Page 49 of The Final Straw

The memories of my time with Van flood back. The laughter, the shared dreams, the feeling of being completely understood. But now those memories are tainted with doubt and pain. I know what happened wasn’t his fault and I don’t blame him for one second. But Barbi planted the seed of doubt, and my flying to conclusions and not giving Van a chance to talk watered it until it was a full-grown weed, poisoning my mind.

And then there’s Grady and Kipp. They’ve been my rock, helping me navigate through this emotional storm. The idea of losing them feels like losing a lifeline. How can I choose between two people I care about deeply and the one who was my everything?

The door creaks open slightly, and Grady pokes his head in. “Can I come in?”

I nod, grateful for the distraction. He sits beside me, his presence soothing.

“You don’t have to make any decisions right now,” he says gently. “Just take it one step at a time.”

I let out a shaky breath. “I don’t even know where to start.”

Grady’s hand finds mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Start with what you feel. Be honest with yourself.”

I close my eyes, trying to sort through the chaos in my heart. “I feel... torn. Part of me wants to run back to Van, to fix things. But another part of me is terrified of getting hurt again. And then there’s you and Kipp. You’ve been my anchor through all of this. I don’t want to lose that.” Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “I just don’t know if I can balance all of this. It feels like no matter what I choose, someone will get hurt..”

He pulls me into a gentle hug, his warmth seeping into my bones. As I cling to Grady, a small part of the weight on my chest lifts. Maybe I don’t have to have all the answers right now. Maybe it’s okay to take things one day at a time.

Kipp

Grady and Ollie walk out of her bedroom and her puffy eyes and red face catch my attention. I stand and head over to them. Grady still has an arm around her protectively, so I wrap my arms around both of them. I nuzzle my head into the crick of her neck. “We’re going to go so that you and the boy can talk. We know the two of you need time to discuss what happened and where you stand. Then we can meet again and figure out how it’s going to work with all this. Grady and I need to figure out how I’m handling Barbi. Jessica isn’t going to let this rest and I need to make sure she understands that Barbi needs to pay for what she did.” My words are soft as my breath fans against her skin.

She muffles a whimper and my heart wants nothing more than to spin her around and make sure she knows everything is going to be okay.

But I can’t, because I don’t know that it will. The only way I see this ending positive is if we can work something out so that we can still be with Ollie even if she rekindles her relationship with Van. What’s sharing her with one more person if we can keep her in our lives?

I release them, stepping back as she untangles herself from Grady.

“What are you going to do? I know her mom can be over the top, especially when it comes to Barbi.” Her lip quivers slightly as she wipes the tears from her cheeks.

“I’m not sure, but I need to get everything lined up. The first thing I should probably do is contact my lawyer and see about getting a no-contact order against Jessica. If I don’t, she’s going to hound me night and day.” I sigh, dragging a hand down my face.

“What about Barbi? Are you sure about not helping her and supporting Van?”

I gaze past her to the person in question sitting on the chair. His ears perk up, waiting for my response.

“I love Barbi, more than words; she’s my baby girl no matter how old she is. But Jessica has warped her with her lies and she’s turned into a selfish, entitled brat. What she did to Van is reprehensible, and she needs to be held accountable for her actions. Barbi is just gonna have to deal. I don’t like this version of my daughter and as much as I’ve tried to have a relationship with her, she’s fought it tooth and nail, unless she wanted something.”

Grady turns and wraps his arm around me, peppering kisses along the side of my face.

“Come on, baby. Let’s go and handle all the things you just mentioned while Van and Ollie talk.”

It kills me to leave because part of me is worried—no, jealous that Ollie might end up fucking Van.

My worst fear is that it will mean that it's over for me and Grady.

Shit, I feel like a high-schooler trying to figure out if my crush still wants me.

“Promise to call us later?” I ask her, my lips parted slightly as I shift back and forth.

“I promise,” she whispers as she walks with Grady and me to the door. Grady leans down, placing a chaste kiss on her temple, warranting a smile from her.

“Bye.” Her voice is soft, full of pain and longing.

I pull her into my arms and kiss her fully on the mouth, eliciting a moan from her.

“We need to talk, little girl,” I growl.

She nods and bites her lip. “We do. I promise we will. Let me just figure out what to do with Van today.”

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