Before The Storm ( wlw / lesbian )

Chapter 10

"Gracie, be reasonable about this."

Grace was now sitting up in the hospital bed, waking up a few hours prior. She was looking much better than she had been before. Her cheeks were a healthier color and her famous passive look was adorned on her face telling Toni and Susie that she was feeling back to her old self again. The thought both pleased and exasperated them.

"I'm not fucking crazy." Grace hissed in response "I don't need to see a therapist."

"I never said you were crazy," Toni drawled, trying to appear as calm as possible, despite the dull ache in her head. They'd spoken about this three times now, and yet no matter the lull it comes back to this.  "But you've been through something really traumatic, babe." Grace ignored the fluttering in her chest, Toni tried not to stutter over the endearment. "It's really important that you talk to somebody about it. Before you do, or someone else, does something even more drastic than this." She gestured to the hospital bed, eyes careful to avoid the scars sneaking past her hospital gown. If Grace didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't push her to.

Grace rolled her eyes but didn't say anything, screwing a cap off her nail polish. This left Toni pondering for a moment. Her teeth were tucked into her plump bottom lip infamously; thoughts running a mile in her head. 

She knew that the redhead finding out about what happened to her mother was inevitable, but the reaction was something she wasn't so sure about.

Susie found out, of course, through the tightly spindled web of Ravens. She wasn't phased, and offered to come just in case of needing to fight Lawrence blood with Lawrence blood. So far, she sat idly by and averted her gaze from the tense conversation.

"So," Toni swallowed deeply, Grace's only indicator she was listening was a quick quirk of her brow "After I left the hospital last night I passed by your place."

The room fell even more painstakingly quiet, the nauseating smell of polish doing nothing to calm the churning in the Raven's stomach.

"Did you now." Grace's voice was steady, eyes briefly flickering up at the other girl, brush never leaving her long nails

"Y-yeah, uh... Grace I, listen... I messed up."

Toni felt like she was about to pass out. Grace felt a cold surge thru her body and adjusted the knitted blanket her Nana made for her across her lap, refusing to let the anxiety crash into her. She was glad that Susie's parents still had the childhood blanket stored away for safe keeping, sure her parents would've shredded it if found.

"Your mother, ermh..." Toni swallowed, her body stiff as she mulled over her next words. What was she supposed to say? Sorry for almost killing your mother? With a deep sigh, her head lolled down "She's in the hospital- a hospital. Not sure where but.. Calian is taking care of it and I'm just.." Toni swallowed thickly, blinking back the tears threatening to spill over. She wasn't about to cry in front of someone who nearly lost their life, especially over something she caused. "I'm so sorry."

For a moment neither spoke. Deep breaths came from the brunette, while her counterpart sat eerily still, letting a drop of red roll down the brush onto her hospital gown. It was a grotesque mix. Pale yellow stained with red polish. Susie was hastily shoving earbuds in.

Maybe that would be it. Grace would yell at her to get the fuck out and never speak to her again. Maybe she'd burst into tears and try to render her in need of an empty bed in a spare room.

Toni wrung her hands in nervousness, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She felt slightly queasy, worried that what she had done would taint their relationship. Toni wouldn't blame her for being angry. Despite how disgusting that woman was, she was still her mother. It was for this reason that Toni was shocked to see the slow-appearing grin starting at pale lips, a rush swarming over her as the syrupy-sweet laughter carried her heart.