❀Azalea❀
A week and two days, Grey has been more than a crackhead. He won't let me move.
I've told him many times, 'Grey, if you keep feeding me and not letting me walk it off, I'm going to be confined to this bed for the rest of my life and I won't be able to walk ever again.'
He usually does one of three things each time I tell him that.
1) Shut up.
2) Do you want more food? (my answer is usually yes, obviously)
3) Shut the *insert F-word* up.
He really is such a sweetheart.
I mean come on. My face is fudged up, not my legs.
My showers are my only time to stand and so I do tons of physical activities during my showers. My activities usually consist of three things.
1) Staring at the wall and pretending I'm in a sentimental and dramatic movie while my shower water runs over my face.
2) Dancing wildly, although it's hard in the small space.
3) Telling Grey to leave me alone after he bangs on the door for ten minutes.
My back feels better, which is great. It's still a bit tender at times but that's whatever.
I guess I'm just not used to someone taking care of me. Usually, it's only me nursing myself. I'm trying to adjust but it's taking a while.
A couple of days ago, I got my stitches removed. Grey wasn't allowed in the room because once again, he's a crackhead.
Finally though, Grey had to go to work for some type of murder thingy. Yikes.
So I escaped.
I bust up in Mr. Terrip's bookstore and I find him almost immediately.
"I haven't seen you in forever," he stresses, "I was beginning to get very worried."
"What happened to your face?" he grips onto my chin, tilting it all around looking at the bruise and still visible, but healing, cut on my cheekbone.
I've got to tell him sometime.
"Well," I hesitate. He gives me the 'hurry up or I'm going to lose interest' face.
"I just got the stitches out and I've been bedridden. Forcefully," I keep the cause of the stitches out of it.
"And how'd you get those stitches?"
"Uh. Dad hit me," I hesitate.
"Oh Goodness, honey," he hugs me to his frail frame. Thank gosh his frame is different from Greys. I was getting tired of Grey's freaking bear-hugs that aren't meant to be bear hugs but just are.
Oh wait. Bear hugs. I love Bear. I love Grey too.
I didn't forget to tell him I love him. I just...am really nervous and I've taught myself not to blurt it. It's been rough. It's been hard.
That's what she said. Don't stop.
I'm not tired of Grey's body. He can hug me all day. I'd be living it up with him pressed against me. But, Mr. Terrip's hugs are pretty darn good too.
"Did you get help? Did the police get him?" he questions, his eyebrows drawn together.
"It's taken care of," I repeat Grey's exact words he told me that day when he came back from 'dealing with' dad.
"You poor thing," he hugs me again and I smile.
"Have you been staying at home? Is your mom okay?" he asks.
"I've mostly been staying at," I look down shyly, "Grey's place."
"Who?" Good Lord this man.
"Grey, y'know," I hold out my arms and flex my biceps.
"Oh! Him, okay," he recalls and I roll my eyes.
"I've been staying at his place mostly. I haven't been back to my house since dad did what he did," I explain.
"And you trust him, right? He's good to you still?" He asks just to make sure.
"He's such a sweet little cutie," I laugh internally at what Grey would say if I would've said that in front of him.
Most likely it would be something along the lines of, 'You try to get on my (effing) nerves with that bull(shiz), god(darn it)'.
"What about Aaron?"
Um. Yeah.
"I'll uh, I'll come around to it," I nod unconvinced with myself.
"I don't believe you," he gives me a look.
"I will," I nod, "I just have to figure out how to tell him. He used to be so close with my whole family, I don't want to just spring it on him."
"You're right," he nods.
"I've got a lot of books to put away, I bet," I smile and he nods.
"I've put away some but I'm not as quick as you. I don't have it all memorized," he smiles back.
"I'm here to rescue you," I give him one last hug before going and starting on the huge stacks of books that I need to put away.
The thing is, Mr. Terrip's bookstore isn't just a bookstore. It's also like a library. People can rent books. Kind of like a library.
So there's always things to put away. Also considering this place is the only bookstore/library around for the next thirty or so miles.
I feel in the zone after getting the tenth book into its correct place. And then, I go on for hours. After finishing putting all the books away, I see a box of new ones.
I check my phone that I left on the table and see quite of few texts from Grey on the subject of my escape.
From the time of his last text, I've got about ten minutes to begin putting the new books away and to look as innocent as I can while I'm at it. And if he's mad, I'll jump off the ladder and see what happens.
I get to work. Sure enough, ten minutes later, I hear him come in. I hear him. That's not a great sign.
I consider flashing him to get his mind off the subject but I'm right in front of the windows at the moment.
The second I see his tattooed hand wrap around my waist and yank me off my little ladder, I know that I've tickled the beast. And he didn't like it the tickle.
"What in the world are you doing here?" I gasp innocently and he glares down at me.
"Thanks for telling me where the fuck you were," he nearly growls.
"Well, I was but I didn't want to bother you," I smile.
"You never fucking bother me, you know that," he tenses his jaw.
"I know that you tell me that, I don't know that it's true," I chide.
"Well how much more do you want me to say it?" he questions, "You don't bother me. Other motherfuckers do. You don't. End of it."
"Jesus would wash your mouth out if provided a bar of soap," I nod. He rolls those beautiful dark eyes.
"How do you feel?" he cups my face, dragging his eyes over my cheekbone.
"I feel like I just got out of prison," I smile. I walk away from him, chuckling at the unhappy look on his face.
"Jacked and free," I smile.
I grip onto the box of all the new books and I call to my muscles to try and pull it out of the supply room.
Maybe not as jacked as I want to be.
It moves a couple of inches. I turn back to see Grey watching me. Not helping, just watching.
"Don't look at me. I'm not helping you," he grumbles childishly.
"You're mean."
"Mhm."
I bend down and an idea pops into my head. I evilly laugh internally. I begin pushing the box, it still doesn't move because it's a crackhead box. I pull on my acting britches.
"Ow, my back," I hiss, placing my hand on my back lightly. Was that too much monotone in that sentence? Maybe I'm not the greatest actor.
"Your back hurts from using your arms?" he questions, quite unimpressed.
"Now my head hurts from your attitude," I scrunch my nose at him.
"Bullshit," he chides.
"Oh gosh, there goes my leg starting to hurt from you not believing me," I grab my leg.
He rolls his eyes at me.
"Grey! My hip hurts now!" I grab my hip. Here in a minute I'm just gonna fall out on the floor.
He places his foot on the side of the box, pushing it and it glides across the carpet as if it weighs nothing.
Someone does not skip leg day.
"Now was that so hard?" I smile.
The moment I begin putting the new books away, Grey follows me around like a lost puppy. He doesn't help, he just follows me.
I smacked his butt a couple of times, he smacks mine one hurtful time. We made out once near the very back. He asked if I'm hungry nine-hundred times. Grey's kind looks sort of scared away two customers, and I crop dusted a random aisle once.
I internally told him I loved him eight times.
"We should go on a date," I gasp at the idea. We've never gone on an official date before.
"We've never gone on a date," I add.
"Yes we have," he argues.
"When?"
"Every time we're together," he shrugs one shoulder.
"Thank you for telling me that now," I say.
His finger trails across my collarbone and under my shirt just a bit. His other hand travels up the side of my skirt.
He leans down to me and kisses under my ear. His hand gets extra close to my goody.
"Grey," I warn breathlessly. I grip the tattooed arm that's close to between my legs. Woah baby.
"I've got you," he bites my neck gently and then he slowly moves his hand away. I pull away from him and prop myself up against a bookcase, gathering myself.
"You're beautiful," he says out of nowhere. He's getting better than me at this relationship thing.
He thinks I'm beautiful?
He leans down to me and kisses my lips softly. He pulls away and licks his lips.
He leans back down and me a second time, a little harsher.
I wrap my arms around his torso and press my forehead against his chest.
"You're just so cute," I tease and then gasp loudly when his hand goes back down and he cups in between my legs.
"Don't tease," He hums, holding me close to him.
Oh gosh.
When his fingers start to move, he covers my mouth with his shoulder. I bite him a little bit to say 'excuse me, sir, this is inappropriate.'
We know better than to do something like this here. At least I do, Grey has no control.
His fingers slide under my nice pale yellow underwear and I harshly grip onto his shirt, squeezing it for dear life.
"You like that?" His voice stays dark and quiet. He grips the hair at the bottom of my skull lightly and pulls my mouth away from his shoulder and quickly replaces it with his mouth.
His now free hand comes to rest on my chesticle.
My boob!
After only a couple of seconds, I feel really friggin great. I feel his lips form a smirk into the kiss and I grip onto him tighter.
"Azalea, where'd you go?" I just barely hear Mr. Terrip call out. My eyes nearly bulge out of my head and Grey and I shoot away from each other.
I straighten my skirt and lick my lips as I attempt to catch my breath and try not to make frustrated noises. I'm gonna kill Grey.
I feel oddly frustrated. What is he doing to me?
I tuck my hair behind my ears and Mr. Terrip comes around the corner.
"There you are," he smiles when he sees me and I feel guilty. I glance at Grey to see him leaned back against a bookcase, looking at me with a smirk on his beautiful face.
I glare at him and he crosses his arms across his chest.
"You helpin' her?" Mr. Terrip smiles over at Grey. Grey slowly drags his eyes away from me and looks over at him.
"Yeah," he looks right at Mr. Terrip as he lies.
A sin. Not like I have room to talk though.
"Well, I gotta close up early. Bingo is an hour away today," he rolls his eyes, "pisses me off those old asses."
He's actually pretty mad.
"Sounds damn ridiculous to me," Grey mumbles.
"You're exactly right," he nods to Grey, "they expect me to waste my gas trying to win myself some bingo money? I mean there's a chance I'll win so I'll drive there but it's getting ridiculous."
I love how this problem perfectly explains how old Mr. Terrip is.
~~~
"You have quite the nerve," I point in his face. I take a bite of my taco.
We were going to order food from a nice restaurant but all of them in town don't do takeout. Who do they think they are?
So we settled for Taco Bell.
"Doing that in the store," I add.
"Did you stop me?"
"How am I supposed to do that when..you know," I feel my cheeks tinge.
"When what?" he smirks.
"You're- You- When it feels-, I just can't," I narrow my eyes at him.
"This is a fuckin' date don't fight with me," he says like he's an expert on date-going or having, whatever.
"Bear, eat his taco," I whisper over to Bear and he only wags his tail and licks my nose.
"How's your face?" He mumbles.
What a darling way to ask that.
"It's okay," I spill part of my taco on my shirt and groan. Of course that would happen to me.
My phone rings and my eyebrows furrow. I answer it and even Grey is confused as to who is calling me.
"Hello?" I answer.
"Azalea, can you please come home? I really would like to talk to you," mom's voice travels through the phone.
"Oh. Yeah, sure. I'll be there in a little bit," I mumble softly and hang up. What would she want to talk about?
"Are you ditching me?" He says dryly from beside me.
"Yes, my boss at the strippery says I need to work tonight," I lean to him and kiss his cheek.
"What the fuck was that?"
"My boss at the strip club?" I question, figuring that'd be what he was confused about.
He grips my jaw and pulls me close to him.
"On the lips," he demands and I bite back a smile before leaning forward and kissing his lips. I go to pull away but he just pulls me onto his lap.
Two minutes later here I still am, on his lap but with his fingers buried in my pants, my head resting in his neck trying not to faint, and him doing the thing he does.
"I want my face in between your legs," he says lowly, biting my ear and I'm sent over the edge. Like I wasn't at the store since we got interrupted.
He wants his what, where?!
"There you go," he says softly, kissing my temple and I gather myself.
And to think he used to hate everything about me.
I wiggle off his lap and only catch a small glimpse of his glistening fingers. I stand on wobbly legs and watch as Grey slips his middle finger into his mouth just like he's licking off Cheeto dust or something.
I need to have a church session in my car.
I straighten my skirt and take a deep breath.
"I'll see you later," my voice raises only a bit and he gives me a once over.
I walk out of there with still wobbly legs.
~~~
Walking up to the front door, I'm nervous.
What's mom gonna say to me?
I haven't stepped foot in this house since what Dad did, am I gonna get sad or what?
I open the door and walk in. My heart soars when I see no sign of alcohol. I spot her sitting on the light brown couch in our living room.
"Azalea," she smiles when she sees me. She pats the spot beside her and I walk over and take a seat.
A tissue box sits on the empty coffee table in front of us.
"I just want to start by saying how sorry I am," she whispers and I understand why there's a tissue box because me and her both are already teared up.
"I'm sorry for so many things," she shakes her head.
"I'm sorry for all the drinking that I never should have done. I'm sorry," she cuts herself off, grabbing a tissue and wiping under her eyes.
"I'm sorry for never standing up for you when you when Jackson would hurt you, I have no excuses," she wipes a fallen tear off my face.
I know why she didn't stop him. She was afraid.
She knew he would do the same thing to her and eventually he did.
"And most of all," she picks up my hand and holds in both of hers, "I'm so sorry for not being there for when you needed me the most."
She reaches up and wipes my tears away again.
"I was too busy in my own grief to not even realize yours and I could never forgive myself for that," she shakes her head.
I understand though. I understand everything.
Why she wouldn't fight with dad on why he locked me in Jake's room. She didn't want either of us to get hurt.
"I forgive you," I whisper and pull her into a hug.
Sure, after Jake passed everything went straight downhill, my parents, everything. It felt like the world was closing in around me and there was no way I could get out of the pain. It surrounded me.
But now, I feel happy. And I have no worries. Everything is just amazing.
"I don't deserve that," she holds me tight to her.
"I forgive you mom," I tell her again and she cries.
We stay hugging for a couple minutes before she pulls away.
"After your father lost his job," her demeanor grows sad once more and my eyebrows furrow.
"I tried my best to keep up with everything. The bills, the payments, and everything. But I couldn't keep up, I still can't," she shakes her head.
"Well, that's okay," I give her an encouraging smile.
"We can get a smaller place. Just for the two of us!"
"Exactly," she smiles excitedly too. Everything really is amazing.
"So I looked for one," her smile stays and I get excited.
We're moving! Whoop whoop!
"And I figured it would be the best idea to get a fresh start. Tennessee holds too many bad memories, so I found a wonderful house up in Kentucky that I know you'll just love," my smile falls a bit.
"And I've already put in the offer and they accepted! This house went up on the market earlier today!" She smiles happily. A smile so happy I can't even remember the last time I'd seen it on her face.
My smile drops completely. She already got her offer excepted?
"Pack your bags honey! We're getting a fresh start in Kentucky!"
Everything is not amazing.
♢ ♦♢ ♦♢ ♦♢ ♦♢ ♦♢ ♦♢ ♦♢ ♦
.....................Grey's a little freakyyy AHHH I can't Lord knows if this chapter is good. Y'all be nice to me.
I'M SO SCARED TO POST THIS
Thank you for reading! School is the worst thing ever so that's why these updates have been only coming during the weekends. Anyway, back to my math homework :(
*Not edited*
Word count: 3271
-Ashlyn Montgomery