"You know?" I ask, processing it. I let myself take a breath, increasingly confused.

"Yep, he told me the day before I found about you and Matthew.

"And you are okay with that?" I'm unable to hide my obvious shock.

"Well for one, he came to me before making a move on you," he explains, as I raise my eyebrows.

Nash told Jack before telling me... But why didn't Jack get mad?

"And you are okay with him liking me?" i ask again, persistent on getting an answer.

"I... accept it," he simply says, nodding his head. Does this mean that he would be fine with us... dating?

"Why? I mean you went mental the last time you heard a friend of yours liked me," I say, unwilling to say has name one more time in front of him.

"No, last time I found you and my friend in bed together," he says abruptly, losing his smirk. My mouth opens slightly, surprised by the sudden outburst.

I guess he's okay with Nash liking me because he came to Jack and told him before doing anything, which is more than can be said about Matthew.

"So, what? You would be absolutely fine if Nash and I dated?" I put him on the spot, determined to get a real answer from him.

"Yes Lucy, that is what I'm saying." I stare at him for a few seconds, trying to wrap my head around the idea. There is close to nothing standing in the way of me and Nash actually going out. But still, it seems so distant. We did kiss, and he has expressed that he likes me, but I can't really imagine what that would be like.

Nash and I having a relationship, going out on dates with no guilt at all. Technically, it sounds idealistic. But I haven't really taken time to consider my feelings. Do I want that?

Just yesterday, I was with Matthew, making dinner and planning what seemed to be a lasting relationship. Thinking about it makes me regret ever seeing that email. Sometimes i think i would rather not know.

"And you still hate the idea of me and Matthew?" I ask, fearful of his answer. He squints his eyes, staring at me.

"What I am most scared of, is seeing you get hurt Lucy," he explains.

"And from my point of view, theres a higher risk of that with Matthew. Heck, it's already happened." It's true. Matthew did hurt me. Was it enough make me never want to be with him again? I haven't figured that out either. I just need some time, and in the meantime I can't really confirm to Louis that I'll never be with Matthew again, that i won't go back to him.

But I am so glad that Jack and I are having this talk. Already it's helping me sort out recent events and what it means to me.

I nod at him, and he offers a comforting smile.

"Do you like Nash?" Jack asks me.

I hate that I don't have a definitive answer to that question. I mean, last night when we were watching that movie, when we kissed... It felt so... real.

But I must consider that I'm confusing my feelings. That my loving feelings for Nash are just friendly. The last thing I want is to hurt him. I don't want to lead him on, just to find out i want to be with Matthew.

"I don't know." I plainly say, making Jack look down at his hands to twiddling his fingers. "Do you want me to?"

"Well what I would actually prefer is you not going out with any of my best friends," he says, a discreet laugh at the end of his sentence.

I bob my head down in shame. That was sort of harsh.

"Hey, I'm just joking around, lighten up," he says, but i know that there was truth in that.

Somehow, just talking to my brother again makes me look at this situation a little bit differently. Like it's not the end of the world.

"Anyways, I want to talk to you about something," he says, his laugh disappearing.

"I got a call from my manager, and ABC wants an interview with you," he announces, not a trace of emotion existing in his voice.

An interview? I am not crazy about idea. I mean, they probably want the interview and have me talk about the TMZ exposé. They don't even know the truth. The whole world doesn't even know that Matthew sent it in.

A twinge of brutal guilt strikes me. Michael has probably been receiving hate like no other. Hate that he doesn't deserve at all. But after the photoshop proof came out, that has died down i would imagine. Am I willing to tell to the world what really happened?

"I don't want to do that," i decide, crossing my arms in determination.

"Just think about it Lucy, you probably haven't been online very much. And the things people are saying about you... It isn't pretty," he clenches his jaw, and I see how upset he is.

I haven't been on social media lately, with everything that went on, I was too afraid. But in the process of getting my feet on the ground again, maybe I should.

"Ok, i'll think about it" i decide.

...

"How did it go?" Nash asks as I take off my jacket.

"It went well, thanks for making me do that," I smile, and give him a hug.

"No problem." He hugs me back. I look at the clock behind him. It's 2 pm, and I come to think about Matthew. He hasn't called or texted me, and I don't know why I find that weird, I just expected him to try and reach me. Maybe he's seeping still or something, it didn't seem like he got a lot of sleep last night.

"How are you feeling?" he asks me, stroking my lower back. I back up from him, but I don't remove his hands.

"I'm feeling okay, Jack told me that ABC wants an interview with me," I say, letting go of him and walking slowly further into the house. We reach the living room and i sit down on the exact spot where i kissed him.

"You gonna do it?" he asks, sitting down my beside me, resting his elbows on his knees.

"I don't know yet." I have to call Matthew and ask if it's okay, and i have to see for myself what people are saying about me online. I don't want to tell anyone that it was Mathew who sent it in, but before the media knows who really sent it in, I don't think they'll stop investigating. It will probably come out somehow. Matthew wasn't careful, he was reckless. He sent it in by email, and that doesn't take long to trace. TMZ has that email address.

If I did the interview, would I tell them that it was Matthew himself who sent it in? Or do I act like I don't know who it was? I just don't know what i would say.

It comes down to how Matthew wants it to come out. I put the thought to rest for a couple of minutes to go on my phone and log onto twitter. My followers has grown to over two hundred thousand, and my mentions are too many to know where to start. Some are articles, but most are Matthew fans.

- What a jailbait whore, @ lalalucy get your slutty ass away from my Matty

- Can @ lalalucy die already? lol

- Cool, so @ lalalucy got Matthew to risk legal trouble just to kiss her disgusting ass mouth

- really? @ lalalucy? You're um 16

Once Nash realizes what i'm doing, he grabs my phone and locks it.

"Stop, don't do that to yourself," he says, my eyes stinging, the tweets stuck in my mind. He surrounds me in a hug, as i breathe heavily into his neck.

"I'm sorry," i exhale, choking back a tear. I'm not going to let this affect me. I want people to know my side of the story. At least the people close to me.

"Matthew sent in the photo," I tell Nash, and I feel his arms freeze around me. A couple of seconds pass by, and he starts stroking my back again.

"Oh wow, definitely didn't expect that," he says, and I hear the genuine compassion in his voice.

"I don't know what to do," I confess, backing up to look him in the eyes. Something about his blue eyes makes me feel understood. It is kind of weird to talk about my issues with Matthew, with Nash. Especially now that we are in this weird place after we kissed. I know he said that he doesn't want to do anything with me now that i'm hurt and confused, but still... I don't really know how he feels about what happened last night.

"Do you like me Nash?" I blurt out before I'm able to stop myself. I am pretty sure I know the answer to this question, but I need to hear it. He stares into my eyes for a few seconds, blinking before saying;

"Yes Lucy, I like you," he nods slightly, moving his hand closer to mine, not quite reaching it. I place my hand in his, and hold it tightly. I furrow my eyebrows, overwhelmed by the pulsing feeling. My heart races as the words cling onto me. I don't understand my own feelings, and every second feels like minutes, trying to sort out the multiplying thoughts expanding in my mind.

"But I don't want to do... anything... while you are still involved with Matthew," he explains, and I feel his pulse in my hand. His mouth open slightly, and he inhales gazing at me with his crystal blue eyes.

The surprising disappointment spreads in my mind. In the heat of the moment, I feel the urge to move my head forwards and meet his lips with mine. But i force myself to stay still. I have to respect his wish, and I do.

He looks like he's struggling with the same feelings as me. He looks strained, confused and cautious. His hand is wrapped around mine tightly, and i feel his warmth radiating off of him.

"I know," I whisper, and he closes his eyes for a second. I decide to get up and go to another room, to escape this heated situation. As I get up from the couch and slowly move away, he holds me back my pulling my arm. He stands up, his eyes piercing through me.

"Fuck it," he says, and grabs my waist, pulling me close to him. He clashes his lips together with mine, and i place my hands on his neck, enjoying the rush of emotions. He travels his hand into my hair, holding me in place.

The moment is soon over when Nash releases me, and turns his head towards a boy with brown short hair at the door.

"Carter."