Falling for the Rockstar

Chapter 31 - Grace

The door to the conference room slams shut behind me, and for a brief moment, I'm cut off from the world. But the words—his words—still echo in my head. "This shit..." A sharp pain pierces my chest, so intense that I nearly collapse. How could he say that? How could he call us that? As if I... as if the baby—his baby—was just a mistake, an obstacle in his perfect life.

Tears sting my eyes, but I force myself to blink them away. Not here. I keep up the facade as I stumble down the long hotel hallway, my steps hurried, almost like I'm fleeing. My heart pounds so hard it hurts, and deep in my stomach, something clenches—a pain that steals my breath away.

"Breathe, Grace, damn it, breathe," I whisper hoarsely to myself, pressing the elevator button. My hand trembles so much I barely hit it. The seconds it takes for the doors to open feel like an eternity. I step inside and lean against the cool metal wall, closing my eyes. But before the elevator can start, a hand stops the doors from closing.

"Grace!" It's Louis. His voice cuts through the silence, and my heart pounds as I turn to see him. In the seconds before the doors close again, I feel the ground shift beneath me. I don't want him to see me—not now, not when I'm such a mess. But he's there, standing right in front of me, his eyes burning with worry—and something else I can't quite place.

"Louis, please..." The words barely make it past my lips, quiet and exhausted. "Just leave me alone."

"You know I can't do that." His voice is firmer than I expected, his hand still holding the elevator door open. I can see the pain in his eyes, the confusion, but also the awareness that he's triggered something irreversible.

I shake my head, my anger boiling over. "Do you even realize what you just said? You called us, the baby, shit, Louis!" He shakes his head hastily. "No, that's not what I meant. I was talking about the situation we're in."

I laugh bitterly, clutching my stomach, which aches from the intensity of it. "As if that makes it any better."

Before he can respond, the elevator doors closes. He jumps in and we go up two floors . When the door opens again, I leave him standing there.

"Wait, Grace!" Louis' voice grows louder, and I feel a sharp pain twist in my stomach. The pressure in my chest mounts as I quicken my pace, stumbling down the hallway without looking back. I can't. I can't hear what he has to say, not now—not after he hurt me like this.

"You don't understand, Louis!" I whirl around abruptly, my voice a hoarse whisper that barely carries through the air. "You treated us like... like some goddamn mistake! Like something you didn't even want! That was humiliating."

"That's not what I meant, Grace. You have to believe me," he says quickly, taking a step closer. His steps quicken, and the desperation in his eyes hits me harder than anything he's said before. But it doesn't change the fact that his words cut deep.

"Everyone in that room made me out to be the problem, Louis. They all blamed me," I say, my voice trembling with bitterness. "I thought you were different. But you... you're just like the rest of them. I should have never trusted you. I knew that when it came down to it, you'd always choose the band."

Louis freezes as I reach the door to our room. "Grace... please..." His voice is softer now, almost pleading as he steps closer. But I step back, feeling the distance between us grow wider. One step from him, two steps from me. And then, all I feel is the urge to run. To get away. I can't stay here—not in this city, not in this situation.

"Grace! I love you. The boys adore you. This has all been one big mess, but we're exhausted. We haven't slept. We've been stuck in the same place for 24 hours. Things were said, things were done—but I love you. I love our baby. When I heard that little heartbeat, I knew I'd do anything to protect it. Let me fix this. Please."

His words don't sink in. They bounce off me like waves crashing against a rock, only to retreat. Seeing him like this—vulnerable, broken—hurts me, but it's not enough to erase the pain his words caused.

"You don't even know what you're saying," I whisper, barely audible. "I get it, Louis. I understand you're under pressure, that you're overwhelmed. But I... I can't do this anymore. Not here. Not with you."

His face crumbles, disbelief and heartbreak mixing in his expression. His eyes search mine, desperate for something to hold on to, a way to salvage this. But the truth is, I don't want to salvage it anymore.

"I... I need to go home," I say, my voice trembling with finality. "I need to get away from all of this. Away from the tour, the band, you. I'm sorry, but I can't stay."

He takes a step closer, his hand trembling as he reaches for me, but I step back—not out of hate, but out of a deep, painful need for distance.

"Grace, please... stay..." His voice is so fragile, it nearly breaks me. "I understand if you're hurt, but please. Let's talk this through when you're not so angry, okay? I don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose the baby. When I heard that heartbeat, I knew I'd do anything for it. For you. Let me make it right. Please."

I want to answer, but the sharp pain in my stomach suddenly becomes everything I feel. My body betrays me, and I cry out, a desperate sound that scares even me. My legs buckle, and I collapse to the floor, unable to stop it.

"Grace!" Louis' voice cuts through the haze in my mind, and suddenly he's there, right next to me. His hands are everywhere—on my shoulders, my face, my back. "What's wrong?" His panic only fuels mine, but I can barely speak.

"It hurts..." I manage to say, clutching my stomach instinctively. And then I see it. The blood. It streams down my legs, dark and relentless. A shock runs through me, and I gasp for air. My hands tremble as my heart races, and the thought of the baby—our baby—nearly drives me insane.

"Oh God, no, no, no!" Panic rises in me, but my body is so weak I can hardly breathe. My thoughts spin out of control, and all I feel is pain—physical and emotional.

"HELP!" Louis screams, his voice steady but quivering. I feel him pull me into his arms, his grip firm and protective. "It's going to be okay! I'm getting help! Stay with me, Grace. Please."

I cling to him as my world blurs. Tears stream down my face, unstoppable. The only thing I can think is: Not the baby. Please, not the baby.

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Authors note:

Oh God! Let's hope the baby is okay