Saving Grace

Jacob Lee Westwood

New Chapter...

After introducing myself to Jacob a flicker of recognition flashed through his eyes. "Grace" He breathed

I loved the way my name rolled out of his lips. I smiled at him and moved away a bit to calm my racing heart.

"Now that we're together, why don't we try getting something done with our project" Jacob said scratching the back of his neck.

Was he nervous?

I smiled at him "Jacob, it's fine. We can do the projects privately if you don't feel---"

Jacob briskly cut me off "Its not uncomfortable. This is the only place we can be alone and you'll not get criticised by people"

The way he explained it made it look like he was painting himself as a bad person.

And so we sat down on the grass and talked about DNA.. Three hours later and I feel we're done with a good portion of the year's project. I got up and dusted my butts. "It was nice studying with you Jacob" I said as he also got up.

He looked me dead in the eye and envaded my personal space "Aren't you scared that I might push you off this cliff,?"

I visibly swallowed not because of his threat but because of how flushed he was against me. "I don't think that's who you are Lee"

Immediately Jacob's hold on me tightened "Never call me Lee. I don't want to see you anywhere around me Grace and this ain't a threat" Jacob spat and stormed off.

I stood there totally shocked before it finally dawned on me. Jacob just rejected me before anything could even start.

Well thanks a lot world!!

×××××

Jacob's Pov

I couldn't believe how of my control I lost around that girl. I remember 15 year old her, gloomy with glasses and braces always on pig tails.I swore to protect her and never allow her to get bullied. I just loved Grace.

But all that was two years ago. Things are different now. At the back of my mind, I asked how different it was tho. I'm still attracted to her and bless the years for doing her so much favour. Underneath the baggy clothes I saw perfectly rounded t**s and hips as wide as the Mississippi and the way my name rolled out of her lips,I almost lost it.

I reminded myself,I am a delinquent and the only reason why I'm out of juvenile is because my parents swore to always have me on guard.

"How was school Honey?" My mother asked as I walked through the door

I smiled at her "Great" I walked up to her and gave her a peck.

A lot of people don't know anything about me yet the whole town is ready to judge who I am. Up till now,I can't get the guilt off my chest, those years ago my father couldn't get the office of Mayor he was running for because of the incident and till now even I don't remember how it happened that night, but I remember I had wanted to buy a bouquet of Orchids for Grace since they're are favourite flowers and after that, I really remember nothing.

Only my mother and father believed me. We didn't tell my elder brother about it because we knew Klaus will make a big deal out of the issue and drama was the last thing we needed with the set up.

My mother grinned up at me. I eyed her suspiciously as I dropped my school bag on the floor. "Why are you giving me that grin mother?" I asked

"Bags off the floor" Mom said with a stern look on her face.

I chuckled. My mother had this tradition for Klaus and I since we were kids. Immediately after school we had to wash our hands and then give her a peck then we'll take a cup of water then we'll go up to our room and clean up. After clean up we had to do half of our homework during this period mom will bring us each little healthy snacks. After our homework we'll head down for a little screen time after which we'll have dinner and thirty minutes of screen time before we'll finally head to bed.

I grabbed my bag from the floor and skipped to my room two steps at a time.

"Fancy seeing you little brother" Klaus laughed

I turned around so fast its a miracle I didn't sprain a muscle.

I broke into the brightest smile in years "Klaus!!" I yelled as I tackled him in a big bear hug.

"You're squashing my wind pipe Lee" Klaus laughed.

I let him go and simply grinned at him. Klaus was the golden child of the family.He was athletic, brilliant, polite and hot but we still shared this close sibling bond.

You're late from school Lee" Klaus said helping me with school bag.

"I had a project.I was with my partner" I said smiling at my memory with Grace

Immediately Klaus tackled me to the bed "Who is she?" He asked sticking out his tongue in my face.

"Get off me you hunk. You're 22 not 18" I laughed.

Klaus still stuck out his tongue at me but got his bulky ass off me. "You love me anyways" He said

"Why are you home tho?" I asked adjusting on the bed

Klaus scratched his neck in guilt. My heart picked a beat,I remembered the secret I was keeping from my favourite person in the world.

"What's wrong Klaus?" I asked concern laced in my voice

Klaus looked up and said the last thing I expected in the world. "Lee, I'm getting married"

One Second.

Two Seconds.

Three Seconds

"Come on Lee, say something" Klaus shuttered

I was short of words. Marriage is a big deal and Klaus is just 22. But seeing the smile on his face,I bit my tongue and said nothing.

"Where is she?" I asked

Klaus got off the bed "She's in my room. Wanna go see her?"

One thing about Klaus was that he never took girls serious. He dated a few girls when he was in high school but none of them came to our house.Maybe this girl was different.

I slipped out of bed and followed Klaus to his room which was across the hallway from mine.

Opening the door, Klaus rushed in and gave her a quick kiss. I mentally gagged and made a mental note to refrain from the two of them when they get all romantic.

Klaus got off her and pulled me to him "Diane,this is my little brother, Jacob"

Diane looked so pleased to meet me "Hello, I'm Diane" she said and pulled me into a big hug.

Someone is happy to meet me. I smiled into the hug and hugged her back.

We're still in Klaus' room and we're talking about the wedding.

"It's gonna late this year like December" Klaus explained

I thought, if its in December then Klaus would have been 23 already.

We sat in Klaus' room for hours talking about the wedding plans and post wedding plans.

"Your girlfriend can come as your date to the wedding Jacob" Diane said smiling

I scratched the back of my neck "I don't have a girlfriend" I muttered

Klaus stared at me for what felt like hours till he finally spoke "What about Grace? You liked her a couple years back"

My breath caught in my chest. It always did whenever I thought about Grace..

"We don't..we aren't.." I grunted when I couldn't form a single sentence.

Klaus raised his brow at me "Have anything to say?"

I looked around and stood up "No. I'm just going to clean up and study"

Diane smiled at me "I know this is a lot to take in Lee--"

I shot her a look "Jacob" I grumbled.

She stopped "Jacob but I assure you that I love your brother so much and I would never hurt him " She finished entwining her fingers with Klaus' and they looked at each other with so much love I wanted to puke

I hurried inside my room and rested on the door as my breath came out rushed.I walked up to my window and saw Grace in a pair of very short shorts and her legs were so beautiful.

She randomly sneezed and I knew she caught a cold already, can't blame her tho this September is a little cold. I smiled at my ray of sunlight as she let down her hair. "What in the world?" I breathed because I find it difficult to believe the length of her hair.

She adjusted the tip that laid half way to her knees and brushed out the knots. It looked like a mass of black sea dancing.

Suddenly she glanced sideways and faced the window. I flew back in shock but then I remembered she probably had her contacts off and couldn't see me.

So I went back to the window and kept staring at her, she's so beautiful. I regret going to the flower shop those years ago because now I wouldn't be scared of getting close to Grace.

When I was done admiring Grace, I jogged down the stairs with my duffel bag slumped on my shoulders "I'll be missing dinner tonight mom" I said walking out of the door. Mom stopped setting the table and stared at me. It felt like she was sending me a silent reminder that I just got out of juvenile. I smiled back at her and nodded, reminding her that I understood and wasn't doing something illegal.

Walking into the boxing ring now with people yelling "Shadow" which was my stage name, I'm wondering if I would one day regret lying to my mother. Ever since I got out of juvenile, I found this under ground ring where people bet to fight and considering how much strength I developed behind bars, I decided to try it out with a mask on and now, I love the popularity.

I did a quick size up of my today's opponents and estimated the fight time to be around 7 minutes. I wonder why these weaklings keep coming up against me. While taking my time to appease my fans, my opponent took his time to punch me in the guts and because of how unprepared I was, the punch had me doubling.

Getting up to my feets, I threw the guy a punch on his jaw and smiled in satisfaction when I heard a c***k. That's what you get for challenging me. The next six minutes was filled with series of punches and broken bones and finally the guy "Striker" was on the floor, bloody and unconscious. My ego grew as the crowd yelled my name.

After collecting my belt the third time in a row, I bounced out of the ring totally aware that my curfew at home was 11.

After my clean up, I grabbed my duffel bag and started my journey home through the back dark alley when I noticed a figure in dark leather pants and jacket slipping away into darkness. Just as the figure hissed after flying over a fence, I saw a familiar frame but my tired mind couldn't place a finger on it so I let it slip.

××××××××××

Grace's Pov

I adjusted my bag and walked down the hallway towards my locker expecting any of my friends to jump out of no where since it's expected of them..

About five feets from my locker, Savannah and Sebastian jumped to my side. I glanced at them with a bored look "Woo, I'm so scared" I said again in a bored tone.

Savannah narrowed her eyes at me "Keep the attitude to yourself lady. Guess what you have on the bucket list today" She said literally screaming in my ear

I opened my locker and grabbed my calculus textbook "Climb the Eiffel Tower" I said in a bored tone.

"Honestly Grace, I don't like that look on your face at all. You look like we're forcing this on you, which we are but still you have no right to express it" Sebastian said

I paused for a second to digest everything he said "Why are you my friend again?" I asked sizing him up.

He adjusted his clothe "considering the fact that I'm good looking and every girl wants to hang out with me"

I made gagging sounds at him and turned to Savannah "What's on my bucket list today?" I asked walking to my class as they both trailed behind me "and don't you have classes right now?" I almost yelled.

"Firstly, you're to skip a class according to your bucket list and yes we do have to be in our class right now" Savannah sassed.

I looked at her and almost slapped her "Okay look here little girl--" I started

"Look here freak, we're trying to help you here. Just do how the damned list says it shouldn't be that hard. Why are you making all these harder for yourself?!!" Savannah yelled in my face .

I hated how silent the hallway was,everyone stopped to stare at us.

"Maybe her friends also realise how freaky she is"

"I wonder why they even talk to her"

"Serves her right"

"She doesn't deserve any friends"

I looked up at all the students and almost cried. The day had not started yet and I'm already feeling like s**t.

"No, Grace--"

I cut Savannah off with my hand,looked at her in disbelief and looked away. I'm not ready for any bullshit

Their words hurt me a lot but I will never show these bastards how much they hurt me. So I pushed through the crowd and entered the girls bathroom. I locked the door and slipped to the floor in tears.

Many thoughts flowed through my mind as I sat on the floor. I later took a razor and gave myself two new cuts on my stomach.

After what felt like hours, I heard loud pounds on the door "Grace!!! Don't do anything stupid and just come out here"

"Get the hell away from me, I don't need your pity" I yelled back.

By now I'm standing near the sink, away from the door. "Grace, I swear I will take this door down if you don't open it"

After few seconds..I realised that it wasn't just anyone that was at the door, it was Jacob.

I took a quick glance at myself in the mirror and decided it wasn't time for him to see me like this "Get away from me" I yelled back.

Next thing I knew, the bathroom door was out of hinges and a very disoriented Jacob stood before me.

I shot him my best angry look "Who do you think you are?" I spat .

In two steps, he was before me. After minutes of sizing me up he looked me in the eyes "I am Jacob Lee f*****g Westwood. Never try this again"

It all happened so fast, I found myself in his arms,losing consciousness.

Oh s**t.