My ears have been stuffed with cotton packing and I have shooting pain as well as the feeling of them being filled with water or something. The popping and clicking sounds are driving me nuts, but I was told it should improve in a few days.

I was given strict rules to follow and both my ears are bandaged up. I even have to sleep with two to three pillows so my head is propped up. I'm going to be honest.

I hate this.

I can't hear well and I get dizzy when I turn my head too quickly.

I'm in my art studio that dad and Adonis both had cleaned up. A lot of my paintings have been ruined. Weirdly, some of them are missing. My heart broke a little when I realized the one of Adonis and his sister was among the MIA.

I'm guessing it had been ruined to the point of no return and they threw it away. Standing, I gather as many easels as I can. I put what I can find of my ruined paintings I've done during my episodes and place them on the easels until I'm surrounded. I bring over a new canvas and get to work.

I don't usually try to rebirth my stuff, but these ones tell my story and I still don't know everything that's wrong with me. I work for a while until I'm interrupted.

"Georgie?" comes dad's muffled voice. I stop what I'm doing and smile at him. "Are you up for taking a short trip?"

Looking back at all the work I need to do, I decide to push it aside. "Sure."

I climb into a gorgeously rusted old beater truck that dad borrowed from the mechanic shop to cart me around in. As we drive, I notice we're going the same way Adonis took to get to Amber's.

"Are we going to see Amber?"

"She's going to meet us there."

I settle in and enjoy the drive, chatting with dad, and getting to know him more. It's the first time we've really had time together with just us. I find out from him that this truck is mine and that Adonis is fixing it up for me as an engagement present.

"It better be orange." I squeak out in excitement, causing dad to laugh.

We get to the college and he turns down an all too familiar street. The street Dallas and Red Light had attacked me. My skin prickles at the memory and I take a deep breath.

Dad parks in front of the empty building I had admired what feels like so long ago. A sign that says SOLD is stamped on the big window that I had peered into.

"Dad?" I question in dazed confusion.

He gets out and opens the door for me, helping me out of the truck. My head spins a little and dad holds me steady. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I whisper distractedly.

We walk in and I'm stunned into silence. Everyone from the club is there and the walls are actually brick with a fresh coat of white paint on some walls and black on others. The floors are concrete that has been refurbished and shine like glass. Light brown leather seating has been placed in certain spots and I'm awestruck as I walk around. I get to the black brick walls and suck in a sharp breath when I see Gabriella's finished oil painting hanging with a plaque underneath titled, What Survival Looks Like.

My feet take me over to the leather bench in front of it. A hand grabs mine. I don't have to see who it is to know it's Adonis's. I've gotten to know those callouses so well I can tell you where each one is and paint his hand to perfection.

I sit and keep my attention on the oil painting. It speaks to your soul and grabs your attention in an aggressive yet subtle way.

Someone sits next to me and turn to see Gabriella. "Your sister told me everything. I'm sorry for what I said to you and for what's happened to you. As an apology I got all the art students to agree to having some of their work displayed at your gallery. It wasn't hard though. This, what you want to do here, it's giving a lot of artists voices that wouldn't be heard otherwise."

I stare at her. "Thank you."

She smiles and leans in. "By the way, your fiancé is gorgeous."

I'm still not used to that...

Fiancé.

She gets up. "I have class but I hope we can get together soon and start working on this. Oh!" She stops at the door. "I also wanted to let you know that I've been accepted. I'll be starting there next fall."

I give her a genuine smile. "I'm so glad. Congratulations."

"Your words stuck," she says with a lifted shoulder. "I needed to take the risk."

She leaves and I turn to everyone. "How?"

Dad steps up and kneels in front of me. "Archie and I didn't go on a charity anti-bullying trip. I went to sort things out with your mom and Chip." His jaw tenses at Chip's name. "Arch came to make sure I didn't put his head through a wall."

My eyes search his. "What happened?"

Dad touches the scar on my cheek with his thumb. "I got them to agree to giving you your money for the painting they sold. It's the best I could do. There was no way of getting your painting back and I'm sorry. Ace told me what you wanted to do so I bought this place. She took charge of getting Gabriella and the other students to display their work. Adonis, Arch, and I, along with some club members, fixed the place up. You still have some money left over. Not much, but some."

Adonis comes up, holding out his hand. "There's one thing left to show you."

Wistfully I take his hand and he leads me out of the gallery and into a hallway. We pass a tiny kitchen and then get to big double doors. He pushes them open. My hand lightly touches my throat as I walk in and bask in a happiness I've never known before.

An art studio so big and filled with everything I could ever need is before my eyes. My missing works are sitting on easels and my sights immediately find Adonis's painting.

I swiftly turn on my heel with please forgive me eyes ready to plead, but his palm in the air stops me. "Don't."

Staring up at him, I yank him by his cut and kiss him. "Please don't ever get sick of me."

He hums. "That's impossible."

I turn, making me stumble and Adonis curse as he catches me. I beam at everyone. "Thank you everyone, but there's one condition."

Dad cocks a brow as does Archie. I give a big broad smile. "It has to be part of the Salvation club."

Dad quickly objects, "Georgie, this is yours."

"And you're all my family. I'm not budging on this. In fact I think I want to call this Salvation's Art Center."

Adonis grabs me by the hips and gently turns me in the air until he's holding me up. His face is still bruised and contorted in some areas, but his deep green and opal eyes study me with an intense desire. I lightly touch his scar and he kisses my palm.

"I love you."