CHAPTER 21

Putting a voice to your soul helps you to let go of the negative energy of fear and regret.
-Shannon L. Alder

Evans bought me to his cozy home once more, which was dimly lighted and his family was asleep. So with hushed voices and quiet steps we sneaked up to his bedroom and he quickly put away his overwhelming mess such as a pair of dirty socks thrown across his computer chair. He went down to the kitchen and got some water and snacks for us before we settled in on his bed.

"You should eat something before taking your pills, Scarlett." He said gently.

"Hmm." I replied airily, I wondered where Logan took off to.

"You're thinking about your brother, aren't you?" Evans asked. He unwrapped a strawberry Swiss roll and offered it to me.

Taking it, I nodded my head. "I sort of didn't tell you but he left last year. I literally saw him for the first time in a year after he hit me with his car today."

"Was it a fight with your parents?" I almost laughed at the irony, instead I fell my throat clog up. Evans pushed a pillow against the headboard and leaned against it. The fates are probably having a laugh right now, as I ended up right in front of Logan's car.

"It was a fight over my parents, yeah. But it was with me. He left me... because I killed our parents."

Evans gasped and his eyes snapped up to mine but he didn't say anything. Like Logan was that night. He was silent.

The silence screamed at me and I talked, guilt flooding through me. "At the team's party I went to, with Eric, I'd had a few drinks. Basically after that, he pushed me to you know, I hit him with a lamp and then I ran out. I had no ride and I was a mess. So I called my parents." The words just poured out of my mouth. "After ditching them for an asshole, I called them begging to pick me up. And they left home for me worried and stressed, but they never arrived, Evans."

Evans held my hand and squeezed it tight, "Scarlett, you didn't kill them, it's not your fault."

"It is though, isn't it. If I wasn't so blind, I would've seen Eric for who he was. I should've listened to Logan and I should've been spending time with them but no- I left them. Maybe if they weren't so worried... And then I lead them to their deaths."

"Scarlett it wasn't in your hands, none of it was. You didn't know about Eric, everyone makes wrong judgments sometimes. And you're only feeling guilty because you went to a party instead of being with your family but you're a fricking teenager Scarlett. It's what you're supposed to do. What happened at the party wasn't your fault. Don't put yourself to blame when you were the victim."

"If I didn't just go out with a random person, it wouldn't have happened."

"Scarlett. No one in the world should think twice about having fun, dating or going out to a party because of people like Eric. It's sick the way the world works." He eyed the bruise again.

"It was David Hale. My mom's best friend took me in after Logan left, Brianna Hale. Her husband gave me this." Evans' jaw clenched. He got up and walked over to his draw, pulling out a white tube of ointment.

He walked back to me and sat down, looking at the bruise, his face concentrated. He gently rubbed some ointment on to my jaw. I winced a little, and he froze.

"I'd kill him. If I knew, he'd have been dead by now." Evans muttered.

"I'd like to say I gave him a good right fist, though." I grinned at Evans, who still looked concerned. He handed me my pills and got off the bed.

I looked down at the pills in my hand and swallowed them, taking a swig of water. My back ached to lie down and I looked up at Evans who was throwing a pillow on the floor.

"What're you doing?"

"Sleeping arrangements. You're lucky I'm nice enough to let the injured lady on the bed." He said, smirking.

"Ah, so valiant of you but you could sleep on the bed if you want."

"You don't think that's a bit too fast there, Dev?"

"Really. Really Evans?"

He chuckled and plopped down to the floor, stretching. "Go to sleep Hazel, I'm good here."

"Night Evans." I murmured in to the darkness as my eyelids fell and I dissolved in a deep sleep.

♡♡♡

"Hazel!" Evans yelled out, I couldn't see anything in the darkness. I ran towards the voice but a hand gripped my arm tightly.

Dave sneered in my face, "bitch!" I pulled my arm away and ran calling back. "EVANS! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"There you are, Scarlett." He started walking towards me and I smiled, extending my hand for him. My smile died on my face as bright headlights blinded me in darkness and the speeding car honked behind Evans.

"Look out! ALEX!!" I shrieked. Everything shifted bebeath my feet and suddenly Evans' head lay in my lap, bloodied. "No, no, no. Please, stop this. ALEX!" My sobs fell deaf on the unconcious boy in my arms.

"You're poison. You kill everyone around you, eh Scarlie?" Logan frowned at me, shaking his head upon seeing Evans' dead body.

"No, no, no! Please give him back! Please!" I yelled out and then a blinding white light took them both away.

Taking in a sharp breath, I opened my eyes. I grabbed Evans' face which was looking down at me, making sure it wasn't broken or bleeding. Evans had turned on his room's lights, pulling me out of my nightmare.

"Hey, I'm right here. We're okay."

"No Evans, you didn't see, you were dead. It was so real- I couldn't save you." I sobbed harder.

"Hey look, I'm fine, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." Evans pulled me in a hug and my head lay on his chest, his heartbeat as fast as mine.

He did this everytime I freaked out and weirdly enough it soothed me every time. But today I still felt the worms eating my stomach.

"You'll leave too." The words fell out of my mouth while I was panicking.

"What?"

I pulled away from his hold and ran my fingers through my tangled hair, God I was a fucking mess. I was ugly crying while having a mental breakdown in front of him. He probably thinks I'm a freak.

"My parents left me. Then Logan left me. And I got taken in by the Hales, who don't want me anymore as well. I'm screwed." I rambled on. "You know when Eric asked me out, I was ecstatic, I was in shock because why would a guy like him want to date a weird, nerdy girl like me when he could choose anyone. And I guess I was right. He never really liked me or wanted to date me. Nobody would really want me for me." I laughed dryly, an empty ironic laugh.

"I would." He placed a hand on my cheek and looked me in the eye and my heart beat wildly, I felt it jump up to my throat. "I would want you for every piece of you. I'd want your hazel eyes looking into mine everyday. I'd want your enchanting laughter to fill my ears everyday. I'd want your kind heart, your nerdy personality, your messy hair, I'd want you. All of you." He said breathlessly.

"Why?" I whispered.

"Because Scarlett Devereaux, you're fucking beautiful. And I sound like a wimp but we've always been connected, in hate, friendship... even jealousy. Don't tell me you don't feel it too."

He placed his hand on mine and I felt my breath fasten as he continued to speak. "And every time I see you, I feel insecure. You know why? Because I know that if you wanted, you could have anyone you want." Evans said in a strong voice. "If you woke up confident, Scarlett Devereaux, you'd have the world in your hands. Like you have my mind wrapped up around you every single second since I met you. So you make me insecure, because would you even want me?" His eyes held mine steady, holding me in his captive gaze. He breathed heavily, and his face so close to mine our noses barely touched.

Each and every one of his words shot at my heart and my chest heaved in pain. My nerves suddenly jolted, and I took his advice. His words gave me confidence. My adrenalin surged, my newly found courage coursing through my veins, and I crashed on to his waiting lips.

♡♡♡

A/N

FINALLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYY