Narrative - normal

Bonus Chapter 3: 𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂 𝓟𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮 𝓦𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓐 𝓒𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓻𝔂 𝓞𝓷 𝓣𝓸𝓹?

Thursday, May 11th

Gracie and Cory had been hanging out at his house all day. They were watching Netflix, then he jumped in the pool while she just dipped her feet in and they played video games on his new gaming system. By then, it was around dinner time and her parents were texting her asking when she'd be home.

"You hungry?"

"No, I'm good. But thank you, baby."

*stomach growls*

She wrapped her arms around it hoping that he didn't hear that, but Cory was already arching a brow at her.

"You sure about that?" Cory rhetorically asked, gesturing toward her stomach.

"I feel weird eating your food, okay?"

That was the first excuse that popped in her head. The truth was, she'd been feeling extra insecure about her body these days since she and Cory became official. Gracie had body image issues since high school.

Her mom took her to a doctor's appointment and she made a comment about how she gained weight. Gracie overthought that and turned it into an obsessive idea in her head that she needed to be skinnier.

She knew that other, supermodel gorgeous woman would drool over a man like Cory and Kendall only reminded her that he was into hotter girls. No matter how loud her stomach growls, she couldn't eat anything because she feared that she'd become even fatter than she already was.

Her cousin would argue that Gracie was as skinny as shit, but in her own eyes, that wasn't how she saw that.

"I see you munching on your cousin's and aunt's snacks all the time."

"That's different."

"I'll make you grilled cheese." Cory insisted as he was gathering the butter, cheese and bread.

"No, you don't-"

"People need to eat. I don't give a shit if you eat my food."

His heart was thumping wildly against his chest as he was spreading butter on the bread. Cory's palms were moist were sweat and there was lump formed in his throat.

He wanted to ask her. He wanted to wake up next to her and make her favorite breakfast every morning, kiss her on the forehead first thing when she wakes up, he wanted to spend every second of the day with her.

When he was done with the grilled cheese, he plopped it on the plate and slid it in front of her.

"You know, this could be your food too."

Without taking her eyes off her phone as she took a bite of the sandwich, she questioned,

"What do you mean?"

"Uhhh..." Cory fiddled with his fingers and rocked back and forth on his feet. He already asked her parents for permission so there was no going back now. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and leaned forward. "Move in with me."

*chokes*

"Shit, baby?"

Gracie's face was becoming red and her eyes were watery as she was coughing nonstop. When Cory tried to pat her back, she held a finger at him until her breathing returned to normal. Once that subsided, she put her hand on her chest and looked up at Cory.

"Move in with you?"

"Yeah."

"As in, we'd be living together?"

"Yup."

"Just you and me?"

"..."

"In a house all alone?"

"..."

"You and me? In the same bed?"

"..."

"Just you and me? No one else?"

"Are you done now?"

"I'm just having a hard time processing. You and me. Living under the same roof? As in-"

"Yes, love!" He confirmed through chuckles. "I called your parents and asked if it would be alright. You know, seeing as I'd be taking in the last bird in their nest. Your mom cried for a bit, but she and Mr. Summers said it would be okay."

"So that's why her eyes were red and puffy the other night."

"Yeah. And as far as the same bed goes, we don't have to do anything other than sleep. If you're still uncomfortable, then you can sleep in the guest room and move in in my room when you are."

Gracie was still in so much shock, she wasn't responding.

"It's closer to your brother and cousin and your parents can come over as often as they want. It's closer to American Eagle so you can keep your job if you wanted to."

"..."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

It was a nice house - a sandy brown color painted on the walls throughout the house, brown tiles in the kitchen that led into the living room, modern decor and an eighty-inch TV facing a high quality couch and loveseat set. In the backyard, there was a massive pool and a barbecue; perfect for entertaining.

This was a big step for Gracie. She'd never lived anywhere without her parents for the past twenty-three years. She didn't plan on living with them forever, but she wasn't expecting to move out so quickly. Gracie started to get doubts. What if they broke up? What if he hated living with her?

The thought of living with Cory made her feel anxious with butterflies being released inside of her.

"What if something happens to us and we break up? Or you hate living with me?"

"Hey, hey. We're not gonna break up." He paused to knock on his countertop. "And are you kidding me? I could never hate waking up next to you-or knowing you're sleeping in the next room."

"I still haven't gotten my license yet to drive to work. Also, mom told me that I have to take this special test that older people take after experiencing a stroke or something because of my brain injury. What if I fail that test and they won't let me drive?"

"Then we'll keep taking that test until you pass and in the meantime, I have no problem driving you. Please?"

"You'd drive me five days out of the week? And you wouldn't hate me for it?"

"Of course not."

The more Gracie thought about it, the more excited she got. If worse comes to worse, she'd move back in with her parents until she'd save enough money to move out.

She could keep her job so she didn't have to go through the struggle of applying for unfamiliar jobs and worrying about interviews. It could actually work.

There was only one thing that was stopping her from saying yes. God. Her parents raised her with Him, taught her all about His rules that were made to live for Him which included not moving in with a significant other until after marriage.

Her sister did the same thing with her husband and she noted how proud mom was of her putting God first. Gracie was surprised that her parents actually gave him permission to ask her to move in.

She wanted to move in with Cory, but there was still that good girl inside of her that wanted to make her parents and God proud of her. Gracie lifted her fingers to her lips with her other arm wrapped around her waist.

The sudden shift on her facial features took his hope and stomped all over it. He really thought that the longer she was quiet and the longer she was thinking, the more likely she was going to say yes.

Cory started to overthink; did she not like him as much as he liked her? Was she just using him for his fame and money? He scoffed at the latter. He knew Gracie. There was no way that she was only using him because he'd seen the look she gave him. It was genuine and he felt it in his heart.

Even in high school when girls would flirt with him and get all handsy with his biceps and muscles, he was able to tell that they didn't really like him.

"I want to say yes. Believe me, I do. But my parents raised me to follow God and his rules. That includes-"

"-moving in with someone before marriage." He felt a sense of relief washed over him at the thought her change of mind wasn't his fault. In fact, he felt himself like her even more hearing that she wanted to prioritize God first above everything else.

His parents raised him the same way and begged Cory to keep his relationship after he turned eighteen and started living his own life.

Watching the guilt clouding her glossy eyes, Cory stepped closer toward her and held her face in his hands, their foreheads touching and their lips one slight movement away from kissing. "Please don't feel guilty. If it makes you feel any better, this makes me like you even more because you share the same values and... beliefs as I do. As my family does."

Gracie's heart was thudding uncontrollably at the close proximity between them. He created butterflies in her stomach when he mentioned that he was also a Christian. Now she knew that he would make sure God was always included in their lives even through their roughest times.

"Are you sure you don't mind me staying with my parents?"

"Of course I'm sure. I'm willing to wait for you. If somewhere down the line, we decide to take the next step of marriage, that would be the best thing that ever happened to me..." Cory didn't know where their relationship would go. He didn't want to jinx it with dreams of building a future with her. It didn't matter.

He vowed to go at Gracie's pace and whatever she wanted to do next, he would do it. As long as she was happy. "But we don't have to. We can go as slowly as you want. I only asked you to move in because I wasn't sure if you had as strong of a relationship with God as I did. Maybe you wanted to move in. I don't care what we do. I just want you."

-

Author's note -

It felt hella weird writing about the future the past three chapters.

This may or may not be the official end of their story. One more bonus chapter MIGHT come out soon. If not, I had a really fun time writing Dysarthria and I hope you enjoyed reading it just as much.