(Authors note: John Legend All of Me music video is on the side and I really think it represents Lincoln and Lydia so listen to it, maybe?)

Chapter 30:

Lincoln Xavier:

I sat fiddling with the rim of the glass that was full of coke while waiting for Zoe to turn up.

A minute later I heard clapping sounds and I turned around to face Zoe who was dressed in black jeans and a white t-shirt that said, 'stick it'.

Her red hair was tied up in a loose pony tail that bobbed up and down as she trudged towards me, a smile on her face.

"Hey Zoe." I said without a smile and she waved shyly at me.

I could feel some on lookers and I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

They probably thought this was another one of my usual hook up and have 'sex'.

Nobody even knew that I'd only done it once, they just gathered that I did it with every girl me hooked up with and the truth was that I could never ever do it with anyone else other than my beautiful Lydia who rarely ever disappeared from my thoughts.

"Hey how's it going?" She asked as she sat down on the seat.

"Alright." I sighed.

"Okay what's on your mind?" Zoe asked.

""Just Lydia again." I gave Zoe a half smile and ran a hand through my hair which caused some if my hair to stick up in odd directions.

"You always think about her, what happened?"

"Yep, bit hard not to think of her she was my absolute everything and I can't believe I'm actually letting this stuff out." I sighed.

"It's good, your getting it out if your system, keep talking." Zoe smiled at me while flicking a strand of her hair away from her eye.

"Alright I'll keep talking. So she gave me a letter when she left and I only just read it and I can't believe I missed all the signs and I just miss her so so much Zoe." I closed my eyes and breathed out a deep breath.

"Gm have you tried talking about this with your family?"

"Nope and that's only because I don't want to worry them all with my stupid problems just because I can't deal with them myself." I said pursing my lips.

"Well on Saturday want to talk about it all with me and I'll let you in in some if my issues?"

"Sure." I agreed with a smile.

Zoe was really kind and I couldn't believe the guys in my elective class teased her.

She was just as beautiful as anyone else and what that guy did to her was disgraceful.

I was glad she was becoming my friend.

"Alright I'll let you know what time and where. Do you want anything to eat, I'm going up to order something?" Zoe asked and stood up and patted her shirt down.

"Um yeah can you get me some cheesecake? I'll pay you back when you get back to the table." I asked with a smile.

"Yep that's fine." She smiled and left the table to go and get our food.

As I waited for her to return I grabbed out my phone to message my younger brother.

-Tell mum that I might be gone longer than I thought-

A second later my phone beeped and I rolled my eyes at how quick he could text, either that or he was just sitting right on his phone.

-Will do. Why didn't you just text mum?-

I quickly replied back with, -Because she's getting her phone fixed, remember?-

I shoved my phone back in my pocket and lifted my head up to see Zoe carrying two plates in either hand.

In her left was a Caramel Slice and then in her right hand was my cheesecake.

I locked my lips and stood up, reaching over to grab the plate from her hand, setting it done gently on the table.

I watched as she sat herself on the seat across from me and pick up the rectangle piece of cake, taking a chomp out of it before setting the cake back down and smiling at me as my hands wrapped around the fork that was beside me.

Giving her a small smile my eyes wandered to the plate.

The cheesecake fell onto the plate when I removed the top part of it and I resisted the urge to snicker.

Can't a cake stay balanced for once?

I rolled my eyes at this thought before shoving the fork into my mouth, savouring the taste of the crumbly biscuit as it had always been the best part about cheesecake.

"Nice cheesecake there? And come on, hand the money over." Zoe said.

I glanced upwards and set the fork across the small plate that was even smaller than my Lydia's hand used to be.

I groaned inwardly at the thought and shut down any further thoughts of her before I dug my hand into the pit of my pocket.

My finger rubbed against a cold metal and I shuddered at the touch.

I yawned loudly before bringing out a bunch of coins from my pocket and dropped them on the table causing a vibration that rushed through the table and everything around it.

"How much was it?" I looked up to meet her eyes.

Her tongue clicked in her mouth before she answered my question.

"Three-fifty." She said as she scrunched her noise up.

I nodded my head and flickered past the coins I had on the table and saw that I had a two dollar coin, a one dollar coin and a fifty cent coin which mean that I could give her the exact amount of money.

"Here." I said, my arm outstretched and the coins sat on my palm.

"Thanks." She snatched the coins from my hand.

I pulled my arm back and grabbed the still fork into my hand, licking the cheesecake from from the fork to finish it.

I dropped the fork back onto the table and stared at Zoe who stared at the far wall of the small coffee shop.

"What are you doing here with him?" Someone snarled.

I blinked my eyes and twisted my body to face a tall girl with her skimpy pink shorts that didn't go with the Rosie pink crop top that allowed you to see her flat stomach.

Had I ever even seen this girl before?

She didn't go to our school, that was for sure.

If she did I would've hooked up with her and you can trust me with the fact that I remembered every girl I've hooked up with, and she wasn't one of them.

"Am I not allowed to hang out with whomever I like Caroline?" Zoe responded.

"As a matter of fact, no, no you can't. Did you forget what the last hottie did?" The girl named Caroline folded her arms over her shirt which caused it to ride up more than before.

My heart beat quickened and I growled, the chair parted from me.

"How dare you talk to my friend that way!" I snarled at her and narrowed my eyes as I looked at her face.

I blinked rapidly and widened my eyes.

"Lincoln Xavier?"

"Caroline Craig?"

My mouth hung agape and I stared at the floor nervously.

"Whet are you doing wearing those clothes that actually have style?" Caroline inched her head closer to my body.

"why are you wearing those skimpy as eff clothes?" I poked her stomach.

"You answer mine first." She stated, her hands sitting on her hips.

"Find you want to hear, I'm a player."

"And I just couldn't give a shit about what I wear." Caroline rolled her broken eyes.

I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

What was going on?

I hadn't seen Caroline since two days before Lydia did what she did.

Caroline was her best friend and she was standing right in front of me looking like a completely changed person.

Did I look the same to her?

Sure my looks hadn't changed but the way I presented myself and what I wore most certainly had.

"Why are you a player now? Lydia would be so ashamed." She said and ran a hand through her broken hair they was tied up in the messiest bun I'd ever seen.

All say this girl didn't give a shit.

No wonder I didn't recognise her.

"I know she would and I'm s player because I don't want to let anyone close enough to me that I get this worked up over if something like what happened to Lydia happened again." I said and dropped my eyes to the floor in shame.

Someone put their hand on my shoulder and I met my eyes with Zoe's.

"Seems legit." She said.

"Yep. So what are you doing here in town and having a go at Zoe?" I asked Lydia's best friend.

"I came here to visit Zoe, she's my sister."