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***

"Something needs to be done about Luke, she cannot live her life this way!" Leo demanded, gently placing an icepack on my swollen eye.

"I am going to kill him when I see him-"

"No you are not Hunter!" I interrupted, my face remaining emotionless. Any movement made my eye ache with pain, all I wanted were some strong painkillers and sleep.

"Grace, this isn't up for discussion. Liam and I have agreed we need to teach him a lesson!" Hunter replied, his sweet smile beaming towards me.

After Leo called Hunter, we agreed to meet him back at Leo's house. His parents were away once again, meaning we could all speak about the matter together. Liam and Hunter were already here once we arrived, and immediately Hunter began fussing insisting we needed to go to the hospital to get my eye checked out. The last thing I wanted was to be prodded and poked by medical professionals, but then again I wasn't sure if my eye socket was severely damaged.

"You two being violent towards Luke, will not make this right! Have you never heard of the saying two wrongs do not make a right?" I whined, "You two need to leave him alone, this is what he wants!"

"What do you mean, this is what he wants?" Liam asked, his face contorted into a frown.

"If you two beat him up, then it will mean his parents will call the police. You're lucky they did not call them the first time! If they get the police involved, then you will both be out of my life for good. Do you two want that?" I asked, raising my eyebrows like a protective mother.

"Of course not." Liam and Hunter both replied.

I smiled, my heart warming at the sight of the two of them. These two were the only people who had always believed in me, and having Leo in my life was just the icing on the cake. I was so lucky to have three fantastic boys looking out for me, and protecting me along the way. Leaving Luke was not easy, and with the purple bruise now circling my eye - it was about to get ten times harder.

"I think.. I think you should go to the police Grace." Leo gently spoke, his voice barely a whisper.

My face shot up, my eyes connecting with his ocean pools. Reminding me of all those months ago when we had first met, and I felt a sudden gush of happiness that he entered my life. If it wasn't for him, I never would of had the courage to leave Luke in the first place.

"Are you fucking nuts?" Hunter exclaimed, edging closer towards Leo.

"Obviously not! It's the sensible solution, he needs to be punished-"

Hunter's sarcastic laugh filled the room, "Have you seen our justice system? It's fucked!"

My eyes rolled to the back of my head, Hunter was beyond protective over me. I think even more so since the news broke about Luke. I know all he wants for me is for me to be safe and happy, but right now the only way I could get that is from the police.

I lifted myself from the chair, inching closer towards Hunter. He was furious with Luke, and for some stupid reason he was deciding to take it out on Leo.

"I get what you are saying. But she has the evidence on her face, if she goes to the police station now and makes a statement he could get locked up without bail! He's a danger to everybody." Leo stood before Hunter, his eyes landing on me with his last words.

He was right. Not only was Luke a danger to me, but he was a threat to other girls around the globe. If I let him get away with this, there was no doubt in my mind that he would do this to another innocent woman down the line. No girl ever deserves to feel this way, to have the life sucked out of them by somebody they loved; he deserved to be behind bars.

"If she goes to the police, he will gain more ammunition to find Grace! Say they do let him out on bail, you and I both know he will breach it and find Grace. If he punched her today over nothing, think what he would do if he had a real reason!" Hunter spat, his face now inches away from Leo's.

Within seconds Liam's firm hands were on Hunter and Leo's chests, creating distance between them.

"Fighting is not the answer! The last thing Grace wants, or needs is to see more violence. Grow up the pair of you! Neither of you have actually asked Grace what she wants..." Liam scowled, before walking towards me and pulling me into a big hug.

As he pulled away, his soft hand pressed against my swollen cheek. His touch was so gentle I'd of never thought the pain existed beneath my skin, and the purple shade painted across the top.

"Grace, what do you want to do?" Liam whispered, his deep green eyes suddenly becoming apparent in the dim room.

Times like these Liam showed the side of himself that not many people saw. Liam's instinct has always been to put on a brave face, and battle on each day without letting anybody know his real emotions. I couldn't blame him, he suffered greatly after his parents divorced and his Mum took his younger brother away to the other side of the country. Liam had experienced first hand what it was like losing somebody he loved, and even though he would never admit it; I knew he missed his little brother every single day.

I gulped, inhaling a deep breath for what I was about to say - because once I said it, there was no going back.

"I want to go to the police. I want to put an end to all of this, once and for all."

Liam smiled, his face beaming into a yellow sunshine full of pride.

"That's my best friend!" He chuckled, grabbing his hoodie off the back of the dining room chair.

Liam wrapped the hoodie around me, preparing me for the summer breeze that was awaiting to engulf us outside. My heart pounded in time with each step my feet made with the floor, once I'd made this first step - everything would undoubtedly change. It would be out of my hands, and in the eyes of the law it would be down to them to decide Luke's punishment.

"You know I love you, right?" Hunter whispered, his soft lips brushing against my ear.

My face turned a raspberry red, each hair rising on my body. Just like that Hunter made me forget, enabling me to feel normal. Hunter was my drug, my antidepressant. Liam and Leo headed out of the door first, leaving Hunter and I trailing behind. As I felt Hunter's hand entwine with mine, I knew I had all the strength I needed.

Luke was never going to bring me down ever again.

***

A/N:
What do you think about Grace's decision to go to the police?

Do you think Luke will get the punishment he deserves?

On average, a woman is assaulted 35 times before her first call to the police.

If you are experiencing anything similar to Grace, please speak to somebody you can trust. You do not have to go through this alone. Speak to a friend, work colleague/teacher, or family member. ❤️