Bonus chapter 8: 𝓘'𝓶 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓱𝓲𝓶

If the accident taught her anything, it was to be grateful for what she had. She didn't realize how challenging it would be to function with only one arm. Physical therapy was helping little by little, but it was still painful every time she attempted daily tasks like brushing her teeth, washing her face or getting dressed. She would normally shower every other day, but her mom would only help her three times a week.

Gracie actually found herself missing work. At least she was still bringing home money. But her boss was adamant that she took her time to recover. She was hauled up in her room, watching anything that she found remotely interesting that popped up on her YouTube homepage when she heard a knock at the door. Her mom spoke to whoever it was and led them right outside her door.

"Knock, knock." Debbie already opened the door. "Someone's here to see you."

Jake made eye contact when he heard the door open. He didn't know how to start this conversation. Since her and Cory became official, he hadn't taken the chance to get to know her.

He wasn't used to having a girl as a friend. If he wanted to convince her to get back together with Cory, then he had to say something. "Hi," was the first word he managed to choke out since she opened the door.

Gracie greeted him with a mouthed 'hi' and a small smile. Even after her and Cory started dating, they still weren't that close. It surprised her when he asked if they could talk, but she needed to hear what he had to say.

Debbie closed the door to give them more privacy.

They sat at the edge of the bed; his eyes downcast on the floor, hers on the signatures of her co-workers written on her cast and the deafening silence flooding the room. Neither of them knew how to start the conversation.

Gracie finally broke the silence by clearing her throat.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Jake figured that it was best not to mention Cory first. Their breakup was still fresh so bringing up his name could start an argument and that was not what he came over to do.

He certainly couldn't talk about what he said to her. Jake didn't know how she'd react. With tears or a bright red face in anger. "I saw you and Emmett on the news earlier. When did that happen?"

"After the accident, he contacted me over Instagram and... I don't know. We started hanging out."

To be completely honest, part of her wanted to make Cory jealous. Emmett convinced her to go to the concert with him and her family. She saw him talking to the group and telling them to bring her on stage so the news could cover it.

Gracie wanted to prove to Cory that she was actually capable of having fun. Emmett set that whole thing up and Gracie let it happen. She wanted to see how he would react to her being with someone else. Before she thought about it, she spit it out.

"Did Cory also see it?"

Jake nodded. "You know that Emmett's using you, right? He just wanted to get the media's attention and to piss Cory off. He doesn't like you like Cory does."

'To piss Cory off' was the only part of that sentence that caught Gracie's attention.

That had to mean that the plan worked, right? How angry was he? Was he red in the face but simply waved it off? Or was he inches away from throwing something at the TV?

"How did he react?"

Jake immediately understood why she asked that. Based on the minimal eye contact and the shameful look in her features, he knew she was hoping he was angry. Boy, was she going to be happy when she found out how furious he was. He stayed silent as he scripted what she was going to say.

"Gracie... I've seen the way Cory looks at you. He looks at you like you're the center of his universe. When we saw you two on that stage, Emmett didn't look at you like that. Not even close. And judging by the question you asked about his reaction, I know you still have feelings for him too."

"I'm not allowed to still have feelings for him."

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"Because of what he said to me! About me being boring and that, at least, the woman he was cheating on me with was fun enough to go to the club. He knows I hate those kinds of loud environments and he understands that. He was cool with that. At least-"

Tears were filling up her eyes. Everywhere she looked, the only thing she saw was Cory standing there and repeating those words over and over again. She harshly wiped her tears away. The last person she wanted to cry in front of was Jake.

"At least I thought he did. But apparently, I'm still too boring for him so..."

"I've known Cory since high school. I know that he, himself, doesn't like that kind of environment either. The first time the guys took him to a bar, he asked to leave after ten minutes. He only went to the club that night because I begged him to. And that night he had a fight with his brother. Believe me, he understands why you hate bars and nightclubs." Sympathy gripped his heart as he watched Gracie squeeze her eyes shut, releasing more tears that tumbled to the floor.

"Then why would he say that?"

Gracie's voice wavered at the last word.

"He must've been thinking it for a long time for him to just blurt it out. Like they say, drunk minds speak sober thoughts, right?"

Gracie laughed, but she was anything but amused. Those laughs quickly turned into sobs and she took deep breaths to calm herself down before she started losing oxygen.

"Gracie. He fucked up. He made a mistake. I can guarantee you that he wouldn't make that mistake again."

"How can you guarantee something like that?"

"I just know he won't. You haven't seen him in weeks. I just came from his house. He's a wreck without you. He even quit football."

Gracie saw it on the news that Cory retired from the NFL. She saw how happy he was on that field and how proud of himself he was whenever he'd score a touchdown. Now, he quit. Just like that. He must be a huge wreck enough for him to quit his passion.

If he felt that guilty, she should, at least, give him the chance to explain his side of the story. Gracie hoped they could patch things up by the time she left his house. She owed him one more chance, but if he messed up again, they would really be done.

"All I ask is that you, at least, hear him out. You'll see for yourself how sorry he is."

-

The next day...

Gracie stood outside of Cory's front door. She believed that everyone deserved a second chance, but she felt nervous to see him again after three weeks. She paced back and forth as she rubbed her hands together and felt her palms moisten with sweat.

Her family thought she was insane for even considering taking him back. Her brothers, including her in-law, were overprotective of her. They were ready to rip him apart and leave him in the hospital with a full-body cast.

Her mom had a motherly instinct that her heart would be broken all over again and she feared her last-born daughter was going down that path. Gracie's mom and Kristina had an argument about how she shouldn't get back with him, but it was ultimately her choice.

Gracie pulled herself together, bouncing up and down and shaking the nerves out of her hands. She should be upset after what she saw but she didn't even care. All she cared about was listening to Cory and possibly fixing their relationship. She knocked on the door and heard Cory's voice from the inside.

"I get it, mom! I don't wanna hear it anymore! I already feel like shit enough as it is!"

Gracie knocked again. She glanced at her mom who was waiting in the car for her to safely walk inside.

"I said I get-" Cory cut himself off when he saw Gracie at the other side of the door. He was surprised to see her in person as opposed to the pictures in his phone he'd still been going through all morning.

"Gracie?" Cory was in a black hoodie with the hoodie over his face, sweats that hung loosely around his waist. His bloodshot eyes were so puffy, you could only see a slit of the color. After Jake left, Cory went back in his little hole. Being alone meant that all he could do was think about Gracie.

Gracie could tell he had been drinking beer. The stench of alcohol was so overwhelming for her, she winced at the pungent smell. Her face softened when she noticed his condition.

"Can I come in?"

Cory snapped himself back into reality and stepped aside. "I apologize for the mess," he said as he picked up chip wrappers and beer bottles. He invited her to take a seat while he was running around in the kitchen.

He was frazzled; opening and closing pantries and the fridge in search of her favorite snacks that he hadn't bothered to throw out.

Cory stumbled on a package of Oreos and arranged a plate full, delivering it into the living room. He glanced at her cast on his way to sit next to her. The cuts were starting to heal, but her arm was still in a purple sling. "How's your arm?" Cory started.

"It's getting there. The doctor said I have to wear this sling for about a month, but... that's coming up real soon."

It was weird for Gracie to see him again. She cut off all contact with him for three weeks. No phone calls, no texts, no video chatting on Snapchat. Somehow, she still managed to remember how he sounded like.

"Why would you even get into that car? You don't have a license yet. You could've died. You realize that, right?"

"Of course I realize that. It's just... when I saw that picture that Addie sent me, I was blinded by anger. All I knew was that I needed to confront you about it."

"You still shouldn't have gotten in that car. If you died in a car wreck because of me, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

Gracie was growing more frustrated by the second. She got enough of these kinds of lectures from her parents.

"Yeah, I know. I was stupid."

"We were both stupid that night." Now that that was out of his system, he leaned forward for an oreo. "So... I heard you're going out with-"

"He was only using me."

All of the words on Cory's tongue slipped away. He froze. His knee stopped bouncing and his eyes that were downcast flew right to Gracie. He wasn't surprised that his arch nemesis treated his ex-girlfriend like shit. He expected that from him. Cory knew Gracie deserved better.

"Before I came here... I went over to his house and... found him shoving his tongue down someone else's throat through the window. Jake was right. He was using me to get on the news and to... rile you up."

"Jake was right? When did you talk to him?"

"Yesterday. He came over to convince me to talk to you."

Cory let himself smile. It was a small one, but it was enough to show how thankful he was to have a best friend like Jake.

"I don't understand why reporters or the media care so much anyway. I mean... all you do is throw a ball around for, what, five hours straight? And all of a sudden, you're some kind of God? Come on. A five-year-old could do what you do."

Cory appreciated her attempt to lighten the mood. He went along with it by feigning hurt feelings and putting his hand on his heart. "Football is an art."

Gracie scoffed and wore a sarcastic smile.

"Yeah, okay."

Cory chuckled for the first time since the breakup, a genuine one and a small small smile lingered on his face as he gazed into Gracie's eyes.

This reminded him of the banter they shared when they first started texting. He considered it good progress when the tension in the air went from serious to silly with her.

"Speaking of football..."

She started as she was leaning over to grab an Oreo.

"Why did you retire? Football was your whole life. What happened?"

Cory's smile dropped along with his eyes that were watching his twiddling fingers. "You. You happened."

"What do you mean?"

"Yes, football used to be my life. I used to dream about being in the middle of the football field, listening to all of my fans chant my name and cheer for me whenever I made a winning touchdown. Then, the strangest thing happened. I met you."

He tore his eyes away from his fingers and looked into Gracie's for a reaction. "All of my priorities shifted. You became my life. Now, I dream about you and everything about you. Football doesn't even matter to me anymore without you."

Gracie's heart performed somersaults. She dreamed of a man saying romantic things like that to her since she was a little girl. That was why she wrote romance novels. So she could live vicariously through her characters' relationships. A realization dawned on her and she shook those thoughts out of her head.

"You can't say things like that. Now, I feel guilty for barging into your life and changing everything."

"The last thing I wanted to do was make you feel guilty, but it's the truth. I'm not going to apologize for my feelings. I messed it up by going to that club. I should've gone to dinner at your house like I was supposed to. We never would've lost those three weeks. None of this would've happened."

Silence fell between them as she picked on the Oreos and he continued to think about what he could've done differently.

Gracie scoffed. She was unsure of this decision she was about to make. Even her family thought she was stupid for even considering this, but she missed him like crazy. Everyone deserves a second chance. She knew that if he messed up again, that would break their relationship for good.

"I can't believe I'm about to say this. But... one chance. One more frickin chance."

Before Gracie could even continue, Cory let out a sigh of relief.

"My brothers are obsessed with sports. If they see you with another girl at one of your games-"

"They won't, I promise."

"If any of my other family members sees a picture of you with another girl on the media, they warn me about it once, if I so much as suspect something. You're done. We're done. And for good, next time. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, of course. Baby, I promise you. I'm not gonna break your heart again." He had already waited two weeks to do this, but he couldn't wait anymore. He cupped her face and pulled her in for a kiss, happy tears touching his already-dried lips and a smile formed on his face in between kisses.

In the meantime, Gracie's heart was thudding against her chest a hundred miles a minute. When she felt his hand cup her neck, she was afraid he'd feel it. She missed being able to kiss him all the time and when their lips reunited, they molded together like they were made for each other.

After what felt like an eternity, Cory finally pulled apart. His lips moved away, but his forehead was still touching hers. He felt relieved to be in this position with her again, their faces centimeters apart and their breaths intermingling. There was nothing that could make this moment better for him.

Gracie cleared her throat.

"I forgot to tell you. Um... thank your parents for me for... uhh... offering to pay to get my mom's car fixed and to pay the hospital bill when it comes in."

Cory cursed under his breath. "How did you know about that?"

"I overheard my mom on the phone. It was on speaker and I heard your mom's voice."

"Shit. I'm sorry I even got you in that accident. If I hadn't-"

"Don't be sorry. I'm okay. I'm alive and well. That's all that matters.But I want you to promise me something."

"Shoot."

"I... don't know anything about football, but if it's possible... you can't quit football. Football means just as much to you as writing does to me. Just like you wouldn't let me quit, I'm not gonna let you."

"I'll see if I can. But if not, I can always teach younger kids how to play. That way, I'd still be getting some play time." He created more distance between them, but made sure to still hold her close. His eyes never left hers as his hand caressed her cheek. His thumb lightly stroked her skin and found the corner of her lips that were in the form of a small smile.

"I'll never do something that could harm our relationship again. It was a one-time thing. And also, you are absolutely not boring. Those words left my mouth before I could stop them and that crossed a line. I'm just as much of a homebody as you are."

"That's alright. Mistakes were made."

"And they will never be made again." Now would be the perfect moment for him to say what he wanted to say to her. He was gazing into her eyes, his hand still on her cheek. "I love you."

Gracie's body temperature increased to a fever and her smile grew big enough to reach her eyes. Before that whole incident happened, her feelings turned from a 'really like' to a 'strong love'. That was why it hurt so much to see him with that woman. However, all that was behind them and they were going to start fresh.

"I love you too."

Cory sighed in relief. He honestly thought that he was completely and utterly screwed when he said those three words. He couldn't pinpoint when exactly he was falling in love with her, but it was somewhere between her cheering for him at his games and him taking her out on romantic dinner dates. "You really mean that?"

Gracie shrugged.

"Oh, no. I don't. I was just saying that to make you feel better."

The corners of Cory's lips tilted skyward. "That one hurt. Bad." He ate the second half of the oreo, but his eyes never left hers.

Little did he know, Gracie was waiting for him to kiss her. But, like all men, he was oblivious. Being the one to initiate the kiss wasn't her forte. She wasn't educated enough to know where to put her lips or what to do with her hands. Gracie put her nerves aside and went right for it.

Not until he was leaning forward for another cookie did she snatch it from his hands and cup his face in hers. She was unaware of how well she was kissing until he lifted her up to straddle him. A zap of electricity coursed through her veins as his hands trailed from her lower back to closer toward her butt.

This was unprecedented territory for her. Never before had a man given her a slew of butterflies that was currently invading her belly like Cory had. She giggled between kisses.

"Your kisses taste like oreos."

A chuckle vibrated in his chest. "You did say that you're obsessed with anything oreo flavored."