His Trouble Maker

Chapter 52

JESSICA

Grayson never invitedinside his room. | only have that realization once I'm sitting on the edge of his bed and

watching him lock his done Funny how you can be so close to someone and still feel miles apart.

The mattress sinks beneath me, the unfamiliar give of it making my stomach tighten. His room smells like him-

pine and that expensive Cologne he pretends not to care about. He turns, eyes darker than usual, and takes

three deliberate steps toward me. My mouth goes dry

“Where have you been?”

“Just... around,” | manage, hating how defensive it sounds.

Grayson'’s jaw tightens. He moves closer, stopping right in front of me. His fingers reach for my chin, tilting my

face up to his.

“Around,” he repeats, the word bitter on his tongue. “That's all | get these days, isn’t it?

He leans down suddenly, his intention clear in the hard set of his shoulders. | turn my head at the last second,

his lips grazing my cheek instead of finding my mouth. The kiss that never lands leaves a hollow ache between

my ribs.

“Don’t,” | whisper, not sure if I'm talking to him or myself.

He pulls back, hurt flashing across his face before hardening into something colder. | don’t want to kiss him. |

don’t want anything that

involves touching him. It makesfeel sick and disgusted.

“When are you going to tellabout your father’s ultimatum?”

His head snaps up, eyes wide. “How did you-"

So, it's true.

“Does it matter?” My laugh comes out hollow. “What matters is you didn’t tell me.”

| push myself off the bed, my bare feet hitting the cold floor. The chill shoots up my legs but doesn’t compare to

the ice forming around my heart. | pace to the window, arms wrapped tight around myself, fingernails digging

into my skin.

“Jess, wait-" Grayson reaches for my arm, his fingers grazing my skin.

| jerk away, knocking over a lamp on the nightstand. It crashes to the floor, the sound matching the shattering

feeling in my chest. “You asshole.” My voice cracks. “I fucking hate you.”

He runs a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. “I was going to tell you.”

“When? After you'd already made your decision?” | spin around, jabbing a finger at his chest. “Or maybe after

you humiliatéagain because that’s what you do right? Fuck. | almost forgot how Grayson Westwood loves to

bully me.”

“That's not fair.” His jaw tightens as he steps toward me. “You know | never meant those things-"

“Do you?” | back up until I hit the wall, the framed photos rattling behind me. “I'm so stupid sleeping with you.”

Grayson reaches foragain, but | slap his hand away. His eyes darken, a muscle jumping in his cheek.

“Stop touching me!” | shove his chest hard. He barely moves, which pissesoff more.

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Chapter 52

“Just listen tofor one damn minute!” He grabs my wrists, his grip firm but not painful.

| struggle against him, memories flooding back-years of pretending his words didn’t cut, years of crying in

bathroom stalls. “Let go of met

“Not until you hearout.” His voice drops low, almost desperate.

“Why should I?” | kick his shin, and he winces but doesn’t release me. “Your dad says jump, and you ask how

high, right? You're a fucking dog Grayson. | almost forgot how loud you fucking bark just to obey your father’s

order!”

“I'm your fucking dog!” He shouted, backingagainst the wall, his face inches from mine.

My breath catches. | wanted to pretend | didn’t hear what he said but what the fuck? Grayson notices the shock

written on my face.

“Wow.” He sarcastically says, watching my expression. “You don’t know how much leash you have on rhe,

Jessica?”

“Letgo,” | whisper, hating how my voice trembles.

He doesn’t. Instead, he leans closer, his breath warm against my face. “You think | want this? You think | asked

for any of this?”

| turn my head away, blinking back hot tears. “Then what? You're being forced? Don’t makelaugh, Grayson.”

He grabs my chin roughly, forcingto look at him. His fingers dig into my skin, not enough to hurt but enough

to holdstill. | try to jerk away, but he only tightens his grip.

“You have no fucking clue what's going on here,” he growls, his eyes dark with something | can’t read. “None.”

| push against his chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath his shirt. “Because you didn’t tellanything!”

“Damn it, Jess!” Grayson shouted, makingstill. ” Fuck. Can you listen for just a damn second and stop hating

me?”

| slap him. Hard.

The sound echoes through the room, and Grayson’s head snaps to the side. My palm stings, but I don’t care. I'm

too angry, too hurt.

“You don’t get to play the victim here,” | spit, backing away. “Not after everything.”

His eyes darken dangerously as his hand touches the reddening mark on his cheek. Something shifts in his

expression -something primal.

“That was a mistake,” he says, voice low.

| turn to run, but he’s faster. His arm snakes around my waist, liftingoff my feet. | kick and thrash as he

carriesto the bed.

“Letgo!” | scream, clawing at his arms. “I hate you! | fucking hate you!”

He throwsonto the mattress, and before | can scramble away, he’s pinningdown. | feel something

against my wrists - a belt, maybe

his tie - | can’t tell through my panic.

“Stop fighting me,” he growls, securing my hands to the headboard. “You need to listen.”

| pull against the restraints, my chest heaving. “Untieright now or | swear to Goddess-"

“You'll what?” His face hovers above mine jaw clenched tight. “What will you do, Jessica? Because right now,

you're not doing a damn thing except making this harder on both of us.”

| struggle against the bindings, twisting my wrists until they burn. Tears of frustration sting my eyes, but | refuse

to let them fall. Not in front

of him.

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Chapter 52

“I trusted you, | whisper, my voice breaking despite my best efforts. | actually believed you were different.

Grayson straddles my hips, his weight pinningto the mattress. His eyes travel down my body slowly,

possessively. The aggs in met shifts to something else-hunger. He licks his lips, and my stomach flips.

“You still don’t get it, do you?” His voice is rough as he leans closer, his breath hot against my neck. “Everything

| did was to protect your

“Bullshit!” i buck underneath him, trying to throw him off. “Get off me!”

He grabs my chin, forcingto look at him. “I never lied about how | feel about you.”

His hands move down to my boots, unlacing them with deliberate slowness. | kick at him, but he captures my

ankle easily

“Stop it,” he commands, sliding my boot off and tossing it aside. “Just... stop fighting for one damn minute.”

| watch him, chest rising and falling rapidly as he removes my other boot. His fingers trail up my calf, and | hate

how my body responds to his touch despite everything.

“You're a despicable asshole.”

That made him laugh. “Yeah, Jess. | know. Now, shut up and listen to me, okay?”

“Go to hell,” I spit, twisting my body away from him. “Go to hell and bring Aria with you!”

| push myself up against the headboard, pulling my knees to my chest. The movement puts distance between

us, but it doesn’t ease the ache spreading through me. My fingers dig into the sheets, anchoringwhen

everything else feels like it’s spinning out of control.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” His jaw clenches, those green eyes narrowing.

“Don’t play dumb. | saw how she touched you today.” My voice cracks embarrassingly. “How long, Grayson? How

long have you been screwing her behind my back?”

He runs a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. “Are you fucking kiddingright now?”

“Do | look like I'm kidding?” I try to kick him away but he’s just fast blocking my attack.. “Was | just convenient?

Something to pass the tuntil you could get with her?”

“Where the fuck did you get that idea?” He moves closer, the mattress dipping under his weight. “Jess-"

| shove against his chest. “Don’t touch me! Don’t you dare touchafter touching her!”

His hands catch my wrists, not painfully but firmly enough to stop my next attack. “I haven't touched Aria. Not

once. Not ever.”

“Liar!” | struggle against his grip. “I see how she looks at you. How you look at her.”

“How I-" He lets out a laugh that holds no humor. “The only person I've been looking at is you. The only person

I've been with is you.”

That's a lie. He's lying.

Grayson'’s grip loosens as he shifts back, something like hurt flashing across his face. It's gone so fast! almost

think I imagined it.

“You know what?” His voice drops low, dangerous. “I'm not doing this. Not tonight.”

| scramble off the bed, yanking against the silk ties still binding my wrists. The fabric burns against my skin as |

pull desperately. ntiefirst, you asshole.”

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Chapter 52

“No.”

“What do you mean no?”

Grayson pullcloser. “We're going to talk, Jessica. All night if we have to, until there's no fucking doubt in your

mind shout where i stand His thumb brushes my lower lip. “About where you stand.”

“You're my only Luna, Jess. It’s you or no one so | don’t fucking know why you doubt yourself, baby, | don’t know

why because it's always

been you.”

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