Page 61 of His Saving Grace

Ice sloshed through Grace’s veins, turning her blood sluggish and slushy, chilling her to the bottom of her soul.

Run. Run. Run.

The word chased itself around in Grace’s head. But her feet refused to cooperate, as if they had grown roots. Roots that had tunneled through the worn carpet, the wooden floor, and the concrete below to burrow into the cold, hard dirt.

Time slowed, yet it seemed that Jessie sprinted across the lobby, coming far too close, far too fast. Jessie was smiling, as if she didn’t realize she was about to shatter Grace’s carefully constructed new life, like a baseball bat smashing through glass. As if she didn’t realize those broken shards would fly in every direction, impaling everyone in Grace’s orbit. As if she didn’t realize that Grace and everyone around her would be left broken and bleeding.

“As I live and breathe, it is you Grace Su—”

Panic kick-started her into motion and Grace let go of her grip on Mason and spun, taking a few steps toward Jessica. Cutting her off before she could finish. “Jessie.” She plastered on a phony smile. “It’s great to see you.”

“How are you?” Jessie pulled Grace in for an awkward hug.

Grace patted Jessie on the back, hoping Jessie couldn’t feel how badly she trembled. “I’m good. How are you?”

Jessie pulled away and glanced over Grace’s shoulder, and Grace knew Mason had stepped up behind her. His hand landed on her shoulder, and she tried not to flinch.

“I’m great,” Jessie said, beaming. She held out her hand, flashing a massive engagement ring. “I’m getting married, so we’re just in town looking at venues.” She looked Grace up and down for a moment. “I almost didn’t recognize you, with your hair so—

“It was great to see you, Jessie, but our movie’s about to start.” She cut Jessie off again before she could ruin everything.

Grace grabbed Mason’s free hand and dragged him away. She looked back over her shoulder. Jessie stood there, watching her.

Jessie raised her hand in a wave. “Call me sometime and we’ll catch up. My number’s still the same.”

Grace nodded absently, her mind and stomach spinning like she’d ridden the Tilt-a-Whirl one too many times. She was afraid she might be sick, right there in the movie theater lobby. She sped up, needing to get away from Jessie as fast as possible, tugging on Mason’s arm. He followed behind her without a word.

She hurried through the auditorium door, the darkness startling. The theater was empty. Their movie didn’t start for another half an hour.

Mason pulled her to a stop, but she kept her gaze glued to the floor. Her heart was like a trapped bird, fluttering wildly and slamming against her ribs like they were the bars of a cage. She blew out a breath, trying to get everything back under control.

“What was that about?” He brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek.

The tears that had threatened few minutes ago came roaring back with a vengeance, and she couldn’t stop one from escaping and rolling down her cheek. It splashed against his finger. He lifted her chin, so she had no choice but to look at him.

She didn’t know what to say, so she just stood there, staring at him in the darkness.

“Are you okay?” The concern in his voice undid her completely.

She shook her head, choking on a sob. Without a word, she turned and fled back through the door and out into the lobby. Thankfully, Jessie had disappeared. Grace made a beeline for the ladies’ room.

Once inside, she locked herself in one of the stalls and closed the lid on the toilet. She sat and grabbed a handful of toilet paper, finally letting her emotions go. She sobbed, harder than she had in a long time. Her tears fell fast and furious. She cried for what seemed like forever.

By the time her tears dried up, her chest ached and the beginnings of a headache pulsed against her temples. She wiped her cheeks with the scratchy paper and then blew her stuffed-up nose. Her throat felt thick and raw.

She stood and flushed the paper, watching it swirl down the drain, numbness settling into her empty spaces. She pulled open the stall door and her heart damn near dropped out of her chest and galloped away.

Mason stood there, his butt leaning on the countertop, his arms crossed over his chest.

“What are you doing in here?” Her raspy, scandalized whisper echoed through the bathroom, her gaze darting around to make sure they were alone.

“Making sure you’re okay,” he said, his tone even, voice steady. As if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to be in the ladies’ washroom.

She walked up to the sink next to him, not looking at him but feeling his gaze on her. Turning on the tap, she leaned down to splash cool water on her face. She stood. Mason handed her a paper towel.

She mumbled a thank you, still refusing to look at him. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and cringed. Her eyes were puffy and red, which matched the current shade of her nose. What a sight.

Mason’s gaze met hers in the mirror, and she winced. He still wore that confused look, like he was trying to figure out what was going on, but was having a hard time putting the pieces together.