"Do I even want to know what happened to you?"

Standing in front of me was my best friend - or well, a glittered, paint splattered and slightly ripped up girl that resembled my best friend. I hadn't seen her in this much of a creative mess since our freshman year when she had decided that she needed to take a whole new meaning to the term 'expressive work'.

"For once it wasn't my fault." Margot began to pull off her shoes, watching the sparkles float through the air with every movement, "Some idiot turned on the fan beside the glitter tubs."

I couldn't hold in my laughter as I looked at her frowning face - it was funny to watch her try to look serious while she looked as though she belonged on top of a christmas tree.

"I'm sorry!" I wheezed after a moment of her looking unimpressed, "It's funny!" She rolled her eyes and began to clean off her shoes.

"So how did the first day go then? I see he isn't a murderer, or a rapist," She paused, "Unless he's threatened you to stay quiet - in that case I'll grab my gun."

I rolled my eyes. Landon had left about an hour before Margot had gotten home, i'd told him he didn't need to stay because I was completely content to sit and watch the movie that played on television which was currently sitting on pause. He'd complied, and I had the feeling he had something he needed to do anyway so it wasn't difficult to persuade him.

"No Margot. You were right; he isn't any of those things. He's just a smirking ass."

"Smirking fine ass, you mean." Margot never missed a chance to check out a guy, even standing there, covered in paint and dust and God knows what else, her main concern was still to talk about a boy. The blonde bombshell really was one of a kind.

"Each to their own." I mumbled, causing her to scoff.

"Oh please, guys are one of the only things we agree on most of the times - it's not like either of us are particularly attracted to the cute one of the group, or the one with a good heart. You're just as shallow as I am, don't deny it."

I felt pretty offended, I liked to think I was a little more sensitive than Margot when it came to guys. "I see good hearts!" I protested and she stopped tossing salad to give me a disbelieving look. "What I do!"

She gave a patronising laugh and walked past me, dropping the salad bowl onto the dining table.

"What is it you want to say?" My arms were now crossed and my hip, subconsciously, jutted out to one side slightly, she was really grating me tonight.

"You won't like what I'll say." She stated as if it wasn't about to start a fight between us. We didn't often fight - usually we either bickered, it was only on a rare occasion that we would completely blow up at each other and those were not times that I liked to remember - they really strained our relationship.

"No, come on! Tell me!" I didn't know what was wrong with her, her usual mood had disappeared and I couldn't help but be angry - I hadn't seen her all day, it wasn't my fault something bad had happened to her and now she was going to start taking it out on me!

She sighed, spinning around to face me, mirroring my standing position and I felt the air shift slightly in the kitchen as we glared. "Fine. I was going to say that you clearly don't see good hearts when you were so head over heels and delusional about Chester."

The air got sucked out of my lungs. She did not just say that? How could she.

"That's not fair..." I started, completely baffled and she raised an eyebrow. "He was different at the beginning-"

"Oh please." She muttered, "I told you from the beginning that he was a no good piece of shit and you were too busy going doey eyed over his money and thinking with your vagina because of how hot he was." Never, in my time that I had been friends with Margot, had she been this blunt with me, it was so out of character for her.

I advanced towards her and then caught myself before I fell, completely forgetting about my cast. "Why would I listen to you- you tried to put me off every single guy I had an interest in because you were scared I'd find someone and you wouldn't."

As soon as i'd said it I knew i'd taken things to another level - Margot had sensitive topics, everybody does, and I had just hit her with one.

She laughed, slamming a cup down as she filled it with water. "That's bullshit - you can't leave me, you have no money. That's why you turn into a gold digger."

She clearly didn't care about hitting me back just as hard. Money was not a topic I liked to discuss.

My mind had begun to cloud over in fog, my thoughts jumbling together in a growing snowball that was rolling down the hill towards Margot and I had no qualms about taking her out.

The tears formed in my eyes immediately and I was struggling to push them back. I was about to really flip out and scream at her, probably shout horrible things that I would never be able to take back. But that's when she reached to turn the tap off and I saw her sleeve rise slightly, the red irritated skin like a beacon clearing my confusion.

Just to be sure I stayed silent until she turned around and made eye contact with me and there I saw exactly what I was looking for.

Her usual bright blue eyes were slightly glazed, unfocused almost and by the way her whole body jittered slightly as she attempted to stand her ground confirmed my suspicions.

I thought she'd been doing so well.

Instead of shouting back at her I turned and sat down in my chair at the table, tucking into the food we had prepared and I felt her hesitate before joining me, clearly confused at my change of actions.

We didn't say anything. We didn't make a sound. Both of us didn't want to be the reason to shatter the glass that was already cracking underneath the pressure.

The chicken tasted bland, the bread like cardboard. My tongue dry and throat clenched. It was uncomfortable to say the least.

I kept my mind busy with thoughts of the day, and trying to come up with answers to all the question Landon had left me with - I still knew nothing about the man, just that he clearly had no personal space boundaries in regards to other people, however his seemed to be protected by a brick wall. Coming up with an idea for the novel I was attempting to write was also plaguing my mind - it was easy to write when there were no guidelines but as soon as someone puts a bracket around your creativity you're doomed - or well I am anyway.

My thoughts were broken by Margot standing up and storming over to the kitchen, throwing her plate into the sink. I didn't turn around and instead listened as she went to her bedroom and proceeded to slam the door closed - the sound echoing through the uncharacteristically quiet apartment.

I waited for a few hours - watching some more television and then doing some cleaning, which happened to prove extremely difficult considering I had lost movement in one of my legs, you don't realise how much you actually use them until you don't have them.

When the sun had begun to set and my eyes started to droop, I trudged to my bedroom and went to change clothes but laughed to myself when i realised that I didn't need to- I could definitely wear this to bed.

Slowly, but carefully I hopped over to Margot's door, holding my breath as I tested the handle. Revealing that it was indeed unlocked also revealed what was behind it - Margot, sobbing into her bed, her body shaking and curled into a tight ball.

The sigh left my lips immediately and I knew that it had gotten bad - she hadn't cried like this in a while. As I shut the door behind me the noise alerted Margot to my presence but she didn't even roll over however I wasn't put off by this - she was embarrassed and scared, and it was my job to be there for her and let her know that i'd never leave her - it's the one thing she always thought about.

Laying down on the bed she lifted my leg gently until it rested on the mattress and once I was comfortable I took my hand and delicately tugged Margot around so she now faced me. Immediately her face buried into the crook of my neck and her arms wound themselves around my waist, causing me to shake with her.

"It's okay." I cooed, stroking her hair as though she was an injured animal. "What's caused this?" I asked, knowing it was better to get it out the way now before she calmed down and then worked herself up again.

"A-Ariel." She gasped and my body deflated. That was something I couldn't help her with.

"You're going to be brilliant." Encouragement was alway my strong point.

She lifted her head to look at me and I was bombarded with the sight of swollen eyes and tear streaked cheeks. "But so is Rosanne. And she's prettier than me."

I couldn't help the small smile that flitted onto my lips. "Mags, you are stunning, and i'm saying that while you're lying here with snot running out of your nose and onto my shirt." Margot giggled and quickly wiped it in reply. "Trust me, there is no better person to play her than you, I swear to you."

She nodded slowly and lay back down on my chest, her arms still caging me in but this time not as constricting. The room was silent for about five minutes and I tried to spend the time making out objects in her room using the minimal light supplied by her thin blind.

It was a game that I had developed for Joey when the electricity used to run out on occasion in our home because the bills hadn't been paid. In a way I was lucky to have Joey as my little brother - other kids might not have been as entertained by simple things as him and then we would have struggled to keep ourselves sane in the minimalistic place we called home.

In all honesty I thought Margot had fallen asleep, so when her croaky voice cut through the air I was a little shocked.

"It's getting worse."

She didn't need to explain, she didn't have to extend her answer or even look at me for me to understand. The scratched on her wrist was a clear indication that it was starting again, and if I didn't help her, I didn't know how bad it would get. And I couldn't let that happen to her. Not again.

"I know." I whispered, kissing her forehead as she began to cry softly, "I know."

"Liana?"

I jumped, my mind shaking the veil it had put on my senses as the voice broke me out of my thoughts from last night.

"You zoned out for a minute there, everything alright?" I blinked a few times, trying to pull my mind together.

"Yeah sorry." I smiled quickly, "Just distracted that's all." I frowned down at the board again, trying to figure out my next move but I became even more confused. "I could of sworn you didn't have all three green plots."

Landon shrugged at my accusing glare, "Maybe you just weren't paying attention?" I picked up the house he had on the third section and threw it back at him. "Hey! That's not fair!"

It was now Wednesday and just like yesterday, Landon arrived bright and early in the morning, not even half an hour after I had woken and Margot had left. I didn't get a chance to speak to her about last night, and in all honesty i don't know if she'd want to talk about it so soon - but we had to, she had to know that. It was just a matter of how balanced her mind was and how stable she felt. I didn't want to push her further.

"You cheated!" I scoffed and he paused.

"True... but who doesn't cheat a little bit at Monopoly, it's like an unwritten rule to pull one over on the other players when they aren't looking."

It turns out that big, macho Landon loved board games - which I found incredibly amusing because he seemed to suck at them... or maybe just monopoly.

"How about we play checkers or something, my mind is too busy for monopoly right now." I confessed with a wince causing him to roll his eyes.

"Just because you were losing." His voice teased and I couldn't help but smirk.

"I believe it's an unwritten rule to finish monopoly before anything is actually completed."

He raised an eyebrow at me, which I hoped was an impressed manner, it would be embarrassing for him to think of me like an idiot. I explained to him where the game was an he disappeared from view while I began to clear the, now abandoned, game.

I couldn't get my mind off of Margot. All I kept seeing in my head were red flashes against skin and it terrified me - what if I wasn't there like last time, what if I don't come home from work early, or I get caught in traffic, or my phone dies, or-

A scream escaped my lips as a new board was slammed down in front of me, Landon standing over it with a curious expression.

"You scared me!" I explained slightly breathless but he stayed silent, sinking into the chair, his calculating eyes never leaving my face. "So are you red or black?"

I quickly grabbed the counters, trying to avoid looking at him as I set the game up, but after half a minute the silence has become tense and awkward, which makes goosebumps rise on my arms.

"I don't know if we should play this if you can't concentrate." I went to argue, "And something clearly is... you know you can tell me if you want to?"

My hand froze over the board, a red chip dangling in the air as I decided whether to drop it or not. It shouldn't be a hard decision - I shouldn't even have to think about it. But the red stains into my mind and I can't shake it - it's almost the colour of blood. My mind whirls back to last year before I can stop it and the images flood into my thoughts; the white tiles now crimson, the stench of vomit filling my nostrils as I run through the room, my screams echoing around me, as I make my way to-

A warmth covers my hand, as well as the red, and my eyes shoot up to meet the chocolate puddles in front of me.

"You're shaking." He murmured, making me become aware of my racing heartbeat and shortness of breath, "Liana, what's wrong?" His voice almost coaxed it out of me, maybe if it hadn't been so long or maybe if Margot hadn't begged me to not tell anyone then I would have spilled the horrific images infiltrating my mind, the secrets pouring out like a smashed glass of wine on white linoleum tiles. But I didn't. Like a switch I calmed and an over enjoyed smile came onto my face.

"Nothing." I grinned, causing him to frown, "Just thinking of all the ways i'm going to kick your butt at checkers." He didn't look convinced, "I'm fine! Now just make your move, I don't want to be playing with an advantage." He hesitated for a moment and I felt like screaming.

Just let it go I silently begged, if he kept pushing then I was going to break like a dam. But to my relief his eyes lost their scrutinizing quality and his body relaxed against the chair as he moved his piece.

"Prepare to get your ass handed to you, Peanut."

I moved my piece, "That reminds me - why on earth do you call me that?"

He doesn't even hesitate with his answer, "Next question." I groaned. "Come on, i'll answer any single question you want," My eyes lit up, "just not that one. And in return you answer one of mine."

"Fine." I stated, making him grin in triumph but I return it, "Just not about what's bothering me."

"Ah so something is bothering you then."

Damn.

I cleared my throat. "Deal?" My heart was beating fast, but it's wasn't from nerves anymore, it was from excitement - I knew exactly what I was going to ask him as soon as he said yes!

"Alright dea-"

"What's your job?" I blurted out before he could even finish and I felt like slapping myself in the face as soon as it happened.

What the hell are you doing, Liana! Act cool you moron, he's totally laughing at you right now!

It was true - clothed in a gorgeous looking, and by gorgeous I mean soft and comfortable, grey jumper, Landon's grin could not be missed - his pearly whites shining behind his moisturized looking lips.

I am not thinking about moisturized lips right now, snap out of it.

"You've been wanting to ask me that since we met, haven't you?" He chuckled and I nodded reluctantly, entwining my fingers with the bottom of my shirt in a nervous gesture. "What's your guess?" He moved another piece.

"Well," I begun, mulling over my move as well as my answer, my eyes grazed across the board, unable to look at his face. "At first I wondered if maybe you were a fitness instructor," His eyebrows shot up as my hand hovered over one of my pieces but after a second I quickly moved it away. "But then I thought about it and you wouldn't be drinking the Iced-tea from the coffee house if you were, you'd be on protein shakes or something." Shoulder's shaking in laughter, he tilted his head to the side. I blushed again, "It's the only thing you order, It's not hard to remember." I moved my piece and sat back in triumph as I watched his eyes calculate his next move.

After about five seconds he moved his piece and my jaw dropped a little - how did he find a move that quickly? "Your turn." He smirked, making me huff. "And please - continue your detective story."

"So after I figured you weren't a trainer, Margot said that you obviously do something involving your hands because they're a little coarse." I froze at my words, my eyes widening as I slowly looked up at Landon, "Her words not mine." His face was now flushed in red as he contained his laughter and I felt like digging myself into a pit and never coming out - just bury me in there with a good book and maybe i'll rise again in fifty years.

Or i'll be dead - either way it's better than this.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." His hands rose up at my glare, "Please continue about your theory based on what activities I do with my hands." His chest jumped again with contained laughter and I quickly moved my piece. He leaned forward, his muscular arm resting on the table as his chin lay upon it, eyes focused on the board.

"Well she said builder or something, but then we both disagreed because you weren't scratched and marked enough for that." I quickly grabbed onto my next thought before he could reply, "And then we thought you were a high school PE teacher but obviously that one flew out the window straight away."

He looked up at me in, what looked like, genuine confusion, "How come?"

My eyes nearly bulged as they roamed over his features, his ice-cutting cheekbones and sharp edged jaw, only two of the many model like aspects of this man. "I'm pretty sure they'd have no issue with the girls taking part in PE for once, that's all i'm saying."

His expression morphed into shock before he began to laugh and I felt myself joining in with him softly. "I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be that impressed with me." He stated after a moment, shaking his head as he moved his piece, his arm flexing as he stretched across the table and I couldn't keep my eyes from watching.

"Are you kidding me? They're hormones would be everywhere and at full capacity - they would drool over you."

Hypocrite.

"Pretty sure they wouldn't be that into me if they knew me." He mumbled and i'm snapped out of my muscle induced trance by his words.

"What do you mean by that?" I questioned with my eyebrows furrowed. His slightly stunned expression made it clear that he obviously hadn't meant for me to hear that and my curiosity spiked - what was his story?

"It's your turn." He answered after a second, leaning back in his chair, trying to avoid an answer but I just leaned forward, my arms now resting on the free surface of the wooden table.

"Why wouldn't they like you?" I couldn't help how invasive I sounded, the writer part of me surfaced whenever anyone seemed to have even a sliver of an interesting, unconventional backstory.

He stared at me with a stone cold expression, his usually welcoming eyes now hard and slightly frightening, I felt my breath hitch when his jaw clenched briefly. "What was your final conclusion about my job, then?"

I decided to give up; he'd let me away with my problems, the least I could do was return the favour - plus I wanted to know what his job was, and if he got up and left right now I wouldn't find out. I could learn about his past later. It also obviously had nothing to do with how intimidating his stare was.

Of course not.

"Well, we decided on something simple yet talented." I stated, his face remaining still at my words, "You're a football player."

There's not a lot i'm usually wrong about, there's even less that Margot and I are wrong about. But coming from the incredulous look that painted Landon's face, along with the stomach clenching laughter that followed after - we had been dreadfully wrong.

"Are you serious?" He gasped, his chuckles still escaping from his lips as he crouched over, holding onto the table. "You seriously though I was a professional football player?" He wiped his eyes with his hand while I sunk into my seat, the blush making a full return as I bit my lip in embarrassment, and also in self control - the sight of this beautiful guy laughing his head off made me melt. "I would never, ever be a football player - I hate the sport. It's so stupid."

That's actually surprising.

"Really, why?" He had thrown another complete curve ball into the field - a guy that looked like him was usually a great lover of American Football... or maybe I just need to be much less judgmental.

Probably that.

"It's my brothers sport, I was more into wrestling."

Holy mama.

"We will return to the wrestling section in a moment," I spluttered out, the images of Landon's muscular body in tight Lycra already beginning to bury themselves into the grooves of my brain and I needed to focus right now - it was not the time to be getting lost in a daydream of gym mats and men.

Later Liana, you shall have your time.

"You have a brother?" I questioned, my mind reeling back into civilized thoughts and almost immediately Landon's face lights up in fondness. "Younger I take it?"

"Yeah, Warren, often call him Warrant because I always needed permission to touch his stuff," I giggled at that, "He's nineteen and surprisingly enough is a training to be a football quarterback for the Texas Longhorns."

If I had been drinking, i'm sure I would have sprayed Landon right in the face due to how shocked I was. "The Texas Longhorns?" I gaped and Landon nodded. "Woah, that's pretty incredible." I sat astonished as Landon drummed his fingers on the table.

"Yeah it is- guess we're both shown up by our younger siblings then?" My mind clicked when he said that - he was just as much in his brothers shadow as I was in Joey's, that day when he had been asking about my job... maybe he wasn't doing it in a negative way, maybe he was just surprised to find someone like him. When my eyes connected with his I saw that he knew exactly what he was thinking and offered me a small, confirming smile.

For a moment we were just frozen in comfort, neither of us wanting to be the one to let out a breathe and melt the bubble we had surrounded ourselves in. But, me being me, I started to feel awkward and so I quickly moved my piece on the board. "Your turn."

He is silent as he ponders and I watch him in fascination. This perfect specimen of a creature, had flaws, had issues, he wasn't the blessed child in his family, yet when you looked at him... wow.

"Hey wait!" I suddenly proclaimed, my mind reeling, "You never told me what your job is." He smirked, "You were trying to distract, me weren't you."

He gave me a pleading look, "Once you tell the answer the mystery is solved and the fascination fades!"

I really don't think that is going to happen anytime soon.

I gave him a deadpanned stare, "Your acting is terrible, I live with an actress your standards are going to have to be much higher." He smiled at that, moving another piece.

"Fine - i'm an instructor."

"What like a Zumba teacher?" Guffawing at my own joke I started to choose my next piece.

"No. Like a SWAT Agent Trainer." I blinked in shock, "Maybe a little less dancing than a Zumba teacher but, close enough."

I could not believe this - well actually, okay I could believe this, look at the guy! But still, I was not expecting something as serious and big time as that. "So... you train people to fight?" I guessed apprehensively and he smirked as I moved a checker.

"Among other things." he answered vaguely and the cogs in my head began to turn with every strand of blonde hair I analysed on his tanned head, what other skills did he have, were they extraordinary, could he crack codes, or shoot a sniper rifle, or kill a man in twelve different ways using only a spoon and a washing up glove? "The wrestling definitely comes in handy."

All informative questions were suddenly blown out of mind by a huge windmill named hormones which was apparently deciding to fill my mind with more latex than any normal person should ever witness.

"Yeah- about the wrestling..."

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Gah i hope people are reading this book because I really love some parts of it - especially chapters with revealing stuff!!!!!

So yeah if your out there make yourself known, don't leave a brother hanging.

And yeah, thank you so much for your support!

Dedicated to a brilliant girl who gave this book some love and im eternally grateful for it - check out her stuff it's really good! Especially Break Free!