Well sorry you had another slight delay. So here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 15

The next few weeks nothing about that night was brought up. Luke pretended as if he had heard nothing, and Grace went on with her everyday ranting.

"We need to find an apartment, I'm not staying in this dump of a hotel for another week. Look the dead bolt wont even work!"

"Grace we can't afford it."

"Then we need to get jobs."

"No, first we need to get our college transfers completed. I mean, we only get a summer break for so long and we've practically wasted half of it all ready. That reminds me, have you even decided what school you want to transfer to?"

"Uh no! Do I ever plan ahead?"

"No but don't you think planning ahead is a little impossible now? You are into procrastination now."

"Ok Einstein the second, where are you enrolled?"

"Well um…."

"Exactly. You aren't even enrolled yourself and you are already on my case."

"Well I have schools in mind for my occupational purposes. You haven't even checked into what the nearest schools offer! Me for instance I am interested in Purdue and IU University."

"Wait, wait, wait" Grace said laughing. "Don't you know those schools are rivals!"

"So."

"Well how can you be deciding between them? You either hate one or the other. You can't be neutral!"

"Grace its not like I'm going to strictly watch basketball. I'm going to get an education."

"Do you know nothing!" This is the Hoosier state Luke! Everyone here watches basketball. Even I will watch basketball! Besides, here it's either you watch it or you die."

"Grace that is just some story your grandma told you."

"Don't you watch any sports?

Yeah. He said as if it were a stupid question. What is up with the change of subject?"

Ignoring the question Grace continued.

"What?"

"I watch the winter Olympics."

"Winter! All the real sports are at the summer Olympics. The only thing in the winter Olympics are anorexic dancers and old men who never gave up sledding." She said while choking with laughter.

Luke didn't say anything. He was embarrassed that his girlfriend knew more about sports than he did. It bothered him more than the usual Kevin and Dad tormenting. So he changed the subject back to schools.

"So where are you going?

"I want to go where you go." She said truly meaning it.

Grace, what exactly is it you are going to school for, I mean all you've taken are basic classes so far."

"You." She teased.

"I'm serious!"

"I don't know maybe law. Why are you so edgy?"

"I'm not. Wait… Law? You hate everything about our government why on earth would you want to study law?"

"To change it! Duh geek how long have you known me four and a half days?" she said in a playful mood.

"Years." He corrected her. "You know, for as long as we've been you would think you would be a little nicer to me."

She pushed him.

"That's how I show I care." She said with a smile.

"Grace!"

"Oh, you know I'm just teasing you. You are too serious."

"How am I too serious? Because I want to make sure you get registered for school? Because I want to make sure you're safe? How Grace?"

"Don't bring him up Luke."

"I didn't."

"Yeas you did!"

"No I didn't, I said I want to make sure your safe, but now that we are on the subject…"

"No!"

"Grace!"

"No! I don't want to talk about him, not ever!"

"Please." He said with a sincerity that made her want to melt.

"Luke." She said in a whisper.

Knowing that he was at least going to get a little bit of information out of her he moved to sit beside her so he could listen and maybe comfort her.

She started slowly.

"We went to school together."

She swallowed hard not wanting to go on.

Luke squeezed her hand to encourage her. She lie back into his lap to try and relax and he covered her up with a blanket and pulled her nearer.

"He was two years older than I. He used to push me around a lot and pull my hair…and sometimes, hit me when no one was around."

Luke was getting angry and he hadn't even seen this guy before. The thought of anyone hurting the girl he loved gave him chills.

Grace blinked hard and continued.

"When I tried to tell my mom she was always drunk. When she wasn't she would just tell me that it was what little boys did. You know, if they liked someone."

Luke nodded his head. The anger inside of him kept building. How could her mom be so blind?

"Later when I was older he asked me to a dance. I said no, but my mom insisted. She was again drunk, and she kept repeating that I didn't get out enough and that I wasn't very social. But Luke I was then!" She said with tears in her eyes. "I still dressed up and had lots of friends, at least the one's who didn't know about my mom. My hair was even still long! So I went to the dance. It was fine while we were there. I avoided him and talked to my friends. Afterwards, when he took me home he hit me again."

"What for?" he interrupted.

"Guess." She said. The look on her face told it all.

"Because you wouldn't sleep with him!"

"Gee Luke, thanks for saying it! I was trying to keep it out of my mind as much as possible."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"Anyways, (she stopped him so he wouldn't have to say anything to make the situation more awkward.) He hit me hard several times. The next day I woke up with a black eye, cuts, a swollen lip, bruised ribs, ripped nails, and a huge bruise on my back from where he kicked me. If Adam hadn't been on his way to my house that night to show me his newest sculpture I probably would have been… you know."

Luke kissed Grace's forehead and ran his hands through her hair. Then he lowered his lips to her cheek and kissed her softly before whispering in her ear "I'm sorry." She closed her eyes and continued.

"The next day before I went to school I cut off all my hair and put on the oldest looking clothes I had. I think I had thought that it would make him not like me anymore, or at least not wasn't to do… she paused… what he had wanted to, but I was wrong."

Oh look another great place to stop. Lol this cliffhanger is dedicated to nklm, for their love of my cliffhangers. LOL anyways please review or you know my rules lol. No more story. Good thing I keep getting reviews hey?