Saving Grace [Completed]

Chapter 9

          Twenty minutes after sending Tate the text, I heard a pounding at the front door. I rushed downstairs, but my mom answered it first. "Can I help you?" "Yeah, you have a kid named Paul that lives here that has raped both your daughters. I'd like to say hi.." He smirked. Mom crossed her arms. "Excuse me? And you are.." "The only one who will fucking listen. Really lady?! That's your response to what I just told you? From what I'm understanding.. You just met that Sam guy and you're having them live with you? What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Tate pushed passed mom and started walking up the stairs. I backed up and headed to the top. "Which one's your room?" I pointed and Tate made his way in. He walked right up to Paul and pushed him down and pointed a gun at his face. "I ought to fucking kill you now, you sick fuck!" Paul put his hands up. "I'm sorry.. who are you and what do you think I did?" Tate laughed. "Think?!" He hit Paul with the gun. "Fucking think!? I know you hurt these girls and if you hurt them again.. I will fucking kill you. I want you out of this fucking house now and I never want to hear that you're hear again."

         Paul kept his hands up. "Fine.. OK you have your wish. If you get off of me, I'll leave." Tate got up and held his gun down while Paul grabbed his things. Mom and Sam rushed up stairs and darted their eyes between Paul and Tate. "I'm calling the cops if you don't leave!" I grabbed my mom's hand. "Mom, stop. It's true. I asked him to come here because Paul did rape us. I didn't know what to do he said he would kill me if I told, but then he raped Ada and that was the last straw." Mom rolled her eyes and left the room. "Really Grace! You're lying to get me not to be with Sam?! You can leave too Grace!" I put my hand over my mouth and tried to hold back tears. Finally, Paul was done packing and as he walked by me he grabbed me close and put the knife up to my throat. Tate jumped up and I put my hand on Paul's arm. "Paul! Let me go!" Paul used his other hand to grope my breast. "I told you not to tell anyone.." My mom rushed up the stairs and Paul slid the knife across my throat and dropped me. I fell to the floor and held my hand on my throat. 

         Tate and my mom rushed over and Tate grabbed one of my T shirts laying on the ground and applied pressure to my throat. I started getting faint. I was chocking on my blood and everyone's voices started to get quieter and their shapes blurred. I barely heard Tate yelling "call 911". I saw a small figure, which I believe was Ada rush to my side as well. Jake came in and I heard them all screaming and crying. 

            I woke up in a hospital room and Tate was sitting by my side holding my hand. He had his other hand on his face and he was shaking. I squeezed his hand and tried to talk, but all I made was a scratchy sound. Tate jumped up, "don't talk. I'm glad you're OK. They haven't found Paul and Sam is gone." I tried to smile, but everything hurt. I tried to nod, but the thought of nodding and splitting my throat open again terrified me. Tate leaned down and kissed my forehead. My mom came in and hugged me. "Oh baby, I'm so sorry I doubted you.. Sam left me anyway.." She brushed my hair out of my face and put her hand on my arm. She looked up at Tate and smiled. "Thank you for being there for my baby." Tate nodded and smiled at me. "I have to go. Get better, OK?" I frowned. I didn't want him to leave me. He has been the only one that has cared for me. I closed my eyes and rested more. I was in the hospital about a month. I was in the intensive care unit and I had to have rehabilitation to be able to breath on my own. 

            It was finally time for me to go home and mom drove me to an apartment. "Where's our home?" Mom fixed her eyes on the road. "We moved. I was scared for you girls that Paul would come back and hurt you." I nodded and mom helped me up the stairs to our apartment. When we got inside Ada and Jake were there waiting for me. Ada jumped up and ran to me hugging my waist tight. "I missed you Grace!" I smiled, "I missed you too Ada. I looked up at Jake and he walked over to me as well. He hugged me and started to cry. "We thought we lost you little sis." I started to cry as well. My dad came out of the bathroom and covered his mouth. I saw tears start to run down his face. "My baby girl.." He came over to me and cried as well. "Hey guys, OK I'm fine really! Now I can't breathe with you all attacking me like this!" They laughed and let go. I went into my room and sat on my bed. I pulled grabbed my phone and saw a few texts from Tate. 

Tate: Hey Grace.. just wanted to say hi and ask how you're doing. 

Tate: Grace.. I really need someone right now.

         I frowned. I texted him back. 

Grace: Hey what's up?

Tate: Can I pick you up

Grace: Yeah of course. 

Tate: I'll be there in ten

          I took a shower and put on a cute black dress. I heard a knock at the door and rushed to get it, but my father got it before me. He examined Tate first, "Can I help you son?" Tate looked in shock, turned away and ran down the stairs. Dad looked over at me. "What was that about?" I shrugged, threw on my shoes and ran after him. Tate got in his car and I saw his hands covering his face. I got in the passenger side. I put my hand on his leg. "Hey.. Tate? What's wrong?" I could tell he was crying, but he was trying to fight it. He sighed loudly and sniffed. "Let's get out of here, OK?" I nodded and put on my seat belt. We went back to the make out spot and Tate parked by away from everyone. He pulled another bottle of Vodka from under the seat and chugged it down. He handed me the bottle, but I put up my hand, rejecting the offer. "What happened, Tate?" Tate stared off at the city. "My umm... dad is dead." I felt my heart drop. I chocked back tears. "In.. the line of duty?" He nodded and chugged more Vodka down. He punched his dashboard. "I told him not to fucking go.. Not to fucking go into combat. He's suppose to just be medical. Don't you remember? I told him not to!" He started to cry and pushed his knee up to his chest. "Fuck!" He punched the dashboard again and his knuckles were bleeding. I didn't know what to say. I barely knew this guy, I barely knew his father. He saved me from Ryan and Paul and I didn't know what to do.

             "Oh my god Tate.. I'm so sorry.." I leaned in to hug him, but he put his hand up. "I should have been there. I told him I was going to join the military once I turned 18, so I could protect him. I was too fucking late! I'm fucking useless!" He got out of the car and slammed the door. I sat there for a second, trying to figure out something to do. I couldn't be this useless. I sighed and watched him as he paced around. He kicked the car and threw the Vodka bottle down towards the city. He put his hands on his head and paced around. I got out of the car and ran to him. "Tate.. I know there's nothing I can say that will make you feel better.. but I really want to. You helped me so much, and obviously I did something for you for you to ask me up here. I'm sorry about your dad Tate. And I know it wasn't your fault what happened. I'm here for you Tate.." Tate stopped, turned around and looked at me. "Do you know why my dad called me Superman?" I shook my head. "Because when I was a kid he used to pick me up and fly me around as I did the Superman pose. I was obsessed with Superman when I was a kid. When he joined the military when I was about ten years old, I told him that if anyone tried to hurt him, I would fly over to him and shoot lasers out of my eyes to protect him. He would always call me his Superman and ask me to protect him. That's what he would say when ever I was scared for him. 'You'll protect me Superman, that's your job remember?' Well obviously I did a pretty fucking shitty job at that." 

           I put my head down and grabbed for his hands. I pushed past his hands and hugged him. I started to cry into his chest. He slowly put his hands up and wrapped them around me. I felt that he was crying too. "I just want my dad Grace. I want him back so bad.." I heard his voice cracking as he tried to speak.

~Author's Note~

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for reading my stories, for the feedback, the subscribes, and for the votes! I hope this broke your heart as much as this broke mine :'( Not that I want to make all of you sad :) I look forward to hearing from your stories as well! 

Also, I have a fiance named Geoff and he did not die and will not die. Just want to throw that out there because last time I told my fiance to say that his uncle Danny died and then my uncle Danny died, so I don't want to jinx myself or anything! I don't like to say things about people that have the same name now.. I don't know it just freaks me out!