Chapter 79 Chapter Seventy-nine

Chapter 79 Chapter Seventy-nine
Bella

“I told you,” Chris bit out, looking straight at my mother. “Look at her. She’s the reason he’s changed. They’re constantly fighting. Is this how we’re supposed to become one happy family?”

Gray turned around slowly to face them, his entire body radiating tension.
This was going to turn into a reality-tv-show-worthy-kind-of-chaos soon. I just knew it.

“You didn’t even have the decency to knock?” He posed the question to his father. “What if she was underdressed or naked?”

My mother’s eyes narrowed. “And why exactly would you be in her room if she was underdressed or naked?”

Chris’s face hardened. He hated it whenever things took a turn like this one.

“As your father, I’m commanding you to leave this room. Now.”

“You don’t—” 

“I’ll cut off your access to every single fund,” Chris interrupted Gray coldly. “I’ll make sure you struggle to get even a dime if you don’t walk out of here right now.”

Gray’s fists clenched tightly in his pockets. I watched the muscles in his arms and shoulders bunch up, then slowly relax as he fought whatever violent urge had come over him.

Without another word, he walked out of the room. 

I knew I was next.

Chris turned to my mother stiffly. “Christie, do your job now.”

Then he left, probably going after his son.

The second the door clicked shut, my mother whirled on me.

“You’re such a bitch, do you know that?” she hissed. “I asked you only minutes ago, minutes ago! To stay away from him! But what do we find? Him in your room, with this transparent sleep shirt plastered to your wet body. Have you no shame at all?”
She was talking about the sleep-shirt like it got dripping wet without some help from her.

“Was I supposed to kick him out of the room in his own house? You should be feeling really lucky Chris didn’t hear the rest of our conversation.”

She lifted her finger to point it at me. 

“I’ll teach you a strong lesson, I swear to God. You will regret the day I became your mother.”

I let out a hollow laugh, the sound surprising even me.

“I already do,” I said softly. “So go ahead. Do whatever you want.”

My mother’s surprised gasp filled the room, but I didn’t look at her face. I didn't need to. Whenever I spoke the truth without filters, she was always stunned.

The moment the door slammed shut behind her, for the second time today, the weight of everything crashed down on me.

For a second I wondered if this was all a dream. A really bad one. But my hair was still damn wet. My mother had dumped cold water on him. That happened in real life. Minutes ago.

I pulled my hair from my scalp until it screamed in protest. I let my hand drop, feeling pathetic for my sudden crazed behaviour.

I dried my hands on my sleep shirt before grabbing my phone from the study desk. The jug my mother had used earlier still sat there, taunting me.

My hands trembled as I opened WhatsApp and searched for Gray’s name.

This was it, and I was going to be brave about it.

I took a deep, shaky breath and began typing the words that I knew would change everything between us.

Me: “We’ve got to stop whatever’s happening between us. Your father threatened to cut your access to all the funds you’re entitled to, and even though you might not take it seriously, I’m scared things might explode right in our faces. I’ll never forgive myself if you suffer because of us. We can go back to the way things used to be. Not speaking to each other. At least we won’t hate each other this time.”

A single teardrop fell onto the screen as my thumb hovered over the send button. My chest felt like it was being crushed. But I hit send anyway.

Then, before I could talk myself out of it, I blocked him.

The second I did it, a hollow ache spread through me. I tossed the phone onto the bed like it had burned me and headed straight for the bathroom.

The hot water hit my skin like needles, but I didn’t flinch. I let it burn. I let it wash away the tears mixing with the water running down my face. My body still remembered Gray’s touch from last night, his hands, his mouth, the way he had completely consumed me.

And now I had ended it. It wasn't because I wanted to, but because I was terrified of what would happen to him if I didn’t.

I pressed my forehead against the cold tiles, letting the steam fill the bathroom as sobs wracked my body.

This is for the best, I told myself. This is for the fucking best. But deep down, I knew the truth. Blocking Gray wouldn’t stop the way my heart still called out for him. It would only make the silence between us louder. And I wasn’t sure how long I could survive it, I didn't know if I'd even survive it.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, that’s when I heard it. A deafening crash, the sound of something heavy shattering against the wall, followed by a roar so raw and filled with rage that it shook me to my core. 

It wasn’t just anger. It was pain. Pure, unfiltered pain. My heart sank down to my stomach and withered.

Gray.

Two minutes later, the deep, thunderous rumble of his motorbike tore through the quiet morning like a beast breaking free from its cage. 

The sound grew louder for a moment, then faded into the distance as he sped away from the house. He had read the message.

Fuck, what had I done?