“Everything okay?” Grace asked.
Ilana gave her a blank look. “Huh? Yeah, sure.” She didn’t look Grace in the eye.
Ilana took a seat across from Grace at the table. Grace eyed Ilana in an assessing way. She didn’t know what to make of her. She knew Ilana was sleeping in Eisav’s room. She knew she and Eisav were close, but she also noticed how Ilana behaved around Marie, like she was more than intrigued by her.
“Do you not like me?” Ilana blurted out.
A small laugh escaped Grace’s mouth before her brows dipped together. “Why would you say that? I hardly know you.”
Ilana’s lip quirked up on one side, and she cocked her head gaging Grace a little more. “I’m a lesbian … I’m not after him … if that’s what you think.”
Grace’s cheeks flushed from Ilana’s statement. Was she more relieved now? The answer was yes. “You didn’t have to give me such personal information,” Grace replied in an almost chiding tone.
“I think I do. Eisav’s my best friend. You’re his girl … I’m also together with your sister Marie. I think it was important info … ya know?” Ilana quipped, her feisty personality breaking through.
“Well then.” Grace paused, letting out a breath. Hearing Ilana was Eisav’s best friend hurt. That was once her role. Although she understood the friendship was different since she and Eisav hadn’t been ‘just friends’ for a long while. “Um, I guess. I’m happy for you and Marie then … and I would hardly call myself his girl. We still have a lot of issues,” Grace confessed, surprising herself. She wasn’t one to confide in strangers, but she liked Ilana’s cutthroat, honest approach.
“You may have issues, but you need to understand how that man has longed for you. He was suffering from anxiety … depression … all because he was away from you. I shouldn’t be telling you this,” she said curtly. “He may look like this macho superstar, but he’s vulnerable.” Ilana paused, placing her palm to her chest. “In here he’s putty. In here it’s all about you.” She sighed. “You did see the tat he got on his chest right?”
Grace nodded her head. “Yes.” It was the one of her name over his heart.
“He lives in the public eye, but he’s a private man. Lives a simple life in LA. Nothing glamorous for the shitload of money he makes. He’s a simple man that loves you,” Ilana explained.
“Why are you telling me these things? Shouldn’t I learn this information from him?” Grace asked with a hint of accusation.
Ilana shrugged her shoulders. “I need to go find Marie. I saw some guests in the living room. You coming?” She got up from the chair and looked back to Grace without giving her a proper answer.
Grace looked down at her cup of tea then back to Ilana. She was a strange girl, but she appreciated her honesty. Ilana obviously cared about Eisav. “Yeah, give me a minute.” She smiled. She really needed more than one minute to process that conversation.
Dina fell back in the same chair she had been sitting in for days. She had a far off look in her glossy eyes. She must have taken a valium or two to calm her nerves. Marie was sitting on the couch across from her mother with Ilana beside her while Kathy and Stella, Dina’s two oldest friends, were in a corner chatting. As Grace walked into the room, she heard some knocks at the back door. She gazed at two unfamiliar faces through the glass. She had heard that a young couple had bought the Clarkson ranch next door and that they had renovated it into some crazy large house and stables. Grace assumed it was the couple coming to introduce themselves.
She opened the back door. “Hello.” She forced a smile since the day felt like a blanket of darkness.
“I’m Eden.” The strikingly beautiful blonde extended her hand.
“I’m Dick …” the man began to say when Eden shot him a pointed glare. “I’m Dixon,” he grinned widely, correcting himself. Grace wasn’t sure why, but he looked familiar. Not in the way one would know him personally, but in the way you remember seeing an actor on television.
“We’re your neighbors,” Eden added. “Well, our property is so far away but it’s connected to yours and we haven’t met yet …” she rambled. “We brought you pie.” She let out a long breath as if she had been holding it in. “The lady at the bakery said that Mr. Duncan had passed, and I just wanted to give my condolences.” She gave Grace the pie as Dixon looked down at his wife adoringly.
Grace took the pie from her. “That’s very kind of you. Thanks for coming over. I’m sorry we’re meeting under such circumstances. Are you new to Sade?” she asked.
“We moved out here about a month ago,” Eden confirmed. “I think I may have seen you by the forest. Sorry, I wasn’t snooping. Our rose garden is just on the other side. I don’t head out there too often but …” Eden seemed a little uncomfortable as she spoke quickly.
“Yes, it was probably me. I go there sometimes to think. I spent a lot of time in that forest as a child,” Grace explained.
“Honey, I’m going to mingle,” Dixon interrupted, giving Eden a kiss on the lips that made her blush. The warmth and love between the couple pulled at a long-lost emotion in Grace, and she let out a sigh without noticing.
Eden cocked her head to the side. “Hey, I know we just met, but are you okay?” she asked Grace in a genuinely caring way. Beside Brooklyn, she didn’t have too many girlfriends and she was itching to talk about these last few days. There was something cleansing about sharing your adventures with someone. Maybe it made them feel more real and not like the dream she convinced herself it had been.
Grace let out another long sigh and placed her palm over her forehead. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I’ve just been through a lot these last couple days. I’m stuck between doing the right thing and following my heart,” she explained, hoping not to sound like a crazy woman to her new neighbor.
Eden clapped a hand over her mouth. “Seriously? Like seriously?” her voice grew louder, startling Grace a bit. “You need to talk to me, Grace. I know all about that.” She clapped her hands together when she noticed a number of the guests glancing her way. She lowered her voice before she spoke again. “Maybe we should go somewhere quiet.”
Grace felt uneasy about revealing her secrets to a complete stranger, but then her inner voice told her that Eden seemed like a person Grace would like to call a friend. The attractive blonde was also dressed like she had come from a large city, and Grace was intrigued.
“Yeah, we can go out front. Follow me.” Grace waved for her to follow, and the two women went outside.
“Yay, you’re my first girlfriend here.” Eden laughed. “So…” she rubbed her palms together “…lay it on me, Grace. Why do you need to choose between the right thing and your heart?”
Grace gave Eden a small smile and bit her lower lip nervously. “Well, growing up I fell in love with a boy…” Grace paused when Eden let out a shriek.
“Dixon and I grew up together too,” she cut in then made a motion like she was sealing her mouth shut. “I’m sorry continue.”
“Right, so … we fell in love. He was sent away from here, and now he is a famous rock star. I have secrets of my own and honestly, I don’t want him to give up on his dream for me. I want him to continue to tour the world and sing because his voice and his words are meant for the world. They are meant to be heard by a big audience …” Grace’s voice drifted off as her lips turned down in a frown. “I just don’t want to drag him down. I know he would be willing to give up everything for me. I just can’t let him give it up, and I can’t follow him either. Nothing is black and white.” Grace finally stopped and looked up to Eden, noticing her eyes had begun to swell.
Eden held a hand over her heart. “Oh my, girlfriend. I’ve been there. I know. I’ve also learned. You can’t tell your man what to do. He’s probably going to do what he wants anyway. I think honesty is important. Whatever this secret is you need to tell him because secrets are never good but, honestly, Grace, you can’t control fate. You can’t control love. I learned th
e hard way and it caused both Dixon and I so much heartbreak. You may think you’re doing the right thing for him, but you don’t know that for sure. Not if you’ve been separated for so long. Dixon and I had also been separated and when I found him again, I tried to fight my feelings for him. I made some stupid mistakes and it cost us both dearly,” Eden said, shaking her head from side to side. “I can’t tell you what to do. If anything I’ve been through can spare you heartache, then it will have been worth it for me.” Eden went on and Grace was really taken back by how mature she was, how much about life and love she understood.
“Thank you … I don’t know what to say,” Grace replied as her own eyes began to well with tears. She looked up to the blue sky, hoping for an answer.
“Hey, there you are.” Dixon’s voice cut through the intense moment, and Grace swept a finger along her eye.
“I’m here, babe.” Eden smiled lovingly.
“We better get back I promised the kids time outside with the horses,” Dixon said, looking down to Eden. The way he looked at her almost made Grace want to look away. It was a mix of love, but there was this underlying heat in his eyes. It made her realize that, that kind of love does exist. It also made her realize that Eisav looked at her the exact same way.
Eden leaned in to give Grace a hug. “We need to stay in touch. You should give me your cell and we can meet for coffee or you can come over.”
Her husband laughed at her adoringly.
“I don’t have a cell phone. I can give you the house number,” Grace replied then paused when she noticed Eden’s mouth had fallen wide open.
“You don’t have a cell phone?” Eden asked in awe.
“You’ll have to excuse my wife. City girl.” Dixon winked, rubbing Eden’s back.
Eden looked up to Dixon then back to Grace. “Okay! What is the house phone? I’ll put it into my cell. I want to call you and see how you’re doing.”
“That’s sweet, thank you,” Grace replied then went on to give her the Duncan residence number. It made her feel small and infantile that she did not have her own phone. She had been dealing with too many expenses lately and it was too much for her right now.
Eden and Dixon walked back over to their car. Grace continued to pace outside for a while, allowing Eden’s words to stir in her mind. Eden was right. She couldn’t begin to make decisions for Eisav. It wasn’t fair. She would have to reveal the whole truth to him and let him decide. She wondered if she could be the other half to a world-renowned rock star. She didn’t really see herself in that role. There were still so many things about her life she had to take care of before she could even consider any of this.
Just as she thought the words, Jacob pulled up in his four-door sedan and both he and Eisav got out with their hands filled with groceries.
“Real food.” Grace smiled at the brothers.
“Yeah, rock star here had enough casseroles and pie,” Jacob explained with irritation in his tone.
Grace had understood from both Eisav and Jacob that they had called a truce. It now worried her that their old rivalries were brewing again, and she feared that she was the cause.
“Truth is I can’t look at another casserole either and let’s be honest, Jacob, you hate casseroles.” She smiled to both men, hoping to lighten the tension in the air.
Jacob smiled while Eisav walked past him and planted a kiss on her lips. Grace wanted to roll her eyes because he was acting like a caveman.
“You can roll your eyes at me, angel, but it just gets me hot and heavy. Do it again and I’ll be inclined to take you back up to that bedroom of yours.”
His sultry words washed over her entire body. She was thankful Jacob was out of earshot.
She rolled her eyes again, wanting to stir Eisav a little more.
“Damn, woman, I was serious. I’ll carry you over my shoulder and make you cry out so loud the whole house will hear you. What do you think the people of Sade would think of that?” He smirked, giving her a wink before walking into the house and dropping the grocery bags.
Grace stood rooted to her spot, feeling moisture pooling between her thighs from just the thought. Young Eisav had been confident and self-assured in the sex department. Adult Eisav was simply dripping sex and sin.
She looked up to the sky, willing someone to give her enough strength to get through this day. To be strong enough to tell him the truth. Then she made her way into the house after him.
Ilana walked into the kitchen a moment later, watching as the brothers dealt with the groceries. Grace entered the house, and Ilana shot her a smile. She had a new respect for Eisav’s girl.
“Eisav … we need to talk,” Ilana said, fidgeting from one foot to the other as she pulled him by the arm. Eisav glared at her, confusion filling his eyes. “You have to call Trisha immediately,” she quipped, continuing to yank him away from the groceries. Her drastic behavior caught everyone’s attention. Grace and Jacob stood expectantly, waiting for Eisav’s response.
“What is it?” Eisav demanded.
Ilana turned her head to look at Grace warily before saying, “Not here.” She clenched her jaw, eyes wide with warning.
“Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of Grace,” he insisted, moving in closer to Grace and placing a hand on her shoulder.
Ilana pushed out her lower lip. “I was afraid you might say that … Fine.” She began to tap some buttons on her phone then turned it to Eisav’s, showing him the front page of The Inquirer, the heading: Baby Daddy Eisav. Beneath the heading, a very pregnant, young woman with writing beside her face stating Eisav was her baby’s father and he refused to acknowledge her.
Ilana pulled her phone back and typed some more … In Touch Weekly, Eisav Baby Daddy. Then she went on to show him Ok Magazine online.
His assistant knew he was fucking screwed. This wasn’t a legitimate claim, but it looked bad. He never cared about the concoctions the media stirred up over the years. They had accused him of being gay, having an animal fetish, they even came up with the idea that he had been having an affair with Britney Spears because they presented together at the American Music Awards. The only difference was that back then Grace was not in his life. As his best friend, Ilana knew Grace’s opinion meant the world to him. By the crestfallen look on her face, she knew Grace was a millisecond from taking off.
“Grace, it’s a false claim. It’s just not possible.” Eisav tried to reassure her. Grace’s eyes began to well with tears and her lower lip trembled as she stared at him as if he were a stranger. “Please tell me you believe me,” he pleaded, placing his palms on each of her shoulders to steady her. “I’ll fix this. Promise.”
“How can you fix it? Some woman is carrying your child. That can’t be fixed! There’s a real-life baby living in her stomach and you’re the father.” Grace swallowed hard.
“That woman is out for money or fame, Gracie. It’s bullshit. My PR team will take care of it. We’ll find her. This is a scam. People are always after me now. It’s the price I’ve paid for fame. Please understand,” Eisav pleaded.
“I can’t do this. I need to go.” She pulled from his embrace.
“Wait!” He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a note, placing it on the palm of her hand.
“What is this?” she asked through a shaky breath.
“Just read it,” Eisav assured her. “Stay, we can figure this out together,” he begged.
She stumbled back a few steps and turned away.
“Gracie …” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Turn around and look at me. Whatever it is, we will get through it. I promise you that child isn’t mine.”
Grace lifted her head to look at Jacob. “Can I have your keys?” she asked him quietly, calmly.
Jacob reached into his front pocket and threw them in the air. She caught them right away.
She turned to Eisav with sad eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry,” she whispered and then ran out the door. The rain had begun to fall, thick sheets
falling from an increasingly dark sky.
Eisav ran after her and Ilana followed. They caught up to her as she opened the door to Jacob’s car. Eisav held the door open and with one look pleaded with her not to leave.
“Stay. Talk to me,” he urged. “What just happened? Please, Gracie…” he looked back at Ilana for encouragement “…my team will fix this,” he insisted.
“Stop saying that,” she almost shouted. “That baby may be yours. Is there a slight chance it’s yours?” her voice was raised and shaky as tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Not a chance.” He breathed out.
“I need to think. Please let me go. I just need some space.”
“We’ve had enough space between us. Please stay. I’m begging you.”
“I can’t.” She slammed the door shut and turned on the ignition.
Grace backed out of the driveway, heading right for the unstable weather.
“Why now?” he screamed out loud, looking up at the sky. “I almost had her. Why now?” He kicked the ground as the sound of thunder radiated from afar.
Ilana placed her arm around him as they walked back toward the house. As he opened the door, he saw Jacob sitting at the kitchen table.
Eisav leaned over the table close to Jacob’s face, “Do you want to tell me what the fuck is going on?”
“Don’t look at me, Brother. Your quarrel isn’t with me,” Jacob said, lifting both his brows like he was the epitome of innocence in all this.
“No, but you know something that I don’t. What is it?” Eisav growled.
“It’s not my place,” Jacob replied calm as water.
“Cut the crap,” he pounded his fist on the table and looked his brother square in the eye.
Jacob clenched his jaw but maintained his calm. “Not my place, Brother.”
“Damn you,” Eisav smacked the table. “Why did you give her your keys? There’s a fucking storm outside.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Do you know where she went?” His brother continued to stare at him vacantly. “Fuck this.”
Where Promises Die: A Second Chance Romance Page 21
