Ainsley's POV

I was laying in my bed talking on the phone with Harmony. I had been crying all day, after hearing the news that Malik was kidnapped. Patrick had cried himself to sleep after the news. I talked quietly trying not to wake him.

"And what did the girl Kalilah say?" I asked caressing Patrick's arm.

"She claimed she hadn't talked to her. Her story adds up because Maloni skipped school to come over here," she paused before continuing. "It's all my fault. Lyric always tells me everybody ain't my friend. Why didn't I listen?" she cried out.

I thought about what I could say to make her feel better but I came up with nothing. I knew I had to come up with something quick. "It's okay Harm," I smacked myself for saying something so stupid. "I mean it's not your fault. You didn't know she would drug you. You're a victim too," I admitted.

Patrick stirred in his sleep before opening his eyes. I groaned mentally before focusing on my call. ".. and Lyric hate me. She won't talk to me. Ainsley, I don't know how to make it up to her," she cried out some more.

Patrick looked at me with a look of confusion. He was probably wondering who I was on the phone with. "Look, Harm, Imma call you back, ight?" I said keeping eye contact with Patrick while he sat up in the bed.

"Okay. I'll talk to you later," she said hanging up. I dreaded hanging up the phone.

"I love you sus," I said pretending to still be on the phone. "okay bye."

I felt Patrick's hand come in contact with my face. My head snapped backwards, crashing into the headboard. I felt my eyes begin to water as my cheek stung in pain. I let out a small gasp as I held my face where I'd been hit.

"What di..did I do?" I asked through tears. This wasn't the first time he's hit me. Ever since he's lost Braydon & Justin, he's taken all his frustrations out on me.

"Who do you think you are to question me? I can do what I want when I want to. You know when I'm sleeping, you're supposed to be quiet," he yelled as his face was inches from mine. My nose flared up as a reflex as his breath reeked of fish and tartar sauce.

"I'm sorry, Patrick. Harmony needed someone to vent to," I confessed just as I felt his fist punch me in my stomach. I let my face go and clenched my stomach. I balled up into a fetal position and cried harder. "I'm sor.ry," I whispered.

"No! I'm sorry baby. I didn't mean to hurt you," he said running his hands across my back.

I flinched at his touch before my body became relaxed. I sat up before looking into his pretty grey eyes. Those same exact eyes are what made me fall in love with him. I've had a crush on him since I met him a couple years back but just 5 months ago he asked me out. I was enlightened to be his girlfriend after being friends since 12 years old.

"What you thinkin' bout?" he asked me, caressing my face and wiping my tears.

"Us."

"And what about us?" he questioned raising up. I flinched getting prepared for him to hit me but he didn't. "You wanna leave me don't you?"

"It's not that I wanna leave you, it's just... You've changed since your boys died. I don't like being abused, I refuse to let this continue," I said expecting to get slapped. Patrick just looked at me long and hard.

"Ight. I won't do it again. I don't wanna lose you, baby. I love you," he said reaching for my face. I allowed his tongue access to enter my mouth as he kissed me passionately. This was easier than I expected.

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I pulled the plates down and started fixing our plates. We order Chinese food and it had my mouth watering. I walked into the living room giving Patrick his plate. I walked back towards the kitchen to get mine. "Bae, can you bring me a real spoon?" Patrick called out from the living room. He's been nice all day and I was liking the new and improved Patrick but it made me nervous. Sad to say, but I was expecting his attitude to change any second.

I went to the drawer where the spoons were and opened it. I looked at the envelope sticking from under the utensil holder before I picked it up. It's been a month since Braydon's suicide and I still haven't opened my letter from him. I don't think anyone of us did. It was so hard accepting the fact that he was really gone.

"Ainsley, what's taking so long. I'm ready to eat." Patrick yelled out making me jump. I put the letter in my back pocket and grabbed the spoon. I was afraid that he would pick up on my nervousness so I coughed obnoxiously as I entered the living room. "Damn, don't cough over my spoon."

I handed him the spoon and excuse myself to the bathroom. I practically ran upstairs and locked the door. I pulled the letter out before sitting on the closed toilet lid. Did I really want to do this now? "What the hell, right?" I said to myself as I tore open the letter.

Ainsley Summer Bailey,

We've been friends all our lives. Since way back in the sandbox days. Ju heard? You were always there for me. All the times, I've cried to you about this shitty thing I call life, you've never told my business. You were the love of my life but that was until you moved away from me. No need to go into details about me choosing Lyric over you. I wanna apologize again for that.

I wiped the tears away that fell down my face. I knew where he was headed and it only broke my heart even more. I wanted to just throw the letter away and forget about it, but my heart wouldn't let me.

"Baby girl, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for choosing your friend over you. I'm sorry for kissing you. I'm sorry for making sweet love to you while I was with A'Lyric. I'm sorry for taking your virginity and never leaving A'Lyric as I promised. I'm sorry for breaking your heart. Ainsley, you've always been a very strong girl. Through all that, you still were able to hide your feelings around our friends. Look me in my face and joke with me like nothing ever happened.

I shook my head, trying not to cry harder than the stream of tears that were falling. I had erased him out of my mind. All this letter is doing is bringing up the betrayal and dishonesty I have with A'Lyric. I looked at the few sentences left and decided to go ahead and finish it.

You were a real friend, Ainsley. And an even better woman. Patrick is an okay dude, but he has a bad temper and I don't want him for you. Find you someone better and leave him. I know it's probably too late if you're reading this letter, but Ainsley Summer Bailey, I LOVED YOU. I'm sorry!

"Baby, you okay in there?" Patrick called out through the door. "Why is the door locked?"

I folded the letter up and stuffed it in the medicine cabinet. I felt my stomach churn as the bile filled my mouth. I turned around and lifted the toilet seat up as the vomit discharged forcefully out of my mouth. The sound of the puke hitting the water made me gag as more vomit spewed from my mouth.

The only thing out that entire letter that I remembered, was that Braydon said he loved me. He loved me and I will never have the chance to say it back.

I flushed the toilet and grabbed some mouthwash. When I was done cleaning up behind myself, I walked to unlock the door. I opened the door weakly after throwing up my insides. I was struck in the face by a fist causing me to fall down to the floor. I looked up to see Patrick standing over me with an evil look in his eye.

"What you hiding from me? Why you locking doors?" he yelled kicking me in my side. I heard a car alarm set, indicating that my momma and daddy was home. I heard the jingle of keys outside the front door as I sat at the top of the steps.

"Patrick, my parents are here. Please stop," I pleaded while he nodded his head, telling me to get up. As soon as I was completely up, I felt a powerful kick to my back. I heard my ribs crack while I flew down the flight of stairs.

"What the fuck?" I heard my dad yell as I blinked in and out of consciousness. "Call an ambulance!" My dad yelled before I fell into complete darkness.