Chapter 33 Escaping
Gracie
We arrive home, and I don’t want to go inside, but I have to. I take a deep breath and climb out of the car. Ryland follows me.
“I will be waiting right over there.” He assures me, nodding to the side of the house.
I kiss him softly. “Okay,” I say and head inside.
The second I step into the house, I hear my father slur. “Where the fuck have you been?”
I hoped he would have been passed out by now, but no such luck. I hear him making his way from the living room to the hall where I am. He is banging into things on the way. He glares at me, a familiar anger filling his eyes. I knew that look. He is looking for me to take his anger out on it, but not this time. He comes at me, but I manage to pivot out of his way. It isn’t hard because he is that drunk; he can barely stand.
“Get back here, you little bitch.” He yells.
“No!” I snap back at him.
I dart upstairs and straight to my room. I close the door and block it with a chair. I can hear him staggering upstairs. With any luck, he will fall them. I gather everything I need, then shove it into the bag. I make sure I have my keys and head straight for the window. Ryland is waiting right where he said he would be. I toss my bag out to him, and he catches it. I shimmy myself down the drainpipe, and Ryland helps me at the bottom.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, he is wasted, but I managed to get away from him.” I sigh.
“Let’s get to mine. My mom will still be awake. I will distract her, and you can sneak up to my room.”
I nod. “Okay.”
This should be interesting. I hope she doesn’t catch me, or I’m screwed. I will be sleeping in my car because I wouldn’t show up at Lola’s at this time of night. Ryland wraps his arm around me as we head towards his house. We can hear my dad shouting and trashing the place from outside. The sound of it is enough to put the fear in me. I can only imagine what he would have done to me if he got his hands on me.
Ryland senses it and holds me tighter. “I got you, brown eyes. You are safe with me.”
I rest my head on his shoulder. “I know.”
When we reach his house, Ryland lets us in, but before closing the door, he tells me to wait for a moment. We can hear his mom say hello from the living room. Ryland heads over and stands at the doorway of the living room to talk to her. I watch closely, waiting for the signal. He signals me with his hand to head up. I move quietly as I can and sneak upstairs, making sure not to make any noise. The second I enter his room, I close his curtains in case my dad gets into my room and sees me over here. I close the bedroom door too.
I sit on the bed, nervously waiting for him. It takes five minutes, but he finally comes strolling in, smiling, and I relax.
“We are safe. I told my mom I am going to do some homework and then get an early night. By telling her that, it means she won’t come in and disturb me.”
He closes the door behind him and comes over, standing before me. “Do you want to go to sleep or do something else?”
“I am not tired; we can find something else to do. I think it is time I know more about you, Ryland.” I say softly, looking up at him.
He sighs, gear flashing across his face, but he nods. He knows all my secrets, and I think it is time I get to know his, too.
“Please promise me once I tell you that you won’t run?” he says nervously.
I reach for his hand and stare him straight in the eyes. “I promise. I would never after how you have been here for me, even after knowing everything, Ryland.”
“I hope that is true because I don’t want to lose you before we have even had a real chance to start.” His words make my heart race a little faster, and my stomach tighten.
“I promise, Ryland. I am not going anywhere.” I reply. I mean every word. It doesn’t matter what he tells, I don’t plan on running away from him.
Ryland still seems hesitant, but nods. “Okay.”
I have no reason to run. Ryland has been my rock recently. My safety net from all the bad going on. I plan on being the same for him. I don’t know what he's been through, but I know it's been a lot. I can sense it.