She stood sleepily at the top of the stairs with a look of terror on her face. She was white as a ghost.
“Dad.” She called out.
“Get your stuff. Let’s go now.” The old man called out.
Screw that. “Don’t move a muscle Grace. You’re not going anywhere with him.” I yelled up the steps. He may have looked mean, but I wasn’t scared. If anything he should have been scared of me.
“I don’t know who you think you are,” he started jabbing his finger in my face.
“I’m her boyfriend, and I’ll kill you if you lay one finger on her.” I said with as much hatred as I could. I was as serious as a heart attack.
Looked like no one had ever said that to the man, because his face spoke a thousand words. He might have been a tad bit scared of me.
Good.
“Look at you girl.” He said to Grace. “Everything I’ve taught you pushed aside so that you could step out like some cheap whore. You’re a disgrace.”
I smashed my fist into his face as hard as I could. “Get out. Don’t ever come back here again!” I screamed.
When he stood up tall, I thought maybe he’d hit me back, but I was ready. Bring it on, old man.
Grace came trampling down the steps, and stood next to my side. Her hand gripped tightly against my arm. She was afraid, but she didn’t have to be. I’d protect her. I’d always protect her.
“Your mother has worried herself sick over you? She’s ill Grace. Don’t you care at all?”
“I care.” She whispered. She cleared her throat. “I care.” She said over and over.
“Go! Now!” I screamed. I was over the whole conversation. It ended there, and I dared him with my eyes to say one more word.
He stormed out of the house blistering mad.
I pulled her to the front of me and wrapped my arms around her. She squeezed me back as tight as she could. Placing a soft kiss on the top of her head, I told her everything would be okay.
“Go upstairs and pack a bag. We’re going to my house.” I told her. “We can talk to my parents, and you won’t have to worry about him showing up there.”
“O… Okay.”
She waited for me to guide her up the stairs. Her hand was still trembling in mine. I wasn’t scared, but I was worried about her. I knew that my Mom and Dad would know how to handle this.
My adrenaline was still pumping. I never punched anyone in the face before, especially not someone who was that much older than me. My knuckles were red and would probably be sore the next day, but at that moment I wasn’t even thinking about the pain. I wanted to get her out of that house to somewhere where she’d feel safe again.
Once inside the car, I took a minute to finally breathe.
I glanced over at Grace and she was staring blankly out the window. She hadn’t said a word about any of it. That scared me most. She should be screaming or crying or something. Not sitting there inattentive and lost. Her knee bounced hard under her dress, and her hands laced together on her lap.
“I’m sorry Grace.” That was the only thing I could think to say, and I was sorry. I was sorry for what he said, for how badly she was scared, and for opening that damn door in the first place.
She weakly smiled in my direction. “I’m sorry too.”
“For what?” I asked. She had nothing to be sorry for.
“For everything. I’m sorry that my Dad screamed at you. I’m sorry that you had to see him at all. I’m sorry that I fell apart, just like I always do.” She was nearly screaming. “I’m sorry that I let everyone down. I’m sorry that you’re in the middle of this whole mess. God, I’m just sorry.” She cried.
Finally.
I didn’t want to see her break down like that, but it’s better to see some emotion then nothing at all.
“Come here.” I pulled her across the console so that I could hold her tighter. “You don’t have to apologize to me for any of that. You didn’t let anyone down. So don’t say that. Maybe you didn’t do things exactly like they wanted you too, but damn it Grace. It’s your life, and you should be able to live it exactly how you want to. You’re an amazing girl, so don’t you dare listen to a single word that he tells you. You hear me?” I said.
She nodded her head against my chest, but she didn’t say anything else.
“I love you,” I said to her as she held me close. I didn’t know if she felt the same way, but for the first time in my life I was in love. I was head over heels for this girl, and knew that I would do anything for her.
She looked up at me with tears running down her face.
“You mean that?” She asked.
“Yes. I do. I love you.” I said it again.
“I love you too Jackson.”
I knew right then that my world would never be the same. I knew that I loved her so hard that she could break me in a second, and I didn’t care.
I kissed her forehead, and both cheeks before finding her lips. “Let’s go home.” I said.
31
Grace
So many thoughts were running through my head that I couldn’t keep them straight, but the one thing that I was most certain about was Jackson. He loved me. He told me so, and I told him that I loved him too.
I sat there on the couch next to Jackson as he held my hand. I let him tell his parents what was going on. Before we even walked inside the house, I’d asked him to do the talking. I told him that he could tell them everything, but I just wasn’t in the mood to talk. I was already exhausted. My mind was rattled, and I couldn’t bare the thought of saying those words to anyone else again.
Claire came over to the couch to hug me, and for the first time all night I felt at ease. Don’t get me wrong, Jackson was comforting, but there was something different about the love of a mother.
Jackson’s father Nick shook his head several times, and I didn’t know what he would say. He was angry, in the same way that Jackson was.
“You’re welcome to stay with us for as long as you’d like Grace.” Claire said as she continued hugging me. I wasn’t usually the hugging type, but they were growing on me. And sometimes you just need a hug.
“Thank you.” I replied.
Nick walked out of the room, and Jackson followed. I glanced wearily at Claire.
“Don’t you worry dear? He’s not angry or upset with you. Nick had a bit of an ugly childhood, and I think maybe you remind him of himself.” She smiled sincerely.
“I’m sorry.” I had the whole apology thing down to an art. I was masterful at it by that point.
“No, no, no. It’s fine. I promise. He just needs a minute that’s all.”
We sat there quietly for a few minutes, and I thought about how much this situation weighed heavily on my heart. I did miss my Mom sometimes, and all though I’d been living happily since I’d left, the scars were always there. Not just the scars that were on my body, but the big ugly ones on my heart.
I couldn’t continue to drag everyone into the situation, and I couldn’t keep being afraid. I needed closure. Running away made me a happier person, but it didn’t make me free.
I wouldn’t be free until I said my peace.
I needed to tell them that I was gone for good, and that I was never coming back. I needed to get the rest of my things from that house. I needed to light a match under that final bridge and watch it burn to the ground, so that I’d never have to cross over it again.
“I need to go home.” I said loudly as if it were the greatest revelation I’d ever made.
Jackson walked back into the room. “You can stay here for the night, and I’ll take you home tomorrow after we get some sleep.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I need to go back home to Oklahoma.”
“What? You can’t do that. That’s nuts Grace. You can stay here with us as long as you want. Dad even said that you could move in if you wanted to.”
What a sweet, sweet family this was.
“I don’t want to go home to stay. I just want to go home and get everything off my chest. I want closure. I want my stuff. And I want to tell them that I’ll be out of their lives for good.” I admitted. “If I don’t quit running then they’ll never stop chasing.”