Page 13 of Saving Grace

Perfect.

I planned to let Grace know exactly who she’d married. Now I could show her, and he could tell her himself.

No time like the present.

“Let her in.”

Surprised, Tank looked at me as if I’d grown an extra head.

“Let her in.” I repeated.

He nodded towards Marcus. He was oblivious to the fact that his entire world was about to implode.

I ignored the inquisitive scowl on Tank’s face, so he came right out and asked the question, “You sure you want her to find out like this?”

“Let her in” I spoke in a tone that dared him to protest.

“A'ight boss,” he saluted me facetiously.

Not even ten seconds passed before he was opening my door again.

Grace squeezed past him. I saw the appreciative raise of her eyebrow, the grin on his face let me know he saw it too.She likes what she sees.

I could feel my eye start to twitch. I’d have killed Tank with my bare hands if he acknowledged it. He wisely didn’t. When he left, closing the door without glancing back, I breathed a sigh of relief. Would I have really hurt someone who was like a brother to me over Grace? She turned and smiled my way and I knew the answer was yes, in a fucking heartbeat.

For a few seconds she was staring at her husband’s back and didn’t know it; “If you are busy I could come back.”

Marcus immediately recognized her voice, his eyes ballooned. His knees dipped and he nearly fell over, turning around to face her.

Grace gasped when she realized it was him, her mouth hung open. Her gaze traveled from the top of his unkempt head and stopped at his feet; he only wore one shoe. “What in the heavens?” She mumbled as she stepped forward like she was going to help him, but stopped herself abruptly, pulling her hand back like she touched a hot burner.

A look of disgust crossed her face. She shook her head as she looked past him to me.

“What is going on here Atticus?” She sounded tired and defeated, “Did you do this to him?”

The tick above my eye signaled my irritation. “No, he did it to himself and if you sit down, your husband has something to tell you.”

Grace.

Marcus’ Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed. He looked as if he was more scared of me than Atticus. Why? What was he so worried I would do, leave him? Atticus on the other hand could kill him. He was in fact looking as if he was ready to.

What the fuck have you gotten yourself into this time, Grace?

“Tell her.” Atticus demanded of Marcus; his voice was deceptively calm. I had heard it before. The day he killed his daddy.

I was sixteen and Atticus was seventeen at the time. In the three years since we’d met— that day by the lake, that day was the first time he hadn’t shown up for school. I’d made him promise me that we’d graduate together with grades good enough to go to a nice, out of state school. He hadn’t broken that promise yet. He, like me had an A average and had been offered full scholarships to colleges all over the US. Wherever Atticus decided to go, I was going too. Since that day at the lake, I made it my personal mission to save him like he’d saved me, even if I had to save him from himself.

I’d sat in classes all day wondering why he hadn’t showed up to school, hoping his daddy hadn’t beaten him to death. His death at his father’s hands had become a constant fear of mine. The thoughts I had caused my stomach to churn. I wanted to leave school and go and check on him and by fourth period I almost did. The only thing that kept me there was the thought of my granny, I knew she would pitch a fit and I’d be grounded. If Atticus was really hurt, he’d need me to take care of him like before and I couldn’t do that if I was stuck in the house. I thought about calling Granny and telling her to go check on him but decided against it. I didn’t want her worried if he had just slept in.

I made it through the entire day without losing it. When the bell rang I did the unthinkable and asked Ernest Roberts for a ride. He didn’t like Atticus and Atticus didn’t like him.

He’d been trying to date me since our freshman year began and I’d turned him down every time. There was no way I could deal with him no matter how cute he was if he didn't get along with my best friend. I usually didn’t even talk to him unless he spoke to me first, but I was truly desperate, walking would take nearly an hour, but driving only fifteen minutes.

I asked and he eagerly said yes. He talked my ear off the entire ride. Some I heard, most I didn’t.

He refused to drive his new Mercedes into the trailer park Atticus lived in. That was fine.

As soon as Ernest dropped me off at the corner I ran as fast as I could to Atticus’ house. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw his daddy’s car wasn’t there. I knocked at the trailer door until my hand hurt but got no answer. Going against my better judgment I pushed open the door. The smell of dirty dishes, urine, trash, and something unfamiliar hit me in the face causing my eyes to water. When my eyes adjusted to the darkness I saw where the smell was coming from, the trailer was filthy, there was old food and garbage everywhere. No wonder Atticus would never invite me to his home, even when his daddy wasn’t there.