Without You

I looked at Grace. “Grace? Where did you come from?”

She looked down at Mike and then up at me. “I, um…I was on the other side of them, recording with my phone.”

Mike looked up at Grace. “What in the hell are you doing here?”

Grace walked up to Mike and kicked the shit out of his stomach. Then, she bent down as he moaned over and over. “I got you on video, you piece of shit. You just admitted on video that you had someone record us, that you’re only with me to gain something from my grandparents, and that you pretty much were blackmailing me with that video. Not to mention, you admitted that little bonus of you screwing your dad’s secretary. The table is turned, asshole.”

“You bitches tricked me?” he yelled out.

I reached down, picked his ass up, and pushed him against a tree. “You’d better be thanking them. If they weren’t standing here, I would beat your ass to a pulp.”

“Listen, Will, I was just…I wasn’t gonna show anyone the video.”

I got right in his face. “You were about to upload it, you ass.”

Mike looked at Grace and then me. “What are you going to do with the video, Grace?”

She smiled. “Well, the first thing I’m gonna do is save it somewhere other than my phone. If you so much as ever look my way or attempt to contact my grandfather, I’ll be sending the little video home to your parents and maybe to my grandfather as well, so he can see what a lowlife you are. You’ll never get into the law program. Ever. I suggest you let my grandfather know you won’t be interning for his law firm.”

Mike moaned. “Grace, my father is going to kill me if I pull out of that for no reason.”

Grace walked up to him and tilted her head as she looked him up and down. “Not my problem.”

She turned and began walking away as I let go of him with a push.

Lex and Maegan followed her. Mike put his face in his hands and began mumbling how his father was going to kill him.

“If I find out that you’ve even looked at Grace ever again, you will regret it. Am I making myself clear?” I said.

Mike dropped his hands and looked at me. “Very.”

“Good. Get the fuck off my property.”

Mike turned and began walking back through the brush. I followed, walked him to his car, and watched as he drove off.

I felt a hand on my arm. I turned to see Grace.

“Thank you. I know how hard that must have been for you to watch Lex flirting with Mike.”

“Grace, why didn’t you tell Luke or me about the video? We would have handled it.”

She swallowed hard and wiped a tear away. “I couldn’t risk my father or mother ever seeing it, Will. I wanted to tell Luke so many times, but I knew if I did, he would beat the shit out of Mike.”

I nodded. “Yeah, he would have.”

“Please, Will. Please don’t say anything to Luke.”

I pulled her into my arms when she broke down crying. “I promise, Grace. I promise.”

Grace and I walked over and sat down on one of the logs surrounding the fire pit. I would start a fire soon once the sun started to go down.

Lex sat down next to me and smiled weakly. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you. If I had, you would have talked us out of it and gone after him yourself. I knew we would be okay with you there.”

I shook my head. “Lex, that was dangerous. What if he had tried—”

She put her finger up to my lips. “He didn’t, and you were there.”

“Which one of you came up with this plan?” I asked as Maegan sat down opposite of me and Lex.

Maegan pointed to Lex. “The brains of Operation Take Down Mike.”

Lex and Grace laughed.

I pulled Lex closer to me. “I love you. I have to admit, the whole you making out with Maegan almost threw me into a bit of shock.”

Lex hit me in the stomach as Maegan laughed.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

I looked up to see Libby standing there.

“Hey, sis. You all changed?”

She nodded her head. She seemed flustered and confused.

“Where’s Luke?” Grace asked.

“Um…he’s kind of passed out in Colt’s truck. He managed to, um…change into dry clothes, but he’s really drunk. I had to help him back into the truck.”

Grace laughed. “What is with him getting so shitfaced lately?”

Libby sat down and glanced over to me. Something wasn’t right.

I mouthed, Are you all right?