Chasing Elliot Grace

No. 27: Tears can be a good thing

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Grace POV
The pier is in slow motion, I mean seriously I thought I was ready for this but I can't breathe. For him to be here. For him to bring her with him. I can't do this. Is the world spinning at faster rate like a freaking merry go round? I can't breathe. Im panicking and the people around me are getting g closer together. Someone said something I know that, im still pretty sure it was Carson. Oh shit they are right there im a few feet away, I can't do this. Tobias, where are you. "Tobias!" It wasn't me. Has the ground gotten that close? "Whoa Elliot calm down, breathe. Breathe you're okay. Shhhhhh." Tears were everywhere, im so pathetic. I cuddled up to Tobias as he lifted me into his arms and started carrying me to the beachouse with a word with Blake and Spencer. "Are you okay now?" He asked as he gave me a glass of water and my anxiety medication. "Yeah, I think so. It just got so hot and I saw them and freaked out. Im good now I promise." Tobias sighed looking at me as if to determine if I was lying or not. "Fine. But take it easy. And Grace?"
"Yeah?" I asked as I got up. "They're downstairs, be careful please." I nodded before walking to my bathroom and removing my wig and contacts. "Here we go. You can do this." Reassuring myself I walk down the stairs slowly. It was quiet as I did, and as I got to the end of the staircase all eyes were on me. They were there again, all but the one I couldn't stand to even look at. Poor little Hayes can't take his punishment like a man. Oh but he will trust me, revenge is one of my strong suits. We stood there in silence no one prepared to break it, including me for a while. "Well if no one has the courage to do it then I will," Johnson said walking up to me and giving me a hug. "Hey J." I said as we hugged. "Hey G, im proud of you, you finally faced your fear. You're doing great keep going, the others will follow suit." He whispered the last part then kissed my head before moving to sit on the couch and watch as people came up. Shawn came up next, we may not have been that close but he still hugged me. The last four would be the hardest, Mahogany, Carter, Nash, and Matt. Carter came up first and we just looked at each other for a minute. "You must hate me."He said looking down. "No I don't."
" I understood once you ran off what was going on and honestly I get it. You've always been a little sister to me and you always will." We embraced each other then and I couldn't help but play that day over in my head.
<Flashback
The cafe as cute. It was small and reminded me of the Refinery, that my friends and I spent most of our rainy days at in North Carolina. "Hun are you sure your friends comin?" She said with a thick southern accent. "Yes ma'am, he will be here, he guaranteed it." She sighed with a smile and went back behind the counter. Memphis reminded me a lot of Atlanta, with its big buildings and lights lining the sidewalks in the night sky. Fifteen minutes of waiting, I got nervous, I was early but now he's ten minutes late. I continued to watch between the door and my phone as I waited for a particular Asian boy to strut though that front door. Carter Reynolds, I had found out later, survived the crash, it was a hard and painful journey, but he got there. I sat with my eyes closed, waiting, and then the door bell jingled. I opened my eyes to see Carter, walking towards me with a smile on his lips. Tears sprang to my eyes as he hugged me and sat. We were quiet for a few moments before I spoke. "This is all my fault." I said sadly. "No it's not. Tell me something Grace were you the drunk driver?" I shook my head no. "Then it wasn't your fault. Now lets order we have a lot to catch up on." After ordering we started to talk. "So how's school going?" He asks in a manner that makes me think he's on to my secret. "Great I've made some friends and my roommate is awesome." I said with a fake smile. His phone rang then and I saw who it was, Matt. I guess Carter didn't know that I could hear them on the other line saying they were almost there. This was all a set up I should have guess. I mouthed I was going to the bathroom as he talked but really went back to where Shelia the waitress that had been talking to her son at the grill. "What's wrong Hun?" She asks concerned. "Nothing it's just my ex and his girlfriend just walked in and I was wondering if I could use the back door. Please." She gives me a sad smile before leading me back to the door. Guess im a better at lying then people give me credit for.  I could hear the guys in the other room, im going to have to hurry. Looks like this hoodie will come in handy after all. "Thank you so much. I owe you one." I say adjusting my hoodie to fit over my head. "Anytime, you take care now."
"I will." With that she closes the door and I make a run for it. They will know soon that in not in the bathroom, I give it 30 seconds tops its been to long for them not to at least question it lets just hope that I can be fast enough. 10 seconds, I can see them out of the corner of the front window. If there is one thing you learn when living in Los Angles it's how to hail a taxi and after living there for almost a year, you could say I was a pro.  I whistle loud enough for it to capture one of the guys attention. 5 seconds, I run into the cab as they make their way out. Zero seconds, "The Peabody, step on it!" And that was the end of that, I got a few messages from Carter afterwards, apologies mainly, to none I responded. Two days later I stepped on a plane back to the comfort of the palm trees and the ocean breeze. *
That was the last time I saw the guys in person, well sort of. The last time I saw them in person as me. Carter left to join the others behind me who were waiting to see how this was going to turn out. The anticipation was killer on that side of the room, on this side the nervousness was. It was like alternate universes only separated by a wall, or in this case, a coffee table. It was starting to be like a game, who would break and come forward first. Our next contestant to come up was Mahogany. She looked as if she didn't believe it was me and then I smiled at her and she knew. That wall that she had built up to keep my memory out was broken and so was mine. We leaped into each other's arm with the grace of an elephant on roller skates before falling to the ground. "I missed you, I missed you so damn much." Lox said as she hugged me and I couldn't agree more. "You have no idea. There's so much I have to tell you." We were looking at each other now, still with our arms linked together. "Me too. We'll talk later. Promise?"
"Promise." And then we were down to two. I think we all knew what the line up would be here. And let's get something straight, I've been saving the waterworks for the end, for the last person. Nash came up slowly still trying to figure something out.
"I had never gotten why Spence liked you so much when we first met you on Digi, and then you two were so close and I was so confused as to why. Especially when she found out about the baby, I didn't get why she told you first, before her sister or mom or Carson or well you the Grace you. But now I get why because you have always been there in the background, you two have kept in touch this whole time, I don't know how I didn't realize it before. The visits to LA, the late night phone calls to your mom that 6 months, the constant phone calls from LA, you've been under my nose the whole time. But that's beside the point, the point is that im sorry. So so sorry Gracie." I looked at him grasping what he said as he looked down ashamed. "Oh come on Nashley get over here." My arms were spread apart for him to hug me and he did. To soon he joined the others and it was now just me and Matt. We stared at each other both trying to find the words to say. When we finally figured it out we spoke at the same time "I-" I think we both knew what each other were going to say because in a blink we were in a death gripped hug, tears everywhere. Crying into each other's shoulders, we were a mess. I could feel all the eyes on me but they weren't judging us they were happy. "Im so-rry." Matt said choking on a sob. "I know i-its okay. I forgive you Matty."  If possible he hugged me tighter and after a few minutes of hugging the others followed getting off the couch and joining us making a group hug. The family was back.
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1693 words
Im so sorry it's been so long, I've been on a terrible writers block but im back and better than ever baby! I hope you liked the chapter and I will see you soon! 
-Taylor💋