I knew it, I know you

If I can't have you

Gracie POV

The London rain drizzled against the window as I stared out at the gray skyline, my thoughts a chaotic whirlpool of guilt, fear, and heartbreak. Charlie's presence beside me felt like a heavy weight, a constant reminder of everything I'd lost—everything I'd been forced to give up.

I hated myself for what I was doing. For letting Chris manipulate me like this. For pretending that I could ever move on from Albert, that I could somehow forget him and replace him with someone else. But the alternative... the thought of what Chris might do to Albert if I didn't go along with his twisted plan... that terrified me even more.

Chris's words echoed in my mind, cold and cruel: "If I can't have you, then neither can he." It wasn't just a threat—it was a promise. And when he showed me just how far he was willing to go, I knew I had no choice.

The brakes. The crash. The blood on the pavement.

I still remember the moment I found out about Albert's accident. My heart had stopped, a sickening fear gripping me so tightly that I couldn't breathe. When I rushed to the hospital, praying that he'd be okay, Chris's call came like a knife to the throat.

"I warned you, Gracie. This is what happens when you try to defy me."

His voice was calm, almost casual, but the menace beneath it was unmistakable. He didn't even have to say the words—if I wanted Albert to live, to recover, I had to stay away from him. And not just stay away, but make it look like I'd moved on. Like I'd forgotten him.

That's when Charlie came into the picture. Chris's brother, kind and gentle, but too loyal to ever defy him. He agreed to the plan, thinking it was for the best, that I needed someone to protect me from Chris's wrath. But he didn't know the real reason why I was doing this. No one did, except for Chris and me.

So I put on a mask. I smiled when I didn't feel like it, I held Charlie's hand in public, and I let the world think I was happy. But inside, I was dying. Every time I thought of Albert lying in that hospital bed, alone and probably hating me, it felt like another piece of my heart was being torn apart.

I knew he'd wake up eventually, and when he did, he'd see the headlines. The photos. He'd think I'd betrayed him, just like everyone else. But it was the only way to keep him safe. The only way to make sure Chris wouldn't hurt him again.

And now, as I sat here, pretending to be someone I'm not, I wondered if I'd made the right choice. I wondered if Albert would ever understand why I did this, or if he'd just hate me forever. Maybe that's what I deserved.

But despite everything, despite the lies and the pain, I couldn't stop loving him. And that was the cruelest part of all.

Albert was my worst crime. I shouldn't have done it, I shouldn't have followed my heart. He tried to stay even when I isolated myself, and I caused him all this. I played with his feelings, we were too different, he was too sensitive, and I...

I couldn't take it.

I didn't like the way Charlie held my hand, the way he touched me. I didn't want to do it, but I hurt Albert enough. He deserved better than me. A girl like Sophie.

My phone rang, I picked it up, apologized to Charlie and went into the other room.

-He asked about you. - A cold voice came from the other side.

It was Taylor... now she hated me too... Not hated me, but disappointed. She was disappointed in the fact that I was doing this. That I didn't tell her earlier and try another way. After Albert's incident, she realized everything.

-He woke up? - ' My voice trembled along with my body.

-Yes.

-Did you say something to him?

-He saw the news himself.

I raise my hand and wipe the tears from my face.

-Hates me doesn't he?

-Yes. I tried to talk to him and explain that you were doing it for him.

I put my phone down for a moment and cover my face with my hands taking a breath.

-'Take care of Albert,' I whisper.

Taylor is silent for a second.

-'Someone else already did.

She ended the call, and I found myself on the floor.

I stared at the ceiling. Thoughts ran through my head. Someone else? Sophie? I'd recently heard she was going to have a gig in New York, but it was too soon for that. Was she going there to see Albert? Did she get the news? What if her hands are on his body right now?

No

I stood up instinctively without controlling my body or my actions. I pushed a lot of the things in the kitchen. Pieces of glass were on the floor. Charlie ran out of the other room, and I was frozen in one place.

-"Gracie? - He put his hand on my waist, but I flinched. - What's going on?

-Nothing. - I whisper. - 'I'm leaving tomorrow.