Chapter 71

The decision not to go see Grace was easy to make in the moment. As she lay cuddled in Will’s arms, there was no need for anything else. If she left, the spell would be broken. But, part of her wanted to go and see what she had to say. Moreover, Emma wanted to confront Grace herself.

​ *If you love him at all, you’ll come*, was Grace’s message the morning of their meeting. The sunlight streamed in on both of them, framing them in golden light. She looked at Will, and realized she’d never really seen him asleep before. Every trace of pain, and egotism was gone. He didn’t have to pretend to be the master of the universe. She leaned back down and faced him.

​ *If you love him at all, you’ll come.* The message flashed in her mind over and over. It was easy to love him when he was like this. When he was sweet and sexy, it was impossible to resist him. When he was kind and vulnerable, it made her heart ache. She did love him despite every alarm bell going off in her mind telling her not to. Battles between the heart and the mind were seldom won by logic.

​ Will’s eyes fluttered open and he caught her staring at him. A slow, lazy smile spread across his face.

​ “Good morning,” his voice was low and gravelly with fresh sleep.

​ “Hmmm, morning voice,” Emma cooed, tracing circles across his bare back. Will smirked.

​ “We’ve never done this before, have we?”

​ “If by this, you mean wake up next to each other or go more than 20 minutes without fighting, then yes. We’ve never done this before.”

​ “Who do you think will ruin it first?” Will asked, propping himself up on an elbow.

​ “If we review the records, it’ll probably be you,” Emma teased.

​ “You’re probably right,” Will laughed. “Let’s not push our luck.” Will slid out of bed, and Emma was treated a full show of nude body. A rush of memories of what he did her with that body all night long and a shiver ran through her.

​ “Cold?” Will asked as he wrapped himself in robe. There was a devilish gleam in his eye.

​ “Shut up,” Emma laughed at threw a cushion at him. It hit Will square in the face. Emma covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle her giggles.

​ “Oh, so it’s war you want?” Will lunged at the bed, landing on top of her. Emma laughed hard pretending to fight him away. Will’s fingers caressed her face, calming down the moment.

​ “What is it?” Emma asked.

​ “We really are going to mess this up, aren’t we?”

​ “I think so.”

​ “Then let’s take advantage of this while we have it,” Will didn’t wait for Emma’s answer and kissed her.

​ Morning sex was everything Emma had ever wanted it to be. Will left for the office after several rounds of mind blowing, with a promise for a repeat performance that night.

​ *If you love him at all, you’ll come*.

​ After he left Emma decided she’d go see Grace.

​ She found herself walking through the hotel lobby, she shoes clacking on the marble floor. *Turn. Back. Turn. Back,* they seemed to warn her. But Emma pressed forward determined to confront her. Why Grace wanted to meet in her hotel room and not somewhere public was cause for concern. But backing down from Grace wasn’t an option. She had to show she wasn’t afraid.

​ Emma knocked on the door before losing her nerve.

​ “Thank you for coming,” Grace said she opened the door. “Please come in.” Emma came in and Grace offered her a seat. Emma sat in a small, plush chair. Grace was a far cry from the elegant, sophisticated lady she’d met so long ago. Her hair was disheveled and there were deep circles under her eyes. It was as though all the world was in technicolor and Grace was in black and white.

​ “I’m sure I’ve looked better,” Grace said as she noticed Emma observing her. “You look great, though.”

​ “Thank you. But I’m sure you didn’t ask me here to compare appearances.”

​ “In a way, I have. Would like some coffee or tea?” Grace offered, still a proper lady.

​ “Let’s just skip these niceties. Why am I here?”

​ “Straight to the point, then.” Grace set her tea cup down. “All right. I’m sure by now you’ve heard the history between Will and I.”

​ “Oh, how you left him for his friend and ripped his heart out?” Emma crossed her arms over chest. “Yeah, I’ve heard all about that.”

​ “So hostile,” Grace smirked. “I thought we could be civil about this.”

​ “Enough with the theatrics. Why am I here?”

​ “Will and I have been together since we were young,” Grace continued, ignoring Emma.

“He liked me first, and pursued me for years. Eventually he wore me down and we fell in love. He would tell me over and over again about how he was going to marry me and how we’d have a family and be happy. He promised me that life. When we graduated college, I was sure he would propose. And then he didn’t.”

​ “So, you just left him?”

​ “He broke his promise, Emma,” Grace said, her eyes looked crazy. “He dangled this glorious life in front of me, but then held it back from me. So, I had to leave him. To show him that he just couldn’t have me his way. He had to have me my way.”

​ Emma had nothing to say. Grace wasn’t wrong in her reasoning. What she did to Will was wrong. But why she did it wasn’t.

​ “And you thought he’d never move on?”

​ “He loved me!” Grace shouted. “If he really loved me, he would have waited for me.”

​ “You’re insane. You really hurt him, and he was supposed to wallow in that pain until you were ready to pick him up again? Can’t you see how crazy that is?”

​ “You’re the only thing standing in our way. He thinks he loves you, but all he is doing is displacing his feelings for me onto you. When I left him, he called me for months, begging me to come back. He said he would marry me if I came back. And now I am coming back and it’s time for you to step aside. After all, you were just a place holder for me.”

​ Emma was fuming. While the plan was to leave Will after a year, she didn’t want to give Grace the satisfaction of backing down. How dare she play with someone’s emotions like that?

​ “You’re crazy.”

​ “Will didn’t know happiness at all before he met me. I’m the only reason he’s ever been happy. If you love him, you’ll leave him so he can be happy with me.”

​ “He was pretty happy last night,” Emma smirked. “And this morning.”

​ Grace narrowed her eyes at Emma.

​ “You little—” a knock at the door startled them. Grace smiled. “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but you leave me no choice.” Grace stood up and walked over towards the door. There was a large crystal vase on a small table filled with beautiful flowers. Grace picked it and smashed herself over the head with it.

​ “Oh my God!” Emma shouted. “What are you doing?”

​ “Help!” Grace screamed. Blood ran down her face from cuts in her head. “Emma, please stop!”

​ “You’re fucking insane!”

​ The knocking at the door became incessant, and frantic. Grace slammed herself against the wall, hard. More blood.

​ “Please don’t hurt me, Emma! We’re just childhood friends! Don’t be like this!”

​ She staggered towards the door, and opened it. Will was at the door, horrified at the scene before him. Emma was in full shock.

​ “What the hell is going on here?” Will shouted, catching Grace as she fell towards him.

​ “Will, I’m sorry. I can’t see you anymore. Emma, she…” Grace fainted.

​ “What did you do?” Will seethed.

​ “Nothing! I didn’t touch her I swear! She invited me here and…”

​ “I guess we were wrong this morning,” he scoffed. Will scooped up Grace and dashed away. Emma ran after them, and followed them to the nearby hospital. When Emma arrived, Grace was being put on a stretcher and taken away. Will sat off to the side in one of the waiting room chairs and saw Emma run in.

​ “Why are you here?”

​ “Will, you have to let me explain.”

​ “Explain how you attacked my childhood friend?”

​ “First of all, we both know she is more than that to you! Second, she set me up! She lured me there and…”

​ “So, I’m just supposed to believe she attacked herself?”

​ “Yes!”

​ “Get out of here, Emma. I don’t want to see you right now.”

​ “But, Will…”

​ “Go!”

​ Emma stared at him. There really was nothing that could between him and Grace. He refused to even look at her as she stood there. She turned and left, frustration threatening to appear in the form of tears. Will peeked at Emma as she walked away. There was a sinking feeling in his stomach.

​ “Mr. Stewart,” a nurse caught his attention. “Miss Cunning is awake now. She is asking for you.” The nurse escorted Will towards Grace’s room where a doctor was waiting.

​ “She’s got a mild concussion and a few cuts that needed stitches. I’d like to keep her here for a few days, just to monitor her,” the doctor explained.

​ “Of course,” Will nodded. “Thank you, doctor.” Will sat in a chair at her bedside and scooted closer to her.

​ “I’m sorry you have to see me like this,” Grace cried when the nurse and doctor left.

​ “Don’t…”

​ “I know I hurt you, but I have to know. Do I still have a chance with you? Do we still have a chance? You still love me. I know you do. Please tell me I haven’t lost you to her.”

​ Will just stared at her, surprised by her outburst. She leaned forward, and captured him in a hug. Will froze, unsure of what to do.

​ “You can’t possibly love her the way you loved me. Are you sure she’s the one you want to share your life with? Look at what she did to me! She’s not as innocent as she tried to come off! She’s ruthless and horrible! You’ll come back to me, right?”

​ Will said nothing as Grace sobbed into his chest. He just held her, his mind swimming with confusion and questions.

​ A few hours later, he received a call from Emma.

​ “Calling to apologize?” he hissed in to the phone.

​ “I’m calling to check in on Grace, she if she’s okay. And to see if you’ve calmed down enough for me to tell you what happened.”

​ “After you viciously attacked her, yeah, she’s doing great.”

​ “Will,” Emma sighed.

​ “Why did you have to ruin everything? You know about Grace and me, so why did you go after her? I can’t believe you.

​ “Please, listen…”

​ “I can’t talk to you right now.” He hung up.

​ On the other side of town, Emma sat in their mansion. Grace had walked her right into a trap. And she was stupid enough to fall for it.