Page 67 of Falling for Grace

“Because you are here, and we just…and ish?” I point my hand between the two of us and I hate that he is grinning at me. “It’s not funny Brandon,” I groan flopping back to the bed hiding behind my hands. “It’s happened, I’m my father.” Muttering into them.

“You are not your father!” Brandon pulls my hands from my face. “Do you hear me?” He grabs my chin so I can’t look anywhere but at his green eyes. “Ava and I aren’tofficial.You are not theotherwoman, and you are most certainly not your father.”

“As far as the world is concerned Brandon, I AM the other woman. Jesus, the journalist took a fucking picture of you here. Nope. I need more drink, I need more alcohol.” This is a disaster. I clamber out of the bed, throwing on a T-shirt and head to the mini bar where the last remaining bottles of vodka remain. I grab two glasses and pour a shot into each of them. My heart is racing, not with Ava, yay. But as far as the world will be concerned, I am the other woman, and they are already painting the picture of the other woman. And for some reason my mind flies back to the magazine article which was the start of the end of Brandon and I. The press doing what they do best, and manipulating stories to make money.

“I can literally hear your cogs churning from over here.”I turn around and deliver Brandon his shot of Vodka to where he is propped up in the bed.

“Her feelings for you go way deeper than any ‘agreement’. She practically warned me off you. She clearly cares about you.” I state sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I care about her,” I flinch, and he reaches out and touches my leg, the heat from his hand warming my skin. “But, as a friend.” And there’s a feeling that settles, it’s relief. She’s a friend.

“We put on an act, a fucking good one, because well I’m an awesome actor.” He grins at me and I roll my eyes. “I’m sure Danny would tell you off about rolling your eyes.”

“And I’d tell him to sod off.” But I can’t help the slight grin that tugs at my lips as banter tries to break through the seriousness of the conversation.

“She is here to support me, that is genuine, besides the world would ask why my girlfriend wasn’t here. But regardless of whether things have changed for her, Ava is nothing more than a friend to me, and that is all she is. The agreement will be reviewed at my earliest convenience.”

“Jesus Brandon,” I gulp down my vodka and baulk as the liquid burns my throat. “You make it sound like a business deal.”

“Because it is.”

“What happened to you?” I say shaking my head.

“I could ask the exact same thing to you, in-fact I think I have.” I shift underneath his hand, and he draws his legs up as I crawl onto the bed, and start to position myself in front of him, my legs crossed. “Look, don’t judge me. The industry is cut-throat and I do what I need to do to survive. As for Ava, why do you think she’s gone back to LA? I know you Grace, you don’t get violent unless you’re pushed.”

“Did she tell you what she said? About Danny?” He nods and grabs my hands in his. His tanned skin making mine feel white as a sheet. Houston was too humid to spend hours in the sun working on your tan.

“She’s not a bad person Grace. She just….she’s fighting for her family, and she’s scared that without me her career will all fall down.” I snort my disbelief.

“But the phone call?”

“She was angry, it’s her reputation on the line as much as mine. Like I said it’s complicated.” He shrugs, and I can’t help but feel sad for him. A relationship that was a lie, was he lonely in LA? Was he happy?

“So what, you would have just carried on until eventually you fell in love with her?” He shrugs.

“Sometimes things blossom, but I dunno. I never really thought about it.”

“Brandon you had a plan since you were 13 years old, I don’t for one second believe you didn’t have a plan.”

“Honestly?”

I nod my response, as part of me is desperate to know. “Yes honestly, I’m intrigued. Your life is so far away from mine now, it just all seems bonkers.”

He drops my hands and reaches over to take a sip of his own drink. He sits quietly for a minute looking into the clear liquid as though it has the answer. “You were always in my plan.” He looks at me then, full on dazzling green eyes. “But, for me it was more important that you made it right with Danny first. Your relationship was so much more important. I wanted you guys to fix whatever happened, then I’d wiggle myself back into your life.” My stomach somersaults and my skin feels hot and clammy at his admission. I look away, an element of shame washing over me. My hands touching my feet, and fidgeting.

“Hey.” He grabs my chin again. “Don’t disappear on me.”

“I’m just, I’m filled with such regret when I know I can never fix what happened between Danny and I. So that’s why your Mum hates Ava so much?” I change the subject quickly, not wanting to continue the track this conversation was going.

He nods and tips the drink back swallowing what remained in on swig. “Yeah. She blames Ava for the arrangement as it was her and her Agents that approached me. I just went along because, well sometimes it’s a lonely life. So yes, Mum hates Ava.”

We sit in pensive silence for a moment and I look down at my now empty glass. “Are you happy?” He flops back onto the pillow.

“Are you?”

“I asked you first.” He smiles and tugs me forward, so that I’m positioned back on his chest, he pulls me tighter to his body and kisses my head as I wiggle against him.

“But you know me Miss Bush, I’m a true gent. Ladies first.” I really want to roll my eyes but I stop myself. Instead I shrug because I am far from living my dream. My dream includes someone who I can never have.

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