Chapter 23

"Dad I'm fine. Will you stop fussing?" hissed Grace. Mark had flown into New York a few hours ago, he and Grace had gone to lunch.

"You're not fine," said Mark. "You interrupted burglars!"

"But I wasn't hurt or anything," Grace protested. "They saw me and ran."

"What if they hadn't?"

"But they did!"

"I'm just worried about you, concerned. You shouldn't be in the city alone, you're only 17…"

"Eighteen," Grace corrected.

"Right sorry," sighed Mark. "Oh God I am getting old if I have an 18 year old daughter."

"Daddy, you're ancient and you've left it too late to dye your hair…everyone would notice now."

"Thank you Madeline that is very sensitive," huffed Mark.

"I know come on old man, I thought you were buying your insensitive daughter some new shoes," said Grace pulling Mark into a store.

"Yeah cause I'm sure you don't have enough of those."

"I am emotionally traumatized!"

"What happened to being fine?"

"It got old," laughed Grace. "Hey Dad…"

"Hmmm," said Mark looking round the store. "8000 for shoes!"

"I'm worth it," said Grace.

"Do you know how long it takes me to make that much money?"

"Hmmm…ten minutes of feeling up some playboy bunny look a like?"

"You talk to Derek far too much," huffed Mark. "He sends his love by the way."

"Send mine back," said Grace. She hesitated for a minute. "Dad?"

"Yeah."

"I missed you."

"What do you want?" asked Mark suspiciously. "New car? New laptop? New boyfriend?"

"Neither," said Grace rolling her eyes. "I was just trying to…you know show affection."

"Right…"

"Although if you wanted to buy me a new car…"

"Don't push your luck," said Mark sternly. "Just pick your shoes so we can go home."

"Okay, love you Dad," said Grace.

"Love you too," said Mark kissing the top of her head.

"I know you do," said Grace.

She did know that Mark loved her. A year later she could finally see it, she would be dead if he hadn't made her have the transplant. Even bullying Jake into breaking up with her, he wanted to protect her. Jake lived in LA now, he didn't want to put her through the pain of a long distance relationship. Mark didn't trust men, with good reason look how he treated women, he wasn't going to let someone treat his daughter that way. So she could live without Jake, no matter how much it hurt because she didn't want her Dad to stop wanting to protect her, she didn't want him to stop looking at her the way he did right now. Jake wouldn't have stuck around anyway, no' one ever did, except her Dad. Her mother had been paid off not once but twice, once when she was younger and then again after her transplant she took the money gave the organ and disappeared again. Even Uncle Derek had disappeared off to Seattle without saying a word, so did Addison and now even she wasn't in Seattle she had gone to LA.

--

"Stop calling me," said Grace, as she answered her cell phone that night.

"Just talk to me," said Jake. "What did you say to your Dad?"

"Nothing," said Grace. "It doesn't matter what he says anyway."

"Just ask him, he made me do it."

"I believe you," sighed Grace. "It was for the best anyway."

"You really think that?"

"Look Dad must have had his reasons, okay? Just leave it, you're going back to LA anyway, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Then there is no point to this conversation, you're leaving. I'll probably only ever see you at Uncle Derek's birthdays or his funeral."

"I don't want you to hate me."

"I don't hate you," said Grace softly. "Of course I don't hate you."

"Thanks," sighed Jake. "So after the summer…where are you heading to?"

"What do you mean?"

"College, what college are you going to?"

"Oh I…uh actually haven't decided," said Grace, that was one big decision she had been putting off for months.

"You haven't decided yet? How is that possible?"

"It's a big decision," said Grace. "I don't know where I want to go…I thought about Seattle for a while, you know being close to Dad and Uncle Derek but…I think it's time for me to grow up a little and break free."

"I guess," said Jake. "It's your decision…don't let anyone push you into going somewhere you don't want to go."

"I won't," said Grace. "Thanks Jake."

"You're welcome, anytime you want to talk to someone you know where I am."

"Thank you."

"I mean it Gracie…I care about you so much, so call me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Promise?"

"I promise," she smiled.

"Alright then, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

--

"Dad," said Grace cautiously.

Mark was sitting in his study on his laptop, catching up on paperwork for the hospital. It was nearly midnight Grace had spoken to Jake an hour ago, somehow she had worked up the courage to tell Mark that she knew what he had done to Jake. She was nervous, she didn't know why she wasn't afraid of Mark, she was afraid of him deciding she wasn't worth the trouble. Not when he was the only constant in her life, even though he hadn't always been there in person, he had sent her to the best schools, got her the best medical care money could buy. He gave her everything she had ever wanted, he had spoiled her rotten at times.

"I thought you'd be in bed," said Mark not looking up from his laptop.

"I…couldn't sleep. I wanted to talk to you about something," she said nervously.

"Hmmmm," said Mark. "Go on then."

"I spoke to Jake today, couple of times actually. He stayed here last night…"

Mark was on his feet in a flash looking ready to kill.

"Relax Dad, he slept in the spare room," said Grace her voice shaking a little. She really shouldn't have told him Jake stayed the night. "I…I haven't unmade the bed yet…check if you don't believe me…"

"Grace," Mark growled.

"Sorry," said Grace as she burst into tears. "I'm sorry…I was scared and he was…I didn't do anything…Please don't…"

"Don't what?" asked Mark more worried than angry now. "Hurt you? Grace I've never laid a finger on you in your life…why on earth would I hurt you now?"

"I don't know," wailed Grace. "I wanted to talk to you about everything and now…please don't leave me again."

"Leave you?" said Mark putting his arms around Grace. "Honey I'm sorry, I couldn't get here sooner. I'm sorry…I won't leave you. I don't have to go back to Seattle."

"I know you would stay," sniffed Grace as she pulled herself together. "But in a few months I'll have to pack and go to college…then you will just be an old guy stuck in a penthouse with no job, talking to yourself."

"Yeah bombarding you with phone calls every half hour," Mark chuckled.

"I'd have to change my cell phone number," Grace joked back, as she cuddled into Mark's shoulder.

"Just remember who pays the bill, I'd find you," said Mark. "Can't get rid of me, ever."

"You promise?"

"I promise sweetheart."

"Thanks Dad," said Grace pulling away and wiping her eyes. "Sorry I broke down there…it must be my period or something."

"Right," said Mark uncomfortably. "You want some tea or something?"

"No I'm good," said Grace.

"You're okay?"

"I'm okay."

"I'll just be going to…"

"I still want to talk about Jake," said Grace, knowing that Mark was about to leave the room. "We've never talked about what happened between him and me. And you certainly never told me you got him the job in LA to get him away from me."

"Grace…"

"Don't Dad. Don't try and avoid it anymore. Just tell me the truth. Please," said Grace. "If I can't trust you to tell me the truth, who can I trust?"

"Gracie…I thought you'd gotten past it and for…"

"Forgotten about him?" asked Grace. "I have tried but no I haven't forgotten him, not yet."

"You will," Mark promised.

"I hope so," said Grace. "But just tell me Dad, is it true?"

"What has he told you?" sighed Mark. He had no choice, he had to tell Grace now, at least she seemed calm and his car was safely parked in the garage downstairs and his keys were in the drawer his hand was currently locking.

"That you found out…you told him to end and made him go to LA as soon as I was out of surgery. He said you told him, he was bad for me and would stop me getting better. You practically accused him of being a pervert."

"You were 16!"

"I was not a child and Jake did not pressure or…"

"Pressure you? Into what?"

"Nothing! That's my point, he did nothing wrong. At first he tried to fight how he felt because I was fifteen and I was your daughter! It was me that made him see, I loved him, I really loved him."

"I know you think you did but…"

"Don't tell me how I felt! What the hell would you know about love? You screw them and leave them. You don't know a damn thing!"

"Oh and you do I suppose. You're 18 for God's sake!"

"At least I was willing to take a chance and be happy. You. You're so afraid of getting hurt you just screw around. How long until some slut turns up with some kid claiming it's yours? I wouldn't be surprised if I had thousands of brothers and sisters scattered around the country! So don't you tell me I don't know anything about love, I'm willing to go and try to find it, I'll take the risk of getting my heart broken. Because the alternative is ending up like you and I have had enough of being alone in my life!"

"Well isn't this a turn around Gracie," Mark roared. "Five minutes ago you were telling me not to leave you. Can't have it both ways, you can't be Daddy's little girl and Jake's little tramp!"

"I won't be either," whispered Grace in shock that Mark had just called her a tramp.

"Grace…I…"

"Bye Dad," said Grace numbly. She left the room pulled on her coat and grabbed her keys.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know," said Grace. "I just…have to leave you now."

"I'll go," said Mark. "It's not safe out there for you in the middle of the night."

"No I can't be here," said Grace looking round the apartment. "I can't."