Page 81
Story: Before & After You
It didn’t have to be. Greyson had said as much himself.
This could continue.
I could believe that, couldn’t I?
I thought I could.
But all I really heard was,liar, liar—
Liar.
Sixty-seven Before
“WELL, ISN’T THISfucking precious,” Jaymes seethed from behind us, and my back stiffened.
I guess we’d gotten away with not having this confrontation for long enough; it was bound to happen. But I didn’t want to do this today.Not today.
Greyson’s arm slipped from my shoulders as he turned around, leveling his stare on Jaymes. “What?” he snapped.
“You heard me.”
Greyson stepped forward, and I wrapped my hand around his arm to keep him from going any farther.
Jaymes laughed, a slowclap, clap, clapof his hands as he cocked his head to the side. “Fuck me, but I never pegged either of you as backstabbers. Makes sense, though.”
Was he for real?
“You’re clearly delusional,” I spoke up. Hewas the one who’d finally gotten what he wanted, only to completely piss on it by sleeping with Sara behind my back. “You cheated onme, remember?” I ignored the tiny little detail that, technically, I did cheat on him, too.
And he laughed again. “You know, I actually liked you, and that’s saying a lot for me. But you know me, Jess. Youknowme.”Know that you’re an epic dick and an asshole? Yeah, I do…“I might’ve called you my girlfriend, but we weren’t going to be official until you were willing to make it official,” he said.
And yeah, I wanted to punch him. I’d never gotten the chance to the last time, thanks to Greyson. But it wasn’t worth it. The truth was, I still didn’t care that much. Especially not now. Not when I had the one thing I’d wanted, standing right here in front of me, defending me, straining not to punch Jaymes in the face himself.
Jaymes pointed his finger between me and Greyson. “Can’t say this surprises me, though.” He laughed. “You’ve got a type, don’t you? Sad, little depressed bitches…just like your mom.”
My next breath got stuck in my throat, frozen in my windpipe.What the fuck?
I didn’t know if it was the stress of him leaving tomorrow, or the purely fucking shitty things Jaymes had just said about his mom and me, but Greyson…
He just fucking lost it.
He pulled out of my grasp and had his fingers around Jaymes’ throat faster than I could blink. His fist reared back and swung across Jaymes’ jaw. Once, twice, nailing him hard in the face.
But Jaymes just laughed the entire time. Dude clearly had some serious fucking issues.
I grabbed at Greyson’s shoulders. “Come on. Let’s go. He’s not worth it. I don’t want to spend our last day like this,” I said, and that immediately snapped him out of it.
He stood quickly, chest heaving, anger still simmering in his eyes. If he could’ve killed Jaymes with a look, he would’ve right then. There would be a pretty little outline of Jaymes’ body on the ground where he laid.
Greyson gave him one last shove. “Back the fuck off,” he spat, and turned back towards me, grabbing my hand and leading me away.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He shook his head. “Not your fault.”
We walked through the campus and down the front steps of our school in silence.
Greyson stopped us in the parking lot, in front of his car, and pulled me into his arms, letting the weight of the world settle onto his shoulders with one breath. “I don’t want to leave you tomorrow,” he said.
This could continue.
I could believe that, couldn’t I?
I thought I could.
But all I really heard was,liar, liar—
Liar.
Sixty-seven Before
“WELL, ISN’T THISfucking precious,” Jaymes seethed from behind us, and my back stiffened.
I guess we’d gotten away with not having this confrontation for long enough; it was bound to happen. But I didn’t want to do this today.Not today.
Greyson’s arm slipped from my shoulders as he turned around, leveling his stare on Jaymes. “What?” he snapped.
“You heard me.”
Greyson stepped forward, and I wrapped my hand around his arm to keep him from going any farther.
Jaymes laughed, a slowclap, clap, clapof his hands as he cocked his head to the side. “Fuck me, but I never pegged either of you as backstabbers. Makes sense, though.”
Was he for real?
“You’re clearly delusional,” I spoke up. Hewas the one who’d finally gotten what he wanted, only to completely piss on it by sleeping with Sara behind my back. “You cheated onme, remember?” I ignored the tiny little detail that, technically, I did cheat on him, too.
And he laughed again. “You know, I actually liked you, and that’s saying a lot for me. But you know me, Jess. Youknowme.”Know that you’re an epic dick and an asshole? Yeah, I do…“I might’ve called you my girlfriend, but we weren’t going to be official until you were willing to make it official,” he said.
And yeah, I wanted to punch him. I’d never gotten the chance to the last time, thanks to Greyson. But it wasn’t worth it. The truth was, I still didn’t care that much. Especially not now. Not when I had the one thing I’d wanted, standing right here in front of me, defending me, straining not to punch Jaymes in the face himself.
Jaymes pointed his finger between me and Greyson. “Can’t say this surprises me, though.” He laughed. “You’ve got a type, don’t you? Sad, little depressed bitches…just like your mom.”
My next breath got stuck in my throat, frozen in my windpipe.What the fuck?
I didn’t know if it was the stress of him leaving tomorrow, or the purely fucking shitty things Jaymes had just said about his mom and me, but Greyson…
He just fucking lost it.
He pulled out of my grasp and had his fingers around Jaymes’ throat faster than I could blink. His fist reared back and swung across Jaymes’ jaw. Once, twice, nailing him hard in the face.
But Jaymes just laughed the entire time. Dude clearly had some serious fucking issues.
I grabbed at Greyson’s shoulders. “Come on. Let’s go. He’s not worth it. I don’t want to spend our last day like this,” I said, and that immediately snapped him out of it.
He stood quickly, chest heaving, anger still simmering in his eyes. If he could’ve killed Jaymes with a look, he would’ve right then. There would be a pretty little outline of Jaymes’ body on the ground where he laid.
Greyson gave him one last shove. “Back the fuck off,” he spat, and turned back towards me, grabbing my hand and leading me away.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He shook his head. “Not your fault.”
We walked through the campus and down the front steps of our school in silence.
Greyson stopped us in the parking lot, in front of his car, and pulled me into his arms, letting the weight of the world settle onto his shoulders with one breath. “I don’t want to leave you tomorrow,” he said.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92