"Come on." I say trying to coax my car to start,"Come on, come on, come on."

The car starts for a brief second but then it sputters dramatically and dies.

"Ugh." I say hitting the steering wheel,"Why me?"

I look at my watch trying to contemplate as to what my next move was going to be. I'm in half a mind to go back to sleep but I shake my head for even thinking such a ridiculous thought.I couldn't just skip school because I had a test.

Alec had gone for the final prep for tomorrow's game and by the time I had called Samantha she was already on her way to school.

"Come on, baby." I say again taping, my car impatiently because I don't want to give up hope just yet. I loved my car and it never let me down up till now.

My grandma had obviously driven hers to the airport and parked it there which meant that I was left with no option but to walk to school, which would take me a solid half and hour.

And I didn't have time to spare.

Great. Unless a green ball of light came out of nowhere and someone gave me a green ring with a lantern, I wouldn't be reaching school on time.

I get out of the car dejected. It was one of those dreary damp cold days that hued everything in the color of boring dull grey. If I had a choice I would be back home with a cup of hot chocolate and some good book I just got my hands on.Or I would just read Harry Potter, again.But I had no choice. I was running so bloody late that it wasn't even funny anymore, so I slung my bag on my shoulder and started walking.

I probably walked only about two hundred metres before it's starts to raining.

I look up and curse,"Are you freaking kidding me?"

It's official, life hates me. My day quite literally could not get worse.

BEEP!

I squint to see a bright red car stopped on the road a few metres from where I was standing.

Oh, I was wrong this day could get worse.

He rolls down the window and yells over the rain,"Do you need a ride?"

"Nope I'm perfectly fine taking a stroll in the rain."

And as if on queue it starts raining harder.

"Don't be stupid Clara." He says,"It's raining and you're getting soaked."

He was right, it was stupid. So I get in the car promptly shutting the door behind me.

He doesn't say anything anything just turns up the heater and I rub my hands together trying to get some heat.

"Were you really going to walk all the way to school in the rain?" He asks, his tone slightly amused.

"Probably. I would have gone back an gotten an umbrella." I reply.

"Did it never occur to you to ask me or Ashley?"

What so I can hear you say more of nothing to me?

"No." I reply back. It's awkward in the car as he drives, under the speed limit this time carefully and slowly.

I fiddle with my phone trying to find something, anything interesting in it or fake a call just to bypass the awkward tension in the car. I'm leaning as far towards the door as possible looking desperately out in the rain.

"About last nights dinner." He says slowly

"What? Have you finally got something to say to me?"

My voice comes out as cold rather than hurt whi him incredibly grateful for. I don't look at him jut straight ahead but his green eyes have this way of pulling my gaze towards him.

He doesn't say anything and stays quiet.

"I didn't think so." I say,"I never thought so."

"Then why did you ask?" He asks mildly, his tone quiet.

"What?" I say confused.

"If you didn't think I would say anything, then why did you ask?"

I'm stunned by his question because more than anything it seems angry. And it's the first hit of emotion he has let slip ever since he came back.

"I don't know why." I answer truthfully,"And why does it matter anymore? It's not our problem anymore."

"I deserve that."

"You and I both know you deserve much worse."

"I know, but what do you want me to say to you?" He asks calmly,"I'm sorry? It won't fix-"

"Then stop pretending to be my friend. Like you and I are perfectly fine and you are giving me relationship advice. It's ridiculous. You are pretending that New York-"

He sighs,"I don't know how else to-"

"I know what happened in New York was a lie." I say not letting him finish,"It didn't mean a thing to you, I don't even know why I expected something else and it's taken me a while but I finally realise it."

"You're Jake Henderson and I was just some tough lay you needed to score and good for you cause you did. But that night wasn't a game for me Jake."

The car stops and I realise we are at school.

"You're good at this game Jake and I don't want to play against you anymore. I lost pathetically in New York and I don't think I have it in me to lose again. So go find another girl which I'm sure you've already found and play this game with her because I quit."

I open the door and step out. I hesitate for a second before turning around and muttering,"Thank you for the ride."

And then I turn and leave.

________________________

I bang my head against my locker. I literally was having one of the worst days.

Natalie had launched her lets hate on Clara party, the minute I stepped in school but it was missing her three key players.

But that didn't stop her from going all ballistic on my ass. Now that I was dating Alec the most easy way of making everyone hate me was spreading rumours that I was a lying cheating slut and I was totally cheating in Alec.

And it didn't help that I showed up in Jakes car today morning.

Sally Timberlake was going to have a field day today. Well at least someone would be having a good day.

I hadn't met Alec yet but I didn't think he would over react because he's better than some rumours that Natalie spread.

"You're having a bad day."

It's a statement that Rebecca makes and I can't help nod to it.

"Let's not." I say.

"Okay whatever I'm here to make it better." She says.

"Do you have Kit Kats?"

She raises her eyebrow,"Why would I have Kit Kats?"

"I thought you said you were going to make this day better." I pout and she rolls her eyes.

"I would kill to know how you manage to keep your figure after all your junk food."

"Well you clearly haven't lived my life." I say,"It's high stress. Two seconds as me is losing a hundred calories because you either have a bitch sister or arch nemesis to deal with or-"

"I get it, I get it." She says raising her hand in defence and I roll my eyes.

"Okay getting to the point." She says,"I want you to come stay at my house till Saturday."

"It's a Thursday." I reply,"How in gods name will your parents allow?"

"Well that's the thing." She says,"My parents are going to this stupid wedding thing on Saturday so they are planning to leave today. They want to take me with them but I really don't want to miss the game tomorrow."

"So where do I come in?"

"My parents love you and they think you're all responsible-"

"They clearly didn't see what happened to my goldfish." I mutter and she continues.

"And plus they know you can handle yourself because your grandmothers always in and out."

"I literally eat ramen noodles or order take out." I say.

"That's the beauty of it." She squeals,"They'll let me stay if you come. Besides it will be fun. The guys have their team party or bonding or whatever and you can enjoy the drama. in someone else's life for once."

"Sold." I say and she smiles and says,"And since your car doesn't work I'll tell my parents to give you a ride so they know I'm not lying."

"How do you know my car isn't working?" I ask as she starts to walk away.

"Oh babe everyone does." She winks and walks ahead disappearing into the crowd.

And there you have it folks why this schools average on tests are so bad because all they care about is other people's personal life. I honestly feel like going Avada Kedavra on their asses.

"Why him?"

I turn around to see Alec standing their looking just slightly bit annoyed and hurt.

I raise an eyebrow and mutter unintelligently,"Huh?"

"Since morning all I've been hearing about is how I should dump you because you cheated on me with my stepbrother." He says,"I don't know how much of that's true but I do know you came with him in the morning."

My mouth drops open in shock and I'm hurt more than angry.

"And you believe them?"

"I don't know what to believe so I've come to you." He says firmly," You did come with him in the morning didn't you?"

"Yes but-"

"Why not Samantha, Rebecca, your car. Why him?" He persists.

"Because I wanted to have sex with him." I say drily,"That's what you're thinking isn't it?"

He looks at me shocked and I flinch realising what I just said.

"Look. Rebecca doesn't have a car, Samantha came early and my car isn't working." I say,"I was walking to school but then it started raining and he was just there offering a ride."

"You could have called me."

"And what? Made you come all the way back?" I ask,"What kind of girlfriend do you think I am."

"He's your ex Clara." He says,"And the rumours flying around aren't particularly nice."

"Do you actually believe them?" I say,"That I would do something like that? I thought you trusted me enough to know that this was another one of the rumours Natalie was spreading."

He sighs.

"Do you trust me?" I ask trying to keep the hurt out of my voice.

He hesitates for a moment looking at me and then shakes his head,"Of course I do."

"Then trust me when I say that nothing happened and nothing will happen." I say firmly.

He nods,"You're right I'm sorry it's just that I'm a bit paranoid and stressed for tomorrow game."

I nod,"I know. I'm sorry too. I've been having the worse day and i- I'm sorry for snapping at you like that I had no right."

"And we are back to apologising." He says with a slight smile and I roll my eyes.

"That we are." I say and he grabs me by the waist an pulls me towards him.

"Well since you've been having a bad day." He says twirling my hair and grinning,"I have some good news. Well it's good news for me-"

"Go on."

"So college scouts are coming to next weeks game." He says,"And they are considering to give me a full scholarship if I can bring my A game on."

I smile and put my arms around him,"That's amazing. I'm sure you're going to be amazing you always are."

"I know it's a lot to ask but I need you to be there. I know you can't come tomorrow because you have chem tomo-"

"I'll be there." I interrupt,"I promise that I will be there."

He grins and gives me a kiss on the cheek,"Thank you."

"Anytime."

"If your done with the PDA, are you coming to lunch?" Jared calls out and Alec sighs.

"I need to go." He says,"Are you coming?"

I shake my head,"I have some research to do in the library. Catch up with you later?"

He nods absent mindlessly and I start collecting my things to go to when he says,"Clara?"

I look at him,"Yeah?"

"Next time will you call me?"

I smile,"Of course."

As he nodded and left I realised something.

Maybe I had to convince myself that Jake and I were completely over and I didn't have even the tiniest flicker of feelings for him but when it came to Alec I needed no convincing to know that I was in love with him.

____________

"Rebecca I swear to god the movie is going to get over if you don't bring out the popcorn, like now." I call out to Rebecca as Safe Haven starts playing.

The movie was Rebecca's choice obviously so as per her deal whoever chose the movie had to get the popcorn which was why she was currently in her kitchen making popcorn.

I had been in Rebecca's house for a grand total of four hours since and she hadn't brought up the boy topic even once yet for which I was incredibly grateful.

I really did need one drama less night for a change where I wasn't tearing my head out.

It was still raining heavily outside but I was cosily ticked Ito Rebecca's comforter which he had brought out to the living room and leaning against her couch.

"Give me five seconds." She says and I can distinctly here her phone beep. If she's sexting Jeremy I swear to god-

"I'm here!" she comes in with a large tub of popcorn and a coca cola bottle balanced in her to hands and she puts them neatly down.

The movie starts and we are pretty soon engrossed in it. For Rebecca it's the story of course, she's always been a sucker of the Nicholas Sparks novels and movie all I was really looking at was Josh Duhamel.

Halfway through the movie she sits up straight and turns around to look at her window,"Do you hear something?"

I roll my eyes as she couldn't have picked a worse moment to pause it,"Rebecca it been raining since morning it's obviously just the rain."

She shakes her head clearly unsatisfied with my answer.

"Rebecca I assure you that Jeremy is not outside standing in the rain throwing stones at your window." I say drily,"I talked to Alec half and an hour they were still there-"

"Okay, okay I get it." She says,"But there it's still creepy okay, for all you know there is a serial rapist- where is my pepper spray?"

I roll my eyes as she gets up and scrambles towards the window. I start to reach for the remote when she calls out.

"Clara?"

"Yeah?"

"You need to see this."

"What?"

"Him."

I raise an eyebrow as I turn to look at Rebecca who has a slight smile on her face as she looks out.

"What on earths name are you talking about?"

I get up from my place joining her.

"What are you-"

My voice catches in my throat as I get a look at exactly what she's looking at.

Jake.

Jake, standing outside in the pouring rain with small pebbles in his hand.

What the hell?

I immediately make my way towards the door without thinking twice and throw it open.

I step out on the porch and for a second I think that I had imagine the whole thing but sure enough he was still standing there like a ghost shaking from the relentless rain.

"Are you insane?" I yell against roar if the wind,"What are you doing-"

"It wasn't a lie."

"What?" I say trying put my hand up against the rain,"You're mad, it's pouring-"

"You need to know that it was real."

I look at him taking in his soaked black hair, stark white skin from the cold and his green eyes.

His green eyes, not the ones I had seen on the stranger he had become. And looking at him I forget reason, I forget right from wrong, sensible to plain stupid and step out in the rain.

"What was?" I ask clutching myself as the rain soaks me to the bone and I shiver.

"Us."

He stops for a bit and then continues,"It wasn't a game to me. It was never a game. Everything I said, everything I did, it was all true."

I stare at him biting my lip. This had to be some twisted dream that some part of me wanted desperately happen. But it was real because he was there, standing in the rain, standing in front of me.

"Then why?" I say quietly,"Why did you push me away so far? Why did you just leave?"

"Because I can't do this to you." He says firmly his face determined despite the cold.

"Do what?" I ask,"Make me trust you? Get my heart broken? Watch you walk out on me? Leave me just so you can-"

"I'm still here." He interrupts, his voice loud over the rain pounding heavily on the both of us.

"Why?" I whisper.

"Because I can't stay away from you." He says letting out a frustrating groan,"No matter how hard I try, no matter how far I go, it's you, it's always you that makes me turn around and come back."

"Then why did you run?" I scream,"Why did you leave?"

"Because I can't be selfish with you." He says,"I can't do-"

"You can't do this to me? It's like every time I catch my breath from you, you drag me back under." I say.

"I know-"

"Do you?" I say,"Back in New York what you did, it- it shattered me. But it wasn't only that it was the fact that you did nothing to tell me where you were. Not a single call, not a single fucking text. So how am I different from any of the other girls you slept with, used and threw away?"

The rain was coming down on us with everything it had in it, but we still stood there in front of each other not willing to move, fighting against the rain.

"You are not just some girl to me." He says bitterly,"For your sake I wish you were, someone who I could forget never think of twice. But it's killing me. You're killing me and staying so close to you and being so far is killing me. "

"Then why don't you just leave? Do it like before and don't look back and ever think about me."

"Because staying away from you is harder than seeing you happy with someone else."

The rain pounds on harder.

"You can't do this to me." I say knowing that I was probably repeating myself,"You can't make me feel like this. You're not supposed to, you're not supposed to tear down the little that's left of me."

"Then why haven't you walked away from me, yet?" He asks,"Why did you come out in the rain? Why did-"

"Because I still care godammit." I yell,"I care about you no matter how hard I try not to."

He stares at me and I stare back at him. His face is unguarded and he looks scared, almost terrified.

And it terrifies me.

"But you're right about me." He says,"I am that boy. The boy who doesn't deserve you, the one the will always hurt you and I'm sorry for that."

"But because of you It's like everything I know, Everything I believe in goes haywire when I'm around you." He continues,"And I'm terrified of that, but I can't do this to you I can't-"

"You are!" I scream,"That all you're doing, don't you see? When it comes to you I never, ever learn. Back in camp, back in New York. It's like I've lost all my faith in you and yet I can't seem to stop having hope."

I'm breathing heavily now and I clench my fists trying to catch my breath.

"I love him." I say.

"I know."

We stare at each other silently letting the rain form a curtain between us.

"He is good for you Clara-"

"Then why are you here?" I ask my tone hurt and angry more than anything else,"You're saying he's good for me and then you're making me doubt him."

"I'm here to say good bye."

My breath hitches and the cold has finally gotten to me and I can't stop shaking.

"Wh- What?"

He takes a deep breath and looks at me with as much determination as he can muster, he's shaking from the rain and his teeth are chattering and I'm pretty sure mine are too but mostly due to the shock of him seeing him.

Saying goodbye.

"I'm came here to tell you that it wasn't a lie."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"I'm not asking for trust Clara." He says,"And I don't expect you to give it to you either. But I'm done being selfish with you. You're right, I ruin everything I touch. I ruined whatever we had but I know you'll be happier with him, with Alec."

"So I'm leaving. I came back thinking I could do it, handle seeing you happy with someone else, handle you hating me-"