State Of Grace

Chapter 18 - Haunted

"It's okay, don't worry about them, just focus on yourself," she pleaded, "How's the pain now?"

Gracie was confused, was everything that happened all part of her nightmare? "It hurts," she squirmed, "What happened?"

"You had surgery, part of your stomach lining split open. It was repaired and you're going to be okay but only if you start taking care of yourself," Lilah sat down and took her hands, "You have got to stop bottling things up, it almost cost you your life this time." The remnants of running mascara showed that Lilah had been crying, and she was trying not to cry again.

"I'm sorry," Gracie wrapped her tired arms around her foster mother and wept into her shoulder, "I didn't mean for everything to get so messed up."

"I know you didn't, baby," Lilah rocked the sobbing teenager until she finally calmed down. "You have another visitor."

The door opened, and standing in the hallway next to her foster siblings was Jason.

"I'll let you guys talk," Lilah left the room.

"I was so worried, it sucked not being able to talk to you, but Marco's been keeping me in the loop," he hugged Gracie, but her arms stayed at her side. The only person she wanted to see was Rachel.

"I'm fine," she said bluntly. She avoided eye contact and pulled her hand away when he reached for it.

"I've missed you these past couple of days," Jason tried to get Gracie to look at him, but her glassy eyes stayed fixed on the floor, "What's going on? Are you in pain? Should I get your moms? A nurse?"

"Stop it, I'm fine," she insisted. Gracie wiped a tear away and looked at him. It was time to come clean, no matter how much it would hurt him, he deserved honesty, "Jason, I've been lying to you."

"Whatever it is, you can tell me," he reached for her hand again, and she folded her arms.

"Remember when you came over for dinner? And Danny said all that stuff... about me," she waited for a response but he just looked at her, "I wasn't lying when I said I liked you, but what he said, it's true."

"Gracie, I don't care that your bi," Jason laughed. "Were you really that worried to tell me th-"

"I'm not bi," she cut him off, "I'm gay. And I've been seeing someone behind your back."

Jason stood up, taking a step back. His eyes drifted from hers to the floor as he stood contemplating in silence, and then he looked at Gracie again. The heartache in his eyes could be felt just by looking into them

"You've been cheating on me?"

He didn't care that she was gay, he only cared that she'd betrayed him and allowed him to go on deluding himself.

"I'm sorry."

"How long?" He ran his fingers through his hair in disbelief.

"I tried to tell you, I never meant to hurt you, I swear."

Instead of raising his voice in anger, his volume dropped as he begged, "How long, Gracie?"

Gracie unhooked the necklace he gave her and passed it to him, "From the start," she swallowed the lump in her throat, "I'm so sorry."

Jason snatched the necklace from her hand and stormed out of the room, throwing the flowers he'd bought her in the trash on the way out.

Gracie allowed herself to cry over him, she would never have feelings for him the way he wanted her to, but Jason was still a good person, and not only had she hurt him terribly, but she'd lost a friend.