Lily's POV

*Trigger Warning: Mention of suicide

I woke up with a massive headache. I instantly got up but groaned as my back rubbed against the headboard of the bed. Oh lord, Carter beat me up again! Now I would be in pain for the next few days. I looked around to see that I was in Asher's room. How did I get here? I got out of bed, carefully, and walked to my own room. Sitting down on the chair, I thought over what had happened earlier. How Carter had beaten me with his belt, showing no mercy, and then left me to suffer on the floor. Suddenly, I burst into tears, realizing that I would never get away from him.

I couldn't report him to the police because of his relationship with his uncle who was chief of police. I hadn't told the guys that yet because I knew that they would just tell me that that wasn't a problem. Still, I didn't want them to get into trouble. I had cried for about ten minutes when I heard a knock on my door. Before I could allow the person to come in, the door burst open and in came the guys. When Ryan saw me, he said,

"Oh sh*t! I don't know how to handle a crying woman. Wait, let me think. Oh got it!."

Before anyone could stop him, he took a deep breath and shrieked out,

"Barney is a dinosaur from our imagination.

And when he's tall

He's what we call a dinosaur sensation

Barney's friends are big and small

They come from lots of places

After school they meet to play

And sing with happy faces-" (AN/ Anyone else who was addicted to Barney as a toddler?)

Jason burst out laughing while Cole glared at him and cut him off by saying,

"She's not your two year old cousin, you idiot! Now stop with the ear torture!"

Ryan pouted and sat down on the sofa beside me. I looked up to see Asher staring at me. Unfortunately, the tears were still streaming down my face. Although Ryan's performance was hilarious, no amount of unintentional hilarity could make me forget how helpless I was. Even if I did forget, the tattoo would remind me of everything. I just looked back down and walked to the bathroom. I could see the worried expressions of everyone but at that moment, I was too absorbed in my thoughts to do anything about it.

I sat there for about 10 minutes, just thinking about everything that had happened. As I looked at the razor on the counter, my thoughts went straight to the horrible night. The night that was the second stop on the road trip called misery. I knew that I would never be tempted to commit suicide because of that one night.

I got up, washed my face and went back inside the room with a sigh. I felt a pair of arms envelope me and looked up to see Jason. I hugged him back tightly. After accepting hugs from Cole and Ryan, I also got one from Asher. My heart started to beat faster but I didn't pay attention to it. I was grateful for the hugs but they weren't enough to numb the pain of knowing that I was never going to get away from my abuser.

After the slightly comforting rubs on the back and hugs, the four of them sat around me in a circle. We spent a few minutes in silence. I just looked down, ashamed at myself for being so weak and wasting their time. Suddenly, Jason took in a deep breath and said,

"I think we owe you an apology."

My head snapped up in surprise. Cole, Jason and Asher nodded their heads. Jason said,

"We're so sorry. We should have been with you. You shouldn't have had to go through that alone. We are all ashamed of ourselves and apologize."

They hung their heads and I felt horrible that they were blaming themselves for something that they shouldn't even be meant to do. I sighed and said,

"It's not any of your faults. In fact it's all my fault."

At this, their heads snapped up just like mine had. I could see Cole opening his mouth to say something but I held my hand up, telling him to let me finish. I continued,

"You see, you guys have nothing to do with me. You're all getting into this mess because of me. This is something that will continue for a long time. At least until I move out. You might think that I'm crazy for not reporting him to the police but I have my reasons. Anyways, I just wanted to say that you people didn't have to worry about me. I'm thankful that you have let me stay at your house Asher. I know you're dying to get rid of me. Just give me a few months and I'll be off of you're head."

I could feel myself tearing up at the thought of leaving the place where I had grown up, but I knew that in order to make my way out of this misery alive, I would have to move. Not just physically but also mentally. To do that, I knew that I needed a new beginning. I sniffled and said,

"You guys can go back to your old lives. I know you don't want a burden on your heads and I totally understand. I'm really sorry for all the trouble that I've caused you. I'll try to pay you guys back once I move."

With that, I ran back into the bathroom and cried my eyes out. I could hear knocking on the door, and shouting from the bedroom, but my cries blurred out the entire scene. I wanted everything to be blurred just as the tears blurred my vision. At least I wouldn't be able to see just how desolate and hopeless my life had become.

I cried for what seemed like hours and decided to go outside when I didn't hear any noise from the room. I cautiously unlocked the door and walked outside, just to be pushed against the wall. I looked up to see a furious Asher glaring at me.

Crap!

My exams are finished! I'm so happy because I'm pretty sure that I didn't fail computer sciences. Anyways, PLEASE comment, vote and share! Love y'all! Peace out!

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