Chapter 21 Gracie
Gracie
I’m nursing a cup of coffee when someone knocks at the door, still wearing my flannel pajamas, my hair piled into a messy bun on the top of my head.
I don’t expect Braxton on the other side, not when he’s made his decision so public and final, so I’m not entirely surprised to see Raewyn through the peephole. Still, I hesitate to let her in, unsure what the protocol is here.
Am I allowed to be friends with my ex’s mother?
But it was Raewyn who spent twenty-four hours consoling me, letting me sob on her shoulder while we talked about what an idiot her son was. And Braxton didn’t give a shit about my feelings in anything, so his don’t matter here.
Raewyn might be his mother, but I’m keeping her for as long as she’ll let me. Our relationship doesn’t have to impact Braxton at all. This town might not be a big one, but I’ve made it my home, and as much as he’s wrecked that, I won’t let him take a single other thing from me.
I yank the door open almost defiantly, and Raewyn sighs heavily as soon as she sees my face, taking stock of my reddened eyes and the obvious lack of sleep. “Gracie…”
“I’m guessing you saw what I did,” I say, aiming for bright. There’s no point in hiding from this, not when over half of Sterling Creek got a look at those photos—unless they were lucky enough to see it in person. “That’s one way to nail the coffin shut, huh?”
She surges forward, wrapping me in a tight hug. I go stiff for a beat, but then slump against her, feeling the way her shoulders shake. When she pulls back, her eyes are wet, but she hasn’t let a single tear fall. “You didn’t deserve this. You didn’t deserve any of this. I’m so sorry.”
I sniffle, patting her arm and blowing out a shaky breath, reining my emotions in. I don’t want to waste any more tears on him. “Braxton’s a grown man.” I smile when she scoffs. “He’s responsible for his own actions, and you definitely shouldn’t apologize for him.”
“Doesn’t mean I don’t still feel it as his mother,” she counters grumpily. “You know, Stephen let him roll off the couch once when he was a baby. This is probably his fault.”
I snicker, stepping back so that she can come inside. “Let’s not blame anyone but Braxton, hm? And maybe Paisley.” I shut the door and lead her into the kitchen. “You want a coffee? It’s fresh.”
“No, thank you, sweetheart. I’ve already had one, and I’m jittery enough. I will take a cup of tea, though.”
I busy myself making her tea while Raewyn takes off her coat and scarf, hanging them off the back of one of the kitchen chairs.
“Stephen and I were at Benson’s for a little while last night,” she says to my back.
“We saw Esther and Joseph, but she wasn’t there.
Braxton was with Nick and Ryan when we left.
” She shakes her head as I sit down across from her, thanking me when I slide her steaming tea over.
“Braxton looked miserable, so I’m not sure how we went from that to… ”
“Sharing saliva with Paisley?” I fill in dryly, ignoring the pinch in my chest. “We all saw it coming, though. Ever since Thanksgiving.” Raewyn heard a play-by-play of the conversation I overheard, and some of the curses she let loose could have turned a sailor’s ears blue.
Now, she cups her hands around her mug, her eyes careful. “I’m sorry about Christmas,” she says when I’m finished. “I shouldn’t have…” she trails off, her mouth pulling down.
“It’s not your fault, Raewyn,” I tell her, but she shakes her head.
“I knew something was going on, but I thought if Paisley and Esther saw you and Braxton together— I never imagined…” She falls quiet, but I’m not sure what to tell her. After a long moment, she asks, “What’s your plan?”
I blow out a slow breath, appreciating that Raewyn realizes—and accepts—that last night has changed everything for me. My forgiveness was going to be hard-won, and even then, it didn’t mean Braxton and I would fix things. But now…
“I need some time,” I tell her. “I talked to Maryann about the possibility of this a few days ago, and I’m going to get out of Sterling Creek for a bit. She has a niece who’s willing to come and temporarily take over for me at Blossom Boutique.”
Raewyn’s mouth tugs into a frown, but she hides it behind her mug. “As much as I don’t like it, I understand. When will you leave?”
“Today.” I wince when her eyes cloud over, her face falling further when I add, “I couldn’t sleep, so I’ve started packing.
Braxton gave me space this week, but we always knew it wouldn’t last. He’s waiting for me to cool off before he smooths things over.
But this? I can’t sit around, waiting for him to come to his senses.
Or worse, coming around and blowing it off like it’s not a big deal, you know?
I might talk to him when I get back, get some kind of closure. But right now, I just need to be done.”
Raewyn nods. “Where will you go? You don’t have to tell me, but I’ll worry.”
I purse my lips, trepidation filling me. “Back home. I plan on spending some time with a friend from school. I haven’t seen Elyse since I moved, and it’ll be nice to catch up. She has a spare room, and has said I can stay as long as I like.”
Raewyn inhales through her nose and then takes a long sip of her tea, using the hot drink to calm her nerves. “Will you see your parents?”
I shrug, unsure, unwilling to touch on that sore subject on top of everything else. “I’m not sure if I should ask this of you. I don’t want you to lie or anything, and I know you’re caught in the middle—”
“Gracie,” she cuts in gently. “Just say it.”
“I don’t want Braxon to know,” I blurt. “I don’t want him to know where I am.”
She eyes me seriously before dipping her chin. “He won’t hear it from me,” Raewyn promises. “He deserves to stew in some uncertainty. But I will tell him you’re safe.”
“That’s fine,” I agree, relief heavy on my shoulders.
“There’s actually something I need to talk to you about,” Raewyn says, her voice solemn.
My brows knit together as I take in her apprehensive expression.
“Stephen and I…We did something. It was pretty impulsive, but we had the means. And when we saw how badly Braxton was dropping the ball, we thought it was a good idea. We were so sure that he just needed more time.”
“What did you do?” I ask slowly, my mind flinging around wildly for what impulsive thing they could have done.
Raewyn lifts a shoulder, aiming for casual and completely missing the mark. “We bought the house.”
I stare at her for a solid minute before she reaches across the table to tap a finger against my chin, pressing my mouth closed. “I’m sorry,” I say weakly. “Did you say you bought a house?”
“Not a house,” she says. “The house.”
The house on Oak Street is something I’ve been desperately trying not to think about, even though Paisley’s words have been haunting my dreams every night since Christmas.
If I let myself get lost in the crushed dreams the house represents, I’m worried I’ll crawl under the covers and never emerge again.
It took a lot for me to put my trust in Braxton, giving him the power to hurt me that no one else has ever had.
But then he turned around and shattered it all with barely a thought about how it was all going to affect me.
‘We saw what Braxton was doing and how in denial he was. We knew he was struggling, and Stephen tried to talk to him, but—” Raewyn flattens her mouth into a thin, disappointed line.
“Anyway, Marjorie is an old friend of mine. When Braxton started avoiding her calls”—I wince, and she sends me an apologetic look—“she called me, trying to work out what to do.”
My brows lift. “And you just…decided to buy a house?”
“Braxton didn’t completely lie. There was another offer on the house, so we outbid them.
” Raewyn smiles self-deprecatingly. “I had this idea of this amazing Christmas present, where it would fix everything”—she snaps her fingers—“just like that! But then Paisley opened her big mouth.” The words are so disgruntled that I can’t stop the amusement bubbling through me.
“That explosion was going to happen no matter what,” I murmur. “And while Paisley and her big mouth played their part perfectly”—I shake my head—“until Braxton realizes the boundaries he’s crossed, he’s just going to keep hiding things, and keep lying…even to himself.”
“Yes, well, no matter. Forget him.”
I let out a bewildered laugh. “He’s your son.”
“He’s a moron, and he gets it from his dad,” she mumbles, before adding, “Don’t tell Stephen I said that, but I need to blame someone. Anyway, the house. Stephen and I talked about it, and we don’t need a second house. So, we want to give it to you.”
I blink. “Braxton and I aren’t together anymore,” I point out. “We’re definitely not buying a house together.”
She shakes her head. “No, we want to give it to you, Gracie. Not Braxton.” Raewyn looks away, steadying herself with a loud breath.
When she looks back at me, her green eyes—a darker shade than Braxton’s—are bright with tears.
“I know how much this house means to you. I already knew, but spending time with you this past week…I can’t bear the thought of my son being the person who makes you feel like Sterling Creek isn’t safe.
And I absolutely cannot bear that he would be the one responsible for taking your home from you, when you deserve it more than anyone I know. You’re already leaving—”
“Temporarily,” I counter, struggling to comprehend what she’s saying. I’ve already pushed the possibility of the house out of my head, knowing it was sold and gone. But now…I’m overwhelmed, my mind overloaded with thoughts and emotions, and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do or say next.
“But you’re still leaving,” Raewyn cries.
“And I need to make sure you come back, no matter how manipulative that makes me.” Her mouth sets, eyes determined.
“You’ve been in my life for almost two years, and you are family, Gracie.
No matter what my moron son did. I know this isn’t normal, and I have no experience with what a normal person should do with their son’s ex-girlfriend after a breakup, but I’m setting a new standard. ”
My laugh is watery. “You adopting me, Raewyn?”
“Making you Braxton’s sister would be one way to ruin his life.” She sniffs. “But we’re family, and family gives people things. My love language is gift giving,” she confides. “I did a quiz online.”
I snort. “So here’s a house?” I demand incredulously. “I can’t accept that from you and Stephen. You have to know that.”
Raewyn smiles like she’s already won. “I knew you’d say that, so we’ve sat down with a lawyer to draft a rent-to-buy agreement.
Now, it’ll have to be at fair market price, and you’ll need to consult your own lawyer and get their advice.
But we want to do this.” She places her mug to the side and reaches across the table to take my hands.
“Now, you going away does not change anything, okay? There’s absolutely no rush.
Stephen can look after your house while you’re gone, and this place—”
“Maryann’s niece is going to stay here,” I interrupt. “She’s an introvert, apparently, and prefers her own space.”
“Well, that works out perfectly,” Raewyn says, eyes twinkling. “And when you get back, you’ll come back to your house.”
My chin is trembling, and she squeezes my fingers, her eyes soft. “I don’t know what to say,” I whisper. “But I feel like I should say no.”
“Well, you’re not allowed to. Use this time away to really think about it, and we’ll talk more when you get back.” Raewyn clears her throat, blinking her eyes clear. “Now, let me help you finish packing.”