Saving Gracie | ✓

Chapter Eighteen: Stop Avoiding The Question.

This chapter is dedicated to theonlymissright because she added my book in her book 'best new stories on wattpad' and I nearly made me have a heart attack! AH, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

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Grace's P.O.V

After Luke cleans himself up and is in the car, we finally begin to make our way to wherever Luke wants to go. I sit back in my seat and glance at Luke as I take in the bruise that is on his jaw. I rub my wrist, trying to avoid looking at it but for some reason, I just can't stop.

It just like how I can't stop thinking about that message that Daniel sent Luke that night when I stayed over. I have been pushing myself to ask him and everytime I want to ask him, it is a bad time. I feel like I will never get to ask him about it and that kills me because I really want to know what that message meant.

We stop after a few minutes and Luke pulls over to the side of the road. I look out the window and my eyes widen at the scene.

A football field?

Luke gets out of the car and I do the same, walking over to Luke who is running a hand through his hair. I grab his hand and begin to walk over to the field. When we are in the middle of the field, we sit down, facing each other.

"Luke-"

"Please, let me speak first. I know I probably don't want to talk about it but I'm curious about them." Luke says and he grabs my wrist, sliding up my sleeve. I immediately look away when I see the first white scar, my heart clenching.

"Why do you do it?" Luke asks but I don't answer. I can't look at them because it haunts me everyday. It haunts me of the bad times and those bad times are the memories that I want to forget.

"Gracie..." Luke says and I leans over and grabs my chin, making me look at him. "Tell me." Luke says and I let out a sigh.

"I used to do it." I say and Luke nods. "I haven't cut in three years ever since..." I stop myself, not wanting to admit anything. I haven't told anyone, only my mom. Ever since that horrible day, I haven't spoken about it until, well, now.

"Grace, you can tell me." Luke says and I shake my head, the tears forming in my eyes.

"I can but I won't." I say and Luke narrows his eyes at me.

"You don't trust me?" Luke asks and I nod.

"I do its just... the memories. I hate them." I say and Luke let's out a sigh and places a small kiss on my wrists, my eyes watching as the kiss lingers on the scar.

"I'm here for you." Luke says and I run a hand through my hair and let out a sigh.

"Fine. Three years ago, I began talking to this guy and since he went to my school, I spent everyday with him. Until... one night when he changed. He turned into some drug addict and that scared me because he would be wanting to kiss me and... t-touch me. I tried to avoid him but one day at school, he came up to me and... put him hands... everywhere on my body. I felt so digusting and no matter how many showers I took, how many times I cried myself to sleep, I just couldn't try and relax. I was so stressed and thats when I did it. I cut myself the night I saw him again... when he touched me again." I say and a few tears fall and I wipe my tears away, looking up at the sky.

"I tried to stop him and I tried to stay away but everywhere I went, he followed me. Everyone at school thought I was a slut and I liked him touching me but I didn't. I hated it so much but no one listened how much I tried to explain. The only person that actually listened to me and believed me was my mom." I say and I bite my lip, looking into Luke's blue eyes.

"The last time he touched me was on the last day of school and I remember him saying 'I will see you again' before he left." I say and I grip at my wrist.

"Then from that day on, everything got worse. The bullying, stuff at home, everything. That's why I kept doing it; to make me release my anger into every line that I did on my arm. Pathetic excuse, I know." I say and Luke brings me into a hug.

"Gracie, I didn't know you went through all of this." Luke says and I let out a small chuckle.

"I'm good at hiding it, I guess." I say and Luke frowns, obviously not liking the words that came out of my mouth. I wave him off and kiss Luke on the cheek.

"I'm fine, Luke. I'm fine."

"No your not. These-" Luke runs his finger along my scars. "These show you are not fine." Luke says and I run a hand through my hair.

"Can we please move from this topic? I don't like talking about this." I say and Luke nods, laying down on the grass. I lay beside him, my eyes watching as the clouds slowly move to the right in a gentle motion, making my heart beat calm down a little.

"Luke, I want to ask you something." I say and Luke nods.

"Go ahead." Luke says and I breathe in a sharp breath before closing my eyes shut.

Tell him, Grace, my brain pushes and I let out a sigh.

Here goes nothing.

"Uh, the other night, I heard your phone go off..." I say, my heart racing and I wipe my hands on my jeans and continue.

"Do you actually like me or is there... is there something in it for you?" I ask, finally building up the courage and Luke sits up, looking down at me.

"What do you mean?" Luke asks and I sit up also and rest my hands on my thighs.

Don't beat around the bush, Grace, my brain scolds and I bite my lip nervously. I run a hand through my hair and swallow the lump in my throat.

"Is this all a dare?" I ask quickly, my eyes immediately closing since I don't want to look at Luke right now.

"Gracie, look at me." Luke orders and I open my eyes slowly and stare into Luke's blue eyes. Luke grabs the side of my face and pulls me closer to him, our noses almost touching.

"I like you." Luke says and I shake my head and pull away from him.

"Stop avoiding the question. Please just tell me what is going on?" I ask and Luke runs a hand through his hair.

"Please don't get mad. Please don't run either." Luke says and I nod slowly. Luke holds out his pinky and I let out a sigh.

"I promise not to get mad or run." I say and Luke nods, placing his hand by his side. He sighs and runs his hand through his hand once more before talking.

"At first, it was a dare to start talking to you because my friends thought that you were 'easy'. After we talked for a few days, my friends dared me to make you like me then break your heart since your the only girl left in the whole school who I haven't at least talked to but I didn't want to do it-"

"Whats in it for you?" I cut him off, tears stinging in my eyes. Luke let's out a sigh and looks down.

"Five hundred dollars." Luke says and my eyes widen. Before I can say anything, Luke talks again.

"But it's for my father, Grace. I needed the money for my father for his surgery. I don't want him to die just like-" Luke stops himself and the tears begin to fall when I realise what he was going to say.

He was going to bring up my mom's death.

I stand up and begin to run. I don't know where I'm running to but my mind is just screaming for me to run.

The thoughts begin to rush into my head but I shake them away, my tears still falling as I push myself to run further. I ignore everyone's stares and just keep running.

I knew that something was wrong from the start but I was just too stupid to accept it.

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