BOUND TO FALL IN LOVE - gracie abrams

- nine

THE NIGHT didn't end with gracie coming to a realisation. august gave up, it was getting late and they were both tired. she'd bring it up another day, she would never fully give up, she could never give up on gracie.

in fact, she had explained the whole situation to taylor, and the blonde had promised to help make gracie notice the toxicity of her relationship. the two women had invited gracie over tonight, they weren't gonna give up before she understood how much she was worth — and how much brandon didn't deserve her.

when the brunette showed up at taylor's front door, august greeted her with a hug and a small smile. she was nervous. she was scared gracie would get mad and she'd have to spend yet another two weeks with no contact to the abrams girl.

"so, gracie, we've been meaning to talk to you," taylor cleared her throat awkwardly. it was a heavy topic, taylor knew that, "um, y'know, brandon?"

gracie's brows furrowed and she looked between taylor and august with confusion written all over her beautiful face. "my boyfriend? yeah, uh, i've heard about him, why, what's up?" she tried to act nonchalant, act like she didn't really care about this weird conversation. in reality she was controlled by nerves, they probably wanted to talk about the same thing august brought up a few days ago.

"great! okay! so, uh! yes...." taylor stumbled over her words, she had no idea what to say.

august groaned, playfully rolling her eyes, "oh my god taylor, you're here to help! how are you worse at this than i am?" she sighed, turning to gracie, "gracie i love you, you know i do, but uh...i don't think brandon does...and you know how i feel about him, i've made that clear, but uh, i just need you to see it from an outside point of view, a view not blinded by imaginary love...he treats you like shit, gracie."

"yeah, gracie, sorry...but, love shouldn't look like that...he's supposed to care about you, you as a person, as a human being with feelings and emotions, not as some kind of doll he thinks he can treat however he wants to...i've seen his eyes, they're on all the wrong places, his hands, his attention in general," taylor joined in, supporting august, "gracie, i hate to be so blunt about it, but i think that's what you need...brandon is using you, gracie, he's using you for your body, it's clear as day."

gracie went to protest, but she was cut off by her best friend.

"and we know it isn't clear as day to you, we get that, we've both been in this same situation where you're convinced your relationship is absolute goals and you're so in love...and that's why we're here, trying to help you see it without those lovesick glasses," august wasn't going to beat around the bush anymore. she would do and say whatever she needed to for gracie to realise what was going on.

it went quiet. gracie's eyes were filling with glistening tears. she was looking down at her lap, where her fingers were anxiously fiddling. august hated seeing her best friend in this state. she gently grabbed gracie's hands to stop the fidgeting. gracie looked up and stared into the blue eyes she had come to find so much comfort in over the years.

"i, uh...i'm— im not sure what to say," she admitted in a low voice, "i guess you're...i guess you're right."

august and taylor shared a look. a look of relief and accomplishment. a look of happiness.

"what should i do? i don't want to break up with him...what if he gets mad? or sad? i don't want to hurt him, he doesn't deserve that," gracie was mumbling, her mind was going a billion miles an hour. she didn't want to do this. she knew it was for the better, but she didn't want to.