Chapter Forty One-2

I safely manage to get into the kitchen. I reach for the cordless phone and just have my fingers around it when I feel his hand grip my arm, wrenching me back. I cling onto the phone with dear life as I stumble back, falling over. The phone bangs onto the floor, the back busting open, the batteries spilling out of it. Of course. That always happens in the movies, doesn't it? My body is sluggish from the pills that I can hardly get up. I try for a moment, my legs going the wrong way and my arms feeling too weak. "Where are you going, Grace?" he asks in a low, taunting voice. "I don't have Carrie, you don't have Hayden. It's just us left now, right?" Slowly getting to my feet, I watch him slither closer to me. "You put out for Hayden?" he asks in a slow, eerie voice. "Why didn't you, for me? I told you the things you wanted to hear. I acted the part, didn't I?" I feel my stomach clench as I listen to the words coming out of his mouth. You can really be wrong about a person. "It's the dating part that I got wrong," he murmurs, more to himself, than me. "If I had just played along, maybe you would have." I'm going to throw up. My mind is reeling. This is not looking good--he is off his face on some sort of drug and I'm doped out on sleeping pills. My body is not able to fight him off in this state. I turn and run out the other exit in the kitchen, staggering clumsily towards the door. I almost make it, when Ashton shoves me roughly. I stagger to my left, hitting the table that usually has mum's keys and handbag on it. It smacks against the wall roughly as I collide with it, bits of paints coming off the wall from the impact. Wrenching my body around so that I am facing him, he drove his outstretched hand into my throat, the pressure of him on my windpipe almost crushes my airways. I try to scream but instead, a hoarse, raspy sound comes out. "Shut up, you worthless whore!" he screams, shoving my head back into the wall. I can hardly breathe as his long fingers tighten around me. I feel my eyes begin to bulge out of my head as my oxygen is cut off. His eyes lock on mine as he continues squeezing. "Don't ever show up to my house and speak to Carrie again," he threatens, pressing his face up into mine. "She's the one that chose me. She's my number one. She's who I'm meant to be with but you've fucked it all up." Feeling the blood rush to my face, I know I have to act fast or he might actually kill me. I can see in his eyes that he is gone. He was in a black, enraged state and he isn't going to quit until I stop breathing. Reaching my hand out, I fumble for the air freshener that is sitting on the table. I know it is there because I always thought it was a random spot to sit it but never questioned mum about her choice. Somewhat surprised that I didn't manage to drop it considering the state I am in, I push him back as hard as I can and aim it at his eyes, before spraying. A wretched scream tears from his lips as he falls, clawing at his face. He let out a series of howls as his eyes burn. My heart is hammering in my chest as I try to move around him. He quickly gets to his feet and swings his hand forward, connecting it with my face. I feel my lip split as he makes contact. I fall, hitting my head on the corner of the table. I hoarsely scream as I land in a painful sprawl on my left arm. By now, we have both made enough noise that surely someone had to have heard the commotion. Ashton struggled to stay upright, hardly able to open his eyes. "I'm coming for you, Connaway," he bit out. "This isn't over." I watch as he staggers out the door, slamming it shut behind him. My body sags as I lay in a pile of unwavering pain. Blood is running down my face from where I've clearly split my head open. My lip is burning and I can feel the hot blood trickling down my chin. I attempt to get up and let out another cry, my left arm completely giving out. How the hell did this happen? Recently, I had thought Ashton was nuts but I didn't think he seriously was. I guess for someone to go for two underage girls when he was their coach at high school, should have been a red flag. But even then, he could just be categorised as a creep, not a crazy sociopath. I should have known something was up that day he came to my house and threatened me. The way his attitude changed so drastically... I should have known. Slowly crawling up the stairs, I use the support of them to pull me up. I fumble for my phone. My fingers trembled as I began dialling. I tried calling Harvey. No answer. I tried calling Mum. No answer. I tried calling the hospital, automatically being placed on hold. That always happened whenever I phoned the hospital. If I can't get onto Hayden, I have no other choice than to call the ambulance and I really don't want to have to fill out a report of what just happened. I ring Hayden and on the third try, he finally answers. "I'm not ready to talk to you," he snaps. "Stop calling." "Hayden," I rasp, my voice slow. "Can you-" deep breath, "drive me to the-", more ragged breathing, "hospital?" "What?" "Hayden," I gasp, the room spinning. "I'm bleeding. I need to go to hospital-" Suddenly, the line is dead. I feel my phone slip from my grip as I sink to the floor. My body weak and tired. I just have to get my phone... I don't know what that meant. Is Hayden hanging up because he doesn't care or because he's in a hurry to get over here? No, he would care. He's Hayden. My Hayden. My eyes close as I lay on the floor, cradling my swelling arm to my chest. "Grace!" a voice says to me, shaking me, sometime later. "Grace! Wake up!" Slowly opening my eyes, I stare up at Hayden's concerned, green eyes. "Hayden," I whisper, feeling blood in my mouth. "It's okay, I'm here," he assures me, grabbing me and lifting my body. He hugs me to him. I feel myself crying as he carries me down the stairs. My cries drowned out his heavy breathing as he places me in his car. "Stay with me, Grace," he urges, gripping my shoulder as he started the car. "Stay with me." Those were the last words I hear before I blackout. ---------------------