LIVIA DID NOT go alone. Amphion insisted on following, probably so that Zeth had no way to wiggle out of this as well. He seemed to find comfort in avoiding Brie as much as possible, as if that would help him escape his feelings. So far it hadn't been working. No one else needed to help point this out to the boy.

Livia and Zeth walked in the back while Amphion kept Lila occupied and placated, so that she wouldn't be spitting tack at anyone who got in their way as they made a beeline for the rooftop where Lila had last seen the pair. They were alone, Lila revealed. She'd seen Arron bring Brie up there, and she was not going to have it. But she didn't want to confront them alone either. Brie would just think she was being ridiculous over her own personal dislike of Arron, which, while existed, was hardly baseless or the sole reason Lila was against this match.

If Brie couldn't take care of herself, they'd step in for her. This was the way it had always worked in their group of friends. Brie was their baby, Brie was their sunshine. She was the one who brought smiles upon them, who made them laugh when they wanted to cry. And in return, they'd be her knights, they'd protect her to the ends of the earth, even when the true villain in the room was herself.

It wasn't what they needed to do, but it was what they did anyway. It was only right.

If they still had anything in common, the group of them, now that they were shattered into a million fragments scattered across the world, it was their mutual love for their other friends. For the ones never roped into this battle, never dragged into the crossfire. For the ones that they would do anything to protect.

Livia turned to Zeth while Lila was distracted. "What are you going to do?"

Zeth's face had turned emotionless a little while ago, as they pushed through the crowds of people that had gathered at Rory Madston's house. "I'm going to kill him."

"Don't do that," she said with a sigh.

"She's going to keep going back to him."

"We can't stop her."

"I'm still going to try."

"What do you think Lila and I have been trying to do for the entire past month? And last summer?" Livia asked, shaking her head. "She won't listen. It's just an endless loop and cycle of her getting hurt again and again, and there's absolutely nothing we can do about it. It's ridiculous."

"Well, I'm not just going to stand by and let it happen."

"No one is asking you to do that," Livia assured. "No one. Don't you worry. We're going to try, but I'm just saying. It's probably not going to work."

"I'm still going to try."

Livia gave a little sigh. "I know you are. That's what I'm scared of. Don't be surprised if you're disappointed, Zeth."

He let out a rough laugh. "What could be more disappointing than the things I've already gone through, Liv? Don't worry about me. I'll do just fine."

There was plenty that was even worse, but of course Livia decided not to point that out as they continued walking. They made it to the small staircase that led to the rooftop, and Lila calmed herself for a moment before marching upwards, pushing the door open so hard that Livia feared for a moment that it might fall clean off the hinge.

The rooftop was empty except for the couple near the edge. They found the two in the exact same position as they did at Taliyah Neumann's party, Arron's tongue down Brie's throat. They did not hear the door, it seemed, or even noticed their presence.

"Hey!" Lila screeched.

The two jumped away from each other. Brie's expression crumbled when she saw who it was, while Arron's eyes narrowed. "You two again. And the Calvert-Egerton twins. Fuck off, man."

"I told you to stay away," Lila growled.

"Lila, please—"

Brie looked exasperated, but Livia didn't let her finish the sentence before yanking her towards them. Amphion gave her a pat on the shoulder and a shake of the head. "You've gotta stop going back to this guy, Brie. He's cheated on you ten times over by now."

"For fuck's sake, I haven't—"

Amphion sent him a steely glance, cutting him off midway in his sentence. "We saw you with Diana Vargroves last week, you know. You should at least be more careful."

Brie looked flabbergasted. "You told me—"

"You should know by now," Lila said harshly, "that nothing that he tells you is ever the truth. I thought better of you than this, Brie."

"You don't need to be here for this," Zeth said quietly, moving towards Brie. "Leave this to us, go back to the party."

She shrugged off his hand. "Not you too! Why can't you people just leave me alone? You're not the hero in this if I don't want to be saved."

"Well, consider this us saving ourselves, then," Lila snarled. "You're my fucking sister, Brie, and I'm not going to just watch you date this guy again and again and get your heart broken a thousand times over."

"Step-sister," Brie corrected.

Lila tore her spiteful gaze from Mark Arron for a second, staring down Brie. "Do you really want to do this right now?"

Brie swallowed.

"Mark," Livia began, because clearly Lila wouldn't be able to formulate a single proper sentence right now without inserting a thousand insults into it, "if your intentions with Brie were honourable, we wouldn't mind at all, really. Or even if you didn't lie to her, made it clear that you were only ever fooling around."

"This is between the two of us, and has nothing to do with you."

"We're family," Livia said mildly. "If she gets hurt, it becomes our business. And you've already hurt her too many times."

"That's not for you to decide." Mark Arron combed his hair back, his eyes filled with annoyance under the moonlight. He really was handsome. In a way, Livia understood why Brie kept going back like a moth drawn to a flame. But at the same time, someone had to stop the girl from self-destruction.

It was going to be them, apparently.

Who else?

"Well, too fucking bad," Lila snarled. "Because we're going to be the ones deciding."

"What?" Mark laughed. "You're gonna play judge, jury and executioner, Lila?"

"I'm more than happy to give you a matching slap from the one last time. Which side of the face did I hit then?"

Arron's eyes narrowed. "You fucking bitch."

"Stay away from Lila," Zeth warned, "and we'll leave you alone."

"He'll promise it and then break his promise immediately," Lila said with a strangled laugh. "It's pointless reasoning with him, Zeth."

"And how does this concern you two?" Mark asked, nudging his chin at the Calvert-Egerton twins scowling with their arms crossed. "This isn't your battle."

"Like Livia said," Zeth replied softly, "Brie's family. If you're hurting her, we're not going to let you live it down."

"Guys, please." Brie took a step forward, and all eyes turned to her for a moment, wondering what she had to say. "This is my choice. I know what I'm getting into. I know why you guys feel the need to do this, but it's wholly unnecessary and I—"

"You have no idea what you're getting into, that's the problem," Amphion said, hand flying to his face before he pinched his nose. "We all saw you last summer, Brie."

"I know better now."

"Do you?" Lila asked. "That's not what you showed in mid-July when you cried for two days straight and I had to cover for you so that no one figured out something was wrong."

"Brie, darling..." This was Arron, trying to play the card of the unknowing bystander. Of being innocent. That Brie was hurting herself by expecting more from this fling than Arron had ever promised. Except they all knew Arron was purposefully leading her on, purposefully dangling the prospect of something more in front of Brie to keep her on the hook, to make sure she did not lose interest and turn away.

"Don't call her that!" Zeth snapped, furious eyes turning to Arron. "You don't have the right to call her that!"

It was rare to see Zethus Calvert-Egerton ever enraged. But for Brie, tonight, on the rooftop of Rory Madston's house while the party continued away unsuspectingly mere a few metres beneath, he lost himself. Amphion stared at his brother, transfixed. Lila raised her chin at Arron, a guard protecting her innocent princess. And Livia stared at Zeth too, wondering when the last time she saw him so angry was.

He was in love. So desperately in love with a girl who wasted her life away. Who failed to see the love he could offer her, but instead crawled after the pieces of affection a heartbreaker left in his trail.

She understood his rage. Brie didn't like him romantically, and she didn't need to like him romantically, but still she understood Zeth's rage.

What gives? Why can Mark Arron discard a girl he'd loved for so long like trash?

"Both she and I know exactly what we're in for," Arron snarled. "It's just a fucking fling. If she thinks it's anything else it's not my fault. I don't get why you people keep coming after me like a pack of rabid dogs, I haven't done anything wrong."

Lila shook her hand, letting out a laugh. "Oh, fucking hell, I will punch your face in for that, Arron. I will actually destroy you, Arron. Just you wait, just you wait. I'll—"

Livia reached out, holding back both her arms. It would be futile if Lila decided to go through with it, but at least Livia could try to stop her.

"If you want us to get off your ass, then stop treating her like shit," Amphion glowered, a menacing figure under the moonlight and the fluorescent glow from beneath. "We promise we'll have no interest in interfering if you stop toying with her feelings."

"He's not!" Brie protested, before her step-sister cut her a sharp glance.

"Even you won't be able to believe that," Lila shot out. "Everyone can see it, why can't you? Or are you forcing yourself to be blind to it so that you could continue on with your fairytale romance? Does this turn you on, Brie? The fact that everyone is so against it? Is that what it is? Or do you just like getting hurt, sister dearest?"

Brie swallowed. "Lila."

"If you can't be trusted to take care of yourself," Lila spat out, "then at least trust me to do it for you. It's the least I can do, Brianna. So for once in your life, shut up. Let us handle this. Shut up and let us handle this living piece of shit, who's about to get a shoe up his—"

"Lila," Livia warned, "violence is never the option."

"On some occasions," Amphion said, half-amused, "it is." Was he referring to his fight last summer? Livia eyed him, and he offered a shrug in return.

"You people can't even make up your own minds about what to do with me," Arron let out a laugh.

Livia craned her neck to look at him. "Oh, trust me, we'll agree on something eventually. You better dread that moment, Mark Arron. Between the few of us, we can fuck you up real time."

"Can you promise?" Zeth asked, his voice scratchy and ragged. "Can you promise to stay away from her, or at least to stop hurting her?"

"She's the one who keeps running back."

"Okay, that's it," Lila wriggled free of Livia's grip. "I'm going to fuck this guy up, I'm going to make sure he's so bruised and bloody that he can't show his face in this fucking town until the start of next year."

This time, Amphion was the one who contained Lila, moving in between her and Mark Arron. "As much as I agree that this guy deserves a beating, Lila, it'll just get us into unnecessary trouble. There's other ways of dealing with this."

Livia let out a silent breath of relief. She might not be able to stop them if both Lila and Amphion chose to deal with this with their fists. But if Amphion was on her side, things would be just fine. Between the three of them, they could stop Lila from doing something she might later regret.

For some reason, when it was Amphion who said this, Lila listened. Livia watched her body slightly relax, no longer as on edge as she was moments before. But the rage still remained in her. It was still barely contained, but for now it was held behind a fragile paper wall.

"What now?" Arron asked, though his original bravado seemed to have started leaving him once he finally registered the four opposite him. Livia had a reputation for being sharp-tongued and loyal ever since her earliest days in Briarville. Lila had come in like a wildcat, fighting and clawing at everything she could get her hands on, a weapon of destruction. Amphion was one of the most popular kids in the town every summer, and Zeth was loved by everyone, parents and kids alike.

If they set their minds to it, he wouldn't stand a chance.

"Does Diana know?" Amphion asked, slowly turning around to face him again. "Does she know about you and Brie? Or is she okay with being the other woman?"

"She's not being the other woman if Brie and I aren't in a committed relationship in the first place," Arron shot back.

"Aha, but she doesn't think that, does she? And that's where the problem lies. You keep thinking you're not in a committed relationship, but you keep putting the possibility of it in front of her."

"Well, it's not my fault if she thinks too much about it," Arron snarled.

"She wouldn't think too much about it if you didn't give her the fuel for those thoughts," Livia snapped. "Stop trying to act like you're a fucking innocent in this situation, Mark. We all know what you are. You've been doing this shit since you were fourteen. We're all smart enough to see through it except for Brie. You're fooling absolutely no one."

"The people who need to believe me believe me," Arron said, raising his chin.

The truth was, if Brie wasn't here, they'd have gotten a lot more said and done by now. But with her here, Arron didn't dare say anything that might risk antagonising her. So his strategy to navigate this situation was to make himself seem like the victim and them the aggressors, putting crimes he had not committed unto him. So that Brie would be on his side and remain on his side.

Which was why Livia's strategy was to get him to voice out by himself how little he actually cared for Brie. How she was just someone he could use and discard like tissue paper once the original excitement had passed.

Only then, perhaps, Brie might see reason and finally understand why they are doing what they are.

But Livia did not hold out much hope for it. She'd managed to fool herself for so long, it seemed implausible she'd suddenly see reason regarding this matter just like that. But she wasn't going to give up so easily.

She wouldn't be Livia Wong if she did.

"Is that why you're fucking Diana on the side while fooling with Brie?" Livia snapped. "Because as long as they both believe that you don't have any feelings for the other, you're automatically innocent?"

"I am not fucking with—"

"Please, we all saw you," Zeth sighed. "Just don't even bother trying to deny it. We all saw you with our own eyes. Amphion and I did, at any rate."

"When was this?" Brie asked hesitantly. "And where was this?"

"Lily Velmont had a small house party last weekend. Nothing big. Only a few close friends and their close friends. Amph and I got invited," Zeth explained, "and so did this guy. He brought Vargrove with him."

"Which day?"

"Sunday," Amphion replied. "What did he tell you he was doing that night?"

Brie's eyes fluttered shut. "Dinner with his parents."

Lila let out a scoff. "Well, that was a clear lie."

"Jesus Christ, Brie," Livia whispered. "You gotta stop falling for this guy."

"Why did you lie to me, Mark?" When Brie opened her eyes again, there were tears rolling down her cheeks, but in that moment, Livia found it difficult to feel any sympathy for her friend. Yes, she'd probably been lied to. Fooled. Hoodwinked. But at the same time, it was hardly the first time this had happened with this boy. The fact that Brie fell for it over and over, again and again was her problem. No one else could save her except herself. They could try to prevent the fall, but it would always be Brie making that final fatal decision in the end.

"Don't listen to them," Mark argued. "Baby, are you really going to trust them over me?"

"They have no reason to lie to me about something like this," Brie said softly. "I've known them since I was a baby."

"Brie..."

"We're not lying," Zeth insisted. "I saw it with my own two eyes. You have a reputation around here anyways, Arron, being careless with hearts and misplacing them all over the place."

"God knows what they see in you," Livia muttered. "They can't all be that shallow."

Lila glanced at her, slightly amused, though the main expression on her face was still rage. Livia tilted her head in response.

"Brie, are you really going to do this?" Arron asked, shoulders drooping.

Brie's uncertain gaze flickered over the four of them, and then back to Arron. "I don't see a reason why they'd want to hurt me."

"Because they don't like me," Arron protested.

"God knows why," Amphion muttered under his breath, though it was still loud enough that most of them could hear it. Arron casted him a dirty look, which Amphion ignored casually. He was used to people like Mark Arron, Livia suddenly realised. He studied at a school filled with rich boys who were used to getting what they want, who were used to doing the first thing that popped into their head, no matter the right or wrong. She might be disgusted, horrified by the things Mark Arron did, but he was hardly fazed.

"But they wouldn't lie about the things you've done, though. And... and they're not the only people who've ever told me these things."

"Brie, for fuck's sake," Lila whispered between clenched teeth. She sent Livia an exasperated glance. How could someone just delude themselves like that? How could someone just lie to themselves so much they are unable to see the truth right in front of them, even when all the evidence is right there?

Livia didn't know either.

If she did, this whole catastrophe would have been over a long time ago, rather than being dragged out to this.

"I'm sorry I lied to you about dinner with my parents," Arron said, voice soft, "but I really did want to go to that gathering. I was never with Diana, I hardly know her."

Zeth's face was spectacular. "My fucking god, Mark. Do you need us to show the pictures? Because I took pictures, Mark."

"Were you stalking me, Calvert-Egerton?" Mark snapped. "Why the fuck would you take pictures of me?"

"Because I was looking out for a friend?" Zeth snarled. "Because I didn't want you to continue lying in Brie's face and using her like that? We fucking saw you with Diana, Mark. We took pictures. I have evidence. It's in my fucking phone. I have never, ever seen someone as... as horrible as you are, Mark. I hope you know that."

"Is that meant to scare me?"

"Zeth." Right as the boy was about to retort, Brie's voice cut in. "Zeth. Show me the pictures."

Zeth's expression crumbled. "Brie." He didn't want to show them. That much was clear. He didn't want to show them, either because he'd just made the pictures up, or because he thought it would hurt Brie.

As if this hadn't already hurt Brie enough.

"Show me," Brie said, her voice more forceful than before, "or I won't believe you."

That did it. Almost trance-like, Zeth reached into his pocket to take out his phone, flicking through. Eventually, he found whatever he was looking for and handed it to Brie.

Brie took the phone, her face scrunched up as she examined its content. Then, she lifted her gaze, her eyes landing on Mark. "How do you explain this?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know what he showed you," Mark insisted, "but whatever you see, it isn't me. They're doing this on purpose because they hate me."

"Okay, I'm done with this," Lila declared, raising both hands and throwing them down in frustration. "I'm so fucking done with this."

"Lila—" Livia began, turning to see the girl, but all she caught was a whirl as Lila pounced forward, her fist connecting with Mark Arron's face as the rest of them watched in utter horror. Mark doubled over, clutching his face.

"You fucking bitch!"

"Stay away from my sister!" Lila screeched, loud enough that Livia was scared the rest of the party would hear the commotion and come to check and see what was wrong. "Stay the fuck away from my sister, you asshole!"

"Lila!" Brie had rushed forward, gripping her step-sister's arms and trying to pull her back. "Lila, don't do it. You'll get in trouble, Lila, don't do it. Someone help me!"

That finally broke the trance that had fallen apart the other three. Immediately they rushed forward. Livia placed herself between Lila and Mark while the twins tried to get Lila under control. Whether Brie had actually learnt her lesson or not was not the concentration anymore. They needed to calm Lila down first.

"Get out of my way," Lila snarled. "I'll show him. I'll show him what it means to mess with my family."

"Lila!" Brie was crying again, drops of tears rolling down her cheeks. "Lila, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You don't need to hit him. Please, Lila."

The twins stayed quiet, struggling against the enraged girl. Livia sucked in a deep breath, taking a peek of the sight past the edge of the rooftop. Good. No one was looking up. The music was loud enough that no one had heard anything yet.

Livia let out a breath of relief. She did not want to explain if someone came up here after hearing the commotion. Not just the fact they were restraining Lila back from Mark, who Livia now turned back to face, but also the fact that they were all up here in the first place, together, with Brie in tears, Lila in a fury and her and the Calvert-Egerton twins looking like executioners with axes.

"I'd suggest you get the fuck out while you can," Livia murmured to Mark. "I don't like you any more than Lila does, but I also tend to be less violent. Get out and don't let us see you near Brie ever again. Or we won't be here to hold Lila back next time."

"You can't stop me."

"No one likes a cheater," Livia laughed. "I'm more than happy to make this big. Ruin your reputation, that sort of thing. I'm not usually that sort of person, but if you force me enough... I'm not against it. Brie's not the first girl you've hurt anyways."

"You wouldn't dare."

"What would your parents think?"

"They don't give a shit, Livia Wong. You don't scare me."

"I can, though. Now scurry away like the little fucking dog you are before I decide you need a beating too."