~15th August~

Dan's POV

"Phil!" Tess' excited scream is muffled by my bedroom walls, but still loud.

I hear mumbling from the living room, then Phil suddenly shouts, "She's what?"

Whatever it is they're talking about, they sound happy.

I wish I could be happy like them. Instead I spend my days hidden away from everything, crying until I think I have no tears left.

Not being able to handle the cheeriness in their voices, I plug my headphones into my phone and put them on my head, blasting my music.

~A few hours later~

Knock knock!

"What do you want?" I shout to whoever is at my door, probably Phil.

The door opens and in come Phil and Tess.

Oh great.

"I've got good news!" Phil grins.

Am I about to be repeatedly stabbed by a madman? Because that would be great.

I grunt in response. Phil's smile falters a little, but he tells me the 'good news' anyway.

"Y/N's coming to visit!"

I freeze. I want to scream. I want to cry. I want to tear out what's left of my heart and crush it in front of my eyes.

Can that madman come in and stab me now?

"What's the good news?" I ask coldly.

"Dan, why do you have to be so negative? This is-"

"This is what? Fantastic? Great? The best thing ever? Well, incase you forgot, she broke my heart. I don't see what's so fantastic about that."

"Please-"

"No, Phil. I don't think you understand. I really loved her. I don't think I've ever loved anyone or anything more than I loved her. And then she hurt me. She ripped my heart from chest and tore it to pieces. I was just a puppet that she found amusing to play with. You have everything you want, so you will never know how this feels."

"Damn it, Dan, she was protecting you!" Tess finally snaps. The room goes quiet and Phil shoots her a panicked look. "What? I'm tired of hearing him say all this about bullshit my best friend. He needs to know the truth."

I look at the two, confused. "What do you mean?"

Tess takes a deep breath and walks towards my chair. She sits down and locks her eyes onto mine.

"Y/N never wanted to leave you. Believe me, she loved you with all her fucked-up heart." She pauses for a second before speaking again. "She was pretty hurt herself before she moved to London. Her ex boyfriend... he was a real dick. He never treated her right. One night he stormed over to her house and demanded she had..." she squirms in the seat, obviously uncomfortable. "Anyway, she said no, and that's when things got bad. He beat her, in front of Alex, and it got to the point where the police had to go and take him away and Y/N had to be treated by paramedics.

He was released last year, and he was after Y/N. He was the man who was asking for her when she left for LA. Anyway, he was, and still is, dangerous. Y/N was warned by one of his old friends, and she had to think quick. She knew she had to leave London, leave you, and she knew that it would hurt the both of you. That's why she kissed Caspar, so she didn't have to tell you the real reason and so you wouldn't want to still be friends. I'm so sorry we kept this from you Dan, but-"

I hold up a hand, silencing her.

"S-she did it to... help me?"

Phil and Tess nod, looking as if they've just done something horrible.

I sit in shock, mouth agape.

All those terrible things I said about her, all the photos I deleted on my phone and tore off my wall, relocating them to the trash, all the times I wished I never met her- I was being so selfish.

"Can you give me her number? I need to call her."

"Don't bother, Dan. She won't pick up," Phil frowns.

"What if I call her on your phone?"

"No, I can't do that to her," he snaps.

"Wait until she gets here," Tess pipes in bluntly. "She prefers things face to face." And with that, she stands and leaves the room, leaving just Phil and I.

"Tess is right. I know it's going to be a while, but I also know you'd rather think of what to say, right?" I nod and Phil turns to leave to room.

"Phil?" He stops and turns to face me. "Thank you. And tell Tess I said thank you, too. I don't know what I would do without you two."

He smiles and exits the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.