Page 20 of Falling for Grace

“Well, the good news is you’re not the father,” I say, laughing, even as tears stream down my face.

“Oh, Gracie. When you fuck up, you do it on an epic scale.”

I laugh through the snot and spit. “I’m sorry I ran away.”

“Would I expect any other behaviour from you? And I understand why you ran from me.”

“I’m sorry to put you in this position.” I shake my head, and he reaches over, pulling my hands away from my face.

“What are you talking about? I’m here, I’ll support you. I’ll be with you when you tell Brandon—hell, I’m going to be an uncle. I mean, sure, I know it’s not the most ideal circumstances, but, Grace, sometimes life…. Why are you shaking your head?” he asks, frowning.

“I can’t keep it and I can’t tell Brandon,” I say, utterly defeated. Because I can’t. I can’t do it.

“What?” He frowns. “What do you mean?”

I watch a cyclist shoot by, “I can’t tell your brother. I can’t keep this baby.”

He’s silent for a minute, turning his attention to the river. He looks back at me and says, “I get that you’re scared.”

“Understatement of the sodding century.”

“But everyone is scared, Grace. You’re growing a human, for fuck’s sake. Everyone who finds out they are pregnant probably follows up the piece of news with some sort of meltdown. Your emotions are perfectly warranted.”

“Warranted.” I snort. “Danny, I’ve managed to knock myself up with the love of my life who happens to also be an up-and-coming Hollywood Superstar and someone I ‘hook up’ with occasionally.”

“And like I said, when you fuck up, you do it on an epic scale. But I don’t follow what you're saying. You have gotten yourself knocked up with the love of your life’s baby. That’s the stuff of dreams, isn’t it? That’s what everyone strives for?”

“Yes, in an ideal scenario. But this isn’t exactly ideal, Danny.”

“Nothing is ideal, Gracie,” he says in exasperation. “Life isn’t ideal. We just get up each day and live it, flowing like the river in front of us.”

“I can’t have this baby, Danny.”

“You can have this baby,” he says tersely, “but you won’t.”

“I can’t,” I say more quietly this time Danny’s eyes search mine beseechingly, a mixture of emotion playing out as he takes in my words, his hands running through his hair as he swallows down his anger.

“You're being selfish, Grace.”

“Excuse me.” I’m immediately on the defensive. How dare he?

“This isn’t just your choice. Two people caused this, and I only see one of them being part of this decision.” He pushes his jumper sleeves up his arm, the car filling of anger and heating the atmosphere, and he looks at me firmly. It’s not often Danny and I come to blows. “Call him and tell him, or I will.” He holds out his phone to me which I take and throw onto his lap.

“And this,” I say pointing at him, “this is why I didn’t want to put you in this situation.”

“And this,” pointing back to me, “is why I’m here, to talk some fucking sense into you.”

“I don’t need sense talking, I’ve made my decision.”

“But it’s not just your decision,” he shouts. “That isn’t just your baby chilling there. It’s his, too, and you have completely taken that choice away from him. What gives you the right to decide what is and isn’t right for him and for that baby?”

“Danny!” I plead.

“No, you need to listen. He made a decision for you five years ago. A decision that I have watched rip both of you apart. I get his reasoning behind it. I do. Do you remember what you said, you wish you had fought for him and he had fought for you. This is the time to fight for each other, to fight for your relationship. That wasn’t just his decision then and this isn’t just your decision now, not when it impacts you both so much. You have no idea how hard it is to bein my position.Watching the two people you love most in the world hurt because of each other. It breaks my fucking heart, Grace.”

He stops and looks at me through glassy blue eyes.

“This isn’t my decision, you’re right, and no words I say will make you change your mind. I know how stubborn you are. But, Gracie, please, just call Brandon and tell him. Don’t make me keep this secret. This will destroy me, this will destroy us.”

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