My Exception// Jack Avery [2]

CHAPTER 16 [exception]

When we all get back to the boys' house everyone is still very tense. Zach hasn't given any attention to Kay because of the argument him and Molly has back at the restaurant and I can tell that that's bothering Kay, despite the fact she doesn't know why Zach isn't paying attention to her. Daniel hasn't said one word since he came back to the table and I've been trying to catch his eye line but it's not working, he really can't look at me right now. Corbyn and Jonah are trying to lift the mood a bit but it doesn't seem to be working.

"Let's play some music" Corbyn suggests and everyone's groans at his suggestion. Soon enough Daniel is picking himself off the couch to go upstairs, "you leaving bro" Jonah asks, "need some time to chill out a little" he smiles a little before leaving us and I can't help but feel responsible for his mood right now. I watch him as he leaves to go upstairs and when I turn back to the group, all the girls are looking at me with concerned expressions, "what?" I ask confused, "you should go and see if he's okay" Gabbie suggests, "I don't think Grace could do anything to help" Jack butts in to my surprise and Gabbie glances over at him which changes his facial expression. "Yeah, go see if he's okay, he's been off most of the night" Tate days and I find myself leaving to walk upstairs.

When I get to Daniels room, I knock on the door without any hesitation, "yeah" I hear him shout from the other side, "it's me, can I come in" I ask nervously. I get no answer and I start to think that I won't ever get answer. It feels like forever since I heard anything on the other side of the door and I begin to think that waiting for him to say something is pointless. I turn around and begin to walk down the corridor thinking that Daniel doesn't want to speak to me right now and leaving him alone is probably what's best. When I'm near enough at the end of the corridor I hear a door open which causes me to turn around. Daniel head peers out from the door to look at me, "what did you want" he asks, "just wanted to see if you're okay" I say still not moving from the other side of the corridor.

Daniel looks down before looking back up at me to cock his head, gesturing me to come in his room. Daniel then disappears from the door way and leaves it open. I walk over to his room to see him sitting on the bed and patting a spot near to him for me to sit down. I close the door behind me and join him. After a few moments of silence he speaks, "Jack, again" he says but he sounds more disappointed then angry at this point. For some reason the tone of his voice made that all familiar guilt feeling come back up again in my stomach. "I didn't mean for it to happen" I say looking at him but he keeps his vision locked on the floor, "well did you try and stop it from happening" he asks, come to think of it, I didn't try to stop it - I let it happen.

This time my head falls to the floor in disappointment in myself, "no, I didn't" I mutter. "Well then" Daniel almost laughs out, I turn to him confused but he still refuses to look at me, "why are you so bothered" I ask him, he finally looks at me and his eyes are harsh and his jaw is clenched as if my question made him angry, "he has a girlfriend Grace" Daniel says, "I know that and I promised myself that I wouldn't get involved in their relationship" I stand up for myself in hopes that Daniel will understand, "new flash, you're now in the centre of it so those promises are broken" Daniel stands up to look down on me and the feeling starts to intimidate me. "I'm not anymore, I've promised myself that nothing else will happen, I won't fall for him again and I definitely won't let myself be in that situation ever again" I say, only making these promises verbalised now. Daniel rolls his eyes and laughs.

"Good luck with that" he says as though he didn't believe a word that came out my mouth, "I swear Daniel, nothing will happen" I say and Daniel looks down on me again, "you can't promise yourself that" Daniel says harshly which kind of hurts me. Daniel has only ever spoke to me in this way once before and it was over something stupid in high school. "What do you expect me to do, I cant control Jack, he does what he wants" I point out and he rubs the back of his neck, "you can control your actions, you cant justify his" he says rolling his eyes, "its always Jack, you go crawling back to him the second he says your name" Daniel almost shouts but keeps his voice low knowing Gabbie is in the house.

"It's different now and you know it" I spit out, "how, go on tell me how its different" he ushers but he cuts me off before I can speak after him, "because even after three years you still ended up in his bed" Daniel scoffs and it kind of hurts. "I'm not the same girl I was three years ago, I can stick by my promises" I say getting angry, "you can't though, it's Jack, he was and will always be the exception to the rules for you" Daniel states and his words make sense to me despite them being harsh. Jack has always been my exception to everything. I lost my family because of him. I couldn't help but stay away from him despite what people had warned be about. Even though Jack could be a complete dickhead at times, I still found myself trying to make things right with him.

I stay quiet, being unable to think of anything to help back me up after that, "Grace, I'm sorry for being harsh" Daniel says after he realises what he said hurt me, I look up at him and his eyes that were once harsh are now kind and concerned. "I don't know what to do" I admit, "what do you mean" he asks, "I've tried, I've tried to stay away but as soon as he fucking kissed me it's like everything else was forgotten" I admit, "I forgot about Gabbie, I forgot about the past and I completely forgot that it's been three years since the last time it happened" I say although it feels like I'm admitting something to myself. "I hate myself for what I'm doing but for some reason I cant stop myself" I say with tears welling up in my eyes.

"It's not your fault, it's Jack's, he's got some wierd freakish hold over you" Daniel says, trying to make it a joke but those are probably the most honest words I've heard in a while. "I hate the fact that I cant control myself around him" I shrug, "well if it makes things any better, I don't think he can control himself around you either" Daniel tries and jokes, "you would've thought that everything that happened with us that it would put us off each other for good" I say, "I think you'll never be put off each other" Daniel laughs, "Jacks your guy" he says and I look up at him with confusion. "You know, every person has that one guy or girl that's always in the back of their mind" he says and my confusion fades a little, "Jacks your guy and you're his girl" Daniel says, "that's really fucking annoying" I manage to laugh after he's done explaining and he even laughs a little to.

"Ugh come here" Daniel holds his arms out to me and he pulls me into a hug which I gladly accept. After a few moments of hugging a pull away, "why were you so annoyed" I ask him, "because you're falling into old habits that I thought you'd be over" he says before pulling me back into his chest. "I don't want you to get hurt, you deserve more than that" he kisses the top of my head, "I think it'll end in us both hurting each other" I admit, "just be careful Grace" he says, still hugging me. "I'll try" I whispers and I feel Daniel pulls away, "so you wanna join the others or what" he asks and I smile, "piggy back me down the stairs?" I ask and he smiles down at me before he turns around to give me easy access to jump on his back and away we went downstairs to join the others.

When we return back to the others, everything seems some what back to normal. Zach and Kay seem to be all over each other as are Tate and Jonah. Molly is sitting laughing with Corbyn and Jack and Gabbie are also in their own little world. When me and Daniel appear in the door way everyone quickly notices us, "hey, looks who happy now" Tate exclaims when she spots us. Me and Daniel both laugh when he puts me down from off his back. "Love birds" Kay tries to mumble but it comes off loud and clear, "we're not together" I say cringing, "yeah why do you guys think that" Daniel laughs as he sits down on the couch, I shortly join him.

"Because of that kiss you shared during spin the bottle" Jack smiles sarcastically, "that was some kiss" Zach laughs, "that's all it was, a kiss" I clarify and everyone's expressions don't seem satisfied. "Sure Grace" Tate laughs, "I'm sure they're just friends" Molly saves my ass and I send her a look which thanks her and she nods at me. "Very good friends" Daniel wraps his arm around me and smiles down at me. I look up to him and return the smile, "agreed" I say back. "Well, at least we've clarified that Grace and Daniel are in fact just friends, what are we watching" Jonah says with a smile, I roll my eyes. "Not something horror" I groan, "but" he starts but everyone yells "no!" in unison and Jonah eventually backs down.

We spent the next hour arguing over what film to watch while Jonah sulked in the corner because he wanted to watch horror but we've been watching a horror film every single time we all sit down together and everyone seems to be over it, especially me. What Daniel said got me thinking about everything, about the idea that Jacks 'my guy'. It makes sense, most people do have the one person that stays in the back of their mind, always there through every decision. I don't want to believe that Jacks my guy because I'd like to believe that I am a strong independent woman that can make her own decisions without needing a guy alongside her. I'd like to think that I can resist Jack but with how things went the other day, I'm not too sure of it.