FALLEN (NOW PUBLISHED ON AMAZON)

55.

"After the show on Thursday night, Ashley invited me to a sort of underground club the boys were going to."

"You went alone?" Marcel immediately cuts me with a serious look of jealousy or concern.

"No, no. William was with me. It was OK. The band was drunk when we got there, but we didn't mind because for most of the night, I danced with my brother. When Ashley came along, William didn't want to be the third wheel and left us to go get a drink. Ash was really intoxicated... and I won't lie, he was flirting a lot. I told him I wasn't interested and that's when my brother found us and told me he had found Lucas high on cocaine. He told me that Ash was too. We brought them to their hotel. Ash was so intoxicated that he got sick. I took care of him, and again, he got the wrong impression. I cleaned him up and when he got better he kissed me."

"He what?!"

"You heard me, but it's no big deal, Mace. I got furious and left as soon as he did." I look at him looking down. I find myself wishing to know what he is thinking about. He keeps silent for a really long time. "But that's not the only thing that happened..."

"Don't tell me he touched you, Grace, because I swear to God-"

"No, no, Mace. Don't worry about him. It's about you, Kate, your mum and Paul..." I tell him softly. He was beginning to relax but he tenses up again when he hears me.

"What is it?" He looks up at me, straight in the eyes with a confused and angry look. He acts so intensely and I wonder what he might fear. What is he thinking about?

"Paul came over to my station and talked shit about your professionalism by not being there to support me."

"How am I not surprised?!" He rolls his eyes at me and shakes his head.

"Actually, I was also angry about that and I was angry at Paul for putting salt in my wounds, so I lashed out at him."

"What did you say?" Marcel leans in closer to me, still kneeling on the floor, his arm resting loosely around my waist under the blanket around both of our shoulders.

"I didn't know if he ever knew her, but I needed to let it out. I thought it might hurt him and I couldn't keep my anger in anymore."

"Grace?! Why did you say?" He asks me with his teeth clenched, his worry obvious. It is making me nervous to say it. Shouldn't I have said anything?

"I told him you were with Kate. That you've been involved." His anger is obvious now, he breathes loudly and I rush an explanation that might calm him down and let him see my point of view. "I thought by saying that he wouldn't suspect our involvement. But he was angry, Mace. He denied it, telling me she was married, but he was really upset."

"Why the fuck would he be upset?!" He lashes out and stands up, breaking away from me pacing randomly around the room.

"I think they have been involved at some point.... Maybe he was in love with her or something."

"This is crazy!" He exclaims, deeply in thoughts, thinking this through.

"I don't know what it is about, but what I do know, is how troubled he seemed. But that's not all."

"There's more?!" He turns to me, looking emotionally on edge.

"I told you these few days have been hard..."

"I didn't think it was that bad."

"And you don't know the end of it." I sigh and get up. I take him by the hand and pull him to the bed with me. I make him sit and I straddle his lap to trap him, in some way, so that he can't escape what I have to say. "I had dinner with your mum last night."