I sit on a white couch in my living room with a cup of hot tea in my hands. My mom pops into the room every ten minutes to check on me, but I wave her off, telling her I want to be alone.

My phone is laying on the small table in front of me and I'm waiting for it to ring, even though I know it can take days before I get the call I'm waiting on.

After the confusing yet terrifying call I had with Patricia the other night, I can't seem to concentrate on anything at all.

First, my best friend got kidnapped and now, my other close friend has met the same faith. I heard everything she said with that guy and as it ended and no one replied to my screams through the phone, I immediately called the police and had an officer over within ten minutes.

They managed to get access to the whole call, from the start to the end, but that Nick guy that took my friends was smart, he didn't give out any specific information. But, the officer said that they found one thing of interest, except for the fact that they got a strong reason to arrest Peter, and that is what Nick said about the black market.

Peter.

I hate him.

I hate him so freaking much.

How dare he betray us? His friends.

Currently, he's down at the station, where he's been kept since the police managed to get their hands on him.

They say that they don't have proof enough to actually judge him for the crimes I'm almost sure he's committed.

Yes, I don't know it for a fact, I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but I do trust Patricia and everything I heard on the phone.

Now, I'm waiting for the police to call and inform me about how the investigation's going.

I really don't care about what they are doing, all I care about is getting my friends back.

Since I'm the one who brought the information in, and since I'm one of the closest people to some of the people that's kidnapped, the centre of this life-changing problem, the police told me that they are trying to find out where the black market will take place because if they find the kidnappers, they will also find the kidnapped one way or another.

I'm relying on the police, but it's not like I have any other choice. I can't find them on my own.

"Sweetie, are you sure you don't want anything?" My mom asks, coming into the living room once again and causing me to snap back to reality.

"Uhm, no. I'm fine", I say in a distant tone. It's all I've been lately. Distant.

My other friends at school are worried about me, my family is worried about me, and I, I am worried about Alex and Patricia.

With a sigh I sink deeper into the cushions, my eyes never leaving my phone.

Nick never came back last night. I somehow managed to fall asleep leaned against the wall by the door, completely empty and drawn out on energy.

The clock shows that it's now 10:16 AM but I don't bother getting up. I mean, what's the point?

I can't get out of here and I still feel exhausted. My throat's still dry, my knuckles still bloody, but it doesn't matter right now.

I don't have to talk to anyone and I don't have to use my hands. I don't have to do anything and therefore, I will just stay here in the corner, hoping that I will slowly fade out, vanish.

Of course, that doesn't happen.

As the clock switch from 10:39 to 10:40 AM, I hear the sound of footsteps outside the door and the sound of a key turning in a lock.

The door slowly opens, the sudden light stinging in my eyes, but I remain on my place on the floor.

"Alex?" I hear Nick ask with surprise in his voice.

I don't answer him and he continues.

"Alex? What the hell are you doing? Alex, are you alright?"

He kneels down in front of me, his fingers stroking gently over my pale cheek. My body stiffens at his touch and I can hear him sigh.

"C'mon gorgeous, I won't hurt you."

But you did last night.

He slowly stands up, closing and locking the door, before he crouches down on the same spot as before.

"Go ahead", he says in a voice barely above a whisper, and I furrow my eyebrow slightly but I still ignore him.

"Go ahead and tell me how much you hate me, scream it out for everyone to hear if that's what it takes to make you feel better. You can even hit me if you want, it's not more than fair."

Fair? Hitting him once wouldn't make it fair between us. He ruined my life and kidnapped me, and hurt my friend. And he thinks that one punch will make it alright?

I continue to ignore him but I can feel the anger bubbling up to the surface again.

Yes, I do want to hit him, but that would mean that I listen to him, which I won't.

I've already told him, more than once, how much I hate him and punch him now when he let me, it's not the same thing.

It's no point in doing it when you're allowed to.

"Oh shit", Nick suddenly burst out, "your knuckles, Alex."

The pain caused by my sore knuckles is nothing compared to the pain he caused me emotionally.

"If you don't stand up now and listen to me", he warns, "I swear I will pick you up myself."

I still don't move, and I then feel his arms sneak around me, picking me up bridal style. I hate that he's touching me, but I don't want him to see that I care. I'm just going to be silent and not show any emotions at all.

He places me on the counter in his bathroom and picks up a first aid kit from one of the drawers.

"This might sting a little", he says as he holds a cotton ball in his hand with cleaning alcohol on it, which he starts dab on my sore knuckles.

I flinch at the sudden stinging pain, my only show of emotion, but Nick holds my hand in a strong grip, keeping it in place and continue taking care of my wounds.

I bite myself on my bottom lip to not give away any sound and when he's done, my knuckles are clean and swathed.

Even though Nick's done, he doesn't release his grip on my hand, and he clears his throat before speaking.

"I'm not gonna say I'm sorry for hurting Patricia, because I'm not. And I do know what you were hiding from me, and it has caused us trouble, but I am truly sorry for hurting you."

Like if I care.

"Alex, please talk to me. Every time it feels like we've made progress, something happens that take us back to how it was at first. You hating me and refusing to do as I say. The other guys are getting tired of you. All you do is causing us trouble. But I won't give up on you. You can't fight forever Alex, and I will be here when you finally give up. I'll always be here, Alex. It doesn't matter if you hate me and don't want me to be because I won't leave, and neither will you."