I helped the boys film and cleaned up dinner, which was actually really good. Cameron had unfortunately doused me in ketchup. Nash had laughed, Cameron laughed, and surprisingly as did I. Spending the evening in their apartment sheltered my mind from thinking beyond the door.
It'd been a week since grace just ran off. I was sitting on the floor looking through old photo albums with Cameron when the door swung open. I jumped up and muscle memory I went to grab a gun that wasn't there. Grace staggered into the apartment laughing. Her phone was held tightly to her face. Flower lei's hung around her neck and she had this tan glow about her. I could feel my blood, that now felt like fire, pound through my veins.
"Yeah....mhm.... Okay haha I'll let you go, yah no okay, bye." She hung up still chuckling as she set her bag on the counter.
"Oh hey." She says smiling at us. That tips me over the edge.
"OH HEY THATS ALL YOU HAVE TO FUCKING SAY!" I rush up to her, forgetting Cameron.
"I was worried sick, all I get is this note, you weren't answering your phone, you just fell off the face of the earth! You could've been dead and I wouldn't have known." Her face is still, no emotions.
"I'm sorry god didn't know I had to get your permission." I let out an angry laugh.
"It's not getting my permission it's called respect, tell me you're gunna be doing this if that."
"Oh I see okay well please excuse me I'm going to take a shit, I'm going to use one pump of soap and my towel to dry my hands."
"Don't be fucking stupid." I spit and she crosses her arms. Cameron grabs my arm, I yank away but then I realize it's him.
"Betthany you need to breathe." I shake my head and turn back to grace.
"I thought Neil had you, I thought you were gone." I say low enough only she could hear me.
"The worry was eating me away, I couldn't sleep." I watch has her composer breaks and her walls crumple.
She clicks her tongue and sighs. "Oh bee I'm sorry, truly." She wipes my cheeks and then hugs me, something grace never does. I move stiffly out of her arms.
Cameron stands awkwardly behind us.
"I think I'm just gunna let y'all talk it out." He says as he walks to the door. I walk with him and he surprisingly hugs me and places a kiss on the top of my head. I shut the door behind him and turn back to grace.
"I almost killed Sammy." I breathe out as I rub my temples.
"Do you realize we searched high and low for you, what did Neil do to you? I'm so confused." She shakes her head.
"God no Neil was nowhere near this, if I was that close id kill him even with my bare hands. I went on a cruise." I simply blink, grace sighs and walks to her room. She throws the flowers onto herbed and she tied up her hair. I follow.
"I booked this cruise a while back and was paying monthly. I forgot all about it until madisyn texted me asking So I rushed out, that's why my phone wasn't working, you can out your hand down." I shake my head bad start to walk out.
"All you had to say was madisyn, I'm going out." I say and grab my keys.
"I'll be back in less than a week." I bitterly add. Pissed that she had me worried sick, though she simply went on a cruise with madisyn. Though I think and think, something just seems off.
Graces pov
I press my bareback against the cold stone of my shower walls. I can feel the guilt of lying building inside. It's this pressure inside. I pretend the steaming shower water is washing away the greasy remnants of my spray tan. Thankfully it won't be noticeable, it'll just look more natural. Betthany doesn't deserve to be lied to, but she also does t deserve to pay the consequences for my actions.
"I'm here now what." I snap. Neil just laughs and throws a piece of paper to me.
"C'mon we're flying first class to Italy, I hope you brought your passport." I tap my pocket and walk out the door after Neil.
It's awkward, painful, and annoying riding on a plain with Neil. I came up with exactly thirty scenarios where he ended up dead. But I owe him, I pay my dues. The sun burns my eyes from being on the dim plane, the Italian air smells more crisp, but a bit more sweet.
"Betthany would've killed to be here." I mutter as I take in our surroundings. Neil doesn't hear me thankfully.
"You know why we are here right?" He asks not looking away from the road. I shrug.
"I don't know I came, I got on a plane, and now I'm in Italy, so no." He chuckles as he turns his blinker on.
"Well that's stupid of you." I scoff. "We are here because A. The star up is going on-"
"Neil I'm not racing!" He turns to me.
"Grace, it's a little late sweetheart. You are racing, and you're also going to find this man for me." At a red light he reaches down next to him and pulls out a Manila folder, he tosses it into my lap.
"Felix valeri." I say aloud and he nods.
"He will be racing, but I've arranged us to 'hangout' as you would say later after the race. You are to end him." He says curtly. The folder falls from my hands.
"Neil who the fuck do you think I am, I'm not a racer, and I am most certainly am not murdering and innocent man." I rub my temples as I try to push the thought of a mans blood on my hands.
"I said,you have I choice, you made a promise. And it'd be in your best interest if this man is dead. I have a valid reason for everything I do." I can't help but laugh.
"YOURE INSANE!" He doesn't respond he just looks at me, his piercing eyes making me want to cower, but I don't.
"He knows all about betthany, he's already got a few men tracking in California, he's gunna find her quick." My hands shake as I feel my cheeks turn to ice.
"So you have to race, win his respect, get close to him and when the time comes, you strike."
I shudder as my mind paints the image I can never forget. I had to get close to him, and flirting gets a women far.
I drag myself out of the shower and walk to the kitchen, wrapped in a towel, and grab a whole bottle of wine.
I drunkenly change and then sit back down on the couch. I don't even budge when the door opens.
"You leave the door unlocked, that's how you get killed." Nash says, voice thick with worry
"Why bother I'm already a dead man."
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So the YouTube video is the like theme song for this book, but like yeah that's the only version I could find on YouTube, I promise the song sounds even better when it's not live and stripped down like that.
Take me to church by hozier
