Breaking the Rules

Chapter 36

The night was colder than usual, and Grace's breath puffed out in visible wisps as she hurried through the dark streets. The cool wind bit at her skin, a stark contrast to the heat that still burned in her chest after the confrontation with Elliot. She wasn't sure where she was going; she just needed to be away from him, away from everything. Her mind raced, replaying the conversation over and over, a broken record stuck on the worst moments.

Elliot had stood there, his face stricken with guilt and desperation as he begged her to understand. But how could she? How could she possibly make sense of the tangled mess of lies, half-truths, and secrets that had become their relationship? The boy she thought she knew was slipping further from her grasp, turning into someone darker, someone unfamiliar.

Her feet carried her on autopilot, through quiet neighborhoods and empty streets, until she found herself at the park. The same park where she and Elliot had spent so many evenings together, wrapped in the comfort of each other's presence. But tonight, the place felt different. The trees loomed taller, the shadows deeper, and the usual soft rustling of leaves seemed to echo ominously in the stillness of the night.

Grace walked slowly to the swings, her hand brushing against the cold metal chain as she sat down. The swing creaked under her weight, a familiar sound that usually brought her comfort, but tonight it only heightened the sense of unease that clung to her like a second skin. She wrapped her arms around herself, as if the action could shield her from the storm raging inside her.

How had everything gone so wrong?

She remembered the first time she saw Elliot, how mysterious and intriguing he had seemed. His brooding eyes, his quiet intensity, the way he had made her feel like she was the only person in the room. It had all felt like something out of a movie. But now, she realized, the darkness she had once found so alluring was real—too real. And it scared her.

The sound of footsteps crunching on the gravel path made her heart skip a beat. Grace tensed, her grip tightening on the swing's chains as she turned her head, half-expecting to see Elliot standing there, having followed her like a shadow. But it wasn't him.

It was Madison.

"Grace," Madison said softly, her voice barely louder than the wind. She stood a few feet away, hesitant, her eyes filled with a mix of concern and sorrow. "I saw you leave and... I figured you might need someone."

Grace didn't say anything at first. She felt too raw, too exposed. But Madison wasn't Elliot. She wasn't part of the lies. She was her friend—the one who had warned her, the one who had tried to protect her from the truth that Grace had refused to see.

"I don't know what to do," Grace whispered, her voice breaking as she finally looked up at Madison. Her friend's face softened with sympathy, and without a word, Madison moved closer and sat down on the swing beside her.

They sat in silence for a long time, the only sound the faint creaking of the swings swaying in the wind. It was Madison who finally broke the silence, her voice careful but steady.

"You don't have to figure it all out right now, Grace," she said gently. "But you can't keep running from it either."

Grace squeezed her eyes shut, willing the tears to stay at bay. "I didn't want to believe you. When you told me about Riley, about everything... I thought you were wrong. I thought Elliot was..."

"Different?" Madison finished softly. "I know. I wanted to believe that too, once. But he's not, Grace. He's dangerous. And he's not going to change just because you want him to."

Grace flinched at Madison's words, the truth of them cutting deeper than she wanted to admit. "I thought he was trying," she whispered. "He said he wanted to be better, that he was different now. But after what you told me... after everything..."