Disgrace

Immature?

She hadn’t even seen immature, but I was tired that afternoon. I was tired of being told what to do, how to act, what to be. I couldn’t even think of the last time I made a choice that was mine and mine alone.

Yet she had the nerve to call me immature.

So, that’s exactly what I became.

“Excuse me, excuse me,” I said, hurrying to the stage where a band was playing. I cut right in. “Sorry, Josh, I’ll get the microphone back to you in just a second,” I said, using my deep Southern belle charm voice as I grabbed the microphone from the stand. “It’s just that I wanted to clear up some of the rumors circulating around town lately about Finley’s and my relationship.”

“Gracelyn Mae, get off that stage right now!” Mama barked from the wing of the stage.

I gestured toward her. “If y’all didn’t notice, the Queen of Chester showed up tonight. Let’s give my mama, Loretta Harris, a big round of applause. Isn’t she a beauty?” Everyone started clapping for Mama, and she gave her big Southern fake smile and waved.

Then she hissed toward me, and said, “Give me the microphone.”

“Sorry, Queen,” I stated, slightly bowing toward her. “You can have the microphone in a second, but first Princess Grace is going to say a few words if that’s okay.” I turned back to the group of individuals staring my way, and I took a deep breath. “First and foremost, it feels good to be back in Chester. This place is the best home I’ve ever had and—”

Before I could finish speaking, the microphone went out, and I turned to see Mama holding the unplugged cord in her hand. She looked pleased that she cut me off, and that only made me angrier.

I dropped the mic. “It seems we are having some technical difficulties, so I’m just going to need y’all to stay really quiet for a second as I give you all the great news! It turns out that we’re expecting a child!” I exclaimed, and I listened to the gasps in the area, and my eyes zoomed in on Finn. “But by ‘we’ I don’t mean Finley and me. That’s not the ‘we’ he has anymore. His ‘we’ is now him and Autumn Langston, my best friend. You all know her. Bible study teaching Autumn, the woman who’s been screwing my husband for the past few months.” When I spotted Autumn in the crowd, she was frozen. “They are expecting their first child, so if we could all just give them a big round of applause.” The space stayed quiet, and I began slow clapping. I was the only one clapping at all. I then stared straight into Finn’s eyes and took a deep breath. “Congratulations on the pregnancy, Finley James.” I blinked once and fought the tears that were trying to come. “I know it’s what you always wanted.”

With that, I stormed off the stage, and Mama had a horrified look in her eyes. “Grace…I didn’t know…” she told me, but I didn’t care.

“Don’t you have a son you should be consoling during this hard time?” I asked her. “I’m sure Finn could truly use your support.”

I brushed past her, and past everyone who was now whispering about me and the nightmare that was my life. I just kept walking faster and faster until I found myself standing in front of Jackson’s cabin door, banging on it repeatedly. I had finally done something outside of my good girl nature. I hadn’t done the right thing, Lord knows I was wrong, but still, somehow it felt oh-so-good.

18

Jackson

Grace was out of breath as I opened my front door. She’d been pounding on the wood like a madwoman, and when caught sight of her, she even looked the part.

“Hi,” she said, her breaths heaving in and out.

“Hi,” I replied.

“Can I come in?”

I stepped to the side, allowing her access.

She began to pace the living room, and I could almost feel how crazed her mind had to be. Her steps were quick and erratic, her mind spinning fast.

“What is it?” I asked her.

“I need you to sleep with me,” she blurted out.

“What?”

“I said I need you to—”

“No, I heard you.”

“Then why did you say what?”

“Because even though I heard you, it just seemed so damn ridiculous.” I raised an eyebrow. “Are you drunk?”

“Nope, and I’m thinking straight for the first time in a while.”

“And thinking straight means wanting to sleep with me?”

“Yes.”

I kept my eyebrow raised. “Are you drunk?” I repeated, and she began to blush.

“No, Jackson. Come on, I’m serious.”

I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms. “Who pissed you off?”

She kept pacing. “It doesn’t matter. All I need to know is if you’ll have sex with me or not.”

“Princess—”

“I’m not a princess!” she snapped, pausing her steps. She looked my way, and her stare was heavy as she released a weighted sigh. “I’m tired of this. I’m tired of being the princess, the good girl, the girl next door. I’ve been that all my life, and it’s gotten me nowhere. It’s gotten me nothing.”