Have Faith In Me

It was the night before Mike would be home and Grace could not wait. The excitement of being able to hold and kiss Mike again was making her anxious. She was at home curled up in her bed trying to watch a movie but her mind kept drifting back to Mike and all the guys. She missed them all. Grace never thought she was going to make such close friends when she came out to San Diego. But now she had a boyfriend and a group of friends she wouldn’t trade for anything. They all made her stay in California that much better. She could really say that at this point in her life she was happy, happier than she had ever been. She had finally focused her attention on I Love You, Man when her cell phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hey Gracie. How are you?”

“Oh hey Beau. I’m good. How are you?” she said happily

”I’m okay, I guess. he said with a broken tone.

“You don’t sound okay. What’s wrong kid?” she said sitting up in her bed.

”Um I’m actually in San Diego. Can I come to your house to talk?” he asked

“Absolutely. Just come right over.” She said worried “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Beau was silent on the other end of the phone and Grace held her breath waiting for an answer.

”We’ll talk when I get there okay?”

“Okay.” She said hesitantly. There was a weird feeling flowing through her stomach but she willed it away. “See you soon.”

”Okay.”

Grace hung up the phone and stared at it. She had no idea what that phone call was about but it made her nervous. Beau was always happy so hearing him that sad on the phone worried her. She looked up when she heard a knock at her door. Carter and Gavin were standing at the door looking at her with worried faces.

“What?” she said standing up.

“Um Gabe, Alex, Jaxin and Shayley are here.” Gavin said hesitantly.

Grace looked at her brothers with a confused face. “Why? Gabe and Alex didn’t tell me they were coming over and Shayley and Jaxin are supposed to be on tour.”

“That’s what I said.” Carter said. “All I know is Jaxin and Alex look really sad and Gabe and Shayley look really pissed.”

Grace fixed her shorts and grabbed her cell phone before following her brothers out of her bedroom and downstairs to the living room. When she walked in she immediately saw Gabe pacing, Shayley sitting on the arm of the couch bouncing his leg up and down repeatedly and Jaxin and Alex sitting on the couch looking at Gabe and Shayley.

“What’s going on?” Grace said quietly.

Her four friends looked at her and she noticed Shayley’s pissed face turn sympathetic and Gabe’s face go red.

“Your fucking boyfriend is what’s wrong!” Gabe exclaimed. Grace was taken aback at Gabe’s tone. He was angry and it was clear.

“Hey man. Calm down. Don’t yell at my sister.” Gavin said seriously stepping forward. Gabe immediately ran his hand over his face and sighed.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.” He said quietly as everyone looked at him silently. “I told you to be careful Grace. I told you to be careful with him.”

“What are you talking about?” Grace said getting irritated by the minute. Before she could speak again the doorbell rang. She quickly walked over to it and opened the door seeing Beau standing there.

“Hey.” She said simply.

“Hey.” He said walking inside as she closed the door. She motioned for him to follow her and she walked back to the living room. When they walked in the room Beau looked at everyone and nodded. The tension in the room was irritating Grace so she spoke up.

“Did what you wanted to talk to me about deal with me?” she asked Beau. He nodded guiltily.

“Is it about Mike?” Gabe added.

“Yeah.” He said

“Will someone tell me what’s going on?” Grace said exasperatingly. “Please?”

“It’s not easy to say Gracie.” Beau said scratching his neck nervously.

“Just tell me.”

Grace, Carter and Gavin stood confused as the rest of the group looked at each other trying to buy time. Alex sighed and spoke up reluctantly.

“There is a video of you on the internet.”

Grace raised her eyebrow and looked at him with a confused face. “What do you mean?”

“Yeah what do you mean?” Jaxin said as him and Shayley held confused faces.

Silence filled the room until Beau spoke.

“There is a video of you and Mike......having sex...on the internet.” He said.

All the color drained from Grace’s face and she began to feel dizzy. Carter grabbed his sister and helped her sit down on the nearest couch. She ran her fingers through her hair as she breathed heavily.

“What the fuck do you mean there’s a video of them having sex on the internet? Who the fuck taped them? How the fuck did it get there?” Gavin said angrily.

“I don’t know.” Beau said sadly.

“I know.” Gavin looked at Alex’s guilty face and immediately became angry.

“It was your bitch of a cousin wasn’t it? That fucking bitch put that shit on the internet, didn’t she?” Gavin yelled walking over to Alex. Carter jumped in front of Gavin as Gabe did the same to Alex.

“Gavin calm down. It’s not Alex’s fault. He’s our friend.” Carter said trying to get Gavin to relax.

“Yeah but when my sister is hurt shit changes.” Gavin said seriously.

“Wait.” Shayley said coming into the conversation and looking at Beau. “When and where did you see the video?”

“A couple of days ago on Tumblr.” He said.

Grace immediately lifted her head and looked at Beau. Everyone in the room noticed her tear stained face and red eyes.

“So that’s what you were watching in your room that day?” She said her voice cracking. “You said it was about you.”

“I know I did, Gracie. But I didn’t know what to do. I just went on there quick to see something and then that came up and I was so shocked by it. You were so happy that day. I didn’t have the heart to tell you. I wanted to but I didn’t want to see you hurt.” Beau said honestly.

“How did you two see it?” Grace said quietly in the same heartbroken tone.

“That bitch Katie purposely sent it to Alex.” Gabe said angrily. “I’ve never wanted to hit a girl but she’s an exception.”

Grace simply put her head back into her hands and cried silently. Carter pulled his sister into his arms and rubbed her back comfortingly.

“So why are you two here?” Gavin said pointing to Shayley and Jaxin. “If you didn’t know about the video what were you mad about? You’re supposed to be on tour anyway.”

Jaxin adjusted his hat before speaking. “Well Phil and Tino came down with something so we had to cancel the last two dates.”

“Okay so why are you angry?” Carter asked still holding Grace.

“A few days ago while loading in, I stumbled in on a conversation between Mike, Vic, Jerry, Jaxin, Jonny, and Tony.” Shayley said looking down at Jaxin who in turn looked down at his hands. “Apparently at that party Jaime had before we left for tour Jerry bet Mike that he couldn’t sleep with Grace before we left. They said something about losing his touch or something and Jerry, Jonny and Tony all put in a hundred bucks that he couldn’t do it. I only heard them talking about feeling guilty and Mike not taking the money. I got the rest from Jaxin.”

Grace looked at Jaxin with a face that was sad enough to make the toughest man cry.

“You knew and you didn’t say anything Jaxin?” she said as more tears fell.

“Grace it’s not like that, I promise.” He said seriously

“Oh yeah. How the fuck is it then?” Gavin said.

“They did say all of that. But I told Mike how bad of an idea that it was and that he shouldn’t do that to you. Then Vic took him away and talked to him and I thought he had talked some sense into him. I didn’t know he was really going to do it. That’s why I didn’t tell you. Mike was drunk off his ass. I just knew that the next day he would’ve forgotten about the bet or realized how much of an idiot he was the night before. I swear I didn’t know he was actually going to do it Grace. I swear I didn’t.” Jaxin said seriously.

Grace looked in Jaxin’s eyes and saw nothing but honesty. She couldn’t even be mad at him. It was Mike that made the stupid decision. A stupid decision that broke her heart.

“I swear to god when I see him…” Gavin said clenching his fists.
Grace stood up and walked out the room and made her way to her bedroom. She fell onto her sheets and pulled her covers over her body. She tried to contain the tears but her sadness was overwhelming and sobs began to overtake her body. She felt arms wrap around her and play with her softly with her hair.

“It’ll be okay Gracie.”

As much as Grace wanted to believe Alex she knew things wouldn’t be okay. Her heart had a dull ache. She couldn’t feel anything. She was numb.