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.
Lilly's POVHis tone alone should've stirred fear in me, but instead I felt the anger spread over my chest and rage into my veins. I immediately pulled my hand out of his grip and turned around so fast that I can face him.My teeth gritted as my palm pressed over his chest and I pushed him away from me, placing distance between us, the way it should've been all along, "Don't you dare touch me!" I snapped, my tone matching his.His eyebrow raised, flames of rage danced in his eyes, the ones that I used to like so much. At the moment, I just wondered how. How did I ever like him? How could someone who looked so charming and nice be this much evil, "You think you can stop me from telling everyone what you did?" I challenged, not once backing away.He scoffed, "You think I'd just let you do that?"The threat in his tone almost made me laugh, "I am not scared of you, Zack," I said, honestly."But you should be.""We'll see about that when I tell uncle Ashton about what you've done, we'll l
Lilly's POVWaking up next to Chase, wrapped up in his warm embrace, wearing his clothes and smelling just like him, are things that I can get used to so easily.But I probably shouldn't, considering in a couple of months, he might not be here for me to do that anymore. Still, that won't stop me from sneaking these pleasurable moments and enjoying them as long as I can.My fingers gently moved up the side of his neck and made their way to his defined jaw. His light subtle brushed against my fingertips till they reached his soft kissable lips. I traced the lower one with my finger and contemplated on the idea of kissing him. Asleep or not, I really don't care. I've missed him like crazy.The logical part of my brain argued and flashed the words sexual assault in big red letters. I groaned in annoyance and my fingers resumed their discovery, tracing every little details. They moved up his nose and stopped by the threshold of his eyes.Sensing my touch, lines formed between his eyebrows