Grace's POV

I wiped my hands on my jeans and flopped down on the chair, loud music blasting in my ears. The bar was not surprisingly already filled with people, even if it wasn't midnight yet.

I pushed my hair behind my ears and looked around the huge bar. It was another one of those typical evenings in Welsh's Bar. Filled with mostly teenagers.

Thankfully, I wasn't doing the midnight shifts anymore. I still did the evening shifts, but not till midnight. Frank had been kind enough to understand.

Almost.

My hand moved on its own and I stuffed it in my pocket, before taking out a folded photograph. I opened it up and smoothed out the crinkles.

Once again, I felt my heart race a little when I looked at it. When I looked at Jack. Every time I looked at this picture, the longing increased inside me. To see him.

It has been so long since I last saw him.

And that wasn't even the most hopeless thing. The most hurtful thing was that I didn't even know if he was all right. I didn't even know if he was fine, if he was safe.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.

There must be a way. I needed to know where he was. I needed to know who took him. I just didn't know how.

Cynthia.

I frowned at that. Of course, she had told me that she could help me with this stuff. But was she even to be trusted? What if she had wrong intentions?

I couldn't just trust anybody.

I looked back at the photograph and at the dark room where Jack was. It was completely dark, gruesomely dark. Jack hated being in the dark.

Sudden fear started clawing at my heart.

Maybe contacting Cynthia was the only way.

•••••

I wiped off the dust from the familiar telephone and sat down on the couch.

I still hadn't done anything for my own phone. It was still lost. I didn't have the time and money to buy a new one.

I hadn't exactly needed one until now.

I looked down at the telephone and dialed the number Cynthia had given me. Surprisingly, I had memorized it quite easily. Maybe because I had been debating a lot on whether to call her or not.

I placed the receiver on my ear and really hoped it worked. It rang for a long time before somebody picked up.

"Hello?" It was a voice of a woman, rich with some sort of accent—Italian, I guess. "This is The Blackwell Enterprises."

"Can I talk to Dr Blackwell?" I asked as she went silent on the other end.

There was some shuffling on the other end. "May I know your name please?"

I frowned slightly before looking out of the glass windows overlooking the backyard. The sky had darkened up completely by now.

"Grace Collins." I replied.

The other end went silent again. I almost spoke up again before she cut me off, "I'm sorry, I can't find any appointment registered with that name."

Seriously?

"No, I...didn't make an appointment. Mrs Blackwell—Cynthia asked me to call her. Can you please let me talk to her?" I spoke up.

After some more shuffling, she answered, "Mrs Blackwell is a little busy right now but I'll convey your message to her."

I rolled my eyes and controlled the sudden urge to groan.

Why couldn't she have given me her private number or something?

"Is there anything more you need me to tell Mrs Blackwell?" She asked in her sweet voice.

"No, thank you." I spoke up politely before ending the call.

I placed the receiver back on the telephone and leaned back against the couch, looking up at the ceiling.

Before I could've stood up and headed upstairs to my bedroom, the doorbell rang. A small frown formed on my face before I went towards it. Opening up the door, I was surprised to see Fraser standing in front of me.

"Fraser." The frown didn't leave my face. "What are you doing here?"

A small smile tugged on his lips as he stuffed his hands in his jacket, his black hair blowing along with the wind. "I just thought to stop by. You weren't busy, were you?"

I licked my dry lips and shook my head. "No, of course not."

I could've invited him in, but something inside me didn't let me do that.

"Did you guys find Frost yet?" I asked, softly closing the front door behind me and stepping outside. It was one of those windy nights here in Hayward, making me cross my arms.

"No." He spoke up with a shrug. "We didn't actually. I hope we do, though."

They hadn't?

I clearly remembered placing Frost back where the other pups had been; in the shed. I found myself looking back at Fraser. Either I was bad at picking lies or he really wasn't lying.

"I didn't actually get to finish off the talk yesterday." He said, his eyes lingering over my face. "In the library."

I raised my brows and leaned back against the door. "You didn't?"

He grinned and I felt the tight knots in my stomach loosening up a little. "I couldn't have."

"Why not?"

"I clearly didn't want to say things when Lucius was there." He said. "You can't blame me. That guy has turned quite...aggressive."

I laughed at that, in disbelief.

"You were scared of Luca?" I asked.

He smiled. "Kind of."

"Seriously, Fraser. You're weird." I shook my head. It wasn't that cold out here, but I still wished I had worn something more than just a tank top and pajama bottoms.

"It clearly didn't turn out well back at the Carnival." He spoke up. "I wanted to take you out somewhere else. Again."

I raised my brows at that. "And you thought I'd agree?"

He placed a hand over his heart, faking a hurtful expression. "You wound my pride, woman."

Rolling my eyes, I pushed my hair away from my face. "I'm not looking forward to any sort of dates, Fraser."

"Why not?" He asked, taking a step closer towards me.

I eyed his actions before raising my hands up in the air when I found no words to say. "I just am busy all the time."

"Come on, Gracie." His eyes shone with a mischievous glint—something that made me straighten up from my leaning position. "Either you give me a valid reason. Or, you go on a date with me."

I frowned at that.

"That doesn't even sound fair." I said. "You know what it sounds like?" I didn't wait for him to say anything, "That sounds like you're desperate to go on a date with me."

He laughed at that and something inside me warmed at the fact that he didn't even get slightly offended over it. Anyone else in his place would've been offended.

"I mean, you are right." He stepped even closer that I could practically smell his cologne. "I am desperate to go on a date with you."

"Why?" I found myself asking. "You used to annoy the shit out of me years ago, Fraser. Practically bully me."

I found myself remembering back to the conversation I had eavesdropped into. Back at the dog shelter. And then his words in the library. Luca's words.

The lies, Rose.

His eyes crinkled up at the edges when he grinned. "I like you, Gracie."

My heart started racing for some reason. "I liked you better when you used to bully me."

He laughed again and somehow, I really don't know how, it brought a small smile on my lips.

"Well, you clearly liked me." He pointed out, stopping when there were just inches left between us. "Some secrets you hide, Collins."

I rolled my eyes at that. "I have stuff to do. And you need to leave."

"Aren't you so mean?"

"Fraser—" I trailed off when he leaned closer, just an inch left between our faces. And I couldn't have said anything when my breath just got stuck in my throat.

"You didn't say yes, Gracie." He said, his gaze not leaving mine.

Was he forcing me?

"You can't force me."

"I know that." I froze when he leaned closer until the tip of our noses were touching. I did want to stop him from whatever that he was doing, but the sudden surprise didn't let me.

Not even when I felt his lips brush against mine.

"Say yes?" He murmured against my lips.

My heart thudded against my chest, practically screaming at me that this wasn't right. In any way.

"Yes?" I breathed out, making it sound like a question. Almost immediately, his hands came on either side of my face before he finished off the distance between our lips.

And then we were kissing.

A strange feeling clouded inside me as I surprisingly kissed him back. Not until the strange feeling transformed into something quite familiar.

Regret. Guilt.

I pulled away then. Away from him. He blinked and was probably about to say something when we both heard footsteps behind him.

He turned around and my heart almost lurched out of my chest when I saw who it was.

Luca.

I blinked and looked at him, my heartbeat still racing wildly. I could feel my face heating up when Luca looked at me, then at Fraser.

"What...are you doing here?" I spoke up when Fraser didn't say anything. Luca looked back at me and a small frown formed on his face.

Jesus.

I felt my face heat up even more.

Looking away from his face, I saw a white furry dog in his hands.

"Frost." I whispered. Frost looked up at me from Luca's hands and barked loudly.

"What is he doing here?" Fraser asked before coming beside me. I crossed my arms and looked at Luca, who in return just frowned at Fraser. Which to be honest, seemed more like a glare.

"He was roaming outside your yard." Luca finally spoke up, the frown not leaving his face. That just embarrassed me even more.

Had he seen Fraser kissing me?

"He was?" Fraser sounded surprised.

Before I could've said something, or even taken Frost from Luca's hands, someone came running towards us.

"Fraser!" I almost, almost groaned when I heard Alice's voice. She stopped when she neared us, all three of us eyeing her. "And everyone else. Hey, guys."

I just managed a small smile, which most probably wavered a bit.

Alice smiled back at me which seemed more like a questioning one. When I made no move to say anything, she looked over at Fraser. "Dinner's ready. Mom was calling."

Fraser nodded slightly and I saw his gaze trailing over towards Frost before he looked back at me. I froze once again when I felt his hand on my back. "I'll see you later, Gracie."

And then both Alice and Fraser walked away.

I inhaled deeply before looking over at Luca, who was already frowning at me.

Still frowning.

"I didn't kiss him." The words blurted out of my mouth in a rush. Even Frost looked up at me with his blue eyes, as if pitying me.

"I didn't ask, Rose." I almost flinched at the sudden edge in his voice.

"Well, don't act like this then." I spoke up, glaring back at him. "As if you're angry."

"I am angry." He glared back at me.

I blinked and passed him a look of disbelief. "You don't have a right to be angry. You don't have a right to feel anything if I kiss someone."

His expression didn't even waver a bit. "I do actually."

My eyes widened at that, in exasperation. Why was he acting like this? What the hell was wrong with him?

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I asked him.

He came closer towards me, towering over me in almost a threatening way. The way he was looking at me made me stop dead in my position.

He leaned closer until his face was just inches away from my own, his glare making my insides freeze in response.

"I kissed you that night, Grace." His voice filled in the deadly silence. "And guess what? You kissed me back."

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Crystal 🌿