Alexandria? Ruckur asked softly as soon as we left my mother's and Micbael's sight, his voice barely above a whisper and was laced with guilt and pain.

I set my jaw and folded my arms across my chest, not answering him and pretending that he wasn't there, even though I knew that he was there.

I could never get rid of him, no matter how much I wanted to get rid of him...

Alexandria, please, I know that you can hear me, Ruckur said with a small hum in his voice. Please, answer me. I need to see how you are doing and how you are feeling.

I bit back a small snort and rolled my eyes but didn't say a word because he would know how I was feeling, even though I was a jumbled up mess and didn't know which way was up or which way was down.

My whole body started to shake while I tried to keep myself from crying, even though it didn't seem to work.

I wrapped my arms around myself and grabbed myself tighter around my side, closing my eyes just a tad while I continued to go toward the door. Tears pricked the edges of my vision, but I held strong and didn't sob like I wanted to.

Al-

No, I said, interrupting him with a shake of my head. I gritted my teeth and narrowed my eyes, and my bottom lip quivered while tears started to roll down my cheeks. Just... shut up, Ruckur, please...

Ruckur sighed and mentally nodded, and guilt filled the bond between us. He kept silent while I continued to walk toward the entrance so that I could escape this stupid place and go home.

I picked up my pace and started to run toward the entrance when I saw it, and my vision started to become blurry while the tears fell down my face at a faster rate than they had in the past. I tried but failed to get them to stop while I pushed open the door of the building, stumbling over my own two feet and falling toward the ground.

Oh, Gods...

My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach while I fell to the ground, not able to catch myself before I fell to the ground, twisting my body around until I was able to land on my back with my head covered and eyes closed.

But the feeling of the ground never came...

My whole body grew tense, and my heart skipped a beat before it pounded hard and fat in my chest while I waited for something, anything to happen next to let me know why I hadn't fallen when I knew that I should have.

And thankfully, I didn't have to wait long because the thing that had stopped me from falling chuckled, and a shiver went down my spine because I knew that chuckle like the back of my own hand.

Miko...

I moved my hands from my face and opened my eyes to see my best friend staring at me with a smirk on his face that slowly fell and became a frown when he caught the look on my face.

"Alexandria?" he asked and cocked his head to the side while he studied me with a small frown on his face. "Are you ok? What happened?"

I shook my head because I wasn't ok, and I didn't know how to tell him what was going on with me and if I would be able to, especially since Mom suggested that I cover my mark that marked me as a Director, too.

"What happened?" Miko asked and raised an eyebrow in question. Worry and grief flashed through his eyes while he studied me. "Why are you crying?"

I licked my lips and shook my head. "I got into a fight with Mom," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Please, I-I need to leave. I need to go home."

Miko frowned and nodded. "Ok, then I'm taking you home," he said, leaving me no room to argue, even though I was still going to try.

"M-"

"Don't start with me, Alex," Miko said, interrupting me with a shake of his head. "I'm taking you home. I don't care what you have to say, and I am going to do that now, so let's go." He helped me stand before he started to walk somewhere, with me still in his arms and not letting me fight back like I wanted to. "I am doing this."

I gulped and nodded, my bottom lip quivering. I didn't ask him why he was here, not knowing if my mom had something to do with this or if he just had to talk with Micahel or whoever else he needed to talk to, but I was grateful that he decided to just be with me instead of whatever business I had taken him from, which caused him to be here.

Miko stopped at the passenger side of his most prized possession, an old truck that he had basically built back up from scratch. "Wait right there, Lexi," he said and let me go before he took a step back, "and don't open the truck door or get into it. Is that understood?"

I rolled my eyes and pressed my lips into a thin line, silently gesturing for my friend to go ahead and leave and do what it was that he wanted to do. I didn't say a word and folded my arms across my chest, grabbing my sides tighter and tucking my head closer to my chest while I stared at him with half closed eyes.

Miko grinned and tucked his head closer to his chest before he ran around to the other side of his truck and unlocked the truck doors.

After that, he ran back to my side so that he could open my door for me with the grin on his face turning cheekier.

I bit back a small scoff and rolled my eyes. "Seriously?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied him, biting back an amused smile. I grabbed my sides tighter while I looked at Miko, who nodded while he opened the door to his truck.

"Yes," he said and gestured for me to enter the truck so that he could go ahead and close the door. "Now, go ahead and enter the truck so that I can close the door after you. Are you wanting to go home?"

I hesitated before I slowly nodded. "Please," I said and did what I was told to do and entered the truck. "Thank you, Miko. I do appreciate it."

"Always, Lex," he said with a small smile on his face. He tucked his head closer to his chest. "Anything for you."

And with that, he closed the door before he ran to the other side of the truck so that he could go ahead and take care of me even if it meant taking me home.

Anything for you...