chapter thirty-three | these things will change

THE TWO WALKED into the dressing room, where Gracie immediately pulled Mila into a passionate kiss. There was barely any time for Mila to react before she melted into it. This was something they both needed; they both felt the need to put this battle against each other to rest.

Mila's hands slid up her back, curling her fingers into the fabric of her hoodie as if to anchor herself to this moment. She held on tight, fearing that she would disappear if she let go, something she couldn't risk again.

Gracie's hands rested on her cheeks. She traced slow, deliberate circles on Mila's skin. The heat of the moment grew between them. The kiss grew into something more desperate, more urgent. She pulled Mila a little bit closer, only to back her up until she was pinned to the wall. Just then, Mila's fingers slipped under the hem of Gracie's hoodie, her touch gentle yet electric, sending a shiver down Gracie's spine.

Mila pulled away once breathing became an issue, resting her forehead against Gracie's. Their breaths mingled together, neither of them wanting to let go fully yet. "I thought we were going to talk," Mila murmured, her fingers still resting against Gracie's skin.

Gracie let out a breathless laugh, her hands sliding down to rest on her hips, gripping them gently. She pressed against her, their bodies flush against each other. "Talking can wait." She whispered, her lips moving to gently ghost over the skin of her neck.

She sucked in a sharp breath, beginning to trace patterns against her skin. A quiet gasp then left Gracie's lips when Mila's nails lightly grazed along her spine. That sent a jolt through Gracie, her lips now pressing against the soft skin of her neck.

As much as she wanted to talk, she couldn't bring herself to stop. She couldn't pull away from the undeniable heat between them. Every touch, every movement, it felt like it was pulling them close to something they could have thought to prepare for. Gracie's breath hitched as she felt Mila's fingers continuing to roam, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. "I missed you and wanted you so bad," Gracie whispered against her skin, her voice thick with longing.

For a moment, there was silence between them. At this moment, nothing else mattered. They were here, together, back in each other's arms. This is what home felt like to them, being together like this. They were home to each other.

Mila exhaled shakily, her fingers moving to the hem of Gracie's shirt. She hesitated for a moment, gently toying with the fabric. "I've missed you, too, " she softly said, her hands resting on the small of her back.

Gracie's kisses trailed back up to her lips, capturing them in a kiss that was slow and savoring. With ease, Gracie guided them from the wall to the couch placed in the corner of the room. Mila let herself be guided. Once she felt the back of her knees hit the edge of the couch, she sank down, pulling Gracie with her. She followed, settling into Mila's lap, and wrapped her arms around her neck. "Can I?" Mila quietly asked. Toying with the hem of her shirt once again, keeping eye contact with her.

Gracie swallowed with an unsteady breath as she nodded. "Yeah." She whispered, her voice no louder than a whisper.

Just then, Mila started to lift her shirt over her head slowly, giving her time to stop her, but she didn't. Once the shirt was off, she tossed it to the side. Gracie went to grab at Mila's shirt. She locked eyes with her, a silent question passing between them. With one silent nod, Gracie discarded her shirt, her eyes roaming over her body.

"You're beautiful," Gracie softly said as she leaned in to press another kiss to her lips. Their lips met in a much slower, more deliberate kiss. Each kiss was a promise, a silent affirmation of everything they longed for, every word they never said.

Mila's hands slid down to Gracie's hips, guiding her to lie on the couch. Her body followed, moving with her. She hovered above her, their faces inches apart, looking down at her. "I've never stopped wanting you," Mila quietly said, her voice thick with emotion. Her thumbs traced gentle circles against her skin. "Even when I was angry...when we were apart. All I wanted was to be with you. I wanted this. You. All of you."

Gracie's breath hitched, her hands roaming up Mila's back, pulling her closer.

Mila leaned down, pressing another lingering kiss to Gracie's lips; they wanted to make up for lost time. Their bodies molded together like puzzle pieces; they had always thought that they were meant to be since they first got together, and this moment just solidified it for them.

Gracie sighed into the kiss, her fingers tracing over the bare skin of Mila's back, putting every detail to memory. It was like no time had passed like they had been together this whole time.

She missed this. She missed Gracie, and she wouldn't have to anymore. Not now, not ever again.

The room was quiet; the only sounds to be heard were their slow breathing. Gracie's fingers traced slow and soothing circles against Mila's skin. It was a comfortable silence between them, one that spoke louder than words. They knew they had to talk, but right now, they just wanted to enjoy being in each other's arms again.

Mila let out a soft sigh, her fingers gently threading through Gracie's hair. The comfort of the moment reminded her of every time they were together. Since everything had happened, this was the first time in a while that their relationship was normal again.

Gracie slightly shifted, pressing a kiss to Mila's collarbone. "I almost forgot how comfortable you were." She lightly teased, her voice thick with exhaustion and contentment.

Mila softly chuckled, her fingers moving to trace the outline of her jaw. "You're just too comfortable to move; admit it." She grinned, brushing her thumb over her skin.

"Maybe." Gracie softly laughed, her voice tinged with affection. Her arms were loosely wrapped around Mila's waist, pulling her closer. "You're just like a teddy bear, I don't know how you do it." She continued, grinning as she nuzzled into her shoulder.

"I know, but we have to go. We could go get something to eat and have that talk that we need." She spoke, gently trailing her fingers down her back, encouraging her to get up. She then watched as she reluctantly got up, beginning to pull her clothes back on. "If it helps at all, there's a hotel bed waiting; it's more comfortable and has more room." She pointed out, trying to lift her spirits as she sat up on the couch.

Gracie paused, halfway into pulling her hoodie back over her head. A soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips at the suggestion. After tugging the hoodie on the rest of the way on, she turned to face Mila with a playful glint in her eyes. "You really know how to sweet-talk a girl." She teased, slowly approaching her as she saw Mila pulling on her shirt.

She flashed a teasing grin as she looked over at her, adjusting her shirt. "I'm just saying, you can't beat a hotel bed. One of the comfiest places to relax other than your own bed or your partner's bed." She spoke matter-of-factly, a smirk on her face as she met Gracie's gaze.

"You have a fair point." She agreed, looping her arms around Mila's waist. For a moment, she fell silent and stared into her eyes and just appreciated the closeness between them.

Mila grazed her fingers over Gracie's back in slow, absentminded strokes, grounding herself to the moment. "You doing okay?" She softly asked, studying the look on her face.

"Yeah. I just...I missed this. Us, I mean."

"So did I," She admitted, brushing her lips against Gracie's in a soft, lingering kiss. Once she pulled away, she took hold of her hand, intertwining her fingers with hers, guiding her toward the door. "Come on, the faster we eat and talk, the sooner we can do something once we get back to the hotel." She tried to be as convincing as possible, it worked effortlessly.

Gracie followed her to the door, and they left the venue together, hand in hand.

The two sat on the hotel room bed, legs crossed, and eating their pasta of choice. There was a silence between them, the type of silence where you don't know what to say. Honestly. Neither of them knew where to start with something like this; this was uncharted territory for them, but it was okay. They knew they would get through this together.

Gracie twirled her fork through her paste, looking up at Mila between bites, trying to find the right words to say. She had opened her mouth to speak a few times but ended up closing it because nothing would come out.

Mila immediately noticed the hesitation in her expression, offering her a small yet understanding smile. "I know it's not easy, but you can say whatever is on your mind, you know." She reminded, taking another bite of her pasta. It seemed like Gracie hadn't heard her, or she was avoiding the talk altogether; she hoped it wasn't the latter. "Gracie, we can't avoid this."

Gracie let out a sigh, setting her fork down as she met her gaze. "I know, and I'm not trying to." She admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. She ran a hand through her hair before she set her food on the bedside table. She laid back on the bed, her head resting on the pillow as she stared at the ceiling. "I just don't know where to start. A lot is going on in my head right now."

After setting her own food aside, Mila shifted closer and rested on her side so she could look at her properly. She reached out, grazing her fingers over Gracie's arm, her touch gentle and reassuring. "What comes to mind first?" She softly asked, her gaze never leaving hers.

"Did Jordan say anything to you before forcing you out of the tour?"

She expected that to be the thing she asked about first. She could only imagine how she felt when she found out what Jordan had done to her. "Just that you would understand eventually and thank her for it later...or something like that." She replied as she tried to recall the memory. If she were being honest, she tried so hard to forget that most of the details were a blur to her, but she would never forget the NDA. "There was an NDA, too. She made me sign it so I would never talk about what happened, but since she was fired, it was void and doesn't hold any power anymore."

At the mention of the NDA, Gracie clenched her fists against the bed. The weight of it all settled heavily on her chest, her thoughts. If that happened behind her back, what else was going on that she didn't know about? "Mila, I'm so sorry...I had no idea." Gracie was quick to apologize, her tone laced with guilt.

"It wasn't your fault. Jordan was just a power-hungry bitch and ran with it, that's on her, not you."

Gracie let out a shaky breath as she shut her eyes. She tried to push away the overwhelming feelings that threatened to escape, but the guilt and frustration built up, ready to spill. "I should have stopped her before it was too late. I let her get between us. Truly, I'm so sorry." Her voice cracked as she opened her eyes once again, gently wiping the tears away.

Her heart broke at the sight of Gracie's cries. She'd seen it many times before, but it never failed to make her heart ache. "Baby, no..." She softly spoke, pulling Gracie into her arms to comfort her. She knew that Gracie was hurting, and she hated that. She wanted nothing more than to be able to take her pain away. "This wasn't you're fault, Gracie. I promise." She softly reassured into her ear, gently rubbing her back.

"I know, but I feel responsible yet so blindsided at the same time." She spoke through tears, her body slightly trembling as she clung to her. "How can I fix this?"

"We have to be more open and transparent with each other about things. If one person is doing something the other doesn't like or is concerned about, we have to call it out and talk about it."

"Right...transparency." Gracie echoed, taking a few deep breaths to recollect her composure. "So...what does this mean for us?" She softly asked, her gaze meeting hers once again.

"It means we take things one step at a time. Together." She replied, flashing her a reassuring smile. She then grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers. "We will get past this because we have each other." She continued, bringing her hand up to her lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it.

Gracie silently nodded as she gently squeezed her hand.

From that point, the two spent the rest of the night together. They lay in bed with a movie on the TV, tangled up in each other's arms. As time went on, the movie became more of a source of background noise for them.

Gracie rested her head on her chest, listening to the steady rhythm of Mila's heart. It filled her with a sense of peace, she could listen to it for hours, the constant reminder that she still loved her, she was with her. "I missed this." She quietly spoke, pressing a kiss to the soft skin of her neck.

Mila hummed in response, her fingers gently tracing patterns on her back after they slipped under the fabric of her shirt. "Me too." She admitted slightly tightening her grip on her.

"I love you."

"I love you more."

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AUTHORS NOTE !

AHHHH MY BABIES

ARE BACK TOGETHER!!!

also, the start of the chapter,

that's the first time i've ever

written anything like that so

i hope it turned out okay! i

hope you all enjoyed and i

hope there's no mistakes!