"Looking good without that boot," Jace grins. I smile cheekily.

"Isn't it great?" I giggle. Finally, after a few weeks, I am boot-free and crutch-free. My foot can breathe. I can wear whatever I want now, and I don't have to deal with any more weird stares.

He chuckles, putting his wallet into his back pocket. "Are you going to be alright?" he checks once more.

"Louis will be back in no time," I wave him off before readjusting myself on the couch. Finn is taking up too much room on this black sofa, but I don't want to push him off, either.

"Have fun with him. Just call if you need anything before he gets back," he nods. I hum softly, opening the book back to where I left off. He makes his way out, leaving Finn and me alone on this cold Saturday night. The fireplace is running, keeping it nice and warm.

I start to soak in the silence, but it isn't long before it's broken. My phone rings, and I fish it out from beneath Finn.

Derek's name is on my screen, and I answer the Facetime call while settling back on the couch. "Crutches," he chuckles cheekily, and I deadpan instantly.

"I don't have crutches anymore," I scoff. He laughs, showing more of his face. Shane is seen right behind him at their dining room table.

"We are picking you up in ten minutes," he flashes a grin.

"No," I fake a grimace.

"Asshole," Shane laughs in the background, popping something into his mouth.

"You have to go with us, and it's your first full day without that giant boot. Besides, Ali and Hannah have been talking about you coming to this party because you've been MIA for the last month, from all of them," he reminds me. He isn't wrong. I've avoided a lot of social settings solely because of the boot, crutches and that nasty bruise on my face. At least the bruise has faded away, but I have stayed away as much as possible. This last month has consisted of lectures, time alone with Louis and my friends coming to visit quite a bit. I hated leaving this flat with those crutches.

"The party does sort of sound fun," I cave a little more, nibbling on my bottom lip.

"Bring your boyfriend, too," Shane chuckles. My insides twist, hearing that name that they all keep referring to him as.

"He is not my boyfriend," I remind them quietly, shifting nervously. "And he isn't back from dinner with his father," I add. The dinner he was reluctant to attend. Jace and I heard about it all day. He texted us at one point, mentioning it mostly had to do with the wedding, which he is far from thrilled about.

"I don't know why he hasn't asked. You two have literally been sleeping in the same bed together for weeks. It's quite obvious you two are together," Shane scoffs. I don't answer that. His history is not my thing to tell, but it has been somewhat of a burden. We're with each other, but we're not. We know it. Jace and Mia know it. My friends know it. He never asked, officially, and I never pushed him to ask. The last thing I need is for him to shut down and close himself off to me.

I could use a party. I could use some drinks and a night out, for once.

"I'll see you guys soon," I breathe out.

"Ten minutes," Derek starts.

"Twenty," I demand.

"Fine."

Three shots in, and my skin is already on fire. I'm a lightweight, especially after years of being cut off. I feel great. I can feel the buzz through my veins, and I can't stop smiling. I hardly have on makeup, given the little time I had, and my hair has soft waves after the bun I wore today. I picked out a little black dress that I never got to wear, loving the way it fits me.

"Another cheer to you boys, making it to the championships," Ali grins, downing another shot.

"Don't mess up," Hannah jokes, resting back against Ben.

"Thanks for the confidence," Shane scoffs before sipping at his beer. Hannah scrunches her nose before letting out a small laugh.

"It's kind of sad," Ali starts with a little pout. Her voice is hard to hear beneath the music, so I inch closer. "It's going to set in stone that this is our last year. No more games or after parties or whatnot. Where did the years go?"

"And with Megs leaving, nothing will be the same," Hannah mutters.

"No one will notice that I'm gone," I wave her off. Derek pushes my arm as Ali grimaces. A small giggle escapes me as I take another sip of my cherry drink. I take my phone out of my purse, glancing at the time. Louis is coming at some point, whenever he can get here. One last sip, and the drink is already gone. I am taking advantage of the night as best as I possibly can. "I want another drink," I note.

"You're going to pass out," Derek snorts. My eyes roll, and Shane even laughs.

"I'll go with you," Ali cheers, clapping her hands together.

"One more won't do any harm," I click my tongue.

"Famous last words," Ben points out, causing Hannah to laugh.

"As long as Louis doesn't get pissed at us when he has to take you back to the flat," Shane teases.

"Let's go," I ignore their teasing remarks. Ali takes my arm in her hand before we start for the kitchen area across the room. I refill my empty cup, and Ali leans back against the counter.

"Oh, he's cute," she whispers, loud enough for me to hear. I don't even look up to see who she's looking at. I giggle softly before bringing the cup to my lips to taste the fizzy drink. "Are you and Louis sealing the deal any time soon? Shane was telling me about that conversation earlier."

"Haven't we already, in a way?" I ask. Her face twists a little, and she shrugs.

"We all know you're together, kind of, but not everyone does. Hell, if he doesn't try and make things official, someone else may try and sweep you off your feet or go after him even. A lot of girls throw themselves at him, and without that title, I'd feel a little uncomfortable," her statement doesn't make me feel any better. My stomach clenches, and I take a sip of my drink.

"He's not seeing anyone else, and he wouldn't. I can tell you that much," I defend. This room does feel very warm. I could admit to her and the others that I'm the first and only girl he's been with since Elena, but I keep my mouth shut. I don't have a shadow of a doubt about him, even without the official title.

"You're sure? Like, really sure? It's just weird that he hasn't asked you yet; after how long?" she pesters on.

"I'm confident. He's only seeing me, and I'm only seeing him. We're happy, and it's fine," I try to reassure her, despite my stomach already being on the floor.

"You're seeing someone," a familiar voice interrupts the two of us. It was hot here a couple of moments ago, but now a flash of cold runs through me. Even Ali has tensed up, and her brown eyes focus behind me. I have never seen her so stiff. There's a lump in my throat as I slowly turn to face him.

Josh.

His brown hair is a ragged mess. He has stubble now on his face, but it's messy compared to Louis'. His eyes are bloodshot. He's under the influence with his brown eyes locked on mine. His white shirt is wrinkled, and he does not look like he takes care of himself anymore.

"You need to get away," Ali breaks from her spell. My throat is tight. This party is already crowded, but it feels like everyone is pressed up against us.

"You disappeared. You haven't been at your dorm. Now you're with someone. I swear if it's fucking Louis," he breathes out with a drunken slur. The fact that I was right about not being safe in that dorm doesn't comfort me. I should have stayed in Louis' flat, where I would have been warm, comfortable and safe with Finn. My guard has been let down, and I regret it. "We've been together for three fucking years," he steps closer. I can't step back with the counter there. "And you ran away from me and fucked over my dream career. I was going to play for my favourite fucking team. Now I lost out on that chance, and the girl I wasted my last few years on is fucking someone else," he huffs, not caring that others are around. I still can't move or think. I can't do anything.

"Josh," Ali's voice raises in pitch, and his eyes move to her. "Go away," she warns.

"Ali, you don't intimidate me," he scoffs at her.

"What part of going away, don't you fucking understand," Derek is heard over the music. My lungs falter a little, and Josh's jaw clenches. My eyes land on both Shane and Derek, now to my right. Derek's arms are crossed over his chest, and Shane's eyes are dead set on him. Hannah and Ben aren't too far behind, Hannah's blue eyes throwing daggers Josh's way.

"Come on," Shane grumbles, grabbing my arm and giving me no choice but to walk away. My hand is tight on my drink, trying not to spill it. I sobered up pretty fast, but there is still the slightest haze after being pulled abruptly.

"I fucking loved you, and this is the shit I get in return," Josh snaps from behind, bringing more attention our way. There's a heavy thump in my chest from the rush of adrenaline. All of this bottled-up anger and grief is spewing out of me. I pull my arm out of Shane's grasp and turn quickly, slamming the cup down onto the counter. Some of the drink splashes out from the intensity, but I don't bat an eye.

"No, you didn't," I snap back, my voice wavering.

"Megan, it's not worth it," Hannah rushes to grab my arm. My eyes are set on him, this rage making my hands tremble.

"You didn't love me when you put your hands on my body or quite literally put my life in danger. You didn't love me when you put fear into me, any chance you could. I don't think you ever actually loved me, so I don't know what the hell you are trying to get at," I freak out over the blaring music.

"Megs, let's go," Shane huffs. He tries to grab me again, but I push his hand away. My eyes never leave Josh. His jaw is tight, and his fists are clenched at his sides.

"And you know what's fucked up? I loved you. I can't help that I still fucking love you, even after all of the fucked up shit you put me through. I loved our good days. I longed for the good days when your anger didn't take over. I loved how close we were when we first started dating and how you did treat me back then. I loved that you knew all the little things and cherished them back then. You made me feel special and genuinely loved after all the shit I went through as a child until, one day, you decided not to. You did this, Josh. You did it. Don't blame me for finding someone that makes me happy again. Don't be pissed off that I'm falling for someone that isn't you after you screwed this all up. Because, you know what, if you never changed and never started treating me the way you did, I would have been with you still. I would have been with you every step of the way as you did get recruited by Manchester. I would have started a life with you after uni, with our own place and hoping you'd propose someday. That's not going to happen now, no matter what you say or do. As much as I still love you, I hate you just as much. I want to be happy again. You're delusional if you think I'm ever going back to you. You want to say you love me, then leave me be. Let me be happy again. Let me be with him without putting this shame or guilt into my head. If you fucking love me, despite everything you put me through, never talk to me or bother me again."

He stays silent. His face is red, and his lips are pressed together. All of the air escapes my body. Tears escaped me at some point, now sitting on my cheeks. The courage to say all of that has now officially left my body. I blame the alcohol for the false sense of confidence. My body is weak, in actuality. I'm fragile and could easily collapse.

Everything hurts.

I turn away and storm out, making my way out of this crowded party. I need to breathe. I need fresh air. I get outside, and the chill feels sweet on my skin. I shake out my hands before wiping at my tear-stained cheeks.

"Megan," Ali is heard behind me, chasing after me. I'm sure all of the others have followed as well. I pace a little, my mind all over the place. This surge of fury rushes through me.

"God," I kick at some large rock, instantly regretting it. I hiss and bend a little, my hands resting on my knees.

"Careful. You don't need any more time with those crutches," Derek warns, his hand resting on my lower back. I don't acknowledge that statement. I feel nauseous, and I'm moments away from getting sick.

"Jesus, how much did you drink?" Louis is heard. Derek's hand instantly leaves my back. I straighten up with a shaky breath. He's approaching us in that same white button-down he had on for his dad's dinner, only his sleeves are pushed up. His car keys are in his hand, being shoved into his pocket. My head is spinning. "You look like you're already about to get sick, and you just got here."

"Let's give them some time," Hannah announces in a slightly frantic manner. I don't look at her or the others. I can't stop looking at Louis. His eyebrows furrow as Shane starts to protest. "Shane, not now," Hannah scolds him. Someone clears their throat, and I hear them walking away, the dead grass and leaves crunching beneath their feet.

"What's going on?" Louis' accent thickens as his face fills with concern. My chest aches after telling Josh I still somehow love him while looking right at Louis. My bottom lip trembles as my vision blurs some more. I can't help but collapse into him, my arms wrapping around his torso. He hesitates to move before finally wrapping his arm around me. His cologne smells so good, comforting me a little more.

"Louis, what are we," my voice cracks. I'm sure it throws him off even more.

"What?" his baffled tone proves me right.

"Are we official, or are we not? I mean, I know we are, in a way, and I'm not seeing anyone else, and I know you are definitely not seeing anyone else. I just need to know what is going between the two of us because I can't keep-"

"Megan, what the hell are you on about," he lets me go. I am shivering, but it's not because I'm cold. His blue eyes lock with mine, and my throat hurts. "Yes, I mean, I thought we were, but we just never even said it. I mean, I've been waking up every morning right next to you, and looking forward to it every day. I thought I made it clear that you are all I want."

He has made it clear, or at least that I'm the only one since her. My lashes flutter a little as more tears stream down my cheeks.

"We sleep together and spend almost every day together, but we never set anything into stone. We never went on a date-"

"I was going to try and take you on one tonight, now that you're done with those crutches and would want to go, but you wanted to come to the party instead," he spells it out. The intensity of this situation hammers down on me even more. "You haven't wanted to do anything with those crutches and that boot, so I just made an effort to have time at the flat with you. You mean everything to me." My bottom lip trembles. My voice is hitched in my throat, leaving me speechless. My heart is racing so fast. I don't know how it's still able to beat. We're together, officially, and have been to him at least. I felt we were, too, despite the title never being thrown in. "Now, seriously, can you please tell me what the hell happened?"