Chase's POV"So Chase, my neighbor has this girl and she is so pre-""Oh no, no, no way," Conner interjected, shaking his head as he pointed at me, "This one over here is taken." He added as my grandpa for some reason decided to set me up with his neighbor's granddaughter."Set me up, I am the single one over here." He added in annoyance before he seated himself beside my grandpa, way too interested in this conversation."Taken?" Grandpa's eyebrows pulled together as his confused gaze flickered from Conner to me, "When? With whom? And why wasn't I informed about this?"I wanted to facepalm. Freaking Conner. I am really starting to contemplate the idea of having him stay with me."With Lilly," Conner answered on my behalf ever so casually, "You know her, right?" He said then waved his hand in the air, "Anyways, anyways, back to your neighbor's granddaughter, how is she like? Is she hot?"A smile lit up grandpa's face, "Oh, Lilly, yeah, I always liked that girl.""Which girl?" Melanie a
Lilly's POV"Why are you still in bed?" Aylin's voice had me pulling the covers from over my face as a frustrated sound made it out of my throat.I glanced at her, standing by my door. I shot her a glare but she didn't seem a bit affected as a wide grin split up her face, "Ahh, I've missed you." She squealed before she marched into my room like its her own.My gaze was on the floor so I noticed how on her way, she stepped over the ribbon I've left laying there. Not that I care.I sat down and all I felt were her arms wrap around my body and squeeze me in. I gathered my sleepy tired self and hugged her back."Get up, come on, it's almost noon!" Sally said, and that's when I noticed her. She walked closer and sat beside us on the bed.Is it noon already?I wouldn't know. I haven't had a minute of decent sleep since last night."Okay, I really don't think she missed me," Aylin said, annoyance flared in her tone, as she glanced at Sally."Aylin, it was barely a week." I mumbled sleepily b
At the night of the party...Chase's POVI walked out into the dark cold night. Air heaved in and out of my lungs, jagged and coarse. A growl rumbled at the base of my throat. I hated every fucking miserable second of this day.All I wanted was to walk back inside and pull him away from her and let all of my rage explode into his face. I didn't care if I'd make a scene, I didn't care that he is my cousin and friend. All I wanted is a release to the anger flaming inside my chest.But I stopped myself and pressed my palm over the car's window. Unable to open it and go, and unable to stay.The cold January air didn't affect me at all. It felt like I was burning up from the inside out.And soon, all will be left would be ashes.Guess that's what happens when you play with fire.I burned.I gambled and lost.I knew it was a risk, she was a risk, but I took it. I thought she'd be worth it.I unbuttoned the first few buttons of my shirt and rubbed at my chest, trying to blunt the ache inside
Lilly's POVMy heart clenched so tight as he muttered those couple of words and walked away. Hurt wrapped me up from the inside out and I slammed my back against the locker, trying to hold into anything so I wouldn't just collapse into a million piece.It was pathetic.I couldn't stop my tears. My own self taunting me. I felt so pathetic at my current vulnerable state.How did I reach here? How did I let myself open up for him? Why did I ever take that risk?I knew it. From the beginning, I knew it would only end in heartbreak, but I couldn't stop myself.Now, I learned my lesson.With my hand, I harshly wiped the tears from over my cheek away. I am not going to cry over him. I am not going to cry at all. I am not weak. I will easily get over this. I have to.I felt Zack's hand palm the side of my arm, "Hey, you okay?" He asked.When I turned to him, I noticed the bit of blood gathering around the corner of his mouth from Chase's punch. My eyebrows pulled together, "I am sorry," I mum
One month later...Lilly's POVOne month has passed since that day.The day I had my heart broken for the first time. The day I lost someone so dear to me, and the day I cried my eyes out for the last time.I didn't shed a single tear after that day. I didn't give myself the chance to break down. I gathered myself and moved on, lived each day, one at a time.Everyone tells me that I've changed. Even my parents have noticed it. I focused only on my exams and classes. I started preparing for university, searching for the suitable options and checking every oppurtunity presented. True, more than a whole year still seperates me from that part of my life, but I want to be ready, I want to have the next years of my life all planned out.I haven't talked with Chase at all after that day. I haven't stepped into their house, I always made excuses so I wouldn't accompany my parents. He never came back to our place either, I am beyond grateful for that.We no longer hang out, neither at school n
Lilly's POVAt that realization, I felt myself backing away, escaping, shocked at my own thoughts.The tremor coursing through my heart reminded me of the reason why I was always so scared of this, of him, of the possibility of us and what it could do.The music stopped and the magic that enveloped the room ever so slowly started to fade away. I immediately wiped away the traitor tear and tried to recover from the drastic beauty of that moment."That was great!" I heard Mrs. Garcia's voice, she clapped her hands and came into view just now. Laying her fingers over the piano, she let out a dreamy sigh, "It's exactly what I need for this play, it's perfect!"Chase got to his feet and she immediately asked, "So, will you offer up this perfect talent of yours for our play?"He smiled and nodded, "Yeah, sure."Her smile widened and her eyes shone with gratefulness. Her gaze left Chase and fell on me behind him, "Oh Lilly, you're just on time, come on let's discuss-" I silenced the rest of
Lilly's POVA tangle of emotions surged through me. Mainly it was pain and guilt, but simmering beneath all of that was something that felt achingly...good.I still refused to acknowledge it.My heart sped as the feelings I've kept down all these days clawed through my veins and pounded in my ears. His words punching their way through as I tried to drink in the feedback of everything that is being said.I shook my head, "No," I shook it again, unable to accept the whole situation, "No, no, you don't get to say that now, no, you can't!" My voice raised in bewilderment, "You can't come now and throw that past in my face, you don't get to make me feel guilty, you don't!""You don't get to make me wonder what could've been if I wasn't so damn blind!" I really was so clueless, mistaking every move he ever did, every action and every word as a gesture of us being just friends, family...That's all I ever thought we were, two very different people that grew up by each other's side, that torme
Three months later...Lilly's POV"Lilly, it's your turn," Mrs. Garcia said, pulling me out of my thoughts and urging me to read my line.I shook my head as my eyes scanned the words written over the script in my hand, "It's just, I don't find this story realistic in any way," I commented, "What's the whole point of the lead girl? She is sad, she is weak and fragile," I scoffed, "And then just like that a guy comes and saves her. The feminist in me can't accept that!""No, no, it's not like that at all!" Mrs. Garcia said, offended by my accusations toward the main character in her play, "She has just been making all the wrong choices in her life, she didn't care about herself enough to make the right choice," She added, "She is a bit reckless, a little immature at times, but definitely not weak.""Somehow, she always picks the bad guys for her and that's how she reached here.""Sounds pretty realistic to me," Chase said from beside me, his lips curled up as his eyes traveled from Mrs.
Three days later...Alex's POVNerve-racking. This wait has been the worst wait of my whole life. My nerves breaking down with every passing second and minute.Cara's state hasn't been any better. I've spent the past three days trying to get her to eat and rest but she was beyond thinking logically. I couldn't blame her. They have been keeping Max in intensive care, trying to stabilize his state and they wouldn't even let us see him, which only worsened the situation.I wanted to let the anger consume me like it once did, get out of here and search for whoever did this, but I wasn't going to repeat mistakes I made years ago. I stayed here, by my wife's side, and waited for my son to get better and I let that job...for those who can handle it better.I am going to find who did this and death wouldn't be a sentence I will give them. No, nothing I ever did before will measure up to what I will do for who dared lay a hand on my son and threaten his life and health this way.Ashton, Kathe
Alex's POV"Where are you going?" Cara asked when she saw me putting my jacket on."I don't know," I said, shaking my head, "I have to find him, I will search everywhere, I will go to the campus, I'll call his friends, anything, I need to find him."Something doesn't feel right. I have to see him, make sure he is okay, get him back home, and talk to him about everything else.She nodded, agreeing, "Okay, tell me if you find him, please." She said and my eyes fell on hers, on the redness under them, on the devastation that I haven't seen in so long.I inched closer, my hand rested over her cheek, "I will, cupcakes," I said, leaning closer, I left a kiss over her forehead.I grabbed my keys, my phone and hopped into the car. I started the engine and took off on the road. I had called him a million times since he left, but he didn't answer. As I wandered the streets, I called each and every friend he has, but none of them had seen him nor heard from him.Worry pressed harder and tighter
Max's POV Everything changed.Every fucking thing. Cold slipped through my veins, the words I heard slammed me. One by one, they struck me, battered and beat my mind, like an everlasting penalty, to pay for a crime I didn't commit.I rode down the streets, searching. For what, I didn't know.My fingers tightened over the steering wheel. A shuddered breath burned as I drew it in, my lungs pressing against my ribs, and I replayed everything in my mind, from the very start. From my first memory, up till this day.I know my parents loved me, they never had me doubting otherwise. They didn't need to reassure me, but the thing is, my confidence is slowly being destroyed, my beliefs, in myself, and in those around me are rapidly fluttering due to this.I remember reading a psychology book that said deviant behavior was genetic, and now I worry whether that evil is embedded in my genes. Whether people could tell, somehow, that I'd been created from violence...that maybe one day, I'd be just
Lilly's POVMy whole life crashes right in front of my eyes as Max mutters that word out loud.My eyes only focused on my mother, my heart rapidly breaking in my chest in a way I've never experienced before and I know that this...this would leave a permanent scar forever.The woman who raised me, who scolded me when I was wrong, who stood by my side when I was right, who supported me when I needed her to, who held my hand and guided me through life, who was just so strong and happy and full of life...I never thought that woman could've gone through something like that.I couldn't think of her as someone who was once broken, abused, and hurt.It didn't make sense.Every explanation, every scenario went through my head when Christian showed me the truth about Max, but this...this could've never crossed my head in a million years. This was not an option.It can't be.It just can't be!Oh my god, what did I do?She shook her head, her teary devastated eyes on Max, and she stood in front o
I couldn't wait for the sun to come up, so I can take Max and get the hell away from here. I couldn't sleep at all, not after everything going on. My body felt like it was slowly giving up on me with my disregard to what it needs, from food to at least some rest.I don't know what happened last night between them, whether she stayed here, or if she left, all I know is that I didn't see Chase's face after. On hesitant steps, I left his room, my eyes carefully drifting around, the last thing I want is to run into her.The moment I was about to knock on the room Max is sleeping in, the door opened and I almost bumped into him, "You're also awake?" I asked, keeping my voice low on purpose.He nodded, "I woke up hours ago," he said and I urgently added, "Let's get out of here."His eyebrows pulled closer, "To where?"I shrugged, "Anywhere, just not here," I don't want to stay where I am not welcomed and I am not leaving Max alone.He nodded, "But, I wanna go home," He said, "I want to talk
Alex's POVI couldn't wait any longer. I wanted to give Max space to think things through, to make sense of the new information but I couldn't hold it in any longer. Chase texted me that he took Max to his place and even though it's too late now, I found myself there. I just wanted to see him and just make sure he is okay."He fell asleep," Chase said when he let me into his apartment. I nodded, "I am just gonna see him, that's all," I mumbled and he nodded, before he led my way to the room.My fingers curled over the knob and with a deep breath, I carefully let the door open before I stepped inside. I silenced my footsteps as I walked toward the bed and my eyes fell on him. The comforter had fallen to the ground, probably from how much he tossed and turned, the truth hunting his subconsciousness.I pulled it and covered his body before I sat by the bed's edge, Max's back to me and I let my gaze take him in, "How did you grow up so fast?" I mumbled, and a small smile pulled at my lip
Lilly's POVEverywhere ached. Everything. My brain, my heart, my anxious stomach, and even my face.I swallowed down my tears and gathered enough power and knocked on the door. A few seconds in and Chase opened it, "Hey," I said, my voice hoarse from how much I cried today, "I...uh...I asked your mother to give me your address, I just want to see if Max is here?"He nodded, "Yes, he's inside, come in," He said and gave me space to enter."Thank you," I mumbled lowly as I made my way into the house. The home she was probably talking about. I hoped with everything in me that she wouldn't be here now, I just want to see my brother, that's all. I don't have the energy to deal with anyone else.I stood in the hallway, confused about where to go. My eyes fell back on Chase as he came to a stop beside me, "It took a lot of convincing to drag him here with me," He said and pointed at one of the rooms, "He is in there, he said he wanted to be alone."I nodded and before I could go there, I poi
Alex's POVI didn't know what I was feeling at the moment as I ran after Max. There was pain, there was anger, so much anger but the dominant feeling was fear.Fucking hell, I was terrified.So terrified of losing him. I did everything so I won't have to lose him, so I won't have to stand and have him look at me the way he did. Heartbroken, like I betrayed him, made him live in a lie his whole life.He looked at me, like I once looked at my own father, but I wasn't him, I am nothing like him. I was only trying to protect him, to protect them both from this truth and every fucked up thing it will bring along with it.I couldn't begin to understand Lilly and how she figured it all out. I was too angry to even fathom a single thought. My hand grasped his arm from the back, "Max, wait," I said and he snatched his arm back, "You can't go like this, you need to hear me out," I pleaded out and his bewildered eyes fell on me, eyes that looked so much like Nikolas's at the moment.The hurt in
Lilly's POVBetrayed. Hurt. Tired.So very tired.Real physical pain pressed over my chest as I stared at the man and the woman who gave me life, the ones I loved more than anything, the ones I trusted with everything in me.I trusted them enough to not break my heart.But, they did.Christian's betrayal, his whole lies for the past two years weighted nothing in front of this.Because it hurts ten times more when it comes from those you never thought would hurt you.My heart broke once again as the videos I watched over and over, played behind my eyes, "You're a liar," An anger so big clouded my senses, and that anger made me hate him at the moment, "And you're...you're a killer, dad!"The look that flashed in his eyes only proved that I was telling the truth, that after all those years, he got caught. Anger, shock, and a flicker of fear intertwined within the brown of his eyes, the ones that are just like mine, the ones that once were my home, my safe place, and my comfort.He took a