don’t think it’s too much?” Grace glanced over her shoulder as she pulled the brush through her hair.

  “No, I think it’s perfect. You’re lucky you can fit in my clothes,” Hannah snickered.

  “I’m just glad that you have something that looks good with my coloring,” she giggled as she tried to decide what to do with her hair.

  Hannah and Grace were complete opposites when it came to looks. Where Hannah was petite, brown hair, and came by a tan easily. Grace was tall, blonde, and the sun gave her more freckles than tan. The only thing they had in common when it came to looks were their blue eyes. Hannah’s were more like a sapphire blue, where Grace’s were more of a greenish blue.

  “Yeah I wear a lot of bold colors,” Hannah shrugged as she grabbed the brush from Grace. “Here, let me help.”

  “How come you’re so good at this?” Grace glanced up at her.

  “I have a sister that used to do this to me all the time. She still does on occasion. I learned from her,” Hannah rolled her eyes as she thought about Katie and how she was always trying to pick out her clothes. “Plus I had to pull out all the stops for tonight. I want you to come home with a boyfriend, or at least a kiss.”

  Grace could feel her face heating with that last statement. “Me too,” she whispered.

  While they had been talking, Grace hadn’t really been paying attention to Hannah. She didn’t know how Hannah did it, but she had turned her hair into a masterpiece. The soft blond locks had been curled and pinned in a half up style. It fell around her shoulders, and curled around her face creating a soft look. It offset the sultry look of the outfit perfectly.

  “There,” Hannah beemed as she stepped back. “He’s not going to know what hit him.”

  As if Greg sensed that Grace was thinking about him, there was a knock at the door.

  “You going to get that?” Hannah nudged her.

  Grace released a breath and stood. “Yeah, I guess I should, huh?”

  When she crept over to the door, she stumbled slightly. Her knees were shaking as she wiped her palms down her skirt. She couldn’t believe how nervous she was. She stood on a field surrounded by thousands of spectators on a weekly basis, but going to this party was bringing her to her knees.

  Once she turned the knob, and stepped back, Greg appeared. He looked like the epitome of perfection. His hair was combed and gelled into place. It wasn’t in its usual disarray from soccer practice. He had on his usual khakis, but had worn a blue button down with them this time. The sleeves were unbuttoned and rolled up to just below his elbows. His muscular arms were clasped together in front of him as he rocked back on his heels.

  “Wow!” he gasped. “You look…wow.”

  “Why, thank you,” Grace grinned back at him as she glanced down at her feet.

  “Are you ready?” he cocked his head to the side. “I figured we’d walk, so you might want to grab a coat. That outfit doesn’t look all that warm.”

  “One sec,” she held up a finger and turned to glance at Hannah. When Hannah saw the panicked look on Grace’s face, she dashed to the closet and returned with her red pea coat. Grace slipped it on, and tied the belt before turning back to Greg.

  “Alright,” she smiled shyly as she began to walk toward him. She could feel the blush finally dissipating from his earlier comment. “I’m ready now.”

  ooooooooo

  Once they walked into the hallway, and the door closed behind them, Greg leaned in, “You are going to put my skills to the test tonight, aren’t you?”

  “What?” she looked up at him confused.

  “I might get in a fight tonight,” he shrugged as if it were common knowledge.

  Still not understanding what he meant, she wrinkled her brow at him.

  “What you’re wearing,” he rolled his eyes. “It’s hot. We’re going to a frat party with lots of drunk guys. They are going to be hitting on you all night.”

  Deciding that this was her chance, she offered a flirty smile, “There’s only one guy that’s going to be at this party who would have a chance. As long as he’s the one flirting, I don’t mind.”

  She put a little bounce in her step as she walked briskly ahead of him. When she heard him release a ragged breath behind her, she giggled to herself. Flirting with Greg was fun, and her plan was working. He definitely liked what she was wearing, and he knew that his “brothers” would, too.

  “Come on slow poke,” Grace joked as she glanced over her shoulder. “I wanna dance.”

  Greg shook his head and jogged to catch up with her. Once he reached her side, he tossed his arm around her shoulders.

  Leaning toward her ear, he whispered, “Promise me one thing tonight, Grace.”

  She glanced in his direction waiting for him to finish.

  “Stick with me tonight. If anybody’s going to be touching you…it’s gonna be me,” he almost growled as he pulled her closer to his body.

  Grace nodded as a tremble ran through her body. He wanted her…bad. Tonight was going to be awesome!!!

  Chapter 3

  When they got to the party, Grace stood wide eyed taking it all in. Even though she was a junior, she was also an athlete on scholarship. She’d never done the partying scene. She was always too concerned with her grades. The fact that she’d never really been invited also had something to do with it.

  Greg led them toward the back of the house where a keg and several bottles of liquor where sitting on a table.

  “You want something to drink?” he shouted over his shoulder above the booming music.

  It was quite loud in the house and most people had to yell over the crowd to talk to one another.

  “Um, sure,” Grace shrugged. She wasn’t really a drinker, but she was really nervous. She figured the alcohol would help, so she drank it willingly.

  Greg turned around and handed her a red solo cup and smiled, “Bottom’s up.”

  She grinned nervously at him as she lifted the cup to her lips. When she swallowed the liquid, it burned her throat creating a fire in its wake. Not wanting to come off as a “nerd”, she smiled as she forced it down.

  Before too long, someone came over, and offered to take her coat. When she untied the belt, and handed it over, she heard several low whistles and catcalls.

  “Damn Girl, you wanna dance?” one drunk guy leaned into her from behind.

  She glanced over to where Greg was talking to one of his brothers and tried to signal to him that she needed help. He must have felt her stare because he turned around and pulled her flush to his side.

  “She’s taken for the night, Riley. Go find someone else to keep you warm,” he growled in the guy’s direction.

  Grace smiled a silent thank you and made sure she stayed next to Greg.

  ooooooooo

  As the night wore on, the alcohol kept flowing, effectively putting Grace in quite the fog. After several drinks, she really couldn’t remember why she was so opposed to drinking in the first place. She was enjoying herself more than she thought she would. Greg, and she had been dancing, pretty provocatively, for most of the night. As others had come by and tried to cut in, Greg always pushed them away. She was finally beginning to relax around him.
As she continued to pour the liquid courage down her throat, things seemed to heat up between them.

  “I really like this skirt,” Greg ran his hand down her back and cupped her butt, giving it a squeeze as he pulled her closer to himself.

  She could feel his excitement pressing against her lower belly as he rubbed against her. At the moment, she was so lost in the feelings that he was creating, she didn’t see the lustful look in his eyes.

  “Let’s go somewhere a little more private,” he whispered as he ran his nose up the side of her face, nuzzling against her.

  Not really understanding what she was agreeing to, Grace nodded as he pulled away and began leading them toward the stairs.

  ooooooooo

  When they reached the top of the stairs, he glanced over his shoulder at her and flashed a wicked grin. Grace wobbled slightly and tripped, giggling as he pulled her toward his chest.

  “You look so hot tonight. I hope you know that,” he groaned as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

  The alcohol mixed with the attraction she had for him made it hard to resist his charms. Grace was a trusting person, and wasn’t worried about the possible signals she was sending. Greg would never do anything to hurt her…right?

  As he melded his mouth to hers, she relaxed into his embrace. The kiss was soft and tentative at first, but soon became heated. Greg pulled back and released a breath, “Oh god Grace.”

  Before she knew what was happening, Greg yanked her arm and stalked in the direction of a door. He opened it, pulled them inside, and closed it behind them. Her innocence of the situation, not to mention the alcohol, blinded Grace to the real reason that they were upstairs in a room by themselves.

  “Greg?” she glanced around, “What are we doing?”

  Instead of answering her, he moved with purpose and pressed another searing kiss to her lips. As the kiss began to build, she once again relaxed into his embrace. It felt good, and the fact that she was drunk was building her confidence.