Ella closed Lara's room door after her twin sister had entered and they were gathered on and around Lara's bed. Only Brie's clique; Brie, Lara, Katy, the twins and Dana.

The twins joined Katy who was on the tiled floor, looking up at the other three who were on Lara's bed.

It had been a long night for all of them. Mrs. Benson's return and the impromptu interrogation that could have ended their jobs and their lives.

"Lara," Dana held Lara to her and rubbed her arms, "Ssshhh. It's okay, it's over. Don't cry, baby girl."

Lara was crying profusely in Dana's brown T-shirt that had the inscription 'FML'.

She couldn't stop. The tears had a mind of their own. She felt regretful, horrible, monstrous and stupid.

"You lied to me," She sobbed, "You made me go and rain all kinds of insults on him."

"No," Katy frowned, "No one told you to confront him. Why the hell did you?"

"Because I was angry!" She raised her tear-stained face to look at Katy, "I was mad he wanted to do the same thing to me."

"Tess is gone now..." Emma said unexpectedly. She hardly talked when the girls were together, unless asked a question.

"She deserved it." Her twin sister bit back and turned to Lara, "Brie saved you. The least you can do is say thank you. She saved your guilty ass. That should have been you, not Tess."

"That's enough." Dana threw Ella an annoyed look while she caressed Lara's arm, "Tess lied to all of us. We honestly didn't know everything she was saying were lies-"

"I called him a cougar-minded rapist," Lara cut in, "A cunning imbecile... A monster!"

"Why the hell, Lara??" Katy asked, "That's total disrespect and really mean."

Lara bit back, "Better than saying it behind his back like you all did."

Emma looked down at her hands and Ella looked away.

Lara continued, "I made fun of his traumatizing experience. He tried to tell me the truth. He tried so hard, I just didn't listen. He was so emotional. I chose your story over his."

"Don't frigging blame us for what you did." Ella snorted but Lara was oblivious,

"He had likened himself to Meena, the maid who committed suicide. I called him Prince Jayden and frigging mocked him! I slapped him!"

"WHAT?!" Ella, Emma, Katy and even Dana yelled in unison.

"Yes," Lara sobbed, "He was just calm. He didn't even lay a finger on me."

Emma's eyes were watery, "We have to apologize to him. All of us," She said, despite the fact that she hadn't contributed to the gossip. She was just present.

In fact, Emma never contributed to any of their gossip, unless it was about food.

They usually talked about Jayden and Uncle Sam and hot guys, all of which Emma found no interest in. And she wasn't about to let them know where her interests lied, especially her 'evil' twin sister.

Katy sighed and turned to Brie who was sitting beside Lara and was awfully quiet. She had not uttered a single word since the interrogation.

"Brie, what's wrong?"

It appeared as if her mind wasn't in the room. She was just staring at nothing exactly.

The twins and Dana turned to her, wondering what was wrong with her as well.

"Brie?" Dana reached out and tugged at her arm.

"Mr. Benson," Brie began, "Was mad."

The girls didn't understand where she was getting at. Of course he'd be mad.

Brie continued, "Mr. Benson was mad at me." Tears started to fill her eyes. "He was angry."

The girls stared at her in confusion, and only Katy had the courage to speak,

"Brie..." She was cautious, "He's Jayden's father. It's only natural. And it wasn't personal. He's mad at all of us."

"No." Brie retorted, a tear falling from her eye as the memory of him gripping her arm and warning her replayed in her mind, "He's mad at me. He suspects I'm involved in the situation more than I let in. He's angry."

Silence again.

Emma turned to her twin sister and got the same bedazzled reaction in return.

What the hell was Brie saying? And why was she crying?

"Brie?" Katy looked at her, "Why is this making you cry? You never cry. Why's his opinion troubling you?"

Brie immediately wiped her tear. "Can't you see he's the only one who cares about our real lives? He's the only one in this house who gives a damn about our aspirations. And talents. Like your college applications, Katy. And," She turned to Lara beside her who had her head in Dana's shirt, "Maybe even your musical career."

Katy sighed.

Brie continued, "My mother's health, Dana's course, Ella's scholarship, Emma's silly German and Portuguese classes, no offence."

Emma rolled her eyes, "They're not silly, but yeah."

"Can't you guys see that if he becomes a 'Mrs. Benson', we're all screwed? If he becomes like his stupid wife, it's hopeless for us?"

"Stupid?" Lara questioned. Brie was shamelessly screwing the woman's husband and now she was insulting her? For what exactly? Looking out for her son? Or trusting her husband too much?

"Yes, stupid." Brie frowned at Lara, "Not the point." She then turned to the other girls on the ground, "We have to keep ourselves in Mr. Benson's good books. This is why I'm worried, so when you guys are done moping about Jayden and his past, let's talk."

Lara pulled away from Dana's arms and faced Brie, "You should be ashamed of yourself. You don't even sound the least bit remorseful for talking bad about him. You and Tess spread those lies about his past."

Brie turned to Lara, "I think I should be getting a thank you card from you. How ungrateful."

"Oh shut up!" Lara's tone caught the twins, Katy and Dana by surprise. "You knew that if I was found out, we'd all go down, because you were my source of info. The source of the lies."

"Lara, you do not want to go there with me. I've a lot on my plate right now."

"Like what? Screwing Mr. Benson?" The words were already out before Lara could control them, and she realized the intensity of what she had said by the shocked looks on everyone's faces.

Brie's eyes were full of rage. "Are you for real?! Oh wait, is that the best you've got?"

Lara wanted to say it all. Mention how she found Brie on Mr. Benson the day Brie's brother had come to visit. She could have said it, but she didn't.

It wasn't worth it.

Katy defended Brie, "That's some serious accusation, Lara."

"Whatever."

Lara dropped her head on Dana's lap and closed her eyes. She was tired and drained physically and emotionally.

Dana caressed Lara's hair as she voiced out her thoughts, "You know, Mrs. Benson really didn't know you pulled the trigger, Lara. This means that Jayden didn't mention your name. He could have, but he didn't."

He could have, but he didn't. Those words had been on repeat in Lara's head.

"Jayden likes her." Ella thought out loud as well, and Lara opened her eyes.

Brie rolled her eyes. "He just wants to fuck her. Why else?" She voiced out her opinion which made Lara sit up again,

"I don't want to hear another word about Jayden from you. Anyone else but you. All you say are lies."

She resumed her former position and had the girls staring at her.

It was Katy who decided to say what had been on their minds,

"You like Jayden, it's so obvious. You're falling for him already. It's evident."

Emma looked down at her laced hands. Jayden liked Lara, Lara liked Jayden. This was a simple equation. And it did not involve her.

Brie chipped in, "Well, sad. Jayden likes Kira. Did you see the way he looked at her?"

"Maaaaddddd," Katy stretched for emphasis, now lying on her tummy on the floor, "The way Kira defended him. Damn. That's some real shit."

Brie smirked, "They're both in his room right now. I wonder what they may be up to?" She gasped, feigning surprise and widened her hazel eyes at Lara, who didn't return her gaze, "They are probably having long-time-no-see sex. Jayden's getting lucky tonight."

Lara closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep. She didn't want to hear anymore. She didn't care about what they said.

Or did she?

***

Jayden walked into his room after Kira had entered and closed the door behind him.

He sighed, with his back towards the door, and Kira turned to him.

She dropped her black leather medium-sized travelling bag on a couch before coming to him at the door.

"I... love my welcome party?" She smiled and gave a small laugh, which made him smile too, but he sighed right after.

"Sorry you had to see that. And be a part of it."

She was standing in front of him now, their vast height difference compelling her to keep her head up.

"It's okay. My life has drama stamped on it." She smiled and he grinned lopsidedly.

Then she embraced him, her arms around his lower back, "I've missed you."

He embraced her with his hand on her bun and the other on her upper back, "I've missed you more. Three long years. Wow."

"I know, right?" she said as she pulled out from the embrace with a smile, then glanced back at his room.

"Your room looks lovely."

She walked away from him with her hands in the back pockets of her jeans.

"Thanks," He said, following the girl he knew as his saviour, his favourite personal maid, eyes on her as she took a seat in one of the couches, "You're more beautiful."

"Thank you," She smiled.

He sat down on his bed, directly in front of her seat, and she added, "You're more handsome."

They both paused to look at each other, eye to eye, then suddenly burst out laughing, after which he mentioned, "You're teasing me again. You won't change."

"You're teasable. That's a word right?" She laughed, her sparkling green eyes glowing as she kept them on his deep blue eyes.

Jayden was different now. His body was different, more muscular, more rugged. He was taller too. Three years ago, he stood somewhere at 5'10, but now he looked 6'3. And his height contributed to his Supermodel outlook. His face was different too; more chiseled, and grown with a small stubble. His dark blue eyes were sharper, as well as his jawline, which looked as if it could cut through steel.

Even the way he kept his hair was different. His dark short tresses were in a mess, but he didn't mind. He seemed to want it that way, occasionally running his fingers through them, involuntarily flexing his muscles.

Jayden seemed to have noticed her scrutiny because he asked, "I've changed, haven't I?"

Kira cleared her throat and smiled, "Yes. You look good."

Hot is what she wanted to say.

"Gracias, my beautiful mademoiselle." Jayden grinned, and Kira chuckled,

"Wow. Three languages in one sentence? You really have changed. Who would have thought?"

Jayden wasn't a keen learner of languages when she had been around.

"You make me happy." He didn't realize he had said it out loud.

Kira felt the emotion streaming from those four words.

"I'm glad." She smiled, "So, are you ready to talk?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

"Alright." She pulled her chair forward, way too forward because she accidentally grazed his knee with hers, gripping his thigh by reflex.

She looked up and caught him staring at her.

She looked away for some seconds, then returned her gaze to his, laughing, "Would you look at that! Clumsy me, as always."

Jayden smiled, then rested his elbows on his knees, his fingers laced in front of his mouth with his thumbs beneath his chin.

Kira then adjusted herself in her seat and began,

"I want you to tell me the exact same words Tess had said to you that triggered the memories."

Tess? He thought and informed,

"To begin with, it wasn't Tess who triggered the memories."

Kira's eyes widened, "What?"

"But she was still at fault," He quickly added, "She spread the rumors about me, which pushed the other girl to confront me harshly, thus, triggering the memories."

"Who?"

Who did you cover up? She wanted to ask.

"She's called Lara."

Kira paused to think, then said, "She's either the one who was standing beside Tess or the last one, standing directly opposite you."

"The last one." He replied, "Brie's the one who was beside Tess. A part of the gossip."

"I see. Why wasn't Lara punished then?"

"Tess was the main cause. She pulled the trigger."

"Looking at things, Tess only brought the gun. Lara aimed it and pulled the trigger." Kira made known her thoughts and Jayden hesitated.

How was he going to explain why he hadn't mentioned Lara's name?

She acknowledged his silence and lack of eye contact and rephrased her question, "What were Lara's exact words?"

Jayden unlaced his fingers and pushed his hair back with a hand, "Um, she said a lot of things." He rubbed his forehead before continuing,

"She called me a rapist, a sick pervert, she said I was like an ape who hadn't eaten banana for centuries,"

Kira had her hand over her mouth in shock, but remained silent for him to continue,

"She said Florence was a good woman, and I ruined an innocent woman's life. She hit me when I tried to stop her from talking."

"What..." Kira's almond-shaped eyes could not widen any further than it already had.

"She just," He sighed, "Broke me. I don't know how to explain it but the way she came at me with those stories... her bad perception of me, her words, and how she saw the Florence story. It all contributed. How I tried to tell her the truth, but she wouldn't listen. It broke me and made me remember the pain and suffering I actually went through in the hands of Florence."

Kira placed her hand on his knee, "Don't worry. We will work this out."

"I ruined my dad's lunch meeting, and probably my reputation. The memories came, and it just wasn't normal. It's like they were trying to overpower me. I wasn't sane, Kira."

Kira held his hands and he looked into her big beautiful eyes. "That will never happen again. I'm here, Jay."

"I know." He rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand.

"Lara's your personal maid, right?"

"Yes, she is."

"You two have gotten close?"

"Yes."

"You know what I mean, Jayden." Kira said.

He knew what she meant, and he answered again,

"Yes."

"Another Josey or Tess?"

"No, no," he replied immediately, "None. I dunno."

She paused, then said, "Alright. Tonight you'll tell me all about it, but before you begin," She shifted closer to him, hands still in his,

"Tomorrow, I want you to pack a couple of your clothes and belongings. We're going somewhere. And you have to be ready for this."

"Where?" he asked. "Why would I need to pack stuff?"

"We'll be gone for two weeks. The main event's been scheduled for after thirteen days."

Jayden grew skeptical. "What's going on?"

"You know everything I do is for your own good, right?"

"I know." He stared into her eyes, holding her hands firmly.

"Are you ready for this?"

"Am I?" he asked back since he was clueless of what to expect.

"You should be. It's for the best."

"I'm ready then," he answered.

She took a deep breath, before saying,

"We are going to jail. We're going to see Aunt Florence."

Every single muscle in Jayden's body stiffened.

(Don't forget to vote and comment.❤❤ UPDATE COMING SOON)