"Why the hell would you not-" Hannah starts to freak out.

"Hannah," Shane warns, anger laced in his voice. She looks at him with a shaky breath, and he raises an eyebrow. "She tried to tell you over the phone, and you brushed her off because you were mad she ran. Don't yell at her."

"I'm her best friend. I have every damn right to be mad. I've been there since we were children, and I am pissed that she let another man touch her like that after her parents touched her like that," she snaps, my heart stopping entirely. Ali's eyes widen, and Shane curses under his breath, putting a hand in his hair.

"I'm sorry, but you did exactly what I was terrified of happening and stood up for him," I defend, my voice rising in pitch.

"I didn't think he put his fucking hands on you! I thought you were being dramatic over some damn fight because you ran away, and all you have been doing is running away whenever we are out," she snaps back. I let out a shaky breath; my heart is stuck in my throat.

"Alright, enough," Ali freaks out, hands on her head. She lets out a huff, fists balling and then opening out of frustration. "You need to stop taking it so personal. We get it. You knew her longer than the rest of us. You don't get to use that as an excuse to snap at her and make her feel so guilty when she was already terrified to talk to us in the first place," she puts Hannah in her place. Hannah's blue eyes widen, staring her down in disbelief. "And Megan, me saying that doesn't excuse you not telling us. You could tell us anything, and you know for a damn fact that we would have been by your side in a heartbeat. Shit like that doesn't tread lightly, no matter how close we were to him. He has no right to touch you or emotionally scar you. No one does, and if you ever end up in something like this again, you need to talk to us. I'm not even kidding."

I stay silent, and Hannah doesn't say a thing either. Shallow breaths, in and out. My body is buzzing. Everything around us has just stopped. I've felt nauseous since the moment I was cornered into talking to the guys. Louis did leave when the others decided to call Hannah and Ali to come. I'm on the verge of collapsing.

"Why would you not tell us, though?" Ali nearly whispers, head falling to the side.

The words are stuck in my throat, air limited. This nausea taking over my stomach is trying to creep up even more. I look away, trying to catch my bearings. I breathe in slowly and clear my throat. "The number of times I felt it was obvious and that you guys didn't notice, especially after Louis noticed almost immediately. I also worried that the guys wouldn't want to stop being friends with him and Ali would follow, and I was just too scared to tell Hannah. Besides, he had threatened me so much that just wanting to tell you guys had terrified me. It wasn't simple. It wasn't something I could easily get out of."

"I am so pissed at you for not talking to me," Hannah exhales, her voice becoming more strained. My bottom lip trembles, her blue eyes matching my hazel ones. She suddenly lunges forward, arms wrapping tightly around me and finally, I don't feel so alone. My heart is in pieces as I hug her back, my head burying into her shoulder as these tears make my throat ache. Another hand touches my back, one of the others silently telling me that they're here too. Guilt washes over me for never trusting them enough to talk to them. "I want to kill him, especially after everything you and Jason have already been through. Don't ever let someone touch you like that again," she whispers, holding me tighter. Tight enough that it's hard to breathe, but for the first time, it feels like I am taking in a fresh breath of air.

The next few days are numb.

I can't think. I can't eat. I can't do anything. Josh is stuck on my mind nonstop. I hate being on campus. I hate that he knows where my dorm and lectures are. I hate that he knows my schedule. I know he has it out for me because he lost his closest group of friends. The guys quickly talked to the coach, and my parents spoke to the Dean, who swiftly kicked him off the team. I know for a fact that Josh wants to kill me. Even his mum called me a few times to scold me for ruining everything for him.

My family has become unbearable, hovering over me the rest of the week, and my friends aren't much better. I don't get a single moment to myself. I'm just as miserable as I was with him, out of fear that he will come after me. Why is it that I'm finally free from him, but I'm not? He somehow sunk his claws into me, and there's no getting them out.

He found me at Mia's. There's no telling where else I could run to without being found.

I want to run, regardless. I don't feel safe on this campus anymore because he is still allowed on it. They thought kicking him off the team was good enough punishment, but they only fed the beast. I just know it. I wish I could have some time alone, but I don't. Watching Derek come toward me and the two girls makes my shoulders slump. I was hoping I could return to the dorm and go to bed, but that won't be the case.

"Liverpool wants me! Liverpool actually wants me!" Derek screams out. My heart stops in my chest, and my jaw drops.

"Oh my god," I squeal out. He carefully picks me up, and I gasp, holding onto him so I don't fall.

"Dear god, you're going to break her. She's damn near already broken, as is," Hannah calls out. He sets me down before grabbing her cheeks and kissing her forehead. She swats him away, and Ali is the next, tackled into a hug.

"Holy crap, I can't believe it. I actually got an offer," he breathes with his hand on his forehead. "I gave up thinking I'd ever make it."

"You deserve it," I smile happily, beyond proud of him. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and tries to settle his excitement. I try not to flinch as my head throbs from the motion.

"I want to take you all to dinner tonight with Shane and some others. I'll pay for all three of you to make sure you girls go with us," he starts.

"Well, I'll take a free dinner any day," Hannah grins.

"Who else is going?" Ali asks.

"Shane, obviously. James, Dan, Ryan and Louis. Manchester is now looking into Louis too, now that Josh is out of the picture, oh and Shane," he stops. His eyes meet mine, and I can feel the weight on my chest. I haven't seen him since he went after Josh. Everyone else has been glued to my hip, and I've had no way of reaching him. My phone took a beating at Mia's flat, and I haven't seen it since. For a moment, I worry Derek knows something has been going on between Louis and me based on the look he gives me. No one knows, at least not yet. They only know that Louis knew about Josh and tried helping me out of it. That is all I shared, especially when he has been so torn up over Elena. "Are you going to be alright going? It's at a bar. It'll be loud, and your head has been killing you."

"I'll go," I smile weakly. His eyes widen a little, filled with shock. "I want to celebrate with you. My best friend got recruited for Liverpool. Jason is going to be jealous. That's his favourite team."

He breaks into that heartwarming smile and wraps me back into a hug—a tight one, at that. My ribcage hurts, but I try to ignore it. With my face hidden in his chest, my smile falters a little. He pulls away, and I fake it once more. "I'm going to get ready. I'll let you girls know when we are about to leave," Derek rushes out. He turns and jogs away, excitement noted in the bounce of each step.

"You sure you'll be alright?" Ali whispers cautiously. My eyes linger on Derek and how happy he is.

"Yeah, I really do want to celebrate with him while I can. He earned it," I smile weakly. They both give me wary looks. "I'll be fine. I'll make it through."

"Are you going to tell the guys tonight?" Hannah asks solemnly.

I swallow and look away. I don't know.

I spend ages in my closet, finding the right thing to wear. Some outfits are too revealing. Some are too covered up. I find it difficult to find the perfect in-between that will go with the black boot on my right foot and the crutches. I settle on a black long sleeve bodysuit and a burnt orange skirt. I fix my hair and makeup, sighing when Derek texts them they are ready to go. There isn't enough makeup to cover the bruise on the right side of my cheek. I hate looking at it and the stitches on the corner of my lip. If I could stay in, I would, but the world will see me like this because I want to celebrate them while I have the chance.

"You ready?" Hannah asks. I hum, putting on my coat.

In no time, we end up at some bar with live music playing throughout. Derek failed to mention that nearly the entire team would be there, along with girlfriends and friends, all taking up an entire section.

"My favourite girls," Derek grins as we come up. I laugh at how gleeful he is. He is hardly this cheery. He paves the way for me to get to the table with the crutches. I feel pathetic, but I smile weakly, keeping quiet. We end up at a crowded table, his teammates and friends already drinking and having the time of their lives. I'm careful, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. I'm ashamed that I look like this. My head is throbbing already, despite the painkillers.

"I've never seen this place so crowded before," Hannah mumbles as we take our seats. Hannah sits to my left and Derek to my right. Shane is on the other side of the table, laughing at something someone else says. It's loud and hectic in here. The headache is already creeping in.

"What can I get you guys?" a waitress approaches, across the table but looking at us.

"She'll have a strawberry daiquiri, she'll have a cherry vodka, she'll have a whiskey sour, and I'll have a Coors," Derek orders for us.

"Virgin, for me," I plead. Derek flashes me an odd look, and my nose twitches. "Can't mix my meds with alcohol," I remind him.

"Big spender," Ali laughs.

"You can treat me out any day," I giggle. He flashes me a cheeky grin and winks at the three of us. I had never seen him so happy, not even when he had landed a date with a girl he had fancied for a long time. He rests his arm on the back of my chair, and only then do I meet eyes with someone. Brown ones. My smile falters, confusion lacing over me as I see Jace here. Although it isn't that weird, considering us girls are here and other players brought their friends. He passes me a weak smile, and I casually move Derek's arm away from my chair. A familiar blonde sits beside him, and my smile brightens a little more. Mia. Louis fills the seat to Jace's left, his eyes meeting mine. Everything comes to a halt. I'm breathless. I want to sit with him and finally talk to him. He's in a white button-down shirt that he wore that night on the beach, with the sleeves pushed up his elbows. I swear he is doing it to drive me crazy.

"Why didn't you bring Ben?" Shane asks Hannah from across the table, distracting me.

"We only got invited last minute," Hannah scoffs back. My lips quiver as Shane gives Derek an accusatory look.

"I forgot," Derek starts. "But I'm treating them out so they can't blame me for anything," Derek warns.

"I'll treat them out too," Dan grins, running a hand through his blonde curls. Derek flips him off for the three of us, causing Dan to laugh. Beside Dan is some girl I've never seen before, gazing at me like I have two heads. I become more self-conscious and keep my head down, looking at the menu before me. If I could disappear, I would.

But Derek asked us to celebrate with him, so I am.

My fingers anxiously pick at the sleeve of my shirt. I tune out all the conversations around me. I can't focus or think. I have even more reason to go back to my dorm, to hide my battered-up face.

"So, I've got this big idea. You know how we usually do Blackwoods Forest for a winter holiday? I think we should do it after we graduate next semester, instead of December," Derek announces. I start to feel smaller, hearing him offer that. "What? Why that look?" he asks. He's looking towards Ali, who I find frowning. She straightens up and clears her throat with a shake of her head.

"I didn't have a look," she squeaks, and I shrink back into my seat. Hannah rests back in her chair, lips pressing tightly together.

"Your voice. You had a look, and you know it. What was that?" Derek lets out a small laugh. She starts to stammer, and I look up at the ceiling.

"I don't think we should wait until graduation to have it. December would be better," she lets out a nervous laugh.

"I like the idea of May, as well. We can actually go to the lake and use the hot tub without freezing to half to death. It'll be fun," Shane agrees with Derek. Ali stammers, and Hannah laughs, covering her face with her hands.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying to hold back, but I can't. Megan is leaving in January, and I really don't think we should wait," Ali breaks and my entire body stills.

"Leaving?" Derek asks, dumbfounded. My lips press together as I avoid eye contact. "What do you mean, leaving?"

"Megan," Shane draws out my name slowly. Freaking Ali.

"I'm going to America for that internship that I wanted to do last year," I answer timidly. Mia suddenly chokes on her drink, listening from across the table. Shane and Derek become completely silent. I'm too scared to look up at anyone, especially Louis. Hannah's chair screeches as she stands up and excuses herself to leave, her voice off. She's about to cry again over this. I talked to the counsellor earlier about this and told her right after. She nearly cried for hours.

"What?" Shane finally asks.

"America? Seriously?" Derek breathes out.

My throat feels constricted as I gaze up at Derek. I try to smile, but I can't. Derek has a deep frown on his lips. Shane's lips parted in shock. Ali is anxiously picking at the sleeve of her shirt.

"I mean, Josh never let me go. The amount of crap I got for it made me cry, and I hadn't even signed up for it at that point. He called me all sorts of things for even thinking about it, believing I was going to leave him or sleep with someone else," I explain, almost regretting the last part. He did the same thing before the beach trip I met Louis on, who is now listening in on this conversation.

Freaking Ali.

"It would be an amazing experience. I would go to New York for this internship, get room and board, along with some other students in the program, and still take my courses online to graduate on time. I had the opportunity to do this last year, over the Summer, and wanted to so bad. It just feels right. I would be far from him. I wouldn't have to worry about him finding me at my dorm, party, or coffee shop. I want to do it."

"Well, our last semester will be hard enough as is, knowing it's the last," Shane starts with a clear of his throat. He scratches the back of his neck, and that pause makes my stomach twist. "But I mean, if you want it, you should go for it."

"You'll be gone for just a year, and it's not like we'll never see you again," Ali notes with a weak smile. That smile doesn't meet her brown eyes, and she looks down, keeping them off me. My chest feels even heavier.

"Well, this sucks," Derek clears his throat, readjusting himself in the chair. The air I take in is thick. "Yeah, we should definitely do it in December then. I want all of us to go at least once more before we graduate."

"You really want this?" Shane asks once more as if he doesn't believe it himself. My throat feels dry as I nod.

"I wanted it before and still do—this whole Josh situation kind of cemented things," my voice cracks. Derek's lips purse together as he looks down at the table. The waitress returns, setting our drinks down and pausing the conversation at hand. She walks away, and I move my hair behind my ear. "I know, it sucks that I won't be around for our last semester, but I won't have the chance to do it after we graduate."

"Is it set in stone?" Shane asks, his fingertips tapping away at the glass in his hand.

"I mean, pretty much. I will make the official decision in like two weeks because it will be this whole process of paperwork. I'd give up my dorm, so Hannah would have to be with someone else. I would have to pick out the right schedule for online classes. The payment plan may be one other issue after this hospital bill. It's a lot, but it will get me away from Josh, and it's something I used to want so bad. The opportunity is there for me. I can actually do it this time. I want to do it."

"I'm going to miss you so much," Ali's voice cracks. My heartstrings are pulled, watching her bottom lip tremble. She scoots into Hannah's chair and rests her head on my shoulder, her curls tickling a little at my cheek. I swallow hard, glancing toward Shane. He has a sad smile that he covers with his drink when I look up. Derek is silent; the tension from him is felt wrapping around me. I swear an elephant is stepping on my chest. Hannah walks back to us, her face a little swollen from tears.

Leaving them will hurt like hell.

I can only take this place for another half hour. The music and noise here are too much to handle, even with painkillers in my system. I swear my head throbs at every possible moment. I'm not as invested in any conversations anymore, trying not to let this headache ruin the night.

I don't want to leave when I'm unsure if I can celebrate the guys like this again.

"How about a game of darts?" Derek asks after finishing his food.

"I'm down," Hannah announces, clearing her throat.

"You'll be alright?" he double-checks with me.

"Go," I nod, tapping at his arm.

He smiles before putting his hand on the back of my chair. He gets up, and Hannah goes to stand with him. I grab a chip, popping it into my mouth before the people at one end of the table bursts into a loud laugh. My eyes shut, and I breathe through the ache. I'll be fine. I want to be okay enough to stay a little longer.

"You know what, Shane, let's join them," Ali suddenly speaks up, her tone now off. My stomach dips instantly. I didn't want them all to leave me. She's already standing by when I look at her, and she smiles sheepishly.

"But," Shane starts until she gives him a look. He looks up before clearing his throat. He stands as well and flashes a little smile. I smile weakly, even though I don't want them to leave. I don't want to ruin their night, either. They go to walk away anyways, and I feel useless at first until Hannah's seat is filled.

My heart stills as my eyes meet blue. Louis. I quickly look back toward the two. Ali is ushering Shane away, glancing back at us with a giddy grin. My eyes find Louis once more, and I smile feverishly. God, I could melt from his cologne already. This white shirt he has on reminds me of that night on the beach, seeing the glow of the fire illuminating his captivating features and kissing him like I had been waiting to kiss him for so long. I love that shirt on him a little too much. I try to keep eye contact instead of letting my eyes trail over the art on his skin, revealed by those sleeves that are pushed up.

I swear it feels hotter in here already. I grab my frozen drink and take a little sip, needing to relax a little. I'm anxious. He probably knows it. My friends know that we've talked, but we never really spoke to each other in front of them. Only Hannah and Ali know that we have been together that night on the beach alone. Now I feel like all of their eyes are probably on us.