31_days | [Oct 29] [Rush] Messy Endings

Title: Messy Endings
Day/Theme: October 29/ Intervention
Series: Rush
Character/Pairing: Josh/Grace
Rating: PG (adult themes)

MESSY ENDINGS

Connor stood by the window, holding on to its frame, afraid that if he didn’t his legs might just buckle from under him. All at once his suspicions had been confirmed. For months now he had been telling himself that Grace and Josh were merely colleagues and that he was being paranoid for wondering if there was more to it.

The way that Grace had gently stroked Josh’s face left no doubt in his mind as to what was going on. It wasn’t just meaningless sex. They were in love. There had been a look in Grace’s eyes that he knew well. It was the way that she used to look at him. Connor took a deep breath as he told himself to stay calm. His fingernails digging into the windowsill told him that that wasn’t going to happen.

“Hey,” Grace said casually as she stepped through the door. She looked his way and Connor noticed the look of fear immediately cross her face. He was still standing by the window watching the car outside which hadn’t left yet and she was wondering exactly how much he had seen. Enough, the look on his face told her.

“How long, Grace?” Connor asked, turning to his wife, his voice filled with quiet anger.

“Huh?” Grace asked, although she knew exactly what he was talking about. She could feel her heart pounding. She knew that Connor would have to find out sometime but she had always assumed that it would be on her terms.

“How long have you been screwing him?” Connor asked, taking angry steps towards her. He was yelling now. Grace opened her mouth to say something, she didn’t know what, but nothing came out. She could see the pain in Connor’s eyes; she could see how much her betrayal had hurt him, and yet she didn’t regret a thing.

“I’m sorry,” Grace stammered.

“It’s a bit late for sorry!” Connor shouted back so loud that for the first time she was frightened of him. Grace found herself backing away as Connor continued to walk towards her. “How did you ever think that this would be okay?”

“Connor, it’s over,” Grace said, finally saying the words that had been on the tip of her tongue for so long. “We’re finished.”

“You…” he started but his voice trailed off. “I can’t look at you. I can’t even look at you!” Then Connor did something which he had never done in his life. He reached his hand back and slapped Grace across the face.

Grace recoiled. Her face was stinging but she could barely feel it. She was more shocked than anything. Connor had never laid a hand on anybody in anger his whole life and the look on his face told her that he was just as surprised as she was by what he’d done.

“I’m…” he started, horrified that he had just hit her, but he was cut off as Josh burst through the door. He had heard Connor yelling as he was about to leave so he had gone in to investigate. He had arrived at the door just in time to see Connor hit Grace.

“You weak bastard!” Josh shouted, with more fury than he knew was in him. He punched Connor in the face and as he fell to the ground he began kicking him with more force than he had ever used on the job.

“Josh, stop it!” Grace shouted. When Josh didn’t, Grace got to her feet and physically pulled Josh away from Connor. This had become a nightmare.

“Are you okay?” Josh asked Grace protectively. He gently ran his hand along the red handprint on the side of her face. Grace nodded.

“I just want to get out of here,” she said. She looked down at Connor and noticed that, despite Josh’s beating, he didn’t appear to have any major injuries.

“We’ll let’s go,” Josh said, placing an arm gently around Grace. “Do you want to take anything with you?” Grace looked around the house that she had shared with Connor.

“No,” she said honestly. “Nothing.”