Behind the Lights (Tommen legacy 1)

Chapter twenty-three

RORY
Agony. Pure fucking agony. 16 days of hell. When Gracie told me she wasn't ready, I understood. She has trauma that she needs to deal with, and I was being honest when I said I would wait years for her. But that doesn't mean I liked her decision. I have to hold myself back at lunch not to pull her onto my lap or caress her knee like I did that first day.
I have held Grace to the friend standard, though. Usually, when you get friend-zoned, it's an awkward friendship that eventually fizzles out, but I will not let that happen to us. Not a slight chance in hell. She often comes after school to study or watch her Disney movies. I swear to God, I have seen every Disney movie in existence. She comes to my rugby games, and we will go to biddies after them for dinner with everyone. Nothing has entirely changed, but it is worse than before because the thought of a relationship and the tension there before is gone now. Genuinely, I feel like I am living the reverse of Belles's "Something There" song. Shit. Now she has me thinking like a Disney movie. God, I am going to get so much shit from the lads now.
Pulling me from my thoughts, I hear the sweet sing-song of her voice.
"Are you doing anything after school?" Gracie turned her conversation towards me, a bright smile on her face.
"Only training till five, then I'm free,"
"Perfect. This new movie came out, and I want to go see it." She tells me, looking overly giddy about this movie; I swear she doesn't stop smiling while waiting for me to answer.
I tilt my head at her, analyzing, her hair is pulled back into her signature braids, each with a strand of black ribbon braided into it.
Corey peaks his head over me, resting his chin on my shoulder like a puppy dog, "Gracie, why in God's name won't you stop smiling? It's creeping me out."
"God, Corey, you are so nosy. Why can't I just be happy and it not be suspicious."
"Because you look like a bleeding Bloody Mary." I shiver at the thought of the childhood horror story about the creepy woman in the mirror. Looking back at Gracie, I see it in her smile, her head slightly tilted.
"I do not!" she shrieks, scooting away from me and him. Way to go, Corey, you eejit. Now Gracie is farther away from me.
"Rory," she fake cries, "Tell my hideous brother I do not look like Bloody Mary!"
Before I can defend Gracie, Corey yells back at her, "I am not hideous; I am very handsome. Thank you very much."
"Says who," Gracie taunts, "Nanny?" She lifts a brow at him in a mocking way. My head bounces between them as they bicker back and forth about who the better-looking sibling is. I laugh as Gracie insults Corey hard, putting him in his place.
"Calm down, you too," I chuckle. "Corey, Gracie does not look like Bloody Mary, and you are not hideous." I tell him. Knowing Corey, his ego will most definitely be bruised after Gracie puts the slightest notion about being hideous in his head.
"What movie is it?" I ask, finally getting Grace's attention strictly on me after Corey returns to talking with Aine and Rosie.
"Nothing special," she giggles. "Aine, Rosie, and Connor will come too. Is that okay?" she asks with a sly smile. Suddenly, I became very suspicious of our movie hangout. The way she is smiling at me right now gives me the feeling I might be murdered.
~~~~
Gracie fucking set me up. They all set Connor and me up. This wasn't some random fucking new movie. No, it was a Ryan Gosling marathon at the local cinema. What Cineam even does that? Four hours of sappy, romantic Ryan Gosling movies. La la land was up first, where the girls sang every lyric to every song until the end, where they all started crying when Mia and Sebastian didn't end up; oh yeah, Connor was crying like a bitch too. And then came the Notebook. fuck, that movie was another level of sadness. I refuse to watch that movie ever again because, just like Connor. I started crying like a little bitch.
Jaysus.
These girls have corrupted me. God, who knew Ryan Gosling was such a good actor?
The best part was when Gracie started crying. And don't get me wrong, I hate seeing her cry, but watching her cry at the cinema, where I get to drape my arm around her shoulders, and she leans her head into my shoulders. Pure fucking heaven.
Jesus. I sound like a perv who gets off on girls crying. I shudder at the thought.
"did you like it?" Gracie asks me, tears still in her eyes from the Notebook as we walk out of the cinema.
I carefully sling an arm around her shoulder as she gets closer to me, using my free hand to wipe the tears from under her eyes. " Well, did you like it?" I retort.
"Yes!" she says, jumping a little in my arms. " Ryan Gosling might be the love of my life."
I scowl at that. I know Ryan Gosling is an A-list celebrity that will never come to Ballylaggin, but if he happens to come here, I will beat the shit out of him. Hey, my dad once met Brad Pitt at some event, so anything is possible.
"If you loved it, then I loved it," I tell her honestly.
"Oh," her voice is a whisper as her cheeks blush, "I-um- I'm gonna go make fun of Connor for crying like a bitch." she laughs awkwardly as she slinks out of my hold and skips over to Connor, awkwardly glancing back at me.
Great, now I have scared her off.
Aine snickers at my other side, tsking at me, "You really know how to scare a girl off, don't you, Kav."
"Har-har, Aine." I roll my eyes at her, knowing she is going to give me bullshit about this for the rest of my fucking days.
Aine continues to mock me as I pull out my phone, scanning through my texts; seeing one from my Da, my heart stops.
I tune out Aine, her voice a muffle behind the racing thoughts in my head.
"Where is Eden?" I mumble to myself more than anyone, "Where is Eden." God, why does my chest feel like it's collapsing? Shit. why can't I remember where Eden was going tonight. I feel like my head is going to explode. My breaths were ragged as Rosie looked at me from where she stood with Gracie and Connor.
"I think she is at biddies with some girlfriends; why, Rory, are you okay."
I don't bother explaining as I immediately start sprinting to biddies, it's only half a mile away, and I make it in under four minutes. I burst through teh door, my chest brushing my ribs. Every breath, a sharp dagger pierces my lungs.
I lunge towards the back room where Eden always sits.
"Eden!" I shouted at her, not caring what the other people in the room thought as everyone saw the advert for me. I feel Connor, Gracie, aine, and Drosie rush up behind me, all completely out of breath from the pace I ran to get here.
Edens's eyes drat towards me, her face unreadable. My hands start to shake as she excuses herself from her friends, making her way over her.
Jesus. Can she hurry up?
"Rory, you alright? What are you doing here?" she asks, worry lining her face at the state I am in.
"Caoihmes in the hospital