Caleb is really sweet and stays by my side the whole time, not letting me feel like I don't anyone here. He even introduced me to some of his friends, who were also equally nice.

Even Nick joined us from time to time, however, Jason has not come or neither talked to me. I see Jason and Jessica talking to other people whom I assume are their mutual friends, and other than a few glimpses in my direction he hasn't spoken to me.

I don't know what he wanted to talk about, but I guess whatever it is not as important.

While on the other hand, I am maintaining my distance from my family which is easier than I have thought. They have seen me because it is not like we can avoid each other at a party, but as usual, they are ignoring me and this time I don't even care because for the first even I am with the ones who actually want to talk to me.

Although a pang of hurt sear inside my heart when I watch Emmet happily chatting with Maria, while they tease and joke with each other. I just feel that even Emmet has replaced me in his life, and he is just happy with having Maria as his sister.

Swallowing the hurt, I look away from them and walk away from them.

"Is he your ex-boyfriend?" Caleb asks and when I look at him I notice he is eyeing Emmet.

"No." A rueful smile appears on my face, "He is my brother... half-brother."

"Your brother?" He looks surprised, "It means that your family is here?"

"Then why haven't you went to meet them?" He looks confused. "Are you mad at them?"

"They don't want me." For some reason, the truth comes out of my mouth, "Neither they want anything to do with me."

"What?" His sounds confused, but the hint of anger in his voice makes me smile.

"If they don't want you, then you also don't need them." He glares in the direction of Emmet and Maria, "They are jerks." He glances at me while his expression shows his anger.

"Stay with us, we want you." He smiles at me trying to cheer me up.

I just return his smile, because I don't know how to respond to him because in a few hours I will already be gone from here.

**********************************************

I laugh at something which Caleb tells me about some guy in his school who brags about everything, as my eyes shift to Jason. Jason and Jessica are dancing with each other, happily gazing into each other's eyes. I notice Jason tells something to Jessica which makes her smile, even more, wider.

Although my heart aches to see them together, at the same time, a part of me is extremely happy that finally, Jason has found his happiness. Now he doesn't need me anymore, and the last thing which was somewhere binding me to this place is also gone.

Turning my face away from them, I rest my arms over the wooden railing of the deck and stare at the ocean. Caleb sensed my hurt, so he suggested that we can move to the other part of the restaurant which is a little less crowded and from there we can even view the water. It surprises me how thoughtful and mature he is for his age.

"You love my brother?" He abruptly asks, while his straightforwardness takes me completely by surprise.

"Is it that obvious?" I smile while not bothering to deny. Finally, I have come to terms with my feelings, that I am in love with Jason.

While on the other hand, I know just like my every other dream, even Jason will be a part of my unfulfilled dream.

"Maybe not to others, but to me." He shrugs, "If you love him then why aren't you telling him?"

"Sometimes it is best to just keep your feelings to yourself." I let out a small sigh, "Especially when you know nothing good can come out of them."

"Will you be fine to see him with someone else?" He turns to look at Jason and Jessica and frowns. "Won't you feel hurt?"

My eyes follow his line of sight, watching them. Jessica has a fond look in her eyes as she glances at Jason who is smiling at her.

"As long as he is happy, I am okay with it, because I know he is with someone who makes him happy." A small smile lifts my lips, while tears blur my vision, "Because sometimes loving someone means to let them go where their happiness lies."

"And I will not be here, after tonight, so knowing that finally he is happy with his life will make it easier for me to move on." Blinking my eyes, I dry my tears.

"You are leaving us?" Caleb's face is full of shock and hurt. "You didn't tell anyone that you are leaving today."

"I am not leaving any of you." Shaking my head, I smile at him, "I am taking all of you with me, in my memories and my heart. So wherever I will go you will always stay with me."

"Were you planning to leave without even telling anyone?" Hurt evident in his voice.

"I don't want to say goodbye, I don't want to leave with having memory of your sad face." I ruffle his hair, "I want to bask in all these happy moments with you all, and leave with your smiling face in my mind."

"Will you not even say goodbye to Jason?" The tears in his eyes make me realize why I never want anyone to know that tonight it will be the last time they will see me here.

"No, I can't, because saying him goodbye will be the hardest goodbyes of my life..." Looking down, I tear to hide my tears. "And my heart is not that strong to bear that pain."

"I love you, Lina." He hugs me tightly, "I wish my brother was not an idiot and has realized how much you love him."

Hugging him back, I let a few tears escape my eyes. But quickly wiping them, I lean back and glance at him.

"Hey, let's go back inside the party and help me to enjoy my last night here to the fullest." I hold his face in my hands and wipe his tears.

"And I also want to know who was that cute girl, you were talking to earlier." I playfully wiggle my eyes and laugh when his face turns red.

"Her name is Molly, she goes to my school, and she recently moved here with her parents." He rubs the back of his neck, a habit which I am sure he got from Jason as even he does the same thing when he is feeling embarrassed.

"Oh, cute girl who is new in town." Slowly, I nod my head trying not to laugh, "I don't think you will have any problem to charm her, as you already know how to impress new girls in town and I am letting you know this by my experience." Winking at him, I playfully nudge his shoulder which makes him laugh while I feel relieved to see him laughing again.

************************************

When I returned to the party I didn't let anything tamper my mood. I conceal my every emotion behind the exterior of a fun-loving and happy Lina because that's what I want everyone to remember about me.

I can feel dad's glare but I ignored him, why would I leave this party because of them? I came here for myself, and I will leave when I will want to.

"I will be right back." Informing Nick, I head towards the restroom.

After using the bathroom, I look at my reflection in the mirror. And I am pleased to see that I am actually smiling, the real smile. My heart must be hurting, but the happiness which I gathered from here is giving me the strength to smile amid my pain. I am smiling because I have gained lifelong memories to cherish which will never let me feel alone again.

Stepping outside the restroom, I have just taken hardly two steps when the strap of my heel becomes loose. Leaning against the wall, I lift my foot to fasten my strap when I feel someone touching my back which startles me causing me to lose my balance.

Chris instantly pulls me to himself, before I can fall as his hand continues to stay behind my back.

"Leave me." Gritting my teeth, I fight against his hold.

"Don't fight me, Lina." He smiles and tightens his hold on me pulling me flush against his chest, "I am still the same Chris whom you love."

"I don't love you anymore." I push against his chest, trying to create a distance between us.

"You still love me, Lina." Leaning down, he brushes his lips against my jaw making me turn my face away from him, "Your anger is just concealing your love."

"You know, we can still be together?" He glances at me, "Even after I marry Maria, you and I can still be together."

I can't believe this is the person whom I love at some point. He is just disgusting.

"You are marrying Maria." I look at him in disbelief, "How can you even think something so disgusting like this? At least be faithful to her."

"Oh, c'mon Lina." He scoffs, "Do you think I don't know how she sleeps around behind my back? So what if I will keep you with me after marriage, after all, we both love each other. I know how lonely you feel, and I can help you to eliminate your loneliness." He brings his face near to my face, however, before his lips can touch me I punch his face.

And next the moment I kick him in his balls when his hold loosens on me.

"You bastard!" I glare at him, "How dare you suggest me to be your mistress?" All the anger which I have kept inside me erupts like lava.

"I will happily spend all my life alone than to be with someone like you, you motherfucker!" I kick him again, as he rolls on the floor while groaning in pain.

"What the hell are you doing, you crazy bitch!" Maria's eyes widen as she rushes towards Chris while pushing me away.

"Baby, she was trying to fill my ears against you and was asking me to leave you." That bastard lies through his teeth, "She even suggested that we can keep seeing each other behind your back, and when I refused she started hitting me."

"Lina!" I hear Dad's thundering voice, causing me to notice we are not alone, "Why low will you stoop?"

Why I am not surprised he is blaming me without even knowing the truth.

"When Maria told me that you are following them and trying to come between them, at first I didn't believe her because somewhere I thought that you can't do something like this." He looks at me with disappointment and hate, "But after seeing you that day at that hotel, and now here, I am sure she is right."

"I am not following them or trying to break their relationship. I have been here long before you people came here." My voice rises as well as my anger, "I didn't even know that you are here."

"If you don't believe me ask Emmet." I glance at Emmet, then back at dad, "He knows that I was here, in fact, he knows everything about how Maria slept with Chris behind my back when Chris and I were dating me."

"Tell him, Emmet." I look at him, silently pleading him to speak, "Tell him the truth."

My eyes fill with tears while my heart shatters completely when instead of speaking anything he silently looks away from me.

"Don't drag Emmet into this, he has already told us how you used to try to talk to him even when he told you that he doesn't want anything to do with you." Maria cries shedding fake tears.

"Emmet," I whisper looking at Emmet, hoping he will deny that she is wrong.

But he proves me wrong when he remains silent choosing to be with them.

"I am sorry, for expecting from you that at least today you will take my side." I smile while wiping my tears, "But thank you for reminding me that no one will be ever on my side... not even the person whom I consider as my only family."

Again my belief strengthened that I will always get hurt whenever I will get attached to someone. And after today, I don't think I will ever let my heart do this mistake again.

Not even wasting another moment by trying to prove my truth to them, I walk away from there. But instead of heading back to the party, I go straight outside because it is finally time to leave this place.

********************************************

Thank you for reading.