The Falling of Love (The Falling Series Book 1)

by Marisa Oldham

  “It’s better if you go,” says Michelle as she continues to paint her nails. “At least if you’re there you know nothing bad will happen. Do you want me to go with you?”

  Grace grabs her purse as she runs out the door. “You’re not dressed. I gotta go now!”

  It takes Grace over thirty minutes to make it to Sunset Boulevard from her home. She looks at her cell phone as she hurries up the sidewalk toward the club. The show is no doubt over by now. She can hear the sound of music blaring from the club, but can tell right away that it is not Black Dog. With shaking hands, she pays the fee to enter. Rapidly, her ears are invaded with pounding from the bass drum. As she suspected, Black Dog is no longer playing. She walks around the crowded club searching for him, pushing through piles of sweaty, alcohol scented people, searching for any familiar face. She walks up to the stage door and asks the bouncer to let her backstage. He lets her in immediately without a problem. Letting out the breath she was holding in, fretting that he would give her a hard time, she steps through the doorway.

  She hates the smell backstage. It smells like a mixture of alcohol, sweat, and sex. The smoke is always so thick that it gives her an instant headache. This place is empty, she thinks as she walks around the abandoned backstage area. Where is everyone? There is a cigarette burning in the ashtray on the table, and she can hear some sort of commotion going on outside in the alley, which sounds like the band is out back loading up their van. She opens the door to the hallway that leads to the alley, and she stops dead in her tracks. Leaning up against the wall, head back, eyes closed, is Ian. Grace knows right away that he is high. Her eyes slowly trace a line down from his head as moans escape his lips, and down his torso to the blonde that is giving him head. Grace cannot breathe, cannot move, cannot utter a single word. Her entire world is crashing around her. The walls on either side of her seem to be closing in.

  Ian opens his eyes at the sound of her gasping for breath. He looks at her, and smiles. He is so inebriated. He seems so lost to ecstasy from the blowjob that he hardly even recognizes her, and if he did he may not even care.

  Grace stands there stunned. She is hyperventilating. She cannot move her feet and all of her limbs feel like soft clay. Physical pain clenches her heart and she grabs at her chest in hopes to pinch away the soreness. With heavy breaths, she screams, “Ian!”

  Her words do not faze him in the least.

  The blonde takes her mouth off him and yells, “Get the hell outta here!”

  Grace runs full speed in her direction, grabs her by the hair, and throws her off Ian. He looks at Grace with wide realizing eyes, and his mouth opens, as if he finally realizes what is going on.

  “Gracie!” he pants, as he reaches out to touch her.

  Grace looks at him, shaking her head from side to side frantically, in complete disbelief, not a single tear in her eyes. The blonde is surprised and backs up against the wall of the hallway. Her red sequined skirt is pulled up revealing that she is not wearing panties. She looks petrified of what Grace will do. Grace looks at her with piercing eyes then flings her head around to stare furiously at Ian.

  “You are such a fucking prick!” she screams in agony. She looks behind her. The door to the backstage area has closed, and then she looks in front of her at the door to the alleyway. Everything is moving in slow motion. The hallway seems to expand as she looks at the glowing exit sign. As impossible as it seems she is running for the door, but not moving an inch. Finally, her feet move beneath her and she runs for the door to the alleyway, at last making her way out of it.

  She sees Jaden standing at the van, holding a drum. He turns and looks at her, and she runs in the opposite direction. Jaden’s voice calls to her, but she wants nothing more than to get away from this place.

  Jaden catches a glimpse of Grace running out of the backstage door and yells to her with a big smile, “Hey, Grace!”

  Realizing she is upset, he puts down the drum he is loading into the van and walks through the door that leads backstage. It does not take him long to assess what has happened. Ian is still leaning against the wall, his penis still hanging limply out of his pants, and the blonde is dusting off her knees. Jaden runs up to Ian and lunges at him. Pinning him to the wall with his arm he gets right up in Ian’s face.

  “What the fuck did you do?”

  Ian looks dazed and does not say a word.

  “You were supposed to be going to the bathroom! What did you do?” Jaden grabs Ian’s arm, looks for evidence that he has taken drugs and finds it in a small hole in his flesh near the center of his arm, scabbed over with dry blood. Ian’s eyes roll up into his head, the muscles of his face completely relaxed and Ian’s mouth hangs open. Jaden’s thoughts race to Grace. He pulls back his fist and punches Ian in the face. Ian falls to the floor, unconscious. The blonde lets out a squeak and rushes to Ian’s aid.

  Jaden runs to the alley, gets in the van, and pulls away with the backdoors still open. Equipment and instruments fly out of the back of the van and crash on the pavement.

  Jaden frantically drives down Hollywood Boulevard, his head whipping around searching for Grace. He spots her running down the sidewalk and pulls the van over. He runs to her and grabs her. As he holds her tight she shakes, and is hysterical.

  “Grace, it’s me,” he says, pulling her face to look at his.

  She cannot get a word out past her tears.

  Jaden takes her chin in both of his hands and holds her face steady. “I know, Grace. I know what he did.”

  She pounds on his chest, beating him furiously. “You said you would watch out for him!” she screams. “You said you would take care of him!” she screams again as she pounds harder and harder on his chest.

  Jaden pulls her close to his body and hugs her tightly. “I know. I’m so sorry.”

  She falls limp in his arms.

  “I’m going to take you home.”

  When they get home, Jaden carries Grace upstairs as she sobs in his arms. Michelle’s light is off, so he decides to try to tend to Grace alone. He lays her on the bed and goes to the bathroom to get a wet washcloth.

  “How could he do this?” she cries, her hands shaking rapidly. Her sobs echo off the walls filling the room with an invisible cloud of pain.

  Jaden takes her legs, lifts them, and helps her to lie on the bed. He gets in bed with her and wraps his arms around her.

  “Why would he do this to me?” Grace cries.

  “I don’t know, Grace. He’s sick. He’s not himself,” he says, as he rubs her back.

  Something tugs Ian by his armpits. He blinks and images of Micah’s face flash in front of him as Micah drags him across the floor. Micah hoists Ian up on the couch backstage. Ian watches through hazy eyes as Micah goes to the refrigerator and searches through the mass of beer bottles. Micah walks back over to Ian with a bottle of water in his hands and sits down next to him.

  “What the hell is going on?” Ian asks, breathing heavily.

  “Not sure, but some major shit went down,” Micah says, as he encourages Ian to drink more water. “I know you shot up with Chris after the show.”

  Immediately Ian is ashamed. Regret washes over him.

  “Fuck.” He takes a deep breath. “How long have I been out?”

  “A little over an hour.”

  Some of the effects of the heroin he took earlier are still running through his body, but his mind becomes clearer as he sits and drinks the water. “Gracie!” he says, with a deep breath.

  “Yeah, man, I saw her run out of the backdoor crying,” Micah says. “Then Jaden ran back here. I could hear him yelling something and then he got in the van, with the fucking doors still open, and took off. Our equipment flew everywhere!”

  Micah sits with Ian for a short while, further encouraging him to drink water and even gets Ian a wet washcloth from the bartender.

  “You’re going to be okay, right?” he asks, as he rises from the couch.

  Ian nods.

  “You want a ri
de home?”

  “Yeah, but can you give me a few minutes,” Ian says, soberly.

  Micah pats Ian on the back. “I’ll be waiting for you in the car.”

  Ian cannot believe what he has done. Memories of the unattractive blonde going down on him run through his mind as he covers his face with the cold wet washcloth. He sees Grace’s shocked and devastated face when he closes his eyes. He cannot keep from shaking his head in disbelief. Ian cannot believe what he has let himself become. He knows he is going to lose Grace if he does not stop his self-destruction. We have to get the fuck out of L.A.!

  He stands up, thoughts about how badly he screwed up cutting into the effects of the heroin. The soberer he gets, the more determined he is to save his relationship with Grace. He is on a mission to express to her how much he loves her, what a horrible person he has been, and tell her that he wants to get out of Los Angeles. He does not care where they go, be it back to Ocean View, or back to Massachusetts, but he knows that the dreams he had in Los Angeles have turned his life into a nightmare.

  He walks to Micah’s car and crawls in, rehearsing how he is going to plead his case to her.

  Jaden rubs Grace’s back and it wakes her. She looks around the room searching for Ian.

  “He’s not here?”

  “No. It’s just us,” Jaden says. “Can I get you some water?”

  Grace shakes her head. She turns so that she is facing him. She stares into his dark eyes and tries to make out the features of his face. Her eyes and throat are sore. Suddenly Jaden kisses her. She gives into him and kisses him back. Her mind and heart both numb, she craves comfort. Jaden’s kiss becomes passionate as his hands begin to move all over her body. He puts his hand up her dress and fiercely pulls her panties off. She wants to stop him, she knows this is not right, but she cannot bring herself to deny him. She needs to feel something good, because all she has now is pain and sorrow. He rubs her thighs while kissing her neck and her breasts. Jaden sticks two of his fingers in his mouth and wets them, then reaches between her legs, and pushes his fingers inside her. She cries out, partly due to the pain of knowing that what they are doing is wrong and partly because she is enjoying herself. It is the only thing that feels right at this moment. Uncontrollably her body responds by lifting to his touch. He kisses her again, his tongue filling her mouth.

  She pushes away from him. “No,” she says, fighting the desire to be with him.

  He stops and looks down. “I love you, sugar,” he says, with the most sincere look in his eyes. “I won’t hurt you like he has.”

  She is confused, she is hurt, and she longs for Jaden to continue what he has started. She rises up with her entire torso, stretching to reach his lips, and kisses him feverishly.

  Grace rips at the ties on his pants frantically, lust for Jaden and anger toward Ian overtaking her. In an instant, he is inside her and they move together. She turns her head around searching the room, as a mixture of guilt and pleasure fill her soul. Ian stands in the doorway, dazed, much as she was when she saw the blonde giving him a blowjob. She can see the complete astonishment on his face. She pushes Jaden off and folds her body up against the headboard.

  “With my best friend?” he yells. “With my fucking best friend,” he screams louder. “This is my payback!” He rushes at Jaden.

  Jaden looks confused as he stumbles to his feet. Before she can stop him, Ian grabs Jaden and has him against the floor.

  “You…” he says, as he punches Jaden in the face.

  Jaden slams his fist into Ian’s ribs, and he doubles over. Grace runs and stands between them.

  “Get out!” she hisses at Ian as she points to the door.

  Michelle runs into the room and stands there with her hand covering her mouth. Ian pushes her out of his way, almost knocking her over, and runs down the stairs. She looks at Grace and Grace waves her out of the room. She is already humiliated that Ian walked in on her and Jaden, and knowing Michelle has also been a witness to this fiasco increases her humiliation.

  Grace looks at Jaden and Jaden returns her stare.

  “Just get out,” she says, feeling totally ashamed.

  Her bedroom slams and it startles her to the point of jerking. Grace flops onto the bed feeling totally crushed. Throwing her head into her palms she cries. Her entire world has just been turned upside down.

  Chapter 17

  A week has passed since the night that Grace caught Ian cheating on her and he walked in on her and Jaden. Michelle and Jaden have tried numerous times to get Grace out of bed, out of her room, and to eat, with little success. She is lost. Her heart has been broken and the shattered pieces have crippled her, confining her to her bed. She will not eat much, she can hardly sleep, and she cannot stop worrying about where Ian is.

  Grace sits on her bed holding her cell phone in her trembling hands as she stares at Michelle. She presses numbers into the phone and then holds it up to her ear.

  “James?” Grace asks, as she chokes back her tears.

  “Yeah?”

  “I need you,” she cries. The events of the past eight months start flowing from her mouth without any control.

  “I can barely make out half of what you’re saying, honey. Try and calm down. Breathe, Grace.”

  “Hey, it’s Missy,” says Michelle after she puts the call on speakerphone.

  Grace sits on her bed sobbing.

  “She can’t talk. She’s too upset.”

  “What the hell is going on?”

  “James…can we please come home?”

  “Of course,” he says, without hesitation.

  “Like, as in today?”

  “Do you need me to buy your tickets?”

  “Yeah, we’re kinda broke.”

  “Is she hurt?”

  “Not physically.” Michelle sighs. “But she’s pretty tore up. Her and Ian…can we just talk about it when we get home?”

  “Plane tickets will be outrageously expensive. Are you two okay with taking a bus?”

  “I don’t care how we get home. Just get us out of L.A.”

  Once James confirms their bus tickets, Grace and Michelle rapidly pack. Grace drags her suitcase behind her down the stairs, followed closely Michelle one step away. She spots Jaden sitting on the couch with his face buried in his hands

  “Jaden?” she calls to him, as she enters the living room.

  He lifts his head at the sound of her voice and pops off the couch. “I’ve called everyone I can think of. No one has seen or heard from him.” His eyes fall on the luggage and then dart back up to meet hers. “What’s going on?”

  “I’ll wait on the porch. The cab should be here any minute,” Michelle says.

  “Wait, Michelle? What is going on?” he asks, as his head plays Ping-Pong between the two girls.

  Michelle places her bag up against the wall and then walks over to Jaden. With open arms she takes him in. “Thank you for letting me stay here as long as you did. You’re pretty amazing.”

  Grace remains quiet as Michelle closes her eyes and kisses Jaden’s cheek. The confused expression he wears breaks what is left of Grace’s heart.

  “Why are you leaving?” he asks, turning his gaze to Grace.

  Grace waits for Michelle to walk out the front door then walks over to where Jaden is standing, still stunned.

  “I can’t stay here. I can’t take it.”

  “Grace, you don’t have to leave. Please don’t leave.”

  She shakes her head as the tears start to trickle from her eyes.

  “Come on, sugar. We can work all of this shit out.”

  “No, no we can’t.”

  “Grace,” he says, as he steps forward and rests his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t go. Where are you even going to go?”

  “I’m going home where I belong. I never should’ve come here.”

  She shakes off his hand and turns to walk out of the room. Jaden grabs for her hand, but she pulls it away.

  “Please don’t touch me!”
<
br />   “Don’t leave me, Grace. I can make you happy. I will never treat you the way Ian has.”

  Grace whips around and glares at him. She wants to scream at him, but she is too tired. Too worn down. Too broken. “Goodbye, Jaden.”

  “Why does that sound so final?” His dark eyes look pained.

  “Because it is.”

  “Oh come on! Just talk to me about this first.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about, Jaden! We had sex! I cheated on Ian with you! You’re his best friend. How can you live with the guilt? I can barely look at you or myself. What we did was wrong.”

  “No, it wasn’t. What Ian did was wrong!”

  Grace hears Michelle calling to her from the porch and swiftly grabs her suitcase and scurries out the door and down the front steps.

  “I can make you happy!” Jaden yells from the top of the porch.

  Grace ignores his cries and stares straight ahead through the taxi window.

  A couple hours later, Michelle and Grace board a bus to Ocean View. Grace stares out the window, answering Michelle’s questions with only a simple “yes” or “no.” What have I done? She worries as she watches cars and buildings fly by through the bus window.

  The decision to go back to Ocean View was not one that she took lightly. Although she worries for Ian’s safety and whereabouts, she knows that leaving him is the healthy thing to do, even if it does feel like it is killing her.

  They arrive in Ocean View, and the sight of home is an unwelcome one to Grace. It signifies all her failures since leaving Ocean View. Every street corner holds a memory of her and Ian, when they were happy and madly in love, when they were young and innocent. A happier time when her life was fun, exciting, and beautiful. When Ian treated her like a princess and would lay down his life for hers.