☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

°•. ┊ Delicate┊.•°
✧ ˚ ━ that meteor strike, act one

CHAPTER NINE — tape 5, side a

✧

The Break-Up

    I come home after our first cheer practice of the new season and see Justin sitting on my front steps. "Hey, love. Did we have something planned? If so, I can be ready in like five, maybe ten minutes." I ramble, starting up the steps, he grabs my hand.

    "I- I need to tell you something." He fumbles his words slightly. I sit down next to him, but he won't make eye contact with me. "I fucked up. I'm sorry, Evangeline. I'm so fucking sorry."

    "Justin. Justin, look at me. Please." I say, trying to get him to look at me, it fails. So, I take his face in my hands and force him to look me in the eyes. "J, you need to tell me what you did. I can't help you, if you don't tell me. So, what are you apologizing for?"

    "I slept with Jessica." He confesses. My hands fall from his face and it feels like the wind got knocked out of me. The lump that begins to form in my throat is stopping me from speaking. "It meant nothing. I just, I'm sorry."

    "You're sorry? Justin, you cheated on me and you're sorry? That's the best you can do? At least tell me why you did it. What did I do to make you feel like you had to cheat on me with Jess?" I question, tears streaming down my face.

    "Nothing. This isn't on you. You are perfect and too good for me. I don't know. I screwed up, like I always do. I'm sorry." He apologizes.

    "Yeah, me too. Goodbye, Justin." I stand up and as I open my front door, he tugs on my arm. I stop, my back to him.

    "Evangeline, I'll do whatever I have to, to make it up to you. I'm gonna fix this. I promise. I- I love you." He says the last part so quietly, that if a car was driving down the road, I wouldn't have heard him. I yank my arm from his grasp and step into the house, as I close the door, I let my body fall against it. The tears spilling and my entire body shaking. I pull out my phone and text Jess, asking her to meet me outside Monet's in an hour. She agrees. I go upstairs, take out an old shoe box and start putting every picture, every gift, every reminder of Justin inside, and shoving it to the back of my closet. I change into a hoodie and jeans, go into the bathroom, and wipe the tears and mascara from my cheeks. Once I've made myself look as presentable as possible, I get in my car and go to Monet's. I order a coffee to go and sit on the bench across the street, waiting for Jess to arrive.

    "Hey, what'd you want to talk about?" She asks as she walks over.

    "I just wanted to talk about the fact that you screwed my boyfriend." I say monotonously.

    "Shit. Angie, I'm sorry. I didn't know you guys were a thing. I knew you had gone on a date or two, but never knew that things were exclusive. At school you guys just seemed like friends and that's how most people talked about it. If I had known, I swear I never would have gone there. I am truly sorry." She rambles. She seems genuine, I think. I have no reason not to believe her. Not many people knew we were actually together, but some did. Or some suspected it. Maybe, Jess wasn't one of them.

    "I believe you." I admit. She releases a sigh of relief. "He's all yours, Jess. We broke up, so if you want him, he's up for grabs." I stand off the bench and toss my empty cup in the garbage, walking away and going home. I didn't go to school for the rest of the year, which was only a few days. I didn't want to see him. I didn't even want to hear his name. Zach stopped by after the last day of school, checking in on me. He even brought me food, but it didn't make me feel better. In all honesty, I wasn't sure what to feel. I went to practice, I ate normal amounts, I would drive around a lot, just thinking. And yet, I felt nothing. I acted normally, it was as though I was on autopilot, just going through the motions.

It wasn't until a month into the summer when something shifted. Jeff and Scott basically kidnapped me and brought me to the batting cages with them. "Why am I here?" I ask.

"Well, m'lady, you have been seriously lacking in the friend department. It's the summertime. We're supposed to see you 24/7." Jeff says.

    "Yeah, the only time you're supposed to be home is to sleep and even then that's a stretch." Scott adds, taking a swing. "Foley, is a jackass. Fact. You should not be subjected to spending your entire summer at home, avoiding him, while he's out and about having a good fucking time with his new girlfriend." As Scott takes another swing, Jeff just drops his head in disappointment.

"Jesus, Scott. I was trying not to send her running back to her bedroom. That information was classified and not to be shared with her, until she was ready." Jeff explains.

"I would have found out eventually. And in all fairness, I never would have been ready.  No matter when, where, how, or who told me." I state. "It's Jessica, right?" I inquire. They both nod their heads. It makes sense. He may have said it didn't mean anything, but clearly he was full of shit.

"If it makes you feel any better, he's asked about you. And Jess is so clearly his rebound." Scott informs. We spend a total of four fucking hours at the batting cages. They catch me up on everything that's happened with people, since I basically fell into a hole and disappeared. And then, we go to Rosie's for some burgers and milkshakes. "I always feel like the kids from the Archie Comics when we eat here." Scott confesses. Jeff and I laugh and agree. There's something nostalgic about eating at an old school diner.

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Now

    "No, so now she's trying to punish me by giving all of my stunts to this 80-pound freshman." Jess starts explaining to Sheri, Zach, and I. "Go ahead. You really think she can lift Melanie Opstad's fat ass into pyramid formation?" Jess asks, rhetorically. Sheri protests and says that Melanie's not fat, which she isn't. Jess is just kind of a bitch and definitely a little bitter about Coach replacing her. "She's fucking fat. Really, good luck." She finishes as Justin walks over with Bryce. Great. Just fucking phenomenal.

    "Your coach is such a bitch." Bryce states with a laugh. Jess nods in agreement. I hold onto Justin's arm feeling even more uncomfortable than I did before. I can stomach being around Sheri, I just don't speak to her. But being around Bryce, not something I enjoy.

    "She's actually really cool as long as people show up to practice." Sheri rebutes Bryce's comment. What she said is accurate, our Coach definitely has bitchy moments, but Jess barely shows up anymore.

    "All right. It's cheerleading, it's not saving lives." Jess argues.

    "Yeah, but it's a commitment. And when you make a commitment, you stick with it." I tell her.

    "Oh, yeah? This coming from the girl who plans on quitting." Justin speaks. I give him a glare, while Sheri and Jess immediately start asking me if he's serious and why.

    "Yeah, I'm gonna quit. Not because I can't show up anymore or because I don't want to. I just think it's time I leave my cheerleading days behind me. It's been over ten years that I've been doing it, time to let go." I explain. No one really argues with me, Sheri and Jess just mention that they'll miss me. "Jess, you're not around enough to miss me." I tease, earning some 'oh's' from the three guys.

    "Alright, alright, anyone down for a little pick-me-up?" Jess offers, shaking the water bottle she pulled out of her bag. She takes a swig. "Oh, shit." I take the bottle from her and sniff.

    "Is this vodka? Shit, Jess." I state.

    "Since when do you drink at school?" Justin questions. Jess takes the bottle from me and drinks from it once again. Bryce questions when Justin's ever turned down a drink. After Bryce takes a swig, he offers it to Zach, to which he declines because he has a test. Then Bryce turns back to Justin.

    "Don't be a bitch, Justie." He teases, waving the bottle in front of Justin's face. Justin turns to look at me. "Oh, I get it. You need permission. Right, so if Mrs. Angie Foley says that you can drink, then you drink. Alright, Mrs. Foley, what do you say?" Bryce questions, looking at me. Fuck it. I take the bottle from him and drink. God, that is awful. I grimace and hand the bottle to Justin, who is looking at me dumbfounded. I shrug and he takes a sip himself. The group parts after Jess announces that she has to go copy her Spanish homework before the bell sounds. Once Justin and I are away from everyone, he stops me.

    "What the fuck was that?" He asks.

    "I truly don't know." I laugh. "What I do know is that if anyone else had said it, being called Mrs. Foley had a nice ring to it." I say, wrapping my arms around his neck, his finding their way to my waist.

    "Really?" He questions. I nod my head, smiling up at him. "Yeah, I liked it too, Mrs. Foley." He admits, his lips meeting mine. "Okay, let's get to class." We head into the building and he has to stop at his locker, so I decide to double check mine for any missing homework. Clay stops me before I get there, asking me questions about Jessica's party. I tell him to back off and go talk to Jessica, if he's really that concerned seeing as it was her party. But he won't budge, so I pull him into an empty classroom.

    "She was talking about Jessica, right? If so, I want to help. We need to do something about it. Tell someone." He demands. I scoff slightly. "And who the fuck is the other girl?"

    "Clay, I don't know what you want from me. There is no other girl." I protest.

    "Yes, there is. Hannah mentions another girl. How this other girl warned her about the guy that did it because this girl had been raped by him. How that girl never told anyone, ever and Hannah was one of the first and few people to know. So, who is she?" He argues.

    "I don't know." I snap. "Okay? I don't fucking know."

    "What does Jessica think happened that night?" He questions.

    "Well, I can tell you that she doesn't believe Hannah. And I can tell you that I do. I believe Hannah. I know Hannah isn't lying. If I had to guess, Jess probably thinks she hooked up with Justin and just passed out after, because if you remember correctly, she was very drunk that night." I reply. "So, drop it. Or go fucking ask Jessica." I rush past him and Justin walks in. I push against his chest to get him out of the room.

    "Man, Jensen, you just can't leave it alone, can you?" Justin asks, clearly pissed. I continue to shove him, but he won't budge. "Stay the fuck away from my girlfriend."

    "Let's go." I command and it seems to be working until Clay speaks again.

    "Who was it, Justin? Who did it?"

    "Did what?" He yells.

    "Ignore him. Let's go." I argue.

    "Mind your own fucking business, you got it?" Justin warns. "What the fuck is his problem?" He looks at me as I finally get him out into the hall. We get into Mrs. Bradley's class and sit down. We don't really talk and before I know it the bell rings and the classroom is full. Clay apologizes to Mrs. Bradley for what he said yesterday. Apparently, it had to do with Hannah, wow I need to start listening. He goes on to say something directed at other people in the room, about how people should take responsibility for their actions and face the consequences of those actions.

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Jeff's Promise

    "What is it going to take to get you to this 'back-to-school' party?" Jeff asks, flopping on my bed.

    "Let's see; the guarantee that I won't have to see Justin or Bryce. What else... OH! The party being anywhere, except for Jessica's house. Which is impossible because it's Jess' party." I reply, sarcastically. I told Jeff about Bryce after the entire cafeteria heard Hannah freak on me. He didn't understand why it had affected me so much, no one really did. Sage, Kenzie, and my sister knew, but other than that I never talked about it. When I went to study hall later that day, Jeff knew right away that there was something off. He was genuinely confused when I said it was the incident with Hannah, mainly because he figured I would let what she said roll off my back. Which did for the most part. I guess it just hurt to know that was what she thought of me, until she apologized.​​ That's beside the point. He wants me at this party and a part of me feels like I should go. I look good, I feel so much better, and according to Jeff, Clay is going to be there. Besides Kat's Party last summer, I have never seen Jensen at a party. It'll be fun, besides the fact that my ex and my ex's girlfriend will be in attendance. "You know what, I will go. It'll save us both the amount of time spent on you asking me over and over again, and me declining, until eventually I cave. But if at any moment I would like to leave, I'm gone." I agree to going, this will most definitely be a mistake.

    "If you want to leave, I will take you home myself. Promise." He adds.

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The Apology

    "Ang? Can we talk?" Hannah catches my attention as Communications class ends and I'm packing up my things.

    "Sure, courtyard?" I offer. She nods and we walk there together, taking a seat at one of the tables. It's entirely empty, which is weird, but nice. "So, what's up?"

    "I want to apologize to you for the things I said the other day. You didn't deserve that. I was fed up with other people and I took it out on you for trying to defend someone. And you're probably right, he might be a good guy, but at that moment-" I interrupt her.

    "I know. It's not what you needed to hear. That's on me. I'm sorry." I admit. We both just look at one another before laughing. "Also, I haven't really told anyone about this, but just so you don't continue to have the wrong idea of me. I know what it's like. I may not have had a photo of me in a compromising position sent around nor do I get groped in the halls, well not regularly. But I have been objectified. Don't repeat this, but for some reason I feel comfortable sharing this with you, my freshman year, I was at a party and I, uh, I was sexually assulted. Not just assaulted. I was raped. And I didn't realize until now that saying it out loud is still really hard to do. But, yeah, basically I-" She cut me off by crushing me in a hug and repeating how sorry she was, how she was sorry that it happened and that she made any sort of assumption. She asks who it was, then immediately takes it back, feeling like she was being pushy. "No, it's okay. Um, it was Bryce Walker." I confess. She looks at me, shellshocked. And proceeds to ask how I put up with being around him. "I love Justin and he doesn't know. And I can't tell him. He knows I hate Bryce and whenever he asked why, I always just said he was an annoying douchebag, which is true. I can't bring myself to tell him."

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Now

    I'm standing in the lunch line with Kenzie and Clay is standing a couple people behind us. Marcus is talking to him and I move to the side and back up a bit to listen to their conversation. Clay is upset that no one has done anything about either crime committed on the tapes and said that if Jess didn't want to do anything about it, then he would. He asks Marcus who the other girl on tape nine is and Marcus stands firmly on the argument that Hannah is lying. Clay mentions how I said that I believe Hannah. "Yeah well, Angie's batshit crazy. I'm surprised she's still alive. And of course she believes Hannah, she was friends with her. She isn't on the tapes, she has no reason not to believe the shit Hannah said. We were there for each of our tapes, we know the truth. Angie wasn't around for any of it." Marcus argues.

    "She was at Jessica's party. And she doesn't drink, not at big parties, so she would know about that." Clay states. Marcus warns Clay about his own tape and Clay just ignores him and gets back in line. I return to my spot next to Kenzie. She asks if I'm okay. I just say I'm fine and try to keep myself from punching Marcus square in the nose. What an asshole. I'm batshit crazy because I choose to believe someone who is ten times more credible than any one of them? Right. I'm not the one in need of a reality check. Justin and Alex start to get into an argument, before Zach places himself between the two and Alex leaves. Marcus, Justin, and Zach go back to their table and sit down. I'm officially over this. I tell Kenzie to grab me an apple and storm over to the three guys. I shove Justin over and sit down.

    "Enough with the bullshit. Clearly nothing you guys say or do will stop Clay's reign of vengeance. So just cut the crap. If you guys still want to run with the 'Hannah is a liar' story, fine, just don't try and force anyone else to do the same." I fume.

    "Okay, why the hell are you so sure that she's not lying? Were you hiding in the room with her?" Marcus asks.

    "No, but we all know who she's referring to and I'm not talking about Jessica. And I believe her. He is the type." I argue.

    "If she's telling the truth, then who's the other girl? Who warned her about him?" Zach whispers leaning over. It's one thing for Marcus to argue with me, but Zach? What the fuck.

    "I don't know." I snap and storm off, exiting the same doors Alex had, just moments prior. Justin follows and grabs my arm. He pulls me away from the building and once we're far enough away from people, he turns to me.

"You're so sure that Hannah's telling the truth, when in reality you don't know shit. So why don't you stop this know-it-all act and bud the fuck out, Evangeline." Justin's comment enrages me.

"Fuck you, Justin. You really want to know why I'm sure that Hannah's not a liar? First of all, none of you can look me in the eyes and tell me that anything she said about the rest of you was a lie. And secondly, I'm the other girl on tape nine! The one that warned Hannah about Bryce. I know Hannah isn't lying because Jessica isn't the only girl alive that Bryce has raped." I blurt, angrily. A look of panic flooding my features as I realized what I just confessed. His face drops momentarily, but then his jaw clenches and hands ball into fists. Anger is the only emotion in his eyes.

"He's dead. I'm gonna fucking kill him." He states, his voice laced with venom as he attempts to pass me. I grab his arm and stop him.

"It's not worth it. He's not worth it." I tell him. He doesn't fight me. I move to lean against the wall and he stands in front of me. "It was a party at his house, the second half of freshman year. I had a couple beers to loosen up because I'm not good in party situations. Abbie was designated driver, she had a test the next morning. The party was busy and I got turned around looking for the bathroom, having never been inside his house before. I ended up in the bathroom attached to his room and I'm nosy so I looked around. When Bryce came in he noticed me and I apologized for overstepping. He went on to say that it was fine and he just needed his suit for the hot tub. And that if I wanted to hide out there, it was alright. He extended an invite into the hot tub with him and your whole group. In my head I was thinking 'hell no' but he was being nice and I didn't want to seem like a bitch, so I politely declined. I said that I didn't want to get my sister's car wet. And from there he made flirty comments and advances. He was a lot stronger than me and despite my best efforts, I couldn't stop what happened." I told him the story and he looked sick.

"I'm so fucking sorry. I'm sorry that I shut you out. I'm sorry that I continued to parade around with him even after hearing the tapes. I'm sorry that we're all still protecting him." He breaks down.

"Justin, you don't have to apologize. It isn't your fault. You couldn't have known. I didn't want you to know. I didn't want anybody to know. The only people I told were my sister, Sage, Kenzie, Jeff, and Hannah. Jeff noticed how I would tense up whenever he was around and he finally asked me about it. I just told him, I had been holding it in and hiding it for so long that it felt good to let someone know. The thing is, if I had spoken up, Hannah might still be alive. It probably wouldn't have happened to Jess and things wouldn't be so fucked up." I shake my head as a few tears fall from my eyes.

"Hey, no, no, you can't think like that. You don't know that it would have changed anything. Plus, you weren't ready to talk about it and that's okay. Look at me, Evangeline." My eyes meet his as his hands encase my face, calming me down slightly. "It's okay. You're okay. None of this is your fault." He moves to wrap his arms around me and I feel safe. For once in a very long time, the world isn't crumbling beneath my feet; everything is moving in slow motion. We stay like that for a while. Until I pull away, wiping my tears in the process.

"Shit. Look at your shirt, J. I'm sorry-" He cuts me off and tells me that it adds character. "You know, Kat's party was the first time I had been to a massive function since it happened. I knew he would probably be there, but Jeff made me go; well technically I owed him and that was his request. So, I went and had a little fun for about an hour and then I heard his voice from the living room and it felt like the walls had begun closing in on me and I just needed some air. I went out front to avoid people and was nearly crushed by Zach because you two decided to have a wrestling match in the sprinklers." We both laugh at the memory. "You have to tell her, Justin. Jessica deserves to know. I understand that you believe you're protecting her, but you're not. Her mind wasn't wiped of that night and soon enough she'll start to piece things together. Running from it won't do her any good, she needs to heal from it. And she can't heal, if she doesn't believe that it happened." I turn on my heel and start to head back into the building with Justin right behind me.

    "You're right, I just don't know how to tell her." He admits, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. He stops me again, when we're right near the doors. "What happens if people find out? If the tapes get out and if Jess knows? Are you gonna be okay?"

    "Wow, I uh, haven't really thought about that. I don't know. Neither Jess nor I are mentioned by name on that particular tape, but I guess people will attempt to put two and two together. I'll be fine." I assure him.

    "I'm not talking about other people. Everyone who is a part of this, is gonna know about what he did to you. I just want to make sure that you can handle it. You only told five people in total and two of them are dead. You only told me because you got pissed and you blurted it out. I don't want to act on this if it's going to hurt you, Evangeline." He states. I don't really have a response. It's gonna cause some damage, but if it means helping Jessica, I couldn't care less about what happens to me. The conversation ends there, Justin taking my silence as a reply. We get inside and I go sit with Sage and Kenzie, wanting to avoid the idiot table.

    "Have you been crying?" Kenz asks, as I sit across from her.

    "Uh, yeah, yeah I won't lie. I have." I speak truthfully. They stare at me, waiting for me to explain myself. "Oh, I uh, I told Justin about, you know... freshman year."

    "Wait, what? That's major. And you told him at school?" Sage questions.

    "I know, not the best place, but when the time is right, it's right." I say, taking the apple off of Kenzie's tray and biting it.

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Jessica's Party

    I'm standing with Alex and Clay, before Clay decides to dip out back, I turn and see Hannah arriving to the party. I'm not the only one who noticed because as I'm making my way over, half the people around us are chanting her name. "Someone's popular." I shout, a few feet away. I move around someone and am finally approaching her when I get knocked into. I braced myself for impact, but instead I feel arms on my waist. I open my eyes and look at my savior only to find Justin. He apologizes, not letting go of me. "Thanks." I say, removing his arms from my body and taking a step back. Jessica comes over and they start displaying a gross amount of public affection. I take another step away from the pair and am joined with Hannah and Alex. We all stand there pretending like we're not listening to Justin and Jessica's conversation. He pulls out two roses for their two month anniversary. I think I'm gonna barf. They then proceed to take pictures. I turn back to my friends. "I shouldn't be here." I state catching their attention. "I shouldn't care anymore, right? Like, it shouldn't bother me, but it does."

    "It still bothers me. And I have even less of a reason to care." Alex admits. Hannah places a hand on each of our shoulders and gives us a smile. When Justin walks away from Jess, Hannah moves to talk with her and I head outside. I see Scott playing beer pong and walk over.

    "Hey, you good?" He asks, once he notices me. I nod my head, giving him a smile and a thumbs up. Clay came over to us.

    "Hannah's inside." I mention nonchalantly to him. His face perks up. God, the two of them are truly adorable. "You should bring her a beer, you know, because she doesn't have one, yet." He agrees and goes to the keg, gets two beers, and goes inside to find Hannah. I stand outside with Scott for a while, watching their game. I join the next round and we win. Time passes, we continue playing beer pong, and soon enough I'm feeling a little buzzed. That's when I decide to tap out. I go around the house and see Jeff standing out front with Zach and a couple other guys. Clay and him were sharing a few words, until Clay left. "Hey, so I'm slightly buzzed. I spent too much time here and I fucking miss him. So, take me home, please."

    "I'm proud of you. You stayed at a party with three people you shouldn't ever have to deal with and you drank. Did you have some fun?" He asks.

    "Yeah, a little. I won't deny that once I was outside and away from the PDA that is Justin and Jessica, I had some fun. Scott and I kicked some ass at beer pong. I enjoyed myself, you know, after the run in with my ex. But I am tired." I speak. "And I like hearing that you're proud of me. It's nice to know that someone is. I'm proud of you too, Jeff. You're my best friend and I know I always complain about you making me get out of my house and forcing me to socialize, but in the long run, I appreciate it. I appreciate you. I love you, man."

    "I love you too, Ang. I'm about to go on a beer run, so give me a few minutes and then we'll go, yeah?" He suggests.

    "Okay. That actually works out perfectly because I have to pee so badly. I'm gonna go do that, be out in a bit." I made my way back into the Davis house and locate the bathroom on the first floor, of course it's occupied. As I reach the second floor and turn down a hall, I notice Justin sitting on the floor, crying. "J?" He looks up at me. "Are you alright? What the hell happened?" He didn't say anything, he just got off the floor and crashed into my arms. I stood there soothing him for what felt like hours, he pulled back and I wiped his face. He looked so... defeated. "What happened?" I repeat my previous question. He still doesn't answer. Instead he gives me one last hug and turns to go downstairs. I'm standing in the hallway, confused out of my fucking mind, but my bladder knocks me backinto reality. I open the door to my left and it's the bathroom. Finally. I do my business and wash my hands.

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Now

    Clay just got busted at school for drug possession. I don't understand their play. That's beside the point. Jessica is texting me like crazy and I honestly think that I just need to tell her. Why shouldn't she believe me? I tell her that I'll stop by later to talk. I'm still at school, waiting for Coach Loftin to finish her meeting. After I send the text to Jess, the conference room door opens and out comes the coaching staff and the athletic director. Coach gestures at me to follow her and I do. Once we reach the girls locker room, she finally asks me what I needed to discuss with her. "Coach, I quit. I am grateful to you and the team and for the past two and a half years, but cheer just isn't a priority anymore. It doesn't bring me as much joy as it used to and it is starting to feel like a chore. I want to back out now before committing to competition season and having to let down my teammates." I speak. She just looks at me and then sits at her desk. She doesn't say anything.

    "What do you want from me, Monroe? You want me to act shocked because I'm not. I saw this coming from the beginning of the school year. You don't want to be at practices and you want to be in the crowd at games, not on the sidelines. I appreciate you pulling out prior to the start of comp season. I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to pursue after this. And I truly hope you fall back in love with the sport and take it up again in college. Now, get out of my office." She responds.

    "Wait, I have my uniform-" I start.

    "Keep it. You've earned it." I smile and thank her, before leaving and getting in my car. I pull out my phone, telling Justin that I'm on my way to his place. I start my engine and feel like a weight has lifted off my chest. I arrive at his building and start up the stairs. I stop outside his door and hear what sounds like Clay. What the hell? I open the door slightly and the two are talking. I stand with the door ajar and listen to the pair.

"How does that help Jess now? What she needs, what we all need; is for this to be fucking done with." Justin says.

"How can she be done with this, if she doesn't even know what this is?" Clay asks. "You can get me suspended. You can ruin my fucking life if you want to. It won't change what you did. And sooner or later, people are going to find out." Clay states

"People are not going to find out." He argues.

"Why are you protecting Bryce? What does he have on you?" Clay is very persistent.

"I'm not protecting Bryce, you little fuck!" He yells. "God, I'm protecting Evangeline! I care more about Ang, than I do about Hannah, than I do about you, than I do about anybody else. Alright? So, just get the fuck out!"

"I want my bike." Clay speaks.

"Your bike? Seriously?" Justin questions.

"Yes, you fucking asshole. I want my bike." Clay repeats.

"It's out back, behind the building. Go knock yourself out." Justin tells him. I go down a few steps and act as though I just arrived. Clay and I say small greetings in passing and I enter Justin's apartment.

"Why was Clay here?" I inquire, setting my bag down by the door. He brushes off the question and walks over pulling me into a hug. We stand there for a while. "What was that for?" I ask, when we finally pull away.

"Nothing. I love you. You know that, right?" He responds and I nod my head.

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