My Own Worst Enemy

Commitment

Gracie leaned on Christian as she climbed the stairs to his apartment, needing to stop half-way through.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes tearing from frustration. They were just getting home from the hospital, and she felt so weak.

"Why are you apologizing?" Christian said softly, holding her close as she recovered. "I know you wanted to take the stairs, but I think we should take the elevator. I don't want you hurting yourself."

Gracie sighed and nodded, looking at her sleeping baby. "I just feel like I look like a whale," she muttered, shrugging. She couldn't even justify it with pregnancy anymore. She looked droopy and flabby.

"You're stunning, Gracie. You just gave birth to the most perfect baby two days ago," he said softly, gently guiding her to the elevator. "Your Doctor said six weeks until you feel like yourself again. You're still beautiful."

Gracie just nodded again, pulling Elliott into her arms and holding him close. Though she loved Christian deeply, she was still scared. He left her.

Elliott never left her.

"Go sit down, babe. I'm gonna make you some lunch and be right in," Christian promised, giving her a gentle kiss. "I love you."

Grace felt something in her tug, and she felt her wall crash down. She didn't want to let her guard down. She couldn't go back to the place she was when he last left. She had a baby to care for.

"Grace? Babe, talk to me. Do I need to call a doctor?" Gracie had gone silent and pale, which terrified Christian. He was so scared that she was bleeding again. That she overdid it going up the stairs.

"N-no I'm okay. Love you, too," she nodded, her hands shaking a bit. She needed to shut down. She couldn't let her feelings cloud what's best for Elliott.

Christian let out a sigh of relief, kissing the top of her head. "He has another hour before his next feed. You take a nap, my love. I'll take care of him until he fusses for you."

Gracie didn't even protest, gently kissing Elliott's head before handing him over to Christian and curling up on the couch.

She was exhausted.

***

She expected this day to be further down the road. She expected to have a week with him...

Instead, here she was, unable to stop herself from crying as she watched Christian nuzzle his baby boy. He got a call for an engagement in Hawaii, and he couldn't really say no.

His agent had already said yes, and they had kept the baby under wraps from the rest of the world. Christian has been... suspiciously quiet on social media. And that couldn't last. He had a reputation.

She remembered the argument from the night previous.

***

"I can't just say no to everything, Grace. I have a job. I matter!" Christian snapped in frustration, not seeing the clench if Grace's jaw.

"And I don't. We don't," she snapped back, laying Elliott back down. "So go. Go to Hawaii."

Christian softened a bit, seeing the pure pain in Grace's eyes. "You do. You both mean everything to me... which is why I have to do this. It's why I have to go. I need to be able to provide for you both..."

Grace scoffed and rolled her eyes. She hadn't been sleeping, and her hormones were raging through her.

"You already make millions. You already make enough. You need to go so that the world doesn't know that you had a fucking baby with a fat whore. So the world can know you're still with her. That you have a fucking trophy to dangle on your arm in paradise. You don't need to go. You want to. Because that's the life your reputation has built for you," Gracie was pissed. Their son was 4 days old. She could barely even move, and he was leaving.

She had built up this vision of a perfect family in her head. She should've known. Christian wasn't ready for this, and it was unfair of her to expect him to be.

She was so naïve. She had one night left with him. With the man she loved. She knew this was it.

***

"I'll be back in a week, Gracie... I'm sorry I have to go. I love you," Christian whispered, and Gracie found herself believing him. She found herself believing the tears in his eyes.

"We'll send you pictures and FaceTime every night... I... we love you," she managed. She was still angry; there was no denying that. And she was embarrassed, too.

He still didn't want her posting anything about their son on Instagram. He still wanted the world to be oblivious.

"I'm sorry," he said again and placed Elliott in his car seat, wrapping Gracie in a hug. His heart splintered in his chest as the woman began to sob brokenly.

This week has been such a roller coaster for her, and it has largely been his fault. He should be home with her. She has a newborn, and is recovering from a major hemorrhage.

She's the mother of his son. His Elliott Christian...

Instead, he's about to jet off to Hawaii and leave her here alone.

***

Someone's got daddy's eyes.

Christian's heart leapt at the picture of his son, eyes wide as they looked at something above the camera.

God, he was in love. He was certain there was no baby as perfect as him.

He's beautiful, Gracie. I miss him so much.

It was true. He hated it in Hawaii. He was so far away from his family. From his son. But he made a commitment, and he had to stick to it.

New post from: gracefulklutz

Christian frowned, but opened the notification. Upon seeing his baby boy grace his screen, his vision grew red.

I told you not to fucking post anything, Grace. I'm not ready yet.

Christian turned off his phone before he could say anything he'd regret, his fists clenching.

"Hey... didn't think I'd see you here," Christian was jolted by the high-pitched voice he'd heard too often in the past three months.

"Um... hey," he said quietly, opening his eyes and meeting the model's hazel ones. "What're you doing here," he sighed, wrapping his arms around her waist.

He didn't want to think about Grace and Elliott; it'd just make him mad. So he didn't think. He just did.

"Have a shoot this weekend," she whispered, hanging all over him at this point. God he was horny.

"I'm here for the weekend, too," he whispered, looking into her eyes with intent.

Him and Gracie never labeled anything. And he was mad at her.

One weekend of fucking wouldn't hurt until he went back and they could figure things out... right?