Facing the Fire

It was already past noon, and Grace felt antsy. The morning had been filled with tense conversations and unexpected revelations, and now that the air was cleared between her, Jax, and his mother, she was ready to get out of the apartment for a bit.

"Wanna get out of here for a while?" she asked, glancing over at Jax, who had been quietly going through some messages on his phone.

Jax looked up, his expression softening at the suggestion. "Yeah, definitely. I need to clear my head."

Grace smiled. "How about we take a walk? I've been cooped up inside all morning."

"Sure. I could use a walk, too," he agreed, putting his phone away and standing up. "Let's go."

They slipped on jackets and headed out, enjoying the fresh air as they walked down the bustling streets of the city. The day was sunny, and it felt good to get outside, away from the weight of everything that had happened. Grace tried to relax, to shake off the knots in her stomach.

As they walked, they chatted casually, enjoying the simplicity of the moment. That was until they passed a small park, and a young woman came up to them, her eyes wide in excitement.

"Oh my god!" the woman exclaimed, looking at Jax. "You're Jax Riot, right?"

Jax turned to her, his usual smirk tugging at his lips. "Yeah, that's me."

The woman's face lit up, and she quickly pulled out her phone. "Can I get a selfie with you? I'm such a huge fan."

Grace stood off to the side, giving them a little space. She smiled politely but didn't want to intrude on the moment. Jax, however, seemed genuinely flattered.

"Of course!" Jax said, stepping closer to the fan, and they posed together for the picture.

The fan took a few photos, and Jax looked over at Grace, giving her a wink. She rolled her eyes but smiled in return, feeling the warmth of the moment.

The fan then asked, "Can I get one with you, too, Grace?"

Grace hesitated for a moment. She wasn't used to the attention, but it felt nice to be included in the moment. "Sure," she said, stepping forward.

The fan snapped a few quick photos of Grace, looking absolutely thrilled.

"Thanks so much!" the fan said after a few moments, beaming. "This is amazing! You guys are so cute together. I hope you're both happy."

Grace and Jax exchanged a look, the weight of the morning still hanging in the back of their minds. But it was nice to take a breath, to feel like things were normal for a change.

As the fan walked away, Grace felt a slight tension in her chest. She glanced at Jax. "That was sweet. But it's weird, isn't it? All the attention."

Jax chuckled. "Yeah, but it comes with the territory. You get used to it."

They continued walking, when suddenly Jax's phone buzzed. He pulled it out, and his face shifted as he scrolled through a message.

"Uh, Grace..." he said slowly, his voice turning serious.

"What?" she asked, looking over his shoulder at the screen.

It was a message from a fan account, but it wasn't a message. It was a link to a post with the photo they had just taken with the fan. The caption read:

"Jax Riot's new girlfriend – doesn't she look happy? But notice how she's hiding her bruised face! Is this the kind of guy Jax really is? What's going on behind closed doors?"

Grace froze. Her blood ran cold as she looked at the photo. In it, she was smiling, yes, but the angle made it look like her eye was slightly bruised. Someone had edited the photo, tweaking the lighting, adding shadows, and it made her look like she had a black eye.

Jax's eyes darkened as he looked at the post. "This is bullshit."

Grace's stomach turned. "Who would do that?"

Jax's expression was livid, and Grace could feel her hands tremble. She knew what the world could do when it got its claws into something it didn't understand. And she had seen the way people reacted to rumors. This wasn't just a random comment—it was intentional. Someone was trying to make it look like Jax had hurt her.

"It's not true," Jax said, his jaw clenched. "I'd never... You know I'd never."

Grace nodded, but the weight of it all felt heavy. "I know. But why would someone do this?"

Jax exhaled, clearly frustrated. "Fans can be crazy, Grace. Some people want to see things break down, even if they don't know what's really going on. This has nothing to do with us, but that won't stop people from running with it."

Grace stared at the screen, her heart sinking. "What do we do now?"

Jax swiped through his phone, pulling up the post and starting to type something. "We make it clear. We can't let this spiral out of control. I'll post the truth, but I'll make sure we handle this the right way."

Grace swallowed. "But... what about me? What do I do? I don't want to make this worse."

Jax looked at her, his expression softening. "We'll do this together. Don't worry. This is just a mistake, and we'll fix it."

But as they stood there, Grace couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. The world was watching, and people were quick to judge. She just hoped they could get ahead of it before the rumors started to take over.

They had nothing to hide, but with the internet and social media, the truth often didn't matter. Only the story people wanted to believe. And Grace knew now that she was going to have to fight for her place in Jax's world—not just for him, but for herself.

Jax and Grace walked back to the apartment in silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. The air between them was thick with tension, both of them weighed down by the photo that had been posted online. Grace's stomach churned with every step. She couldn't stop thinking about how the image made her look, how someone had twisted the truth to create a lie. The idea of people believing it made her sick.

Jax's grip on his phone tightened, his eyes flicking between the screen and the pavement beneath their feet. He was typing, texting, checking, sending replies—anything to do damage control. Grace could see the frustration in his expression.

"I'm sorry about this, Grace," he muttered under his breath. "I'll fix it. I won't let them get away with this."

Grace just nodded, too drained to speak. She appreciated Jax's determination, but she couldn't shake the unease gnawing at her. No matter what they did, this had already been seen. People would talk. And talk. And talk. It didn't matter what the truth was—once the story was out, it was out.

As they reached the building, they were both startled by the sound of the door slamming open.

"Jax!" his mother's voice rang out, angry and sharp. "What the hell is going on?"

They both turned, their eyes widening as Mrs. Riot stormed into the hallway, her heels clicking against the floor with an intensity that matched her fury.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Jax asked, his voice a mixture of surprise and caution.

Mrs. Riot's eyes flicked between them, her sharp gaze landing on Grace first. She didn't waste time. "I got a message from one of my contacts. They've been sending me pictures—what the hell is this about you and Grace?"

Grace flinched, instinctively stepping back as Mrs. Riot's glare turned onto her.

"Mom," Jax started again, but his mother didn't let him finish. She marched right up to him, her face furious.

"Don't 'mom' me, Jax! I saw the post. What kind of game are you playing? You let that photo get out there? What the hell were you thinking?"

Jax's face hardened. "It's not what you think, Mom. There's nothing wrong with Grace."

"I don't care what you say," Mrs. Riot snapped. "That picture looks like—"

"Mom!" Jax cut her off, his tone louder now. "It's edited. It's fake."

Mrs. Riot's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, edited?"

Grace felt a lump form in her throat. She opened her mouth to speak, but Jax beat her to it.

"Look at the photo again, Mom. It's been messed with. Grace doesn't have a bruise. There's nothing wrong with her. It's all a lie."

For a moment, Mrs. Riot's gaze softened, but only for the briefest second. She looked at Grace, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Is that true, Grace?"

Grace nodded, her voice low but steady. "It's true. Someone—" she paused, taking a breath, "—someone edited the picture. It's not real."

Mrs. Riot didn't say anything for a long moment. She stared at Grace, her lips pressed tightly together as if trying to decide whether or not to believe her. Finally, she sighed, rubbing her forehead as if the weight of the situation was taking a toll.

"Jax," she muttered, her voice suddenly softer but still tinged with frustration. "You should've told me about this sooner."

Jax exhaled sharply. "I didn't want you to worry."

"Well, I'm worrying now," she snapped back, crossing her arms. "You can't be so careless. You're already in the spotlight enough. The last thing you need is rumors, especially ones that could hurt her."

Grace felt a pang of guilt. She hadn't wanted to cause trouble. She hadn't wanted this at all. But she had known from the start that being with Jax meant dealing with attention, scrutiny, and sometimes, things that weren't true.

Mrs. Riot turned toward Grace now, her gaze much gentler. "I'm sorry, Grace. I didn't mean to come in here hot-headed. I'm just—this isn't the kind of stuff we need right now, you know?"

Grace smiled faintly. "I understand. I get it."

Jax's mother gave her a soft nod before turning her attention back to Jax. "I'll handle this," she said firmly, crossing to the couch and picking up her phone. "We'll get the story out. I'll deal with the fans, with the social media... but you need to do better, Jax. You can't just let things get out of hand like this."

Jax nodded, his jaw tight. "I know, Mom. I'll be more careful. I just... I wasn't thinking."

"You never are," Mrs. Riot muttered under her breath, but there was a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Grace watched as the two of them fell into their usual dynamic—her mother-in-law, sharp and to the point, and Jax, resigned but trying to take control. Despite everything that had happened, it was clear that his mother was still there for him. Even though she might be angry or upset, her support was unwavering.

Jax sat next to Grace on the couch, his hand brushing against hers. "We'll get this sorted. It'll be fine."

Grace wasn't sure she believed that. But she wanted to. She really did.

And with Mrs. Riot now working on damage control, it seemed like they might just have a chance at fixing things. For now, all they could do was hold on, stick together, and hope that the truth would win out.