Angie thought she could handle it. After Tom turned his back on her and left, his final words ringing in her ears, she thought she could suck it up, get her books, and head for class, even if she was late.

Her shaking hands had other things in mind. She opened her locker, but instead of pulling out her chemistry books, she took everything out and stuffed them in her backpack. Then, her feet decided it was a good idea to head for the back exit.

She didn't really care. School was the last thing on her mind. But it was weird to witness her body moving on its own, without her brain to guide it. She felt like she was floating somewhere above, watching herself walk out of school.

The moment she stepped out, rain pelted heavily on her. Rian. It was finally raining. She lifted her head and looked at the sky. The storm clouds were still there, lead grey with shades of pink. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled.

And in that moment, the clouds were her. Her life, her feelings. She was nothing but a grey rumbling mess, the streaks of pink the only traces of her former self, the little bit of control she had left. The lighting was the anger, coming and going in a flash. And the thunder was the sound of her breaking heart.

In a matter of minutes, she was drenched to the bone, but it didn't matter. The rain could maybe wash away the pain, the anger, the hurt. The shame.

Her feet moved again, towards the bus station this time. She didn't look left or right, merely concentrated on the splashing tears on the ground. Whether it was the rain or her own tears, she didn't know nor care. It could wait. Everything could wait. For what, she wasn't sure.

She reached Kay's place and headed for her room quietly. Cassandra and Jonah were in the kitchen, arguing about something. She bypassed them and climbed the stairs. Once tucked inside her sanctuary, she dropped her backpack and decided to get started on some homework.

Once again, her hands had other plans. They pulled her suitcase out from under her bed and filled it with her meager belongings. Once again, Angie stood back and watched. She scribbled a short note for Kay, thanking her and her parents for their hospitality, then left the house.

It was bliss, walking in the rain without thought or feeling. It felt like nothing could touch her, hurt her, because she wasn't real. She was nothing. She was safe.

But when she settled into her seat and the train left the station, her body had nothing left to do. And her mind. Her mind took over, bringing with it a whirlwind of pain and rage. Shame. Because despite everything, what tormented her most was her mistake.

You're an orphan. That's who you are. It defines you.

It had come out so wrong. That wasn't what she meant. She'd wanted to say it was a part of him, that he shouldn't hide it, shouldn't be ashamed of it. He should embrace it and be proud of what he'd managed to achieve. Because Tom's life was much shittier than hers. She had a loving family. He had nothing. And she'd practically thrown it in his face.

Which was inexcusable because it made her the bad guy. Not him, the heartbreaker player. Her, the insensitive bitch.

Her eyes had finally had enough and started leaking, covering the front of her shirt in salty petals. She didn't even know why she was crying, because she couldn't feel anything. She knew the feelings were there, but she was so shocked, so numb, she felt like a ghost among the living.

What has he done to you? How could he break her so badly? So quickly.

Angie, I lo--

No! It was a lie! Everything he said was a lie to catch her, reel her in. He'd studied her, seen her weakness, said all the right things, did the right things. Appeared caring and honest and oh so attentive to her needs. Just to mess her up. Just to use her and add her name to a list of hundreds of others and give her a damn score. And he did it so well.

Wrong impression. Just a wrong impression. He was a good actor. An impeccable one. Except for one minor detail. The sunglasses. He hid his eyes so he could keep lying.

It's going to be alright. You'll get over this. Because it was nothing but silly teenage drama. She wasn't even seventeen yet. What would any of this matter when she'll be twenty? Thirty?

No matter how bad we screw up, it doesn't matter. This wouldn't screw up her life. Her day, destroyed. Her week, maybe. A month, a year, but it wasn't going to last forever. Because she was made of stars and she was going to bounce back.

Except now it felt like she was made of shit and she was going to die. She needed her mom.

💔💔💔

You don't love her.

BAM.

You don't love her.

BAM.

You don't love her.

BAM. Crash.

Tom jumped back. What the hell was that wall made out of? He never expected to punch a hole through it. He wasn't even hitting that hard.

The ache in his knuckles said otherwise. He studied his bruised and bloody hand. Close, but not nearly enough pain to distract him from what was happening on the inside.

You don't love her. Yes you do, idiot. You don't love her.

What was the point? He groaned and dropped on his flimsy bed, his face in his hands. It was over. Did it really matter why?

Yes, goddamnit! It mattered a lot. Because his insides were nothing but splinters. Bella had lodged spikes into his heart and he'd managed to yank them out. Angie had pulverized him completely. There was nothing but dust in there. Nothing to put back together.

How? How could he be so stupid? How could he not see what she was really like? Wrong impression. Such a wrong impression. He thought he knew her, understood her, thought they were the same, that they'd connected.

Bullshit. He knew nothing. He was fucking Jon Snow.

But it didn't matter. Because no matter how much it hurt, how dusty and hollow he felt on the inside, he wouldn't go back there. Wouldn't go down that dark path of self-destruction anymore. So he felt like a derelict building, like he had no future, like there was zero chance he'd ever be truly happy again. So what? He'd learn to live like a zombie.

The thought seemed to send poisonous quills through his brain. He'd never accepted the idea of living his life any other way than to the fullest. But Angie... She'd been more to him than... She'd been so much to him. Everything. And he was still unsure how and when it even happened.

She was just playing you. All she wanted was a sugar daddy, someone to make life easy for her. He couldn't ever make life easy for her. More complicated? Any day. But why did she do it? Did she really think he had money to spend on her? He did get her coffee, but it was free. Well, she didn't know that. But it was just damn coffee.

His brain was ready to explode as he tried to piece the real Angie together. Not the perfect one inside his head, not the one he saw. The one who told him he was nothing but an orphan and should just learn to live with it.

Her words hurt. Punctured him until he was Swiss cheese. Less than Swiss cheese. Air. Toxic air. Smoke. Nothing.

It was impossible. She couldn't have fooled him that well, that completely. It had to be some sort of misunderstanding. Even if she never denied any of his accusations, if she was really dating Ross, they were supposed to at least be friends.

And if there was one small chance this could all be wrong, that he could be wrong, he'd take it. So he grabbed his skateboard and sunglasses and headed for the door. When he opened it to let himself out, he almost bumped into Billy.

"You scared the crap out of me!" he said, clutching his chest.

"What are you doing here?" Tom asked with a frown. Billy had never come to his room before. Tom wasn't even sure the powers downstairs allowed visits.

"I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that your trial has been set in three days so you'll get rid of the insecurity." Billy took in a deep breath and continued before Tom could ask. "The bad news is that Collins somehow pulled some strings and you have to go back to jail."

Well fuck. "When?"

"Like right now. I came to warn you so you'll maybe wait outside and avoid a scene."

Tom bit on his lower lip. Damn. What horrible timing. Like fate and Collins wanted to keep him and Angie apart. If he went to jail now, it might be too late to clear anything. And there was no way in hell he was taking that chance. So he headed back inside, scribbled Kay's address on a piece of paper and passed it to Billy.

"Wait downstairs for the police. When they get here, tell them where to find me," he said calmly.

Billy's eyes widened. "What are you doing?"

"I have something to take care of before going to jail." And without another word, he hurried down the stairs. At least the rain had stopped.

It took him less than half an hour to get to Kay's house, his mind churning the entire time, wondering which Angie he'd find. A hurt one that would prove he actually meant something to her, or an angry, disdainful one that would make it clear he had no place in her life?

He stopped in front of the house and looked at it. So peaceful and suburban and normal. No place for him and his dusty jeans and scruffy trainers. His stomach plunged at the perspective of seeing Angie again, talking to her, maybe clearing everything up.

With a sigh, he took his skateboard under his arm and headed up the path towards the door. When he was halfway there, a harassed looking old woman ran out, dressed in a flowery dress and slippers.

"Jonah!" she cried, waving her arms as if fighting off a flock of angry seagulls. "Jonah, the miscreant!"

Well, this was a less than warm welcome. Still, he sucked it up and put on a charming smile. "Hello. I'm here to see--"

"Get off my lawn, devil's spawn!" the woman yelled.

"Gees, I just want to see Angie. Chill, woman!"

The old lady froze, then fumbled in her flowery dress and pulled out a pair of glasses which she put on. Her panicked expression fell into one of mild confusion and she no longer looked like a crazy old witch, but the respectable homeowner she was.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I confused you for someone else for a moment. You want to see Angie?"

Tom nodded, relieved that she wasn't chasing him away with a broom. Before the woman could answer, a tall, beautiful  blonde stepped out of the house, looking severely annoyed. Kay.

"What are you yelling about now?" she asked. Then her blue eyes fell on Tom and widened. "I know you!"

"Um, yeah, though we haven't been properly introduced." He rubbed the back of his head. It was so weird to stand in front of Kay, never to have spoken to her, but knowing so much about her.

Kay's forehead scrunched in confusion as she seemed to be doing some complicated math inside her head. Finally, she shook her head, asked the old woman to go inside and turned back to him.

"Sorry about that. You're lucky my dad didn't step out with a rifle."

Weirdos. "Your grandma didn't seem to like me."

Kay laughed, but it was bitter. "That was my mother."

"Oh. Sorry." The distant wails of police cars could already be heard.  Tick tock, tick tock. "Is Angie in?"

Kay shook her head. "Nope."

"Any idea when she'll come? I really need to talk to her."

She looked at him through narrowed eyes and he wondered for a moment if Angie had told her anything. If she had, Tom had the distinct feeling he was screwed. But Kay didn't get to say anything before the police made their way down her street. She frowned at the cars and then at him.

"What's going on?"

"I'm getting arrested again."

"What? Why?"

He didn't get to answer. The cars stopped and four officers got down. He was really running out of time.

"When she gets home, please tell her to come see me. Tell her I'm begging her."

"Tom Greene? You need to come with us," one of the officers said.

Kay just stared from him to the policemen. Tom strode over and grabbed her shoulders.

"Focus. Look at me. Tell her."

The next moment, two pairs of hands grabbed him and pulled him away from Kay. Before he knew it, his face was an inch from the mud and he was having his hands cuffed behind his back.

"What are you doing?" she called. "He wasn't assaulting me!"

"With his record, bettee safe than sorry, ma'am."

Tom couldn't hear them anymore. Couldn't focus. He was exhausted and needed sleep. So much that he dozed off in the squad car and while his lawyer fought tooth and nail to keep him free. He didn't really care. The ball was in Angie's court now, so she would either come see him or abandon him.

When he was put in a cell, he just curled into a ball on the small, hard bed and closed his eyes. He knew Jimmy would come. And Billy. And maybe Gina. What he didn't expect was his first visit to come from someone else.

"Hey."

He sat up quickly and turned towards the bars, toppling off the bed in the process. Kay stood before him, nibbling on her lower lip.

"Hi." He got to his feet quickly. "What are you doing here? Not that I don't appreciate any visit, but--"

She raised a hand to stop him. "Angie left."

His mouth fell open. "What?"

"She left a note to thank me for taking her in and said she's okay and that she'll call me."

Well, fuck. He dropped back on the bench, head in his hands, and for the first time thought about something completely selfish.  "My trial is in three days," he whispered.

"I know." The grimace on Kay's face showed her displeasure. "I've spoken to your lawyer. I knew a little about it from Angie, but it looks worse than I thought it was. The thing is, I can't guarantee Angie will be back to testify by the time you go to trial."

He nodded, though his insides were squirming like earthworms after the rain. Anger flared inside him, strong and powerful. Okay, so she didn't want him, but she could at least do her part and pull him out of this mess. A mess he got himself into because of her. Apparently not. Maybe she was actually having fun with this.

"I offered to testify instead of her," Kay said, pulling him back to reality.

"Really? Thank you." Tom had no idea what to say, how to show his gratitude to this stranger who was helping him when the girl who meant so much to him wouldn't.

"I should be thanking you." Kay nibbled on her lip again, her eyes glazing over slightly. "Both for punching that creep and for finding me that song."

"Oh, yeah, the Uncaged song. Glad to help."

Kay nodded and her eyes filled with tears. Tom bit his lip, wishing there were no bars between them so he could actually hug Kay. It was probably weird and inappropriate, but he had a feeling it would make her feel better.

"I think he's still looking for you."

"Huh?" Kay raised her face and wiped her eyes.

"Kyle. If he loves you, and I'm sure he does, I bet he's still looking for you. But maybe something's wrong on his end of the line, too."

She looked at him fascinated and he drew a deep breath, trying to find the words to describe the gut feeling he had.

"Don't be so quick to give up on something good. Life gets in the way all the time. I mean, hell, look at me, I'm in jail. But if it's meant to be, it will be. So just believe that some opportunity will come knocking and you'll see each other again."

Kay stared at him some more and he wondered if he'd gone overboard. But she stepped closer, sneaked her hands between the bars and took his, squeezing tightly.

"Thank you. You're the first person who told me to hold on. Everyone else keeps insisting that I move on." Tears glistened in her eyes again, but the smile on her face was honest.

"I think we're too quick to throw away a good thing. And to slow to throw away the bad."

Kay nodded and let him go. "I'll be back soon. If I have news, I'll let you know."

He nodded back and watched her go, his heart even heavier. Because he'd just realized that Angie was probably one of those bad things he refused to let go of.

🔱🔱🔱

So yes, we finally have an update. I'm not theoretically late, but yeah...

Okay, I can't help but wonder what you guys think after this one. About Angie, about Tom, about Kay.

Do any of you realize why Kay thought she knew Tom even if she'd never actually seen him before?

What do you think will happen now? Just one chapter left to go. Which will probably be really long, but I'll see if it needs splitting. My guess is no. I don't know when I'll update. Most likely as soon as I write it, but no later than Monday.

Thanks so much for reading, and if you liked it, don't forget to vote and comment!