Love Is Real

Chapter 25

"Grace?" Robert asks me. I nod at him. "Oh."

"Yeah." I stutter. "I.. Never really thought about what I did to her before everyone started turning on me."

"What do you think you really did?" Robert asks calmly, trying to get out everything in my mind.

"I did the worst thing anyone can ever do. I- I don't even know why I would do something like that.. I'm still confused. She's the best thing that had ever happened to me. I mean she thinks I showed her real love, but in reality, she's the one who showed me. And I took advantage of that." I hadn't realized that I was talking fast. Robert stares back to the distance.

Before I can say anything, the silence takes over.

Both our eyes land on a couple walking through the sidewalk. There's something different about them though. The girls leg is broken, put into cast and is sitting on a wheelchair while the guy is strolling her. They get to a stop at about a couple benches away from us, we watch. The guy helps the girl sit on the bench. We watch them struggle.. but struggle together. Some people stop and help while others just watch the guy help his girl. The guy doesn't care about anyone's feelings but his and his girlfriends. Why can't I be like that? Why didn't I make the right choice?

I look down again, with Robert looking at me.

We stay like this for a couple minutes, as I try to hold myself in place. Trying to stop myself from shaking.

"I love her, Robert."

"I know you do." Robert replies, surprising me.

"Your line was supposed to be no you don't you cruel jerk." I tell him.

"But it's not. I know you love her. You loved her from the beginning and you still love her." He tells me.

"Yeah but-" I start but he cuts me off.

"People make mistakes, Nash. And to be honest, this is a huge mistake. I know how you feel about her. I see the way y'all look at each other. I notice the feeling y'all get every time y'all make contact. I'm smarter than I look Nash. Plus, I'm her best friend. I know exactly what going on in her mind. Y'all are made for each other, it's obvious. I believe in y'all." He tells me.

"Wait she- does she love me?" I ask, like I've been waiting for the answer so many months ago.

"She did. But what you did, haven't you ever known how she felt? Just imagine yourself as her. She lost a lot of things Nash. She lost her arm, then she lost you, she lost Monica, and her self-confidence Nash. The worst part would be losing the guy that went through real love with her, that made her life spectacular, that brought out the real. Grace in her. She lost that guy who made her feel like she was important, like she actually meant something to someone. And why did she lose that guy? Because he made a mistake of choosing popularity over his true love." He says, every single word hitting at me like a knife.

"Robert, I love her. I love her so much. And I just can't believe I would do some thing like that. I'm the stupidest and the most selfish guy in the world. And I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry Grace." I scream out loud. "I love her.. so much.. I need her back Robert.." I wipe my eyes.

"It's too late for that Nash.. You can't fix something that's already broken into invisible pieces." He stabs at me. "I'm sorry Nash."

He gives me a hug, gets up and starts walking the way he first came from. I stare at the floor, hitting the bench as fast as I can. The couple to my left stares at me as if I was crazy. But I don't care. I don't care anymore.

I walk back home as fast as I can, the door is unlocked for my luck. I walk in, finding Hayes on the couch, watching TV, no surprise.

"Where's mom?" I ask him.

"Not here." He replies, looking back at the screen.

I grab the car keys and head back outside. When I get in the car, the engine starts moving, but it's like my mind is driving, not me. I have no clue to where I'm going.

The next minute, I find myself parked right in front of Grace's dorm room.

GRACES POV

"Did you hear that?" I ask Olivia, pausing the music traveling through my headphones.

"Yeah. I thought it was only me."

"No. Should. I check?" I ask.

"Nah. I'll go. Stay here." She tells me and heads to the door. When she leaves, I sit and think about all the possibilities of what could happen to her.

NASHS POV

I spot Olivia coming outside the rooms, looking around. The only car there is, is mine. Her eyes land toward me. I start the engine as fast as I can. The second before my foot was about to make contact with the pedal, Olivia pops up from the window.

"Nash?" She asks, with a surprising look on her face.

"I don't have time for this Olivia."

"What are you doing here?" I would answer that if I knew the answer.

"Olivia. I need you to do something." I tell her.

"What?"

"I need you to tell Grace that I love her and I always have. But most importantly, no matter what happens I always will love her. And that's she's the best thing that has ever happened to me. And that I will finally make her happy." I realize that I'm crying as I finish off the sentence.

"No!" Olivia yells at me. "You don't deserve it! You don't deserve her Nash! You don't deserve anything! I'm not gonna let you break her again!" She storms off.

I press the pedal hard, heading back home quickly. I later on realize that my cheeks are soaking wet. I'm crying. I'm sobbing. I remember every single moment that I had spent with Grace, crying even more for each of them.

These thoughts are all crowded around me by the time I get home.

I can't take it.