𝘞𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 | 𝘎𝘪𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴

46 :: 𝘪 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘪'𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺

a little gracie abrams reference

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!! Warning !!
This chapter contains mentions of blood, swearing, violence and arguing.
Read at your own risk.

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❝ Love just isn't enough, Jess. ❞

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HER FISTS POUNDED relentlessly against the door. She was surprised the glass hadn't smashed. She knew they were both inside, both upstairs. The diner had just closed for the night and Luke would be upstairs looking through his accounts and Jess would be somewhere upstairs, either watching television or taking a shower. Either way, they were both inside. She kept banging on the door. She felt lightheaded. She was shivering, soaked to her core. The blood from her cut was now mixed with the rain and her tears and had stained Jess' tshirt. It was on her hands, her arms, her legs; everywhere. It was on Luke's door now. She felt slightly bad.

The light inside flickered on and Luke appeared from behind the curtain to the stairs. He looked confused and looked around. Why was Melissa at his door on a random Thursday evening, in the pouring rain? He got closer to the door and saw her shaking figure, saw her struggling to breath through strangled sobs. She was bleeding profusely from a thin cut on her forehead and a bump was forming just above her eyebrow. She was completely soaked through. He'd never moved faster to open the door.

He unlocked the door and pulled it open. Melissa stumbled forward, her entire body trembling. "Where's Jess?" she asked between desperate gasps for air. She wrapped her arms around herself. Her teeth were chattering.

"He's upstairs — Lissa, what happened —,"

"I need to see Jess."

Luke nodded and shouted for Jess, but he didn't tear his eyes away from Melissa. He rushed behind the counter and pulled out a first aid kit. "Melissa, sit down, you're shaking —,"

She didn't listen to him. She continued sobbing, struggling to breathe. She could barely hear him over the ringing in her ears.

Luke tried to push her into a chair but she protested. She fought against him. She didn't need him and his silly little first aid kit. She needed to see Jess. She couldn't believe what was happening. How had this become her life? How did she get to this?

"Melissa, you need to get the cut looked at — it could get infected. Why are you sopping wet —,"

"What the hell happened — why is she bleeding —,"

She leapt up and raced past Luke before even had time to process it. She was by the stairs in a split second and immediately she turned on Jess. She placed her palms flat on his chest and shoved him backwards. His head collided with the door frame and he gasped, rubbing soothingly at it. But she didn't let up. She pushed him again and again and again, her sobs getting louder with each push she gave him.

"Melissa — what's going on — why are you crying –," He was beyond confused. She was absolutely soaked from head to toe. A puddle of rainwater was forming around her on the tiles. All he could focus on was making sure she didn't slip.

She started jabbing her fingers into his chest. "How —," jab, "— could —," jab, "— you?!" Another shove.

Jess looked bewildered at Luke who looked just as confused. Jess tried to calm her, tried whispering his sweet nothings in her ear but instead of melting into him like she usually did, she smacked him across the face. He stumbled backwards and clasped his face, nursing the raw red mark. She lurched forward to take another hit at him, but Luke jumped it and pulled her back. She screamed and shouted and sobbed, but he refused to let her go.