Saving Grace (Wild Rose Book 1)

by Scarlett Jade

  Christina's arms came about her and she collapsed into her friend's embrace. “What's wrong?” Christina asked.

  “The Dean tricked me into telling him what we did. He told me that Drake said he was the one who started it, and coerced me into a relationship, and I was a freakin' idiot and told him everything! I incriminated us both. Then he lets me know that when he talked to Drake he would decide what to do. I was such a fool!” Grace wept.

  “That bastard tricked you? How dare he! I knew I should've gone with you. The bastard played good cop, bad cop bullshit and you fell for it! Oh, Grace.”

  “I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. My pictures are plastered all over the paper and I just wrecked his career.”

  “Maybe not. Just lie low for a while and I’ll pick up your work from professors, okay? Till this blows over. We only have a few more weeks anyway. There will be a week off for Thanksgiving and the semester ends December fourth. So only like four weeks. Everyone will forget by the New Year, I promise.”

  Grace wiped her eyes and blew out a breath. “This is it. I'm done with Drake Stone. I'm going to pretend he never existed.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Drake stared at the paper lying on the desk. Page four detailed what Patricia had known about their 'torrid' love affair, which wasn't much. The writers had embellished it as they saw fit. He knew he had to go to the office and resign before things got worse, so he sent an email to his students cancelling his classes for the afternoon.

  He jammed his hand through his hair and rubbed his temples. Damn you, Trish. Shutting down his laptop he slipped it into his laptop bag and stood. As he turned, he stared at his classroom, something he had once had pride in acquiring, but now meant little. Did it ever really mean much? He sighed as he realized it never had. Teaching had been what his father had wanted for him, not what he wanted. I wanted to sing and play with the band, but it was never what they wanted. I guess after I talk to the Dean I will have a chance to do what I want again, right?

  Walking out of the room, he squared his shoulders. I have to leave here, then Grace will be safe. We both knew it was only one time. Nothing more. He couldn't figure out why that thought bothered him so much, but he squelched it down while he moved down the hallway to the office. The secretary glanced up at him with wide eyes as he opened the door.

  “I need to see the Dean.”

  “Oh! Of course. I believe he...ah is free now. You go on back.”

  Drake nodded and moved through the front of the room to the door of the Dean's office. He knocked and at a booming, “Come in!” he entered.

  “We need to talk,” Drake started as he opened the door and closed it behind him.

  “Why don't you sit down?”

  Drake couldn't help a frisson of nerves running through him at the dean's smirk.

  “I'll stand, thanks. I'm sure you've seen the papers.”

  “Ah, yes.” Dean Rodgers smiled wider. “I've talked to the young lady, who so graciously told me the tale.”

  “Grace wouldn't have just told you,” Drake argued as he paced the floor. “You're full of shit.”

  “Am I?”

  “Well, you can't believe everything you see. Patricia Sutton took those pictures and embellished on the story,” Drake snapped.

  “So you don't deny your relationship?”

  Drake paused in his pacing. “I am saying the story is fabricated and stretched and you can't trust a woman scorned. I was dating Patricia and broke it off with her. She flipped out completely, and I guess she followed me to the hotel and took pictures. She's been sending them to me all weekend long, taunting me. Here, look at the text messages.” Drake pulled his phone from his pocket and opened the list of the texts from Patricia.

  Dean Rodgers took the phone and scrolled through the list of texts from Patricia and his eyebrows rose. “She should've come to me, not broken the story to the papers. I have damn news stations calling wanting an official story. She has embarrassed the school and brought shame upon our name. I will be pulling her in here and she will be reprimanded. And you? You know the rules, Drake.”

  Drake nodded and accepted his phone back from the Dean. “I do. I shouldn't have done anything with Grace, but it was consensual and there was no coercion from me. We are both adults and we didn't use our best judgment. I'm the guilty one. I should have told her no, completely. I know that and I am willing to take the fall.”

  “That's what she said too. I never got that creepy vibe from you, Drake. I knew hiring you could be a problem. You're just too damn pretty. I knew the girls would be after you, but these last couple of years you've really proven yourself. But I can't very well sweep this under the rug. You know that. You know the rules and that my hands are tied.”

  Drake held out his hand for the dean to shake. “I know. I would like to resign.”

  Dean Rodgers stared at his hand. “You are going to walk away?”

  “I am going to make it so I am no longer a professor here. Then there is no more scandal, now is there?”

  Dean Rodgers shook his head. “Then there is no more scandal. You know I can't give you a severance package of any kind...”

  “I didn't ask, did I? May I have a letter announcing my resignation?” Drake dropped his hand when it became evident that the dean wouldn't shake it and sat down in the chair across from him.

  “Sure, give me a second.” Dean Rodgers turned to his computer screen and typed for a few moments. “I'm going to be sad to lose you, Drake. You do know this mess will taint the rest of your teaching career.”

  “Maybe so, but I don't think my heart was in teaching anyway.”

  Dean Rodgers pulled a sheet of paper from his printer. “Let me sign this.” He stamped the paper with his official seal and signed it quickly. “I wish you the best, wherever life leads you, and I hate that it came to this.”

  “Thanks, Dean Rodgers. I appreciate it.” Drake skimmed over the letter, which simply stated he was resigning from his position. He held out his hand again as he stood, and Dean Rodgers stood to shake his hand.

  “Take care.”

  Drake left the office, sliding the resignation letter in his bag. He was jobless, but had never been happier. He raced through the hallways to her dorm room and his heart was in his throat as he knocked on her door.

  Christina opened the door and a sour frown crossed her lips. “What the hell are you doing here again, you jerk?”

  “I need to see Grace. Please, is she here?”

  The blonde shook her head. “She took off. Said she needed to go think. Why?”

  “I resigned. We could be together now. I'm no longer a teacher,” Drake declared.

  “So what, you thought you could waltz your fine ass back in here and pretend she hasn't been mortified beyond words? Seriously? Are you a fuckin' moron? Grace has been totally wrecked and you have no right to expect everything to be wonderful now. The girl has been laughed at all day, been tricked by the dean, had her family raise holy hell because she dared to give you her cherry, and she just can't deal anymore. You need to move on and let her be okay.”

  He watched the blonde fold her arms and shoot daggers at him from her blue eyes. “What if that's not what she wants?” Drake finally asked her.

  “It's what she wants. She told me earlier she was done with Drake Stone and she wanted to pretend you never existed. She hates you, Drake, for everything you put her through. She has lost her family, she's being ridiculed by everyone, and she doesn't deserve that. Grace is a good girl and you wrecked her,” Christina continued.

  “I want to hear her say that.”

  “Leave her alone. If she wants to call you, she will. I have your number. I suggest you move on with your life, you and your little tramp girlfriend.”

  “She's not my girlfriend. That's what I want to explain. I had dumped her and she was angry and she followed us, I guess, and snapped all those pictures.” Drake groaned as he leaned against the door. “That sounds awful.”

  “Ye
ah, it does. You dumped the bitch and then jumped into bed with Grace. You are fucked up, man. Leave Grace alone, she's a good girl and doesn't deserve this mess.” Christina moved to close the door.

  “Tell her I'm sorry,” Drake begged Christina. “When she comes back, please tell her I'm sorry, and that I’ll leave her alone. But I’ll never turn her away if she calls me. I just want to explain and I want to tell her that how she felt, I feel the same way.”

  Christina snorted. “I hear you.”

  “Please.”

  “Go away,” Christina grumbled and Drake nodded.

  “I'm going. Just tell her.” He smiled sadly as Christina closed the door and he pressed his hand against the wood. “Bye, Grace. I love you.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Grace leaned against the tree at the little park she'd stopped at and pulled her diary from her purse. Leaves swirled around her and she snuggled deeper into her navy blue pea coat. Tears trickled down her cheeks and she wiped at them, wincing at the pain she felt from her face. The physical pain was nil compared to the emotional wreckage lodged firmly in the place her heart used to be.

  Her heart was nothing but the remnants of the beating organ it once was. She felt as though it had shattered into a million pieces and nothing, nor anyone could ever put it back together again.

  Dear Diary,

  I am going to run far and wide. I will find somewhere new to start over and I will do whatever it takes. Flip burgers, work in retail, whatever. I will find a community college and continue classes. I will live. On my terms, no one else's. Not Christina's, although I love her and see that she is just trying to help me grow up and come out of my shell. Not on my parents’, wait, my grandparents’ terms. I am not going to be shamed for every choice I make that doesn't coincide with their precious religion. I'm pretty sure the loving God we're taught about wouldn't have been cool with him hitting me either. I'm going to find out who I am and what my purpose is. By myself. But what I do know is, I’m not the same Grace that started at Yale in August. I'll never be that girl again. The question is, after the revelations I’ve discovered, who am I anyway? I grew up believing my adopted parents picked me out of an orphanage after my mother died from an overdose. But it was a lie. I mean, I'm sure they saved me after she died, but the rest of the crap I grew up with was a lie. They made it seem like she disappeared from the earth and was no more. Why, because she embarrassed them? What about unconditional love? What about the forgiveness he preaches about? He's nothing but a hypocrite. I'm going to find out what really happened to my mom and I'm going to keep going and keep living, for her if nothing else. That her life wasn't in vain and mine won't be either. Maybe when I find myself I can look into the mirror and feel just as beautiful as I did the night Drake made me his. Even though it was for a short time, it was the best time of my life. If I can do nothing else, I can save his job. I can make sure he is okay. Then I can be okay.

  Grace

  She closed the diary and held it tight to her chest. I feel peace. There are no qualms about what I'm going to do. If I'm gone, then there is no more scandal. Grace took her phone from her purse and dialed Christina's number. Forgive me for what I'm about to do, Christina. I hope one day you'll understand why.

  “Hey, Christina, want to meet me for dinner? I was thinking maybe that diner we went to once.” Grace calculated the time she would need to gather her things. “Want to meet me in like half an hour? Okay, sounds great. See you then.”

  Grace hated lying to her best friend, but she knew Christina would convince her to stay, and that was something she couldn't do. Staying and facing what she knew was coming was not an option. She wouldn't watch their affair being dragged through the mud like it was something dirty when she knew it wasn't. Nothing about what they did was wrong. Only in the eyes of the school was it anything less than perfect. Picking herself up off the ground she dusted the leaf debris off her pants and hurried back to her car. Sliding behind the wheel she stuck the key in the ignition and started the car. As she drove, nausea filled her. I can't believe I'm gonna give this all up. But I am. I'm gonna walk away.

  As she pulled into the parking lot of the school, she parked the car and jumped out. I don't have much time... Christina would be calling her as soon as she realized that she hadn't shown, and Grace wanted to be as far away as possible before that happened. She had no plans of where she was going to go, so she was just going to drive until she couldn't drive anymore. Heading west seemed the most logical, maybe she could set up in some Midwest town where no one knew her name and begin again. As Grace Evans, college student. Not as Grace, the whore, Grace the lied-to kid, Grace the mistake. Just as Grace.

  Thanks to saving most of the money her mother had given her and every paycheck for the last six weeks, she had a decent amount of money to start with. She moved through the halls, ignoring the stares from people as she passed. It's not easy being the girl who bagged Professor Drake Stone...

  With shaking fingers she jammed the key in the lock and moved into the dorm she shared with Christina. She stowed her laptop in a bag, and grabbed as many clothes as she could, tossing them willy-nilly into her suitcases. Once she had packed all she could, she picked up a piece of paper from Christina's desk and smiled at the bright pink paper. Christina would have pink notebook paper...

  Grasping a pen she scrawled a quick note.

  Don't give up, Christina, you're meant for Yale. I'm not. I don't know what I'm meant for. I'm gonna go find myself. I hope Drake doesn't get in too much trouble because of me. Maybe they will see that I'm gone and realize there's nothing to be pitching a fit about anymore... Anyway. Here's my email. I'll email you as I can. My parents will probably shut off my cell. I'm kind of surprised they haven't yet. Maybe they think I'll be back. But anyway, I'm gonna leave that here with you. If they come, tell them that I'm not Gracie, not anymore, and they can keep their hypocrisy and religion. Thanks for being my friend and pushing me to grow up. I needed it. Now I'm off to find Grace. She's out there somewhere and I have a feeling this journey is going to be wild and wonderful.

  Love always, Grace.

  graciepants@yahoo.com

  Tossing her cell phone beside the note, Grace turned to look at the dorm one last time, hoping to imprint to memory the way she had felt when she arrived. The little girl who had arrived with hope in her eyes and a dream in her heart stood in the dorm feeling defeated, lost, and beaten. The prestigious school no longer held any appeal for her and she blew out a breath as she hefted her bags in her hands. The sound of her cell phone ringing met her ears as she walked out of the room for the last time.

  Grace ducked her head and shuffled through the halls, her bags weighting her down as she went. Once outside, she raced for the parking lot and tossed her bags in the back before sliding behind the wheel and starting the car. With a sad smile across her lips, she pulled out of the parking lot and drove straight into the sunset glimmering on the horizon. While she couldn't say for sure if the beautiful sky before her glimmered from hope or the tears blurring her vision, she fervently believed it was hope. For tomorrow, for the future, to find love, and to find herself.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Christina dialed Grace's cell phone again, her fingers shaking in her haste. “Come on, dammit, answer your phone!” She groaned as once again it went to voicemail. “Where are you, Grace?” Panic filled her as she realized her best friend could've been in an accident. Hurrying out of the diner, she ran for the bus stop, her heart pounding with worry.

  Endlessly she punched in Grace's number and hit send as she waited, frustrated tears filling her eyes as over and over she didn't answer. As the bus pulled up to the stop, she rushed on and paid her fare before finding a seat. The bus rolled through town and Christina watched for Grace's little car, praying that she didn't see it crushed and broken along the way.

  When she was dropped off at the school, her gaze swept the parking lot and nausea filled her when she realized Grace's car wasn't there. Oh
my God, Grace, where are you? Not believing what she was seeing, she ran into the parking lot, her blonde hair fluttering out on the breeze as she searched the rows of cars. Grace was gone. Christina pulled her phone from her pocket again and dialed Grace's number again as she ran into their dorm building. No answer.

  Her chest was tight as she fumbled with the key to their room and shoved it in the lock. Holding her breath, she unlocked the door, turned the knob and prayed. Be here... A sob escaped her mouth as she found half of the room nearly empty.

  “Grace!” she wailed out as she collapsed to the floor. “I made a mistake. I made such a mistake!” She scrambled up from the floor and kicked the door closed. “Oh my God, what have I done?” Pacing the floor, she pulled her hair in panic, hoping somehow the pain would help her think clearly. Turning again, she spotted a cell phone on her desk and groaned. “Why did you leave your phone?” As she picked up the phone she saw the note Grace had scrawled on a sheet of pink paper.

  Reading the note, she sat down in the chair in front of her desk. “Oh, Grace, honey...I should've told you he quit. I should've told you he cares. I should've told you I heard him whisper that he loves you before he left our door. But I didn't. Because I was protecting you. Because I wanted you to be safe.”

  The note fluttered to the floor as she propped her head in her hands and sobbed. I screwed up. What am I gonna do? I could call Drake and tell him what happened or I could just pretend I know nothing and let her go. I mean, she's already gone, right? And everyone would only be pissed with me if I said I withheld information that could've made stuff right. I mean, what good is it gonna do now? Really? She would still come back here and it would be a mess. Everyone would be making fun of her and she wouldn't want that. So I'm doing the right thing. Yeah! I did the right thing. She can go off and find herself and Drake will go and do his own thing and it will be for the best.