When I was growing up I didn't have much alone time with my mom. Sure we had the mornings and nights but we rarely got entire days to spend together. When we did we took advantage of it and did fun things like the zoo or the mall or the beach.

When I was ten years old the Stavros' went on a trip to Italy to visit family. That left an entire week alone with my Mom which I was so excited for. One of the first few days we decided to go to the beach and swim around. That was the worst day of my life.

"Mom can you hold my ice cream?"

My mother looked over her book at me with a small smile on her lips. "Are you going to go swimming?"

"In a little bit but I don't really want this anymore." I held the dripping cone over to her. She sighed but took it anyways, putting her book to the side and licking the melting strawberry ice cream.

"Hey Mom," I said quietly, giggling a little too.

"Yes Cookie?"

"Those guys are staring at you." I looked past her to a group of men my Moms age playing volley ball. They weren't very good looking but I was only ten, I didn't think anyone was good looking.

"Oh great," she muttered, focusing on the ice cream in her hands. She didn't even bother to turn around and spare a glance.

"Aren't you going to wave?"

Her piercing green eyes looked up to me. I was always grateful I looked like my mom instead of my Dad. She looked like an Egyptian Queen while he looked like a garbage man. I always wondered why she fell for him. Sure he was good looking ten years ago but he didn't have a heart. No he doesn't have a heart or good looks.

"Why bother? They only want one thing," she mumbled. I knew what she meant. It was the same thing my Dad wanted from her.

It always broke my heart that my Mom wouldn't try to date. She didn't want to be used like she was by Quinton which I understand. Whenever I told her to go find someone new she would shake her head and tell me that I was all she needed.

I was all she had.

"Well I'm going to go out. If they come over here than throw the ice cream at them."

She laughed behind me as I ran towards the ocean in my pink and white striped one piece. I was letting my unruly curly hair grow out so whenever I ran it would fly into my face and make me go blind for a bit. I pushed the brown locks away from eyes roughly, thinking about running back to my mom later and asking her to cut my hair. I wondered what Marco and Xander would do when they saw me with short hair. They would probably call me a boy.

The water lapped around me and pushed against my knees. I made sure to stay close though, not going farther than my chest. I wished Marco and Xander could be there with me, that way I would have a friend with me as well. My Mom couldn't come out with me because she was afraid of the water. Her Dad used to push her head under water in their bathtub when she was younger so she always hated it. It was a good thing she ran as soon as she could though. Of course she had the help of her best friend Shai who she hasn't seen since Miami but she talks about him all the time. He saved her more than once.

I turned around just so I could look at my Mom. She went back to reading her book, trying to eat the ice cream without getting it on the pages. She had a really hard time growing up, with her dad and all and with a mom that wouldn't save her. But still she was the strongest person I knew. She wouldn't give up on anything and I've never seen her cry or yell. She was my hero in more ways than one.

With my mind else where I was taken off guard when I felt something slimy swim against my leg. I jumped and squealed, losing my footing and falling back. Suddenly I was being swept under the water and I couldn't tell which was up or down or left or right. Whenever I reached the surface I would be dragged back down by the force of the water and turned upside down.

I don't know how long this went on for. All I know is that at some point I was being yanked up by a hand wrapped around my shoulder. I gasped for breath when I reached the surface and the first thing I saw was my Mom. Her eyes were wide with panic and worry which shook me to my core. My mom was never scared.

I didn't let go as she tried to fight the current. I could tell that she was tired and ready to give up. Her movements became slower with each passing second. Her head would go under the water every now and then but she was careful to make sure I stayed above. I breathed a sigh of relief when the water stopped rushing around us, we were out of the current but waves were still crashing over our heads.

"Swim over to him Cookie," she gasped, her breaths harsh and quick. Even though we weren't in the rip tide anymore we were still in very deep water and my Mom had to keep kicking her legs to keep us afloat. I followed her eye sight, seeing a life guard, swimming out to us.

I nodded my head, not bothering to ask why she wasn't coming with. I figured she had to take a rest or get rid of the extra weight of me. I kicked away from her, heading for the life guard. I noticed that there was a crowd on the shore of the beach, pointing and looking at me.

"Take her back," my Mom yelled behind me as soon as I wrapped my arms around the life guard's neck.

He looked behind me to her, something in his eyes, helplessness, panic, before she shouted again. "Get her to safety!"

He shot off like a rocket for the shoreline. He didn't let go of me but kept saying reassuring words. I couldn't respond. I was too busy trying to get my breathing back to normal and spitting up more salt water.

Eventually we reached the beach and immediately there were more life guards surrounding me. I remembered wondering how many worked there because I saw a bunch swimming past us when the man was taking me back. There were even some on jet skis.

Minutes passed and I finally got my breath back after they put an oxygen mask on me. The first thing I asked when they took it off was, "Where's my mom?"

No one answered, I remembered hearing a stranger sob who was in the crowd watching me. Then an ambulance pulled up and police cars soon after. The life guards wouldn't let me turn around to look at the ocean to try to find my mom. But I didn't mind, I knew she was safe if that many people went after her.

But she wasn't.

Half an hour later my mom still hadn't run up to comfort me so I knew something was wrong. I screamed and I thrashed against the adults that were trying to hold me back as I tried running back towards the ocean to find her. Only life guards were out in the ocean now, most on jet skis and there were paramedics waiting at the shore line and police men leaning over the pier, looking down at the rocks below.

People were crying all around me, a lifeguard wrapped a towel around me at some point and someone asked if I was with anyone else. I didn't answer them, I only sobbed and screamed for my mom to come back.

An hour later they pulled her body in from the rocks under the pier. I didn't see it, they wouldn't let me since they locked me up in the life guard tower but I saw them load the black bag onto the back of the ambulance.

I stayed in the foster care area of the county jail for eight days. My mom never put a name down for my dad on my birth certificate, she never put down an emergency number or had a plan for if something like this would have happened. She didn't even have a phone.

Eventually the Stavros's came back from their trip. It was a Wednesday when Leo tried to drop off the boys at our apartment, like any other day but when he knocked and didn't get an answer, well he knew something was wrong. He asked my neighbors where my mom and I were and they shared the bad news. He rushed to the jail, the boys in tow, to come get me.

I remembered looking out the window of the play room which I had to myself the whole week and seeing Leo running down the halls, Marco and Xander running behind him. I sat perfectly still, not really feeling anything or seeing the point in getting up to get their attention.

Leo screamed at the officers, asking where I was, demanding to see me. Marco looked around and saw me through the big window. He didn't bother to get his Dad's attention. Instead he ran towards me, swung open the door and pulled me into his arms.

"It's going to be okay," he murmured into my ear as I finally let loose the waterfall of tears that I held in for eight days. "I'm not leaving you. I'm never leaving you."

...

Standing before me is of course Xander Stavros, the man who can't get a hint if it smacked him in the face.

"Hello Eliza," he said calmly.

A scowl etched its way onto my lips as I raked my eyes over his body, cursing every part of it. "I see you changed your shirt."

"I ran into someone with a chocolate ice cream cone," he said with a frown.

"Shame," I sighed, "I was hoping it was dog poop."

"You're sassy as ever," he noticed.

"Let me be clear," I said, clearing my throat, "leave me the hell alone or I'm going to break your nose."

Xander shakes his head, an amused smile on his lips. "I'm sorry but I can't do that. I'm here to tell you something."

"Well I'm busy right now," I lied, "why don't you write it out for me on a nice piece of paper, fold it all neat and tight and put it in an envelope than shove it up your ass until it comes up your esophagus and you choke on it." I swung the door, expecting it to hit him in the face but he stopped it with his foot just in time.

He pushed the door open wider and stepped into my apartment, his eyes shooting daggers at me. As if he has any right to be mad at me!

"Do you know how damn hard it was to track you down? And especially when you ran off! I had to contact the owner of this building and persuade him into giving me your apartment number! It was a huge hassle and don't get me started on how there is now a brown stain on my nice shirt!"

"Oh I pity you Xander," I mocked, "I really do. You have such a hard time doing everything, including throwing your money around! I mean you need to hire people to help pick up all the wads of cash you have!"

"I didn't come here to discuss fucking money Eliza," he snarled. "We need to talk. Now."

"There is nothing that I need to say to you. Get the hell out of my apartment before I kick your ass Alexander."

"Not until we talk."

"About what," I yelled, throwing my arms up in the air.

"That night five years ago," he said clearly, his voice getting deeper with every word.

"It happened, it's done with. We can't go back and change it Xander."

He groaned and twisted around, running his hand straight down his face. "I regret that night more than anything in my life."

"You don't think I do too? That one mistake ruined my entire life."

Xander spun around, his eyes a blazing fire. "Only because you let it! You ran away! You didn't ruin your own life, you ruined my brother's."

"Marco was my entire life," I responded quietly and sadly.

The thick tension faded away instantly. Xander sighed softly, leaning his tall form against the nearest wall and biting his lip. "Why did you run El? You broke his heart."

"What was I supposed to do huh," I nearly yelled. "How could I have looked him in the eye knowing I completely stabbed him in the back?"

Xander turns his eyes to me. They're no longer cold and dark like minutes earlier. They no longer hold a mischievous glint like they did when we were younger. They're actually soft and caring for once. What changed?

"You need to leave," I said quietly, not able to look him in the eye any longer. "Please."

"I told him."

I can hear the blood pounding in my head, throughout my body. I wonder if Xander can hear it too.

"What exactly did you tell him," I asked deadly calm.

Xander cleared his throat uncomfortably and shifted on his feet before answering. "The truth. I took the virginity of the girl he loves."

"Are you an idiot?" I screamed, gripping my hair. "He's going to kill you!" I begin to pace back and forth across the wooden floors of my apartment, thinking of how to get the hell out of the kill zone. Maybe I could run to Canada.

"I had to tell him! I need to make up for my past mistakes," Xander explains, looking just as panicked as I am right now.

"Why? Because you suddenly found God? Well you're going to meet him soon idiot!"

He sighs, settling down on a chair by the dining table. "What I did to you," he pauses, "it was the worst thing I have ever done to anyone before. I've regretted it every day since."

"Have you really?" I laughed dryly. "It didn't seem like you would regret it when you were doing it."

Xander's eyes snapped up to meet mine. With a dark look he said, "I was drunk beyond belief. I had way too much to drink that night. I didn't know what was going on."

"Don't lie to me," I screamed in his face. For the past five years I found it hard with each passing day to not put all the blame on Xander himself. He knew it was me in that closet and he knew how his little brother felt about me so why the heck did he keep kissing me?

"I'm not! I heard what you said but I thought you were saying that all to me! You didn't say his name until it was too late. I was a hormonal teenage boy and you were this gorgeous forbidden fruit."

I scoffed. "You also apparently had a death wish." Leave it to Xander to sleep with his little brother's true love because he thought she was in love with him.

"Look I didn't know he proposed to you beforehand! I had absolutely no idea what was going on. All I knew was that I had a hot girl pulling me into a closet who was telling me she loved me."

"That wasn't for you," I screamed again, losing all control.

"Is everything okay out here?"

Xander and me turned around to see Rumi standing in the threshold of the kitchen, a confused but serious look on his face. His eyes analyzed Xander as he stood up to his full height, probably wondering if he could beat his ass if need be.

"Who the hell are you," Xander sneered.

"You're the one in my apartment yelling at my girl," Rumi backfired with an angry voice, "I'm the only one who should be asking the questions."

Xander turned to me with shock and anger written all over his face. "You have a boyfriend that you live with El? That's not right!"

"Look who's talking," I spit. "You don't have any morals."

"Eliza," Rumi spoke up, "Is this your ex-boyfriend or something?" From the look on his face I can tell that he's seconds away from kicking Xander out, whether he'll go willingly or not.

"No I'm not," Xander spoke up, glaring at Rumi, "but her ex-fiancé will be showing up here any minute."

Rumi and I yelled at the same time. "What?"

Xander turned to me, the anger gone and replaced with urgency. "He helped track down my girlfriend for me in Ohio. The least I could do was do the same for him and tell him the truth about why you ran away. I figured you would be in Miami since this is where your Mom grew up and I remember her talking about some friend she had that owned an Egyptian restaurant. I wasn't expecting to see you there today but I did so I called Marco and told him everything, including where you were. He was in San Diego so he got on a plane immediately but that trip was only four hours long and I called him at least five hours ago. Then before you let me in I sent him your address."

"If he doesn't kill you than I will," I seethed. By the end of the night I was sure Xander would only be a corpse.

"Wait you were engaged," Rumi asked, hurt and confused.

"No," I shook my head, "I was never engaged."

"Yes she was," Xander corrected. "She's in love with my brother and he's in love with her. You don't stand a chance."

I gasped. "Marco still loves me?"

"Of course he does El. You're been together since birth and just because you ran and left a note saying 'I'm sorry' doesn't mean he's just going to stop loving you. You're the only girl for him."

"Well he'll hate me now since you told him."

"Look I got to get on a plane to Ohio in an hour. As much as I deserve it I don't want to be here when Marco does because he'll ruin my face. Aria loves my face, I'm relying on it to get her back."

"You have a girlfriend," I asked, not believing him one bit. I heard about his fiancé about a year ago, a French model who left him before the wedding but other than that he's been out of the dating circle. Although he was never really in in the first place.

"She's much more than that," he responded, a wistful look on his face.

I sigh and run my hands through my hair. "Well I guess-"

A series of harsh knocks on the door stop me mid-sentence. All three pairs of eyes lock on the door before us as the knocks speed up and get rougher.

I shared a panicked look with Xander, neither of us knowing what to do but we both know who's behind that door.

"Eliza? Are you in there," Marco called from the other side.

"Who is that," Rumi asked, looking between the two of us with dark eyes.

I didn't respond, neither did Xander. We only looked at the door that was shaking with each harsh knock Marco threw at it.

"Eliza? I know you're in there," he yelled.

To hear his voice after such a long time that wasn't in my dreams or memories, it shattered my heart all over again. I got the same feeling I did when the paramedics and police men crowded the beach around me. My eyes stun the same way when they carried my mother's body out from the ocean. And like when I was little there was a scream stuck in the back of my throat in panic. The world moved around me like it did when I was ten years old and suddenly an orphan.

I didn't see Xander hesitantly open the door. I didn't see Marco instantly swing a fist into his face. I didn't see Xander land on the wooden floor boards with a thump. I didn't feel Rumi wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his chest.

When I came back into my own body and saw the two Stavros brother's on top of each other on the ground I knew exactly what was happening but I didn't care to stop it. I wasn't stupid.

"Are okay Eliza," Rumi asked, gaining my attention.

I looked up into his dark green eyes which were full of concern and hurt and confusion. "I'm fine."

"El."

Slowly I twisted my head around to look at Marco for the first time in five years. He's changed just as Xander and I had. His hair was longer and looked to be his favorite aspect of himself. It was groomed and cut perfectly and rested on the top of his head. His jaw seemed to be sharper than I remembered. His arms were larger under his white t-shirt and leather jacket. I could see that he still wasn't into the suit thing like his brother always was. His skin was clearer and a light stubble around his jaw and chin.

He was hotter than ever.

Dammit I was in trouble.

"Hi," I said meekly.

What are you supposed to say to someone you love who you haven't seen in five years? Are there directions to this sort of thing?

Marco smiled, showing off his perfect set of white teeth that I missed so much. He took a step forward, stepping over his older brothers limp body on the ground. I could tell that Xander didn't even try to fight back even though if he did, he would probably win.

As he got closer, outstretching his arms to me, Rumi pulled me closer to him, stepping slightly in front of me so Marco couldn't reach me.

Marco seemed to finally take notice of Rumi for the first time since stepping foot through the door. His smile faded and brown eyes grew darker. "Who are you," he fumed.

Rumi squared his shoulders and squeezed my hand he was holding. Sternly, he said, "Eliza's boyfriend."

...
Why isn't Eliza correcting Rumi or Xander when they said she was dating him???
And I hope I didn't make you cry during the flash back because I sure did...
Anyways please vote and comment!!!:)