more than this | grayson dolan (book one)

thirty two

My eyes slowly begin to drift open. Sharp pains take over every inch of my skin, seeping through my fragile bones. My throat feels like sharp needles are stuck inside, causing a hard pain whenever I swallow.

I fix my eyes on Grayson laying next to me in his bed. My body is still wrapped around him as I pay attention to his breathing. His chest is moving up and down as he continues to deeply sleep.

I slowly untangle my naked body from his in order to get out of the bed. The second I rise, my knees turn into jello. I can barely stand without pain stinging every inch of my skin.

My ribs and stomach ache from my father's shoes kicking those sensitive areas. I bend down and pick up my scattered clothes around the dark bedroom. The time on the cable box reads 11:18 pm. I quickly clip my bra back on my chest and slide my underwear up my thighs.

As I'm putting on my shorts, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The darkness overshadows my features, but I can still see my face. It's beaten and bruised. I look like a monster to the point where the sight actually scares me. My lip is swollen and completely black from his knuckles. Cuts and bruises cover my cheeks and arms. My ribs have red gashes across it.

I rip my eyes away as my lip starts to quiver. Once my clothes are on, I make my way to the door. My stomach drops as I slowly look back at Grayson. He's cuddled up under the covers and small snores are coming out of his half opened mouth.

"I'm sorry." I quietly whisper as my hand carefully turns the doorknob.

I slip my body out of his room, trying my best not to wake him up. I close the door behind me and tiptoe down the long staircase. My thighs are killing me and my immune system feels like its failing. The distant sound of muffled voices begin to fill my ears. My eyes widen as I look around the downstairs area. My body suddenly relaxes when I realize it's the tv, hearing the news anchors talk about the weather. Sean is probably watching it in the living room.

Not wanting to find out, I unlock the front door and nervously step into the muggy air. I immediately begin to run down the driveway, passing each luxury car on the way down. My feet push down their block until I'm far away from the mansion.

I run my hand through my messy hair as I continue to navigate through the quiet north side. My chest feels heavy as tears build up in my eyes. I brush the feeling off as I make my way to the middle of town.

Turning down a semi-familiar block, I pull my phone out of my back pocket. I have a few missed calls from Jake, but I ignore them for right now. I scroll through my contacts and start a new call. My body stops in front of a white house as ringing fills my ears. I know I shouldn't be doing this, but that seems like my theme for tonight.

"Come on." I mutter as I squint my eyes toward the window. It eventually goes to voicemail, so I dial it again. My skin burns as I tap my foot against the pavement.

"What?" The raspy voice on the other line catches me off guard.

"It's about time." I roll my eyes with a clenched jaw. "I need the biggest distraction of my life right now."

"Are you serious? It's eleven thirty on a Sunday, we have school in the morning."

"Tom, please." I beg as I look up at the house.

"Stella, go to bed." He sighs.

"I can't do that if I'm standing outside of your house."

He stays quiet for a few short seconds. I see his tired face peek through one of the upstairs bedrooms. "Are you insane? My parents are sleeping."

"Just ten minutes, that's all I need." I force myself to smirk.

He walks away from the window and my body perks up. "No."