(Sweet Revenge) Part 34 - 27 Dresses

Hey, loves. Before we begin, I'm sorry for the delays. I haven't been online a lot lately for some personal reasons, so I didn't realize I fell behind with scheduling updates here on Reddit! But here we are again! 💜

I hope you like it!

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"You tell him the truth or I will. "
"No, you won't. You wouldn't hurt a fly and you definitely wouldn't hurt me, I'm your sister."
"That was yesterday. Today you're just some bitch who broke my heart and cut up my mother's wedding dress."

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Grace

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I stand on the corner hating myself for being unable to leave.

Will I ever be fucking free of this?

Why do we keep toxic people around? Well… because we love them. I love my parents. I love my sister. No matter how they feel about me, my love for them is real. I feel it in my flesh, in the beating of my heart and in the bitterness of my tears.

I love them.

I wish I felt loved.

Not tonight though. Tonight, I just wish I had the guts to send them all to hell.

I stand on the corner, resting my glass on some random furniture nearby so I can rub my hands together in a futile attempt of keeping them warm.

Fuck them. Fuck all of them.

It’s not the temperature that’s making me cold, it’s the loneliness.

At least Nic and Art will be back soon. I will keep Nic close, maybe she can warm me up.

“Hey, Ariel.” His voice travels down my spine like a shock, jolting my lungs into life, but one look at him is enough to get me holding my breath again. I just saw him an hour ago and still he has this effect.

Popcorn and cuddles be damned. 

Josh makes me think of sweat and moans. He makes me think of naked bodies covered in shivers, kisses that never end and that burning pain you get on your lips when you’ve been bitten too hard.

Josh makes me think of sex. The kind that ends in hurt, yes, but oh how fun it was up until then. 

“I told you not to come.” I whisper. His company brings relief to a part of me, but considering half my family thinks he is using me for money and the other half thinks I’m using him to make Daniel jealous, I don’t think his presence is about to make my night any easier. No more drama tonight, right? Those were my order and I’m a good little soldier.

“I know.” He surrenders.

“Josh, you shouldn’t be here!” I’m checking our surroundings and feeling uneasy. “I told you not to! I don’t need you here! What were you thinking? That you were just gonna drop by and… what?”

“Look.” He has a shy little smile that is absolutely endearing. God, I hate him. I hate his adorable dimples and his comfortable sweater. “I know you’re upset, but I’m gonna say one thing and you’re gonna forgive me.”

“What?” I doubt it.

“Nicole told me to come.” Turns out he was right.

I can’t catch my breath. She is worried about me. She doesn’t know what to do but she refused to sit idly by.

“Nic called you?” I hold my heart.

“Well, technically Arthur did, but Nicole took the phone from him and told me to, and I quote: get my fucking ass in here now or she would skin me alive with a paper clip.”

I exhale.

“I’m not having a good night.” I tell him. “She worries.”

“Understandable. So…” He stands right next to me. “Can I stay? I don’t want to risk pissing her off.”

I look up at him.

“Skin you with a paper clip?”

“I’m not sure it can be done, but I appreciated the imagery.” He nods. “She is all small and cute, but very vicious.”

“Preach.” I laugh. It’s a pitiful laughter but better than nothing.

“And it’s relatable.” He nods. “I guess we all go a little wild when our best friends are hurt.”

“Are you using this as a way to excuse yourself for what you did to me?”

“No.” He is so fucking cute. “A little wild is ok, I went a little nuclear.”

“Sounds about right.” I catch a glass of whatever from a waiter’s tray and hand it to him.

“Does this mean I can stay?” He turns to me a little too fast and his dark hair starts falling over his eyes. 

“Maybe. We’ll see.”

He looks mighty happy with that answer, holding on to the glass I gave him like it’s the best gift ever. He doesn’t drink it and I remember he is still driving. He keeps it though. He never lets go.

“So, what is our game plan?” He looks around much like Nic did earlier but, unlike Nic, he is clearly being funny.

“I’m thinking if I fake a medical emergency my parents won’t be too mad at me for leaving early.” I tell him.

“Hm. What kind of medical emergencies can you fake?”

“Heart attack, consumption and amnesia.”

“How do you fake amnesia?”

“That’s the one you take issue with? Not consumption?”

“I don’t know what consumption is. I’m guessing neither will most people, so you could probably get away with it.”

“The EMTs would know.”

“We’re calling the EMT’s? How are you gonna pay for an ambulance? You’re poor.”

“I think my parents would pay for it.”

“I don’t know.” He warns me. “Gail’s dress looks new, are you sure they didn’t empty your medical emergencies fund?”

“Ay, you’re probably right.” I drop my shoulders. “How do you not know what consumption is? Don’t you want to be a doctor? Consumption is what they called tuberculosis in the 1800’s.”

“I was hoping to be a doctor in this century.” He explains it. “But, I don’t think that’s happening anymore.” There is a shift in his tone and I don’t think we’re joking around anymore.

“Baseball?”

“Yeah. It’s looking like the Vipers minor league for me with a mid-season draft.”

“And of course I understood what all of that meant.”

“Of course.” He nods, profusely, before lighting up in the sweetest smile… not because he likes this topic of conversation but because he likes me. He likes talking to me about this, God only knows why since he has to explain every 3 words our of 2.

He is close and I get trapped in his smile a little. I liked kissing him so much. There is this thing Josh does when he is kissing you… he grabs you like you’re property and then he flexes his fingers, clawing your flesh. It made me feel so desperately wanted… like he was fighting to keep me even in the middle of a kiss. Clawing me to make sure I wouldn’t slip between his fingers.

Just thinking about it makes my breathing feel heavier.

But it’s not long until I remember the evil smile tainting his lips when he called me stupid for thinking he liked me. It was a lie, Grace. He was just lying. Yeah, but now I get to keep hearing it.

I swallow, breaking his spell.

“W-what does it mean?” I ask.

“Means that…” He shakes his head trying to explain baseball to me once again. “Means that I’m a coward and I folded.”

“Oh, I have quite some experience with that.”

“Yeah? From what I heard you did a good job kicking Victor out.”

“Sure, but then I got to hear Gail accuse me of making her night about me, as if that was possible. Oh! And my entire family thinks I’m dating wrong men to get Daniel’s attention. You had an honorable mention, by the way.”

“I’m one of the Wrong Men?”

“Yeah, they think you’re using me for money.”

“Of course. The thing you are most known for.”

“Daniel is acting like I’m a puppy who’s been in love with him forever, his fiancée thinks I’m a stalker and I just wish…” I take a deep breath. “I just wish I could tell them all what they deserve to hear. I wish I could tell my parents to back off. I wish I could tell Gail to shut up. I wish I could tell Daniel to fuck off! I’ve come really close to it sometimes but in the end I just don’t… because I’m a spineless coward.”

“I don’t think you’re a spineless coward.”

“Josh…” I roll my eyes. “I know you don’t want to upset me, but c’mon.”

He moves so he can stand right in front of me, making it so I have to look at him. I have to see his green eyes and his sweet dimples. I have to see him be all handsome and certain, with that cozy sweater that is begging to be hugged.

“I used to think you were.” He tells me. “But… you don’t have a problem standing up for yourself.”

“HAVE WE MET?” I laugh.

“Grace, I came knocking on your door asking to be heard after I hurt you and you shut it in my face. You caught a guy you were seeing, in bed with at least two other people and you told him to fuck off. Then I’m told he showed up tonight and you told him to fuck off again? You told me to fuck off, you told Ben to fuck off, it’s my understanding you nearly told Arthur to fuck off. Hailey wanted to talk and you faced her just fine, you kicked Ellen out of your apartment mid-lease, you SHREDDED that fucking Jasper dude to pieces and single-handedly got Arthur all the proof he needed for his official complaint. When I showed up to that baseball game with my entire fucking family and an ex-girlfriend in tow you handled it with class. When your parents took away your money, you got two jobs. And when your boyfriend kicked you out after taking your virginity and broke your heart in a million pieces… you still showed up for work the next day, knowing you would face him for a whole shift?” He makes a small collection of faces before being able to finish his thought. “I though for sure you would call in sick the next day! But you showed up, you handled the crap we threw your way and when Ben made you quit, you still left with dignity telling us to fuck off. You’re not spineless, Grace. Most people I know wouldn’t handle a day in your skin.”

I tuck my hair behind my ear because I’ve never been called brave not even once but… when he puts it like that…

“When it comes to my family though…” I whisper.

“You’re not spineless.”

“Josh!” I shake my head.

“You know my mom came to see me? She was worried about me missing practice and all. We talked and I told her everything I did to you…”

“You did?” Holy shit.

“Yeah.” There is sadness in the way he exhales… in the way he messes his hair. “She was very disappointed. She gave me a talking down… then she hugged me, told me she loved me and helped me set up a plan to get back on track. She encouraged me to see my wrongs but told me to be kind to myself.”

“She sounds great.” I fiddle with my dress because I don’t want to look him in the eyes.

“It occurred to me you didn’t have that. Family is supposed to be the safe place we go to when we’re tired. They are suppose to be the people who will love us no matter what. They are the ones who should recharge our emotional batteries when we run out. My mom is my safe haven. She hugs me and I start having faith in myself again. My dad kisses my hair and I know I’m not alone. I turn to my brothers for anything I need and they show up. You don’t have that. When you need a safe haven, your family makes you feel unwelcome. When you need back up, they let you drown. You’re not spineless when it comes to them, honey. You’re just tired of fighting. You’re fucking exhausted.”

I feel seen.

I… I feel…

I hold on to his arms and my fingers move on his sweater. 

“Grace? Shit!” He panics, probably because of my tears. I think my tears are a trigger for Josh now. He can’t handle it when I cry.

“I’m ok.” I gasp.

“Please, don’t cry!” He can’t breathe. “Please, please, don’t cry. I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No! You should. I’m glad you did… I…” I can’t speak either. I’m crying.

“Shit! Grace? Can I hug you? It doesn’t have to mean anything! Please? Can I?”

I nod and I’m in his arms. I’m in his sweater.

God, it feels good in here.

He closes his arms around me and he keeps me under his chin.

“I’m tired.” I whisper into his sweater.

“I know.” He kisses my hair. “It’s ok if you need help carrying the weight, you know? Everyone needs backup.”

“Yeah?” I push him away with a sad smile. “And who’s gonna tell my dad to fuck off for me? You?”

“I could do it.” He considers it. “Do you really want that?”

“I so do.” I whimper. “Sometimes I just want to drop a nuke on everything and be free of it, you know? Be free of them.” I shrug. “I think I should have stayed in your car and told you to keep driving. I’m afraid the only way I’ll ever be able to pull free from my family is if someone else does the pulling for me.”

“Callaway, did you make her cry?” Nicole is back and she steals me from Josh. “I can’t believe this! I’m going to kill you! I’m sorry!” She says to me. “I’m so sorry! I thought with everyone saying you were alone and Daniel being awful… I thought having a hot guy on your arm could help but that’s because I forgot he was an asshole who would say the wrong thing!” She holds my cheek.

“I’m ok, Nic. It’s good tears. Josh said something good.”

“He did?” Nic finds it odd.

“He did.” Josh defends himself. He is trying to be cute but he clearly didn’t read the room. He is illiterate in room-reading and Nicole turns to him like a snake repositioning its head.

“You told her Gail would have been better in bed?” She angry-whispers.

Josh gulps because he hasn’t been confronted with the details of our night together by anyone other than me or himself.

“You… uh… You can still punch me if you want.” He reminds her. “Offer still stands.”

“I will take you up on that. As soon as we leave?”

“Looking forward to it.” He nods, taking a tiny step away from her. Arthur taps his shoulder in encouragement. “And… what is up with this place anyway?”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t this supposed to be a grand opening?”

“Yeah?”

“Where is her stock? Aren’t stores supposed to be selling stuff?”

Oh my fucking God! THAT is what’s been weirding me out all night!

So far, Gail didn’t open a store! She opened a club! There are no fancy lingerie anywhere in this fancy lingerie store.

I think Josh was the only one to notice because the rest are all looking around with oh my God faces.

“She didn’t get stock?” He is aghast but also amused. “Your sister really is something, you know?”

“I’m sure she got stock! She must have! Right?” I ask Nicole who does not have an answer for me.

“Grace!” Daniel lands on us out of nowhere. It is so sudden that, I kid you not, my first reaction is to look up because part of me kinda thinks he fell from the ceiling. “Are you for real, right now?”

“Oh good.” Arthur is not happy. “Daniel is back.”

“What?” I ask him.

“What is this loser doing here?” He points to Josh and ANY other day, Josh wouldn’t have it. But today he is here on a cease fire and he doesn’t want to overstep. Which is sad because the backup he was talking about? I could kind of use it and he is kind of it. “Your father JUST said no more drama tonight. What the hell is going on with you?”

“Daniel, will you please go be with your fiancée?” It’s a legitimate request but it also sounds awfully similar to what a jealousy-ridden, passive-aggressive woman would say.

“Gracie.” He holds my face. “Please, snap out of this. You’re hurting! You’re dating some stoner loser who shows up shouting at family events? And this guy who just wanted to use you! He dropped you after he was done and you still invited him here?”

“Daniel…”

“Are you this desperate not to be alone in front of me? There is more dignity in loneliness, Grace.”

“Please, take your hands off my face.”

“I moved on, Grace. I don’t love you anym-“

“Ok, buddy.” Josh springs to action because Daniel’s hands are still on me. “Girl said to take the hands off.”

“Well, buddy.” Daniel stands his ground. “Why don’t you go back to whatever fuck-fest frat party you crawled out of. I’ve known Grace her entire life and I care about her more than you do.”

“Danny!” Leah joins us and I can tell we are gearing up for some lovely times. “Can you please leave her alone?”

“You don’t need to be jealous.” He holds Leah’s face the same way he just held mine. “Please, Leah, understand this! I know how it looks but I grew up with Grace and she is nuking her life because of me! What kind of man would I be if I let that happen?”

“Nuking my life?” I laugh.

“You broke up with him. What is he doing here?” Daniel states.

“None of your business.”

“You’re gonna piss off your dad, Grace. You better get out of here before they see you.” He tells Josh.

“I’ll go when Grace tells me to go.”

“How macho of you.” 

“Are we gonna have a problem, Danny-boy?” Josh smiles like he would like a problem. Arthur moves like he wouldn’t like a problem but if problem comes, he’ll be ready for it and don’t nobody need to guess which side he’ll be punching for.

“You’re hurting Grace. We already have a problem.” It’s the word he used… had he used any other word but hurting, Josh would have fought back. You’re hurting Grace is Josh’s kryptonite lately though.

“Shut up, Daniel! Oh my God!” I clench my teeth, feeling done. Tired, like Josh said. “I DO NOT LOVE YOU ANYMORE! I fell in love with him!” I point to Josh and I think Josh has temporarily unlearned how to breathe. “Then things happened between us that is none of your business and I don’t know where we stand. But what I DO know is that I am so FUCKING sick of you pretending that I’m a doe-eyed stalker who’s been in love with you for ages!”

“Gracie…”

“Don’t Gracie me! Save it, Daniel! Just go, ok? Please, leave me alone.”

He shakes his head, feeling pissed too. He doesn’t like that I lashed out on him. Loving pets are never supposed to lash out on master.

“You know it always amazes me how I’m the only one you can yell at. You never give anybody else shit, it’s just me. I’m the only one you manage to be brave with.”

My lower lip is trembling.

“The only one I’m brave with? I kicked a transphobe piece of shit out of my apartment in the middle of the night when I had it with her crap. I faced an asshole who was pranking and sexually harassing a friend until he help make things right.” I clench my fists. “I work hard, I stand by my friends, I mind my own business. The only people I do take crap from are my parents, Gail, and you.”

“Me?” He laughs. “You take crap from me? Since when?”

“Since FOREVER, Daniel. You told me you loved me, then my sister got naked and you couldn’t keep it in your pants!“

“Grace!” He is shocked I found the courage to say the words. He takes a quick look around but between everyone being busy, the music being loud and our corner being mostly empty, we manage to have some privacy. Not total… but enough that I’m not putting on a show. 

So I feel quite emboldened to keep going.

“You dated MY SISTER. You took her virginity and she took yours. THEN you break up with her because you have nothing in common and you COME BACK TO ME! You tell me you love me and beg me to fight for you. FIGHT FOR WHAT, you absolute scum? For some horny fool who couldn’t keep it in his pants? I told you I wouldn’t date my sister’s ex and did you respect that? Did you leave me alone? No! You spent YEARS telling me you loved me again and again and again, but only when we were alone, right? I thought you were keeping it a secret to keep drama away from me to protect me, but what you were really scared of was how the truth would make YOU look.”

“You lost it. What the hell happened to you? You used to be so sweet and-“

“I’m still sweet. What I used to be was passive. And you sure took advantage of that. You all did!”

“You’re blowing up, Grace. I always told you this would happen. I told you, you had to deal with your shit before it became more than you could handle.”

“Congratulations, you were right! Would you like to see your prize? You know what pisses me off the most, Danny? That for years, you blamed it all on me. We couldn’t be together because I was weak, not because you were horny and lacking in character. Every time my family berated me, you waited until they were done, then you pulled me to the side to berate me for being berated. And you would say shit like I can’t stand to see you get hurt, well, great, then WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SOMETHING? Why didn’t you stand up for me? You want to think of yourself as a white knight who came to my rescue, Dan, but you don’t actually want to go through the trouble of doing the rescuing. You LIED about us just now. You KNOW it wasn’t one-sided, but you are not man enough to admit it. And it’s fine, whatever. This will just be one more shitty thing I’ll have to deal with. But I’m done with your crap. Go fuck off and leave me alone.”

“Grace!” My father’s voice shuts me up.

I turn in utter shock finally realizing all the things I said with no care for volume.

The music is still playing and most of the guests still seem unaware of my explosion. But there is at least a handful of faces turned my way. And one of them is my father’s

His face.

I’ve never seen him this angry.

This upset. This disappointed.

It’s like shackles around my voice.

My father gets disappointed in me and suddenly I can’t speak. I can’t breath. Tears are coming.

“Dad, I…”

“If you can’t get your life under control, then I will do it for you.” He snaps.

If I can’t get my life under control? What the hell? I have my entire life under control! Daniel has been harassing me forever! Gail has been hurting me. You’re my dad! Look out for me for once!

But I can’t move my lips.

I can’t, I… I can’t move them.

“Oh, the troublemaker, of course.” Dad stares at Josh. “You need to leave this place and don’t you ever come near my daughter again or I will call the police.”

But Josh can’t move. I’m still holding on to his sweater. So he doesn’t move.

“Grace is an adult.” Josh calmly says. “I don’t think you get to dictate that anymore.”

“For as long as I’m paying the bills, I’ll dictate whatever I want.”

“That’s just the thing.” Josh makes a face. “You’re not paying the bills. Grace relies on you for… nothing.”

“Excuse me?”

“And while we’re at it.” Josh takes a step forward, shielding me from my father’s rage. “Why exactly do you hate me?”

“You’re using my daughter for money.”

“What money?” Josh laughs. “Grace works two jobs to pay her debt. Did you know that? Do you even know where she works? The shifts she takes? How she studies behind the counters when work is slow to keep up with her amazing grades? Or how she volunteers at legal NGO and an animal shelter? I personally have not a clue how she finds the time. Did you know any of that? Or do you just check her grades and credit card online and call yourself a good father for it?”

“Boy, you are so far out of line.”

“I’m top 5 in my class at Westridge.” Josh says and that is enough to give my dad some pause. “Grace has been helping me study and I can make med school, if I choose to. I probably won’t because I’m also the star pitcher for our championship winning baseball team. I got scouts offering me more money than I thought was real so I’ll probably do that instead. I’m in the debate team, I was president of the outreach club for a while… And I’m doing all of that in a full ride scholarship, so I got no debt. And… I’m in love with your daughter. That’s me… but you hate that, for some reason. What you love is this loser here.” He points to Daniel. “Who’s been playing both your daughters for years. Who broke both their hearts. Him, you like. Him, you stand by. So, very respectfully, Mr Knot: fuck you.”

I inhale half the oxygen in the room and my father inhales the other half.

“Get out!”

“You know what’s really sad? Something happened between me and Grace and if you knew about it, then you would ACTUALLY have a reason to hate me. But your daughter doesn’t feel safe with you so you never heard that story. Think about that. Someone hurt your little girl and she didn’t trust you to protect her.”

“Get out, now.”

“I’ll get out when Grace tells me to get out.”

“No, boy, you will get out when I tell you to.”

“You wanna fight, Mr Knot? I think I’ll win.”

“Of course you would resort to violence.”

“Who said anything about violence? I can use words. Like this: You seem really proud of your Westridge years so I looked you up in the school records, I found you did graduate and… nothing else.” Josh’s smile is eerie. “Nothing. You weren’t involved in any clubs like me. You didn’t have accolades like your daughter. You played no sports. You made no mark. You graduated 52nd on a class of 60. It’s depressing how proud you are of Westridge when Westridge barely remembers you existed.” He shrugs and all blood vanishes from my father’s face. “The lesson to learn here is don’t fight someone in the debate team.”

“Grace!” Gail pops in because all the commotion is drawing attention. “What the hell is going on again? People are starting to watch! Can I please have one night where it isn’t about h-“

“Oh! Save it.” Josh sighs. “You were hitting on me the night we met. Remember?” He says and Gail who did not know Josh was here nor in charge of the current public shaming, stops in her tracks looking like something came across said tracks just to hit her. “At your parents’ anniversary when I was introduced to your family as you sister’s boyfriend? You were hitting on me THAT night. The money for this store came to be at Grace’s expense and you’re not even selling anything! This is just an exercise in vanity. So maybe get off your high horse, will you? You can’t ride.”

“Josh.” I think it’s my mother’s turn and I can’t… I can’t take my eyes away from everything that just… that just… “Josh, I understand you are very passionate about Grace. But this is a family event and you are making some guests uncomfortable. I’m asking you to leave.”

“I’ll leave when Grace tells me to leave.” He turns to face me. Now, he has his back turned to everyone else but me, Nic and Art. So when he mouths “It’s ok” we’re the only ones who can see it. He leans in and whispers: “Kick me out. They will go easier on you if you do. It’s ok. At least it will take the heat off of you for a little bit."

Take the heat off of me for a little bit.

He is smiling to me.

He doesn’t care that my entire family hates him.

He doesn’t care that they think he is lacking in character or in manners, that he is rude or using me. He doesn’t care what they think.

All he cares about is protecting me.

“Josh.” I gulp. “Will you please go?” I ask him.

He nods.

“Of course.”

My mother exhales in relief, smiling to me, as do my father and sister, but I’m not done.

“Josh?” I hold his sleeve.

“Yeah?”

“Since you’re going…” I smile. “Can you give me a ride?”

His smile takes over his whole face.

“Wherever you want to go.”

“Good.” My hand slips from his sleeve but he holds my fingers. “I know just the place.”