warning: this a long  chapter that's gonna take you on a roller coaster of emotions, so whip out your tissues, make sure nothing breakable is near you, and sit back and enjoy this ride ;)

I felt miserable.

I was supposed to be out, mingling with guests, but instead I was hidden in one of the back sitting rooms that Marie and her friends had gotten ready in as well as lounged in. I stood facing the mirror in there, glaring at my reflection. I looked pretty, and I should have loved it, but I didn't. I hated it. I hated that I was dressed up like a doll, and that technically speaking, I was Lauren's doll. I bet she was just dying to shove me in front of the cameras and flaunt me around to all her friends as her socialite baby daughter.

The worst part was, that I looked the part. My dress was gorgeous and I hated to admit it, but the moment my eyes had laid on it, I had fallen in love. The top portion was silver mesh and lace, a flower pattern decorating it. That top part fell down in thin folds all the way to the floor, nearly see through, but the lace design covering everything. There was a slit at the very top of my thigh on the right, showcasing my tanned legs. At the waist, pale pink mesh folds fell down to the floor, poofy and pretty, making me feel like a princess. I supposed I was a princess in some sorts.

My blonde hair was pulled up into a loose knot, braids on the side of my head leading to it. My makeup wasn't all that special, just some pink eyeshadow, eyeliner, and nude lipstick. I scowled hard, furious that I looked nothing like the real me. I looked like the make believe Sang my parents tried to sell to the media, and I hated her with a passion.

"Don't look so morose, Sang," I heard Micah coo from behind me, his voice light in an attempt to make me feel better. "It's your birthday, and you probably got a ton of presents. And the boys are here too."

"Micah," I said, my eyes fluttering shut in an attempt to keep frustrated tears from spilling out. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah of course," he replied, probably eager to do anything to cheer me up. It had been made pretty clear that if anyone even tried to mess with me tonight, the boys would be kicking their ass. Micah preferred his ass intact, so he was doing everything in his power to make things easier for me.

"Can you shut the fuck up and while you're at it, get the Corey, Marc, and Knox for me?" I snapped, turning around to face him. He was standing in the doorway, looking so similar to our father that I had to soften slightly. Two months away from being eighteen, and he was already twice the man our father would ever be. "And thank you. For being there for me."

His face split into a smile, though I could see the pain that lingered in his eyes. He hated the act our family was about to put on just as much as I did. Our parents had ruined us, and hadn't even left us with advice on how to fix ourselves. I could have crumpled in upon myself and begun to cry, but I didn't. Instead, I wound my arms around Micah tightly, squeezing him as tight as I could. I hadn't seen him very much lately, and I regretted it, aware that he was struggling just as much as I was.

"I love you," I whispered, blinking away the tears, not wanting to smear my makeup and have Marie or Lauren go on a tangent about it. "To infinity?"

"And beyond," he muttered, holding me so tight that I could barely breathe. The familiar saying from our childhood almost had me in hysterics, but somehow I managed to keep it together. "You can make it through tonight, Sang, I believe in you."

I sniffled and pulled away, aware that if this conversation continued any longer, I would burst into tears. I waved him off and he complied, shooting me one last smile before exiting the room. I let out an annoyed huff, plopping down onto the loveseat in the room, giving myself one last mental pep talk before the boys escorted me out to the vultures. I had cursed out God, at least two times, by the time the boys walked into the room.

My breath escaped my mouth in a gasp. I had known that Corey and Marc were handsome of course, but there was something about them wearing suits that had my mouth going dry. I sat up straighter, a small smile forming on my face as I pushed off the loveseat onto my feet. I didn't exactly favor heels, but I was stuck wearing a pair for the night. I grimaced as I walked over to them, not enjoying the way my toes were being pinched together.

"Are you ready?" Marc asked tentatively, a soft smile on his face, sympathy clear in his eyes. What I really wanted was to collapse to the floor and cling to his leg and beg for him to take me back to his apartment, but somehow I was able to force myself into nodding and taking his hand. Corey wrapped an arm around me in a brief hug, then took my other hand.

"I'm going to do everything I can to keep Mom and Zain away from you tonight," Knox informed me as he lead us down the hall, blocking my view of everything in front of me. I was somewhat grateful of the fact that I couldn't see beyond him, it made it slightly easier to walk into the party. "Just stick with the boys and smile and wave. Two hours, Sang. That's all. You can do this."

"Or I could dive off the balcony," I deadpanned, causing Marc to nudge me in the ribs with his elbow and Corey to burst into laughter. I grinned, shrugging innocently. Knox didn't have any comment about my joke, and I wondered if it was because he thought I was serious. I had been a little serious, if I was being honest.

Knox stepped out of the way as we arrived at the door, and I lit up at the sight of Owen and Kota. Immediately, I threw myself at them, wrapping my arms around them, glad for the familiar faces. Having them around put my anxiety at ease, and I knew if they were around, that I would be just fine. Kota's arms wound around my waist tightly, his nose nuzzling against my neck, and I sighed in contentment. Tonight was bound to be awful, but at the very least, it was going to be a little less awful with all of my boys around. I could have stood there in Kota's arms for eternity, but the moment had to end, and we both knew it. I reluctantly stepped away from him and he shot me a soft smile that I returned to him.

"Lauren will drag her by her hair out there if we don't walk in now," Knox said, sounding regretful. I narrowed my eyes at him, daring him to continue talking about what we should and shouldn't do, at the moment. He was partially responsible for me even having to attend this dumb party, and I wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily. Yes, of course, I had forgiven him because he was my brother and favorite one at that, but I was holding a grudge since he had pissed me off so much lately.

"No such thing will happen with us here," Owen said firmly, shooting his own version of a glare at my brother. Knox's words didn't settle well with any of the boys, and that was evident by the way they had tensed up and how their fists had balled up. I supposed they were pretty set on protecting me tonight. Owen turned to face me, his steel eyes softening enough that they resembled melted silver. "Are you sure you're ready to go in there, Sang?"

"No," I admitted, tucking my hands behind my back in the folds of my dress to hide the way that they were shaking. "But it doesn't matter. Let's get out there and get this over with. Whoever can guess the correct amount of fake smiles I have tonight wins a kiss."

I knew that my lame attempt at a joke had not set them at ease at all, so without further ado, I stepped through the door and out into the wide dinner hall or ballroom or whatever, I tried my best not to learn rich people terms because I would never be like them. All eyes were on me as I stood in the threshold of the doorway, eyes wide. I hated big amounts of people, always had. Being around large groups of people caused my anxiety to flare up, and most times it resulted in my questioning myself and worrying over the tiniest things. I had the sudden urge to run away and never come back. Briefly, I longed for Neverland to be real so I could hide away there. My moment of reflection and fear passed quickly.

"Darling!" Lauren cooed, and I flinched away, recoiling from the voice that had said so many hateful things to me in the past. My heart clenched, and I knew I would be feeling a whole lot of pain tonight while forced to be in her and Zain's presence. Part of me wanted to cry, another part of me wanted to scream, but the more dignified part of me pasted a smile on my face and turned towards Momster.

She looked as charming as ever, wearing her people pleaser smile, and a fancy dress. I stared at her hard for a moment, trying to find any love or compassion in her dull brown eyes, but all I saw was the hatred I had come to associate her with. She was a bitter person and nothing could ever fix that, not even the love and tears of her youngest child.

When her arm came around me, it took everything in me not to wince in front of the room full of guests. I had a front to put up, even if it meant that I felt like I was suffocating every moment I spent in that room with those God awful people. Even if it meant sneaking off into the bathroom to vomit into the toilet, then walking back out and beaming as if I was overjoyed to be here, as if I cared about the damn humans surrounding me. Lauren's grip on me was tight as she lead me over to a group of people I was rather familiar with, and her smile was stiff, signaling to me that it was 100% forced.

Marie sent me a sympathetic look as I neared her and the group of teenagers and young adults. Zain and Micah stood along with her, as well as a couple of the other rich kids I was familiar with. I tensed, not quite prepared to face Zain, especially not when there was a glass of champagne in his hand. I wanted to spit at him for what him and mother were putting our family through, but ever the perfect princess, I continued to keep cut-and-paste smile on. I tilted my head slightly, peering over my shoulder at the boys that were now huddling by the wall near the door I had come through. They were all watching me like hawks, assuring me that no matter what, I was going to be safe tonight. I was yanked forwards, causing me to lose eye contact, the small loss like a dagger to the chest.

"Sang finally decided to come out and play," Lauren announced to the group, her grin wide and phony, though somewhat believable to those who didn't know her as a monster. Her grip on my arm was so tight that I was gritting my teeth at this point, but was able to shoot the group a small smile, attempting to look sheepish.

I immediately recognized Devin Longwell, one of Marie's friends from our old school. Often times, we bumped into each other at parties and at school, but never really talked to each other. He was nice enough, but I knew that if Lauren found out we were conversing she would punish me for not only talking to a boy, but "trying to steal Marie's friends". When I was younger and a lot more naive, I had thought he was cute with his floppy golden hair and dimples and shining blue eyes. Knowing what a womanizer he was now, I knew to steer clear, and luckily, it had never been a problem since we never had the chance to speak. I sensed that that would not be the case tonight, though.

"Oh, Sang!" Marie exclaimed, a false smile on her lips as well. False smiles, phony love, fake family. We were all a family of dolls, playing dress up and smiling for the cameras, but ripping into each other the moment we were behind closed doors. I vaguely wondered what the media would think, and even smirked slightly at the idea of selling the story to journalists anonymously. I could rip this family apart so easily, and they had no idea that I would be their demise. I could destroy them, just as Lauren and Zain had destroyed me, but I was too kind. I wouldn't ever put the twins and Knox through that, they were innocent; I couldn't ever allow them to become casualties of the war I was waging. "I'm so glad you're finally here."

Marie reached out, pulling me away from our mother so roughly that I jerked slightly, and Lauren's nails raked against my skin. I was stunned, but played along with it, leaning into my older sister as if we were best buds, something we had never been in our entire life. I held onto to Marie like she was my life line, and she did the same to me, her and our mother's black coffee eyes clashing. Marie had always been laid back and careless, never seeming to get angry, more so weary, but in the moment, her eyes were sparking with fury and resentment. I was startled, wondering what exactly Lauren could have done to piss of Mellow Marie, but knew better than to ask in a public setting.

"Sorry, mother," Marie purred like the practiced pageant girl she was. "We're going to steal Sang away for a little bit. We'll return her later so she can talk to the press and pose for some pictures. We want her to have a good time since it is her birthday, after all."

Lauren seemed stunned and I had to duck my head down to hide the smugness I was feeling. Marie had chosen her side of the war, and I was grateful that it was mine. I didn't know what Lauren had done to my sister, but I did know, that together as a joined force, her and I were going to make her pay for it. Slowly but surely, I knew that with the help of my stronger siblings, we'd tear apart Lauren and everything she had worked for. In the end, she would not win. I didn't have a plan yet, but I did know I was going to do whatever it took to ruin her like she had ruined me. I was not usually a vengeful person, hating the thought of hurting someone, but when it came to Lauren, I hadn't known I could contain so much hate. I knew that for the time being, I would have to take her abuse, but it was better to wait her out. That way, she would never see it coming.

Marie had drawn a line in the sand, and it meant that a full out war was starting, one that we were all prepared to fight in if it meant Lauren would never harm her children ever again.

Lauren was glaring holes into her eldest daughter, but Marie remained unphased. She tilted her chin up slightly, a smirk on her lips, her black coffee eyes full of pride. I could have hugged her in that moment. She had never had the courage to stand up to our mother, but she did now. Micah, who stood on the other side of her, looked just as proud, and when we met eyes we both beamed. My eyes slid over to Zain, who looked just as stunned as Momster. His mouth was slightly ajar, and he seemed as if he was contemplating whether this moment needed a drink or not. I snorted and rolled my eyes, completely unastonished by Zain's behavior.

"Marie," I said, my voice steady and mocking. "Let's go out on the balcony. Let's truly celebrate my birthday."

Her grin was razor sharp, her eyes still on Lauren, daring her to stop us. "That sounds excellent, Sang. Let's go, guys. Zain, you can stay here."

Not another moment was wasted. Marie slid her hand into mine and I quickly squeezed it before she was dragging me through the french doors out onto the balcony that looked over the garden and pond. We waited for Knox, Devin, and Marie's girl friend to join us before we collapsed into laughter. I hung onto the rail, tears forming in my eyes from how much laughter was ricocheting from a body that was once void of happiness. Once I had calmed enough, I actually threw myself at Marie, hugging her so tightly that I was sure she was having a few breathing issues at the moment.

She was obviously startled, but wound her arms around me, hugging me back just as tightly. Tears were leaking out of my eyes and I couldn't stop them nor worry about my makeup smudging at the moment. I heard Marie sniffle, and smiled slightly, aware that she was just as emotional as I was. Another set of arms came around us, and I could tell that it had to be Micah. He held us so tightly that air could barely pass through my lungs, but I didn't care. It felt so good to be held by the twins and to feel alive and happy, that I could pass out and wouldn't give a fuck, as long as they were still there for me when I woke again.

"I love you guys," I muttered with a wistful sigh. It was going to be awhile before we had a moment that was this sweet and peaceful again. I would have to avoid the house for the next couple of weeks until Lauren cooled off from Marie's stunt, and Marie would have to avoid her as much as possible as well. Things were about to get really tense in the Sorenson household, and I would savor any moments of peace before the upcoming chaos.

Neither had the chance to respond before we were being surrounded by a group of boys that had been watching me carefully since I had walked away from them. Their eyes were trained on my siblings as they pulled away from me, weary and careful, probably on edge since they had seen what my family did to me first hand. I slowly took a step away from the twins, shooting them an apologetic look. I knew that it would be easier for them as long as the boys didn't think they were putting me in any danger.

"Everything okay out here?" Axel questioned, his eyes darting around to every person that stood nearest the railing. Devin was on my left, and Marie on my right. Marie stood close to me, understandably, though I was a little taken aback by how close Devin was standing next to me. I could feel the warmth radiating off of him, and I squirmed towards Marie, desperate to put some space between us. It wasn't that I didn't like him, because I really did think Devin was a sweet guy despite the bad boy aura he gave off. I just didn't enjoy my personal space being invaded by someone I wasn't all that comfortable with.

"Everything's fine," Micah confirmed, reaching around Marie to rest a reassuring hand on my shoulder. Marie leaned into Micah's side, the two looking like the Fearsome Twosome they were. We had given them the name when they were young and would cause mischief everywhere they could. They were twins, and they would always have each other's backs; it was something I envied, although I would never voice that envy. "We just stepped out here to get away from Lauren and the press."

"Did Lauren say something?" Nathan growled out, looking as if he was ready to pounce on my mother. I pressed my hand to my mouth, to hide my smile and stop my giggles. He was so sweet and protective, that I couldn't help but to be happy and slightly amused. They knew I could fight my own battles, and yet, they still tried to intervene. They were a bit of a pain in the ass with their protectiveness, but I loved it, and most of all, I loved them. And after all, they were my pain in the ass.

"Lauren didn't do shit," Marie spoke up, her voice bitter, but the slight tinge of pride unmistakeable. Her lips were tilted up into a smug smirk, and I couldn't blame her. Standing up to Lauren like that took some nerve. "She was being pushy towards Sang and gripping her a little too hard, so I basically told her I was taking Sang, and I did. I'm not the best older sister, I'll admit that willingly, but I do care about Sang and she's not going to do shit to Sang when Micah or I are around. We won't allow that bullshit and she knows it."

Kota's eyebrows shot up and his eyes landed on me, silently questioning Marie's words. I flushed and shrugged slightly, slipping an arm around Marie's waist to hug her. We weren't the closest, not at all in fact, but we were sisters and we supported and defended each other through everything. If Lauren or Zain came after Marie right now, I would stand up for her without a second thought. We were a mess of a family, but us Sorenson siblings loved each other unconditionally.

"Would you all mind stepping back inside for a moment so I can speak to Sang in private?" Owen inquired, his voice quiet, as if he was hesitant to even ask such a question. I was sure that I must have been mistaken, because there was no way that Owen would ever be hesitant about anything. He was always so sure of himself and his decisions, it was part of his perfect facade. The others exchanged brief questioning glances but then conceded, bidding me small goodbyes before disappearing back into the room.

I turned to face Owen, chills crawling up my spine at the fact that we were all alone together in such a beautiful place, both of us dressed like we were from a fairytale. I leaned against the railing slightly, my eyes sliding past him and concentrating on the flowers in the garden. The sight was beautiful, though I believed the sight of my boys was the most breathtaking sight ever; the garden was putting up a good competition though. I could feel Owen's eyes boring into me, and I looked up, biting my lip gently.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked him, my voice only slightly louder than a whisper. I was afraid if I talked too loud, the spell would break and the moment would shatter. It wasn't often I had Owen on my own, and when I did, I tried my best to cherish it.

He cleared his throat then reached into his suit pocket, pulling out a small black jewelry box. "I got a present for you."

I straightened up, shocked by the fact that he had bothered with getting me a present. I had already told the boys they didn't need to, and knowing that they would never listen to me, I told them to just wait until we had the sleepover for me and Nathan's birthday, then Nathan and I could open presents together. There was no use in arguing with them on the matter, and mostly, I had readily accepted the fact that I would be receiving presents from all of them. I hadn't expected Owen to get me one, though, nor did I expect him to give it to me at my birthday party extravaganza. My hands shook as I reached out to gently take it from him.

"Owen," I breathed out, running my fingers over the velvety box, not ready to open it yet. "I told you..."

"I know," he said, his lips quirking up into his familiar millimeter smile that I had grown to love and cherish. "I just didn't listen. You deserve to get something from someone who actually cares about you, Sang. Those other presents in there are meaningless. So, I wanted to give you something that will bring some sort of happy memories to go along with this day and this party."

My hands still shaking, and my lips now quivering, I slowly cracked open the box only to gasp. The silver charm bracelet sparkled in the moonlight and dim lighting of the balcony, shining almost as brightly as one of Luke's smiles. I ran my fingers over the charms, a smile forming. A violin. A music note. A stethoscope. A motorcycle. An anchor. A cupcake. A paintbrush. What looked to be a ninja, which had me giggling. And then, glasses. I knew which one was for each boy, and my heart melted. I already had a constant reminder of them with the warmth they left in my heart, but now I would have a real tangible one that I could look at everyday.

"Thank you," I whispered, my breath and voice shaky. He gently took the box from me and took out the bracelet, then took my hand and clasped it around my wrist. I was about to pull my hand away, when, instead, he brought it up to his mouth, pressing a kiss to the back of my knuckles, his eyes clashing with mine. We never lost eye contact as he trailed his lips down my wrist and down my forearm. I bit my lip hard, heart racing so much I thought I might go into cardiac arrest. I felt like I was high, and I would never come back down.

I could no longer take it, as his lips hovered over my shoulder, prepared to press a kiss there as well. I caught his head with my hands and gently pulled his lips down to my own. I groaned at the contact, and ran my fingers through his perfectly styled hair, certainly messing it up. The perfect and always well put together Owen Blackbourne, came undone. His hands gripped my waist tightly, and he set me on the railing, holding me against him tightly enough that I could feel our heartbeats fall in sync. Our lips moved together in synchronization as well, and our hands were all over each other's bodies. We were out of control, but neither of us cared. All we cared about was each other, in that moment.

"Owen," I whispered his name against his lips, pulling away slightly to catch my breath. He didn't respond to me, only leaning in again and nipping at my bottom lip with his teeth. I let out a quiet moan and pressed my lips to his jawline, my fingers tugging softly at his hair. We were putty in each other's hands, but there was no attempt at molding each other; all we wanted was to hold each other and enjoy the moment.

Metaphorical lightening struck, the clock struck 12, and my sorry excuse of a brother made his presence known.

"What the fuck, Sang?" I heard the eldest Sorenson sibling roar, and I felt, more so than saw, him tug Owen away from me. I windmilled, unsteady without Owen holding me. I gripped the railing tightly, preventing me from falling backwards and cracking my skull on the cobblestone walkways. I shook my head, clearing my mind enough to concentrate on the situation at hand.

A very furious and very drunk Zain had Owen shoved up against the balcony, screaming unintelligible words at him, though I'm sure all of the words had to with me and the fact that we had been kissing. I tried not to be scared, I really did, but I failed. Zain was terrifying me. I had heard him shout at me, and I had dealt with the heat of his anger, the hits landed on my skin and the plates thrown at me. I would not handle him attacking one of my boys though. That was unacceptable. He could do whatever he pleased to me, but never ever the boys. They were sacred territory, and he was trespassing.

"What the hell, Zain?" I cried out, pulling at his arm, trying to tug him away from Owen before he did real damage. I knew the kind of carnage he could produce, and I wasn't willing to see it happen on tonight of all nights. I kicked at him hard, shouting his name and tugging at him, but he continued to ignore me. I didn't know what had set him off, or why he had gotten drunk, or why he always focused his anger on me, but I wasn't about to let him get away with it. "Let go of him, you bastard!"

"Sang! Sang! What's going on?" I heard Marc shout, and as I lunged for my brother again, arms came around my waist, pulling me away from the violent dispute occurring between Zain and Owen. I howled and I kicked, not willing to answer Marc's question. I'd had enough of being pushed around and stepped on, I wanted to release some of my own anger, but they wouldn't let me. I would show them what a small girl could do, I would show them the pain I could inflict when you messed with the people I loved. If only they would just let me.

"What's wrong with her?" I heard the fearful voice of Gabriel, and something about it brought me back down to Earth. I was still breathing erratically, and my anger was still as present as it always, but no longer hidden behind the pain like I usually kept it. It was on the surface, and pleading to be let free, but I wouldn't allow it. I wasn't thinking clearly, and if lashed out, I had no idea who get hurt because of it.

I slumped into the person who was holding me, catching the scent of ocean, one I associated with Silas. I gripped his arms loosely, suddenly feeling exhausted, as I watched Brandon, Knox, Axel, and North tear the boys apart. I could cry, only if I wasn't so exhausted. I could also scream if my throat wasn't so broken. There were so many things I could do, but I really couldn't because the world had ruined it for me. As soon as they had ripped Zain away, Brandon and North were escorting him off the balcony and most likely out of the building too. They would never allow him around me after that stunt. I briefly mourned the loss of the boy he once was, then steeled myself again, for there were no tears for weak minded men who preyed on their sister.

Knox looked empty and broken as he turned to look at me, and before he even opened his mouth, I knew the lies he was about to spew out of it. The same old song and dance. Once the golden boys, always the golden boys. They would defend each other to the death, and I knew that. No matter how much I meant to Knox, I could never compete with precious Zain. I glared at him, waiting him out and daring him to say what he was about to. He could defend Zain right now and cut off all ties with me until he got his shit together or he could keep his mouth shut and comfort me. The choice was all up to him.

My heart and soul shattered into a million pieces as he opened his mouth, ignoring my silent pleas and warnings. "Sang, I'm sorry," he said, sounding mournful, as he should. Unbeknownst to him, he had just lost his younger siblings. Once the twins were aware of the mess he was about to defend, they would turn their backs on him and Zain in no time. How could I be so stupid to think he and Zain would ever change? He loved me, that was true, and he wanted Zain to be healthy again, but he was so fucking oblivious to the fact that he wasn't helping, but instead enabling. He was so blinded and manipulated, and for it, I was the one who had to pay. "He was drunk again. You know how he is. He hates these events, they make him nervous and mom shows him off. He just... lost it when he saw Owen on you, I guess."

Before I could do it, someone unexpected was jumping to defend me.

"Shut up! Just shut up! And stop lying to her, and yourself!" Owen growled, his glasses askew. He looked ready to tear into Knox, and I didn't blame him. "You cannot allow this to go on! You can't be on both sides! Choose one! You're either here to defend Sang, or you're here to defend Zain! You don't get to choose them both. Not after how your brother treats her. She is hurting and yet, Zain has you so ensnared that you can't even see it! All you can see is your brother acting pathetic when he is a grown man and he needs to help himself. You can't do it, no one can but him. Just shut the fuck up unless you intend to apologize to your sister."

Knox's eyes were full of tears, as were my own. He was silently begging for forgiveness, and I was silently telling him he was dead to me until he cut off all ties with Zain. I couldn't allow this anymore. I couldn't allow them to make me feel so small. I was breaking into small pieces, and I would not let my family be the ones to do it and I would certainly not let them witness it.

He opened his mouth, though I never got to know what he was going to say, because another unexpected angel had burst. He was a blur as he came up behind Knox, and all I witnessed with the twisting of my brother's arm and the sickening crack that accompanied it. My mouth dropped open as Corey held Knox's most likely broken arm against my brother's back, his usually kind blue eyes blazing with fury.

"Don't speak to her," Corey warned in a low voice. "Don't even look at her. It's your fault she's like this. You didn't do good enough. Not you, not Zain, not your parents. You all failed her. And I will never forgive you for it."

He released Knox and gave him a small shove, before turning to look at me. His eyes softened at the sight of my disarray and misery, and with no warning whatsoever, he swept me off my feet, cradling me to his chest. I buried my face in his chest, my head spinning at all that had happened. I had been so high one minute, and then the next at the lowest of lows. Most would consider me crazy, but they didn't know crazy until they lived with my family. We had almost reached the door to the outside when I tilted my head up to look at Corey.

"Thank you," I whispered, gripping his shirt, as if afraid he would slip away.

"Don't thank me for doing something I should have done a long time ago," Corey said, his voice soft, back to the way I knew him to be. "I should have done better at protecting you, and Knox should have too. You're safe now, though. I promise."

I nuzzled back into his chest, content and at peace, because I knew his words held truth: in his arms, in any of the boys arms, not only was I physically safe, but my heart was safe as well.

a/n: Alright, people! As promised, this is a long ass chapter with a looooot of highs and lows and emotions. A lot happened in this chapter, so tell me how you feel about these things!! Owen and Sang kissed, Corey and Owen lost their cool, Marie and Micah picked a side, and war was just started. You guys must have some thoughts so let me know about this. 

Thank you to @Kohbstar for giving me the idea for Corey and Knox!! This one is dedicated to you, as well as ANYONE who has supported me so far during this crazy ride of MD. MD is so far from being over and I can't wait for more to happen. Currently I'm brain dead from school and have like ten new story ideas dancing around in my head so catch you guys in a bit!

xoxo,

ry.