His Trouble Maker

Chapter 49

Jessica

I’ve never felt so much pain in my entire life. It’s like everything inside me is being torn apart. I didn’t know where I was, but I knew something had gone horribly wrong.

“She shouldn’t have been out there,” Pierce’s voice snapped. It was so sharp, full of fury. I could hear his teeth grinding through the words. “You knew what would happen. You should’ve stopped her.”

I flinched at the sound of his voice. He’s always so damn protective of me.

“I couldn’t save her.”

Was that….Grayson? What is he talking about? Save me from what? The last thing I remembered–the rain. The downpour. The way it slammed against me, against the earth, as I faced Kael.

Had I… won?

Did I beat him?

I remember throwing him out of the circle when my vision starts to blur.

“Damn it, Grayson!” Pierce shouted. I heard some sound of chairs rattling. “You told me that there’s no fucking way she will make it as a

warrior!”

I flinched, though I wasn’t sure if I moved at all. I couldn’t even feel my fingers. But his words… they hurt like hell. I remember his exact words

when we were younger. He always excluded me from his training. Always. He never let me in. For what? Why?

“She’s stronger than you think.”

“No, she’s not!”

“Then what do you want me to do, huh? Tell her that no, Jess, don’t fucking try because Aria made sure you will never make it even if you fucking won the trial? Do you think how she will feel-”

Aria?

My mind was foggy, my body broken. But the mention of Aria…snap me back to reality.

“You think she’s ready?”

I wanted to answer, wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t form. And then Grayson growl. I know that’s a sign Pierce is pushing his damn limits. “I didn’t have a choice,” he muttered, his voice low but raw. “She needed to do this. She needed to prove it.”

“Prove what?” Pierce spat. “That she’s strong enough to survive your fucking games? To survive Aria? To be your fucking Luna?”

Ready? Was I? Was I ever ready for what?

Grayson had been doing

plan. My mind flashed back

had been working so damn hard, grinding myself into the

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Chapter 49

pain in my chest, everything felt like it was crashing into me all at once. My head spun ! thought I

It’s disgusting.

conscious, they quickly went to my side as if they hadn’t been at each

but I pushed him away. I saw how his lips

you do?” I pushed between them, my voice rising with each word.

J

eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t expected this–hadn’t expected me to

He reached for

“Don’t you

my palm hitting his skin echoed in the suddenly silent room. Aria took a step back, her shoulder bumping against

my finger into Grayson’s chest.

Goddamn it. I swallowed hard, my throat

were just trying to-”

My laugh came out ugly, twisted. “That’s rich coming

flared. “You’re not

into fists. “Was it fair when you went behind my back? When you talked about me like I’m not even a person with my own fucking

circle, running my fingers through my tangled hair, yanking at the roots until it

I whispered,

me, bouncing off the walls. Something hot and wet rolled down my cheek. Fuck.

softened, but his eyes–Goddess, his eyes looked

at me like that,” I hissed. “Like I’m breaking your heart

it across the room. It hit the wall with a

my head and stared right into Grayson’s eyes. “I fucking won. You saw

fucking won and I’m going to fight for that. There’s no way I am letting them bully me into thinking that I

Wilkinson is

behind my eyes but I refused to let them fall. “Grayson…baby..please?

I see the reflection of my pain. It’s like he’s hurting

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Chapter 49

Jess, you’ve passed out after

“No…no…no..that’s not true.”

I can’t. This is not real. He’s lying. There’s

I’m okay now, I can go back and finish the next pool.” I straightened my shoulders, wiping my tears with the

watch how his face crumpled in pain. Not all at once, but in pieces–first his brow, then his eyes, finally his mouth. He reached for me again, slower this