Chapter 18
The moment I see Gracie’s text, my heart skips a beat. No hesitation, no second-guessing; I grab my keys and head straight to her apartment. The need to see her, to clear the air and mend whatever rifts have formed between us, feels urgent, pressing.
I park haphazardly and rush up to her door, knocking with a tension that vibrates through my whole body. When she opens the door, I don’t even think. I pull her into a hug, desperate for the contact, to reassure myself she’s really there. She stiffens for a second—probably surprised by my sudden intensity—but then relaxes, her arms slowly wrapping around me.
As I pull back, I catch the look of surprise on her face. “Sorry,” I murmur, “I just... I needed that.”
Gracie nods, stepping back to let me in. “It’s okay, Connor. What’s going on? You look… upset, is everything okay?”
I follow her into the living room, and as she sits, I pace briefly before joining her on the couch. “It is serious, in a way. It’s about Ty...” I start, watching her reaction closely.
Gracie’s eyebrows knit together in concern. “Ty? You picked up his call?”
I take a deep breath, and nod, then the words come tumbling out. “Yeah. He told me something crazy, and I didn’t want to believe it at first... He said he was drugged the night I found him with Ava.”
Gracie’s eyes widen in shock. “Drugged? Oh, my God, is he okay? How do you know he was drugged?”
I can’t help but sigh. “I know it sounds like just another excuse from him, but he sent me proof, Tink. Medical records and everything. He was telling the truth.”
She leans back, absorbing the information. “That’s... a lot. So, what does this mean for you two? Are you okay? Not only that, but who would drug Ty to make it look like he was sleeping with Ava?”
I run a hand through my hair, the weight of everything pressing down. “I don’t know yet. It changes things, doesn’t it? I mean, if he was really drugged, he’s not the asshole who betrayed me. He’s a victim in this messed-up situation too and Ava… she fucking knew I was going to break up with her. This just has her fucked up signature all over it.”
Gracie reaches out, her hand covering mine. “I’m sorry, Connor. This is… wow, I don’t even know what to think. Is Ty okay?”
“He’s a mess and I feel like a fucking asshole for not hearing him out the first time,” I admit, feeling a knot loosen slightly with her understanding. “I should have answered his calls sooner.”
She turns to me, her hand finding mine. “You reacted to what you saw, Connor. Anyone would have. What matters is that you’re trying to make it right now.”
“Yeah…” I trail off and we sit in silence for a moment, the buzz of the city outside her window filling the space between us. Then I sit forward, my head hanging in my hands as I let out a sigh, the kind that feels like it’s been building for days.
“I missed you,” I say, the words simple but true. “These last few days, being apart... it’s been rough.”
Gracie’s smile is gentle, her thumb brushing over my hand. “I missed you too, Con. It’s been strange not having you just a call away.”
The admission warms something inside me, a hope that maybe we can move past all the confusion and hurt. “I’ve been thinking a lot about us, Tink. I know I’ve been a mess, and it feels like all I’ve done is just make your life a mess since I’ve been back. I’m sorry for putting you through that.”
She leans her head on my shoulder, a soft sigh escaping her. “It’s been a lot, hasn’t it? But I don’t blame you for it, Con. I think… I think we would have ended up here, eventually.”
My heart pounds like a fucking drum solo in my chest and I try to answer her, but then she lifts her head, her eyes meeting mine with a sincerity that sends my heart racing. “We are okay, Connor; more than okay. I think we’re learning, growing through all this.”
I nod, feeling a sense of clarity. “I want more than okay, Tink. I want us to be good, great even. I want to be the person you can rely on, without all this drama clouding everything.”
She smiles, that bright, infectious smile that’s always been my anchor. “You are that person, you always have been. We just needed to figure some stuff out, separately and together.”
I swallow deeply. “And what conclusion have you come to?”
Gracie’s expression softens, her hand squeezing mine a little tighter. “I don’t want to lose you as a friend, so I think we should… see where this goes? Not push it or force anything, but just let it come… naturally—”
Her words hang in the air, a mixture of caution and hope that mirrors the way my heart feels lodged in my chest. It’s as if she’s offering me a key to something precious, something neither of us wants to rush or risk breaking by careless handling.
“I like that,” I manage to say, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside me. “Letting it come naturally. It’s... it feels right, Gracie.”
She nods, her eyes bright with a mix of nerves and excitement. “It does, doesn’t it? I mean, we already know each other so well. We just need to... be open to whatever else there might be.”
I can’t help but smile, feeling the tension ease between us. “Open to whatever comes,” I echo. The idea seems less scary now that we’ve laid out our intentions so transparently. It’s not about changing what we have but allowing it to evolve, to grow into whatever it’s meant to become.
Gracie’s hand is still in mine, her touch grounding me. “We’ve always been good at talking, you and I. We should keep that going, no matter what,” she says, her voice earnest.
“Absolutely,” I agree. “No matter what, we talk. If something feels off, or great, or weird, or whatever, we talk about it. Deal?”
“Deal,” she replies with a nod, her relief palpable.
We sit in comfortable silence for a moment, just enjoying the simplicity of being together without the cloud of uncertainty that had been hanging over us. I glance at her, this incredible woman who’s been my friend through thick and thin, now possibly something more, and I feel a profound sense of gratitude.
“You know, I was worried,” I confess, turning to look at her fully. “Worried that bringing this up, feeling this way, might wreck what we have.”
Gracie squeezes my hand again, her presence reassuring. “I was scared too. But I think, if anything, being honest about these feelings has made me realize just how important you are to me. And not just as a friend.”
The sincerity in her voice sends a wave of warmth through me. “You’re pretty important to me too, Tink. More than I knew, maybe.”
Gracie stands, pulling me up with her. “Come on, let’s not waste any more of today. We’ve got a lot of ‘naturally’ to catch up on.”
We both laugh, the tension that’s been building over the past few days dissipating, leaving a comfortable silence in its wake. I gaze at her, really look at her, and it strikes me how much deeper my feelings are than I’ve ever admitted out loud.
She’s not just a friend; she’s the most important person in my life.
“So, how do we do this?” I ask, a bit of uncertainty coloring my tone. “Just keep hanging out and see what happens?”
Gracie shrugs, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Yeah, I think so. We just keep doing what we’ve always done. Hang out, talk, laugh... and maybe throw in a couple of dates here and there, see how it feels.”
“Dates, huh?” I tease, feeling more like myself than I have in days. “You think you can handle going on a date with me? I mean, I might be a little rusty.”
Her laughter fills the room, easy and genuine. “I think I’ll manage. Besides, it’s you. We could go on a date to a laundromat, and I’d probably still have a good time.”
“Challenge accepted,” I grin, already imagining how much fun we could make even the most mundane activities. “Laundromat date it is. You bring the soap, I’ll bring the quarters.”
She nods and gives me one of those smiles that has my heart kicking up. “It’s a date then. But for now, how about we start with something simple, like grabbing dinner? There’s this new place I’ve been wanting to try.”
“Dinner sounds great,” I agree, as we head towards the door. As I hold it open for her, a sense of contentment settles over me. This is new, uncharted territory for both of us, but it feels right.
Natural, just like she said.