Another Alternative

20 Dollar Nose Bleed

TRIGGER WARNING: Abuse

Grace's POV

My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to assess my options. Okay, I thought. You could tell the truth and get your ass kicked. But I don't feel like getting hurt anymore. Or I could lie and lose her forever. Which might hurt more.

Fuck it.

"I-" The words caught in my throat and I cursed myself for it closing up. Come on, you idiot. Fucking do it. "I needed an escape. I didn't know it would be you. I-I'm sorry."

"An escape? Escape from what?" Hannah's eyes softened, though she still couldn't look in mine. I shifted my eyes back to Chester, his dark eyes daring me to answer.

My breath clung to my lungs as tears I didn't know we're forming fell down my cheeks. Hannah saw my struggle and took a few steps toward me. She wiped away my tears and gently rested her hand on my cheek. She touched me with the utmost care and hesitance, as if a single ounce of wrong pressure would break me. I shuddered at the chill of her fingertips and did, just a bit, break.

"Hey." Her voice was low and comforting. I let out a heavy breath and stared at my feet, trying desperately to calm myself down. "Hey, hey, hey. Look at me. Look at me." She tilted my chin up and my eyes darted around her face, all but expecting the confused safeness it sent through my nerves. "It's okay. Everything's okay. But, I need you to talk to me. What were you running from?"

I shook my head slowly as a sob hollowed out my throat. I'm not sure what I meant, but it felt like the most I could do to answer.

"No? What do you mean? No, you weren't running? No, you can't tell me?" I just kept shaking my head and crying. "God damn it, Grace, you've got to give me something. No, not what?"

I paused for a moment and nodded softly. It must've been like talking to a toddler, the way I stayed silent.

"Not what? You mean..." She trailed off and seemed to get it, hands falling to my shoulders and moving my blouse slightly to reveal the bruise I half-heartedly explained the night before. Her face fell and she looked at Chester through her peripheral. "Shit." She muttered under her breath, looking over my shoulder at the nearly shut door.

"Damn it, Grace." He took a few steps into my vision, shaking his head with a disappointed look on his face. "I told to to lie." He swung his arm and Hannah collapsed on top of me, broken glass and whiskey falling with her. She stumbled a bit, but stayed conscious just long enough for me to swing the door open and Chester to bash her head with his fist.

"Mamrie!" I shouted, extending the last syllable until Chester shoved me to the floor. I felt a kick to my side as my vision blurred and faded for a moment. Everything seemed to go in slow motion after that. Tyler running over. Troye trailing just behind as Mamrie ran for help. It's all vague and distant but one thing I won't forget is the broken look in Troye's eyes as Chester pushed the broken glass through Tyler's wrist and ran out the door. He fell to his knees and held Tyler's hand as I faded out of consciousness.