(Fr)Enemies

Chapter Eleven

We didn't speak on the ride home. I sat in my seat with my knees pulled up to my chest. I hid my face in my hands.

Aiden clenched the steering wheel, his bloody knuckles turning white. His face was set in a frown and his eyes were blazing.

Addison slept peacefully in the backseat.

We'd left Bryce in the middle of the parking lot, bleeding and barely conscious.

I tried to keep myself from having a panic attack. Flashbacks of the night I spent with Bryce kept flashing through my mind.

Don't be a tease, Grace. You wanted this...

I shook my head trying to keep my eyes dry.

You can leave. I don't need to force some freshman slut into my bed.

I was sure Aiden probably thought I was upset about the fight. I wasn't going to clear the air. I didn't want him knowing the truth. And then I remembered what Bryce had said.

Scars and all...

Aiden wasn't stupid. He would ask what Bryce was talking about.

And just like that my breathing cut off.

I clawed at my throat as my vision went blurry. I was hyperventilating.

"I can't breathe." I said gasping for air. "I can't..."

Aiden reached over, swiftly unbuckling my seatbelt. "Put your head between your knees." He said in a low stern voice.

I followed his instructions trying to take deep breaths.

My chest was burning. I heard the door open and I lifted my head, not noticing that we were parked back into the Vincent's driveway.

All of a sudden my door was pulled open.

"Calm down, Grace. It's fine. You're fine."

I closed my eyes. I couldn't even look at him.  The only thing I could think about was he's going to know.

Shit was hitting the fan. One secret would uncover another secret and I had too many fucking secrets.

I felt his hands in my hair and the sensation of that broke through my panic. He placed his forehead against mine.

"I shouldn't have done that in front of you." He whispered. "I'm sorry. Calm down, okay?"

This was probably the first time in history where telling a girl to calm down actually worked.

My breathing slowed and my head cleared. I needed to get out of here.

"It's not your fault." I said breaking our contact. "I need to go."

It was stupid, but I left the car. Left aiden confused and locked myself in my room. Once I was safe inside my room, I wrote in my journal. It was another thing that my therapist had forced me to do, but I actually liked it. It relaxed me.

When Aiden knocked at the door, I held my breath.

"Grace, can we talk?"

I didn't respond. Truthfully I didn't want to talk to him. I wanted to write my feelings down in my journal and then build up a wall around it. There was shit in my life that I would die before I told Aiden about.

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"I can't do this" I cried reaching for my tshirt. I felt stupid and I'm pretty sure I looked just as stupid.