Deviants

Chapter 26

Clint

Early Monday morning I head towards my architectural class when I get a message from Gracie asking to meet for coffee after my class. I reply in the positive, not really wanting to deal with her drama but at the same time wanting to make sure that we are officially over. The news of Dean Curtis disappearing from town was a lot more known than I had first thought, but I couldn't be happier. I know that I no longer want to be with Gracie while not having to worry about what Curtis would drag her into if I did break up with her. While letting Johnny know that I no longer needed him to research Curtis was relieving and I could tell Johnny knew how I felt about it. My one goal today was to talk to Amee about it, but first, I need to make things clear with Gracie.

The café that Gracie suggested was the same café we had meet each other in. It is a cloudy morning and a little cold, and the sidewalks and roads are still wet from last night's rain, but that doesn't stop me from ordering my coffee and waiting outside. I don't know what to expect from her, so when I see her turn the corner on the street from her apartment dressed in a light green sweater with a cream-colored scarf and dark jeans, my heart skips a beat. She looks better than the last time I saw her, with her blonde hair tied up and a smile on her face when she sees me. I wave some fingers at her since both my hands are full. When she reaches me, I hand her, her coffee drink that I ordered for her.

"Hi," she says, taking it.

"Hey," I say. She sips at her coffee and offers me a polite thank you.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" She asks. I nod my head and we both begin walking the way she came from. It's quiet for a moment. I notice her finger tapping on her coffee cup. She looks at me. "I'm not exactly sure how to apologize for the way I've been acting," she says. I look into her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, with the way I treated you after I met Dean. I wasn't the best girlfriend." She says. I rub my chin, wondering if at any moment she's going to become emotional again.

"I... I think it was good that you met him. It was kind of like a wake-up call for me," I say.

"Oh, for me too," she says. Then shrugs her shoulders. "While, actually, him leaving was more of a wake-up call. I side glance her.

"So, you understand what I was saying? On Saturday?" I ask. She nods her head.

"I think it would be good if we took a step back. I sort of lost myself after meeting Dean. I think it's a good idea if we explored our options," she says. I'm almost shocked. She's acting so different... I remember her telling me that Curtis was like us. Had abilities.

"I am thinking the exact same thing," I say. She smiles at me.

"Of course, I don't want to completely erase what we had."

"Oh, me either. We had some great times," I say.

"Yeah! Definitely," she says. I don't say anything as the past two years run through my mind. I look at Gracie to see her far away look in her eye that tells me she's remembering it too.

"I definitely still want to try to be friends," I say, bringing her back into the present. She smiles.

"Good, me too." We stop walking, realizing that we are in front of her apartment. I chuckle when I realize that we must've walked here by habit. I rub my chin, turning to her.

"And... our abilities are still just between us?" I say, and she chuckles.

"I was going to say," she says. I stare down at her, happier than I have been for a long time. I can feel that love that I once had for her in my chest, making my heart have a dull ache.