"Everett?" An all too familiar voice called from across the street and Grace's mortification was complete. Jack had come looking for his absent brother. When Everett turned around Grace and her tear stained face was revealed to Jack. He stared at her, too stunned by her presence to react. Grace was still crying and there was no way to hide it with the trails of mascara she was sporting. She needed to go before the shock wore off and Jack crossed the street.
Grace smiled sadly at Jack and gave a little wave before she pulled away from the curb. The light at the corner was red so she had to pause in her getaway. Her eyes immediately searched out Jack in her side mirror. Everett reached Jack and she continued to watch while Everett spoke to him. Grace assumed she was being discussed. Jack turned to look at her car and the light turned green. She heard Jack yell her name.
"Grace! Wait!" he shouted, but she didn't stop. You had to know when enough was enough. And Grace had had enough for one day.
****
After that awful day in Jack's picturesque home town, things between Jack and Grace continued down a path that was destructive and painful for Grace. She refused to talk to Jack about what happened. He wanted to know what she and Victor had talked about, but she wouldn't discuss it. Victor must have clammed up as well. That was probably best for him. She didn't believe Jack would appreciate the way he had accosted her. She'd told the whole sorted story to Luke and Jessie, and they agreed that she was doing the right thing, but staying away from Jack was going to be hard.
At first, Grace avoided Jack in a mad effort at self-preservation, but he used every excuse he could find to seek her out. First he needed a tutor to help him prepare for his math final. He'd been nearly hostile when he learned that she and Luke study together as a habit. He attended their study sessions but she didn't believe he actually needed help. He just glared at her and Luke as they quizzed each other. When she quizzed him he never needed help finding the answers.
Then he needed a ride to the airport when he flew home to help his mom deal with some legal papers and box up some of his dad's stuff to be donated. He hated eating alone so he'd show up at her door and insist he let him take her to dinner. Grace could never look into his pleading, ever-changing blue eyes and tell him no.
Of course, half the time he came to her room Jack would find Luke there, too. It annoyed Grace when they both puffed up their chests and got all macho. Jack didn't like her spending so much time with Luke but she wasn't going to let him chase away one of her best friends. Luke didn't think Jack deserved to breathe the same oxygen she did. He was such a sweetheart. She would question his relationship with his blond bestie and the argument was over.
The more time she spent with Jack the deeper her feelings for him grew. He wanted her as desperately as she wanted him and she knew it. He would always hold her hand or tuck her in close to his body as they walked and anyone who saw them together believed they were a couple. Jack took every opportunity he got to kiss Grace and he constantly tried to push her past her objections to dating him. She was so weak in his arms. It really was like they were already a couple even though she tried to pretend otherwise. Turning away from his passionate affection was nearly impossible. Then she'd remember that he would be returning to Victor and whoever else he was seeing. Those thoughts effectively halted Jack's advances every time.
She was in love with the man, and that was the problem. Jack had feelings for Grace and the chemistry between them was like a nuclear reaction, but he wasn't ready to give up the other people in his love life. She didn't fault him for it, at least she didn't in her mind, but her heart was another matter altogether.
The funny thing about a person's tolerance for heartache is that you never see the last straw until you buckle under its weight. Grace would see Jack around campus with Victor and another guy she'd never met. She assumed he was another boyfriend. Jack knew better than to approach her if he wasn't alone when they crossed paths. Every time it happened she sank deeper into the chasm of despair that was quickly swallowing her whole. She'd seen Jack's blond bestie a few times but the ridiculously attractive woman always glared at Grace and sniffed with disdain. She supposed his friends blamed her for Jack's moods.
After graduation, the student body was busy moving out of the dorms. Grace was about ready to go and the knowledge that she wouldn't see Jack again was a dark shadow over what should have been one of the happiest times of her life. She had several offers for internships at finance and accounting firms, one of which was in Seattle. Jack would be going home to Washington State. Somewhere in the corner of her mind that still believed in fairytales Grace was still waiting for her prince to make her dreams come true. So she applied for the internship in a moment of weakness. So as not to put all of her eggs in Jack's basket, she'd also applied to firms in New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. She'd been offered the positions in Seattle, New York, and Atlanta. Now was the hard part. She had to decide which company was the best choice for her career and her future, and she had to do it fast.
It was her last night on campus and Jack dragged her out for dinner and dancing at a new Latin club in town. This always happened after she saw him with one of his men. He would show up at her door dressed and ready for a night on the town insisting they spend some quality time on the dance floor. Jessie would glare at him and comment that he must not have anyone better to abuse that night. Jessie hated that Grace was letting the situation with Jack drag her down. But when she and Jack were together Grace wasn't down. She was happy. She was in love. It was when Jack was gone that the misery took over. This time was different though. There was an air of finality between her and Jack. This was it. Jack knew about her internship offer in Seattle and he was pushing hard for her to accept it and follow him home.
After an incredible night of dancing and just being together Grace felt her will to resist Jack slipping. She loved him so much that she'd nearly convinced herself that she could win Jack's heart if she only took a chance and sacrificed her own. She had the opportunity to take the relationship further. It would be hard to move to a new city and start her career there, but it would be worth it if they ended up together, just the two of them forever.
"What are you thinking about, babe?" Jack asked. They were dancing close and Grace was trying to work up the nerve to tell him she planned to take the job in Seattle.
"I'm thinking about you . . . and me," she admitted. Jack sobered and searched her face. He looked at her mouth and back up to her eyes. He wanted to kiss her, again. And this time she wouldn't try to pretend she didn't want him to do it.
"What are you saying?" he asked. She just smiled up at him. She didn't want to talk about it here in a crowded club.
"Can I stay the night with you tonight?" she asked with a blush. "We can talk about it later . . . or maybe in the morning." They both knew if he got her in a secluded place they'd both be naked in a hurry. Jack's smile started small and quickly spread across his face. He did kiss her then. Jack brought his lips down on hers and he kissed her softly, sweetly, with the promise of all that was to come later when he got her home.
Jack let out a trumpet, "Woohoo!" and they took off into another dance. Grace's heart felt buoyant and ready to soar. Jack and she laughed and smiled like fools as he attempted to teach her the steps to the sultry dance.
That's when the unthinkable happened. Victor appeared on the dance floor right behind Jack. He moved in behind Jack as he danced close to Grace, effectively sandwiching Jack between them. Grace released Jack and backed away a step. Jack was surprised at the intimate contact and spun around. Victor smiled sweetly at his lover and moved in to continue the dance. Jack looked over his shoulder at Grace guiltily, but he let Victor lead him away in the dance. And wasn't that a metaphor for their entire relationship. Jack said he wanted to be with Grace, but it was far too easy for someone else to lead him in another direction. Just when Grace began to hope for more, something would happen to remind her exactly where she stood.
Grace watched them from the sidelines. They weren't the only male couple dancing and there were several pairs of ladies enjoying the mesmerizing Latin beat as well. This was a test of Grace's mettle. If she could tolerate this and still go home with Jack they had a chance. She was doing just fine until the dance ended and Victor moved in for a scorching kiss. Just like the night in that bar on the mountain, Victor took Jack's mouth like a man who knew he had the right to be there. And Grace couldn't take it. It had nothing to do with the fact that Jack was kissing another man. It was all about the fact that someone else, man or woman, was kissing her man.