“Burn those who burned me!” Chapter 96

***Kai’s POV:***

Gracie stared at me with a confused look on her face. Naturally, I understood. She had no idea I was the boy she’d met all those years ago. Before leaving, my mother whispered to me that she hadn’t told her. I wanted to let her know everything, about how she changed my life, how I looked for her all those years. But first, I had a few questions. My parents neglected to inform me we were engaged. I needed to know when and HOW that happened. Before I could say anything, Gracie spoke first as if reading my mind.

*“I imagine you have a few questions. Though I have a some of my own as well.”*

She chuckled nervously as she stared directly into my eyes. The intensity of her gaze caused me to look away, afraid she’d catch me blushing.

*“I’m sure you do. I’d be more than happy to explain everything, but first…how did you meet my parents?”*

Gracie began to explain everything in detail to me. She explained how she met my mother at the beach last week and how she’d played her violin for her. It was interesting hearing her describe their meeting. She hasn’t changed since childhood, still helping those in need and bringing them back to life through her music. After she explained how she met my parents, she informed me of their asking her to marry me. Her cheeks blushed slightly as she explained that part, I could feel my heart racing at the sight of her redden ears and flushed face.

*“So, that’s how we got engaged.”*

Her warm smile didn’t quite mask the nervousness in her eyes as, I chuckled inwardly thinking about how nervous I was when I’d first met her.

*“Thank you for catching me up on everything. Also, I apologize. I know this must have been a lot for you accepting the proposal of someone you don’t know, much less a person in a coma.”*

Gracie’s smile was filled with warmth and empathy, her eyes looked down at her hands and then back at me. I could see her cheeks reding again.

*“No apologies needed. I’m glad I said yes.”*

My heart did a skip and jump; she was glad she’d said yes!!! Before I told her who I was, I needed to know why. Hoping she wouldn’t notice the longing in my voice, I proceeded to ask.

*“Gracie, if you don’t mind me asking…why did you agree to this arrangement?”*

Gracie’s eyes widen, I could tell she was getting nervous, her eyes had a different expression…guilt maybe? I instantly regretted my question, fearing she would say something that would void the engagement. She began to speak.

*“At first, I agreed for your mother. I felt instantly drawn to her. She’d shown me so much kindness, I wanted to give her something in return. Also…for the first time in a long time, I felt like someone actually cared for me.”*

I listened to her response intensively. ‘For the first time in a long time’, what did that mean? Has she been mistreated? By whom? I could feel myself getting angry, I had breath slightly to calm myself. Gracie lifted her head looking to the right, a slight smile curled her lips.

*“Also…”*

Blushing?

Why?

*“When I first saw you, I felt…I felt drawn to you as well. Like you were someone I was waiting for my whole life.”*

I could feel my ears starting to burn. It felt like all the emotions I held on to these past 10 years were about to burst out of my chest. I had to tell her.

*“Gracie, you don’t remember me…do you?”*

Gracie’s eyes shot up. She had a puzzled look on her face. I smiled warmly and continued.

*“About 10 years go on a mid-summer day. My mother took me to the favorite beach of me and my best friend Sammy hoping it might help cheer me up.”*

I could feel my heart getting heavy thinking about Sammy.

*“You see, he’d just passed away a few weeks prior from kidney failure and I wasn’t coping with it too well.”*

When I looked up at her face, I could see Gracie’s intense gaze as tears started to fill her eyes.

*“I’m so sorry to hear about your friend.”*

She practically whispered as the tears began to fall. I realized in that moment; I could never bare to see her cry. I smiled gently and handed her a napkin.

*“Thank you for that, Sammy was great kid…you would have really liked him. That day I was at the beach, nothing was working…I could feel myself drowning deeper into sadness…that was until this very interesting little girl walked up to me.”*

*“I hadn’t even noticed until she asked me if I wanted some of her sea stones. When I didn’t respond, she then asked me if I wanted some of her seashells telling me how her mom always thought she took too many.”*

I chuckled lightly thinking about 10 year old Gracie and her frivolous rambling about seashells. Gracie, however, her face was in shock. It looked as if her memories of that day were flooding into her mind, I continued.

*“Rudley, I asked this girl why she was bothering me, to which she replied… ‘you look like you’re sad’. She was quite the little mind reader. Before I could respond, she offered to play her violin. Calling me a dummy when I demanded why she stopped playing.”*

Tears were streaming down her face as Gracie sat with her hand over her mouth. The realization was pouring into her mind. She remembered the boy she played her music for.

*“T-That…was you?”*

Her voice was shaky and stared directly into my eyes, I felt like my heart was beginning to ache, I didn’t like seeing her cry. I gently grabbed her hand, smiling into the face of the woman I’d loved since I was 12. Nodding my head, I continued.

*“Yes. Ten years ago, when I was at my saddest, the most remarkable girl changed my life with through her music with her pure heart. She left me promising we would meet again because we were friends.”*

I realized in that moment the term *‘friends’* felt like acid on my tongue. It wasn’t enough. It never was.

*“I looked for you.”*

Her words snapped me back to the present.

What????

*“You did?”*

*“Yes, when I got home…I realized I never asked you for your name. I was so frustrated with myself. I went back to the beach almost every day hoping to see you there.”*

*I smiled apologetically thinking about how we moved right after I’d met her.*

*“After that day, my dad had to go to Conrad for a two year project.”*

*“Ohh-”*

*“And by the time I came back…I couldn’t find you. I didn’t your full name, so I also went to the beach almost every day.”*

Gracie eyes sadden as if she were remembering something.

*“My adoptive mother passed away in a car accident when I was twelve. By the time you came back, I was probably already in North Bay with the Rochesters.”*

Rochesters??? Why?

*“Gracie, why were you with them?”*

She looked at me with malice in her eyes, I could tell she held a great deal of contempt towards that family; but why?

She wiped the corners of her eyes and took a deep breath.

*“Because I’m their biological daughter. My birth name was Rochester”*

*“So, you were adopted? Why? I mean…I just didn’t expect the Rochesters too-”*

Gracie smiled and held up her and as if to stop me from explaining myself.

*“It’s an interesting and long story, but apparently I was taken from the hospital when I was born.”*