Love Is Real

Chapter 22

GRACE'S POV

"Can you remind me, why did I agree to come here again?"

"For me. And because there's amazing food." True. But I could've been watching a movie in my room, snuggled in bed right now. I dig into my salad. "They're almost here."

"Who? Who'd you invite Robert?" Aww man. Now I have to socialize.

"Vic."

"Who's Vic?" I ask.

"My girlfriend." WHAT?!

"OH MY GOSH WHY DIDNT YOU TELL ME?! IM SOO HAPPY FOR YOU ROBERT!" I am. I really am.

"Haha. I was saving to tell you today." I give him a big congratulations hug.

"But you said "they're". Who else is coming?"

"Well she found out you were coming too, so she decided to bring her best friend. She told me he's pretty hot."

That's where it all got ruined. I mean yeah, I'm happy that he's hot. But just like Nash, as soon as he sees my right arm, he'll ignore me for the rest of the day. I frown.

I hear the door squeak and as soon as I turn around, I find a gorgeous brunette lady walking toward us, smiling the moment we make eye contact.

"Is that her?" I whisper to Robert. He nods. "Close your mouth." I tell him and he chuckles.

"Hi. I'm Grace." She shakes my hand.

"Nice to meet you Grace. I've heard a lot about you." She looks at Robert. "She's beautiful."

"Thank you." I smile. I look towards the door for the hot guy Robert was talking about, but no sign of anyone.

Vic sits next to Robert and I sit alone with an empty seat next to me.

"Where's your friend?" Robert asks Vic.

"Oh. He's parking the car." She replies. "There he is right now!" She smiles.

I turn around and my eyes widely open. Oh. My. God.

It's Nash.

He's walking toward us, smiling as he looks at me, as if nothing had happened. But it's not a sweet "hey" smile, it's an evil "look who it is" smile, which drives me crazy.

He sits down right next to me, scooting the chair as far away from me as he can.

"Robert. Can I talk to you for a minute?" I look at him and his mouth is open again, including his eyes. He nods. I get up and pull him to a corner.

"I swear to god on my mother that I had no idea." He quickly says.

"This can't be a coincidence, Robert." I exclaim, angrily.

"Well it is! I didn't know Grace!" He never lies.

"Fine! Fine! But you have to drive me to the dorms and come back. I can't deal with him next to me!" I won't be able to take it.

"Grace you know I can't. Please just stay for me. Please."

"I-"

"Grace please."

"Fine!" Did I just agree?! This is not gonna end up well.

"Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you." He gives me a hug while I look at Nash who is talking to Victoria. I try to listen.

"Yes it's her!" Nash says, and Victoria frowns.

"Nash, she's beautiful. She's lovely and sweet. You made a big mistake, just saying." Nash rolls his eyes. I knew he was heartless but I didn't know he was this cruel.

"Hey, sorry. We just um, what would you like to eat?" Robert asks Vic, as we all give our orders to the waiter.

"You know what Vic, Grace and I should give you and Robert some private time together. We should go sit in the booth behind you guys. Right Grace?" Nash asks, that smile appearing on his face again.

No. I can't. No.

I mouth "no" to Robert almost a billion times, but Nash pulls me by my hand and we walk over there.

"Let go!" I pull my hand back.

"Hey, I don't bite." He says. Uhh.

"I'm not so sure about that." I reply, he chuckles. I missed his hilarious laugh. I can't help but smile.

"I missed your smile." He says, as if he was reading my mind. Shut up.

"Good to know." I say, as if I don't care. Which I don't. He frowns.

"So how have you been?" He asks. I shot up an angry look at him. "What?"

"Can you just stop talking please?" I finally exclaim.

"Why are you acting like this?" He asks. I can't believe I dated someone as stupid as him.

"Why are YOU acting like this? You can't just normally talk to me like nothing has happened. Cause things did happen Nash. And you're acting like they're over. But they're not. You might have forgotten it, but I never will, Nash. It might've been easy for you to dump someone with a half arm which YOU caused. And-"

"I caused?!"

"Yes! You were drunk and wanted to drive and I couldn't say no and we went so this happened."

"Well I'm sorry, Jeez." He says. I stare at him in shock.

"You know." I start to calm down. "I'm actually happy that I lost my arm, cause now I realized how big of an asshole you are. I loved you Nash! And I thought you loved me too-"

"I did!!"

"Oh just shut up. You're full of lies! If you really loved me, why did you leave me when I lost my arm?! Huh?! Answer this!"

"I don't.. Know " His eyes are teary and so are mine.

"What do you mean you don't know?!"

"I don't."

"Oh my gosh. You're sounding really funny right now." Tears start to come out from anger.

"Well I know why." I pause. "Because you prefer popularity and attention over love that turned out to be fake, Nash."

"Bullshit!" He knocks his drink over and everybody jumps. All eyes on us. I close my eyes and breathe in and out. I see tears rolling down his cheeks for the first time since I met him.

"Grace, we're leaving." Robert helps me down the booth and I'm the first one to exit out of the door. I get into his car.

Robert comes in and smacks the door closed, hard.

"I'm sorry." I tell him. Closing my eyes.

"It's okay."

"I ruined your first date." I say.

"No you didn't. I'm the one who ruined it. I'm sorry about Nash."

"No don't be sorry." I say.

He drives in silence for the next half hour.

"You know, he was crying when you left to the car." He tells me.

"Why should I care?" He looks at me.

And it's quiet again. I get to the dorms, thank Robert and he drives off.

As soon as I walk in, I tell Olivia everything from beginning to end.

And for the rest of the day, all I do is sit and stare at the wall..