I stare at my reflection in the mirror, my bags have now become the most prominent part of my face other than my sharper cheekbones. My body feels disgusting, all I can remember are his hands and the things he would do with them. Several parts of my body are covered in dressing - the wounds seemed to have been endless. Half of them I couldn't even recollect them inflicting.

I can't remember when my body didn't have a mark on it.

On the plus side, despite everything, my neck has finally healed.

I don't see myself anymore... I see a stranger and I don't know how to change it. I don't like the person I am seeing or the way they are acting and how they are treating others. It's not me, or maybe it is. Maybe this is the part of me I didn't know about. Maybe I can use this person to my advantage and finally get a grip.

I need to start facing my problems head on and not running away like I always do. The only way I am going to get over this is if I deal with it and accept it.

Yes it is going to take some time but I'll get there - I don't have any other options.

"You okay?" Colton's voice brings me back to reality and I jump a little. "Sorry..." he says and I force a smile. I like this kinder side of him but I can't help but notice how he seems to be walking on eggshells around me. Like he's afraid to say the wrong thing.

"It's okay... sorry if I woke you, I just couldn't sleep," I say but he shakes his head. I hate to admit it but Colton is growing on me, I think it's only because he's being his version of nice but it's happening either way.

I'm sure he'll be back to his usual charming self in the morning.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks awkwardly and I can tell that this is weird for him.

"No, thank you though," I don't want want him to get uncomfortable because I don't want to scare away this new side of him that he is allowing me to see. I don't know why he tries so hard to get people to dislike him, it must get lonely sometimes.

"You need to go back to sleep, you've slept for roughly... one hour at most," he checks his phone. I'm surprised I even got that much sleep. I nod and we walk back into his dark bedroom - the only source of light coming from the lamp.

"Can you stay with me?" I ask and he gives me a confused look but then quickly realises what I mean. All of a sudden I want to shove the words back into my mouth.

"Um... sure," he says and tension is thick in the air. This is awkward for the both of us, but hopefully his presence will somewhat keep the dreams at bay.

I get back into his black silk bed and he does the same. We've done this before but it feels different this time. Once we are both in I turn off the lamp and we are drowned in darkness again. I feel alone but I'm not, I know that I am not. I have Melissa, Zach... Zach!

"Is Zach okay?" I ask into the darkness. My eyes are slowly adjusting but not quick enough. The darkness is suffocating and reminds me too much of the rebel's base. I miss Zach more than words can describe. I don't know why he wouldn't be okay but I'd hate myself if I didn't check. Maybe when Colton is asleep I can go to the dormitories and find him - just to be sure.

"Not too bad..." I can hear his smile in his voice and I know that he has done something bad which I am sure is going to make me kill him. I immediately sit up, wide awake.

"What did you do?" I say accusingly. I can now just about make out the outline of his body as he sits up as well.

"What makes you think I did anything?" he snaps back and I am sure that the answer is very self explanatory unless you lack common sense.

"Really? I'd have to be brain dead to think it was someone else," I say and get up. I don't care what time it is, I am going to find Zach and see the damage that has been done. I can see the light from the corridor shining underneath the door so it helps guide me towards the exit.

"And where do you think you're going love?" his voice gets louder and I can tell he's moved towards me.

"To make sure my friend isn't dead," I open the door and he follows suit.

***

"You're not going by yourself, not after what happened," he says as he follows me out of the door. Just leave me alone.

"I can handle myself thank you, after all I got myself out of there didn't I? You weren't much help," I say harshly and he grabs my wrist, making me turn to face him.

"The whole time you were gone, I was doing everything in my power to find you. I had a whole team of people dedicated to finding you so don't give me crap about it," he spits but it just fuels me with more rage.

"Well if you were working "so hard" where the were you when I needed you? When they would beat me to get answers out of me that I didn't know. When they would touch me and... and torture me... where were you?" I yank my arm from his grip and he looks at me in horror. My anger got the best of me and I overshared.

I am thankful that the corridors are dead at night and that everyone really stays in their dorms. It's then I remember what Zach said. Gossip spreads like wildfire. I can't have this getting around, it would be too humiliating.

"I can't do this right now... I'll talk to you later," I explain and he nods, slowly.

"I'm still coming with you, I'm not leaving you by yourself there's no way in hell," he says angrily and I give in.

As long as I get to see Zach, I couldn't care less right now.

***

We reach the dormitory and I slowly open the door - keeping noise to a minimal. It's not safe that anyone can just go in without any identification or key, especially considering everything that is happening with the uprising.

Colton is close as I walk through the room, scanning the several sleeping bodies - trying to find Zach. As soon as I spot his sleeping form, I see his bruised face and split lip.

"You did that," I whisper and my heart breaks for him.

Zach is the closest I have to family and to see him like this at the hands of Colton pains me.

"He was being useless and I was stressed," he says nonchalantly and shrugs as if that justifies his actions. I knew it wasn't going to last long - him being nice and all. There is always some hidden truth or lie or something that I don't know about. "I needed an outlet okay," he whispers and I spin on my heels, heading for the exit.

So much has happened and I can't deal with any added stresses right now. It's all too much. Colton is hot on my heels as I walk briskly down the corridor - ignoring the aches and pains throughout my body. "So that's it, you're just going to walk away like you always do," he laughs from behind me. "So predictable," he huffs.

"Just leave me alone," I try to pick up the pace but my sore body won't let me. If anything it slows me down. I place a hand over my rib - trying to stop the pain but it's relentless. I grit my teeth and push through it as I open the door to my bedroom.

"We've already established that, say goodbye to your freedom love 'cause you are no longer going anywhere without supervision," I leave one prison to go into another.

"That is in no way shape or form going to happen," I tug back the sheets of my bed and get in. Colton follows and gets in as well. Okay... so he's actually going to do this.

I make sure to face away from him and ignore the words spouting from his mouth.

"C'mon... you can't hate me forever love," he sighs and I realise that he doesn't know me at all. I am one to hold a grudge when need be, I've just been very lenient with him.

"You'd be surprised," I huff. His mood swings give me whiplash. One minute he's all broody and "I need to stay away from you" then the next he's all sweet and "do you want to talk about it".

There is zero in-between and it is exhausting.

"True... you are gravely annoying and I don't think I've ever hated anyone as much as you," he says as if he is deep in thought. Well that was a lovely thing to say.

"Coming from the one following me around and not leaving me alone. I can't be that annoying if you refuse to leave," I point out and he scoffs. He is silent for a while and I turn over to look at him. He's smirking down at his phone from where he is sitting with his back against the headboard. "What are you doing?" I groan.

"Well... I can't always be with you because believe it or not I have a life so I have just got you a personal bodyguard," Colton laughs to himself as if it's the funniest thing in the world.

"You're joking right," I snatch the phone out of his hand and look at the screen. Dimitri Sky. He grabs the phone back from my hands and glares at me. "He better be hot, I'm not having some old guy who's a total creep," it was a joke but he doesn't seem to be taking it that way. The look he is giving me makes me want to be swallowed into oblivion.

"If he so much as looks at you in a certain way... he's replaced," Colton says and I roll my eyes. What makes him think that the guy is going to make a move on me?

"Maybe I'll be the one to make the move," I wink and laugh but his face remains stern. "It's a joke... chill out," I wish he was more fun and not so serious.

Maybe then he wouldn't be so hard to be around, his personality wouldn't be so tiring.

"I don't do jokes," he says and I sigh.

"Really? I couldn't tell," I say with mock confusion and he rolls his eyes in what I am sure is annoyance.

He has the potential to be fun but he refuses.

****

Colton

I watch as Rose turns over - facing away from me again. I have to say that this isn't as awkward as I had thought it would be but it's still weird. I get up and flick off the light before getting back into her bed and trying to sleep. Every once in a while I smell a strong scent of vanilla, it's nice but I would rather be in my own room. But as per usual Rose has to be possibly the most stubborn person I have ever met.

After a while, I hear her breaths even but I just can't seem to sleep. It's probably because I have never, in my life, slept in someone else's room or in the same bed as them. I've screwed a lot of people that's for sure but I would always kick them out, no one would spend the night. Rose is the only person I've stayed with. I'd never felt more out of place but weirdly comfortable the night Rose was drunk and stayed in my bedroom. It feels like a whole lifetime ago.

She shifts beside me and is now facing me so I have a clear view of her face. A loose strand of hair falls onto her face and I find myself tucking it behind her ear before I can even process what I am doing.

I have to admit that I love seeing her in my clothes, I don't know what it is about it but it makes me happy. Not a lot of things make me happy, nothing at all really, but I find a sense of happiness when I am with her. No matter how much I hate her, I can't deny that Rose is the most tolerable person I know - even with her stubbornness.

I sort of see a lot of myself in her in a way. I notice how broken she is and the broken family that she grew up with. Dead mother, manipulative father. I notice how she tenses around him and how silent she gets - I wish she would stick up for herself. My mother is barely in the picture anymore and my father well... that's a different story that I don't like to dwell on. Those memories are tucked away in the darkest parts of my mind.

Rose makes those dark parts a little lighter, not so consuming.

***

A/N We hit 3k... wow, thank you!! Please be patient with me because I've literally just gone back to school this week and it's hard trying to balance school and writing a story. I am doing my best to do daily uploads, if not every other day. Besides that, how are you guys liking Colton's POV? I really enjoy writing his point of view and the reasons behind his actions. Anyways, thank you all so much for the support. I love reading your comments, they literally make my day <3