"You'll be alright. Just fine," Louis mumbles below the hum of the radio. His hand is on my knee, his thumb tracing over my leg.

"Will it be fine?" I ask pathetically. He stays silent, and Jace doesn't say anything from the backseat. I'd feel a whole lot better if Mia was here too. "I mean, we hardly even made anything official. They're going to ask questions, especially with me looking like this. I can't just tell them I got hit by a car, walking away from my boyfriend that wasn't you. Hell, we barely had time to process everything, just the two of us. Our story may not line up, and I've probably got some big shoes to fill after everything you've been through."

"Well, good thing I'll be there. If something does start to sound a little off, I can always interrupt with something," Jace chimes into the conversation. I nibble on my bottom lip, gazing outside the windshield.

"It'll be fine," Louis whispers in a more hushed tone.

Meeting Josh's family, I had time to prepare for it, whereas I had little to no time tonight. I spent nearly two hours trying to pick out the right outfit, figuring out how to style my hair and applying just the right amount of makeup for Josh's family. Little did I know, his mum and sister would be so stiff that night. It only worsened my anxiety, even if he tried reassuring me that everything was okay that night.

Maybe I should have known how our relationship would turn out based on how that night went, but I assumed the best.

Now I'm here, formally going to dinner with Louis' mum and two sisters. Makeup can't hide what that car did to me, and my boot and crutches don't go well with anything. I wish I had time to prepare for this, or at least didn't have to wear this boot.

Great.

Just great.

It isn't long before we end up at some restaurant not too far off from campus. I tried to dress similar to his mother and sisters. His mum had that black dress on, Amelia wore a creme-coloured sweater dress, and Sophia wore a black sweater with a red skirt. I put on a black, long-sleeve dress, with the limited time I did have. It's too much work putting pants on with a cast on my foot.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and try to breathe through the anxiety. They seem nice so far. Comparing them to Josh's family, they already seem so much kinder from the little time I saw them. Then again, Josh and his family could probably make anyone look good.

Why do I feel so sick?

I'm nearly slumping in my seat when he pulls up at the restaurant. I am not ready for this.

The two get out, and I slowly unbuckle myself. Jace opens my door for me, holding onto my crutches that he kept in the back. I thank him softly, carefully lowering myself out of Louis' car. My mind is running a mile a minute. I nearly slip, getting out, but my hand grabs onto the door, and Jace grabs my arm. I curse under my breath before thanking him. I'm not off to the best start.

"Are you alright?" Jace asks softly, his brown eyes filled with concern. I hum pathetically with a small nod. I'm not alright. He gives a weak smile like he knows the truth. I look away while steadying myself with the crutches.

"I'm sorry you have to do this right now," Louis sighs. My head shakes, not wanting any apology. His hand finds my lower back before I start for this restaurant.

His mother and sisters are already inside, seated at a table. I swear his mother's face is a little more swollen, and her blue eyes appear brighter. She most definitely cried.

"I'm sorry if this was too much for you," Sophia apologises quickly.

"I'm okay," I fake a smile. I figured I was done with the fake smiles. My anxiety is getting the best of me. I sit before Sophia, Louis sitting to my left and Jace sitting to his left. I want to toss these crutches far from me, but I prop them against the end of the table instead. It's a nice little restaurant, and these crutches are out of place.

"I'm sorry for running out on you before. I just...I didn't expect that," Anne notes flusteredly before sipping her water. I don't blame the woman at all. Only my throat is parched as I offer a weak smile, shaking my head.

"You know, a heads up would have been nice," Louis changes the conversation, taking the pressure off me.

"We tried calling," Amelia scoffs.

"So, how long have you two been together?" Sophia pries instantly, focusing the conversation right back onto us. I'm at a loss for words, and I don't know how to speak or think. I wasn't mentally prepared for this, and I'm still not in the right headspace.

"Sophia," Louis grumbles.

"Uh, he started hanging out with my friend group, mainly with my one friend Shane. One thing led to another. Early September, I guess."

"You've been branching out?" Anne's voice cracks. Her blue eyes are already glossed over. Louis shifts a little, not looking up.

"Mum," Amelia whispers.

"I'm sorry. I just...it's been so long after what happened with," she suddenly stops herself. My throat is tight.

"She knows about Elena," Louis mumbles, sounding irked. My skin is crawling. It feels as though this restaurant is jam-packed, with little room to breathe.

"Oh," Anne sounds off. Sophia's lips purse tightly together. Amelia scratches at her arm. I don't think I should be here for this. The mood at this table is already shifting so much, and I don't want to move and risk being in the middle of this.

"Please don't make this a big deal," Louis mutters, his hand running stressfully through his hair.

"Did he tell you Manchester is trying to recruit him?" Jace changes the conversation. Thank you, Jace.

"Manchester? That's amazing," Amelia lets out a small laugh.

"I'm sure dad will give you tons of shit if you even consider doing it," Sophia laughs.

"Language," Anne warns softly.

"Oh, is she coming to dad's wedding?" Amelia asks. I forgot about that wedding Louis mentioned. Anne doesn't appear phased by them mentioning Mark or his wedding. Maybe she's numb to it all.

"I haven't invited her yet," Louis notes lowly.

The waiter approaches, interrupting us to ask for our drink order. It isn't a long enough interruption, though, as Sophia dives back into it. "Wait, so have you been at his games this whole time? Like we could have crossed paths?"

"Uh, yeah. I've been to nearly every game," I nod, these nerves eating me alive. I don't have an appetite for this. I was there to support my boyfriend, who was not Louis. Not like I wanted to be there for Josh, but that's beside the point.

"And you couldn't have introduced us then?" Amelia scoffs, looking between the two guys. I would have been murdered if Josh had witnessed me being introduced to his family at one of those games.

"I wasn't ready to introduce you three to her, and I still wasn't as of today," Louis notes. Both his sisters frown after that statement, and his mother still has that same gaze on her features.

"Well, we didn't expect to see her there when we came over," Sophia defends quietly. His muscles are tense beneath his black button-down, and his fist is clenched on his lap.

"I mean, you've got to understand, we're still in shock. For so long, you shut everyone out, and you wouldn't even talk to anyone, let alone look in another girl's direction. This is huge," Amelia spells it out.

"That's because the only person I wanted around was her," he states abruptly. Elena. A jab in my chest hits me in an instant, and I look up at the ceiling as he goes to stand up. I already had such a slim appetite, but I have none now, with this nausea toying at my insides.

"Louis," Anne breathes out, standing with him. He walks away with her in tow. The waiter returns with our drinks, but the table stays silent. I knew I should have stayed back at the flat. I was reluctant to come, to begin with.

"Please don't let that get under your skin," Jace begs immediately once the waiter is gone. I barely shake my head and go to grab my drink. I don't know what to say. "You know he cares lots about you. He'll be upset when you leave for America in a few months; I already know it."

"What? No. You're going to America?" Sophia's lashes flutter. "You can't."

"Soph," Amelia coughs.

"No, I'm sorry. He actually opened up to someone after years of this, and you're leaving," Sophia frowns. All of this pressure is weighing heavily on me.

"It would only be for a year," I clear my throat. My fingers nervously toy with my dress. All eyes are on me. "It's not even official yet," I add quietly. I have two weeks to decide.

A long two weeks.

The rest of dinner ran smoothly after Louis returned, but the tension never left my body. They wanted to know everything about me, including what had happened to me. I didn't even want to talk about getting hit by a car. The Elena subject was enough for me to handle tonight, and talking about the accident probably was a little too touchy after that.

They're nice. All three are very sweet, especially when compared to Josh's family, but my body had been tense the entire dinner. Now that it's over, I can finally breathe a little, but the tension somewhat follows us during the car ride back.

"Can we stop by my dorm?" I ask softly amid silence. "Hannah never packed one of my textbooks; I need it for an assignment."

"Yeah," Louis clears his throat. More silence follows after. Jace doesn't even speak up in the back. I'm sure he's texting Mia to tell her all about that lovely dinner.

It isn't long before we are on campus. I get out carefully with the damn crutches, dreading the walk. I hate them with a passion. Louis gets out of the car with me, leaving the car running for Jace. I watch a group of girls walk out of my dorm in tight dresses for a party. What else are they doing on a Saturday night? I know the whole group got to a party about an hour ago, with Shane already being plastered.

We make our way in, and it isn't until we are inside that he speaks up. "I'm sorry about all of that. I couldn't take those damn comments and those looks of pity."

"It's okay," I note softly.

"That's not how I wanted you to meet my family at all," he breathes through his words. I stay silent this time. There's a frog in my throat. We get to my door, and I start to remove my keys from my purse while keeping my balance. His hand is on my back to help me keep steady. I grab my keys, and he takes them to unlock the door for me.

All I can think about is how Sophia freaked out about me going away. His family was so surprised that he found someone, only for her to leave him for an entire year. I know Jace doesn't want me to go either, for that very reason. That reason alone, along with my friends, makes this decision hard.

It would only be one semester left after this. Josh couldn't possibly stay mad until graduation. Maybe I wouldn't have to worry next semester. Maybe I'll be perfectly fine.

That's some wishful thinking.

My brain is urging me to take that flight without looking back. My heart is aching to stay with the people I love and this person that I have needed all along. I have two weeks to make that final decision, and I swear my head will spiral.

We get in, and my body comes to a stop. I'm short of breath, gazing into my room. My side is a mess. It's as if a tornado ran through it while Hannah's side is untouched. My clothes are spewed on the floor, a photo of me with my family is cracked, and one of my favourite books is on the bed with the pages torn to shreds.

My friends have been out.

He was looking for me because he knew I wasn't with them.

That necklace my grandmother gave me is on the floor, with the chain snapped in half. The one that every one of my friends knew the meaning behind it, along with Josh. The necklace was given to me to make me feel welcomed in my adopted family.

Every inch of my body feels weak. I want to burst into tears but suddenly can't make any. I just stand there, my body slowly becoming numb. I swallow as I gaze at it all. I can hear Josh saying that no one wanted me to begin with, not even my birth parents.

He never truly wanted me. He never actually loved me, even when I had fallen madly for him. I got away from him, but I'm still under his grasp. The air in this room is so thin. My body feels like a dead weight.

I can't do this anymore. I can't keep playing these mind games. I can't keep feeling so weak.

"Fucking hell," Louis grumbles. His hand touches my lower back, and I am moments away from getting sick.

My mind is already made.

I'm hopping on that plane, and I am not looking back.

"God," I snap, unintentionally slamming my crutch into my desk. My lamp falls to the floor and shatters. My eyes screw shut, and I hold my breath. I let out a shaky breath, attempting to simmer down. "I'm sorry," I whisper.

"I'll clean it up," he whispers lowly. My throat is parched, so I don't protest.

I can't do this anymore.