Heal my heart.

30

Alastair
I run a hand on the empty side of bed next to me. Gracie is not here. I wake up with a start. Did she do what I did to her seven years ago? Did she leave with nothing to explain to me? I hear a shower getting turned on inside the bathroom. I heave a sigh of relief. She'll never do that. I was an idiot, she would never leave me without a proper goodbye.
I reminisce about last night. Back then at eighteen, I had given up for our own good, and now she's giving up for us. Why is it so that the things we want the most are the ones we are best without? I get up and light up a cigarette. Near the balcony, I tip it a bit to drop the ashes below. She was right. She always is. It doesn't make sense. Several years later, when we are old, I don't want her to be the person that I blame for pulling me down at the peak of my career. I don't want the bitterness to enter our relationship. We've broken up before, it should hurt less, but it stings even more than the previous time. I take another long drag. How will life be after her? Colourless, for sure. I and Paige will be living together, handling an empire, but breaking apart from inside. Meaningless relationships and fake care. I can give up on all this fame for Grace, but it would be wrong on so many levels. Each time we stick together, fate pulls us apart. I can't even console myself by saying that this too shall pass, because this won't. The pain will accompany me forever.
I hear her rustling outside the bathroom. I don't go in. Even after all we've been doing since the past two nights, she still blushes when I watch her changing. That's what sets Grace apart. Her innocence, her style and her habits. She is elegant and classy, but crazy and stupid at the same time. She's so intelligent, but also makes foolish statements at times. She's cute, but she has a lot of sex appeal. She's full of flaws, but even the flaws are fucking perfect.
When she's dressed, I go inside to have a bath myself. She's folding up her dress from yesterday and wearing a new one. A pair of my clothes is also there in her wardrobe.
"Alastair." She calls out. Her voice is soft and unsure.
"Yeah." I turn. Don't look into her eyes. I still did. And it seemed like the Earth stopped rotating on it's axis.
Her browns were void of any emotion and yet so full of them. "When will you leave?" She asks.
"I'll dress up, drop you back and ask my assistant to book a ticket for tomorrow." By tomorrow's flight, I will be back home.
"Okay." Is all she says. I head into the bathroom, hoping that all my sins wash away.

Gracie
I thought that sleeping the sadness away would help, but it seems to have grown infinitely. I wear a pair of jeans and slip on a ratty top. So that my outer appearance matches my inner misery. He'll leave today. I'll be okay. I'll be fine. I lived before he came, even after he left me and I can live once more. The thing is, you don't die without someone. You may say 'I can't live without you' but you do. The difference is that you just cease to live and exist more. That is what will happen. I might find love once more, if I ever move on past him. But one day, I just might.
The doorbell rings startling me from my thoughts. I get up and open the door. Paige.
She's decked up head to toe and is staring at me with a haughty expression. Now why is she here? I hope Alastair has informed Mr. Roberts that he isn't leaving.
"What do you want?" I ask, tired of all this unnecessary drama.
"Is my soon to be husband inside?" Se asks. She could have asked if Alastair was inside. But she did not, and as was her aim, it hit me exactly where it hurts.
"Yes he is." I say just to aggravate her further.
"Let me come in."
"This is my house."
"Yeah so?"
"So ask for permission."
She groaned in annoyance. I was enjoying this.
"May I come in?"
"Sure." I held the door open as she walked inside, her heels clicking on the marble floor.
"Take your shoes off there." I point out to the corner.
She casts me another sideways look.
"Where is Alastair?" She asks as she looks around, keeping her LV bag on the table.
"Bathing."
"Don't tell me that you two were fucking around?" She seethes. Her anger is a bit entertaining. I infact want to nod and give her all the details as well. But I decide against it.
"Maybe."
She lashes her fury at me and her eyebrows cross. "What maybe? Stay away from him okay? That's what you are, the second woman over here, the bitch who came in between."
I flinch. Her words sting, maybe because they're true. Partly. But clearly, she's the bitch over here.
"Maybe because you couldn't keep him under your control. And I was in his life, long back before you. So grow up and find a man who is ready to commit to you. That way you won't actually have to tell your father to force him." I splutter out. I can't believe I said that. But with time, I did grow up to be a confident and able woman. Long gone are the days when anyone told me any shit and got away with it.
She looks at me in rage. "You stole him. Tell me, what magic tricks did you play? What sort of a woman are you?"
"All he needed was some love. And come on Paige, you knew he didn't love you ever."
"Shut the fuck-"
"Paige? Gracie? What's all this?" Alastair's deep voice echoes through the hallway.