A Touch of Grace✔️ (Wattpad version)

Look on the bright side

My head was pounding, and my vision was blurry, but I chalk it up to getting the crap beat out of me because you know that's my luck. I coughed, trying to clear my throat. Then I heard someone's voice. "Hey, baby girl."

"Dad?" I said.

"Yeah, and your mom is here, but because it swells your eyes, you can't see her hands," Dad explained.

I felt my mom touch my hand and squeeze it. I squeezed her hand back, reassuring her.

"Grace, someone is here to see you," Dad said.

"Okay," I whispered.

I felt someone slide their hand into mine, and that familiar softness told me who it was without them saying anything, Zack.

"Gracie?" Zack said.

"Zack?" I said.

"Hey, baby. How are you feeling?" Zack asked.

"Like I got ran over by a truck, then it backed over me a hundred times," I groaned.

"Yeah, I know," Zack said as he reached up and brushed my hair from my forehead with a light touch.

It wasn't long before I drifted off to sleep. That went on for the next few days until I stayed awake longer than a few hours.

Mom, Dad, and Zack came to visit me while the guys, along with Brax and Chase, popped in every so often to check on me.

"Well, look on the bright side, Gracie. You get out of school," Tony said.

We all looked at Tony as he grinned. Leave it to Tony to make some stupid comment.

"Don't you have someplace you to be?" Zack asked.

"No, not really," Tony said, grinning.

Zack looked at me. "Gracie, do you remember who did this?"

I tried to think, but everything was hazy. Only bits and pieces were coming to my mind. I know there were girls and guys, but the faces were blurry. I shook my head. "No, everything is fuzzy."

"It's okay when things aren't as foggy; you'll remember," Zack said, giving me a soft smile.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could remember," I said. Zack nodded.

Dad came in with Mom and kissed me, "Hey, baby girl. You're looking better."

"I'm feeling a little better. I can see things like Mom signing." I smiled.

"Honey, do you remember anything from that day?" Dad asked.

"It's so hazy, Dad. I know there were girls and guys involved, but other than that, things happened so fast, and everything is a blur," I said to Dad.

"Okay, honey, you get some rest," Dad said, kissing me.

Zack walked over and kissed me, then started to leave with the guys. "Where are you going?" I asked.

"I need to run a couple errands for my dad. I'll be back later," Zack said.

"Zack, do nothing stupid," I said firmly to Zack.

"Baby, I promise I won't do anything stupid. I will run some errands for my dad. I'll be back later," Zack said, giving me a soft smile then leaving. I'm not stupid; I knew what he was planning to do. Let's hope he doesn't get caught.

"You know pouting will not get you anywhere," Dad said, sitting down next to the bed with Mom next to him.

"Come on, Dad! I'm not stupid! I know what Zack's planning on doing!" I exclaimed.

"Grace Anne, keep your voice down," Dad said, giving me a look. "Look, maybe you don't want to do anything about this, but I refuse to see you go through this again. I warned them. They didn't listen," Dad said in a low voice.

"I want nothing happens to Zack, Dad. I love him too much," I said as tears fell down my face.

"Then let Zack do what he needs to," Dad said, and I nodded as he held my hand.

Zack and the guys found the Barbies with Marco standing around and laughing. He walked over, and the minute he reached Marco, Zack's fist connected to Marco's face. The other guys grabbed the Barbie bitches and dragged them out of school. Zack yanked Marco up and marched him out behind them.

They pushed the Barbies and Marco into the car, then got into the car. They drove off as people watched. They pulled into a secluded area and dragged the Barbies and Marco out of the vehicle. They made the four of them kneel on their knees.

Zack walked up to the Barbies and Marco, crouched. "Ace fucking warned you, and you didn't listen."

"We don't know what you mean," Missy said.

Zack leaned into Missy. "Do you think I'm fucking stupid? The minute Gracie said, guys and girls, it wasn't difficult to figure it out."

"What are you going to do?" Maddie asked.

"I will do nothing, but they will," Zack said as a car pulled up. Brax and Chase got out of the car and walked over to them.

The boys took a step back as Brax took out a gun and pulled the trigger four times. They all fell to the ground with a single bullet hole in the middle of their forehead. He looked at the boys. "Tell Ace that I finished it. Get out of here; we'll take care of them."

They nodded, walking back to the car. They all got in, and Zack looked at Lucas. "Not a word."

He looked at Tony, who said, "Don't worry. Lucas won't talk."

"Good, let's keep it that way," Zack said as he drove off.

I sat there in my hospital bed when Zack walked into my hospital room. He had his hands shoved into his pockets. "So, how mad are you at me?"

I gave Zack a look as he walked towards me.

"Look, I know you're upset, but I couldn't sit back and let this go," Zack reasoned.

"I know," I said calmly.

"So, then you're not mad?" Zack asked curiously.

"Oh, I'm mad. I was afraid that something happened to you," I said to Zack.

"But it didn't," Zack assured me.

"But it could," I said to Zack.

"Gracie, I promise nothing will happen to me, and I'm fine, but I had to take care of something," Zack said, taking a seat on the side of my bed. He reached over and took my hand as he ran his fingers against mine. "When I found you that day, my world shattered. The possibility of something happening to you scared me a lot. What happened to you? I couldn't let it slide, not now, never."

"Promise me, you will do nothing like that again," I said to Zack.

"You know that I can't do that, Gracie," Zack said. I looked at Zack as he said, "How about if I mention nothing and you don't ask?"

"Deal," I said with a smile. Zack leaned over and gave me a soft kiss. At that moment, I knew there wasn't anything that Zack wouldn't do for me.

They released me from the hospital a few days later, and Dad opened the door to the house. Zack carried me inside the house. He set me on the couch and took a seat near my feet. He lifted my feet and placed them on his lap.

Mom turned on the TV, and there was a special report on four victims murdered and their bodies set on fire. There were no witnesses and no leads. Police figured it was a robbery gone wrong.

Mom turned off of the TV, and I looked at Zack, who said, "Don't look at me. I don't know who that was."

Then I looked at Dad, who nodded. "I was at the hospital with you."

Yeah, sure, and I wasn't born yesterday. From this day forward, I learned not to ask questions because they wouldn't tell me, anyway.