Chapter 35: Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Five

Grace

I woke up in my own bed, the light streaming through my window. I yawned and stretched. I blinked a couple of times then froze.

Last night came back to me in a flash and I smiled- then couldn't stop smiling.

Jaxon and I were dating- I wasn't sure if he considered us boyfriend and girlfriend yet, since he hadn't officially asked me, but I assumed that we were at least a 'thing'.

I closed my eyes and remembered our first kiss. It had been absolutely perfect in every way. He was so sweet and considerate and-

"Oh, crap!" I cried, throwing my blankets off of me. I was still wearing the sundress I had been wearing last night and I knew exactly why.

"I fell asleep on Jax!" I put my hands on my cheeks, absolutely horrified. He must have thought it was so rude! Especially after everything he did to plan that date!

I grabbed for my phone and unlocked it, searching for a message from him.

I was relieved when I found he had sent one this morning.

'X'- Good morning love, thanks for a great date last night. X

I smiled at the text, he was absolutely adorable.

I texted him back apologizing for falling asleep and thanking him for the best and only date I had ever been on. I didn't get a reply right away so I turned on my radio and went on facebook.

I heard a familiar song start playing- Harper had listened to it all the time back home, it was her 'jam' as she called it. It was called "Live your life" by a band called The Galaxies.

I had heard them all the time because of her obsession, but never really paid much attention until now. I was stuck in my hip hop music phase in Vancouver, and now I actually liked the beat that was playing. I started bobbing my head to the music while I replied and chatted with old friends back home.

I noticed I had several messages from Harper so I decided to take a look.

They were mostly things about being in the tabloids, what it was like to live with Michael Bublé, that kind of stuff. But her last message surprised me. She was apologizing for not trying to reach out sooner. She said that she thought that I would talk to her when I was ready. I rolled my eyes; it was such a lame excuse.

But at the same time, I thought about how fast things could be taken from you. I decided that I would give her another chance, because if something were to happen to either of us, I would want to be able to be on good terms. I wouldn't want to feel guilty about shutting her out.

I replied back, ignoring the comments about being in the magazines and living with Michael and just talked about how I was doing in general. I ended it asking how she was and what she was up to these days.

She replied a minute later but I closed my computer, wanting to get a drink from downstairs.

When I got to the kitchen, I grabbed an apple and a bottle of water. I noticed a note on the counter and read it.

'Grace, I'm going to be going to an awards show tonight. It will be televised and I was wondering if you would like to come. Luisana will be there as well, it would be nice to have you in the crowd cheering me on. Love, Michael.'

I read it over again to make sure I was reading it right and smiled. It would be so cool to be able to meet some celebrities. On the down side, it meant that I could potentially be in the spotlight.

I would do it not for myself, but for Michael, to support him.

I skipped off to my room to look in my closet for something to wear tonight. I wasn't really sure what to wear to this sort of thing, except all the awards shows I'd seen on TV people had been dressed very fancily.

I decided to go with that and began looking through my clothes.

I gasped- there were so many things in here, there was no way that it was all mine. There must have been a mistake. I didn't own any Chanel or Gucci. I paled in realization. Luisana must have been bored and decided to go shopping for me.

I smiled when I pulled out a sparkly silk dress that went below the knees. It had a sweetheart neckline and caught my eye. I tried it on- it was Chanel. I decided that I would wear this dress and looked for a pair of shoes. I groaned, there were at least forty pairs of shoes in here as well. Luisana must have bought a pair of shoes for every outfit. She spoiled me so much.

I found the sparkly stilettos that seemed to go with the dress and set the outfit on my bed. I ate my apple and drank my water slowly, then headed off to find something to do until I had to start getting ready.

I wandered around the house aimlessly, exploring rooms I still hadn't been in. Luisana and Michael had told me that they were planning on expanding the family and adopting more children so the house would be full and happy.

I had laughed and called them the next Brad and Angelina.

I found another hallway and opened the last door. I gasped when I found that it was an indoor pool with a sauna and hot tub. There was already a pool, Jacuzzi and spa outside in the backyard.

I never once in a million years thought that I would live such a privileged life. It was insane and every day it only made me appreciate it more. Of course, I would give it up in a second if it meant that I could be with my family again.

I sighed, deciding that I was going to go for a swim. I headed up to my room and grabbed a bikini and jogged back down to search for the hallway with the pool again.

After finding it, I changed in the change room and came out. I jumped off the diving board into the water and enjoyed the relaxation. I sighed, floating on my back.

"Um, miss?" I heard a guy clear his throat.

I jumped, accidently going under the water. I resurfaced coughing like a maniac.

"I'm so sorry," The guy said, trying to hold back a laugh. I looked up at him and there stood before me a Greek god. I gaped at him, not really understanding why he was here.

Taking my silence as a question, he answered, "This is my first day working here. My mom has worked here for six years and she recommended me to your parents. Sorry to disturb you, I was supposed to clean the pool today." He scratched his head awkwardly.

"Oh, sorry!" I said, feeling awkward and exposed. "I just found out we had an indoor pool, so I was trying out the water." I grinned.

He laughed, "Yeah, I guess it would be a pretty great discovery. I'm Kegan."

"I'm Grace," I answered automatically, "Nice to meet you."

He laughed again, "I guess I'll come back later then, enjoy your swim."

I shook my head, "No, go ahead. I'm sure there's more stuff that can help my boredom. I'll get out now." I swam to the side and hauled myself out of the water.

He looked at me and blushed. "Um, Grace..." He muttered, not looking at me.

I cocked my head in confusion and looked down. I screamed in surprise, diving back into the water. I fetched my bikini top from the bottom of the pool and hastily tied it back on.

"Oh my god," I muttered, "I am so sorry," I was absolutely horrified.

Kegan laughed uneasily, "It can happen to anyone."

Making sure my bathing suit was fully intact, I hurried out of the pool, giving Kegan a nod, I dashed through the doors and up to my bedroom.

I was mortified, burying my face in my hands I sighed. I'm never going to be able to face him again. He looked about my age too- I prayed he wouldn't be going to college with me this fall.

It would be bad enough to run into him again- I had hope that this house was big enough to hide in.

I checked the time and sighed. I still had a while to go before I even needed to get ready. I really needed to find some friends in this town to hang out with or life would get seriously boring. I didn't want to admit it, but I felt lonely.

I checked my phone again for a text from Jax but was disappointed when I didn't find one.

Maybe he's just a busy guy. I thought glumly. I missed him already.

I pulled a summer dress over top of my bathing suit and went down to explore the house some more, hoping that Kegan would be cleaning the pool for a while.

I found a personal gym, a library- much to my excitement, a huge room that looked like it was meant for entertaining people for dances or fancy parties, and a home cinema.

I sat down and watched a few Disney movies until I hauled myself up again and headed towards my room for a shower.

Feeling refreshed and clean from my shower, I lightly dusted my face with powder to keep any shine from reaching my face and added a light coating of mascara to my long lashes. I swept my eyelids with a shimmery nude colour and added a bright red lip stain to my lips. Satisfied, I pulled on my dress and put on my shoes. Lastly, I lightly spritzed myself with a pear scented perfume.

I pulled my hair into an elegant braid and walked out to check the time. I called Luisana to let her know I was ready to go and waited down in the living room for her to pick me up on the way to the awards show.

Once we got there, I started feeling nervous. There was a line of limos waiting for their turn to pull up to the red carpet. I didn't realize that I would be walking in this way with Michael and Luisana. We had picked him up and were now all in the limo together.

They must have sensed my discomfort because Michael patted my hand and said, "Don't worry kid, this will be a walk in the park for you," He smiled.

I nodded numbly; they didn't know I didn't like attention. I guess it was time to get over my fear the best that I could- it was now or never.

Our limo pulled up to the carpet and the door was opened by a man who worked there. Michael got out first and helped Luisana out. The crowd was going wild for him. He smiled and helped me out next. Immediately, the cameras were faced towards me and my name was being shouted by reporters. I blushed, feeling extremely self-conscious. I offered them a small smile and they ate it up. Michael took my hand and led me past the worst of the cameras.

A woman working for Entertainment Tonight stopped him and asked for a few words. Luisana and I paused to wait for him but he grabbed my hand and introduced me.

"This is Grace, my daughter." He announced proudly.

I smiled at the woman and she returned it kindly. "So you're the infamous Grace, yes? What is it like to be adopted by the best man in the industry?"

I blushed, "I'm really lucky that they adopted me. I don't know where I would be now if they hadn't. I'm extremely grateful."

She nodded, smiling at me. "Well, I'd better let you guys get seated, have a great night!"

I breathed out; relieved the cameras were behind us. When we entered the building my jaw dropped. It was gorgeous, the decorations, the people, everything was perfect. I swiped my head from left to right, looking at all the celebrities I knew and my mouth hung open.

I nearly peed my pants when Leonardo DiCaprio waltzed up to Michael and shook his hand. I stood there shaking like a leaf. He was my all-time favourite actor.

He turned to face me with a big smile, "Grace, it's lovely to meet you!" His voice boomed, extending his hand. I placed it in his hand and instead of shaking it like I thought he would, he kissed it.

"I-I um, it's nice to meet you," I stuttered, my eyes wide.

He laughed, "We have to catch up soon Michael, you need to host one of your legendary parties! We haven't been to one in what seems like years!"

Michael chuckled, "We had one last month Leo! But it sounds like a great idea, I'll start the planning." He grinned.

We said our goodbyes and I tried not to walk like a jittery mess. This was a sensory overload.

Luisana, Michael and I headed towards our reserved seats and my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw I was sitting next to Sandra Bullock.

I was going to faint at this rate. I was acting like a star struck idiot.

She turned to me and smiled before talking to Luisana, "It's great to see you guys! This must be Grace! I'm Sandra," She winked. I laughed too loudly, my nerves getting the best of me.

Luckily, she didn't mind and it only caused her to laugh herself. "It must be a pretty big deal coming here for your first time. I remember what it was like for me; I was like a deer in headlights the entire night."

I nodded numbly, "I have no idea how to act, I'm seeing all my favourite actors and actresses, musicians-everything! It's taking me all my willpower not to charge after them and ask for an autograph."

She laughed again, "When I first came here, I did ask for a few autographs. Trust me; pretty soon they'll start feeling like old friends instead of stars."

I smiled at her gratefully. The lights dimmed and the host came out.

"Hello everyone! Welcome to the 55th annual Grammy Awards Ceremony!"

I sat at the edge of my seat; transfixed on what was happening- I think I even spotted Justin Bieber a few rows ahead of me.

"To start off the night, we're going to have The Galaxies perform their newest single!" He cried, and the crowd clapped and cheered.

I turned to Michael and Luisana.

"Oh, I was just listening to them today! I never realized how good they actually are until now!" I said excitedly.

Luisana gave me a confused look and Michael looked like he was about to comment but before he did four boys ran out onto the stage.

Since I couldn't see very well from where we were, I turned to the big screen and my face scrunched up in confusion. I didn't know what I was seeing- it didn't make sense. My brain was going much slower than usual trying to figure out what in the world was happening right now. I ignored the worried glances Michael and Luisana were sending me and continued to stare.

There, on the enormous television- was Jaxon Trent.

Am I being punked?

I must have been staring for a while without blinking because pretty soon there was a hand waving in front of my face.

"Grace?" Luisana asked, looking worried.

I didn't answer; instead I kept my focus on the boys occupying the stage.

The boy with the curly hair I knew was Jacob- Harper used to obsess over him. The rest I didn't know, I never paid much attention to them until now.

"Hello everyone!" Jacob shouted into the microphone. The audience cheered for him and I barely hung onto my seat while I waited for the blonde doppelganger to speak.

"We're going to sing our latest single, 'Love me' for you tonight!" The boy with a striped shirt said.

I watched as the blonde guy lifted the microphone to his mouth and spoke.

"We hope you enjoy it!" He shouted enthusiastically. I felt shock hammer further into my core- the Irish accent was unmistakeable.

Jaxon is in The Galaxies. Jaxon is famous. Jaxon has millions of fans vying for his attention.

"Sorry Grace, I thought you knew that already." Michael mumbled awkwardly.

Luisana sent me a sympathetic look before she took my hand.

"I'm sure he was going to tell you, Grace." She assured me confidently.

I nodded slowly, still completely stunned. I slowly stood up and walked to the aisle.

I needed to take a walk to calm down my nerves. Michael nodded in understanding and gave me a small smile.

"Why wouldn't he have told me?" I muttered, feeling kind of hurt.

It didn't make sense to me- how could I have completely missed this? It's not like it was a small thing- it was his entire life, a whole other half of him.

I sighed, walking to the bar in the lobby of the awards ceremony. I sat down and put my head on the table.

I heard someone clear their throat and slowly looked up. I came face to face with none other than Kegan, the boy that was cleaning the pool earlier today- the one who had witnessed my wardrobe malfunction.

"Oh, great... you work here too?" I sighed, dropping my head back onto the bar table.

"Well that was a warm hello," He laughed, pushing a glass of sprite towards me.

I smiled sheepishly up at him, "Sorry, Kegan." I replied quietly.

Kegan nodded and his eyes glinted in amusement. "Why so glum, chum?" He teased me.

"Just found out some news I'm not quite sure how to handle," I answered honestly.

He raised an eyebrow, "Care to talk? We bartenders are great listeners- I swear, if you ever want to be a counsellor you should consider this as a career." He laughed darkly.

"A guy I'm seeing turned out to be famous and I'm not sure where to go from here." I replied, leaving out the specifics.

He nodded slowly, urging me to carry on. I swirled my sprite around the glass and took a long sip. "I'm not sure if I ever really knew him at all," I said sullenly.

Kegan paused for a moment before speaking, "You didn't know he was famous? And he didn't tell you?" He clarified, looking at me intently.

I shook my head no. He smiled in response, "Well in my opinion, I think you may have gotten to know him a lot better than anyone else. If you didn't know he was famous, he was probably able to actually talk to you like a normal guy. I'm sure that meant a lot more to him than you can understand right now,"

I thought about what he had said and slowly a smile spread across my face. Kegan was right- I had talked to Jaxon and somehow I knew that everything I had experienced was genuine.

"When did you become so wise?" I laughed, finishing the rest of my sprite.

"Oh, you know. I've got a lot of experience- bartender, remember?" He winked playfully.

I laughed again and stopped, "Don't you need to be twenty-one to be a bartender here?" It wasn't like back home in Canada, where the drinking age was nineteen, even eighteen in Calgary.

Kegan made a big show of stroking his chin in thought. "Well, yeah... pretty much."

I rolled my eyes, "Shut up, the drinking laws are different here." He definitely looked younger than he was.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes back at me. "I think your dad is performing soon, you should probably head back. I heard my mom talking to him about it,"

I nodded and thanked Kegan with a smile, "Thanks for your words of wisdom, you definitely helped me."

He merely winked and went back to washing beer pitchers.

I headed back to my seat and noticed Michael had left, probably to get ready for his performance.

Luisana smiled at me in relief, "Everything alright sweetie?"

I nodded and gave her a reassuring smile in return.

"Jaxon is sitting in the section below us if you're interested in going down to see him." Luisana told me as I settled back in my seat.

I laughed and closed my eyes as I leaned back in my seat. "Maybe," I paused, "I don't know if he wants me to be a part of this part of his world...wouldn't he have told me if he did?" I asked, facing her.

She shrugged, "I don't know sweetie, the only way you're going to find out is by talking to him."

I nodded in agreement. "You're right; I'll go talk to him."

I made my way down to where I was told The Galaxies were and was stopped by a big guy with a receding hairline.

"Oh, excuse me," I said as I tried to sidestep him. He stepped to block me again and I met his eyes hesitantly.

"What are you doing?" He asked. I raised an eyebrow at him in confusion.

"I'm trying to find Jaxon Trent... I heard he was over here." I answered lamely.

"Do you have a VIP pass?" He asked impatiently. "We're not accepting fans until after the show."

"Oh... um, who are you?" I asked quietly.

He raised an eyebrow at me and gave me a small smile, "Paul Jenkins, The Galaxie's head of security."

I gaped at him in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to be rude."

"It's alright; I've got to get back to the boys though. I'll see you after the show if you have that VIP pass we were talking about." Paul started to usher me out of their aisle and sighed in defeat.

"Grace!" I heard a voice call. I turned around quickly to see Jax standing there, looking shocked and extremely nervous.

Paul looked between Jax and I like we had two heads and put his hands on his hips. He reminded me of a mother bear.

"What are you doing here?" Jaxon asked hesitantly.

I motioned towards the stage, "Michael," I answered simply.

He nodded, "Grace, I-" He started, getting cut off by the music that filled the room.

We stopped and listened as Michael sang 'Haven't met you yet' with everything he had.

"I might have to wait, I'll never give up

I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck

Wherever you are, whenever it's right

You'll come out of nowhere and into my life,"

I looked at Jaxon as he frowned at the ground, something clearly bothering him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked him quietly.

He looked up at me with hurt in his eyes. "I'm sorry Grace. I didn't mean for you to find out like this. There have been numerous times I was going to tell you. I was going to tell you when Uncle Pete was in the hospital, but he woke up and things got crazy. Then you disappeared and I didn't think I would ever see you again."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I thought you would know who I was when you got your sight back, and when you didn't it seemed like I was getting a chance to get to know a girl without her having any idea I was famous. I felt like I could be myself around you. I guess I wanted it to last as long as possible..." He trailed off uncertainly.

I walked towards him and took his hand in mine. "J, I don't want you to ever be anyone but yourself." I smiled at him.

He smiled in response and slowly slipped his hand out of mine. "I was also going to give you a choice after I told you," He almost whispered.

I frowned, not understanding. "A choice in what?" I asked.

"Grace, if you're with me you'll be criticized more than you are now by being Michael's daughter, you won't be known as Grace anymore, you'll be known as the girl with 'pop star Jaxon Trent from The Galaxies, you'll never get any privacy, you'll get death threats, and after everything you've been through I don't want you to have to go through that," He seemed devastated.

"And I know that we can be so amazing

And, baby, your love is gonna change me

And now I can see every possibility,"

Michael carried on throughout the song, mesmerizing everyone listening to him sing.

His words carried my thoughts back to the darkest points in my life, where he had been there to hold my hand when stitches, casts, and tubes were removed. When he rubbed my back as I sobbed through the night, when he and I talked about small things like what we had for lunch, to big things like what our purpose was in life.

He had never once been anyone but himself. And he had never asked for anything in return.

I took his hand back and held it firmly. "Jax, I'm not going anywhere." I reached up on my toes and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

He looked down at me seriously as a pained look crossed his face. "I was so worried you'd run when you found out,"

I frowned at him, poking him lightly. "You should give me more credit than that, Trent."

He smirked at me and intertwined our fingers. "Sure, Princess."

Michael finished up his performance and pretty soon the awards ceremony was coming to a close. The Galaxies had won all categories they had been placed in and Michael had won his category as well.

Jax wanted to keep our relationship on the down low for a while so that we could get some time alone to ourselves.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around. I came face to face with Jacob Green, Jax's friend from the Galaxies.

I gaped at him, "Hi," I squeaked, unsure why he wanted to talk to me.

"I thought it was about time we met," He grinned, "I'm Jacob! Nice to finally meet you Grace!"

I laughed nervously, "It's nice to meet you too," I smiled.

Jax came jogging over when he spotted us and snorted, "Is he giving you trouble Grace?" He raised his eyebrow at Jacob jokingly.

"You had better watch her closely man, because I might just swoop her up for myself," Jacob grinned evilly.

"You could try," Jaxon challenged him, staring straight into his eyes.

I couldn't help but snort in response. They turned to face me in surprise and I tried to cover up my little outburst by coughing loudly.

Luisana came up from behind me and smiled at the two boys.

"Nice to see you guys again!" She said happily, hugging them.

"Likewise," Jacob winked, laughing.

Jaxon rolled his eyes at his friends clear appreciation of Luisana.

"Grace, we're going to get going now if that's alright?" She asked me.

"I'll see you later J," I said, smiling brightly at him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He rested his chin on the top of my head.

"Goodnight, Princess." He said into my hair, pulling away reluctantly.

"See you later, Jacob." I waved, walking to catch up to Luisana.

We were blinded by flashing lights as the paparazzi snapped pictures of everyone leaving the venue, efficiently blinding me.

We climbed into our limo and headed home- apparently there was an after party that Michael was attending but Luisana and I were too tired to go.

We arrived home and I headed to my room.

A moment later I got a text.

'X'- Want to meet the rest of the lads tomorrow? Spend the day with us, Luke and Josh's girlfriends will be there too. Good night, sweet dreams. X

I responded with a quick yes and after taking off my makeup and replacing my stilettos for fuzzy bunny slippers and my dress for some ducky pajamas, slipped into my comfy bed and into a deep sleep.

I opened my eyes and blinked away the left over bleariness of sleep. I had been dreaming of the last day Harper and I had hung out in her room, looking through magazines and talking like any two normal teenage girls would have.

I sighed, stretching up in my bed. I sat up lazily and reluctantly swung my legs out of my cozy bed sheets. I headed to my adjoining bathroom to brush my teeth and shower.

I turned on the radio and heard The Galaxies come on. I smiled to myself and climbed into the warm water. I still wasn't too sure who was singing each part, but I was pretty sure I could tell when Jax sang his part during the song.

I scrubbed myself with my fruity body wash and rinsed the conditioner from my blonde hair. Feeling relaxed, I shut off the water and grabbed a fuzzy towel.

Once I was dried off and dressed I headed downstairs to face the day.

"Good morning dear," A middle aged woman smiled at me.

I smiled at her, despite the fact of having no clue who she was.

She must have noticed my confusion because she gasped and said, "Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm the one who brought you to your room when you were unable to see. I'm Nora, Kegan's mom." She smiled at me happily.

"It's nice to meet you." I grinned back at her, helping myself to a pile of pancakes on the counter. I plopped some whipped cream and strawberries on top and licked my lips excitedly.

Sweets will someday be my downfall, I swear it.

Luisana came bustling into the kitchen with her hands full of papers.

"Good morning Grace! Did you sleep well honey?" She pecked me on the cheek quickly and scurried out the opposite door as fast as she had come in.

I looked at Nora with an eyebrow raised, my mouth full of whipped cream and pancakes.

She shrugged as we continued to stare out the door.

After I had finished eating I put my plate in the dishwasher and headed outside to explore.

I walked around the enormous house and found myself at the outdoor pool. It was a beautiful day outside, the skies were clear and the birds were chirping.

I sat in a reclining chair and leaned back. I made note to come outside and tan soon and take advantage of this great backyard.

"Oh hey stranger," I heard a voice say from behind me.

I looked up in surprise to see Kegan standing there with a pool net.

I laughed, "I seem to have bad luck with pools,"

He snorted, "I know right? I was thinking the same thing," He motioned to his dripping clothes.

"You fell in?" I scoffed, trying not to laugh at his pain. I was evil.

He nodded sullenly. "It should dry soon, but jeans don't exactly feel the best when they're wet."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Maybe you shouldn't be such a klutz then, Kegan." I teased him lightly.

His eyes glinted in mischief. "I don't think I should be the only one suffering, do you?" He asked innocently.

My eyes widened in horror when I realized what he was going to do. "Wait-" I screamed, trying to scramble up and away from the advancing Kegan.

He cackled evilly and I cursed karma for biting me in the butt. I tried to run but soon his grip on my arm tightened and he lifted me up easily.

He smirked down at me as I tried to no avail get away.

"Have a nice swim, Gracie-Poo." He cried wickedly, throwing me into the pool without hesitation.

I landed in the pool with a splash. As soon as those words had left his mouth it was as if I had been transported back in time.

I didn't see Kegan in front of me, I saw Preston.

"Hey Grace, are you still afraid of flying?" Preston asked me.

I nodded. I needed anxiety medicine in order to even step foot on one. I blame the documentaries my parents were always watching about plane crashes.

"Aww, little Gracie-Poo afraid of flying?" He cooed, pinching my cheeks.

I punched him again, "Stop being annoying Preston."

I opened my eyes and saw Kegan leaning over me with a panicked look on his face. I coughed up water and gasped.

"Oh, thank god." He cried with relief. "You should have told me you couldn't swim!" He scolded half-heartedly.

I frowned at him in confusion, "I can swim. In fact, I'm a great swimmer." I replied in a raspy voice, sore from inhaling the water.

He looked at me with disbelief, "Well you sure weren't swimming at the bottom of the pool. In fact, I'm pretty sure you resembled a sinking rock."

I frowned- had I blacked out?

I sat up slowly, coughing again. Kegan gripped me by my armpits and helped me up slowly.

He led me to a chair on the side of the pool.

"Do you want me to get Luisana or anyone? I'm really sorry, Grace." He said anxiously.

I shook my head, "I feel fine. Thanks though, and don't worry, it wasn't your fault." I smiled at him.

"I think you and I should stay away from each other when water is concerned." He frowned as he thought about the past events.

I snorted in response, exhaustion taking over my body.

I shook myself out of my tiredness as I thought about seeing Jax and the rest of the boys today.

I was pretty nervous about meeting their girlfriends- would they like me? I thought worriedly.

"I'd better get upstairs so I can shower again," I sighed, "Chlorine makes my skin itchy if I let it dry,"

Kegan looked at me weirdly for a moment before nodding. "You're sure you're okay?"

I nodded quickly before scurrying back up the stairs to my room. I shut it tightly and leaned against the door, sliding down it until I sat on the ground. I put my head and my hands and I sobbed for what felt like the first time in a long time.

Kegan had reminded me of Preston and it had brought back so many memories it was painful. Every day I tried to go on the way they would want me to- to live my life like my mother had told me to. Sometimes, it was just hard. But I would continue to do it, if not for them, for myself.

I looked up at my ceiling and closed my eyes as a single tear leaked out from the corner of my eye.

I miss you. I love you.

I sent a silent prayer up to them, hoping that they would somehow hear me.

I pulled myself together and slowly stood up, taking a deep breath.

I let the warm water wash away the sorrow that had crushed me moments before. I felt myself straighten up as I turned off the shower.

I checked my phone and saw Jaxon had texted me saying he would be coming to get me at four o'clock. It was three thirty, so I hustled to dry off and pulled my hair into a French braid. I applied light makeup, my eyes still sore from earlier.

When I heard the doorbell I was more than ready to get out of the house for a bit. I opened it to find a smiling Jax.

"Hey Babe," He grinned at me happily. "Ready to go?" He asked me.

"I'm all yours," I responded with a smile of my own. He took my hand as he led me down the steps to the black car waiting for us.

"So where are we going?" I asked him as I looked out the window.

"We're going to Jacob's place. He's having us over for a barbeque." He said.

"Oh... are they alright with me coming?" I asked nervously, looking over at him.

He raised an eyebrow at me as if to ask me if I was serious.

"Are you kidding me? They've been bugging me for ages to let them meet my 'mystery girl'," He laughed as he recalled the memory.

I managed a small smile as the nerves tangled my stomach into a massive ball of stress.

Jax took my hand and rubbed his thumb on the top of it. "Hey, don't worry. They're all going to love you. Trust me," He smiled in reassurance.

I nodded as we pulled up to a gorgeous, enormous house.

"Wow, it's beautiful," I murmured. I had always been a fan of Victorian style houses.

He nodded in agreement. "Jacob's mom helped him pick it out. Actually, I think she made the decision herself," He laughed.

I laughed too, imagining it myself.

He led the way up the walkway and opened the door.

"We're heeeeeere!" He hollered to no one in particular.

I blushed in embarrassment and hung back a little as we made our way through the house. We came to a stop in a giant room that looked like it might have been where the boys usually hung out. There were awards and pictures of the boys everywhere.

"Jax-o!" A boy cried, I recognized him as Luke. I had been studying their faces so I could tell them apart when I met them today.

Luke gave him a big hug, slapping him on the back. "It's been forever!"

Jax gave him a weird look. "I saw you yesterday, mate."

He laughed, "I know. I'm just bugging you."

I laughed awkwardly; I had no idea what to say. I cursed myself for not being more social back at my old school.

Luke turned to look at me fully, "You must me Grace! I'm Luke, it's really good to finally meet you." He smiled at me kindly.

I returned it gratefully, "It's good to meet you too."

He laughed, "I'll see you guys out back, I'm just heading to the toilet."

Jaxon put his hand behind my back and led me through the back door. I heard loud voices and laughter and felt the nerves come back. How are they going to react with a random stranger coming into their group?

We exited the house and Jax yelled, "Hey guys!"

Everyone turned to look, stopping their conversation. They broke out into big smiles when they saw the two of us standing there.

"Everyone, this is-"

"Grace!" Jacob yelled, cutting off Jax in mid-sentence.

I laughed and waved awkwardly, "Hi guys."

Jacob ran up to me and enveloped me into a hug. "It's good to see you again!"

"It's good to see you too." I smiled at him. "You have an awesome house," I commented lightly.

"Thanks, my uh... mom... picked it out," He blushed, scratching his head.

"I heard," I laughed, nudging him in the side. He looked up and sucked in a breath.

"Jaxon, you are so going to pay for decreasing my manhood." He mock glared at him.

Jax cracked up, "Sorry mate, I couldn't help it."

Jacob demanded I sit beside him and Josh and Jax smiled at me in encouragement. I swear, today I was like a skittish little rodent. I squared my shoulders, wishing for my confidence to come back.

I looked at the three girls who were sitting together warily. The blonde girl with extremely blue eyes caught my stare and smiled at me.

She got up and walked over to me, "Hey, I'm Sam." She smiled.

I smiled back at her, "I'm Grace. It's nice to meet you,"

She nodded happily, "Come sit with us girls, we want to get to know you! It's not every day Jaxon brings over a pretty girl."

I laughed, getting up from my seat at the large table. I headed over to the little sofas angled around a pretty outdoor fireplace.

Sam took my hand and brought me over to the two girls sitting there.

"Jess, Sophia, meet Grace." Perrie declared, smiling at them.

Jess got up with a squeal. "I've been waiting forever to meet you!" She cried excitedly.

She grabbed me into a tight hug and I responded with a laugh, hugging her back.

Jess sat back down and Sophia gave me a tender smile. "It's nice to meet you." She said shyly.

I nodded at her with a smile and sat down beside Sam.

The boys were a little ways away so the girls got down to business.

"So, how good of a kisser is Jax?" Jess winked.

I blushed a deep scarlet and the girls inhaled deeply. "Oh my god, he totally kissed you!" She squealed excitedly.

"Jess, stop fishing for details!" Sam cried in mock horror. "You'll embarrass her!"

"We've only kissed once actually. But it was really sweet," I grinned, thinking back to it.

Jess smiled brightly at this and Sam laughed, "I always knew he was going to be the romantic one out of them all."

Jess snorted, "Today Josh farted on me. He thought it was hilarious."

I cracked a smile and laughed, Sam and Sophia joined in shortly after.

Jess smiled, "But I love him. I'm just enjoying the time we have together before they leave again for their tour," She frowned then, sadness creeping into her eyes.

"When are they leaving?" I asked her quietly. I had no idea Jax was going to be leaving again soon.

"They're leaving in about a week. They had a little break where they could relax for a while. But soon, they're going to be back at it."

I nodded; sadness had fallen over us.

"Hey Sam, you're leaving on your tour soon too, aren't you?" Sophia asked, trying to brighten the mood a little bit.

She nodded somewhat sadly before excitement took over. "I'm going to be leaving in two weeks. We'll be gone for six months. We'll get occasional breaks but only a couple days at most."

I looked at her in confusion, "You're in a band too, Sam?" I asked.

She laughed, not offended at all by my comment. "Yeah, we're called Fighting Fate. Our music is only now becoming big in North America, so I'm not surprised you haven't heard about us."

"That's really cool," I said with a smile.

"What about you, Grace?" Jess asked. "We don't really know anything about you besides the fact you were adopted by Michael Bublé and his wife. Oh, and that Jax is completely infatuated with you," She smiled fondly.

"Well, I was adopted by them a little over a month ago now. I met Jax when I was in the hospital. It was a really hard time for me- I was blind from the accident I was in so I had no idea who he was or what he looked like. I had an operation soon after I was adopted... I'm from Canada." I finished lamely, feeling insignificant.

The girls looked at me with sad eyes. "I'm sorry, that would have been devastating on any of us. You're a tough chick." Sam poked my arm lightly.

Sophia and Jess nodded in agreement.

"So I don't mean to be awkward or anything, but who are you guys dating? I know Sam is dating Luke but other than that I have no clue." I laughed.

"I'm dating Josh, and Sophia is just a friend ours." Jess said, shooting a look over at the shy girl.

"He only likes me as a friend!" Sophia insisted, seeming deflated.

I looked at them in confusion.

Sam scoffed, "What are we going to do with you two?"

Jess shrugged with a mischievous smile on her face.

A loud noise made us all whip our heads in the direction of the boys.

We gaped at what we saw before we screamed in surprise.

"Oh my god, what are you doing?!"Jess screeched in disbelief.

The boys were all currently dancing around the barbeque that was on fire. It looked like they were doing an African tribal dance.

We ran over to them just as Jaxon walked out of the back door and gaped at what he saw.

"I told you to watch the barbeque for five minutes and you light it on fire?!" He demanded.

"You know I can't barbeque!" Jacob cried in defense.

Jaxon narrowed his eyes, "I know."

Luke arrived with a fire extinguisher and sprayed it on the large flames.

"Well, on that note- takeout anyone?" Josh suggested with a hopeful smile.

We looked at each other and nodded in unison before cracking up in laughter.

I think I'm going to like these people.

A while later, we had ordered chinese and were all hanging out, talking.

Jess looked at me with her mouth hung open. "You've never been to Disney World before?" She cried in surprise.

I nodded glumly, looking up at her from my spot on the floor.

We had finished eating and had all moved to the backyard. The boys were around the campfire singing songs while Jax played the guitar. The girls were lounging around on the couches inside the entertainment room.

"That's basically child abuse!" She said, completely serious.

I laughed, staring at her in disbelief, "You're crazy, Jess."

She rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smile. Sam jumped up and clapped her hands in excitement.

"Let's go sing with the boys!" She said, grabbing Sophia and Jess by the hand and yanking them up. She turned to me expectantly and motioned to the door with a huge smile.

"Alright, alright." I laughed, getting up slowly from the fluffy carpet.

We all filed through the door and laughed when we saw Jacob and Luke had jumped into the pool with just their boxers on.

I made my way over to where Jax was sitting and sat beside him.

"Hey," I said with a smile, bumping shoulders with him lightly.

He looked down at me, the flickering lights from the fire making patterns on his face.

He seemed to study my face for forever before he broke out into a huge smile.

Jaxon leaned over and nuzzled my ear, "Hey to you too," He said quietly.

I laughed and touched my nose to his.

"I'm so lucky to have you," I told him honestly.

He scoffed in response, "If anyone I'm the lucky one."

I stuck my tongue out at him, "Not even close, Trent."

Jess giggled from across the fire pit. "You two are so cute."

Josh poked her, "Am I cute too?" He looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

She tried to look indifferent to him but soon was grinning like the Cheshire cat.

She nuzzled into the side of his arm and looked up at him, "I suppose you are." She teased, lifting her chin to meet his lips.

I turned away to give them their privacy. I noticed everyone was calming down for the night and looked almost sad.

"Why does everyone look so upset?" I asked Jax in confusion.

Jaxon sighed, he hesitated before he continued. "We'll have to leave in less than a week for our tour. We'll be gone for almost ten months with only a few couple day breaks in between,"

I must have looked both upset and shocked because he took my hands firmly in his own and looked into my eyes.

"I was going to tell you sooner, but... I guess I wanted to just pretend we had more time." He sighed as he looked into the fire.

The light reflected off his liquid blue eyes and I squeezed his hand.

We both just stared into the flames for a few moments before I spoke again.

"I just got you back," I said quietly, "but I've heard that absence makes the heart grow stronger." I said weakly, trying to bring light into the sombre mood.

He looked up at me quickly in surprise as if he expected me to never want to go through with dating him once I had heard about the tour.

I gave him a small, sad smile in return and he stroked my cheek affectionately.

"You'll always have me, J." I smiled.

"That's exactly what I needed to hear right now." He kissed my temple and rubbed circles on my back.

I leaned my head onto his shoulder and closed my eyes, inhaling the delicious smell of his cologne.

No matter how long he would be gone for, it was important to remember how I felt right now in this moment. I could have fallen asleep right then, but I looked up to the sound of wet feet hitting pavement.

"Well, looks like we interrupted a snooze fest. Right on time, right Jake?" Luke said, plopping down beside Sam.

Jacob nodded in agreement, wrapping a warm towel around his shoulders. "I'd say so." He grinned, his eyes falling on a sleeping Sophia who was sprawled out on the outdoor couch.

I didn't fail to miss the smile that tugged at his lips before he looked away quickly. I swear I could see him blushing, but it was too dark to be able to tell for sure.

"Jacob! You're getting me all wet!" Sam cried in horror, scooting closer to Luke.

"Luke, Sam's talking dirty to me again!" Jacob complained jokingly.

Luke raised an eyebrow in amusement, turning to Sam. "Babe, I thought you weren't into little boys. How is he turning you on?"

I coughed loudly to hide my sudden bubble of laughter and it seemed I wasn't the only one.

"Little boy, huh?" Jacob deadpanned, challenging Luke with his eyes.

Luke raised his chin, daring Jacob to respond.

"Yeah, that's right," Luke replied, "Little boy."

Jacob narrowed his eyes until he resembled the Asian man from the Hangover, Mr. Chow.

"But that makes you a pedophile then, Luke...because you are so into me." Jacob said seriously.

Luke burst out laughing until he could hardly hold himself up. Soon we were all clutching our stomachs trying to regain control of ourselves.

"Oh... my... god," Jess gasped for air, fanning her eyes.

I slumped against Jax, exhausted with the days' events.

"Let's sing a song before we all head off, yeah?" Sam suggested hopefully. I smiled at her eagerness to break into song.

Everyone but me nodded in agreement. It seemed like so long ago since I had sung at choir practice. I definitely didn't want to test my rusty vocal chords out with talented musicians.

"I'm feeling like an acoustic version of 'I'm Yours' by Jason Mraz." Jax said, shooting a sideways smile at me.

"I love that song, that man is a genius." Luke said in agreement.

"Sounds good to me," Josh said with a smirk.

Everyone nodded in consent and Jax started with the chorus, looking at me as he strummed on his guitar.

"Well, you dawned on me and you bet I felt it

I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted

I fell right through the cracks

Now I'm trying to get back-"

Jacob did the electric slide and joined in, harmonizing with Jax. I laughed happily as Jess, Sophia and I clapped to the beat of the song.

"Before the cool dawn run out

I'll be giving it my bestest

And nothing's gonna stop me but divine intervention.

I reckon, it's again my turn

To win some or learn some."

The rest of the boys joined in and soon I was smiling so big I was sure I looked like a goof.

I started humming quietly as I enjoyed the sounds of my friends singing.

Sam took the next verse and my eyes nearly popped out of my head as I heard her voice. She caught my look and winked at me cheekily. I blew her a kiss and laughed.

Jacob paused and looked over at me, "Come on Grace, sing with us!"

I blushed a deep scarlet, "I would ruin it!" I laughed, looking anywhere but him.

He stuck his tongue out at me and started singing again and I smiled. I was perfectly fine with listening.

Jax leaned towards me as he sang the next part of the song, capturing my attention immediately.

"There's no need to complicate.

Our time is short.

This is our fate,

I'm yours."

The words struck home and seemed to hold a whole other meaning to our relationship. It felt so natural, being with him. It really was fate.

I knew that I was tearing up a bit but it didn't matter. I already knew I was home- I hadn't felt anything like it since the accident until now.

These people were my home.

My eyes felt like a curtain that was too heavy to lift. I yawned loudly, stretching my arms out as I tried repeatedly to beat the heaviness in my eyelids.

"J," I mumbled, "mm tired."

He laughed, brushing a piece of hair from my forehead.

"Let's get you home, princess." He replied, plucking me from the couch where Jess, Sophia and I had all been drifting to sleep on.

I was barely coherent as we drove back to my house but damn was I trying.

We said our goodbyes with promises we would see each other very soon, and I passed off my number happily to my new friends.

Jax helped me into the car and surprised me with the fact he would be driving us himself. Up until now, we had always had a driver take us places.

"What's the occasion?" I teased him tiredly.

He shrugged, "It gets old having people wait on you hand and foot. I want to be able to go out with the girl I like without an entourage."

I nodded, "I see what you mean," I rubbed my eyes, trying to focus on him and not how lovely it would feel to rest my head against the window and sleep.

My eyes drooped at the thought.

"Jax, distract me please. I want to stay awake," I sighed, still rubbing at my eyes.

He chuckled lightly, "All right, what did you do before we met up today?"

I shuddered at the memory. "Actually, I kind of almost drowned." I said, embarrassed.

He looked at me sharply, "You wha-?"

Flash!

Jaxon stopped mid-sentence as he looked gravely in the direction the bright light had come from.

"Was that a..." I started, confused as I peered into the car stopped next to us on at the red light.

Flash!

"Shit!" He swore as he threw open the glove box, rifling through it crazily until he found two pairs of sun glasses.

He passed them to me quickly. "Put these on, fast!" He hissed, trying to block my face from the man with the camera.

"I don't know how they found us! My managers specifically gave them fake leads so we could all get together tonight." He said through clenched teeth.

My heartbeat picked up, I had never seen him angry before, and he was livid.

"Jax, are you okay?" I asked hesitantly, placing my hand on his forearm.

He moved away quickly, "Don't do that, they'll see."

Flash!

He was turning a not so healthy shade of red as the camera man got even bolder and leaned out of his window, trying to get closer to our car.

The light turned green and Jax pressed the gas pedal to the floor. My head snapped back in surprise with the speed of which he was driving.

"Jaxon, please slow down." I said, trying to be calm. I was scared. The last time something had gotten out of hand while driving, my family ended up dead. I didn't want that to happen to anyone.

He must have heard the desperation in my voice because his face softened, "I'm sorry Grace, they just make me so angry. We can't let them see you yet. Especially in the middle of the night in my car. We have to lose them."

I nodded, looking at the black SUV easily following us through the streets.

"Do whatever you need to lose them, I trust you."

He nodded and set off again, slower than before but kept up a decent speed.

He turned sharp corners in attempts to lose them but nothing seemed to be working. We had been driving for about half an hour and we were both getting frustrated.

"You would think they would have some decency..." I muttered, annoyed that people went to such extremes as these paparazzi had.

Jax grumbled something in agreement and I sighed as he wrenched the wheel to the left. Their car was going too fast and missed the turn we had taken.

"Jaxon," I yelled excitedly, "they missed the turn! Quick!"

He made several more random turns before we ended up in what some would call the ghetto.

We were parked in front of an old hotel that had a locked parking garage you needed a code to get in and out of.

He looked at me and back to the hotel.

"I think we should stay. They're going to be looking for us all night now that they know I'm with a 'mystery girl'," He rolled his eyes, "I could get a car to come get us but I think it makes the most sense to just get some sleep. It's really late and I'm sure Luisana and Michael would understand."

I hesitated, "Okay, I'll text them and let them know what's happening."

He nodded and gave me a tender smile before opening his door to pay for a room. We were parked out front and once you got your room you were given the code to get into the parking garage.

We were sitting on our hotel balcony's floor watching as the paparazzi sped around the area frantically trying to catch a sight of the car we had been driving last night. We had a large pepperoni pizza in front of us and a one litre of coke. I was munching on my piece immersed in thought.

It was amazing how just the mere sight of Jaxon with a girl had triggered such a reaction. It was ridiculous, really. That a regular teenage boy couldn't drive with a girl without being stalked by creepy older men with mustaches and sketchy agendas.

"They're like flies on shit." He muttered flatly annoyance. I snorted unattractively and immediately felt my face heat up. Oh, that was embarrassing.

"Don't cover your face, you're cute." He said. I peeked up at him through my fingers and saw him staring at me in amusement.

I scoffed at him and pecked him on the cheek.

"You're amazing." I said simply.

He lightly poked my nose. "You're perfect."

I stared at him a moment, trying to come up with one word that described Jaxon.

"You're mine." I grinned, when I decided that he was too unique to fit under one word.

He drew closer to me, looking at my lips. "Always."

Jax trailed a finger down my nose and across my lips, leaning in. I closed my eyes and moved towards him, butterflies dancing in my stomach.

He pressed his lips to mine, tenderly at first and then I felt the temperature rise when he leaned over me, pushing me backwards onto the floor. I pressed closer to him, and soon he was on top of me, kissing me with a passion that made me feel more alive than I had in a long time.

He kissed me hard, something I had been craving since I first realized how I felt about him.

When we broke apart we were breathing heavily. He rested on his elbow, hovering over top of me with a small smile on his lips.

He leaned forward and gave me a smaller, innocent kiss. He rested his forehead on mine and we stayed there for a few moments before he spoke up.

"Grace, I want you to know that I haven't felt this way before. You make these emotions I didn't even know I had come out of me in whirlwinds and I'm left standing there breathless and craving more. Your personality is to die for and every moment I spend with you is better than the last, if that's even possible. I know I'm going away and it would be hard, but I don't want to lose you," He paused for a breath and I could tell he was nervous.

I held my breath in anticipation, excitement and nerves battling each other for dominance.

Jax took my hands in his and squeezed them lightly, "Grace, will you be my girlfriend?"

I looked up at him in adoration. "I think you are the most caring, genuine person I have ever met. You make me feel complete, happy, and alive. I would love nothing more than for you to be my boyfriend." I grabbed his face and brought his lips back to mine.

"Seal it with a kiss?" He whispered with a laugh.

"Say no more," I smiled against his lips, holding onto him tightly.

It would be hard, but I knew that we could do it.