Nightingale

5

"I can't believe you would embarrass me like that!" Danny shouts as he drives down the road " I take you out for your birthday and this is how you repay me!" He continues yelling "flirting with every guy in the place!" "I didn't!" I try defending myself "please!" He scoffs "everyone saw it; how do you expect me to show my face after you just flirted with every guy at the movie theater" he continues yelling at me the whole way home.

"Danny I swear I wasn't" I cry getting out of the car "now you're gonna lie about it!" He gets even angrier "I watched you fucking do it!" He roars getting in my face "I was just being polite" I cry "bullshit!" "What's going on?" My dad asks coming outside "I took her out for her birthday and what does she do" Danny pauses for dramatic effect "she flirts with every guy at the theater" "I wasn't.." "of course she would" my father scoffs "I think it's about time you teach her a lesson son" dad tells him with this glint in his eye.

Without another word Danny grabs me by the hair and drags me into the house "you're hurting me" I cry hoping he'll let me go but Danny just tugs harder "good, maybe it'll teach you a lesson" he grunts shoving me into my room. "Danny I swear I wasn't" "shut up" he cuts me off slapping me across the face "I don't want to hear anymore of your lies" he spits in my face punching me in the stomach.

"Please" I cry but Danny just hits me harder "please you don't have to do this" I cry over and over as the hits keep coming.

"Lacey" I hear a deep voice "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to" I sob trying to back away "Lacey baby wake up" "please!" I cry over and over. "Baby wake up" I hear again "come on baby it's okay, you're safe" the voice whispers close to my ear "no! Please" I cry jolting awake as someone grabs me.

"Shh baby it's just me" that deep voice soothes holding me tight "I'm sorry" I sob trying to get away "Lacey look at me" the voice demands and I freeze at the tone, that's the same tone Danny would use when I was about to get beat. A big warm hand is placed under my chin tilting it up to meet the most gorgeous pair of green eyes and I instantly relax because Danny has blue eyes, I really am safe.

"That's it, breath baby" the deep beautiful voice coaxes while I focus on his face. His deep forest green eyes never leave mine holding me captive while I take in his features. His skin is perfectly sun kissed which brings out his beautiful green eyes and his pink plump lips and his perfectly defined jaw, his face looks like it could have been sculpted by the gods; I could stare at him forever and never get bored he's so gorgeous.

"Thank you" I mumble looking away after staring at him for probably way too long, he probably thinks I'm a creep now. "Anytime baby" he answers kissing my head "what time is it?" I ask looking around to see that it's still dark outside and that Gabby and Colton are both still sound asleep, thank god, I can't imagine if they had seen that, especially Colton, he'd never let me live it down, he already hates me "it's 4am" Grayson answers.

"Sorry for waking you" I apologize looking anywhere but at him "you didn't wake me, I was having a hard time sleeping and then I heard you crying" he responds looking directly at me "do you wanna talk about it?" He asks genuinely concerned "no, I'm fine" I lie laying back down "you're sure you don't want to talk about it?" He asks again I can hear the hope in his voice "I'm fine" I reply getting comfortable. "Okay" he sighs getting ready to lay back down on his makeshift bed until I grab his arm in panic; thankfully Grayson realizes what I want and gladly obliges without making me ask.

The bed is too small for the both of us but as Grayson wraps his arm around me and gently pulls me into his chest I don't care. My nightmare becomes a distant memory and I slowly relax feeling safer than I ever have with his big warm body holding me close "night baby" Grayson whispers kissing my head.

I lay there relishing in the feeling just staring at Grayson's arm around me is this what it's supposed to be like? Danny never made me feel like this, although Danny never held me either, he didn't cuddle cuz "real men don't cuddle" l shake the thought from my head when I feel Grayson squeeze me a little tighter. What is going on with me, I've never been this comfortable with someone, not to mention I promised myself I would stay as far away from the opposite sex as possible, yet here I am wrapped in Grayson's arms for the second night in a row.