Ruin Me

50. Hurt me

I awoke to the sound of my phone pinging as I received a text. I rolled over and buried my face in my pillow in denial. I'd been in that blissful moment between sleep and consciousness and wasn't ready to fully wake up just yet.

Who would be texting me this early, the boys usually took the approach of barging into my room to act as my alarm clock. I don't think my dad even had my number and that left only Mina but she far preferred to call because texting didn't allow her to express everything she needed to.

Curiosity got the better of me and I flung a hand out to my bedside table and scrambled about trying to feel for my phone without lifting my head up to look. Finally I managed to grip it and yank it towards me. Lazily I lifted up one half of my head to blink one bleary eye at the screen. It took a moment for the text to fall into focus.

Then I was fully awake and bolting upright in my bed, this couldn't be right. My hand covered my mouth slightly as my eyes darted all over the screen hoping I would be proved wrong about what my sleepy eyes had first seen.

The text contained no words only a single image. It showed a swimming pool filled with clear icy blue water broken only by a single figure rippling the smooth surface. Grey.

My hand flew to mouth as I gasped, they were actually here, they'd taken a photo of Grey. Oh my god.

My first thought was panic, immediate overwhelming fear and terror that consumed every part of me. Not Grey. I'd caused this to happen to Grey and now he might be in danger because of me. I had to do something.

My second thought was of  saving Grey, I had to get to him. I needed to make this right.

I was up out of my bed and sprinting towards Grey's bedroom door in a split second. I'd never moved so fast in my life. I flung the door open hoping beyond sense that he would be in there. I hoped that it wasn't him in the photo even though my gut knew I would recognise that dark hair and distinctive body anywhere. I hoped the photo had been taken a while ago and they were just using it now to scare me. I hoped and I willed and I prayed.

His bed was empty. My heart clenched.

His sheets lay strewn half on the floor and his pillow was still half sunken in the middle from where his head had been all night but wasn't anymore.

"Cara!" I had been too gut punchingly scared I hadn't even noticed Sawyer in his bed in only his pyjama bottoms with his t-shirt on the floor beside my foot. My head was spinning too much to concentrate on his toned chest or the adorable way he rubbed his eyes. I could tell the exact moment he realised something was wrong with me as he leapt up off his bed and ran to place his hands on my shoulders to hold me steady. Under usual circumstances I would've taken notice of how close our bodies were and how little clothing we had on between us, me in just an oversized t-shirt and pants. But these weren't usual circumstances; all I could think of was Grey and what they would do to him. "What's the matter?"

"Where's Grey?" I demanded, not caring how I sounded.

"He usually goes to swimming practise in the mornings,"

"Oh my god," I sunk to my knees and stuffed my hands into my hair as I gripped my head hoping that would help me straighten out my thoughts. I had to think, I had to sort this out.

"Cara, what's happened? Is something wrong?" Sawyer was at my level now and I hated how his voice was so fearful. I couldn't bare to tell him what I'd done to Grey. He was going to hate me.