Page 29

Grace shut the door in front of me.

I just stood there—feeling like shit.

Anger, frustration, defeat—every emotion collided at once, crashing down on me.

I hated this. Hated seeing her like that. Hurt. Drained. Shutting me out.

I'm very upset that she is upset. And worse—I get it. And that makes it even more unbearable.

It's not amusing like she said—it's torture. Fucking torture.

Why the hell did it feel easier to push each other away than to admit how much this was getting to us?

My fingers tangled in my hair, desperate for anything to ground me. But nothing worked.

My mind was too full of Grace. So much that I forgot the apparently insignificant details that changed everything: closing the damn door and kicking that girl out of my bed to begin with.

Oh, but I still have time for that.

I stormed back into my room. She looked at me—laughing, amused, like we were in some shitty drama.

I deliberately ignored her, because if I didn't, I might've just lost it.

"Wow! Such a good show going on here!" she mocked.

I turned my back on her, not bothering to give her the satisfaction of a response. I grabbed my purse and started frantically searching for my wallet.

The money she claimed not to have for the Uber? A dumb lie. But I knew exactly what I was doing.

"So that's why last night you were all 'nah'—it was because of her!" she realized, smirking to herself.

"Shut your mouth," I muttered, digging into my wallet.

"It's pathetic..." she slurred, her words dragging. "You can tell from a mile away that she doesn't want you."

I swallowed hard. Her words cut through my mind more than I expected, landing like a punch to the chest.

"Here," I snapped, grabbing a hundred bucks and tossing it onto the bed. "This is what you wanted all long, huh?"

She stared at the money, and her subtle smirk didn't fool me. I was giving her exactly what she wanted—but not for the reasons she thought.

"Hope that's enough to buy some dignity too," I said, my tone apathetic.

"Hm, just taking what was already on the table," she muttered, shifting the blame to me. "You don't mind—right?" she added sweetly, grabbing the bill.

"Get out of my house," I demanded, my voice hard, final. I couldn't care less—about her or the money.

I just collapsed onto the bed.

My whole being felt devastated.

And worse—my heart was fucking bruising.

"Pfft, why waste your time chasing someone you can't have? You should just move on," she sneered, turning on her heel and slamming the door behind her.

Someone I can't have... why can't I have Grace?

That's all I want.

I rubbed my eyes against the fabric of the pillow. I clenched my fists into it, desperate for a release that never came—I didn't know how to cry anymore.

What if I just stay here and rot?

Feels like I already am. And I can't even fake it anymore.

~

I'm not sure how much time passed—maybe it got dark. I stayed in bed all day, face buried in the pillow.

The door of my room suddenly slammed open, making a big noise and scaring the shit out of me.

"What the hell happened, you bitch, I've been texting you all day?!"

My best friend Lily.

"Shut up and leave me alone," I muttered, pressing my face into the pillow again.

Of course, she didn't listen and sat on the bed next to me.

"Did you fight with your father?"

Lily wouldn't let this slide easily, so I just lazily shook my head.

"Oh..." she suddenly realized, a smirk creeping into her voice. "So... with the brunette, right?" she teased.

I didn't answer, but my silence spoke volumes.

Lily patted my back. "Turns out you're in way worse shape than I thought..."

"Stop it," I grumbled.

"Maya, you're yearning for her, to say the least," she didn't hesitate to spit out the truth.

I let out a frustrated huff, but there was no fight left in me.

It was too accurate to ignore.

"It's gotta be because she doesn't fall for your 'I'm untouchable' vibe. She actually calls you out when you need it," her voice became more knowing.

I sat up, ready to get off the bed—I seriously didn't want to hear another thing—but Lily shoved me right back down.

"Maya, I'm just messing with you," she said, her tone more serious. "What is it about her? Tell me."

Lily pretended to give me space, but I knew she wouldn't let me avoid this talk.

"Different," I said, making sure it was clear. "It's different with her."

Curiosity oozing from Lily's impatient silence.

"I'm not clueless, Lily," I leaned forward, my arms firmly on my knees. "I know what's going on inside me when it comes to her," my voice low despite my best intentions.

My bestie nodded, eyeing me like I was a closed book that was finally starting to open.

"You don't have to be scared of what you're feeling, Maya," she said seriously. "It's real, and it's okay."

"Oh, believe me, I know it's real," I scoffed, forcing a laugh. "So real that I can't sleep, can't eat, can't think about anything else that is not her, but Grace—" My voice faltered, desperation taking over.

Lily smiled faintly, clearly thrown off—but then, in the blink of an eye, she shifted back into her usual mood and literally elbowed me.

I glared at her, rubbing the spot where she'd hit me. "What was that for?!"

"Stop overthinking," her voice cut fast. "This isn't you. Pull yourself together, Maya, like you always do. You want the girl, right?!"

I didn't reply right away and Lily was ready to hit me again.

"Okay, yes," I cut in. "I want her."

"Then what the hell are you still doing in here?! Go get her, for god's sake!" Lily urged, her voice rising with impatience.

"I don't know where she is."

Lily rolled her eyes, frustrated with my attitude, and literally pushed me off the bed.

"You're not dumb—you'll probably figure out where she is, right?!"

My bestie giving me the wake-up call? Maybe it was necessary.

There was no way in hell I was letting this slip away. I was going after Grace.

I just had to put the pieces together and figure out where she ran off to.

I might have an idea, and I didn't like it at all.

My escape wasn't planned.

I didn't know what to do, where to go, or how to handle the situation.

But I couldn't stop hearing Maya's voice in my head—'You can't always assume what you see.'

It was like a wake-up call. The moment I realized what I actually needed to do.

I needed answers—answers from Nick. Because he hadn't given me anything so far. Literally nothing.

I grabbed my phone, called an Uber. Destination: the library. Hoping he'd be there.

I stepped out of the car and walked in without hesitation, almost surprised at myself for this sudden surge of determination.

I saw Nick right away. He was sitting there in his white polo and blue pants, looking bored with everything around him.

I walked straight up to him, and he noticed me quickly—the library was almost empty Saturday morning.

"Grace..." he jumped out of his chair like he'd seen a ghost.

"Oh, so you remember?" I shot back.

"Bebe, I've been... busy..."

Busy in this empty library? I wondered why he even bothered working here in the first place—he definitely didn't need the money.

I crossed my arms as he came closer. "Can you explain what happened the night I was drunk? I think you owe me an explanation," I said, demanding an answer.

His eyes flickered with something uneasy. "Grace, I did what was best for you, obviously..."

"And what was the best for me?" I quickly asked.

He shifted nervously and stepped closer, but having him so close suddenly unsettled me—like some weird flashback or something. I stumbled back.

"You got drunk, Grace, so I took you to your room, took care of you... and then, I left," he said smoothly, his voice calm and almost dismissive.

"And why did you disappear in the following days? It's like you were avoiding me or..."

Nick quickly shut down my assumption. "Believe me, Grace, I would never hurt you."

He wrapped his arms around me but I didn't feel comforted at all—I hadn't even asked for that contact.

Nick squeezed me tighter and I was so tired, so broken, that I let him. It felt like nothing more than a moment of weakness.

"I'm here for you, Grace. I always have been," his voice soft, almost soothing.

I wanted to pull away, to tell him that it wasn't okay, that something about all of this felt wrong, off. But I couldn't. My body was too weak, my mind was too clouded.

I didn't have the strength to put myself back together.

But my doubt kept creeping in, making me question everything—it was like I couldn't shake the feeling I was missing something.

I let Nick hug me, but there was no emotion with him. No feelings, nothing clear, nothing at all.

Not like the dream I had about Maya—so intense and vivid it still echoed in my chest.

But she's dealing with some other girl's problems now...

I offered to help Nick in the library, and he was quick to agree. I wasn't doing it for him—I was doing it for me. I just needed something to distract me from my overthinking.

Our shift at the library ended quickly, and Nick guided me toward his car, leaning in close to my ear as he did.

"Today's Saturday, Grace. Big football game, and I'm playing quarterback. You're definitely coming. I can't play without you there."

Well...

I was definitely not ready to go back home. Or to see Maya.

And that girl.

Nick started the car without even waiting for an answer. The engine roared to life as he pulled out, heading straight for this game.

~

So, here we are.

At the field. Just as the game was about to start.

Nick had gone to the locker room to change, while I stood there, surrounded by all the chaos—people yelling, laughing, drinking.

The noise, the lights, the smell of beer—it's all too much.

Everyone seems like they're having the night of their lives, and I'm just... standing here.

This isn't me. I don't do this.

Give me a quiet room, a sketchpad, some soft music in the background. A museum, a gallery—anything but this.

Nick suddenly showed up in front of me, grinning, in his football gear. His dark blonde hair perfectly messy.

"Wish me good luck, Grace," he said, leaning a bit too close.

I leaned back, instinctively putting a hand on his chest before he could get any closer.

"Good luck, Nick," I offered him a smile.

He handed me a cup of beer—which I wasn't going to drink—then turned around. After tapping his helmet, he ran back onto the field.

Two hours passed like that.

At least, I think it was two. It felt like forever.

Nick was out there, being the quarterback, throwing passes, people screaming his name.

I sat on the bleachers, staring ahead, not really watching. Just... existing.

It was almost pointless to me.

Like, what was I even doing here?

I just wanted to go... home.

Finally, the game ended, and Nick's team won. I saw him grinning, clearly proud. As the crowd cleared, he ran toward me.

"Finally, huh?" he said with a grin."Impressive win, right?"

"Yeah... congrats, Nick." I smiled awkwardly.

He handed me the football, a smug expression spreading across his face. "My gift for you, Grace. Figured you'd want something to remember this win..."

I turned the ball over in my hands, glancing at him briefly before looking down. "Thanks... Nick."

He leaned closer to my ear. "I'm taking you to my place, Grace..."

I wanted to go home. Maya's home—not his.

"I don't think that's a good i—"

"Wait for me outside, Grace. I'll get changed and meet you there," he cut me off, running quickly toward his team.

I ran through my options: I didn't have a car, there was too much chaos to even call an Uber, and I didn't know anyone. I had no choice but to stay.

I was definitely not going to Nick's place.

I just needed a lift back home. Something in my chest ached—a longing I couldn't name. I just... needed to see her. And I hated that I did.

I was now standing outside, watching everyone slowly leave—talking and laughing with each other.

I felt alone.

And the freezing wind only made it worse.

I was just wearing a thin t-shirt and a pair of jeans since my escape. And now, I was holding this football too.

I wrapped my arms around myself, wishing I could just disappear into the night and escape everything.

And when the cold started to seep deeper into me—I heard the sound of heels clicking flawlessly over the ground.

Those steps were coming dangerously close to me. A sound that was way TOO unmistakable, TOO familiar.

I slowly turned around, already expecting the worst.

Maya was here.