"No!" The desperate word ripped from my mouth as I scrambled through the rubble to find Brooks. There was mud and debris everywhere and pieces of metal and timber slashed at me through my jeans and t-shirt, but I didn't care.

I spotted Brooks strewn across the ground haphazardly, a piece of timber twice my size covering the majority of his body. I latched my fingers onto it's rough edge, sobbing hysterically as I summoned every ounce of strength in my body to lift it. Splinters dug into my palm and wedged themselves under my fingernails, sending streaks of blood down my arms, but I didn't stop pushing. When I finally moved the wooden wall, I kneeled down near Brooks' bruised face, trying to ignore the mass of blood pooling around his torso that had mingled with the slew of rain hammering into us like tiny needles.

"Oh god!" My hands flailed uselessly and frantically around me, my body going into a frenzy.

I leaned over to place my ear near his mouth, and I could just make out the sound of his shallow breathing. Relief hit me like an avalanche as my body sagged. "It's going to be okay, McCormack. You hear me? Stay with me or I swear to God I will never forgive you."

The now-shattered digital camera lay in pieces a few feet away from us, and had I not been reaching for my phone to call for help, I would have gone over and stomped on it to make sure it was gone for good.

I dialled 911 in a blurry haze, recounting as much as I could of what had happened and where to find us, in between sobs.

The receiver was reassuring me that help would be there within minutes when my phone received a new message. I put the lady on speaker and looked at the text, barely able to see the wet screen through my tears.

He got lucky, this time. Leave him or Mia's next. And if you tell anyone anything, they're both dead.

***

I stared at the rain pounding against the window, the blanket around my shoulders doing little to ease the icy sensation in my chest. I was soaked to the bone and my fingernails tinged purple, but all I could focus on was Brooks. I glanced over at him, asleep on the white bed, his gruesome face a sight to behold with stitches running down his temple.

The door opened across the room, and Sarah came inside with a cup of coffee for me, her pretty face laced with worry and tiredness. I took the cup from her even though there was no way I would be able to eat or drink anything.

"The doctors say he has some bad bruising, but he'll be okay. He's lucky he had you there to help him, otherwise things could have been a lot different." Sarah leaned over and took my hand, and the gratitude in her expression made me want to scream and throw something.

I wasn't the reason he was okay, I was the reason all of this had happened in the first place. All I'd done since I got here was put him and everyone I loved in danger— even if I hadn't known it yet.

"You never told me what happened though, why you were there in the first place. I thought you were both staying with Dallas." Sarah asked, silent question in her eyes.

"We were, but then the storm started to get worse so we decided to head home early in case the roads flooded and we couldn't get back in the morning." I hesitated, wondering whether my next sentence would sound believable at all. "I thought I saw the neighbour's kitten stuck in the treehouse, so Brooks went to check it out."

By this point Sarah was chewing on her lower lip, and a second later she came over to envelope me in a hug. "You teenagers are so stupid. And when Brooks is awake I'm going to yell at you both. But I'm so glad you're both okay."

Almost okay, I corrected her mentally, looking over at Brooks.

When I spoke my next words, my throat was dry and hoarse, like sandpaper. "I... uh, I spoke to my mom, and she agreed to let me go and stay with my dad in Florida until I can prove that I'm ready to go back to LA." She hadn't wanted to, but I think she'd felt bad about our phone call the other day, so she'd finally caved after I pleaded with her an hour or so ago.

Brooks' phone had broken when the treehouse fell, and with it had gone our evidence of Demi's confession, which meant we no longer had a way to stop Luke. Which also meant that unless I followed his instructions and left Brooks alone, no one was safe anymore.

Sarah pulled away abruptly, shocked by my sudden announcement. "What? I thought you were starting to like it here. Honey, if this is because you feel responsible for what happened tonight, there's no way you could have known..."

"No." I cut her off, "It's not that." Even though it was. I was more responsible for this than she knew, and the only way to get rid of the trouble that followed me like a shadow was to get myself out of the McCormacks' lives for good. If that meant living with my dad and his new family, then I could deal with that. It was a small price to pay for everyone's safety. "I just don't think that coming here was a good idea, and we'd all be happier if I moved in with my dad. That's all."

Sarah took a moment to digest my words, and the sadness on her face almost made me want to take them all back. "I'm not going to stop you, if that's really what you want, but if you go it will be because you want to." Sarah watched me earnestly. "Because I know for a fact that my family will not be happier without you. They never have been."

"It is what I want." I swallowed with phoney conviction, attempting to keep my voice even. A small sound by the door caught my attention, and when I glanced up I found a disheveled looking Mia glaring at me, her blue eyes wide and filling with tears. In her hands was a bunch of flowers, which she promptly dropped and then turned on her heel to walk away.

I closed my eyes, suppressing a groan. "Mia," I called out, following her out into the hallway, "wait up. Mia!"

I was hot on her heels when she finally turned to face me, her arms crossed over her chest and her face pink with anger. "You're leaving again." She stated in an accusatory tone, and I tried to ignore the piece of my heart that crumbled away.

"Yes."

She narrowed her eyes at me, steam practically radiating from her ears. I wished that I could tell her what was truly going on, but I would never risk her safety that way. My stalker had proved that what happened tonight to Brooks was no accident, and I wasn't going to take any chances anymore. I was done parading around and trying to be a normal girl when I was never going to be.

"Leaving Beaufort was always the plan, Mia. You knew that." I reminded her gently, taking a cautious step towards her.

Her lower lip wobbled and she wiped her nose as she held back more tears, looking down at the sleeves of her pink Spice Girls sweater. "I kn-know b-but I thought maybe if y-you..." she trailed off and I sighed.

Maybe if you gave it long enough you'd want to stay here for good.

"I have to go, Mia. Please just trust me, if it's the last thing you ever do. Please believe that me leaving is what's best for now." I pleaded with her, praying for her to understand despite what little information I'd given her.

After what felt like years later, she spoke, the pained expression on her delicate features never easing. "When are you going to tell Brooks?"

My legs wobbled at the thought of telling Brooks that I was leaving, and I held onto the wall for support. You're doing this for them. Be strong. "As soon as he wakes up."

"He won't forgive you this time, you know."

I nodded once, because I did know. But I would just have to get used to the idea of him hating me again because I had no other option.

Mia gave me one last exasperated look. "Is living here with us really that bad? I know you have bad memories from before you left, but we can create new ones."

"No, Mia." I assured her, feeling tears burning behind my eyes, "living here with you and Dallas and Jaz and Brooks— it's everything I ever wanted without even realising it. I finally feel like I have a family again, like I belong somewhere. You're my sister, Mi, which is why I need you to try and understand that I have to go."

Mia stared at me uncomprehendingly, and I pushed myself off the wall with a sigh. My freezing wet clothes were stuck to me like a second skin, and though I didn't want to leave the hospital in case Brooks woke up, a shower and fresh clothes were desperately calling my name.

"I'm going to head home and get changed quickly. Will you call me if anything changes?"

Mia nodded wordlessly and tossed me Sarah's car keys, watching me as I walked past her through the hallway and as I entered the elevator. It wasn't until the metal doors clanked shut that I released a breath I didn't know I'd been holding and slumped against the mirrored walls, exhaustion starting to set in.

I meandered through the cars in the parking lot until I reached Sarah's silver sedan, hoisting myself into the front seat and adjusting the mirrors. I drove in silence back to the house, taking my time to memorize every street and house I passed by, knowing I had limited time left to appreciate them.

All I had wanted for the past two months was to get out of here, and now the thought of leaving made my stomach and heart clench.

Maybe Florida wouldn't be so bad. Sure, my dad was dating a woman who was only six years older than me, and okay, they already had a two year daughter who got all the love my dad had forgotten to give me after I turned thirteen, but maybe my dad was different now. Maybe things would be different the second time around.

I was dubious of that idea, but it was the only hope I had to hang onto, so I entertained it despite how ridiculous it was.

I arrived at the house and tore off my clothes as soon as I stepped into the bathroom, only pausing to make sure the blinds were shut before I jumped under the hot spray of the shower. My only consolation was that tomorrow, when I left for Florida, the photos and stalking would stop. The stalker will have gotten what they wanted—me out of Beaufort— and life for all of us could go back to semi-normal.

I tried to let that notion soothe me as the hot water rushed over my body, washing away the dirt and blood caked onto me. If only it could wash away the jumble of painful thoughts in my mind, as well.