They Could Never Know (Editing)

Part 12

A few shots and beers later I am feeling great again, my heart feels numbed from the hurting of today. I'm dancing in Liam's living room with Chloe, random girls, and a cute dark-haired boy from another school who followed me from the beer pong table. A slow song comes on and I turn to face the boy who has been following me around like a puppy all night long. I grab his arms and wrap them around my waist and lock mine around his neck. "I'm not going to lie; I thought maybe you had a boyfriend. I'm glad I was wrong." He smiles. Grant seizes my mind again, and I reach for my pocket looking for my phone, but it's empty. "Um. Excuse me, please." I release myself from him and walk back to the kitchen, scanning the counter for my phone. When I find it, I turn on the screen to find I have two messages, both from Katy. 

Nick is doing well. The doctor says he has a couple of broken ribs and a concussion. K

Nick and I are going to skip the party tonight and just hang at his place. K

I message her back and let her know that I'm happy that Nick was doing good. Disappointment creeps through me noticing that Grant still hasn't even opened his message. I slip my phone into my pocket and head to the door, grabbing one of Liams jackets from a hook on the wall. This was a rash plan and probably a terrible one, but I needed to see him and know that he was ok. Liam's house was a few roads down from Grants, so it didn't take long to reach the drive of the pillared brick house. I make note that Grant's black jeep is in the drive, but the SUV is missing, though that could mean nothing if he parks it in the garage. I walk around to the side of the house, spotting a door, I jiggle the knob and find that it's unlocked, so I slip through it quietly. Closing the door behind me, I realize that this door led me into the kitchen. All the lights are off in the house, but the moonlight shines through a window, illuminating the kitchen table. I grip the doorknob, ready to turn away and boycott this venture, but the thought of needing to see Grant pushes me from the door. I slip off my shoes and hold them as I step past the table, letting my fingertips graze the ringed groove that I had seen in my sleep too many times. The room opens into the chandelier foyer with the living room connected, my eyes trace the stairs that wrap to the second floor. I take each step slowly, on the last step the boards creak under my foot which causes me to halt. My body freezes with nerves, I wait before moving again to see if I could hear anyone. Once I feel like the coast is clear I step onto the second floor of the home. The hallway goes in two different ways, I choose to go right first. I arrive at the first door and hold my breath as I turn the knob and push it open, I peek in only to find a desk and bookshelves. I close the door and make my way to the next room but before reaching it, I hear the squeak of a door from the other side of the hall. I whip my body around, freezing, but relax when I hear the click of nails on the floor. A golden retriever approaches me and I pray he doesn't make a noise. I squat down and pat him on the head, "Good boy" I whisper. I notice that the door is ajar to the room he came from. I stand back up and creep my way to the door. The dog pushes past me and knocks the door open all the way revealing the entire room. The dog jumps onto the bed curling up against a lump under the blankets. I scan the room, my eyes adjusted to the dark, there's trophies lining the shelves and pictures hang on the wall showcasing Grant and his mom. I step into the room and close the door behind me calling out softly, "Grant." The lump under the covers flings up in bed and flips on a lamp next to the bed. I squint my eyes from the brightness that has covered every square inch of the room, "Tess? What are you doing? You can't be here." He says as he jumps from the bed and rushes to me. When he reaches me, he holds both of my upper arms and the closing of distance between us gives me a full picture of his face. His right eye, dark purple encircling it, is shut, his skin too puffy to open it. His bottom lip is bust open with dried blood smeared across his chin and fingertips have been dug so hard around his neck that you can see the outline of a hand. I bring my thumb to his bottom lip which causes him to wince, "You wouldn't answer me." I whisper. Grant pushes my hand away from him and nervously brushes his hand through his hair. He peers at the closed door behind me, "You have to get out of here, Tess." I take a step closer to him, which causes him to back away from me, "you need to get out of here too." I counter. Grant shakes his head, "You're drunk, Tess, you don't want to be here with me. You can't be here... Let me walk..." Before anymore words leave his mouth boards creaking shuts him up. Fear courses through my body as Grant grabs me and pushes me into the closest. I shrink my body to the floor, knees tucked to my chest as Grant flips off the light and lays back into bed. The steps get louder but stop right outside of the door that leads into Grant's room, the door swings open so hard that it hits the wall which causes me to jump. The dog runs from the room and Grant sits up in his bed. His dad strides to him, reeking of whiskey and cigarettes. "Because of you and your little girlfriends stunt after the game tonight, I had to go write a hefty check to the sheriff." His dad spits as he swings his fist down onto Grant, who throws his hands up in defense. I squeeze my hand against my mouth as I watch, for the second time tonight, Grant take a beating. Once he feels satisfied with his hits, he turns to walk out of the room, rubbing his knuckles as he goes. The door closes, and I wait, listening for the steps to become distant. I rush to Grant, who hasn't moved since the door closed, and sit next to him on the bed. I turn his face to mine, my fingers slipping through blood.  I jump from the bed and grab a shirt from his dresser, bringing it to him and holding it to his nose. He takes the shirt from my hand, "Please leave Tess." His eyes are begging me, and the truth was that I wasn't safe here, I needed to get out. "Please come with me." This time I am the one begging. I grab his arm, letting him know that I wasn't taking no for an answer. Grant nods and gets up from the bed, leaving me still sitting. He reaches under the bed and pulls out a bag, grabs keys from his bedside table and opens a window. My heart beats fast, I was not jumping out of the second story window of his house. He reaches his hand out, "trust me." he says. I eye him, I did trust him and that had blown up in my face. I glance at the door to the room and back to the window, I didn't really have another option. Now that his dad was home, the both of us sneaking out down the stairs is a reckless idea. I grab his hand, "just so we are clear, I don't trust you but right now, this is my only option." He doesn't respond, I crouch through the window and swing my  leg outside. I hold onto his arms as my legs dangle down the side of the house, "just drop straight down, the balcony is just below you." He says and with that, I let go, my feet hitting the balcony with a thump. He jumps down right after me and we do the same thing again, this time landing on the ground. We run to his car and as we pull the doors closed, the front door of the house swings open. My eyes meet his fathers, "Go." I yell, and the tires screech out of the driveway.