Kira's P.O.V

You know that nauseous feeling that you get in the pit of your stomach when you realize everything is falling apart and no matter how hard you try to fix it, it never works. After that very convincing confession from Veronica, I decided to get the hell out of that school before my head exploded trying to come up with a perfect reason for what happened at the party and who texted Shane that image.

"It's not your fault and it's not your mess to clean up Kira." Caleb was currently sitting next to me in the same position like the first night we met right in this place. Considering that we ditched out the last lesson to come here, it was still light outside, yet gloomy. 

That mirrored the feeling that was eating me alive inside. The soft sound of the waves clashing with the rough sand at the end of the beach provided the deserted area with a diminutive amount of life. Streaks of sunlight peered through the clouds reaching the far curved end of the sea.

"But he helped me and now it's my turn to return the favor. I don't want Shane to kill Devon..." I leaned against the base of the sand dip.

"If you don't know anything, you can't exactly do anything... GOD." His outburst startled me making me snap my head towards him with a frown. "I HATE seeing you like this..."

"Caleb... for the hundredth time ... I'M OKAY." I genuinely smiled. There was something about him that was calming and his eyes always spoke the truth which instantly allowed me to trust him.

"You know I'm here for you." His voice was dripping with sincerity and his eyes boring into my soul like he was trying to hypnotize me.

"I know... just help me find the killer." I let out a small laugh that lightened up his mood as he returned a genuine smile.

"I swear I feel like a spy or an agent." Caleb grinned twisting his body slightly towards me and I let out another little chuckle at his comment. "Okay list his ex-girlfriends."

"There's surprisingly not a lot BUT he does casual hook up which might stretch the list." I angled my bottom lip to the side giving him an 'I don't know' impression.

"Okay only from senior year then?" He pressured.

"He's been with Saira since junior and they have a really strong history together and after they broke up he hooked up with Vera and since then she's been obsessed with him." I didn't want to tell him about their child because Saira left before her baby bump showed up and came back after that. 

When I first came here I didn't know anything that was going on in Shane's life and Shane didn't even know that Saira secretly went and had his child. After 2 months of me being here, she came back and tried to mend the open wounds she left with Shane but everything erupted when she told him about their child. 

I desperately tried helping Saira in this situation considering the fact I was an abandoned child and I didn't want my niece to be like that. Aunty P and I were both extremely disappointed in him that he didn't take any responsibilities but in his defense, he didn't know that she was even pregnant.

"But she's with my brother now?" Caleb's husky voice brought me back to reality.

"Yup, not her..."

"Okay, let's think from Lacey's point of view?" He suggested.

"What do you mean?" My confused face only made him chuckle.

"I mean... we've been trying to find out who from Shane's past is behind this... why don't we look at Lacey's?" He grinned.

"Point taken but we don't know anything about her... she's not in the same clique as us." I pointed out with a 'duh' tone.

"Okay if I were a girl, unpopular and suddenly dating the guy that everyone wanted ... who would hate me?" He noted.

"Brooke..." Before my mind could realize what I was trying to suggest, her name scraped off my tongue "When I went to see her the other day, her friend came in... you remember?" I squinted pointing my finger at him and his answer was a slight nod 

"Yeah her, she was... odd... like kinda bossy towards Lacey and unhappy or something. I mean come on if that happened to me I know for a fact my best friend ... Devon OR Maya wouldn't barge in shouting at me..." I pointed out. "And after that, she was keener on wanting to know why I was there instead of comforting her."

"I think I'm gonna need Shane for this plan to work." I smirked.

*********

After Caleb dropped me off I gathered up all the pots and pans my tiny arms could carry and threw them on the ground with full force.

Scream. An ear bleeding scream scraped across the tiled walls in the kitchen.

I knew no matter what Shane was going through he would always come running to protect me if I was hurt. I was right; as soon as I stopped screaming I heard a door flung open and thudding sound of someone running down the stairs.

"KIRA...." He shouted in concern. "What the fuck? Are you okay?" After his feet hit the ground he nearly flew towards me engulfing me in a hug.

"Can't... Breathe..." I choked out trying to get him off me and that's when I got a glimpse of my former handsome brother. He looked like he hasn't shaved since he received that image; his hair was longer and messier than normal. His tracksuit bottom hung low from his slim abdomen and a white vest loosely hugged his chest, it also looked like he lost an incredible amount of weight in the past couple of days.

"Dude... you look... messed..." I sympathized.

"But ARE YOU OKAY?" He shook me by my arms.

"Yeah I just needed you to get the hell out of there so I could see my brother but I didn't know he looked like a troll ..." I frowned with a smile.

"You fucking scared me..." He growled.

"I had to cry wolf 'cause I needed to know if you were alive." I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

"Ah, munchkin... You know how much it hurts..." He returned the gesture.

"I know that's why I want to help you." I rested my chin on his chest craning my neck back to look up at him.

"Ahh, you're just unbelievable." He sighed kissing my forehead.

"Let's go out for dinner... Mom's at Tim's house 'cause Nathan and the boys went to town." I suggested letting go of him.

"I'm not in the mood K." He looked down scratching the back of his neck.

"I know but I'm hungry and I nearly broke everything here." I motioned towards the kitchen making him chuckle.

"Okay monkey, give me half an hour." He started walking backwards to go freshen up.

"Half? I thought you needed ten..."

"Shut up." He chuckled before walking up the stairs. "And clean up."

"OKAY DAD." I retorted back unconsciously.

After he disappeared upstairs I realized that's the first time I called someone 'Dad'. I've never seen my Dad or Mom. Come to think of it, I've never seen any picture of them. However, I knew if my mother was half as nice as Aunty P, her own sister, she never would have left me in the hospital and sneak out after throwing me out of her womb. 

I've never asked Aunty P about them because I use to be and still am a very resentful person, I don't forgive easily but I've been learning to overcome those old habits I picked up when I was being tossed around from one foster home to another. 

The easiest way to survive like that was to never get attached and never trust anyone but then love came knocking on my door in the form of Aden who I devoted my life to.

Edited by DarkRose4581