His Trouble Maker

Chapter 59

JESSICA

My eyes burn, swollen from sleep or crying or both. I don’t remember when I stopped sobbing. Only that I did. I stare at the ceiling for a long time, hoping for numbness. Hoping maybe if I worship it long enough, it’ll show mercy. Maybe it’ll numb me. Maybe it’ll split open and take me back.

However, no one takes pity on the weak. I know that now. I’ve earned that knowledge when Theo took advantage of me. So, I decided to continue my day as if everything’s alright.

“There she is!” Pierce eagerly shouted tapping Grayson’s shoulder. I saw both of them having their morning coffee and discussing something. “Going somewhere lil sis?”

I ignore him completely. My focus is entirely on Grayson, whose eyes widen slightly as he takes in my appearance–the dark smudged makeup I didn’t bother washing off, the hickeys I didn’t try to hide.

Without warning, I straddle Grayson’s lap, knocking his coffee against his chest. He hisses at the heat but I silence him by crushing my mouth against his. My hands tangle in his hair, pulling just hard enough to hurt.

When I break away, I smile at the shock on both their faces. “Can we talk?” I whisper against Grayson’s lips. “Privately.”

Pierce clears his throat. “Uh, is that a fucking hickey Jessica?!”

“Pierce, you can go,” he says, voice terrifyingly calm.

Pierce snorts. “Dude, this is my house.”

Grayson’s hand slides up to my throat, thumb pressing against one of Theo’s marks. His eyes never leave mine. “Go.”

The door slams a moment later. Grayson’s fingers tighten slightly around my neck.

“Who touched you?” he asks, voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Who. Fucking. Touched. You.”

I feel his rage like a physical thing–a storm building inside him that will destroy everything in its path. Good. That’s what I want. Destruction.

“I’m cheating on you,” I say, feeling his fingertips press deeper into my skin. “You have to break up with me.”

Please be mad at me, Grayson.

need you to be mad at

dilate until his eyes are almost black. Without warning, he flips me onto my back, the coffee table crashing beneath us. Pain shoots up my spine

throat again. This time, he squeezed

tears stinging my

wall beside my

up with me,” I plead, voice barely audible as his grip

in air. My lungs burn, my constricts. I claw at his hands, my nails drawing blood from his wrists,

1/3

Chapter 59

isn’t what I

eyes are vacant, like he’s somewhere else entirely.

desperate scratch

I roll to my side,

sorry!” His voice breaks, hands hovering over me,

backward, knocking over a glass that shatters against

to do it,” I whisper, my voice a painful rasp. “You were really going

“Jess, I swear to Goddess,

couldn’t control…“.

A text from Theo: “Did you tell him yet? Are

than I can react. His fingers close around

washing over his features. “You

Give that back!” I lunge forward, but he sidesteps me, already scrolling through my

face grows pater with each

phone!” I launch myself at him, clawing desperately for it. My nails rake across his cheek, leaving angry red lines. He barely flinches, just scrolls through more messages while holding me

scream, pounding on his chest. When he didn’t give up the phone, I found myself slapping him hard across

to the side from the impact, phone still clutched in

me,” he whispers,

my hand stinging. What have I done? The redness blooming across

like a predator as