She makes her way to the bathroom and stares at her reflection in the mirror for an unknown amount of time. Her hands have indentations from the bottom of the edges of the sink when she finally realizes that she has been lost in her thoughts for so long. Shaking herself out of her daydreams of Ian, she pulls her hair up into a bun, washes her face, and brushes her teeth.
After a long, hot shower, she makes her way downstairs and hunts for Jaden. The flip-flop sounds of her shoes echo throughout the old Victorian home as she searches each room.
“Jaden,” she calls, as she pokes her head out the front door and scans the porch.
Jaden sits quietly in his usual wicker chair, smoking a joint and looking out at the yellow-gold field that surrounds his home.
“Finally decided to join the land of the living, huh?” He pats the cushion on the wicker couch next to his chair.
Grace only smiles and then sits, crossing her legs underneath herself.
“I was beginning to think I wouldn’t see you till tonight. Did you sleep good?”
Grace nods.
Jaden stretches his arm out to Grace with the joint pinched between his thumb and index finger.
“No, thanks.”
“You sure? This is prime California herb.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
A long moment of silence passes between them before Grace speaks. “Let’s go out again tonight. I can’t stand sitting around feeling every piece of me fall apart.”
“Ah, sugar, I’m so sorry.”
“This is all my fault—”
“Oh, don’t start that shit. It’s Ian’s fault and no one else’s.”
“Actually, this is all kind of your fault, too. For being a lying son-of-a-bitch. If you would’ve told the truth…” Grace’s heart hurts when she watches Jaden’s face fall into a pained frown.
“I’m sorry.”
Grace shakes her head. “You’re selfish, Jaden. You’re a selfish man. If Ian had known where I was or I knew where he was, he never would’ve met this Emma.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do, Jaden. Ian went looking for me. He wanted to try and work things out, but instead of allowing us to figure things out on our own, you and James had to interfere where you had no business doing so.” Tears build in her eyes and cloud them. “How am I ever supposed to trust you again?”
“Look at what he did, Grace. He lied to you and once again, he’s ripped your heart to shreds. How do you know if I had told him the truth about knowing where you were that he wouldn’t have found you and just did the same thing? I think this justifies my concern for you.”
Grace cannot argue with him. Everything he says is the truth, but her anger over Jaden’s lies also fills her heart with rage. “We’ll never know now, will we? You can’t go making decisions for my life. It’s my life. Who knows what would’ve happened with me and Ian? Maybe nothing…” The weakness in her voice makes her despise how vulnerable she has become in such a short amount of time. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” She sucks in air and lets it out slowly. “Do you know of any good bands that are playing tonight?”
Jaden does the same and takes a deep breath, letting it out at a controlled pace. “Yeah, Killing the Blues.”
“You’re playing tonight?” Excitement to see Jaden’s band play takes away some of her sadness.
“Yeah, at The Shadow Box.”
“That place is still open?”
“Hell, yeah. It’s one of the most popular clubs in Hollyweird.”
“Do I have time to just lay here for a while and do nothing?”
“We don’t go on till ten. How about I go make you a sandwich and you just take it easy and enjoy this sunshine and that cool breeze?”
Grace smiles. Jaden always has a way of making her forget how mad she is at him. “That sounds amazing.”
Grace stretches across the couch and fluffs a pillow before she places it behind her head. Jaden gets up from the chair, walks to her side, and bends over. His lips against her cheek seem to put a Band-Aid on her broken heart. The familiar scent of marijuana and patchouli oil brings calm to her soul.
Grace notices a few eyes on her as she leans her back up against the bar that faces the stage at The Shadow Box. Her black and silver woven, beaded, stripe dress clings to all of her curves. Her long, sultry legs pour into the shiny, black pumps adorned with a zipper up the back of each heels, and spiked studs on either side of the zippers. Grace takes a tiny red straw between her fingers as she scans the crowd of men around her, like a lioness seeking her prey.
Most of the men she sees look to be her age, except one older man with salt and pepper hair. He stands out among the other men who are currently slack-jawed and gawking at her. Instead of a t-shirt and tore-up jeans, he wears a pair of dark blue, freshly pressed jeans, and a light gray, short sleeve sweater, with a white collared shirt cradling his neck. His mid-length, slicked-back hair gives Grace full view of his high cheekbones, five o’clock shadow, and his vivid, blue eyes that glow under the neon light of the sign that hangs above the bar. Without a thought, Grace slinks off the bar and glides over to him.
His face wrinkles, but in a handsome way, when he smiles at her. “Can I buy you another drink?”
“I was hoping you would ask me that,” she says, as she leans in next to where he is perched on the barstool.
He lifts his arm and signals for the bartender, then turns to smile at her again.
Damn he’s gorgeous.
“What is a classy, beautiful, young lady like you doing in a shithole like this?”
Grace tosses her head back, her drink in her slightly raised hand, and lets out her infectious laugh. “I love this club. I’ve been coming here since I was seventeen.”
“You’re too good for a place like this.”
She brings her glass to her lips, not taking her eyes off his and sips. She smiles before she speaks, another move in a series of calculated attacks. “Then why are you here?”
“My little brother’s band just played.”
“I’m sorry I missed them,” she says, scooting in a little closer. Grace sends every signal she can across the wires to this man whose name she does not even know.
“I’m not. I think you got here just in time for all the excitement.”
Her mouth sweeps into a smile and she moves her eyes up and down his built frame. Her tongue slides over her bottom lip before she takes the corner of it between her teeth. “Is that so?”
The bartender sets another full glass of liquor on the bar top and the man takes Grace’s empty glass from her hand. The touch of his warm, tanned skin on hers sends a thrill through her entire body.
“Yes, that is so,” he says, as he replaces her empty glass with a full one. “Finish this and I’ll take you somewhere a lady like you is meant to be.”
Jaden strums his guitar and the familiar sound pulls Grace from the heated moment. She turns and seeing him on stage, brings unwelcome memories of Black Dog, of Ian, rushing into her mind. Grace closes her eyes and attempts to force the memories away, but they keep coming. This club holds so many recollections for her. She spent some of the happiest and worst moments of her life between these walls.
“Are you okay?” says the man, as he takes hold of her arm with his strong hands.
She shakes her head and turns her eyes back to him. “What’s your name?”
“Christopher.” He smiles.
“Christopher, get me the hell out of here,” she says before she throws the remaining liquid from her glass down her throat.
~ ~ ~
Ian’s gut tells him that Grace will be pissed when she sees him at Jaden’s house looking for her again in the early morning hours. He has to keep trying, though.
Jaden opens the door, looking irritated. “I told you, she’s not here.”
“I just want to talk to her, man. I need to explain things.”
Jaden steps onto the porch and closes the new front door behind him
. “Ian, she’s gone. She went home.”
“Fuck.” Ian’s head falls. He missed his chance to talk to her. “When?”
“Yesterday. She didn’t think she had a reason to stay anymore. She told me to tell you…you might want to sit.” Jaden puts his hand on Ian’s shoulder and Ian shrugs it off. “Sit, dude.”
“I don’t feel like sitting on the porch with you and talking like things are the same with us. Just tell me what you know and I’ll be out of your hair. What did she tell you?”
“Fine, she told me that she never wants to see you again. She wants you to leave her alone. She said all you’ve done is ruin her life. So, there you have it, man. She’s gone home to Paris and wants nothing to do with you.” Jaden turns and goes into the house. Ian hears the click of the lock.
This does not change anything for Ian. He still needs to find Grace. At that moment, before he turns to walk down the stairs, he makes up his mind that he will leave for Paris as soon as Emma moves out.
Ian gets into his car and pulls his phone from his pocket. He calls his agent’s secretary and has her book him a flight to Paris before he even pulls out of Jaden’s driveway.
Chapter 13
“Allo?” Michelle answers her phone.
“Hey, Missy, it’s Jaden.”
“Hey, Jaden, what’s up?” she asks, in a purely American accent.
“I’m worried about your sister.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s been here for over two weeks now and she stays out a lot.”
“Wait. What do you mean she’s been there? I thought she was with Ian.”
“That’s a whole other story she’ll have to tell you. I’m just worried ‘cause she’s staying out—”
“Staying out where?”
“With guys she meets at bars. She’s out of control, Michelle. She goes out almost every night. She’s drinking and who knows what else. That’s why I’m calling. Your sister needs you.”
After a long silence, Michelle says, “I can clear my schedule and be on a plane tomorrow.”
“Good. She won’t listen to me.”
“Try to talk to her again in the meantime, okay?” Michelle pleads.
“I’ll try, but she gets pissed off at me when I do.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Thanks for calling me.”
“I didn’t know what else to do.”
“What happened with Ian?”
“I want her to be able to tell you when you get here. It’s her heartache to share.”
“Did he screw things up again?”
“Yeah, maybe worse than before.”
“Damn him! I wish she would have called me!”
“That might have made things easier if she had talked to someone about it,” Jaden says.
“I’ll book my flight as soon as we hang up. Try to keep an eye on her, please.”
“I’m trying, Missy. Trust me. She’s really pissed at me, too.”
“As she should be. What is wrong with you guys? Why can’t you just stop hurting my sister?”
Jaden cannot answer her, so he remains silent and only clears his throat.
“Okay, I gotta go. Merde! C’est des conneries.”
“I have no clue what you just said, but I’m guessing it wasn’t nice.”
“I said this is bullshit. I’ll call you when I get my flight schedule.”
“Thanks, Missy.”
“Bye.”
Before he can say goodbye, Michelle hangs up on him. He knew she would be furious, but knows of no other way to help Grace. Michelle might be the only person who could get through to her.
~ ~ ~
Grace’s eyes flutter open and the bright light streaming in through her bedroom window at Jaden’s house fills her head with an unbearable ache. She throws her covers over her head as she tries to recall the events of the night before. She remembers attending a show at a club with a guy she recently met at a bar, but can’t recall the rest. She squints her eyes and the pain bites at her brain.
After some time spent under her covers, she emerges and crawls out of bed. The hardwood floors are cold under her feet. She walks to the bathroom in the hallway while rubbing her hands on her head. It aches so badly.
“Good morning, Grace,” Jaden says, as he leans against the banister.
“Morning,” she says, as she continues to walk back to her bedroom.
Jaden follows her into her room, regardless if she wants him to or not.
“Hangover?” he asks as he grabs her chin with one of his hands.
She pulls her face from his hand. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“What do you want?”
“Just checking on you. You were out late last night. Where did you go?”
“To a club, to see a band,” she says, as she pulls a long sleeve shirt from her dresser drawer.
“I’m worried about you,” Jaden says, as he takes a seat on her unmade bed.
Grace pulls her tank top over her head, her naked back bared to Jaden. “I don’t worry about you when you go out, so why should you worry about me?” With her shirt on, she climbs on her bed. “I’m still tired,” she says, shooing him off the bed.
“Want some breakfast?”
Grace lies down and covers her head with her blankets. “No.”
“Grace, you need to be careful. You’re drinking too much and you don’t know these guys you are going home with. What if you get a fuckin’ STD or some shit?”
“Ugh. Jaden, can you just let me go back to bed, please. I don’t tell you who you can sleep with and who you can’t. You’re acting like a freakin’ hypocrite.”
“Fine, but think about it. I know you’re going through a hard time. I know—”
“Jaden,” she says. “I’m fine. I’m just tired. Can you please just leave?”
Jaden shakes his head while closing his eyes and then leaves her alone as she wishes.
~ ~ ~
The next night, Grace stumbles into Jaden’s darkened foyer and right into the coat rack. She giggles and struggles to shut the front door while the wind gushes through it. Rain spats in her face and for a moment she stands there with her eyes closed, letting the water play on her face instead of wrestling with the door.
“Grace?”
“Missy?” Grace asks, shocked by the sound of her sister’s voice. She slams the door shut and runs to the living room to find Michelle propping herself up on the couch with her elbow, her wild hair tamed into a bun on the top of her head.
“What are you doing here?” Grace asks, as she throws her arms around Michelle.
“I’m here because you need me.”
“What?” Grace asks, confused.
“Where have you been?”
“I, ah, I was out at a club. Why are you here?”
“Because, I’m told you need me.”
Grace stares at Michelle baffled. She turns when she hears Jaden walking into the living room. He scratches his leg, only wearing his boxers, his hair a tossed mess as if he just woke up. He takes a seat next to Michelle on the couch and Grace stands before them. Her brain slowly processes the situation.
“You smell like a bottle of whiskey,” Michelle says, as she motions for Grace to take the other seat on the couch.
“This is bullshit! You called her?” she says, glaring at Jaden.
“I didn’t know what else to do,” he calmly responds
“Don’t yell at him! Just sit with us,” Michelle says, again motioning for Grace to take a seat.
Grace shakes her head back and forth as she walks out of the living room and stomps up the stairs to her room. Fury builds inside of her with every step she takes. Throwing her purse on the floor, she slips her dress over her head and then climbs into bed with only her panties on, and her head spinning. The tears come no matter how hard she tries to fight them. Embarrassment swells inside her chest alongside the pieces of her broken heart. She pounds on her pillow as she buries her
face in it and screams.
“Wake up!” Michelle says, as she shakes Grace awake.
Grace moans and turns to face the wall, her back to Michelle.
“Wake up Grace!” Michelle shouts.
Grace flips around and gives Michelle the dirtiest look that she can muster up. “What?”
“I made you breakfast. I expect you to come downstairs, now, and eat it.”
“I’m not hungry,” Grace says, as she attempts to pull her blanket over her head.
“Oh, no you don’t! Get your ass up and get downstairs now or you will regret it, Grace Hathaway!”
Grace knows Michelle well enough to know that she had better get up or the consequences could be dire. She waits until Michelle has left the room, and then lugs herself out of bed.
Jaden and Michelle are sitting at the kitchen table and they both have serious looks on their faces. I don’t want to deal with these two right now. I just want to crawl back in bed and sleep all of my troubles away. Michelle rises from her chair and slams a plate down in front of Grace once she takes her seat.
“You look awful,” Michelle says, as she retakes her seat at the table next to Jaden.
“Thanks, Michelle. You’re looking lovely yourself.”
“Jaden, do you mind giving us a few minutes alone?” Michelle asks, looking at him and not turning to face Grace.
Grace can see Michelle’s concern, even if she can only see the side of her face. “Really, Michelle, I don’t want to hear it,” Grace says, as she runs her fork over her scrambled eggs.
“I don’t give a shit what you want to hear. What the hell is going on with you? Staying out all night, drinking, sleeping around. You’re not a slut so stop acting like one.”
A ball of fire builds in Grace’s stomach. She drops her fork onto her plate and the sound it pierces her ears. Grace gets out of her chair, half throwing it and heads for the doorway.
“Don’t walk away from me!” Michelle yells, as she follows Grace up the stairs.
As Grace heads up, she glances down at Jaden, who silently watches them. His eyebrows pull together and he scowls at Grace.
The Falling of Grace (The Falling Series Book 2) Page 14