Chapter 31//"Don't cry Cress, please Dawson don't cry"
Today is our last summer dance of high school, next year it will be prom, so Emily and I have decided to go all out, dress, nails, make-up, everything.
I spin around in the seat as Emily describes what looks she's going for, to the make up artist.
I ask for a simple look but instead, the women has gone for a smokey cat-eye look.
My skin looks flawless with the addition of a blinding highlighter defining my cheekbone and the contour outlining my face.
My dress is a shade of midnight grey, it's a simple piece that is strapless and hangs on my breasts. The bottom trials on forever as well as a slit to my left.
"Fuck Elliott is going to drop dead when he sees you" Emily gasps.
"My eye keeps twitching," I tell Emily once we have left the makeup counter.
"It's probably because you've never used fake lashes before"
Outside Daniel's car is parked up front, he's wearing a suit for the occasion and he looks ridiculous in it.
"Daniel can you look inside my eye and tell me if there's any glitter. Every time I blink it's like the world is covered in a sparkly waterfall"
"I'm not surprised," He mutters getting in the car, Emily is trying to tug her big blue dress into the car, Daniel rolls his eyes but nonetheless he helps tuck her dress in.
"Crescent" Daniel speaks up turning the music down and glancing at me then back to the road again.
"You know I'm okay with you and Elliott. I just don't want the only family I have to get hurt, because if he ever hurts you, it will kill me to have to be the one to beat him up"
"I'm sorry for being so difficult at the start, I'm a shit brother, I know. I'm fucked up too, with mom dying and dad leaving. You know Cress you're lucky, you don't have the weight of dad's company on your shoulders"
I smile happy with the fact that Daniel accepts us, but on the inside I'm sad. I know it's hard for him being torn between dad and me. If it was up to dad, Dan would have moved to New York years ago leaving me behind.
"You know that means so much to me," I tell him.
"Anything for you little sister"
"I'm only little by 1.34 minutes" I shoot back.
"I would totally kiss your forehead right now to act like a supportive big brother, but your face is so caked up with makeup I think I'll choke"
Daniel swerves the car slightly finally parking it, and my face touches the window, I look at the huge highlighter and foundation mark I have left. Oh god if Daniel sees this I am dead.
"Cress what are you doing?" He sighs.
"Oh nothing," I hum, leaning against the side, I know how precious his car is to him, he will go ballistic if he sees glitter on it.
As soon as the car stops I'm trying to get out of it before Daniel can murder me.
In front of me, I see Elliott standing there, his face completely cleared of emotion, he looks completely unamused almost bored.
He turns his head slightly and catches a glimpse of me, his solemn face breaks out into a smile.
His blue eyes glowing.
"Fuck Dawson you look..."
He stops when I dash forward, plummeting into him and holding onto his arm for support.
"You're in a bit of a rush, I didn't even get a chance to check you out''
"I might have got some makeup on Daniel's car,"
He pushes me away lightly with his hands on my shoulders, he looks me up and down taking his dear sweet time.
"I've never seen anything more beautiful than you my love"
My heart completely melts at the 'my love', I look at him, but he's already pulling me along with him towards the hall.
"Why the dangerous look though," He asks me, I turn to him. I don't know it was like I was drawn to the dress. Like it was calling to me from the shop
"I just liked it" I shrug
"I just can't get over how good you look" He repeats as we enter the hall. It's more like a hotel but we have a main hall booked. It's different from the one the school usually hires but that was because the last one we had the food fight and we are never allowed back.
Elliott leans down and I think he's trying to kiss me, I quickly turn my cheeks so his lips land on my cheekbone. He gives me a weird look.
"Not the lips they match my shoes, I don't want you to ruin them"
"I'll never understand girls" He sighs, I look at him and my eyes look down at his soft lips, which are covered in a shimmery powder.
There's always this dangerous presence around Elliott, he's known as someone you shouldn't mess with. He's usually closed off from everyone, always hiding his problems with his humour. But when I'm beside him I feel like I know him, there are no secrets between us.
It's just Elliott and Crescent.
We stand at the top of the grand staircase, as we look down at everyone they stop to look back at us.
I lean closer to Elliott as we begin to climb down the steep steps in the grand hall; god it's hard to walk in heels.
"Crescent why are you even wearing heels?" He asks trying to help me get down the stairs without breaking my neck.
"Because you're so tall and I can never reach you" I huff. It's true. Girls love tall guy but there are many flaws to it.
"No point in reaching me, seeing as you won't even let me kiss you"
"After the pictures, I promise"
I let out a sigh of relief as I'm back on flat ground. Elliott laughs at me amused at how stressed out these heels make me.
"So Miss Crescent Bay Dawson can I have a dance?" He asks grinning at me, he runs a hand through his dark hair to get it out his face. He puts his palm forward for me.
I bring my hand to my cheek, to look like I'm thinking. "Well if you must insist Mr. Grayson but I must tell you, I can barely dance in flats let alone killer heels. I might send you and me to the hospital"
"I guess that's a risk worth taking then" He grabs my hand and pulls me closer to him so that I hit into his hard chest.
He sways slightly guiding me. We blend in with everyone else but I feel like it's just Elliott and me in the room. How cliche.
"Miss Bay Dawson, I'm must tell you again, how ravishing you look in that dress"
He brings his hand to my face to gently tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.
I look into his blue eyes and think about how all the hate and anger I used to feel towards Elliott and how it led me to fall in love with him, without me even noticing. It was like one day I just opened my eyes and realised that I love him.
The though of hating Elliott seems so bizarre at this moment, it doesn't matter how we ended up here.
"You know if there is one thing I love most about you Cress it's your hair. It looks boring old dark brown but when you look closer, I see the small strands of honey brown running through it" His voice is a low whisper as if maybe the words were only meant to be heard by him.
"You're quite observant today Elliott" I laugh at him.
"I'm just saying, I never want you to change your hair"
"I would never dream of changing it' I smile.
"You know usually by now I would have spiked the punch and probably drank half of it, it would have been only been a matter of moment before I was kicked out"
"What am I supposed to say to that, good boy and pat you on the head" I mock him.
"I'm just saying, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but you've changed me, changed the way I think, the way I look at things now. Before nothing mattered, everything was a joke. If I hurt everyone around me it was okay, I didn't care. It feels weird to care, like if something bad happens it actually hurts me on the inside. Do you get that feeling?" He explains to me.
I'm actually about to melt any second now, Elliott Grayson the player and the Quarterback is explaining to me what feeling feels like. Almost like it is a foreign emotion to him.
"It's nice to know you can finally feel our heart Grayson"
"How about I explain it to you" He grins.
"Go ahead" I reply wearily knowing there is something sexual about what he was going to say next.
"You give me a boner, but not like a dick boner. A boner in my heart and I feel it grow every time I look at you. You give me a affection erection"
That was the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my life.
All I can think about before it happened is that Elliott and I are laughing, my hand is on his arm as I clutch on to him trying not to pee myself.
I'm happy.
"It's because I love you that I need to tell you something" Elliott explains to me.
I'm about to reply but a gust of wind hits my bare back sending a shiver through me.
My back is facing the main door, everyone looks behind me.
I can only see Aribella near the table throwing daggers at me. Winter is also sending me icy glares as she clutched on to Aiden. She looks like some kind of ice princess, in her stunning white dress, her hair folded up in a messy bun with small stands of orange hair falling out of it.
All emotion is cleared from Elliott's face as he looks behind me.
Fear creeps into my heart, another cold gust of wind blows through my hair.
I slowly turn but I'm pushed out the way. It's only a small shove but it causes me to fall over.
But I don't get a chance to glance at the face, the figure shoves me away from Elliott ever so slight, but my heels were so high that I had no control over my balance and I tip to the side.
The fall is painful, but what hurts the most is my arm hitting off something and, then I see a glimpse of the dark red blood.
Nobody is looking at me and I couldn't care less that my arm.
Daniel's face is consumed with rage, his light brown eyes are black with anger. His suit is crumpled like he's already been in an argument.
Daniel throws a punch so fast and hard, that Elliott staggers back slightly.
There's a gasp around the room; Elliott holds his jaw, bewilderment in his eyes. My head was spinning from the fall I don't even know if I hit my head or not but sick rises in my throat.
"Daniel!" I shriek in absolute horror.
I'm already pushing myself off the ground.
The loath in Daniel's face is unquestionable and so intense that I'm worried about Elliott's safety.
"How dare you?" Daniel's voice is deadly, he leans forward to shove Elliott back. I throw my arms out to stop my brother from hurting my boyfriend
Daniel stops.
I stand beside Elliott.
"If you want to hurt him, you'll have to hurt me too"
I put my hand in Elliott's... but he doesn't hold my hand back.
I spin my head, my hair rolling onto my shoulder. Elliott's face is cold, expressionless.
My brother grabs me by my shoulder to shove me aside.
"This would never have happened if you didn't fall for him" Daniel shouts at me. My heart throbs out my chest. Something's wrong.
"Don't touch her" Elliott's voice comes out angry.
"Elliott you have no right to say those words, it's you who is never allowed to touch my sister again"
A dread is creeping up on me.
It's like that moment when everything goes quiet and the birds stop chirping before a tsunami hits land.
"Carter told me" I know something is seriously wrong when Elliott freezes, his mouth slightly open in shock and his face instantly drains of blood. He's done something, something bad.
When he hears Daniel's words his glance turns to me, they are filled with shock and horror. My breathing is becoming shallow and my chest feels so tight.
His eyes look at me pleading, trying to ask me something.
I let go of his hand.
Elliott's voice is as I have never heard it before. Only a matter of seconds ago he was shouting at Daniel. Now he's pleading like he's begging Daniel with every emotion inside his body. "Dan, don't say it"
"What else am I supposed to do Elliott, you swore there were no tricks?" Daniel's voice sounded like he was in pain.
"Daniel, please let me explain. I beg you not for me but for her sake, you'll break her"
Daniel completely ignores Elliott. Everyone's eyes are flipping between the two of them.
"You came to me, when I was angry with you and you promised you loved her with all your heart. I believed you." Daniel's voice is filled with distress
My arm is throbbing in pain but I use that hand to clutch on to the necklace around my neck. The wolf. I tightly hold it in my hand, the edges poking painfully into my palm.
"If there's one person I trusted more than anyone it's you, Elliott, I've always been there for you. When we were kids if one of us made a mistake we both took the blame. I would do anything for you, because you're like a brother to me. Every mistake you've made, I forget get it but not this time Elliott, I can't forgive you" Daniel's words are painful to even hear, I can't imagine the pain Elliott must be feeling from hearing his best friend tell him this.
I wanted to slap Daniel for coming here at this moment, for ruining everything and for hurting Elliott. I want Elliott to tell me everything is ok and he's done nothing wrong.
"Just fucking tell me what happened" My voice comes out in a hoarse scream which catches everyone's attention.
"Only if you answer one question with complete honestly" Daniel's asks me his eyes glued to mine and I nod clutching on to the necklace even harder until my knuckles have gone whiter than Winter's dress.
"Have you slept with either Carter or Elliott" Carter? Everyone is looking at me waiting for my answer like it's important.
"No, why would I sleep with Carter and I haven't even slept with Elliott" Daniel looks satisfied with my answer, and Elliott; well he was as white as a sheet of paper.
Daniel's next words tear my heart to shreds.
"Elliott swore to me he would never hurt you in this relationship, never break your heart yet the only way he could win the bet was by breaking your heart "
I feel lost for a second.
Bet. Bet. Bet.
I stand there like an idiot, filled with confusion; some people gasp and others look startled. I look over to see Aribella with her mouth wide open but her eyes are gleaming with happiness.
Winter's expression surprisingly doesn't mirror Aribella's instead her eyes are hard and there's a frown on her face. She looks angry.
"I don't get it," I say "Elliott wouldn't hurt me again, not like he used to " My voice is like a naïve child. A child who just realizes that people can actually lie. I sound like a stupid kid who knows nothing.
"Cress, Elliott doesn't love you, heck how could anyone believe that he can feel love. Carter and him made a bet over the first one to make you fall in love and break your heart wins"
It isn't true, it can't be.
But the second I see Elliott's face, filled with regret and shame I know it's undeniably true.
I take a couple of steps back from Elliott, disgusted by him, Elliott tries to grab my hand but I pull to my chest.
"Cress..." Elliott whispers.
"Cress your relationship isn't based off love. It's based on a game" Daniel states.
"It wasn't based off a game" The voice comes from the stairs.
"You told him" Elliott snarls, he is fuming with Carter
On Carter's face is a bruise forming on his jaw and I can see that his knuckles are bloody. Not only Elliott betrayed me but also Carter. The same Carter that stole my first kiss"
"I had to tell him, Elliott, especially when I found out the truth. That the bet was all a cover for the secret you had hidden"
The truth.
Daniel frowns, confused.
"BULLSHIT" Elliott shouts so loud, he's shaking with rage, or is he actually scared. Is Elliott scared of the truth?
"In terms of the bet, her name was Tiffany, she's 3 years older than us and was staying here for a year. We met her at a party, and we both wanted her"
I feel sick. It's disgusting, I look at Elliott my eyes narrowed my eyes filled with disgust. I'm angry but y heart is bleeding with pain.
Carter continues "I thought that you must have done something to piss Elliott off that day, for him to choose you. Elliott said the first one to break your heart in the next few months would have, Tiffany. I just thought Elliott wanted the ultimate revenge on you"
My mind wanders back to the suddenness of Elliott coming to help me. How he began driving me to school.
Revenge.
Carter asking me to the Christmas formal. Carter's kiss. Everything makes sense now.
Carter asking me to the dance, it was odd that all of a sudden he was interested in me. And then I find Elliott in my room, pouring fake tan in my moisturizer. Elliott being annoyed at me for accepting Carter's offer. How Elliott wouldn't let Carter near me, I thought it was because Elliott had feelings for me.
Elliott must have thought that if Carter got close to me he would have won my heart instead.
But he was wrong because my heart would have always ended up with Elliott.
When all this time I was nothing to him. I am nothing to him.
"He's telling the truth isn't he?" My voice is almost a whisper only intended for Elliott to hear.
"Cress you have to understand, I never intended to hurt you. I never wanted you to find out"
"Don't you dare call me Cress" I yell at him my heart aching as I look him in the eye.
I run my hand through my hair, my body's beginning to shake and my head is filled with confusion.
I'm a bet, for him to get with another girl.
I could see the red mark on his face from where Daniel punched him and it physically hurts me to look at it.
"Elliott agreed that he was going to break up with you on the last day of term, to win" I want Daniel to stop talking, I want to cover my ears and hide, I want to remove my emotions.
"Our relationship is based on lies..." I ask.
"Not lies Cress, how can I lie to a face like..."
"You know what's really sad" My voice is quiet again, like a soft whisper. "Is that this is something I would expect from you, it's just so Elliott"
"This is all touchy but don't you want to know the reason behind the bet. Come on Cress, I know you, you're smart" Carter urges me.
I glare at him, what would cause Elliott to make the bet Why would he use the bet to get close to me? What reason could he have to make me fall in love with him?
"Your dad has a small property, that's his and only his and it is worth a ridicules amount. You don't know this but it's actually signed on your name"
"Money" I gasp.
My heart literally breaks as my eyes brim with tears.
"How long?" I ask "How long have you been trying to win me over for this?"
"Since you were both 15"
"And he though the bet between him and I for Tiffany would cover up his attempt to take the property. Elliott has been planing all this for years"
Carter explains, he was the one who agreed to the bet with Elliott yet he looks pitiful as he explains the real reason behind everything.
"Every moment, every move was to get you to sign over you're dads property, company, everything to him"
Daniel's even too stunned to talk, he doesn't even look like he's breathing.
But Elliott, he keeps his eyes trained on me.
"Every moment, every conversation, every story from when we were younger. Has it just been bullshit all this time"
"I've always liked you Cress, and yes it started out that way, I was trying to get the property"
A tear drops from my eye.
"Until I came back all those months ago, since then I have I loved you. I'll admit I didn't mean to fall in love with you, you're my best friend's sister. You're off-limits. But I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. I love you so much I don't know what to do with all the love, I don't know how to act"
"All this for money" I whisper.
He walks up to me and gently takes my hand and I want to lean into him and let him hold me forever, but I also hate him, more than anyone.
I shove him away from me.
"You want the property, you can have it" I yell at him.
"Give me the documents, I'll sign everything over to you. That money means nothing me, it's a way for my dad to feel better about abandoning me. Not Daniel, he spoke to Dan but he ABANDONED ME. I never wanted his money, it's why I studied so hard all these. So I could do something for myself"
"So take it" I scream.
"Cress..." He breathes.
"Here I'll call my dad and tell him to put it on your name" I place my phone near my ear.
He moves my arm from my ear with the most disgusted expression on his face.
"Let's go to a cash machine, Elliott. I'll give you everything" I cry.
"Stop it," He says like I'm truly hurting him.
I open my clutch and take out a small handful of change from it.
I throw it harshly in front of him "Here, take it"
The coins clatter all over the place, everyone's eyes are filled with pity as I slowly fray apart. Seam by seam.
He tries again and comes forward gently holding on to my wrists ''Please let me explain Dawson"
I thrash my wrists out his grip, stepping away again.
"You don't love me because if you did, you would listen to what I have to say" His words are so harsh that I feel them cut through me.
"That's not fair Elliott"
"I was doing it all to protect everyone, it was never my choice, I had to do it, or everyone I care about would get hurt" Elliott yells at me raising his voice.
"Except me" I laugh without any humour.
"ESPECIALLY YOU"
"You're lying"
"All I've done is try to protect you"
"Stop lying to me Elliot, I can't take it anymore. Stop trying to win, because you have you've broken my heart. So go run after the girl, go fuck her, and take the property and collect your prize you've won Elliott. I hate you and I will never forgive you"
"What do you want me to say, Cress? That I hate the way you smile, I hate the way you look at me, I hate the way you forgive me for every mistake I make and most of all I hate myself for always ruining things when it comes to you"
The words burn through me.
He runs a hand over his face "Give me second chance Dawson and I'll make things right" He pleads his blue eyes filled with hurt.
But I can't.
I put my arm around my neck and unclasp the necklace. It feels like it's burning me. We were just friends when Elliott gave me this necklace.
I dangle it in front of me and look at how the light reflects off it; I feel tears begin to stir in my eyes as I remember how he gave it to me. It was just another way to win.
"Elliott there are no second chances, because you can never fix a broken heart"
I throw it with brutal force in his direction like I'm throwing my already shattered heart at him. It lands in front of him.
"Then go Crescent, leave right now and never look back. I was already messed up and you can't fix that. You can't make me a better person Cress."
I can't stand the tone in his voice, as he pretends to hide his emotions and act like he doesn't care.
"Your right, I can't stick to one girl, because that's who I am, I like to fuck around and break hearts. I know everyone calls me a 'player I'm delusional aren't I that I think I can get a girl like you, I deserve no one don't I. I fell in love with a girl, it even sounds stupid" He laughs, without any humour.
That's when two simultaneous tears pour out my eyes, I quickly bring my hand up to brush them away.
Elliott stops talking a whole load of rubbish.
"Don't cry Cress, please Dawson don't cry" His blue eyes are like crystals. I can tell he's conflicting with himself about how to handle the situation.
"You want girls, money, sex but all I've ever wanted is you Elliott"
But there is no way of handling it, it's over.
He doesn't look like the deadly Elliott everyone else sees. I see him as a boy who is trying to live up to be a bad guy when he isn't.
I can't take the stares, I can't take seeing him. I turn on my heels and run out. My body is trembling with grief. I run along the corridor not looking back, and having no idea where I'm going, I lift up my dress so I can get away faster.
I shove the door in front of me so hard that when is slams in the wall it leaves a mark.
I lean against the wall but I can't hold it, I bring my hands up to my mouth to stop my sobs, but they won't stop.
I wipe my bloody arm on my dress. It's only a light cut and it's beginning to dry up.
I viscously wipe the tears away from my eyes, my make up coming off along with my motion.
I turn around and kick the wall in my killer heels. My ankle throbs in pain. I stumble over to the stairs, my body feels paralysed and I know I'm going to drop to the ground at any second.
He used me.
I want to slam my head into the wall.
One part of me loathes Elliott, he played me, and he's still playing me. Elliott will always be the same, the same boy who hurts me and breaks me on a daily basis. Except today he broke the only whole thing I have the only thing he has never broken before. My heart.
There is also a part of me that is telling me to forgive him.
I lean against the bannister and slide down the side of the second step. I take my heels off and hold them in my hand looking at them for a moment, then my anger suddenly builds up against and I throw it in front of the wall against. I bury my head in my hands praying that I just become unconscious so all my thoughts would disappear.
The sound of the door creaks and for a moment my heart jumps, somewhere inside me I am praying that it's Elliott. That he's here to hold me even when he just broke me.
But I'm not that lucky, it's the last person I expect to see
She carefully comes through the door, her dress trialling behind her; it looks like it could be a wedding gown.
Her blue eyes are focused on me and her heels click on the floor as she comes forward towards me.
"What do you want" I sneer "Here to mock me, to hurt me like he did" My voice is croaky with all the shouting.
"Are you here to shout at me, tell me how worthless I am, how I deserved that" My voice is breaking.
She takes another step towards me without a word coming out of her mouth; her eyes look at me with pity.
She comes closer to the bannister I was leaning against.
"Cress" Her voice was filled with hurt, almost like she feels my pain.
She leans towards me and she does the one thing I don't expect.
She wraps her arms around and sits next to me, like she was holding me together.
The Winter that glared at me every day, the girl who hates me, hugs me
I literally break down in her arms, the tears fall from my eyes like a waterfall, I lean my head against her shoulder and let it all out as she makes soothing noises. She rubs her hand across my back.
"I'm sorry I'm so sorry" She cries as she holds me tightly. I knew her apology was nothing to do with what just happened. She' apologizing for all this time we haven't spoken.
We sit there for a moment completely silent and I slowly lift my head to look at her.
"I know I am the world's shittiest friend and I know this isn't the time, but Cress I miss your friendship every day and I am sorry with all my heart"
"I would tell you that I am also sorry with all my heart but my heart is currently shattered" My words make me begin to tear up again.
"Cress it went mental in there when you left, he lost it completely" Her voice filled with sadness. I don't want to hear it but she carries on.
"He just stood there for a minute, then he flipped over the table that had the food and stuff on it. Alec and Conner tried to hold him back but he was so determined to hurt Daniel. Cress if security didn't arrive, he was really going to kill him"
"They had to drag him out" My voice is below a whisper.
"He was swearing and saying all kinds of crazy things, Daniel just stood there still, I think he was still in shock from what happened between you and Elliott"
"It hurts so much, I love him, I love him so much. I'll never forgive any of them"
"Cress listen to me. If he loves you he'll come back I swear. If he cares then he'll do anything to make it right"
But I know Elliott and I know he isn't that type of guy.
Author note:
I think I just broke your heart, this was meant to be the final chapter, but I have decided to add another chapter to this part. This is hitting just under 6000 words. WOW!
Tell me what you think? And Elliott is going to do something really big in the next chapter, what do you think it is?
After next chapter the plot changes completely, I can't wait.
I have sent 3 days writing this, in school and everywhere I go all I think about this scene. I have edited this scene so many times trying to get this perfect so I hope you like it.