Breaking free - Gracie Abrams

028 In Her Zone

In Her Zone
028

july 29, 2024

after two days of unnecessary family drama, the x week finally ended. the house was spotless, and gabriela was the one left to lock the door. they rarely came to this place unless it was summer, and even then, it always felt temporary, like they were just passing through.

bringing gracie back into her life was anything but seamless. before her, everything felt routine—wake up, go for a run with glenn, hang out with him for a while, then head back to her apartment to feed ashtray. she'd spend her afternoons circling around the idea of gracie and harry together, and when it got too heavy, she'd call charlotte to distract herself. it wasn't perfect, but it was simple. now, with gracie back, everything felt messy in the best and worst ways.

a few weeks in, cancelling plans with charlotte had become second nature. every time she wanted to come over, gabriela would make some half-hearted excuse—gracie was either there already or on her way. even her morning runs with glenn were falling apart; most days, she was too drained from long nights with gracie to wake up early. gracie went to london for a few days to play acoustic shows, gabriela tried to convince herself it was good. it gave her space, let her breathe. she didn't want to seem pushy, and whatever they had going on right now was easy—complicated, sure, but still easy in a way. and when her dad's absence pressed too hard on her shoulders, gracie was there, her hand on gabriela's back. gabriela never said why she needed the comfort, but gracie understood without asking.

the singer had been back for three days, but gabriela's schedule had kept them apart. she'd been caught up with a yellowjackets reading, and now she was on her way to meet gracie at the studio where her band was rehearsing. after that, it was all piling up in ways that should've felt suffocating. but instead, it just felt... different.

gabriela's fingers tapped the steering wheel in rhythm with dust till dawn playing on the radio. glenn had teased her earlier, asking if she was ever going to officially ask gracie to be her girlfriend. it was something gabriela had assumed they already were—but, thinking about it, neither of them had actually asked. the label had just slipped into their conversations naturally. now, the thought was there, intertwining with something else: how gracie really felt about being with a girl. the things gracie had said during their fight in the bathroom played over in her mind. gabriela didn't want to overthink, she wanted to get it right.

she pulled into the lot outside the studio, turning the engine off as she let out a slow breath. reaching for her phone, she dialed gracie's number, but it went to voicemail. catching her reflection in the rearview mirror. her outfit was simple—shorts, a black tank top, and gracie's faded boston hat.

her eyes move to the bouquet of flowers sitting on the passenger seat. she grabbed it, smoothing down the paper wrapping, and stepped out into the hot afternoon air. inside, people were lugging guitars, drum cases, and amps while chatting about setlists and sound checks.

"gabriella?"

she turned toward the familiar voice and smiled. michelle, gracie's tour manager, was walking to her, clipboard in hand. michelle was in her early thirties, with sharp cheekbones, hazel eyes, and dark hair tied back in a sleek bun. she was dressed in black jeans, a tucked-in band tee, and white sneakers that looked almost too clean for a rehearsal space.

"hey, mitch," gabriella greeted, falling into step beside her. "where's gracie?"

michelle smirked, glancing at the bouquet in gabriella's hand. "someone's showing up with the big gestures, huh?"

"thought it might score me some points," gabriella chuckled nervously, holding the flowers up for emphasis. "haven't been a good fr— friend."

"she's in studio b with the band," michelle replied, gesturing down the hallway as they walked. "we're running through the new arrangements for the acoustic set. she's been a little stressed about it, but nothing she can't handle. you know how she is."