"Yeah, so? Your injury doesn't change anything." She looked at his leg now, but her gaze didn't linger. "I don't care about your stupid leg. I love you. That hasn't changed."
Every day while he was out on assignment he'd dreamed of hearing her say those words again. He never thought they'd sound so exasperated.
"You're beautiful, smart, and ambitious. You just started working on your doctorate. You need a man who can support you through that, not someone who will be a burden. I'll only drag you down."
"Stop telling me what youthinkI need." Tears wet her cheeks now. "You could never be a burden." She sniffed as she swiped her hand over her cheeks. "I know you're hurting and scared. I am too. But we're going to be okay. We'll get through this."
"No, Grace, listen?—"
"You think you're being noble by pushing me away, but you don't get to tell me who and how to love. Even though you were thousands of miles away, you were there for me when I needed you most. Now it's my turn to be here for you." She took his hand again.
Damon felt like the biggest jerk in the world as he pulled his hand away. It had only been a month since she lost her mother, and now he was heaping more heartache on her.
She deserves better.
He had to keep reminding himself of that. He had to believe it, or he'd never be able to go through with this.
"I don't want you here, Grace." He said the words as firmly as he could, then he sucked in a sharp breath, trying to quell the piercing ache in his chest. His heart was taking fire. Heavy-duty artillery fire that made the tank feel like a walk in the park. "Go home. Move on with your life."
"How am I supposed to do that when my heart is here?" If he thought anger laced her voice before, it was nothing compared to the iciness in it now as she stood. She shook her head as she glared at him. “Why does every man I love always end up breaking my heart?”
Grace walked to the door, then she turned back. "I'll leave, Damon, but don't for one minute think I'm giving up on you. On us. This..." She circled her hand in the air. "...is all on you."
His stomach plummeted when she walked out followed by his heart. Sinking lower than he thought possible, leaving a gaping hole in his chest. He'd told her to leave, so why was he so disappointed that she did?
And what did she mean by every man she has ever loved always breaking her heart? Had someone besides her father let her down?
Grace madeit all of ten feet down the hall before she slumped against the wall. Wrapping her arms around herself, she let the tears flow.
Charity found her less than a minute later. "Oh, honey, what's wrong?"
"He broke—" Her voice cracked with a hiccup. "Damon broke up with me."
"He did what?"
"He told me to go home." Another sob. "S-said he didn't want me here."
"Oh dear. I'll go talk to him."
"No." Grace grabbed her arm. "You can't fix this." She sniffled. "Emily warned us he might pull away." Grace hadn't wanted to believe Jake's wife, the psychologist, was right, butshe should have known better. "Damon thinks he'll be a burden. That he's too broken and not good enough for me anymore."
"That's nonsense."
"I know, but until he realizes that losing part of his leg doesn't change who he is and how we feel about him, he won't accept our love.” She pointed at her chest. “Mylove."
"But you can't just give up on him. He needs you too much right now."
"I'm not giving up on him." Grace dried her tears with her sleeve. "But I can't force him to love me. Not while he's struggling to love himself." She pushed away from the wall. "Go spend time with your son."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know yet." She took two steps then turned back. "I'm going to go back to Fischer House and think. I need to figure out how to let Damon know I will always be here for him." She gave Charity a smile of assurance. "Don't worry, I won’t desert you. I'll stay with you until you're ready to go home or until Steven and Matt come."
Charity pulled her into an embrace. "Sweet girl. I'm not sure my son deserves you."
"Yes, he does," Grace said with a tight chuckle. "He just needs to remember that."
Charity put a hand on Grace's cheek after releasing her. "It's going to be okay. You guys will work this out."
