DAMON

"I'm ashamed of myself for loving you." She whispered.

The blood drained from my face and for a second I really thought I was going to pass out.

I stood there, paralyzed in shock, as she walked away. And I didn't go after her.

Her words kept echoing in my mind. 

She loves me?

Loved a voice in my head sneered.

How could this happen? How could things come between us so easily. It seemed like we were always fighting about something, but this time felt different. This time felt final. 

We used to enjoy arguing when we hated each other, but everything was different now. Sophia didn't leave with steam coming out of her ears, she left with tears falling down her cheeks.

She sounded so tired of all the pain. The very thing I tried to protect her from. 

My heart sank lower with every second that past after she walked away. I knew we might be broken forever.

"Whatcha staring at?" Someone suddenly asked, causing me to jump a foot in the air.

"Oh I didn't mean to startle you." They said apologetically, coming to stand in front of me.

I knew before I saw, that it was Candy, but seeing her face had me clenching my fists in an attempt to keep from taking my anger out on her.

The last person on earth I wanted to see right now was her. 

"What do you want." I said slowly between clenched teeth. I had no patience for this right now.

"I know it's not your fault Garrett's dirty little secret got out." She said, ignoring my question.

I couldn't deal with her right now. I needed to leave before I lost my temper. 

"It was her fault!" She called after me as I stormed down the hallway. 

I froze mid-step, which was enough encouragement for her to continue.

"I heard her scream it in the hallway. The next time she wants to tell a friend's secret, she might want to whisper." Candy explained as she caught up to me.

It took me a second to register her words because I couldn't believe someone would do something so evil. 

"Now we can be together." Candy concluded quietly, putting her hand on my arm.

I shoved it off and spun around to face her. I'd never hit a girl before, I didn't believe in that, but right now I was seriously considering it. So before I could do anything I may or may not regret, I walked over to the lockers lining the wall and punched one as hard as I could.

A loud rewarding bang echoed through the hallways, followed by the sound of Candy's heals as she ran away.

I probably terrified her. Maybe she'd finally leave me alone for good.

Now that I was on my own again the anger seeped out, replaced by a pain in my chest I hadn't felt in a long time.

I sat down with my back against the locker I punched, and put my head in my hands.

What the hell was I supposed to do now? If I told Sophia what Candy said, she wouldn't believe me. So how was I supposed to get her back?

And would she even want me back?

'We're done'

'I don't deserve this and you don't deserve me'

'You're just like him'

'I'm ashamed of myself for loving you'

Every word she said kept replaying in my mind but those ones hurt the worst.

She compared me to the person that hurt her the most. She compared me to the person that ruined her life and took away her family.

Was I really like him? I'd never killed anyone, or hurt Sophia on purpose. 

She wasn't right about me being like him, but she was one hundred percent right about me not deserving her. I didn't deserve such a strong, brave, amazing girl like her.

I wasn't good enough. I was never able to protect her, or make her truly happy. All I'd given her was more pain.

I was brought back to reality when I heard frantic footsteps echo through the hallways.

Seconds later Alex came around the corner, and I saw his shoulders relax when he saw me. I knew he'd never admit it, but he cared about me.

"What the hell is going on?" He asked as he sat down beside me.

"I don't know man." I groaned, running a hand through my hair as I spoke.

"What happened to your hand?" He questioned, grabbing my hand to get a closer look.

I looked down at it and sure enough, there were a couple cuts on my knuckles that were bleeding quite at bit, which surprised me because I didn't feel a thing.

"I punched a locker." I explained, shrugging nonchalantly.

Alex looked over at me and frowned. His eyes were running over my face for any clue to what was going on, but I guess he didn't find what he wanted to because he sighed loudly a minute later.

"Where's Sophia?" He asked instead of pressing for what happened again. 

I tensed at just the sound of her name and it felt like someone stabbed me in the chest.

"She left." I whispered, looking down at my battered hand.

"She left the school, or she left you?" He asked, but I was sure he already knew that answer.

"Both." I replied anyway.

Saying it out loud made it so much more real. Sophia was gone. She wasn't my sweetheart anymore.

"She left me because she thought I told the school about Garrett. And guess what? It was Candy. I'm so sick of her ruining everything." I ranted.

"You need to go clear things up with Soph. You're important to her and I know she's important to you." Alex advised.

I stood up and started for the closest exit but Alex grabbed my arm.

"You need to see the nurse about your hand before you do anything though."

- - - - - -

Two hours, a lot of stinging, and ten stitches later and I was free to go.

It took until the end of the school day and all I wanted to do was go home and sleep, but there was something I had to do before I could relax.

I needed to get my girl back.

I texted her a few times while I was getting stitch up but she didn't reply, unsurprisingly. But I did get a test from my cousin Dave telling me he was in town, which brightened my mood a little bit. If I couldn't win Sophia back at least I could see Dave. 

Once I got home I had a quick shower and changed. I didn't want to scare Sophia with the blood from my injured knuckles all over me. 

As I got ready to leave the nerves hit me. I was terrified she'd reject me, and she had every reason to, but I needed her to know it was all a misunderstanding. And I had to let her know how much I cared about her. 

When I was standing in front of her door I needed to remind myself how to breathe. This talk could go great, or it could go worse than the last time we saw each other.

I took a few deep breaths, then finally knocked. 

I waited at least a few minutes, but when I didn't hear anyone coming to the door I knocked again. Maybe she didn't hear me.

When the door still went unanswered I started to get a bad feeling. Sophia should be home, for her to ignore knocks at the door was abnormal. 

Without thinking, I checked the door. It was unlocked. 

"Sophia?" I called out as I entered the house. If she was in here I didn't want to startle her.

When no one answered I headed upstairs. Maybe she was sleeping. 

But why would she keep the front door unlocked? She never did that.

I walked into her room and she wasn't there.

Where the hell was she?

I sat down on her bed and let my eyes roam around. I never really looked at her room before. Every time I'd been in here I was too focused on Sophia to actually pay attention to her room.

It was pretty and simple, which suited her even though she's anything but simple.

As my eyes swept over her desk something caught my eye. The letter she received one day when I was hanging out with her, along with another one, both sticking out from under her laptop.

Curiosity got the best of me when I remembered her reaction after she got the letter. She looked terrified, and now was my chance to know why.

I walked up to her desk and sat down in the chair, pulling out both letters to read.

I didn't bother to see who they were from, I just wanted to know what they said.

I opened one of them and my blood ran cold as I read it.

My dearest star

Living so happy and free

With the mistakes you've made

That will never be me

I know what you've done,

Brushed me under the rug

I'd do that to you

But you're like my drug

So my love, be ready

I'll come for you soon,

And don't run or hide

Because I'll always find you.

Yours truly,

XoXoXo

That had to be from her ex.

After a moment of hesitation I opened the second one and read it.

To my dearest star

I haven't seen you in years

With the pain that you've caused

You deserve to live all your fears.

I know what you want

Is me locked up till death

But we'll be together my love

Until your very last breath.

Yours truly,

XoXoXo

These were threats. He was out to get her.

Why didn't she tell me? I would've protected her.

I looked at the envelope for the name of the sick bastard who sent these and if my blood ran cold before, it was frozen now.

David Martin.

That was my cousin's name.

But there was no way it was him. He was one of the nicest people I knew. Besides, David Martin was a very common name. It had to be a coincidence. 

You know the truth a voice in the back of my mind sneered.

Dave had some anger problems but I didn't think he was capable of doing what Sophia said her ex did.

It would explain why I hadn't seen him in so long though. He couldn't just come and visit if he was in jail all this time. 

That was all too much to be coincidental. 

Dave was Sophia's ex. 

And Dave was in town. 

And Sophia was missing. 

"Fuck!" I yelled, running my hands through my hair and pulling at the ends. 

How could this be happening?

I need to save Sophia. I. was the only one that had a chance of finding her. I knew Dave better than anyone, or at least I thought I did.

Where the hell could he have taken her?

I paced Sophia's room furiously, trying to push my terror aside so I could focus.

If he so much as breathed on her I was going to kill him.

Where could they be? Where could they be?

Then it dawned on me. He was at the old farm.

Years ago we were hiking in the forest at the edge of town and we stumbled upon an abandoned farm.

We decided to make that our secret spot, the place we went when we didn't want to be around people.

That had to he where he took her.

With that in mind I sprinted downstairs to my car, pulling out my phone to call the police as I sped down the road. 

I had to save Sophia.