"Jake do you have anymore washing?" Kathleen Shepherd shouted to her son.
"No I think that's everything Mum," Jake shouted back.
Jake had just finished his first year of college in LA, he hadn't spoken to Grace since the hospital. He had come home for the summer. Jake was sitting in his bedroom looking round, everything looked so different now because he had been away so long. He reached behind the headboard of his bed and smiled when he saw that his Mum hadn't moved it, he pulled out a framed picture of him and Grace at the fair last summer. He knew his Uncle Derek had probably called his mother and told her about him and Grace, but she hadn't said a word to him about it and he was grateful to her for that. He really didn't want to talk about it and explain why it had all been such a secret. He didn't really let himself think about Grace anymore there was no point, she most probably hated him. He only thought about her when he was alone at night. He smiled at the sight of the old photo, Grace was cuddling the giant panda he had won for her at one of the stalls, she looked so happy, so different from the last time he had seen her.
Jake was pulled of his happy memories by the sound of phone ringing, he picked up.
"Hello."
"What the hell are you doing there?"
"I live here," said Jake instantly recognizing the voice.
"You went home for the summer?"
"What do you want Mark?" sighed Jake.
"Is your Mum home?"
"Yeah she's downstairs I'll get her," said Jake.
"Thank you," said Mark. "Look Jake I wanted…"
"It doesn't matter," said Jake. "It's all over and done with."
"Okay," said Mark. "If you could get Kat then."
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"Jake honey is that you?" Kathleen called when Jake got back later that day.
"Yeah that's me back," said Jake going into the kitchen where his mother was clearing up the dinner dishes.
"I got a phone call from Mark Sloan earlier today," said Kathleen motioning to Jake to sit down. "It seems there was a break in at his brownstone in the city."
"How tragic," Jake muttered. "It's a good thing he doesn't live there."
"He doesn't but his daughter, you remember Grace from your Uncle Derek's birthday parties? She was there," said Kathleen.
"Is she alright?" asked Jake his stomach clenched in fear. "She's supposed to be at boarding school."
"Yes she's been checked over at the hospital and she's fine, just a little shook up."
"Right…good," said Jake not feeling much better. Grace was alone in the city again, only now she would be scared out of her mind and there was no' one home with her because Mark had decided that being in Seattle was more important than looking after his own daughter.
"Anyway Mark can't fly out until Wednesday, he has an unavoidable commitment in Seattle…"
"Sounds like him," Jake muttered bitterly.
"So he asked me to pick Grace up from the hospital," Kathleen continued. "So I asked her to stay here for a few days, she wasn't happy about it but she agreed. I just thought I should let you know."
"Here? She's here now?" spluttered Jake.
"Yes, she is upstairs asleep in the spare room," said Kathleen.
"Okay, thanks Mum," said Jake feeling numb.
"Do you want something to eat?" said Kathleen changing the subject.
"No thanks Mum, I already ate."
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Jake went up to his bedroom and collapsed onto his bed, his first day home and Grace is was in the next room. He didn't know how to handle that. He turned to lay his head on his pillow, instead he found a pink post it on it.
J
I hope breakfast won't be too awkward.
G
Jake couldn't help but laugh out loud, it was just like Grace to do that.
"Knock knock," said Grace knocking on his open bedroom door. "Can I come in?"
"Sure," said Jake smiling at the sight of her. She hadn't changed that much since he had last saw her, she looked healthier though and her hair was a lighter shade of brown, but other than that she was exactly how he remembered.
"I just thought I should come and talk to you…we're still good right?"
"Yeah we are," said Jake.
"So no hard feelings?"
"No, no hard feelings," said Jake watching Grace closely.
"Good, I guess I'll see you later then."
"Are you alright? About the robbery I mean, they didn't hurt you anything?" asked Jake as Grace was about to leave.
"No they didn't hurt me, I interrupted them," said Grace. "It was nothing really, they didn't even take very much. My dad was just overreacting as usual."
She was lying, she was terrified Jake knew her well enough to know when she was being brave. He hated that she felt she had to be brave around him now, he wished she would have just admitted that she was afraid. But she wasn't going to let her guard down again.
"Okay," said Jake painfully. "If you want someone to talk to…"
"Thanks but I'm fine."
"Of course you are Gracie," he said sadly.