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"What the fuck, I wanna go back and kick that fucker hard in the balls," Toby seethes, Blake looks just as annoyed, and even Carter who is usually calm and collected looks ready to go back.

While everyone, surprisingly even the other group of guys seethe about creepy I turn to Aiden who had been quiet since we got back; "thank you Aiden, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you about the clothes," I apologize shamelessly.

"It probably would have happened even without the clothes but wear this," Aiden replies calmly, taking off his signature leather jacket and handing it to me, leaving him in his black jeans and black shirt.

"Thank you," I reply gratefully, taking the jacket and surprising Aiden; "What?" I ask.

"You're agreeing to wear it?" Aiden replies looking shocked.

"You were right, I should listen to you more often," I roll my eyes chuckling, attempting to make a joke out of it as I slip my arms through the sleeves that are noticeably too big for me. This seemed to happen a lot when the tracks were involved.

"Music to my ears hearing you say that Collins," Aiden smirks. Cocky Aiden was back, good, I missed him.

I laugh sarcastically in response but can't stop the smile that adorns my face.

"You wanna go home? I have another 2 races in 20 but I'm happy to miss them," Aiden offers genuinely.

I actually enjoyed it here and going home was not something I wanted to do; "no, I want to stay," I smile. Aiden searches my face for any trail of lies but when he sees none he nods.

"You okay Em?" Carter asks sweetly.

"Yeah," I smile, I look at the other group that followed us wondering who they were when Toby notices this and puts his arm around my shoulder.

"Mills, this is Alex, Liam, Cooper and Amy, we met them here a while ago, guys, this is Mills but you can't call her that and you have to call her Em," Toby introduces, confusing everyone.

They all smile and wave anyway.

"Hey Tobes, can you take me to the bathroom?" I ask innocently, suddenly needing to go. I blame it on all the nerves.

"I'll take you," Aiden interrupts.

"I can take her, I need to go as well," Amy offers to smile. Aiden looks like he's debating something but once again Amy interrupts; "nothing will happen, she's with me and if something does then I'll rush and get you straight away."

After a minute Aiden nods hesitantly and Amy smiles, linking her arm with mine and walking to the direction of what I assume is the bathroom. For someone who I've never met before she seemed to be quiet comfortable around me but for some reason, I felt comfortable around her as well.

"So how long have you and Aiden been dating? Never thought I'd see the day when he settled down," Amy laughs.

"We're not actually together," I laugh back awkwardly. She stops suddenly and looks at me extremely surprised.

"Really?" she begins, "but I've known Aiden years and not once have I seen him react the way he did when he saw you and you jumped on him."

My heart beats quickly. "No we're not, we're just good friends" I smile.

She looks shocked, "I could have sworn there was something going on between you guys, I didn't act like that with Liam when we were just friends, I couldn't be within 10 feet of him without making a major fool of myself."

For some reason, it made me happy that she was dating Liam and obviously loved him.

"Really?" I laugh.

"Oh yeah, it was bad. I humiliated myself every time," she replies seriously. I laugh at her.

"You like him though don't you?" Amy asks casually. My heart beats practically and I freeze, I look in her eyes and don't see any form of possible betrayment so I decide to go with it.

"Yeah, is it that obvious?" I groan.

"Yes it is hun, but it's just as obvious that he's into you as well, I've never seen him act like that with another girl, like for fuck sake, you're wearing his jacket," she enthuses.

I laugh at her thought process hoping that she was right but secretly knowing she wasn't, I didn't notice before but Amy was really pretty. She had firey long red hair, pale skin, and light freckles on her nose. She kind of reminded me of how Ginny Weasley is described in the Harry Potter books.

Before I can say much more we reach the toilets, we go into separate stalls and do our business, I exit a few seconds before her. After washing our hands we begin walking back to the boys but practically as soon as we exit the bathroom, I'm pulled roughly by my arm and forced to stop. When Amy see's me stop she also stops to see what's happening.

I turn around to face whoever the person is and come face to face with yet another guy. This one had red hair similar to Amy's and was a couple of inches shorter than Toby but muscles the size of my head. Although I was frightened earlier with creepy, it was nothing compared to how I felt now.

"Let me go," I demand, but the guy just smirks and pulls me closer to him. "Get off me," I continue yelling as he caresses my cheek and neck with one hand, while the other stays firmly on my wrist, holding me tightly and even painfully so my back was against his chest.

"Get off of her asshole," I see Amy yell as she attempts to pry me away from the guy. He effortlessly pushes her down and she falls on the ground harshly.

"Amy," I yell, I see Amy looking up at me frightened and Roberts lessons on how to defend myself quickly run through my head and without thinking I step on his toe as harshly as I possibly can. He yelps in surprise and lets me go, I quickly pull Amy up and we attempt to sprint away but before we can get very far, 4 guys as large as the other all stand in our way. One grabs me again and I try to step on his toe but he obviously expects this after watching the first guy and dodges it.

"Let her fucking go," Amy tries again, pushing in between the large guys.

"Shut the fuck up bitch, this is about Aiden, not you," one of the guys says as he pushes her to the ground once again. I hear her body make contact with the hard floor and I know that she is going to have bruises later.

I try and see her to make sure she's okay but she quickly gets up, gives me one last worried look and sprints in the other direction.

"Pussy," one of the guys laughs at her retreating form. Although none of these guys suspected it, I had a good feeling she had run off to get our guys and I was thankful for that.

"What do you want from me," I beg, still fighting to get out of this guys grip.

"You're Aiden's girl, he got a pretty one didn't he?" the guy holding me laughs maniacally to his friends.

"You see the body on her, damn that ass?" the first guy smirks, taking me back from the previous guy that was holding me.

The other guys laugh and I feel the guys rough hands run down my body and grip onto my behind harshly. I yelp loudly, trying to scream loud enough for anyone to hear me. The guy holding me quickly covers my mouth with his disgusting hand, being aware of my motives.

"You shouldn't have done that love," he says angrily as he once again grabs my behind, even harsher than before, using the hand covering my mouth to keep me firmly in place. Tears start to run down my face as I come to terms with what's about to happen. I continue struggling but nothing happens.

Suddenly the guy lets go of me and falls to the ground with a thud, I look at my savior and am not surprised to see Aiden on top of the guy and punching him repeatedly. All the other guys, including Liam, Alex, and Cooper were also here. I run to a terrified looking Amy just as a guy approaches us once again. Without thinking I go to hit him, purposely letting him catch my fist before kicking him as hard as I possibly can in the balls.

Almost instantly he falls to the ground crying loudly and I feel proud that I was able to protect Amy and I even a tiny bit.

Amy still looks terrified when a deep, menacing voice interrupts the whole scene making everyone stop.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" the guy I instantly recognize at Bates smirks with another 4 guys behind him, "go easy on my boys Aiden, they just wanted a turn with your girl."

Perhaps I would have been more shocked with his crude language if I hadn't already gotten spoken to in it many times tonight, but I wasn't even the slightest surprised when I heard it again.

"Your boys?" Aiden seethes, sauntering up to a smirking Bates, before he can get too close, Carter and Alex hold him back and this makes Bate's laugh.

"Precisely, I know you're paying back your daddy's debt but I'm sure the boss would be just as happy with your girl over there, you might even get some of your money back, pretty good deal I think. Your girl instead of your sister, 1 for 2." he taunts.

Cooper also grabs a hold of Aiden's shirt knowing full well Aiden was about to lash out, and this just makes Bates smirk even more.

"Don't talk about them," Aiden seethes.

"Hit a nerve have we? Although out of curiosity, is it worse if I talk about your daddy, your sisters, or your girl?" he continues to taunt.

Aiden doesn't reply but sends him a look that would terrify me if it were ever directed at me.

"Or even better, what about between your girl or your sisters? They're going to grow up to be...yum."

"Don't you dare mention either of my sisters you sick fuck," Aiden continues to seethe.

"What are you going to do about it? Fight me?" Bate's smirks.

"Stop hiding behind your daddy and I'd love nothing more," Aiden replies with so much hate in his voice that even I find myself taking a step back.

"I'll see you soon Aiden, I nearly beat you today and next time, I will. Keep an eye on your girl why don't you. You never know when any of my men might get...urgers," he smirks before he makes some movement with his hand and all his men follow him as he walks out of sight.

Aidens deathly glare follows him until he fades out of distance when he turns to look at me; "are you girls okay?"

Amy begins crying straight away and Liam quickly rushes to her side. I nod silently, feeling very numb and confused about what just happened. Carter rushes to my side pulls me into a hug but I can't respond. I'm frozen.

"Let's go home, Alex, Liam, Cooper, Amy, I'm sorry for getting you into that, I'll see you soon," Aiden says, walking over to me.

"Nah man, don't worry about it, I'm glad I got the chance to beat him up," Alex replies, Cooper nods in agreement but Liam and Amy aren't paying any attention.

Aiden nods back and we walk to the car, Aidens puts his arm around my shoulder to guide me. Not even Toby attempts to make a joke as we get into Aiden's car. The others watch us leave as Aiden wordlessly begins driving us back home.

We sit in silence for about half an hour before either of us speak. Aiden clutches the steering wheel and gear stick so tight his fists are white, and I lean my head against the window, thinking about nothing and everything at the same time.

"Em, I'm so sorry," Aiden sighs eventually, releasing his fists slightly.

"Who was he, and don't lie to me Aiden," I reply tiredly, looking at him. I wasn't mad at him in the least for the events that just took place, I knew they were completely out of his control. I was, however, upset that I had never heard of Bates, perhaps I was overreacting but I was under the impression that I had shared with him everything and he had done the same to me.

"He's Paul's son. The gang leader." He replies instantly, looking at me.

"I got that much Aiden, I have ears and the sense to put 2 and 2 together but who the fuck is Bate's really?" I demand, my voice coming off a lot harsher than originally planned.

Aiden doesn't look taken aback at my tone, he actually seems relieved that I was getting mad at him. "He's the one that takes the money I get for the girls, we race all the time because he wants an excuse to make me earn less so they get the girls. There's only so much money that I owe them but if they had the twins, they would earn way more than what I have to pay."

🎵🎤🎶

I don't reply, and once again lean my head against the window. Aiden tenses his fists again and the color drains. "Fuck Emily, get mad at me," Aiden yells after a couple of minutes.

I jump in surprise, not expecting him to get angry. "I don't blame you Aiden," I reply quietly, turning back to the window.

"Well you fucking should!!!" Aiden yells again, this time hitting his steering wheel.

I jump again, "please calm down," I reply, getting a little nervous considering he was driving.

"The fuck? Calm down? You almost just got raped because of me, and you're telling me you don't blame me and to calm down?!" Aiden yells.

"What do you want from me?" I say in the same quiet tone. I was exhausted, today's events exhausted me.

"To hit me, yell at me, say you want nothing to do with me and to get the fuck out of your life?" Aiden replies, he was still raising his voice but it was more defeated than his previous tone.

I look at him again; "I don't want to hit you, you don't need to be yelled at, and I do want you in my life," I say in a strangely strong tone. Just if he knew how much I really wanted him in my life, even now I knew that I was still crushing on Aiden, and crushing hard.

We pull up inside Aiden's garage and he gets out of the car angrily. After a moment I get out as well.

"I'm done Emily, all being friends with us has done to you is hurt your reputation, get you in shit with Tiffany, and almost get you raped," Aiden says harshly.

My heart breaks a little but I'm too frozen to speak. He doesn't mean that. He can't. Our friendship means more to him than that. I know it does. I need him right now, not even as the guy I like, I just need my friend.

He had been there for me for ages, months. He can't just abandon me now like my father did. I needed him to be my sweet friend and comfort me after almost being raped, not to leave me.

I stay frozen watching his every action, but instead of apologizing or making a flirty comment, or anything that resembles one of my best friends, he takes one last look at me and then disappears through the garage door.

After a few minutes when I realize that he's not coming back, I walk tiredly to my house. As soon as I open the door I see Robert and my mom asleep on the couch, obviously meaning to wait up for me. I shake my mother awake gently and as soon as she sees I'm okay I walk towards my room. I get a quick glance at my mother's confused face, assumably because of my obvious misery. Nala shakes her tail happily at me and even that doesn't get a reaction out of me. The clock says it's just after 1 am but I barely register it. As soon as I see my bed I lie down in the middle, on top of the blankets, and instantly fall asleep, the only comfort being Aiden's leather jacket still covering my petite body.