Who To Choose? Chapter Eight
Hey guys, this is a bit of a long one. Again, I'm not really sure where I want this story to go but I hope you like it! Thank you to those that have stuck with me throughout and comment! Love xo.
I honestly couldn't say that I knew why I reacted to Zac the way I did. Yes, I loved him, yes I wanted to be with him. Why couldn't I just let him love me? Just when it looked like I could have everything I go ahead and ruin it. Self-sabotage? Maybe, but I just didn't want to end up like my parents; divorced and living alone by the time I'm 35. I walked to my room and began to think that may be I could live without Zac. I didn't need him the way he needed me, I would be okay without him. I knew the thing that would make everything okay - To go and stay with my Mother for the summer!
On the last ever day of school I went up to Zac and Evan and told them I would be leaving and probably wouldn't come back. In our time apart Evan and Zac had become friends again and I was glad for them.
"Hey, guys. I just wanted to tell you that today is my last day in London, probably for good." I tried to smile.
"WHAT?!" Zac shouted. "What do you mean your last day?"
"Yeah, what do you mean Grace?" Evan interjected.
"Well, my life in London has been less than great so I'm going to stay with my Mum in Nottingham before heading off to Uni. In Dublin." I'd be accepted a few days ago into the Trinity University in Dublin and I grabbed the chance to go.
"Dublin? Why so far away?" Evan asked softly. I looked at him and this time I smiled at him. A real smile, the first in weeks.
"I just need to get away, Ev. That's all." I hugged him and then went to hug Zac who had been quiet for most of the exchange.
"Screw this." he said walking away before I could hug him. I knew I'd hurt him, yet again, but I just didn't want to stay in London anymore. I didn't ever want to come back.
That night I finished packing my things and put everything into my car. I smiled at my gran and Mel and hugged them.
"Come see us soon, okay?" they asked.
"You'll have to come and see me. If its only to get out of this wretched city for a while! You'll know where I'll be." I climbed into my car, waved one last time and drove off. It was a long drive to Nottingham but totally worth it when I finally felt my Mum's warm embrace.
"I've missed you, Mum!" I cried.
"I missed you too, sweetie. Come inside, we'll fetch your things later!" I walked into her house and looked around. I had never been here before, she had moved about a lot before finally settling here. My Mum showed me to my room and as I laid down on the bed I fell asleep. I didn't want to, I'd only just been reunited with my Mum but I was so tired that I needed to.
When I went down the next morning I saw that all of my things had been moved into the hallway.
"Thanks for moving my things in Mum! I would've done it when I woke up!" I called towards the kitchen.
"Oh, honey, good you're up. Don't thank me. John moved all of your things in," she beamed as she walked into the hallway.
"John?" I asked curious, thinking maybe he was a neighbor.
"Yes, John, my husband."
"Your WHAT?!" I shouted. She'd gotten married and not told me? What was she thinking?
"My husband. Calm down, honey. It wasn't a big ceremony." she tried to salvage the situation, knowing she had told me the wrong way.
"I don't care. I talk to you like twice a week on the phone. How could you not tell me that you'd met someone and married them?!" I continued to shout.
"Because I didn't think you could handle it. With what happened with your Dad and now what's happening with you and Zac..." she trailed off, knowing it was no good to try to reason with me. I was mad and would probably stay mad for a while.
"Whatever," I muttered as I stormed out of the house. I didn't know my way around Nottingham, so I casually strolled the streets, taking note of the street names so I would be able to find my way back. I walked for hours in a circle, just letting everything sink in. I couldn't believe she was married to a man I had never met. What would happen if I didn't like him? Where had he been last night and this morning? Working? Maybe. I just didn't know what to do anymore. Every area of my life was falling apart and the strain of trying to hold the pieces together was taking its toll.
When I returned home I found my Mum and someone who could only be John sat on the sofa.
"Honey, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But this is John..." John stood and held out his hand for me to shake.
"Nice to meet you, Grace!" he said with all the enthusiasm he could muster. I had to give him a break, he was trying his best.
"Nice to meet you too, John. I hope we can make this work," I said trying my best to be polite. "Please may I be excused? I need to make a phone call." I asked.
"Sure, sweetie. We're going out to dinner at seven if you would like to come with us?" my Mum said. I looked at my wrist watch and saw that it was already six thirty.
"That's okay, thanks Mum. I'll just make something later. Have fun," and with that I left the room. I took the stairs two at a time and ran into my room to grab my mobile. I scrolled down my contacts until I found the number I was looking for. I pressed send and waited for the ring tone.
"Hello?" his deep voice said. I choked up and couldn't talk. "Grace?" he asked.
"Yes, it's me."
"How are you?"
"I'm okay, I guess. How about you?"
"Ah, I'm okay." he replied. He sounded sad. Did he miss me? I hope he did, I missed him terribly.
"That's good. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, G. What is it?"
"Will you come and see me? I miss you!"
"Grace, you've only been gone a day! But sure, I'll come and see you soon!"
"Thank-you Evan."
On the last ever day of school I went up to Zac and Evan and told them I would be leaving and probably wouldn't come back. In our time apart Evan and Zac had become friends again and I was glad for them.
"Hey, guys. I just wanted to tell you that today is my last day in London, probably for good." I tried to smile.
"WHAT?!" Zac shouted. "What do you mean your last day?"
"Yeah, what do you mean Grace?" Evan interjected.
"Well, my life in London has been less than great so I'm going to stay with my Mum in Nottingham before heading off to Uni. In Dublin." I'd be accepted a few days ago into the Trinity University in Dublin and I grabbed the chance to go.
"Dublin? Why so far away?" Evan asked softly. I looked at him and this time I smiled at him. A real smile, the first in weeks.
"I just need to get away, Ev. That's all." I hugged him and then went to hug Zac who had been quiet for most of the exchange.
"Screw this." he said walking away before I could hug him. I knew I'd hurt him, yet again, but I just didn't want to stay in London anymore. I didn't ever want to come back.
That night I finished packing my things and put everything into my car. I smiled at my gran and Mel and hugged them.
"Come see us soon, okay?" they asked.
"You'll have to come and see me. If its only to get out of this wretched city for a while! You'll know where I'll be." I climbed into my car, waved one last time and drove off. It was a long drive to Nottingham but totally worth it when I finally felt my Mum's warm embrace.
"I've missed you, Mum!" I cried.
"I missed you too, sweetie. Come inside, we'll fetch your things later!" I walked into her house and looked around. I had never been here before, she had moved about a lot before finally settling here. My Mum showed me to my room and as I laid down on the bed I fell asleep. I didn't want to, I'd only just been reunited with my Mum but I was so tired that I needed to.
When I went down the next morning I saw that all of my things had been moved into the hallway.
"Thanks for moving my things in Mum! I would've done it when I woke up!" I called towards the kitchen.
"Oh, honey, good you're up. Don't thank me. John moved all of your things in," she beamed as she walked into the hallway.
"John?" I asked curious, thinking maybe he was a neighbor.
"Yes, John, my husband."
"Your WHAT?!" I shouted. She'd gotten married and not told me? What was she thinking?
"My husband. Calm down, honey. It wasn't a big ceremony." she tried to salvage the situation, knowing she had told me the wrong way.
"I don't care. I talk to you like twice a week on the phone. How could you not tell me that you'd met someone and married them?!" I continued to shout.
"Because I didn't think you could handle it. With what happened with your Dad and now what's happening with you and Zac..." she trailed off, knowing it was no good to try to reason with me. I was mad and would probably stay mad for a while.
"Whatever," I muttered as I stormed out of the house. I didn't know my way around Nottingham, so I casually strolled the streets, taking note of the street names so I would be able to find my way back. I walked for hours in a circle, just letting everything sink in. I couldn't believe she was married to a man I had never met. What would happen if I didn't like him? Where had he been last night and this morning? Working? Maybe. I just didn't know what to do anymore. Every area of my life was falling apart and the strain of trying to hold the pieces together was taking its toll.
When I returned home I found my Mum and someone who could only be John sat on the sofa.
"Honey, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But this is John..." John stood and held out his hand for me to shake.
"Nice to meet you, Grace!" he said with all the enthusiasm he could muster. I had to give him a break, he was trying his best.
"Nice to meet you too, John. I hope we can make this work," I said trying my best to be polite. "Please may I be excused? I need to make a phone call." I asked.
"Sure, sweetie. We're going out to dinner at seven if you would like to come with us?" my Mum said. I looked at my wrist watch and saw that it was already six thirty.
"That's okay, thanks Mum. I'll just make something later. Have fun," and with that I left the room. I took the stairs two at a time and ran into my room to grab my mobile. I scrolled down my contacts until I found the number I was looking for. I pressed send and waited for the ring tone.
"Hello?" his deep voice said. I choked up and couldn't talk. "Grace?" he asked.
"Yes, it's me."
"How are you?"
"I'm okay, I guess. How about you?"
"Ah, I'm okay." he replied. He sounded sad. Did he miss me? I hope he did, I missed him terribly.
"That's good. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, G. What is it?"
"Will you come and see me? I miss you!"
"Grace, you've only been gone a day! But sure, I'll come and see you soon!"
"Thank-you Evan."
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