𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 (j.foley)

𝚃𝚊𝚙𝚎 𝟻, 𝚂𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝙱

Grace quickly wipes away a tear that has fallen from her eye as she thinks of one of the memories she had with the boy. It was one where Clay had stood her up in the Cresmont to finish an assignment and Jeff had offered to go with her to cheer her up. She had so much fun that night and she will never forget it. Ever.

She suddenly feels the bench move slightly at another persons weight. Justin sits down next to her silently. It has been tense between the two since what happened at Jessica's party and neither really knew what to say to each other, but they knew that they needed to talk about it.

"I guess there's no time like the present." Grace thinks to herself weakly.

"I know this is going to sound like a stupid question... but are you okay?" Justin speaks up hesitantly from beside her, grabbing her hand that's placed by the side of her.

Grace shakes her head at him as the tears well up in her eyes once again. Seeing this, Justin is quick to wrap an arm around her and pulls her into his chest, letting her sob into him.

"He's gone... I'm never going to see him again." She cries quietly, holding onto his frame tightly, not that he minded one bit. It comforted him that he was able to be there for the girl. And that she felt safe enough to open up to him.

"I know, G, I know." He responds, gently caressing her back to make her calm down.

Eventually, after five minutes of full out sobbing, her cries turn into quiet sniffles and she removes herself from his arms, instantly missing the warmth of his touch but not reaching for him again.

"Sorry." She apologises awkwardly. She feels as if she's stepped over a certain boundary. Even if they've already passed it the night of the party.

"Don't worry about it." He replies with a grin before a serious look crosses his face. "I also wanted to talk to you about what happened at Jessica's party... although I totally understand if this is the wrong time." He rambles, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.

At this, Grace tenses up in her seat and bites her lip uncomfortably but nods nonetheless. "Okay."

Before Justin can say anything, Grace interrupts him with her rambling. "Look, I'm really sorry, I've been feeling really guilty about it. I know you have a girlfriend... a-and I-I wouldn't be surprised if you regret it and—"

"I don't."

"And I don't blame—" His words then process in her mind and her eyes flash up to him while she furrows her eyebrows, "W-What?"

Justin sighs defeatedly and cups her cheek in his hand, almost startling the girl at the action. "I don't regret it... I know that I definitely should and it's not exactly right but I really don't..."

She almost sighs in relief that he feels the same way that she does, even if she knows that they can't be together. At least right now.

"Me, too." She admits bashfully, making him smile cutely at her and wrap his arm around her once again.

Maybe one day the could have their chance.

***

Grace and Clay place themselves down on the swings in the local park gloomily. Tony, their trusted friend of a few years, walks up to them cautiously. Grace likes that Tony was there to make sure that they both were alright, she admired him for that. He's always been such a great friend, even if the two didn't deserve it.

"I thought you'd be here." Tony informs the twins, sitting beside them on the other swing. "I think I will join you both."

"I found Jeff." Clay reveals to them both. "I was the first person at that accident, and I found him. In his car. Dead. Why didn't Hannah tell anyone about that stop sign."

Grace can't believe that Clay never told her that he was the one to find Jeff. She had the right to know that. Although, she can't be angry with him because there were things that she had kept from Clay too.

"It's not easy when you have that much guilt on your shoulders, Clay. She probably didn't want to be seen as a bad person and was afraid of the outcome." Grace suggests slightly. She has had a lot of time to reflect on the situation and she knows that Hannah wasn't a bad person. She wouldn't try and hurt someone intentionally.

"I was so pissed off at Jeff. And at Hannah, for making it all her drama. I didn't know." He replies sadly, Grace nodding, silently agreeing.

"Well, now you do." Tony says.

"And this only gets worse, right?"

"Are you afraid?" Tony questions.

"Yeah but we have to listen anyway and get through it." Grace responds positively, turning over onto the next tape. "You don't have to stay with us if you don't want to, Tony."

"I think I should, Grace." The boy replies. Clay and Grace look over at him in confusion. "It's Clay's tape... and she left a message for you at the end of it." He concludes and the twins let out a heavy breath, feeling as if the wind has gotten knocked out of them.

"I can't do it." Clay suddenly exclaims, standing up and walking around anxiously.

"You can't? After all of this?" Tony asks in disbelief.

"No. Jesus, Tony. Death, and rape, what the fuck is next? What did I do that is worse than that?"

"Don't you already know what happened with you and Hannah?" Grace asks with raised eyebrows. "Clearly, you would know if you did something that terrible, and I honestly don't think you did, Clay."

"No, clearly, I don't." Clay sighs with frustration. "So, tell me this, Tony. Tell me the truth and I'll listen to the tape. Did I kill Hannah?"

Tony hesitates on his answer, not knowing how to word it without upsetting the boy. "We all let her down. She took her own life, Clay. That was her choice. But you, me, everyone on these tapes, we all let her down. We didn't let her know that she had another choice. Maybe, we could've saved her or maybe not. I think that it is impossible to know."

"Just answer the fucking question, Tony." Clay snaps at his friend. "Knowing what you know, believing what you believe, knowing me, knowing her, and what's on these tapes... did I kill Hannah Baker?"

"Yeah."

And that answer changes everything.

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Sorry for not posting for a while, I got fed up with everything and admittedly didn't have the energy nor the motivation to write.

What's your opinion on Sheri? At first I didn't like her because of the fake act she always had but I really liked her in season 2!