The Pretend To Be Agreement

Chapter Four

He looks confused for a second, but then his eyes go wide in realization. "Grace, that's eight blocks. Plus the walk back equals sixteen."

My eyes begin to sting. "I know. It's just... I didn't want you to think I was using you." And then, the tears fall, my entire vision going blurry. Something inside of me breaking. "I have no place to live. I can't pay any of my bills. Everything is going to shit!"

I was full on sobbing niw, the air getting stuck in my throat, my words hitched, and I'm pretty sure I wasn't even making sense. Here I was, a twenty five year old, crying. I was screaming, crying, and I was doing all of it in front of Will.

"I'm pathetic."

He bends down, sitting beside me on the floor. "You, Grace Thompson, are not pathetic. You are human. With human issues. You are aloud to be sad, mad, and maybe even depressed. But, you are not aloud to feel pathetic. That emotion is not aloud in this apartment. You got me, okay?"

"O - okay," I stutter. More tears slip down my cheeks. My eye lids felt so heavy, endless nights of no sleep suddenly having an affect on me. "I'm tired, Will."

"Then take a nap, and everything will be better when you wake up." He tells me, his voice low, coming out almost unclear. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his chest, my head falling onto his shoulder, my eyes closing.

And in mere seconds, it was as if nothing else existed. Just a blanket of darkness.

***

When I woke up, I heard the sound of shouting. It was probably just Will, but then I realize nobody else's voice came from outside of the door; just his, and his only. I push the blankets off of me, standing up from the bed -- that I presume is Will's -- and step over to the door, staying little ways away from it just in case he comes back in. I try listening into the conversation, no matter how rude that is, but all that I could pick up is some mismatched words.

"How about you just leave me alone? That's a possibility." I hear him suggest, his voice filled with anger. He was on the phone, my common sense kicking in. He waited a second, stopped talking as he heard whatever the other person on the line had to say before jumping right back in.

"No. Please, do go on. I just want hear how I need a girlfriend that badly." Every word he said was dripping with sarcasm, all I wanted to do was laugh, but at the seriousness of his tone, I didn't. All of a sudden I'm hearing a little boys voice, and the sounds of a young woman's silent sobs, trying her best to hide them as I heard her sweet voice ask the boy to leave and that she'd give him whatever he had wanted later. It was only then, did I realize, that Will had the phone on speaker. It was most likely an accident, and when Will quietly muttered "shit", I knew I was correct.

"Samantha? Sam, are you crying? Crap, I'm so sorry. It's just... You know I don't like it when dad brings it up, and I can usually handle it, but I can't have you on my ass because I can't find someone who will be with me. I'll find someone when I someone; and let's just hope to God their not just in it for the money. And, if I don't, then I guess I'm just meant to be alone. Okay?"

I bite my lip, feeling light headed all of a sudden. It confused me, but then it also made a lot of sense. Why would someone want to be in a relationship when the fear of the entire thing based off lies, use, money? Nobody. And it was clear that Will wanted someone to love him for him, and not just for his money. It's sad; but completely true. You could be human, but that doesn't mean you're humane. I grew up lacking in money, never having all the new things that all the other kids had, and for some reason, I was fine with that. Instead of loving money, wanting this and that, I loved my family, took care of every single one of them after each one of my relatives -- except my mom -- died. I knew lose, but I also knew what gain looked like.