Tides of grace

Confessions

The next day, the group convened again, this time at the chateau. Grace felt a sense of apprehension hanging in the air as they all gathered in the living room. Everyone had agreed to meet for a 'group check-in,' a term Pope had used, but Grace could already tell it was going to be a difficult conversation.

"Alright, everyone," John B. said, sitting up straighter than usual. "Let's just say what's on our minds. No more dancing around it."

The room went quiet. Everyone exchanged uncomfortable glances, but Grace could see the nervous energy building. No one seemed to know how to start.

Finally, Sarah spoke, her voice quiet but firm. "I've been holding a lot in. I've been scared. Scared that things were changing, and that we were all gonna fall apart. And I guess I took it out on you, Grace. I didn't mean to. I just... I was trying to protect myself."

Grace didn't know what to say at first. She had never expected Sarah to be so vulnerable, but she appreciated it. "I understand," Grace said softly. "I've been scared, too. But we can get through it. We don't have to let this divide us."

The others nodded, some more reluctantly than others, but they all seemed to agree.

JJ cleared his throat. "Look, I know I've been acting like I don't care, but I do. I care about you, Grace. And I care about everyone here. We've been through a lot, but we can't let everything fall apart just because things are weird. We've got to be real with each other, even when it's uncomfortable."

Grace felt a lump form in her throat. She wasn't sure how to process all the emotions swirling inside her, but hearing the sincerity in JJ's voice made her believe that things could get better. They were all in this together-whether they liked it or not.

As the conversation continued, Grace felt a sense of hope she hadn't experienced in days. Maybe, just maybe, they could work through their issues, rebuild their friendships, and come out stronger on the other side.

But there was still one question hanging over her head-what would happen if the feelings between the boys and her continued to grow? And would it be possible to keep things from getting even more complicated?

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