Page 45 of Saving Tracey
Trevor turned me around and wiped the tears off my face almost frantically, his eyes pained as he took in how broken Iwas. "Baby, please, stop crying. Kaleb's an asshole. Don't listen to a word that comes out of his mouth, do you understand me? You are perfect.” He gripped my face in his hands. “Everything is going to be okay. Don't run away now, not when you've come so far."
"I don't want to go back." My tears continued to wet his hands. "I want it all to stop. I just want the pain to stop so bad, and I want everyone to stop hurting me."
"You don't have to go back, baby. Come on. We'll go to my place, and you can stay there with me for a few days. Just let me call Paul, okay?"
I nodded. He kissed my forehead and pulled his phone out. "Hey, man, is Glenda home?" Pause. "Hey, Tracey is having some issues at home, and I wanted to know if she could stay with us for a few days."
He hung up the phone a moment later and smiled down at me. "See? Come on. I'll come by later and grab some of your clothes."
He grabbed my hand in his larger one, his strength seeping into me slowly, and led me to his motorcycle. He pulled his phone to his ear, letting Kaleb's mom know that I was leaving with him and that I would come home when I was ready. I heard her yelling at him, making me wince, but he just hit the end button on her and slid his phone into his pocket. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to him, leaning down to kiss me softly. "You will be okay, Tracey. I promise."
I nodded at his words, not believing him, but nodding nonetheless. When we got to his place, a woman in her late forties opened the door, ushering Trevor and me in. She pulled Trevor into a hug, and I noticed immediately that he stiffened at her touch. She backed up, placing her hands on his upper arms, and looked him over. "I'm fine,” he muttered, moving away from her touch.
"I thought something had happened to you, boy!" She planted her hands on her hips, shooting him an accusing look.
He shook his head at her. "Kaleb is just being a dick, and Tracey wasn't comfortable."
Turning her attention to me, she smiled and moved to hug me, but I stepped back, panic closing my airways. My back slammed into the wall of the hallway in my rush to get away from her, and she stopped in her tracks, dropping her arms to her sides as sadness flickered across her gaze. I heard Trevor sigh, but I was too focused on his mom to look at him.
I was too afraid that she was going to try to touch me again.
"Baby, come on. Glenda isn't going to hurt you." Trevor moved to stand beside me. Glenda gave me a tight-lipped smile, worry etched onto her features, sadness for me ringing in her eyes. Trevor gripped my chin gently, and I jerked away, my chest heaving up and down as I struggled to suck air into my lungs. I was seconds away from having a panic attack.
He reached forward again and grabbed my face in his hands. "Baby, look at me. Breathe,” he said sternly, but with the utmost care in his voice. "Breathe for me, baby." He rubbed the pad of his thumb over my cheeks.
I squeezed my eyes shut, focusing on his voice as he coaxed me down from my panic attack. Fuck, I couldn't keep being scared like this. I was terrified of someone touching me. I couldn't even allow Trevor to touch me unexpectedly or I flipped the fuck out.
I opened my eyes back up once I was calm enough, my green eyes locking on his dark ones.God, he was so gorgeous.
What in the world did I do to deserve him?
I was broken. There was no fucking way that I could never be what he wanted.
Yet, he was still standing in front of me. My knight in shining armor. My light in this all too dark world.
I hated that I couldn't be what he needed.
He needed someone strong, someone that could help him fight his own demons. He didn't need to be concerned with fighting mine, too.
He brushed my hair behind my ear, his eyes running over my face until he finally grabbed my hand in his. "Come on. Paul is probably down in the basement playingCall of Duty. Let's go bother him."
I didn't look back at Glenda, who I knew was still standing there. I wasn't even in her house for more than a minute, and I was already making myself out to be a terrified little girl.
But that was all I really ever was.
TREVOR
After finally getting Tracey to fall asleep, I left my room, shutting my bedroom door quietly behind me. I ran my hands down my face and leaned back against my door, tilting my head up to look at the ceiling.
Fuck, she was so gorgeous, and she didn't even know it. The girl had me by my heartstrings, had me on my knees before her, wrapped around her little finger, and she didn't even realize it.
I would do anything in the world for her.
And I hated seeing her so terrified all of the time.
I gave Glenda a small smile when I walked into the kitchen, where she was cleaning up after dinner. "Is she okay?"
I shrugged. "Not really. She takes one step forward, and then something knocks her ten steps back again. She was making so much progress, and then Kaleb had to fuck it all up."
