Chapter Ten

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Wes ~

Seeing the red angry flesh of Gracie's arm where Colt had viciously wrenched and twisted it caused something inside me to snap. My eyes were glued to the soft skin of her wrist and arm as I manipulated it in my hand, turning it over and studying it to see if he had broken bone.

I can't believe he put his fucking hands on her.

I could feel the anger radiating off my face and upper body that was still flexed and strained, trying to maintain control of the absolute rage that was threatening to take over my entire body. The sight of Gracie's small arm being twisted and contorted, coupled with the complete terror on her face had done something to me, something I couldn't explain but was definitely feeling the effects of.

My heart was pounding against my ribs, and even though I hadn't thrown a single punch, my adrenaline was coursing as if I had just finished the final round of a title match. My hands were wrapped around Gracie's arm, but they itched with need to pummel Colt's flesh and I clenched my back teeth to try and control myself. A deep scowl was the only facial expression I could muster as I realized Gracie's arm was probably going to be covered in deep purple bruises the next morning.

That motherfucker.

I was no stranger to anger and rage, and often used it as fuel when I was in the ring, but tonight was different. The fury I felt was more intense and unlike anything I'd ever experienced before which seemed to worsen as my mind started running through different scenarios of Colt harming Gracie.

What if I hadn't been there to stop him? What would he have done to her?

Every scenario that flooded my mind was worse than the last and seemed to fuel the intense and strange emotion that was slowly starting to swallow me whole. The logical side of my mind threw out one word that flashed hot in my brain - Fear.

Is that what this is? What I'm feeling isn't just anger it's...fear?

I shook my head and deepened my scowl at the thought.

Fuck that shit. I'm not scared of Colt.

Internally scoffing at the absurd idea of being afraid of such a coward, I lifted Gracie's arm up into the light trying to get a better look at the way her wrist was situated, trying not to think of how bad her wrist would have looked if I hadn't been there to intervene, when I was hit with sudden moment of clarity.

This strange new feeling was fear, but not fear of Colt. The longer I looked at Gracie's small arm under the bright lights of the hallway the more I realized that I wasn't scared of Colt, I was scared for Gracie and what Colt could have done to her.

No wonder this emotion is so foreign and unfamiliar, I was scared for her.  And I don't get scared.

My thoughts were buzzing, trying to decipher the new emotions that were overwhelming my senses and attempting to control my temper that was bubbling a little too close to the surface. I hadn't even taken the time to notice Gracie's cowered posture and scared eyes, but the second I did, my entire body froze and came to a halt.

Shit Wes, you're scaring her.

Softening my expression instantly, I looked down and reminded her that I'd never hurt her, but it didn't do much good. Her pupils were still dilated and she was shaking slightly from all of the adrenaline, which I knew all too well made rational thinking a little more hazy and difficult. It didn't help that I had been moving and manipulating her small arm in my massive hands without her consent after she had just been man-handled by that asshole.

Back off Wes. Let her know she's in control and that you'd never hurt her.

With my major misstep in the forefront of my mind, I released Gracie's arm and told her I wouldn't touch it unless she told me I could, lacing my hands behind my back for good measure as a show of resignation.

Gracie didn't speak, but she cocked her head to the side, studying me and my intentions for a few seconds as her body slowly started to reset and calm down with every deep breath she took.

There you go. Relax sweetheart, I'm not gonna hurt you.

I made sure to stand close enough that she felt safe and secure from any outside threats, but far enough away to give her the space she needed to feel like she was in control.

Gracie lifted her bruised arm from her side and contemplated the notion of extending it toward me. I could practically hear her inner struggle as her terrified mind tried to sort out who was a threat and who wasn't, which tore me apart.

Her arm stalled as she held it against her body, trying to decide of she could trust me or not and as bad as I wanted to reach out and touch her trembling hand, I didn't, because that's not what she needed. The only response I gave her was a soft smile and a gentle nod of my head, affirming the motion of her arm toward me, letting her know it was okay to trust me with it.

Her tiny trembling arm extended out toward me slowly, and I felt warmth gather in my chest at the sight.

That's it Gracie, nice and easy. It's just me.

I gently intercepted her arm in my hands, loving the skin to skin contact, but hating the circumstances.

"Thank you for trusting me Gracie." I said, giving her a smile that let her know exactly how much I appreciated her faith in me and my intentions.

"Thank you for taking care of me Wes." she replied, with a small smile that filled and broke my heart at the same time.

It suddenly occurred to me that Gracie had never been taken care of - truly taken care of in a relationship before. Amanda had told us last night that Colt was the only guy Gracie had ever dated and my stomach dropped at the thought of Gracie being treated that way for years...years.

On the other hand it wasn't like I was the king of relationships myself. In fact I'd never had a true girlfriend because I had no interest in taking care of anyone except myself. I've always been a one-and-done type of guy, but made sure that wasn't a secret. I'm selfish enough to not want a relationship, but respectful enough to make that a known fact before taking a girl home. Every girl I'd ever gone home with knew before we left that a relationship was off the table and that I didn't do feelings - But then again, none of those girls were Gracie.

Making a conscious effort to handle her arm with feather-light contact, I held it up close to the light, looking for swelling, limpness, or rigidity that was abnormal. Hand, wrist and arm injuries were familiar friends and common occurrences for a fighter and I knew exactly what to look for to determine if we needed to take Gracie to see a doctor.

"Can you make a fist for me?" I asked, watching her fingers ball tightly against her palm with ease.

"What about wiggling your fingers? How does that feel?"

Unclenching her fist, she extended her fingers and wiggled them for me, smiling up at me as her body slowly started to relax and finally accept that I meant no harm.

"Let's test that grip." I said with a grin as I held on hand out toward her.

"Squeeze my hand as hard as you can and let me know if you feel any pain." I instructed.

Placing her hand in mine, she gripped it tightly and squeezed, narrowing her eyes as she increased the pressure of her hand, giving me a tough expression that was so fucking cute I couldn't help but smile.

"Shit Gracie, ouch." I whimpered, with my large hand flinching beneath hers, pretending to be hurt.

She quickly pulled away and looked up at me with the most adorable facial expression I'd ever seen as if she'd actually hurt me.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Wes, did I hurt you?" she asked, her voice dripping with sincerity as she turned my hand over and rubbed it tenderly with her fingers and palm.

You're so fucking adorable Gracie.

"Nah, but I'm sure if I was a small child or a ritz cracker, you'd have done some serious damage just now." I said with a sly grin.

Dropping her chin, she rolled her eyes at me with a smirk as she playfully slapped the back of my hand and laughed.

"There she is." I said, relieved to see some light back in her eyes.

She smiled at my comment and beamed up at me brightly which seemed to drain some of the hatred from my veins.

I watched her pull in a big breath before pushing it out, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin as a physical show of resilience that was a privilege to watch.

"I'm okay." she said confidently, more to herself than to me.

"Yes you are." I affirmed.

"Do you think Colt is still here?" she asked, looking up at me with her confidence wavering slightly.

"I doubt it, but he did seem pretty stupid so he may show up again. I wouldn't put it past him."

My honest words rolled around in her head for a second or two, causing her brows to draw in slightly as she contemplated her options before she spoke.

"Do you think I should leave?"

I quickly realized that she was relying on me to tell her if she was safe or not.

You're always safe with me Darlin'.

"Do you want to leave?" I asked, trying to get a feel for her emotional state.

"Not really, but if I need to I will."

Jesus how many times has Gracie had to leave places because she felt like she wasn't safe from Colt?

I lowered my stance so that I was closer to eye level with Gracie and gently tilted her chin up toward me with my knuckle.

"I need you to understand something, okay Gracie?" I started, feeling her nod slightly against my knuckle.

"You don't ever have to be scared of anyone when I'm around. If you want to stay and have fun tonight, then that's what we're gonna do. I won't let Colt or anyone else come near you sweetheart, you have my word."

Gracie's eyes were wide and she took in a sudden intake of air at my words, but her shocked expression melted into relief as the corner of her mouth lifted into a smile.

"You trust me?" I asked, needing to hear her say it out loud.

"Yes." she confirmed softly with a smile that was traveling further up her cheeks.

"Then let's go have some fun."

My first instinct was to take her by the hand and lead her back to the group, but I stopped mid-motion reminding myself that when it came to physical touch, I needed to let her call the shots.

I held out my hand instead, offering it to her and hoping she'd take it, but fully prepared to be rejected just in case.

To my surprise and delight, Gracie placed her small hand in mine and grasped it, sending shockwaves of warmth up my arm as she smiled up at me.

My excitement over an innocent hand hold was jarring to my senses and an unfamiliar emotion, but it felt good - really good.

Leading her back toward our table of friends, I walked slightly in front of her, shielding her from the crowded bar and making a pathway for her so she could walk untouched in my wake. We moved through the crowded room and as we reached the table all heads swiveled toward Gracie, who smiled at each and every person sitting there.

"I'd say our girl deserves a drink." Blake said, breaking the silence and standing to go to the bar.

"A drink? I think she earned a shot!" Amanda added loudly.

"What do you say Gracie?" Maggie asked.

All eyes went to Gracie again as the whole group tried to read her.

"Why not both?" Gracie said softly with a sly smile that put everyone at ease and eliciting cheers from everyone at the table.

Pulling my wallet from my back pocket, I handed my credit card to Blake over Gracie's head, holding it out toward him between my fingers.

"Whatever she wants." I said over the loud music that had started to play now that it was past 11pm.

Blake's grin spread from ear to ear as he took my credit card and leaned down toward Gracie to get her drink order. Once he straightened his posture Blake flashed me a smile and mouthed  the word "tequila" at me before turning to make his way toward the bar.

Gracie climbed onto one of the empty bar stools next to Amanda, but her head pivoted and turned back and forth as she surveyed the crowd, searching for the person she didn't want to see. I picked up on her uneasiness immediately and took a step toward her, leaning down over her shoulder so my mouth was close enough to her ear that she could hear me.

"Nothin' to be scared of remember. I'm right here." I said against her ear.

I moved forward until my chest grazed her back and watched her body language carefully for a reaction. If she leaned forward and tried to put space between us, I was going to back away immediately, but she didn't. Not only that but she did the exact opposite and leaned back against me until her entire back was pressed flush against my chest. It was so crowded in that bar that I doubt anyone had noticed, but the contact was electric and meaningful and I was loving the way she felt against me.

Go ahead and lean on me. I'm not goin' anywhere.

Her body relaxed against mine, but her calmness was short lived as I felt her body tense and jolt forward, reaching out and grabbing Amanda by the arm in the process.

"What's wrong?" Amanda and I asked in unison.

"Laura! What if Colt goes to the apartment. We need to call Laura and warn her." Gracie said with panic in her voice as her breathing started to pick up to a rapid pace.

"It's okay, I already called her. She went down the hall to stay the night at Jackson's" Amanda confirmed, rubbing her hand up and down Gracie's arm to comfort her.

Gracie nodded at Amanda, but was still riding her sudden spike in adrenaline out of fear for her roommate. I knew she would calm down on her own, but seeing Gracie panicked did something strange to me and I couldn't physically handle it.

"Take a deep breath Gracie. Laura's okay." I soothed down against her ear.

I watched Gracie's chest inflate then deflate slowly a few times, following my soft set of instructions immediately until she was calm enough to settle her small body against my chest again - which was right where I wanted her.

Will you just fucking look at me? When did I become such a pussy? PDA Wes? Really?

I was so far out of my element and confused by every single one of my thoughts and actions that night, but I couldn't help myself. I was doing shit that I had vowed I'd never do, saying shit that I had vowed I'd never say and going against my own rules that I'd never broken before now, but it felt good - it felt so fucking good.

I'll be whatever you need me to be tonight Gracie.

*******

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