Taking out my phone, I’ve got three missed calls and seven texts from Brady. They’re all different variations of telling me to calm down and to think rationally. It’s amusing, how he thinks he has any influence on me or my actions. The reality is simple: if her father hadn’t evaded me this afternoon, he’d be rotting at the bottom of a ditch somewhere.
I roll my eyes and go to put the device back in my pocket, when it slips from my hand and slides down the rock—clanking on something before hitting the ground. My brows furrow as I reach to grab it and spot a glass bottle. It’s old, and has obviously been here for a while, but the seal seems to have remained strong. When I pick it up, I realize it’s filled with rolled up pieces of paper.
The only two people I’ve ever known to be here are Savannah and myself, and judging by the looks of it, that still rings true. I hold the bottle over one of the rocks and slam it down. The glass breaks with ease, freeing the papers inside. As I unroll the first one, I find my suspicions were right. Handwriting I’d recognize anywhere is scribbled across it.
Gray,
Where did you go? I came home from Nana’s and you were gone! Daddy said you and your family moved away. I miss you. Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you say goodbye? Just come home. Come back for me.
Savi
I flip to the next one.
Gray,
Why haven’t you called me yet? I know you know my number. Does where you moved to not have phones? I wish someone would tell me what’s going on. I really miss you. I don’t know what to do without you. You’re my best friend, Gray. I just keep hoping one day you’ll come back.
Savi
And the next.
Gray,
Delaney told me today that your dad died. Are you okay? I wish I could be there for you. I’d hold you really close like you did for me the night of that bad storm. The new phonebook came the other day. I tried to look for your name, but it wasn’t there. If by some chance you come back here, I hope you find these and call me. I miss you.
Savi
Gray,
Things are getting scary. Daddy is acting weird, coming home all the time smelling gross and falling down all over the place. He’s started leaving me home alone a lot. He says I’m a big girl now and I can handle it, but I’m scared. I don’t know what’s going on. Why haven’t you come back yet? Why haven’t you called? Do you have a new best friend? Is it because we kissed? Because we can pretend it never happened. Just come home.
Savi
The last one is short, only three lines, but enough to raise goosebumps across my skin.
Grayson,
I’m scared.
Things are getting worse.
If something happens to me, I love you.
Savannah
The overwhelming emotion threatens to choke me with the truth. She didn’t know. Whatever was done to record that video, she wasn’t the willing participant I thought she was. All this time, I thought she was playing the victim. She really didn’t know.
What have I done?
MY FIST POUNDS ON the door as I will for it to open. When it does, Delaney stands on the other side, her face full of concern. I try to keep my composure, but anyone with eyes can see that I’m breaking.
“Tell me what to do,” I plead. “She hates me, and she has every right to, but please. I need you to tell me what to do.”
She sighs. “All Savannah’s ever wanted was you. If you can’t give her that, you need to stay away. It’s all or nothing.”
“What if I can? What if I want to?”
Searching my face for any signs of ill intentions, she nods and opens the door further to let me in.
25
Savannah
I pull down the mirror in Brady’s car, adding more concealer in an attempt cover up the cut on my forehead. I tug a lock of hair down over it when I’m done. It’s not a perfect job, and if someone looks too closely, they’ll notice. However, it’s enough to not bring attention to it. The last thing I want is for people to ask me what happened.
After Grayson so courteously told Brady about what my dad has been doing to me, Brady stormed over to my house and demanded I stay with him and Jacob for a while. At first I resisted, not wanting to impose. I take up enough of his time with dance and giving me rides to and from school. Taking up space in their house felt like encroaching on their relationship, and I would never forgive myself if they split up because of me.
Unfortunately, Brady wouldn’t take no for an answer, and Jacob joined him. They told me that the only alternative to not going with them was to call the police. Being as I’m already enough of the school’s charity case at the moment, I really didn’t want everyone to find this out, too. So, I packed a bag, and we left.
“You going to be all right today?” he asks.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know. I mean, with Grayson being back from wherever he fucked off to, and now knowing about your shithead of a father.”
Putting away the makeup, I flip the visor closed. “It’s nothing new for me, Brady. Nothing I can’t handle.”
A proud smile stretches across his face. “That’s the Rocky I know and love.”
“Yeah, yeah. Love you too. I’ll see you after.” I hug him and open the door.
“Have a good day at school, sweetie!” he says in his best falsetto mom voice, making me laugh.
As I walk into the school, I realize a lot of the attention is no longer on me. People don’t smile at me the way they used to, but they also don’t shoot me dirty looks anymore either. I go down the hallway and toward my locker, waving at Carter and Jace. Unfortunately for me, Kinsley is standing there, too, with Becca and Paige.
“You know, I’m really thinking we should request her locker be moved. I don’t want to be forced to look at trash so early in the morning,” she quips.
Carter scoffs. “Savannah may not be rich, but she’s better than you in every other aspect. You want to see trash, look in the mirror.”
It’s sweet how he defends me, but it only motivates her to keep going. She’s been doing this since last week, being as she didn’t have her boyfriend here to distract her. Maybe with him being back today, she’ll finally leave me the hell alone.
Her look of disgust flips instantly to a sweet smile as she looks beyond me. “Hey, babe,” she coos.
I roll my eyes. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Continuing to focus on putting away my books and grabbing the ones I need for class, I’m startled when someone slams their hand on the locker next to mine. It’s so loud that everyone in a nearby radius goes completely silent. I start to think Kinsley may have thrown something at me, but when I look up, I see Grayson. He’s hovering over me, with his face only inches from mine.
“What are you doing?”
He grazes the knuckle of his index finger down my jaw. “What I should have done the day I got here.”
In one swift move, and with everyone’s attention on us, he brings his lips down to my own—kissing me like it’s breathing the life into him. I start to move my mouth with his, for no reason other than sheer habit. It isn’t until Jace makes a whooping sound that I snap out of it. What the hell am I doing?