She ran.

Maybe she saw the murdering intent in Iverson's eyes and instinctively knew she had to run for her life or she was just plainly insane, either way she took off at top speed down Jenna's Street the moment she finished uttering her bomb. Iverson wasn't far behind.

He wasn't thinking, he couldn't even if he tried. It was like his mind was in a state of limbo, struggling to catch up with the turn in event but his body was better privileged, reacting without his consent.

One second he was standing dead, watching her run and the next he was chasing after her.

In a very far place in his head, he wanted to let her run, let her go, but it seemed his body had other plans.

He heard Biggie calling after him but he couldn't bring himself to stop and soon enough he caught up with her. His hand shot out to grab her shoulder and he prepared to use his body to support hers so she won't fall from the abrupt halt.

But she once again caught him by surprise when she whirled around so fast and knee him hard in the groin.

Iverson instantly let go of her and crumbled over in pain. Biggie and two other male passerby who witness the scene also grabbed their groins comically in homage to the pain of their kinsman.

Bella was on the run again, she just needed to get away from him but when she looked over her shoulder, she saw him still running after her albeit slower now and unsteady. She ran towards the people in front of a coffee shop and yelled for help without thinking.

"HELP! He is trying to take me." She cried and pointed back at Iverson's figure before darting pass the group.

As if working on command, three of the guys jumped into action and attacked Iverson instantly.

"Call the cops." One yelled to another. That, stopped Bella from running and she spun around just in time to see two of the guys punched Iverson in the stomach at the same time.

"Stop!" She screamed when another tripped him from behind and the two before him bounced on his body on the ground, not letting up on the blows they delivered to his body.

"Leave him alone." She cried and rush back towards them but people were coming together to form a crowd at this point and bodies delayed her approach to the scene.

"Get away from him." She screamed, fighting her way through the throng. Thankfully, Biggie was upon the chaos and had thrown his burly form between the guys and Iverson by the time Bella successfully weave through the crowd.

"What have I done?" She whispered as she fell on her knees beside Iverson's beaten form, she helped him into a half sitting position and supported his upper body with hers from behind.

Iverson spat a mixture of blood and saliva on the sideway and she began to sob.

"I'm sorry," she wanted to say but choked on it. She didn't mean for things to escalate like that, she wanted to hurt him but only with words.

"Yeah, let the cops come so I can get you all locked behind bars. The fuck did you attack an innocent man for?" Said Biggie, having a face off with the guys. One of them peered around him to see Bella crying and cradling a dazed Iverson on the ground.

"I don't understand, she said he was trying to kidnap her." The guy said, scratching the back of his head.

Biggie looked back to glare at her for a second before facing them again. "She's deranged." He told them. "We are trying to get her back to the facility."

There was a corresponding. "Oh." And chuckling from people as they began to disperse.

"We are sorry then." One of the guys said.

"Yeah bro, sorry 'bout that. You should get her off the street before she gets you killed." Another added as they also walked away.

Biggie turned around to help Iverson back on his feet and to Bella who sat there like an homeless man, he said. "I think you should leave, you've done enough."

"No." Iverson gruffed, obviously in pain as he pressed his fingers on his ribs and grimaced. He spat on the sidewalk again and wipe his mouth with the back of his hand. "She's coming with me."

That got Bella springing up from her position, like hell she was coming anywhere with him. She may be sorry for his current condition but that didn't change the fact that he was a lying, cheating A hole and after all the mental and emotional pain he had caused her, if she never saw him again for the rest of her life, it would still be a moment too soon.

"I am not going anywhere with you." She stated firmly and dramatically turned around to walk away like the bítch who got the last word in movies, she didn't get far before the jerk ruined her show by yanking her back by the arm.

"I've got news for you." He said, staring into her eyes with a dead expression. Consciously or not, he tightened his hold around her arm until his fingers dug painfully into her skin but she refused to flinch and give him the satisfaction of knowing that he was hurting her. Instead, she ignored the pain and her body's craze reaction at being close to him and held his gaze with as much hatred as she could put in one look.

"Even if you turn to water, I'll bottle you up and take you with me." He finished and began to drag her back the way they came, she dug her feet in the ground in resistance and tried prying off his iron grip on her arm but it was useless. He continued to effortlessly haul her after his long strides anyways.

"Can I ask where are you taking her?" Biggie asked as he fell in step with them.

"To see Jasmine." He replied acutely. The nightmarish name sent panic down Bella's spine, she immediately started trashing and kicking vigorously in an attempt to free herself.

"No! No, please let go of me." She'd even plead to escape ever facing Jasmine again. That girl intensified the horror that was highschool for Bella, she inflicted a scar that hadn't heal in five years on Bella's mind. Bella feared Jasmine as much as she hated her and would die a happy woman if she never saw that devil again.

Instead of letting her go, Iverson abruptly bent down and the next thing she knew she was dangling over his shoulder. Bella screamed for help that she knew she won't be getting. Her anger renewed by her helpless state, she began to repeatedly hit his lower back.

"Put me down!" She yelled, hitting and kicking at the same time. No one was going to come to her aid, thanks to Biggie they already think she was crazy and her current position wasn't helping any.

"Put me down this minute you, you uncultured swine." She yelled again in frustration, that was no way to treat a lady and this went to show that he had no respect for whatever was left of her dignity on that street.

"Tsk Bella." He said, opening the car's door and dumping her in the passenger's seat. "I think you're running out of colourful names to call me."

The fight left Bella, she sat there drained and motionless. Did he, did he just, did he just called her Bella?

Iverson slammed the door and turned to Biggie for his key. "You and Claire can find your ways home right?"

Biggie waved off his concern. "Don't mind us, as long as you got what you came for."

"Good." He said, circling over to the driver's side. Biggie's sarcasm was totally lost on him this time.

As they drove off, Bella wanted nothing more than to make the whole drive hell for Iverson. He took her choice away from her and bundled her into a car against her wish, how nice it'd be to cuss him the entirety of their journey to wherever Satan laid in the form of a pretty blonde named Jasmine.

But she'd never felt so exhausted in her life, it was as if her very soul was sucked out of her body and she just sat there an empty shell. She hardly felt her arms when she wrapped them around her midsection and pressed her forehead to the door's windshield.

All she ever wanted was to be loved the same way she could love, she certainly didn't ask for this repetitive betrayal and heartbreak. He who must not be named' smug smile as she opened the door for Bella in Iverson's shirt and her wet hair was still very fresh in her mind.

Bella had only that day decided to put the big girl's pants on and pay him a visit. After their photoshoot, a part of her became convinced that he must have an explanation for not telling her about him and Derrick, it couldn't be because they connived to play her? No, he would never do that to her. He said he loved her and that part of her believed him.

She seemed to only then remember his pained expression when she agreed on that date with Derrick and to be fair, she was the one who brought Derrick into their lives with her thirst for revenge.

If she had knew what awaited her at his house, she would have held on to her previous hurt and avoided another painful one. Slowly, her eyes drifted shut and she fell into a resigned slumber.

Iverson side eye her sleeping form, twice in the past hour he'd contemplated taking her back to Jenna's and be done with the torture of having her that close but he needed to know where he went wrong five years ago to deserve this now, and bringing her and Jasmine together was the only way he'd get the clear cut truth.

Otherwise, looking at her hurt so damn much, his ribs hurt too, those crazy motherfuckers did a quick number on him but the main fire was in his heart.

He didn't know how someone so serenely beautiful could have such a black heart or why out of the female population he was fated to fall in love with her.

He wanted to hate her as much as she hated him. He didn't want her in his car or anywhere around him, yet there he was avoiding bumps and potholes so she could sleep fine.

And Daniel?

Iverson was going to hunt that traitor down, that was for sure. He could remember the tons of times he asked them both if they had feelings for each other, he wasn't blind to the connection he felt between them. He should have known better but they both played him well.

Iverson cried.

Something he hadn't done in a long time, not even when his father would always smack him around. This day, he was hurt more than he was angry and so he indulged the silent tears that streamed down his cheeks.

He loved so much and in spite the fact that there had always been sign that she might not feel the same way, he deluded himself to believe otherwise.

The sudden loud vibration of his phone jolted the both of them awake, her from sleep and him from self pity. He had since the previous day connected his phone to the speakers in his car because he basically had her number on redial when he could neither find nor reach her. Turned out he shouldn't have bothered.

The new caller was Valeria and Iverson rubbed a quick hand across his face before accepting her call, he owed her an apology after all.

"Valeria." He said in a form of greeting.

Bella scoffed bitterly, some nerves he had shamelessly receiving the call with her in his car. He had absolutely no respect for her.

"A package arrived for you." He who must not be named' voice filled the car, it made Bella feel sick and she would do nothing to fight it. What great joy it would be to empty her stomach all over his stupid car.

"I think it's a guitar." Valeria told him. The news was a reprieve for Iverson, he had requested it to be delivered to his place since he couldn't go for it as planned.

"Thanks Valeria, I should be home soon."

"Have you found her?" Valeria quickly asked, as if afraid he would end the call on her. "I'm sorry Iverson, believe me I didn't say anything provoking to her." She continued without an answer from him.

"But I know it's my fault she got the wrong picture and if you give me her number, I'll personally call her to explain."

"Explain what?" Bella snorted aloud so Valeria could hear. "Not like I care but the picture was pretty clear, you both shared a shower after doing whatever it was you did." She said, not hiding the disgust she felt.

"You had his shirt to show for it, how can anyone get a wrong picture with that."

"You couldn't be any more wrong." Valeria started calmly whilst Iverson remained silent. "The only thing we did was went on a run together and I had my shower in my room after that, I only rushed over to his place to fix him something to eat before he left for Metro like he told me. You may not understand this but my dad and I owe Iverson a lot, he put a roof over our head and cooking is the least I can do for him."

Bella processed the new information with creased brows, she sounded like she was telling the truth. "But, but you were wearing shirt! I know it was his shirt."

"It was." Valeria affirmed and Bella felt sick all over again. "He gave it to me one time really embarrassed myself and after I washed it and tried to give it, he told me to keep it. Like I said, I was in a rush to go cook for him and that shirt was the closest thing I laid my hands on. Listen, it would be a shame if you need to hear this from me but Iverson his a good man and yes I wanted him for myself but he made it clear you are all he wanted. I don't have self esteem issues but I know when a guy will never want me, so..."

"Uhm Valeria?" Iverson interrupted, not comfortable with exposing the extent of his feelings for Bella to get her sick revenge kick again.

"She only came there to give me something back, it didn't matter that she met you or that you were wearing my shirt. I know that now and I'm sorry for being too harsh on you, please don't think it was your fault because it wasn't. I'll see you soon." He told her and immediately ended the call.

Bella desperately wriggled her fingers in her laps as the clarity of the situation hit her like a speeding truck. She was wrong, God was she wrong? She felt like a bucket of ice was just emptied on her head as everything she'd said and done that day started coming back to her.

How would she even begin to rectify her mistakes?