With or without you

Chapter 38

I can't move. I can't breathe. I can't function. There were no thoughts in my head, only this sinking feeling in my stomach. As she drove off I couldn't do anything but watch. Through the window I saw her wiping her eyes. She wouldn't look back. She wouldn't look at me. Only forward. I messed up. What was I thinking? Why did I let him kiss me? Why did I kiss him back? I should have known she would find out. We aren't together though. She broke up with me. Why did I think I could move on?

I turned around and started for the front door that was wide open. I guess I hadn't closed it. With every step I took I could feel the tears getting stronger and heavier. When I looked up at the top of the stair case I saw Lauren standing there just staring at me. I didn't look at her. I couldn't. The tears were making everything blurry. I slowly made my way up the stairs, one foot at a time. Trying my hardest to remind myself how to walk, which muscles to use, how to keep breathing. When I passed by Lauren, I heard her mumble,

"Tess?"

"Leave me alone Lauren." I walked into my room, broken and shattered and collapsed on my bed. I couldn't hold it back anymore. I felt the tears fall even heavier, and along with them came the gasping breathlessness of sobbing uncontrollably. I fucked up.

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Gray's POV

I've been texting Tess all day and the dumb whore won't text back. I'll admit, I was a little drunk last night and I may have gone a bit too far. But Tess needs to get over Riley already, she needs to move on. Riley isn't coming back, and the fact that she keeps toying with Tess's head is just cruel. At around two in the afternoon I decided to just get up and go over there. I'd been in bed all day because I was just a tad hungover. I got out of bed, put some clothes on real quick and walked over. It was freezing balls out so I practically ran to her house. As I walked up I could tell her parents weren't home because their car wasn't there, but Tess's car was. I knocked on the door and waited for someone to come. When I heard rustling, I assume it was Tess, but instead it was the little shit who opened the door.

"Where's Tess?" Laurens face didn't look right.

"She's uh, in her room."

"Great thanks." I was ready to walk by her when she stopped me and said

"Do you know what happened?"

"I know I know. I got in a fight with Tess, and Riley punched me. I wasn't that drunk. I remember what happened." I wasn't super annoyed with Lauren but I'm still upset about the alcohol thing. I was walking by her when she put her hand on my chest and stopped me.

"No Gray. I mean do you know what happened this morning?"

"No? Tess hasn't talked to me all day. I figured she was just mad about last night."

"She and Riley got in a fight this morning. A really bad one. Tess hasn't come out of her room all day."

"Why were they fighting?" Please don't let it be happening again. I felt myself start to worry more than normal.

"I don't know, but it was really bad. I've never seen Tess cry like that." Without another word I walked in past her and ran up the stairs. When I got to her room I felt my heart start racing. Please don't let it be happening again. I turned the knob and walked into her room. When I opened the door, the lights were off and Tess was laying in her bed facing the wall so her back was to me. She had all the blankets wrapped around her. She didn't even move when I opened the door. I wondered if she was asleep.

"Tess?" I walked over to the bed and sat on it. When I looked over her I could see the tears just falling down her cheek. I pulled her so that she turned over.

"Tess what happened?" She didn't say anything. She just crawled into my lap, wrapped her arms around me, and sobbed on my shoulder. I didn't know what else to do, so I wrapped my arms around her and just held onto her. I'll kill Riley for this. Tess doesn't deserve this. She's been in hell for I don't even know how long, and now Riley has the nerve to break her heart all over again? Tess doesn't deserve to be going through this. Not after everything that she's already been through.