by Ivy Kovacs
– Debby tried to take the microphone out of her hand but Madison didn't retreat, Mr. Walker. She wanted to expose me in front of the whole school and ruin my life! – I kind of exaggerated but I wanted to make sure he'd change his mind.
- It's a lot to take in. – He tried to understand every word I said. – I'm sorry you had to go through that at such a young age. – There it was. The reason I didn't want to tell him about my accident. I didn't want his pity.
- Dylan and Debby just wanted to stop Madison. They would never hurt anyone. – I prompted him but he frowned. – Debby wouldn't. – I corrected myself. – Dylan doesn't get involved in fights anymore. He's changed a lot because of me. – I used his improvement as my leverage.
- I can tell. He hasn't missed any of his classes since the start of October. – I was glad he recognized that. – I'll have to reconsider their expulsion. – He was speaking more to himself than to me but my lips curved up from his sentence.
- They didn't do anything wrong, believe me, Sir. – I reassured him again to be more convincing.
- I can see that now, but I have to figure out something about Madison. – He scratched the back of his head.
- What are you thinking about, if I may ask? – I questioned politely.
- I can't expel her since she was physically hurt. – He looked at his watch. – But I'll make sure to put the bullying on her reputation. – He ensured me.
- So Dylan and Debby can come back? – I asked not trying to hide my joy.
- Yes. – He sighed and I cheered. I felt my stitches pull apart so I winced and sat back down. Someone knocked on the door.
- Yes? – The principal replied.
- Grace! How could you sneak out and drive like this?? – Dylan burst in and gently grabbed my shoulders to look at me.
- I'm fine. – I ensured him with a soft smile but holding the back of my head.
- Mr. Torres. – The principal cleared his throat.
- Oh, sorry Mr. Walker. I'm just here to take Miss Smith home. – He was really mad at me. Worried and mad too.
- That's alright. Will you tell him the news or shall I? – He looked at me and I remained silent but with a smile on my face. Dylan looked at us confused. – I'm not going to expel you. – We were all standing now, Dylan tightly holding me against his side so I wouldn't fall.
- And Debby? – He didn't smile until he made sure our friend would have the same fate as him.
- Her either. – He gave him a soft smile. I could tell that he was moved by how much Dylan cared about me. Dylan's lips curved into a smile but he quickly switched his mood back to being mad at me. He hated Mr. Walker. I didn't quite like him either but I knew I had to be polite.
– As long as you're not behind in your classes, I'll allow you to stay with Miss Smith until she's healthy enough to come back to school. – My eyes widened. I knew he wasn't studying, though I forced him to go to his classes. I'd make sure he'd study with me now.
- I'll make sure he'll study, Mr. Walker. – I smiled brightly.
- Oh and Mr. Torres. – He said so we turned back from the door. – Make sure Miss Smith doesn't sneak out again. We'd love to have her back in one piece. – He was trying to be humorous but Dylan just gave him a nod and escorted me to his car.
- What were you thinking? – He raised his voice as he opened the car door for me.
- I'm sorry. – I apologized though I wasn't sorry. I fixed everything.
- You could've had an accident! – He groaned.
- But I didn't. Besides, I did it. I got you back to school! – I smiled brightly and my smile eased his anger.
- Couldn't you at least wait for me to drive you here? – He asked and I shook my head still grinning. – You're a stubborn one. – He shook his head and hugged me tightly, placing a soft kiss on my head.
- Can we go home now? I'm exhausted. – I sighed and he agreed.
- Dyl! – Oliver ran up to us and when he noticed me his face turned pale and his jaw dropped. I could hear Dylan's teeth clench at his reaction. – Grace! How are you? – He cleared his throat.
- I'm alright. – I nodded once. He was kind to ask though.
- I thought you were in the hospital. – He added.
- I was. –
- She sneaked out to get us back. – Dylan rolled his eyes but kept looking at Oliver.
- And? – Oliver waited for the response impatiently.
- We're staying. – He seemed a bit more enthusiastic now, than when Mr. Walker announced.
- Dude! – Oliver and Dylan slammed their hands together and pulled each other into a quick hug. – I told you we would survive high school! –
- There are still five months left, don't jinx it. – Dylan added humorlessly.
- I'll kick your ass if you get expelled. – I rolled my eyes at him and he laughed. - Did she... come to school? – I asked shyly and looked into Oliver's green eyes.
- No. I don't think she will until she gets her nose fixed. – Oliver grinned and I suddenly felt guilty again. Not because of Dylan or Debby, but because of Madison. It probably hurt her a lot. It wasn't my intention to hurt her in any way when I transferred but I seemed to do it anyway.
- It's the least she deserves, Grace. – Dylan saw the distress on my face and tried to calm me down.
- You should've seen her, nose bleeding and all. – Oliver laughed but I didn't. It wasn't funny. – I mean, she had it coming. – He dropped his smile as he looked at me.
- I shouldn't have accepted the spot Debby offered. – I sighed. – None of this would've happened. –
- Okay, enough guilt for today. Let's go. – Dylan held the door for me and I sat inside. – I'll stay at hers until she gets better. Don't do anything stupid. – Dylan said goodbye to Oliver who waved at us as Dylan reversed the car and drove away.
- I'm sorry. – I murmured and he glanced at me.
- For what exactly? – He looked back on the road.
- For sneaking out on you, for stealing my uncle's car, and for feeling guilty about Madison. – I listed the few things I was sorry about. In my mind, I knew I shouldn't feel guilty but my heart told the opposite.
He didn't respond so we drove silently back to the house and saw that the Jeep wasn't there yet. – Are you going to tell them? – I knew if any of them would find out about this, they would never leave me alone again. I'd probably be like Rapunzel, except for the long hair that could save me.
- I won't. – He unbuckled himself and helped me out of the car.
- Why? – I was curious.
- Because I don't want them to worry as much as I did when you weren't here after I came back. –
- How did you know where I was? – We walked inside the house.
- I calmed down enough to think clearly and remembered our conversation. – He still looked mad.
- Are you mad at me? – I asked in a soft tone.
- A little. – He said and finally looked into my eyes. – But I have to get your uncle's car back before they arrive. – He took the keys from me. – Do you promise not to sneak out again? –
I raised my pinky and we intertwined them, locking our thumbs together to seal the promise.
- I love you. – I said and sighed when the door closed. I stumbled upstairs and walked into my bathroom.
After undressing, I stepped into the shower. I wasn't suppose to wet my hair but I wanted to wash it. I was careful around the patch that was on my head. Thank God, the doctor's didn't shave my head.
It took me longer than usual to clean myself. – Grace, I'm back! – Dylan yelled. He probably heard the water running.
- I'm in here. – I yelled back and wrapped the towel around my body.
- Are y... – His jaw dropped when I opened the door.
- Sorry... I didn't have clean clothes. – I said shyly and he shook his head. His eyes lingered on my body before he focused on my eyes.
- I uh... I was just not expecting to see you... like that. – He gulped. He s
tepped closer to me and I noticed him biting his lower lip.
My heart started beating faster inside my chest. Other than that my body felt numb. Not the bad kind of numb, when I feel like I'm drowning in the pitch-black ocean and can't move. It was good, it was delicate. He caressed my cheek with the back of his hand and with every movement I craved for his sweetness more. He placed his lips on mine and separated them to intensify our kiss. Our lips collided passionately and hungrily. My body was eager to receive more. He pushed me down on the bed and I breathed heavily against his lips. - Are you okay? – He whispered trying to catch his breath and I nodded. My lashes fluttered quickly when I realized what I wanted.
- I want you. – I whispered and he pecked my lips gently.
- Are you sure? – His concern didn't matter to me now. My body was ready. My hands slid down to his chest and pulled his hoodie off of him.
My body reacted intensely to his touch. I don't think I ever wanted something more than in that moment. It was no doubt that he craved me as much as I craved him. Our warm bodies moved together with delicacy and passion. It was everything I imagined and more.
thirty-two
By the time I woke up it was already dark outside. I looked around in the dark room and my hands searched for Dylan unsuccessfully. I turned the bedside lamp on and got dressed. My head wasn’t hurting, which was a massive relief.
I walked downstairs and saw that everyone was watching TV. Dylan and Sebastian were enthused about the game that was on. –Morning, princess. – Rebecca joked. It was already 6.23 pm meaning that I slept for three hours.
- Slept well? – Seb asked without looking at me. His eyes were very focused on the TV screen.
- I did. – I walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge to grab a water bottle. I twisted the lid off and took a big sip from it since my mouth felt really dry.
- How are you feeling? – Even when a game was on, my uncle still worried about me.
- I’m feeling a lot better actually. – I responded and I could see a small grin formed on Dylan’s face. I blushed and saw my aunt, who hasn’t been paying attention to the game on TV, notice the redness that flushed my cheeks.
- Good. That doesn’t mean you can go to school earlier than the doctors told. – He replied grimly. I was used to this kind of treatment from him. I knew that even if he acted grumpy or rude, he cared about me more than anyone else.
I nodded once and settled next to Dylan on the couch. I knew that I couldn’t argue with what Seb set his mind on. Dylan gently placed an arm around me and I cuddled up to him. I felt his soft lips press against my hair. I decided to check my phone and scroll through Instagram but then I groaned when I saw that the screen wasn’t working.
– What’s wrong? – Dylan asked quietly, not to disturb my uncle.
- It’s not working. I should get it fixed. – I sighed.
- I’ll drop it off before I go to work. It will be ready by the time I finish. – Uncle Seb promised and I agreed. I couldn’t take it there myself anyway.
- Thank you. – I whispered and he nodded once as a ‘You’re welcome’.
- Are you hungry? – Rebecca asked looking at me. They probably already ate. – There’re tacos on the counter. – As tempting as it sounded, I wasn’t hungry. My appetite hasn’t been the same since the accident. I would eat of course, just much less than used to.
I shook my head politely and she didn’t comment on it further.
- We can go upstairs and watch Friends if you want. – Dylan whispered and I thought for a second before nodding. We stood up and walked upstairs. As we passed locked rooms, I heard Lily’s music blasting through her locked door.
- You could’ve stayed and watched the match with him. – I said as we entered my room. My room. Funny. I never considered this place my home but now it felt closest to it.
- It’s fine. I’d rather watch an episode that I’ve seen five times already. – He mocked me with a grin on his face.
- I think it was six to be exact. – I played along and he laughed wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closely to himself. – When did you leave? – I whispered quietly against his chest.
- Half an hour ago. Your uncle knocked and said there was a game. Luckily I was already dressed. – His lips curved into a half-smile.
- Did he see me? – My stomach fluttered. Was that the reason Rebecca was smiling so much at us? She probably knew. Which wasn’t that bad but if Sebastian would find out... I could probably say goodbye to Dylan forever.
- Yeah, he asked how it was. – He said and I pulled away looking at him with wide eyes. He laughed at my reaction and I pouted. – You have to admit you got scared for a second. – He didn’t hold his laugh back.
- You’re not funny. If he finds out, you’re probably dead. – I said with a serious face but he kept smiling.
- Relax. It’s not my intention to die yet. – He cupped my cheeks with his warm hands.
- How did you hold yourself back before? I didn’t know it was this good. – I whispered shyly.
- Hardly. – He chuckled softly. – I wanted you to know that I wasn’t doing it just for that. – His words gave me more and more courage.
- And uh... – I tried to form the words. – Was it how you expected it to be? – My face was surely red again.
- Better. – He caressed my cheek with his thumb and pulled my chin up to make me look at him.
- Okay. – I whispered almost inaudibly.
- The question remains. Was it how you expected? – His blue eyes stared into mine, making me speechless. I didn’t answer just nodded and laid my head into his hand. I enjoyed his touch. It was welcoming and delicate. – I love you. –
He kissed my forehead just lightly. - I love you too. –
thirty-three
It’s been two weeks since I’ve been bedridden. Dom and Deb were sending us the curriculums for every subject. It was hard to force Dylan to study, but with a few kisses and snacks, he agreed to do it.
He hated when I was trying to teach him. He felt like he was dumb, though he wasn’t. He was simply lazy, not caring about anything other than me and my health.
On Friday I forced him to go out and have fun with his friends. I would’ve liked to go too, but I couldn’t. He was eager to come back to me though.
Uncle Seb bought me a new phone instead of getting the broken one fixed. He bought me an iPhone 11 pro and the upgrade was ridiculous. I felt very guilty and didn’t want to accept it, but it was no big deal to him.
James sent me a text here and there to ask if I was alright. Dylan was jealous every time my phone buzzed. I wouldn’t date James even if I was single. He wasn’t my type, though I would’ve never thought Dylan would be.
Grandma was visiting us three times a week and always brought something to eat, even when the fridge was stocked.
- Did you send the essay to Mrs. Scott? – I asked looking up from my laptop. I was sitting at my desk while Dylan lay on the bed with his laptop on his lap.
- Yep. – He responded and I walked closer to check what he was doing but he shut his laptop closed.
- You’re playing, aren’t you? – I groaned and folded my arms.
- Maybe... – He put the laptop aside and pulled me on top of him.
- You’re annoying. – I rolled my eyes and he brushed strands of hair away from my face.
- I’m a solid C in everything. What else do you want me to do? – He cupped my cheeks between his hands.
- You could easily be a B or an A. You’re smarter than you think. – I ran my fingers through his curly hair. I loved to comb his hair with my fingers. It looked effortlessly amazing, always.
- It doesn’t matter. The SAT scores will, though. – He said smoothly. – I’ll open the book before that. –
I shook my head and chuckled at his announcement. I knew for a fact that he won’t study more for the SATs than he did now. I always felt jealous by the lack of care he had toward things. It must be great, not to o
verthink every little detail in life.
- What are you thinking about? – He gently caressed my cheek with his hand. His touch gave me goosebumps.
- You. – I responded without thinking about the answer. His brows slightly lifted in confusion. – How thankful I am for everything you do for me. – I added.
- Grace... – We’d already talked about this. He didn’t like when I kept thanking him for everything, but it was in my nature. I tended to say thank you and sorry a lot.
- I know, we’ve been through that. But I’m still grateful for you. – I spoke before he could’ve continued.
- Save the gratitude for thanksgiving. – He grinned. I loved how he was thinking ahead.
- It’s only the end of October. – I replied with a smile formed on my lips. - And we still haven’t thought about our Halloween costumes. – I continued. Halloween was one of my favorite holidays, next to Christmas.
- Oh, no. We’re not going anywhere. – He shook his head disapprovingly and his grin faded.
- Yes, we are! It’s my favorite time of the year. – I pouted. – And the weather's finally gonna match the season. Florida was always so warm. – I spoke like I didn’t like the heat of the state. I preferred it more to be honest. I didn’t like the cold until I visited New York with my uncle before Christmas. It was the first time I saw snow since I was a kid.
- You’re on bedrest, remember? – He reminded me of the accident as always. By the time I’d forget about it, he’d always mention it.
- I’m fine! The scar healed on my head and it hasn’t been hurting this week. –
- You’re not going to let this go, are you? – He grumbled.
- Not a chance. – I grinned and shook my head. He sighed deeply and caressed my thighs that were straddling him.
- Fine. But we’ll only go to Max’s. Not to the deranged school party. – He agreed. – School parties don’t seem to go well for us. – We’d been to two school parties this year and had a fight at the first one, and I almost died at the second. That was just my luck.
- Okay. – I mumbled and he placed me down on the bed. It was Tuesday today and Halloween was on Thursday.