Page 34 of Faking It with the Ice Queen

Hours after Aunt Lucy left, Grace still sat on the couch, flipping through channels absentmindedly. Instead of a muffin and coffee, she now held a glass of red wine and the half baguette. Between sips of wine, she dipped her bread into the butter and ripped off pieces with her teeth.

She had thought a lot about what Aunt Lucy had said, and she was left feeling angry, sad, and confused. Aunt Lucy was right, of course. Grace had rushed it. But that wasn’t her fault. What was she supposed to do? She was not going to keep letting Elara hurt her without saying her piece.

She wanted more than anything to forgive Elara, to give her a second chance. But how was she supposed to do that if Elara didn’t want forgiveness? It had been nearly twenty-four hours, and she hadn’t so much as received a text from Elara, and Grace was far too stubborn to text first.

Mr. Fluffy Pants was happily curled up by the window, soaking up the last rays of sunlight. Grace changed the channel, and this time she actually let herself stop on the Hallmark channel. She couldn’t help herself; she loved the happy endings too much. She settled back into the couch, pulling a blanketover her as she continued to swap between bread and wine. Just as the couple had their first kiss, she heard another knock on her door.It’s probably Aunt Lucy again. Hopefully she brought more food.

She waited for Aunt Lucy to let herself in but was confused when the knocking continued. Grace threw off her blanket and set down her bread and wine on the coffee table. By the third knock, she knew there was no way it was Aunt Lucy. Grace quickly shuffled over to the door, curiosity burning while a tiny spark of hope ignited. She didn’t even stop to look out her peephole as she opened the door.

Grace gasped as Elara smiled up at her, a giant bouquet of brightly colored tulips in her hands. She blinked in surprise, unable to find her voice.

Elara’s normally steely gaze was softer, more vulnerable as she softly greeted her. “Hi.”

Grace stood in the doorway, her heart pounding as Elara spoke, each word tugging at her with a mix of longing and guardedness. She wanted to reach out, to let herself believe, but the memory of Elara’s cold words still stung, a raw ache she hadn’t yet shaken.

Elara’s eyes held none of the steely distance Grace had come to expect. Her gaze was soft, vulnerable in a way Grace had never seen before. The bouquet of tulips trembled slightly in her hands as she took a hesitant step forward, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“Grace,” Elara began, her voice breaking, “I…I messed up. I know that now. You were right about everything. I kept pushing you away, trying to keep you at a distance, because I was too afraid to let you in.”

Grace’s breath caught, a small spark of hope flickering in her chest, though she fought to keep her expression steady, waiting for Elara to go on.

Elara took a deep breath, the pain in her eyes unmistakable. “I’ve spent so long hiding behind walls, telling myself that I didn’t need anyone. But you…you tore through all of that without even trying. And I didn’t know how to handle it.” She paused, her gaze dropping to the floor. “Being with you felt like waking up after years of of being numb. It terrified me.”

Grace could feel her own heart racing as Elara continued, her words cutting through the layers of hurt and anger. She wanted to believe Elara—wanted to reach out and pull her close, but the sting of that last argument still lingered. She kept herself still, waiting.

“I know I made you feel like this was nothing,” Elara whispered, her voice thick with regret. “Like you didn’t matter. But the truth is you’re everything that matters. You made me feel alive, Grace. You made me feel like I could be more.”

Elara’s voice cracked, and she took another step forward, her eyes meeting Grace’s with a raw intensity that made Grace’s throat tighten. “But I was scared, so I pushed you away. I tried to pretend it wasn’t real, that I could just brush you off and go back to my life as it was. But I can’t.”

Grace’s heart thudded painfully, her fingers clenching around the edge of the door. She saw the honesty in Elara’s face, the openness she had begged for, and it was almost too much to bear.

Elara’s voice dropped to a near-whisper, and Grace’s chest ached at the vulnerability she saw there. “I know I don’t deserve a second chance, not after the way I hurt you. But I’m here, Grace. I want to try, if you’ll let me. I don’t want to be afraid anymore. I want to be with you. Really be with you, in a way I’ve never let myself be with anyone.”

She watched as Elara held out the bouquet, her hands trembling, her gaze hopeful and pleading. “Please, Grace. I knowI’ve made a mess of things, but I’m ready to give this everything I have. To giveyoueverything I have.”

The words lingered in the air between them, and Grace felt her heart throb painfully as she absorbed them, each one a balm to the wounds she’d carried since leaving the resort. Part of her wanted to throw her arms around Elara, to forgive everything in that moment, but another part held back, still wary, still aching from the hurt.

Yet looking into Elara’s eyes, she saw a flicker of something real—something she had longed for. She could see the love and fear mingling there, as raw and unguarded as her own. And in that moment, she felt a cautious hope, a small, trembling belief that maybe, just maybe, they could make this work.

Her throat tight, Grace took a breath, her gaze steady as she met Elara’s eyes. She wasn’t ready to say everything, not yet, but she knew she could take one step forward, open the door just a little. “Come inside,” she said quietly, her voice soft, laced with both pain and hope. “Let’s talk.”

As Elara stepped into the apartment, Grace felt the first glimmer of warmth begin to seep through the hurt, and she knew that, despite everything, she was willing to try.

Grace led Elara into the living room, her mind racing as she settled onto the couch, leaving a slight but noticeable space between them. She clasped her hands in her lap, glancing briefly at Elara, who was still clutching the bouquet of tulips like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

The silence stretched, heavy and charged, until finally, Grace broke it, her voice steady but laced with pain. “Why now, Elara? Why show up here after everything?”

Elara looked down, exhaling slowly. “Because I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you,” she admitted, her voice soft but sincere. “At first, I thought… I thought pushing you away was the only way to keep myself safe. But then you left, and I realizedthat losing you hurt so much more than any fear I had of letting you in.”

Grace’s heart twisted, the rawness of Elara’s confession stirring something deep within her. But she held her gaze steady, needing more. “I need to know that this isn’t just another moment of panic for you, Elara,” she said, her tone firm. “I need to know that this isn’t just you reacting because you’re afraid to be alone.”

Elara’s eyes flickered, and she nodded, her expression shifting to one of determination. “I understand. I don’t blame you for doubting me, Grace. I’ve been so selfish, letting my own fears control me.” She swallowed, the vulnerability clear in her voice as she continued, “But being without you—seeing what life feels like without you in it—showed me that I don’t want to live that way. I don’t want to keep hurting the people I care about just because I’m too scared to face myself.”

Grace’s fingers tightened in her lap, her voice barely above a whisper. “I won’t let myself be someone’s second thought, Elara. I can’t go through this again.”

Elara leaned forward, her eyes searching Grace’s face with an intensity that made Grace’s breath catch. “You’re not my second thought,” she said, her voice breaking. “You’re my first. I know I haven’t shown it, and I know I don’t deserve a second chance, but you’re the only person I’ve ever wanted to let in, to share this part of myself with. I just… I don’t know how to do it yet, Grace. But I’m willing to learn, if you’ll have the patience for me.”

Grace looked away, her chest tightening. She wanted to believe Elara’s words, wanted so badly to trust that this time would be different. But the memory of her hurt was still fresh, still raw. “Words are one thing, Elara,” she murmured, her tone cautious. “But actions… I need to see it. I need to know that you’re willing to do the work, that you won’t just shut me out again when things get hard.”

---