Loving Graydon: Chapter 9
Graydon says goodbye to Christella. This is the end of part one.
Wow what can I say, I was in two minds about this chapter, but it had to happen it sets the tone for the rest of the story...please comment and above all enjoy****
I watched him as he got out of the brand new BMW that he had received as a graduation present. I tried to form a memory of him, the golden hair, the contours of his face, and those green eyes that had always held me captive. He looked up and saw me watching him; I started walking down the porch steps hating how my legs felt unstable. I met him at the car "So you're all set" I said
"This is my last stop before I head off" he nodded
"Then this is it," I murmured shakily
"I guess it is" he leaned against the car and then his eyes shifted to the house as James and Jenny came out to say goodbye "Hey Lucas's"
Jenny shook her head as she fought to control the tears even James looked like he was going to be slightly sick, a sure sign that he was finding it hard to control his emotions.
"Don't cry Jenny" Graydon comforted as he took my sister into his arms "See not even Christella is crying" he looked at me over Jenny's head that was pressed tightly against his chest
"Promise you'll visit" James croaked and then coughed trying to clear his throat
"I promise" Graydon nodded and then James was pulling him into a tight hug "You'll do great son, I couldn't be prouder you know that" He straightened "Now if you need anything, if you want us to come and visit all you have to do is call"
Graydon nodded his face straining against the emotion "Thank you for everything"
"No, thank you" Jenny cried as she rushed back into his arms, James had to pull her away and take her inside.
"Sorry about that" I told him
"I consider them family" he looked at me "it was just as hard to say goodbye to my own family"
I wanted it to be over, I wanted him gone so that the healing could begin. Him standing here looking every bit as handsome as the first day he had taken my transfer card out of my hand was killing me "Goodbye Graydon" I said hoping to sound sure of myself, trying to cover up for the fact that my legs were about to give way, hoping that my voice would cover up the noise of my heart breaking. Can you hear that? It's the sound of my heart breaking. And cue the montage I said to myself as every moment we had spent together rose up in defiance against what was happening.
"Can I kiss you Christella, one last time" He didn't wait for my answer only pulled me to him and brought his mouth swiftly down on mine, I cried out against the force of that last kiss. "Remember Me," he whispered hoarsely into my ear "I love you"
I remember you my mind screamed as he drove off, I remember your lips against mine, I remember the feel of your hand on my waist, the way you looked at me as I lay in your arms, your smell, I can still smell you, I still love you.
And he was gone, just like that he was gone, and he would never know how I felt about him. I turned back to the house, "Well Banks" I said to myself "time to pick up the pieces"
But I wasn't ready to do that just yet. Crying seemed to fit the occasion and that's what I did, I cried all the time, silently in my room as I stared out of the window the memories of him keeping me awake, I even cried in my mind as I sat at the dinner table, as I danced at a party, I cried all the time only no one saw.
After the crying had subsided I boxed away the little things he had given me, I put the photos in the photo album and I closed the chapter on Graydon Mays.
To me life was waiting and as much as I loved Graydon and as much as it still hurt, I knew the day would come when I could look back on our love and smile. It was this knowledge that helped me survive those two years. It also helped that I had conveniently been out every time he visited James and Jenny, it would have hurt too much, and it wouldn't have changed anything.
Graydon had been right about one thing, the two years we had been apart did go by in a blur and all too soon I was standing in front of the house with a crying Jenny and Anne.
"I think she should do home schooling" Maxwell growled as he tried to suppress his emotions. I smiled as I hugged him. "Goodbye Max"
"Chrissie" he clasped my face in between his hands and an image of Graydon's face clouded my mind, I quickly suppressed it and put on a brave face "I'll be fine, I promise"
"I'm getting too old for this" Graydon senior huffed as I came to stand in front of him "Now my dear, you take care of yourself, you have people counting on you to keep yourself safe, including me" he smiled and embraced me. Graydon senior had spent the past year lecturing me on the high crime rate at varsity campuses, he had also suggested a bodyguard, an invisible one he assured me, "you won't even know he's there" he told me now trying his luck for the last time, "or better yet you could just work at the firm, what do you need a degree for?"
"Graydon leave the poor girl alone" Georgiana snapped and pulled me so that I was standing in front of her "You enjoy it Christella" she ordered "this is the beginning of the rest of your life" she wiped a tear from her eye "But that doesn't mean that I won't miss you, my old heart can't bear to see you leave" she shrugged "but I understand better than my husband"
"Anne" I murmured as I hugged the petite woman "Look after them for me" I looked at James and Jenny. "We will" Max said as he came to stand beside his crying wife
"It's just an hour away people" I reminded them, I turned to James and Jenny "Well guys any final words of wisdom" I hugged them both, we had already said our goodbyes inside and it had been traumatic to say the least.
I stood at the open door of my brand new Mercedes "Well family this is it" I looked at all of them "I'll visit tons, and I'll write" I promised Georgiana.
"Just get out of here" Graydon Senior shouted over the purr of the engine "before we change our minds" My heart twisted as yet another memory of Graydon flooded my mind. I got into the car and reversed out of the drive. One last stop I told myself as I headed off to pick up Kate and Mandy who were coming with me and then I'm off. Famous last words I mused wryly as I drove down my street for what felt like the last time.
END OF PART ONE
I watched him as he got out of the brand new BMW that he had received as a graduation present. I tried to form a memory of him, the golden hair, the contours of his face, and those green eyes that had always held me captive. He looked up and saw me watching him; I started walking down the porch steps hating how my legs felt unstable. I met him at the car "So you're all set" I said
"This is my last stop before I head off" he nodded
"Then this is it," I murmured shakily
"I guess it is" he leaned against the car and then his eyes shifted to the house as James and Jenny came out to say goodbye "Hey Lucas's"
Jenny shook her head as she fought to control the tears even James looked like he was going to be slightly sick, a sure sign that he was finding it hard to control his emotions.
"Don't cry Jenny" Graydon comforted as he took my sister into his arms "See not even Christella is crying" he looked at me over Jenny's head that was pressed tightly against his chest
"Promise you'll visit" James croaked and then coughed trying to clear his throat
"I promise" Graydon nodded and then James was pulling him into a tight hug "You'll do great son, I couldn't be prouder you know that" He straightened "Now if you need anything, if you want us to come and visit all you have to do is call"
Graydon nodded his face straining against the emotion "Thank you for everything"
"No, thank you" Jenny cried as she rushed back into his arms, James had to pull her away and take her inside.
"Sorry about that" I told him
"I consider them family" he looked at me "it was just as hard to say goodbye to my own family"
I wanted it to be over, I wanted him gone so that the healing could begin. Him standing here looking every bit as handsome as the first day he had taken my transfer card out of my hand was killing me "Goodbye Graydon" I said hoping to sound sure of myself, trying to cover up for the fact that my legs were about to give way, hoping that my voice would cover up the noise of my heart breaking. Can you hear that? It's the sound of my heart breaking. And cue the montage I said to myself as every moment we had spent together rose up in defiance against what was happening.
"Can I kiss you Christella, one last time" He didn't wait for my answer only pulled me to him and brought his mouth swiftly down on mine, I cried out against the force of that last kiss. "Remember Me," he whispered hoarsely into my ear "I love you"
I remember you my mind screamed as he drove off, I remember your lips against mine, I remember the feel of your hand on my waist, the way you looked at me as I lay in your arms, your smell, I can still smell you, I still love you.
And he was gone, just like that he was gone, and he would never know how I felt about him. I turned back to the house, "Well Banks" I said to myself "time to pick up the pieces"
But I wasn't ready to do that just yet. Crying seemed to fit the occasion and that's what I did, I cried all the time, silently in my room as I stared out of the window the memories of him keeping me awake, I even cried in my mind as I sat at the dinner table, as I danced at a party, I cried all the time only no one saw.
After the crying had subsided I boxed away the little things he had given me, I put the photos in the photo album and I closed the chapter on Graydon Mays.
To me life was waiting and as much as I loved Graydon and as much as it still hurt, I knew the day would come when I could look back on our love and smile. It was this knowledge that helped me survive those two years. It also helped that I had conveniently been out every time he visited James and Jenny, it would have hurt too much, and it wouldn't have changed anything.
Graydon had been right about one thing, the two years we had been apart did go by in a blur and all too soon I was standing in front of the house with a crying Jenny and Anne.
"I think she should do home schooling" Maxwell growled as he tried to suppress his emotions. I smiled as I hugged him. "Goodbye Max"
"Chrissie" he clasped my face in between his hands and an image of Graydon's face clouded my mind, I quickly suppressed it and put on a brave face "I'll be fine, I promise"
"I'm getting too old for this" Graydon senior huffed as I came to stand in front of him "Now my dear, you take care of yourself, you have people counting on you to keep yourself safe, including me" he smiled and embraced me. Graydon senior had spent the past year lecturing me on the high crime rate at varsity campuses, he had also suggested a bodyguard, an invisible one he assured me, "you won't even know he's there" he told me now trying his luck for the last time, "or better yet you could just work at the firm, what do you need a degree for?"
"Graydon leave the poor girl alone" Georgiana snapped and pulled me so that I was standing in front of her "You enjoy it Christella" she ordered "this is the beginning of the rest of your life" she wiped a tear from her eye "But that doesn't mean that I won't miss you, my old heart can't bear to see you leave" she shrugged "but I understand better than my husband"
"Anne" I murmured as I hugged the petite woman "Look after them for me" I looked at James and Jenny. "We will" Max said as he came to stand beside his crying wife
"It's just an hour away people" I reminded them, I turned to James and Jenny "Well guys any final words of wisdom" I hugged them both, we had already said our goodbyes inside and it had been traumatic to say the least.
I stood at the open door of my brand new Mercedes "Well family this is it" I looked at all of them "I'll visit tons, and I'll write" I promised Georgiana.
"Just get out of here" Graydon Senior shouted over the purr of the engine "before we change our minds" My heart twisted as yet another memory of Graydon flooded my mind. I got into the car and reversed out of the drive. One last stop I told myself as I headed off to pick up Kate and Mandy who were coming with me and then I'm off. Famous last words I mused wryly as I drove down my street for what felt like the last time.
END OF PART ONE
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