A Twist Of Fate

Chapter 22

ELIAS' POV

I hear a gasp and I quickly look up to see Grace standing there. Fuck! I quickly push Reina away and take a step back. "It's not what you think."

If the situation was different, I would laugh. I always wondered why guys in situations like this one would use that line. It makes them look guilty, but now I know why; that's the first thing that comes out their mouth, because it really is not what you think.

Reina grabs my arm and I have to stop myself from cringing at the way her skin makes mine crawl. It's repulsive. "Don't touch me." I shrug her off and go after Grace. Who is now walking in the opposite direction from me.

"Grace, please. It really is not what it looks like." I reach for her and she shrugs me off. "Please. Let me explain." I beg pathetically.

I hear arguing and I turn around and see Ben tell Reina to get lost. If it was an appropriate time I would of cheered, even patted Ben on his back, but it's not. I have to stay focused.

I turn back to Grace and observe her beautiful face. Her eyes are red and blotchy, she has deep, dark bags under her eyes as if she hasn't gotten any sleep. I sigh as I feel a pang of hurt seeing her like this.

"Grace, nothing happened. I promise. I stopped to put gas and I saw Reina walking. I offered her a ride and asked where she was going? She said to the frat house. I figured she was coming over here for one of the guys. When you came out and seen us like that, Reina tried to kiss me and I pushed her away. I promise I would never cheat on you." I take a step towards her, but she steps away. She blinks a couple of times before her eyes begin to water. Fuck!

"Cheat?" She scrunches up her nose. "We're not even dating to consider it cheating. You're free to be with who you want Elias, but just so you know regardless if we were or not I trust you, Elias. I might not trust her, but I trust you." She wipes a tear and I let out a shaky sigh of relief. "That's not why I'm hurt. I'm hurt because when things got hard, you bailed. You left and called your friend who has went through the same trauma as I did to help me. Did you not stop and think that he could of been triggered as well?" She shakes her head and looks at her feet. "But then again, you aren't obligated to stick around. I guess I got caught up in my feelings. You were the first person to look at me as if I wasn't broken or damaged. I thought I found someone who finally cared about me, but I was wrong. The very first time things got tough you bailed. You didn't care enough to stay, no you left. I gave you the benefit of the doubt when Ben talked to me and made me see things from your perspective, but even when I called and left you texts and voicemails, you still didn't even return them. You didn't even come home. I stayed up all night worried. I can't even ask where you were because we're not even together."

I feel my eyes widen with realization from her words. This beautiful woman is unbelievable. She thought this whole damn time that we haven't been dating.

"When I told you you were mine, I meant it, Grace. We've been together since the very first night." I shake my head. "You thought we have just been fucking this whole time? Oh, no, baby. You're mine and I'm not letting you go." I say taking a step towards her as she takes a step back and scoffs at me.

"I don't know what goes on in that head of yours, Elias." She points to the side of her head. "But when you want to date someone, you typically ask them out. It's called communication, but since you say we're together, then tell me. Where were you all last night?"

I-I..." What do I tell her. I'm not ready to talk about my past. My past that haunts me still. I sigh. "I can't. You're just going to have to trust me, baby."

"Trust you? Trust only gets you so far, and if you have to lie to the person your dating." She says the word dating in quotation marks "Then you shouldn't be in a relationship, Elias. A relationship is about being honest with each other., trusting each other. If you can't do that then the foundation will crumble. It won't last, Elias."