Saving Grace [Completed]

Chapter 12

          Tate and I stopped to rest at a rest stop. I pretended to sleep while I heard Tate quietly sobbing next to me. Thank god he had a bench seat in his Maverick, it made it so much easier to sleep in here. I rested my legs on his lap and laid my arm over my eyes. I felt him rustling around and I heard him wince. I moved my arm a little and saw the blade drag across his forearm. After he was done with that cut, he glanced at me, and made another right below that cut. He then popped a few pills and watched as the blood dripped to the floor. I sat up and grabbed his arm. "What the fuck, Tate!" Tate pulled his arm away from me and pulled down my pants. "Don't play that shit Grace I saw the blood stains on your pants yesterday." I pulled my pants up and sat against the passenger door. "If I stop.. Will you?" He sighed. "No.. I won't. My life sucks Grace. I love you, but you're the only thing in my life right now. We have no money. We're two stupid kids running away together." 

          The next day I went back to the 24 hour diner at applied for a server. Tate applied for a dishwasher at a privately owned bar a few blocks from the diner. We sat outside of a store with a sign while we waited for a call. My mom kept texting and calling me saying she was going to call the police if I didn't answer her calls or come back home, so I turned off my phone and put Tate's number on my application. A few guys came over and gave me $5 and I had to restrain Tate as he tried to get up to kick their asses. "I saw the look in their eyes.. they wanted to do more than give you money." I rolled my eyes. "OK and if it wasn't for them we wouldn't have any money." Tate got up and walked off. I'm so done with his jealousy right now. Since I didn't have the keys to the Maverick, I hung out in front of the store until about 6 p.m. when Tate finally came back. He was drunk off his ass and had a girl on his arm. I stood up and stormed over to him. "What the fuck, who are you?!" The girl laughed and kissed Tate on the cheek. "I think this one's fuck buddy for tonight, who the fuck are you?" I grabbed her by the arm and pushed her to the floor. Tate stood back and put his hands up, laughing. I tried to kick the girl, but she grabbed my leg and I fell to the floor as well. She got on the back of me and slammed my face into the ground, grabbing my hair as leverage. 

          I saw Tate walk off to the Maverick as this bitch was repeatedly hitting my face into the concrete. I was damn near dead when she finally stopped. She spit on me and went over to the Maverick. I tried to push myself off the ground and fell back down. I felt someone help me up. "Ta.. Tate?" I looked over through my non-swollen eye. I couldn't make out who this person was, but from the voice it sounded like a guy. I was helped into the store and brought to the employee's lounge. A few people were talking, but I couldn't hear them. Their voices were muffled. I passed out. 

           A few hours later I woke up in the employee lounge. Why didn't they call 911? There was a guy sitting next to me eating a sandwich. He looked over at me and stood up. "Are you OK?" I tried to reach for my head, but my whole body felt weak. "Ugh.." He had blonde hair and blue eyes, not my type, but he wasn't bad looking. He handed me some water and helped me drink it. "Do you have family around here?" I shook my head and frowned. Oh, my head.. it hurt so bad. "Look umm.. I'm sorry we didn't call the police. We have all sorts of folks that come through here and a lot of 'em don't want us to call the police, so I can call 'em if you want." I shook my head and sat up. "Advil?" "Oh! Yeah of course!" He rushed over to the med box and pulled out bandages and Advil. After taking the Advil, he patched me up handed me a bottle of water. "My names Adam by the way, are you hungry?" I shook my head as my stomach growled. "Uhm.. I'm going to get you something to eat. I think your stomach begs to differ!" I smile and watch as he leaves the room. 

            I grab my phone and turn it on. 20 missed calls from mom, 10 text messages from mom, and none from Tate. I stand up and look in the mirror. My eye is swollen shut, I have a busted fat lip, and the side of my face is cut up. Fucking bitch. Adam came back in and put his hands in front of me. "Woah there, sit down OK? You're in no condition to be standin' like this." I glare at him. "I'm not a damn horse." He chuckles, "Oh, sorry ma'am.. I don't usually deal with the public often, my father has a ranch and-" I put my hand up. "OK, I get it. I don't need your life story. Hey thanks for the help, but I'm going to get out of here.." He nods, "Yeah.. sure! If you need anything, my name's Adam and I work in the back here. So umm.. You can ask any of them kind ladies in the front and they'll call for me." I smile and nod. I stand up again and feel a sharp pain in my stomach. "Fuck!" I grab my stomach and collapse back into the seat. He rushes over to me, "Do you need anything? Are you OK?" I nod and get up again. I pull up my shirt and see major bruising by my ribs. Fuck.