L.W.T.B.B Copyright © 2012-2016 xXMopelXx All Rights Reserved. 

Rewritten Chapter Posted - Feb 5th 2016

First of all, I'd like to begin with a massive thank you for over 2 million reads on this story and over 28,000 followers on wattpad. My heart is dancing with happiness! 

Picture on top is of the new character introduced in this chapter - Nicholas. 

Happy Reading! xo

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                                                { Chapter 13 } : The Remembrance Day

      I was car-less for five days.

      My mom had some difficulties with the muffler in hers, so she'd sent it away for fixing. She was using my car now. Because of that small inconvenience, I had to either take the bus or walk to my classes. Asking Sam if I could hitch a ride with him was out of the question. Plus, he never offered.

      Moreover, he rode a rebellious looking black Suzuki that scared the ever loving out of me. I could admire a motorcycle, but I'd never ride one ever again.

      Sam and I had this routine - this constant dance. We always seemed to wind up in each others' presences. If he entered a room before I did, we'd silently lock gazes, before one of us left quietly. Sometimes it was him. Mostly it was me. Except for that one time I was watching Teen Wolf. There was no way that I'd shut off the TV and leave. So he had left when I didn't move.

      No comments were exchanged between us after I last attempted to shoot my heels at his crotch. Or after he said my ass was damn fine.

      I even told Michael that Samuel was a new house-guest and to be treated with the utmost respect, because that's how Mom and I raised him.

      For two people who disliked one another, Sam and I were being pretty civil.

       I glanced down at the address in my phone. I finished physics an hour ago and was now making my way to the garage where my mom left her car. One more block away and I would be there.

       The garage was small and rundown looking with an old sign plastered on the front of the building. In faded writing, it spelled Lo's Den. I found it to be a weird, if not odd, name for the edifice. Reluctantly, I crossed the road and made my way towards it.

       A couple of young looking guys loitered at the side of the garage with cigarettes dangling from their mouths. Loud roguish laughter resonated in the area. They all donned matching blue jumpsuits - most likely the mechanics.

      They stared at me a moment longer as I passed beside them, and one of them even tore the red bandanna from his hair to wipe the sweat beaded on his upper lip, giving me a looking that had me increasing the pace of my walk. My blood ran a little cold when I noticed the various tattoos running down their forearms - they were signs of gang affiliations. Ones I recognized really well.

      Suffice to say that this was the sketchy part of town.

       The only good side to this entire situation was that the garage wasn't too costly, therefore an expense that my mother and I could easily afford.

      I was greeted by the sight of a small and young looking receptionist. She had maybe a dozen or so piercings on both ears, and pink pixie hair to match her getup. Her brown roots were beginning to show.

      She cast me a bored look as she chewed on her gum obnoxiously. "What can I do for ya?"

      Just like that. No hellos or any type of formal greeting on her part.

       Her wife beater seemed like it had seen better days, judging by the small rips and oil stains adorning it. Yet she had the audacity to give me a once-over. One glance at my denim jacket and thigh-high boots had her mouth forming in a disdain curve.

      My mama raised me better, so I mustered a smile for her. "Hi. How are you?"

      Then I proceeded to give her my information. She informed me that my mom had a final installment of fifty dollars to pay.

      I dug in my pocket for my wallet and pulled out my credit card.

      "Cash, only," she muttered in a haughty manner.

       My smile struggled to stay in place when she kept chewing her gum in my face rudely. "That's not a problem."

      She blew a bubble. It popped. The sound was grating.

      I dug through my wallet anew and pulled out the one crisp fifty dollar bill I kept for emergencies. If I ever got lost and needed to call a cab. Maybe to fill gas in my car. Even in case I needed to buy groceries and my mom didn't have enough.

      I handed her the money and she made me sign a paper. Then she sprung from her seat and rounded the corner of her tattered desk.

      "Follow me," she chirped.

       My eyes widened when I took in her back side...Gabby and Layla teased me about my tight denim booty shorts, but I'm pretty sure I could see the curve of her ass cheeks. Those shorts really had nothing on mine. I looked over her shoulder, feeling awkward for actually evaluating the length of her bottoms.

      There was a pungent smell in the air - oil and gasoline - and the loud raucous of clanking tools and deep baritones. The piercing sound of drilling drowned out any remainder noise, including the sound of the air vents and engines.

      Holy God, it's hot in here. I swiped a hand over my hairline to gather the small beads of sweat.

      Several cars were lined - some old and some in pristine looking condition - with different kinds of mechanics discussing over the open hoods. A couple were even rolled underneath the cars, busy fixing. Some gazes cut my way, others ignored me completely. This shop was buzzing with high levels of testosterone.

       One young looking mechanic in particular saw us and smirked. Quickly dropping his dirty rag and tool, he caught up with us, walking backwards after giving the receptionist a loud swat on the ass.

      "See you tonight, Polly?" He winked at her and revealed a surprising row of bleach white teeth.

      She giggled and slapped his chest playfully. The sound was grating as well. "You betcha, big boy!"

      My stomach rolled with a wave of nausea, and I pretended they didn't exist as they continued to shamelessly flirt with each other. I so did not need to know that they'd be screwing each other tonight.

       Finally, when they were done, I saw my mom's car in sight. Polly, Captain Obvious, pointed a finger at it. "There it is, number twelve. I think one of the boys is just giving it a final look to see if everything's okay. There's a chair there; you can sit and wait."

      Politely thanking her, I made my way towards the foldable chairs, constantly flanked by several questioning glances. Seriously, Polly and I seemed to be the only girls in this vicinity. The latter didn't say anything as she skipped back to the mechanic that had pawed her.

       I paused in my tracks, about to sit down, when I spotted the mechanic perched over the open hood of my mom's car, wrench in his hands.

       He looked just as surprised as myself, if not more.

       Shock coursed through my system and I tried to keep my mouth from falling open at the sight before me.

       "Anna." His breathy whisper was the first one to break the silence.

         I blinked and cleared my throat, shifting on my footing. "Nicholas."

          A broad grin broke out across his face and the dimples denting his cheeks made him look so cute.

          He hadn't changed much in over a year; he still looked the same. Except maybe more broad shouldered, bulkier and taller. His chiseled features and razor-sharp jaw line forever masked with stubble had remained the same. His inky black curls, fitting for a Greek God, had grown much longer than I remembered. The locks hung haywire everywhere around his face.

         When I didn't respond to his smile right away, it faltered a bit and I automatically wanted to kick myself for being such a bitch.

        Because while most of Joey Donald's guys were scumbags, Nicholas never was. He may have hung out with his mutual crowd, but he was never a monster.

       I'd been best friends with a lot of people back then. I'd also hung out with a lot of people, too. He'd been both of those.

        A small sliver inside of me regretted cutting him out of my life completely.

        "How...How've you been?" he asked a little hesitantly in that husky voice of his, sensing my reluctance. "It's been a long time."

       "Yeah." The word barely made it past my clogging throat. "It's...been a long time."

      Maybe even too long.

       He chuckled breezily and combed his fingers through his hair, almost as if he was feeling just as awkward as me.

       I did something brave then. I let go of my prejudice and fears, and closed the distance between us, throwing my arms around his neck.

       Nicholas was shocked for a split second only, before he was hugging me back with equal fervor, his strong planes pressing against my softer curves.

       "Nicholas, how've you been?" I tried again, still gripping his neck strongly. It's a good thing I was tall or else I'd never be able to hug him.

        His body shook with laughter. "Thank god. You were starting to worry me. I thought this was really going to get awkward."

       I held on tighter, smiling, as he rocked us back and forth. I didn't care that he was in his work clothes or that he had grease smeared on his face or that he smelled like he needed a shower. At that moment, I was embracing someone who was a friend - who'd always been there for me.

       "I'm good and yourself?"

      We pulled away and I grabbed onto his bare sculpted arms. "I'm great, too. Look at you; look at these arms! You've always been about hitting the gym, but this is a whole new transformation, even for you."

      He actually blushed and I smiled even wider. Ladies, Nicholas King, the ever-blushing gentleman.

      "Stop," he groaned. "You're embarrassing me. I've just had a lot of time on my hands, all right?"

       He grabbed the edge of his wife beater and used it to wipe his face, revealing taut rippled stomach muscles.

       I arched an eyebrow teasingly at him and he rolled his eyes, before swatting me playfully with a red bandanna. I squealed as the dirty piece of cloth hit my bare leg. He shoved it back in the pocket of his low slung jeans.

        "You love to embarrass me," he grumbled when my grin remained.

        "Is there a new girl in your life that you're trying to impress?"

        "No." He puffed his chest and his cheeks reddened further. "I really hate you."

        I laughed and he joined, too, despite everything. Just like that, the damper was lifted off my mood and a moment of understanding passed between us. We were backed to being us.

       He bent down to retrieve another tool from his tool box. "I called you a couple of times in the past."

       Guilt seeped into my consciousness at his softly uttered words - they were like a harsh accusation.

      "I deleted everyone's number, Nicholas."

      "Yeah, I figured." But he didn't think you'd erase his as well.

        He looked a little resigned when I didn't say anything. He offered a brief smile even then, because that's just the kind of person he was. "You're the only one that still calls me Nicholas."

        I shrugged. "Never liked Nico as a nickname for you. Or Nick for that matter. It rhymes with d*ick, and you're the least d*ick-ish of guys that I know."

        His mouth twitched. "You're so funny, Anna. Really, I'm dying here."

        "Thanks," I flipped my long blonde hair over my shoulder in a sassy fashion. "I try."

       "Keep trying."

        Our playful banter continued for awhile as he worked on my mom's car, until he realized and asked me, "So what are you doing here?"

      I nodded at my mom's car. "I'm here to pick her up."

       "Shit," he muttered." This your car? Had I known, I would have done a throughout inspection and fixed anything extra wrong with her."

      My heart warmed a little at the sweet thought. "It's my mom's car," I admitted." But don't worry about the rest. I'm assuming the problem is fixed?"

      "Yeah," he scratched his stubble after cleaning his hands on a towel. "I checked the breaks though and gave it an oil change. It was kind of overdue to be honest."

       "You're the best, Nicholas," I said. "I owe you one."

       He closed the hood and peered at me though his thick lashes. "You owe me nothing, Anna. Promise."

       Those words held more meaning than I would have thought. The truth is we've been dancing around another subject. How are you really? Why did you stop talking to me? What happened to you? I needed to change the subject right now.

       "So...how long have you been working here?" As far as I knew, he occasionally bartended at Danny's Grill, from what Gabriela told me.

        "A couple of months. Cars have kind of always been a passion of mine so I work here on my spare time."

       I nodded. "Do you still street race?"

       A devilish gleam crossed his hazel eyes. "Always."

      "Staying away from trouble, I hope?" And as far as I also knew, Nicholas King had a mile long adrenaline streak that often caused him to race illegally - for money or the thrill, I didn't know.

       He winked. "Always, Anna. You want to come to my next race?"

        I knew what kind of people could be there...but he asked me so nicely that I couldn't say no. What did I even have to lose at this point?

       "Sure." I smiled and handed over my phone to him.

        He looked so genuinely happy to program his number that I felt terrible. I cut out this boy out of my life - this boy who'd been like a best friend and brother to me. This boy who'd done nothing wrong to me. You're horrible, Anna.

      Layla's words ringed in my mind. You're so closed off, Anna. I was left thinking that I had so much fixing to do...so much changing.

      And maybe fixing and changes began right here, by allowing myself to go to one of his upcoming races and supporting him.

       He handed me back my phone and went over a few more things regarding my mom's car. It also needed more fixing - another thing in our lives - than we presumed, but with due time and money, I'd make it happen.

      Nicholas kicked the ground with his combat boot clad foot when we finished wrapping up. "You know I came there."

      A frown creased my forehead as I packed my things. "Where?"

      "To your father's funeral," he whispered like it was a secret. "I hate to mention this to you now, but I want you to know that I came. I was there."

        The breath I took was much needed, because suddenly, it felt like I couldn't get enough oxygen into my body.

        "I...I don't remember seeing you there."

        "I was in the back row. I wanted to pay my respects to your family. I was too scared to approach you after everyone left. You were just standing there by his grave, unmoving, not saying a word. I wanted to give you time so I left as well."

       "I don't know what to say," I said hoarsely, because the truth had slightly knocked me off my axis. I didn't know what should be said right now. "Thank you for showing up. I'm sorry I never contacted you..."

        "It's cool." He rolled his lips inside his mouth. "I heard the, uh, rumors, too. I didn't blame you. Word on the street was you'd stopped talking to everyone."

        "Yeah," I murmured, tears stinging my eyes. I fought hard to control my jumbled emotions. "It w-wasn't personal - I swear. It was something I needed time to process."

      "I understand, Jodanna."

       I needed to leave before I lost every bit of my composure. "Thanks for everything today, Nicholas. I-I'll s-see you-"

      "You didn't deserve it," he interrupted quickly, his pale irises storming with conflict. "What that fucker did to you-"

      "Let's not talk about him, please," Now, I interjected. Because my hands were shaking and I was getting all fidgety. "Forget it ever-"

       "No, you don't understand." His eyes widened. "He-"

        Nicholas's words hung in the air between us like a sword as a booming voice overpowered any conversation between us. A voice I knew too well.

      Nicholas cursed and I went into shock.

       Joey Donald strolled through the open gateway of the building, looking like he owned the damn place. He hollered something as his right hand man, the bastard Connor O'Malley, followed his footsteps. Still as arrogant and still as ruthless as ever.

      A couple of guys who knew him at the shop hollered back, but my eyes were riveted to his walking frame.

      Same soulless baby blue depths. Same wavy brown hair that fell across his forehead. And same crooked smirk - the one that had me drawn in from the start. The one that fooled everybody.

       Looking back now, I wondered what I saw in him; he was burning ugly on the inside.

      He was the perfect portrayal of the expression: looks could be deceiving.

      Never in a million years did I think I could fall in love with someone as worthless as him.

       But I did. And in return for all my love, I got a heavy case of guilt, humiliation, and a dead father who'd never know how much I loved him.

       Nicholas grabbed me by the arms, swearing, and dragged me far, far away from the monster of my nightmares.

       The door clicked shut and I registered a second later that we were in some sort of office. Polly's face appeared through the window, on the other side of the auto-body shop, before closing blinds shuttered my vision of her.

      My upper arms were grasped and I was shaken roughly. "Breathe, Anna. You're frozen."

      And I was.

      But then my fingers trembled and I could feel my limbs wanting to twitch uncontrollably.

      All I could remember was the destructive words shot my way when I went to see Joey after my dad's death, the very next day.

      Wh*ore. Sl*ut. Gold Digger. Str*ipper. Killer.

      I was now in hysterics and my entire body shook.

      Nicholas dropped to his knees, his hands moving over to make me sit down on a spare chair. "You're crying. Holy fuck. Anna. Breathe. Breathe, Anna."

      I couldn't get enough air.

      The dam inside of me broke.

      My vision blurred until I couldn't see anything. Tears streamed down my face. It was like I had no control over myself anymore.

      I felt Nicholas whispering little things to me, moving my hair away from my soaked face. But I couldn't see or hear anything - nothing beyond the sound of my blood rushing and heart pumping wildly.

      "He didn't see you, Anna," Nicholas hushed. "He didn't see you and he won't see you. I'll make sure of it."

      The mention of he had something strong snapping inside of me, and I spilled my feelings and thoughts out for the first time.

      I gasped, choking on tears. "They called me a whore, N-Nicholas. A murderer. S-Said I murdered m-my father." I cried hard. It was ugly and terrifying, but I didn't know how to stop it. "Said I-I w-was a-" I sobbed loudly, my body wracking with shakes and cries. "disease-ridden s-slut who c-couldn't keep her l-legs c-closed."

       I thought he hugged me but I wasn't sure. His voice was at my ear, mumbling words I couldn't understand.

      "I know Connor started the rumors." There was an angry edge to his voice. "You're none of those disgusting fucking things they called you. None of them, you hear me?"

      I hadn't cried in a year. I was crying now and I didn't know how to stop it. My head pounded and I was blabbering. "I w-was s-so scared to go out after he died...seeing them...s-so scared. People s-stalked m-me. A-Asked m-me h-how much Joey paid m-me to let him f-fuck me. T-Told me they'd f-fuck m-me to like he d-did."

       And then I don't remember anything. I cried like I hadn't cried in years. Nicholas comforted me and listened to me gasping, breathing unevenly, and spurting out snippets of that dark time.

      Joey didn't just fuck me, he scarred me. For two months I was afraid of my own shadow. He publicly humiliated me. Everyone knew me...and then it was like no one knew me. I was a pariah that no one wanted to be associated with. The popular party girl, before everything spiraled out of my grasps. Guys would taunt me in the streets if they recognized me. Some even threatened to take me to the nearest alley and f*uck me against the wall like a prostitute.

      I ran, ran, ran away from all my demons. I spent my days locked in a haze and numbness. I wanted the pain to be gone.

      But the pain never left.

      It was like an ugly, living, breathing thing inside of me.

                                                                        *        *        *

      Once the worst of my cries had subsided, there was a gaping hole in my chest. I felt hollow on the inside. Nicholas left me alone in the office with a box of tissues. I wiped my eyes, and embarrassingly enough, my nose as well.

      I hated that I cried and let someone witness me at my lowest. Seeing Joey and Nicholas today, the bad and good seeds of my past, had every bit of my accumulated frustration pouring out of me in forms of tears.

      I checked my reflection in my phone and was horrified to notice my blotchy features. There was no way to fix my puffy eyes and red nose.

     A slight discomfort churned in the back of my head. For over a year, I'd been on meds for my occasional headaches. My doctor claimed it wasn't anything serious, just a product of my constant state of stress and anxiety. Lately, they'd been getting worse.

      I fixed myself up as best as I could.

      Nicholas entered the office moments later. There was an angry look screwed onto his face. It melted when our eyes collided.

      "It's safe to come out," he murmured. "He's gone. No one saw you."

     The atmosphere surrounding the room was gray and it was safe to assume that our playful banter had evaporated.

       He didn't advance towards me and that must have partially been because I looked just as I felt - vulnerable. I was grateful to him at that moment. I usually liked to be left alone when I got emotional. It was intimate, and knowing that someone was witnessing your walls breaking down was intimidating.

      My throat burned when I spoke again. I felt like my vocal chords had been dragged over a grater. "I'm sorry you saw me like this. I don't know what happened."

      "You cried, Anna," he flat out stated and I winced at the reminder. "And there's nothing wrong with it. I just told you; you have nothing to apologize for. Got it?"

       I wasn't convinced but I nodded anyway. I was done with this conversation.

       Nicholas softened his voice as he combed his fingers through his unruly curls. "Whenever you're ready to leave, Anna. Your car's out in the back."

      I nodded again and scampered out of my seat. He opened the door for me and we walked out. He wasn't saying much, but he kept a close enough distance.

      Nicholas was right; Joey was gone. However, the only one who remained was Connor O'Malley. He didn't see me or else he would have recognized me. I walked a little faster and so did Nicholas.

      I made it outside, holding my breath.

       Before it released in a shaky exhale.

       The thing was - I wasn't even surprised to see him there. This also seemed to happen for some inexplicable reason. This was inevitable.

      Samuel leaned against the side of the building with Nate beside him. They seemed to be fully engrossed in a conversation.

       Nate looked like he'd taken a beating, with the cuts on his mouth and eyebrow. His fists were bandaged in black tape and he was sipping from a beer bottle. Next to him, Sam looked like he'd just gotten back from school. I knew this because he was wearing the same clothes when he left this morning.

      I wouldn't pass unnoticed by them.

      Nate's eyes didn't miss a beat as they caught mine. A broad smile stretched his lips. "Anna."

       I stiffened at the sound, something foreign and weary shifting inside of me. Uneasiness crawled over my body and I resisted the urge to shiver. Seeing him standing there, looking so disheveled and so...familiar. It may have been because I'd just seen Joey and my world was shaken. It might have also been because I'd just seen Nicholas and I was clouded with guilt.

       We stared at each other for a moment and like a puzzle, pieces fell and clattered into position.

      The longer I looked at him, the more it came rushing back to me. Little hazy bits fogging my memory lifted and vanished like a cloud of smoke in the air. And when it hit me - it hit me real hard and real fast.

      I remembered Nate. I fucking remembered Nathaniel Jordan.

       Nicholas hollered at them and they called back to him good-naturedly. I didn't say anything, shock had stolen my ability to properly form a coherent sentence.

        Until I remembered Nate standing there with Joey's friends as I was publicly humiliated in front of the entire Westwood population. He watched him embarrass me and rip away every last ounce of pride and dignity I'd had. Quietly. So calmly. Like it was a daily occurrence to find out that one of your friends fucked a girl and took her virginity away for the sake of some stupid bet.

      That's all I'd been to Joey. A bet. This sick and twisted game that him and his scumbag friends played for years. I was just another victim. God only knows how many more of girls like me there'd been.

      And his friends had betted a lot of money over me. The most, from what I heard.

      Waves of nausea rolled inside my stomach and I felt the bile rising up in my throat. I choked it back, clamping a hand over my mouth. As soon as the distraught noise escaped me, Sam's eyes flew to mine. Locking gazes. Silently. Just. Like. Fucking. Always.

      Nicholas held onto my arm, worry lines etched across his face. "You good, Anna?"

       "Do they still play that game?" I mumbled absentmindedly to Nicholas, my eyes solely on Nate, before cutting to Sam's. We gazed at each other in silence. Then back to Nate. "Where they make bets about who could screw a girl the fastest?"

      Nicholas sucked in a sharp breath and my suspicions were confirmed. Nate looked at me a little jostled as I kept gazing at him with hatred in my eyes from far away. A flare of anger rose within me and I snapped.

       My feet were moving before I knew what was going on. Nicholas said something but all I could hear was white noise.

       Nate stood against to the wall, his foot balanced against the bricks. Did he think I was approaching him for a fucking conversation?

      I had other plans.

      "You lied," I hissed when I got close enough. "You fucking lied."

      Sam never said a word as his sharp gaze darted between Nate and I. He looked confused, but I didn't blame him.

       Nate looked at me like I'd fucking lost it. Then he turned a little green as it finally hit him.

       "What are you talking about?" His voice was stern and unyielding, but the slight twitch in his jaw told me that he wasn't completely unaffected. He damn well knew what I was talking about.

      "You know me. You fucking know me, you asshole," I barred through clenched teeth. My anger at Joey and at everything that was wrong with me after that incident was being projected onto him. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help it. "You saw me that day in front of everyone when he said those things. You were there."

      His eyes widened.

      "And you had the audacity to walk me back to Danny's Grill that night, telling me how we'd never met. Bull. Fucking. Shit." I laughed without humour, the harsh sound slicing the air between us.

       What I really wanted to know was how much he'd bet with Joey. How much I was worth in the eyes of those guys? How long did it take for Joey to get what he wanted from me?

      But I didn't. Because we had an audience - Samuel Adams - and I didn't need someone else to know my dirty secrets.

      "Anna," Nate's voice teetered on the brink of anger as well. "You have no idea what you're talking about right now."

       I backed away, nearly spitting in his face. "You're just like him." God knows how many girls you've fucked. "All of you - Just. Like. Him."

       Nate's eyes flashed with murder and he kicked off the wall, throwing his beer bottle on the ground recklessly. "Don't ever compare me to him. You don't know shit."

      Sam and Nicholas came between us. Nicholas grabbed me before I could do something reckless. Like throw a punch at Nate.

     I began shaking again, trying to jerk myself away from Nicholas's grasp. He held my hands in both of his.

     "Calm the fuck down, man," Sam said to Nate, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing his shoulder in warning.

    Resignation flooded Nate and his entire stance relaxed, as well as his eyes. Regret burned fiercely in his pale orbs. "I was never like him, Anna."

      The urge to claw out at his face diminished when Sam's shocked eyes clashed with mine. Confusion masked his expression, but there was this look in his eyes as he stared at me...that I couldn't explain. It had me coming out of my trance.

      In one quick motion, I separated myself from Nicholas and ripped my keys away from him with shaky fingers.

      I turned to Nate one last time and glared. "Save it for someone who cares." 

      And I left as fast as I could, wheeling in the other direction and all but running for my mom's car. I heard Sam's shout but ignored him.

       I drove around aimlessly for the second time in the span of two weeks to clear my thoughts, but nothing could erase this feeling of self-loathing floating around in me. Nothing.

       Above all, I wanted to cling to it. I wanted something to remind me of what I'd done, of what I'd allowed to happen to me and my family.

      Somehow I arrived at the cemetery where my father was buried. I sat in my car until nightfall, contemplating how much I'd royally fucked up.

      Because I needed the pain. It was a reminder that I was alive and he wasn't. It was a reminder that I was breathing and he wasn't. It was a reminder that I would continue living and he wouldn't.

       It made me feel something other than numbness for the first time in a long, long time.

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A/N: This chapter was over 15 pages on Microsoft Word and over 5,000 words! Pretty much the length of two chapters :) Hope you enjoyed it! Tons of revelations and tons of questions, eh?

What did you think of Anna's old bestie Nicholas? Of Anna and Nate already knowing each other? Of the whole chapter overall?