Page 51 of Falling for Grace

I stand still and I do something I shouldn’t. I listen to his conversation.

“I know. Yes, it was her. I didn’t know she was picking me up, Ava.”

My heart is beating so hard I’m scared that he’ll hear it.

“Fucking hell, Ava, she was my brother’s best friend. Of course I’m going to see her.” I can hear the agitation in his tone. “No, Ava. No, I don’t have feelings for Grace.”

Ouch.

“I haven’t seen her for years, Ava. She hasn’t spoken to my brother or me for three fucking years. For all I know she is the cause of his downward spiral, no one knows what the fuck happened between them, she could well have been the catalyst she called him a few weeks ago and now he’s dead.”

He blames me. Reaffirming my own fears.

“Yeah, me, too. I’m sorry. I’m just pissed that I’m having to defend myself, given the situation. I’ll call you tomorrow. Me, too.”

I turn but I can hear the door to the bedroom opening. He knows I’ve heard as his eyes widen in shock. But I don’t wait to listen to what he has to say because there’s nothing he can say that will make the deep ache in my chest go away.

“Grace.”

I’m already three steps in front of him running towards the front door. I grab the banister with my damaged hand as I launch myself down the steps, taking them two at a time.

“Grace, wait,” Brandon yells after me, but I’ve already grabbed the front door handle.

“What on earth has happened?” Sue asks, watching the chaos unfold.

“I’m so sorry, Sue. I need to go.”

Brandon is hot on my heels and he grabs me before I reach the end of the driveway. His warm hand encircles my wrist, spinning me round.

“Stop running.” His voice stern, his features displaying anger and hurt. I don’t know what he has to be hurt for. He hasn’t just been blamed for Danny’s death. “Stop fucking running and wait a minute.”

The dishcloth drops to the pavement and I look down at the large red stain of blood that has soaked into the white.

“You think it’s my fault. You blame me.”

“Brandon.” I hear Sue’s shocked voice from the doorway.

“What else am I supposed to think?” he says dropping my wrist, letting me take a step back. “She just disappeared out of his life, Mum. Something happened with you two, and he needed you, and you just fucking disappeared. You just shut him out just like you did with me. Where were you when he needed you?”

“Brandon, no. There are things that you don’t—” I bend over gasping for air unable to complete my sentence.

Oh, fuck.

“Brandon.” Ted’s voice fills the space between us.

Fuck.

My eyes meet Ted’s, desperation and pleading in my expression. “I need to go.”

“Oh my goodness Grace?” I hold my hand up to Sue who after a few steps stops her approach.

“Not until you tell me what happened,” Brandon says. “I just want to know what the fuck happened.”

He’s running his hands through his hair, tugging at it. He’s so close to me but doesn’t touch me which is just as well as I think I’d burst into flames out of shame, guilt and panic.

“Brandon,” Ted repeats. “Don’t,” he warns.

“You know, don’t you?” Brandon spits, anger rolling off him in dangerous waves, his finger pointing at his father. Then he looks to his mother. “You both know, don’t you? And here I stand not having a sodding clue. Do I have mug written all over my face? Jesus fucking Christ!”

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