Everything You Wanted Me To Be.

Chapter 79

When I wake up the sun is beaming through the window. Jace isn't in the bed anymore, he's sat with his laptop on his knee on the sofa.
"Morning." I say
"Afternoon more like." Jace says and smiles.
"What? What do you mean?"
"It's like half 1, you missed breakfast and lunch, I can go grab you something if you're hungry though?" I shake my head.
"I'm okay for now." Jace raises his brows and looks at me.
"I will eat I'm just not hungry, do you have any water?" He walks to his rucksack and grabs a bottle of water out of it. He comes and sits on the bed handing me it. I take a sip and immediately feel sick. I look for a paper bucket but can't find one.
"I'm going to be sick." He stands up quickly and looks around. He finds a paper bowl and passes it to me. I wait to be sick but it doesn't come. I take another sip of water.
"This morning sickness thing is not great."
"I think it's a good thing." He's right it is a good sign. Suddenly my stomach churns and I'm sick. I knew I would be it was just when. I have nothing in my system so it's really hurting. When I feel the need pass I lie back down. I press the button on the bed to sit me up slightly. Not to much though as my tummy still hurts.
"Are you going to make me stay here for the next few days?" Jace looks at me confused.
"You don't think that's for the best?"
"Im asking you?" He bites his lip.
"I think you should stay, I want you to." I nod that's all he had to say.
"What are you doing over there?" I nod to his laptop.
"Working, it's financial year end for Atlas in a month and I need to see our position."
"What about TSC?"
"TSC made a lot of money since I bought it. Im not worried about it. Since I said I was the owner the share prices rocketed. Oil is also getting cheaper but demand betting higher so we will be turning alot of profit this year." I nod like I understand.
"Are you going to go into office?" He looks at me like I'm joking.
"Grace I said I'm not letting you out my sight and I mean it."
"You don't trust me at all?" He shakes his head.
"Not with this Baby." He gives me a sympathetic look I can't believe how much I fucked up.
"Why?" I push. I just want him to talk to me at this point.
"Well how would you react if you bled again?"
"Id call for the doctor." I think I would, although id also probably go into panic mode to, which is what got us in this situation in the first place.
"Well atleast that's logical, I'm not convinced though. I'm not trying to be an asshole I just..I can't do that again Grace. Imagine how much you'd have drank if I was an hour later?"
"How did you find me?"
"I called Isaac."
"How did he find me?"
"He tracked your phone." I nod. I'm not totally surprised by his answer it's good to know he could find me quickly if anything ever happened.
"Jace you know you're going to have to let me do life on my own at some point right?"
"Yeah at the point that our child isn't hanging in the balance and I believe you aren't a risk to them and yourself. Grace you have no idea what went through my head. The risk you put yourself in. I can't loose you, ever okay? I even rang Michael and threatened to kill him if he took you." Shit.
"Jace he will know I told you."
"Another reason why I shouldn't let you out my sight." Just as I'm about to argue the doctor comes in.
"Hi Grace, how's your pain?"
"Yeah it's sore but not to bad thanks."
"Good, mind if I check you over?" I nod. They lay my bed down, Jace has gone back to looking at his laptop. They feel around my stomach and check my temperature.
"Any new bleeding?"
"I don't think so but I haven't moved around much."
"I think we should get you on your feet and moving around. I'll disconnect your IV but leave your cannula in."
"What just standing?"
"No go for a walk, go sit in the cafe, just get some fresh air. We need to see if you bleed when you're active."
"Okay...what if i do?"
"We will rescan and make a plan of action. I suspect it'll be fine though." I nod and look to Jace whose already stood up.
"Can we go home and come back?" Jace asks.
"Yes certainly, I recommend you come back by say 4 does that work?" I glance at the clock it's nearly 2 now.
"Yeah that's no problem." Jace replies. The doctor smiles and takes the IV out, she flushes it with saline. I swear that's the worst part. She leaves the room and Jace walks over to me holding his arm out. I stand up, I don't feel wobbly. A bit pained. I grab his arm and we walk to the exit of the ward. It gets easier than I thought it would and I let go of him. I slide my hand into his and he wraps his fingers around me. I use it occasionally for support but it feels good being on my feet again, so much easier than yesterday. We walk to the elevator and Jace presses the button. When we reach the ground floor Jace steps infront of me.
"Do you want me to go get the car or walk?"
"I'm fine I'll walk." He nods and we continue out the hospital. I feel a bit like an old person at the pace I am walking, I feel like people are staring at me too. I see the car and sigh in relief it's not to far.
"What's wrong Grace?"
"I'm just tired and feel like people are staring at me."
"They aren't don't worry. Do you want me to carry you?" I shake my head.
"No it's fine." We get to the car shortly after and Jace opens the door. I climb in and I'm hit by the smell of cigarettes and far too much aftershave. He climbs in the car and I raise a brow.
"Yeah sorry about that, I was really mad. I still am but I won't smoke in the car again. I was going to try get it cleaned before you got in it." He reaches into the vanity mirror and pulls out the scan photo he asked for last night. He passes me it.
"I wondered what you did with it." I say and he smiles.
"I was going to put it in my wallet but I decided the vanity was better." I smile at him.
"You're going to be a fantastic dad." I whisper. He smiles and starts the car.
"I know." He winks and smiles. I miss this Jace. I look around the car and notice a half empty Vodka bottle. Jace notices.
"Yeah you don't get to say anything about that, I'm not the pregnant one."
"I didn't."
"You didn't have to." Jace pulls onto the freeway.
"Do you want to get some food? I asked to go home so I can shower and change." I nod.
"Food sounds good."
"What do you fancy?"
"A burger. Like a Burger King." He nods.
"Okay, I'll go to the drive through." I recline my seat back slightly and lean into the back grabbing a blanket.
"What's up?"
"Nothing I just wanted to be snuggly." He nods again.
"I hate this." I say frustrated
"What?"
"This, this eggshells shit. Like can you just shout at me so we can go back to normal already?"
"Grace I don't want to shout at you, I don't want to argue; I agree I want us to go back to normal, but I'm hurt. That doesn't just go away. The entire situation was so fucked up yesterday." I nod.
"I'm sorry."
"I know you are I know, it doesn't change how you said hurtful shit and did the most irresponsible thing I've ever known you do. Grace I forgive you for it, I know it's a mistake you made, but it really worries me if you lost our child you'd fall off the deep end and you would drag me with you." Jace pulls into Burger King and into the drive through.
"What do you want?"
"A whopper, extra pickles, loaded fries and chilli cheese bites." Jace orders my food and himself some. He pulls around and pays for the order. It doesn't take long for it to be served. He passes me the food. I pick at the chilli cheese bites. He holds his hand out for one.
"These are good, why have I never had these before." I laugh.
"Go back and get a share box then because these are mine." He laughs and shakes his head.
"I'll remember that." He winks and I smile. It doesn't take long till we get home and Jace pulls into the garage. Jace looks uneasy.
"Somethings not right."
"What?" I look around everything seems normal.
"We need to go."
"Jace what are you talking about everything is fine?" He turns the car over and as he goes to leave the garage the tyres all pop.
"Shit."
"Jace what is wrong?"
"Grace the door to the house is open, the internal garage door. I shut it I remember it."
"Fuck I can't get any cars out with this. Shit." Jace looks at me he's genuinely really concerned. He pulls his phone out and calls someone
"Charles, someone's in the house, they've blocked the garage I can't get out. Grace is in the car. I need help. Yeah yeah send them now I don't care. Thank you. Yeah I have one. Mmm. I think it's Michael." Michael?! Shit I knew this was going to end badly. Jace leans across me and opens up the glove box. Behind the glove box is a secret compartment he opens inside is a gun and bullets.
"Jace, what the fuck? This is my car."
"Grace it's in all of them, we have to be safe." He loads his familiar gun.
"What are you going to do?"
"I have no idea right now. I'm going to try open the garage door. Look at me." He cups my face.
"I need you to run."
"Jace I'm hardly in any fit state for that. Also maybe that's what they want? If they split us up we are more vulnerable."
"Grace I cannot loose you, I cannot loose this baby. I need you safe. You aren't safe if I walk in that house with a loaded gun."
"Well I don't see any other choice."
"Fine, you come with me, then you get into the office you lock the door. I will come and get you when it's safe." I nod. This is far from ideal.
"Don't shut the door, the car door." I nod. We both climb out of the car silently. Jace comes to my side and shields me from the front. We walk into the house and Jace scans the hallway. Nothing looks out of place. Jace grabs my hand and pulls me to his office. He motions for me to enter his secret room. I do as I'm told and enter it. I shut the door and lock it. As I do I hear a gun get click.
"JACEEE." I try and open the door again and bang on it. Jace tries to open it from the other side.
"Grace I can't open it. FUCK. GRACE? GRACE!?" I flick the light on to see who it is. Michael has a gun to my head. His hand motions for me to be quite.
"Jace, I have a gun to your wife's head. I will shoot her. You need to go."
"What?! You think I'm going to leave her with you." Jace shouts through the door.
"I just want to talk to her. She will come to no harm if you do as I say."
"Where?"
"You're going to walk out the house and get in the car parked outside." I shake my head I'm shaking.
"Please don't do this Michael please." I beg.
"Jace?"
"You promise you won't lay a hand on her?"
"I do. I'll let her go as soon as you get in the car and it leaves. I just want a little chat with your baby mama here."
"Fuck. Grace, I love you. Be safe please." I can hear Jaces footsteps leave the hallway and the door shut. Michael pulls up his phone and watches the car pull away. I slide down against the door.
"Sit Grace, I have no interest in killing my only grandchild today." I do as I'm told, my tears are streaming.
"Where is he going?"
"That's for you to decide."
"How so?"
"Jace is on route to a plane, it's a small plane that's a little bit...rusty. I tell you now, he'll never walk off this plane again." I gasp.
"What do you want?" Michaels face twists into a smirk.
"I'll ask you the same question I asked you days ago, how far would you go to save your man?" "I'd do anything. But nothing to harm the baby."
"As I said Grace, my Grandchild is safe for now."
"I want your share of Atlas."
"What?"
"You heard me."
"I can't do that, I haven't signed the contract yet. I have no shares....but I have Acorp I can give you all of Acorp."
"Okay, but I will still have the share of Atlas. You'll sign it over to me once you've signed the dotted line. I know Jace already had it drafted."
"You'll return Acorp then."
"Yes I like the irony of you having the company that killed your parents." I stand up and go to the Mac. I put Jaces password in and print off the Acorp documents. This seems like a good price for the company. I draft up the sale document and print it off.
"This is it. I'll sign it. Please don't hurt him."
"Hurry up then Grace." I sign the document and pass it to Michael. He smirks. He signs the document and tucks it into his blazer pocket.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you."
"Aren't you going to stop the plane?" He smiles wickedly.
"Oh I'm sorry Grace, you were too late did I not mention it was a time bound deal." He flicks the TV on. It's a breaking news channel with a plane up in flames in a field. My heart drops. I can't breath. This man just destroyed my family. My husband, my tiny blobs dad. I can feel my heart shattering.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you Grace. Sorry you were too late."
I fall to the floor. My eyes can't leave the screen, how could he do this. He walks out the room leaving me to grieve my husband. He killed him. He killed my child's father. I pull myself together I bend down into Jaces safe and put as many codes as I can think of to open it. Fuck what will his password be. I put in our wedding date this makes me cry again, I put in every date before our wedding why do I always underestimate his love for me. Of course it was our wedding date. I lean into the safe and find what I'd been hoping for, a gun. Suddenly holding it I come to the realisation I have no idea how to even load it. I sink back onto the wall. My heart feels like it's been broken into 1000 pieces I put my hand on my tummy. My heart breaks for the child that'll never know him. I could kill Michael. No I'm going to. I hear a voice talking, it's Michael, he's on the TV. I stand up and turn it up.
"It's with great sadness I confirm that the plane was carrying my son Jace Atlas. His wife so kindly bought him flying lessons, we can only assume at this time that the plane suffered some kind of mechanical malfunction he was not equipped to deal with. We ask for privacy during this time that allows his family to grieve the loss of an incredible man."
How dare he, how dare he stand there and play the grieving father.
"Grace?!?" I jump hearing someone. It's Charles, I've come to know this voice well. I slide to the floor again.
"Grace?" Charles peers his head in.
"Oh Grace." He comes and sits by me and pulls me into him gently, Jace must have told him about my surgery.
"Grace I hate to ask this but I really need you to come with me."
"Why? Where?"
"I know you have no reason to trust me but please?"
"Will you show me how to load this?" I hold up the gun and he looks at me concerned.
"Grace I will but I need you to come with me first. I'll show you in the car. Grace why do you need to load a gun?" I look at Charles and I trust him, the way Jace does or did. Fully and unquestioned.
"I'm going to kill Michael."