Kayla Wilson

When I returned with Jack, I saw Zach and Nico facing each other in a heated argument.

"I'm the one who saved her life. I was the one who stopped her when she was on the brink of -" I heard Nico say when I was in earshot of their conversation but he stopped mid-sentence when his eyes landed on me.

Zach turned around to face me as I glared at them.

"Nico! Who gave you the right to talk about my life like that?" I snapped at Nico.

Nico flinched back and looked down, avoiding my eyes. Even though he was my best friend, he shouldn't have talked about my life, specially about the darkest part of it. It was something I never intended on telling anyone. I never talked about it, even to Nico. The only reason he knows is because he was there to see it when it happened.

I stopped in front of Nico and he slowly raised his eyes to mine.

"I'm sorry, foxie. I crossed a line," he apologized.

"Why did you talk about that? You know I don't like to be reminded of it." I said so that only he could hear me. I was sure that he could see the pain and anger in my eyes.

"Sorry, guys," I turned to face the others. "I need some time alone."

I was glad that they smiled and nodded in understanding. I couldn't look at Zach because I knew he would want to ask a million questions. I started walking away and Jack softly patted my head. I gave him a small smile and continued walking. I didn't want any of them to see my weak side. I didn't want to cry in front of them. My past made me weak. What I did was weak. I was reminded of it again and I needed to pull myself together before I faced my friends. My thoughts were consumed and I didn't notice someone following me.

"Kayla," a soft voice called.

I looked over my shoulder and was not surprised to see Zach.

"What do you want, Zach? I thought I made it clear that I wanted to be left alone." I said tiredly.

"I'm not gonna leave you alone. I'm not gonna stay away when you're going through something difficult. You were there for me. Now let me do the same for you, Kayla," he took my hand.

I didn't want to cry, but the tears in my eyes found their way out. I sniffed and wiped my tears away, but they didn't stop. Warm hands enclosed me and pulled me forward into his arms. I slowly put my arms around him and let him comfort me.

"I was so stupid, Zach. I shouldn't even have tried it. I was weak. I've always been weak. That's why everyone around me leaves me," I sobbed into his chest.

"Shh, you're not weak. I refuse to believe it. There's something about you that says that you won't go down without a fight. I see it every time I look into your eyes," he said. "Tell me what happened. What is this stupid thing that you did?"

I took a long breath and pulled away from him. I looked into his eyes. He looked anxious as well as curious. His hair was slowly waving in the wind.

"It's a long story," I told him.

"Well, I've got time," he sat on the sand and I sat next to him.

I didn't really want to talk about it to anyone. But this was Zach, and somehow he was different from others. The thought of sharing it with him didn't make me feel insecure and scared like it does with others. Maybe sharing this with him would help me move on and forgive myself. Besides, I had promised him that I would tell him. And he deserved to know. Taking a deep breath, I began.

"I was bullied, where ever I went. And that was how I lost my mom. I got into a fight with a bully and my mom was called into school. She was on her way to my school when a car crashed into hers. It was all my fault." A tear rolled down my cheek.

"It was then that everything started falling apart. Our whole family was in tatters and no one gave a shit about the other. Everyone grieved in their own way. I did too. I started to cut," I whispered softly.

I looked at Zach for his reaction. Even though he looked shocked, he stared at me intently and did not interrupt.

"Every day, I cut a bit. As the days passed, more and more scars appeared on my arm." I rolled back the sleeves of my shirt and touched the scars.

He looked down at them and softly swept his fingers over them as if they were still raw. There was something I couldn't decipher in his eyes.

"I lost count of how many times I wanted to die. I wanted to give up, but at the same time I wanted to live for the twins. They were the only ones who remained constant in my life. But one day something drove me over the edge and the guilt got too much. I was standing on the railing of a bridge. I had decided to end everything then and there. I was just about to jump when someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me down. It was Nico. That was when I first met him. I owe him a lot for saving my life." I waited for his reply.

"And you told him everything that had been going on in your life?" he asked.

"Not really. He genuinely cared about me and eventually gained my trust. That was when I told him," I explained.

"You've been through a lot, Kayla. I can't believe someone could have it so tough. But I guess every one of us has our own complications in life," he said.

"Do you still cut?" his fingers were still grazing my skin.

"No. I stopped last year. Nico helped me a lot and I finally managed to stop. It was hard and I still get urges to do it when things get bad. But I've learned how to control it," I mumbled.

"See? You're so strong. You survived through it." His voice was warm.

"That was just half of it. I'll tell you the rest some other time." I was mentally too drained to explain further.

"I understand. Take your time, Kayla. And thanks for telling me." He put a comforting arm around me and without even thinking about it, I laid my head on his shoulder.

"Hey, you still haven't told me what you were thinking about then," I suddenly remembered.

He sighed and started to tell me that his dad left and how devastated his mother was.

"I don't know how he could leave so easily. He didn't even look back, Kayla. It felt like we weren't that important to him," I could see the pain on his face and my heart ached for him.

"It's gonna be okay someday. He made his choice. Now you have to decide what you want to do for your family," I advised him.

"Thanks, Kayla."

He gave me a searching look before he started leaning towards me. He lifted up my chin and my heart started going crazy. I thought it was gonna beat its way out of my chest. My eyes fluttered shut as I anticipated what was gonna happen. His lips touched my forehead and I opened my eyes. After what felt like minutes, he pulled away and brushed the hair off my face­­­­.

"Hey, Kayla, would you like to go on a date with me?" he asked suddenly.

My mouth opened and closed, a look of surprise evident on my face.

"It's fine if you don't want to. No pressure."

I could sense a bit of disappointment in his voice. I didn't know what was happening to me but I didn't like it when he was disappointed. I always wanted him to be happy. And I liked spending time with him.

"Yes," I blurted. "I'll go on a date with you."

"Really? That's great," he gave a boyish grin and his eyes lightened up.

"Well, why don't we head back? I'm sure the other will be worried about us." I stood up and Zach followed me.

We walked back to bonfire, holding hands. When we returned, everyone was deep in conversation. I took a seat next to Nico and Zach sat on my other side, next to Liam.

"Are you okay?" Nico asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay," I said.

"Look, Kayla, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said anything about your past. It was your secret to tell," he apologized again.

"It's fine, Nico. Everything ended well," I brushed it off.

"Did you tell Zach everything?" he asked curiously.

"Not everything. But I guess I will later. He stayed and listened even after I told him that I was suicidal." I told him.

"Good for you, foxie," he gave me a smile. I couldn't help but notice that it was a bit forced.

"Would you guys like to hear what I did to that cheerleader who tried to hit on me?" I heard Jack ask and gave my attention to him.

"Oh no. Not again," Liam groaned. "We've heard this a thousand times already. I can tell you this story in my sleep," he rolled his eyes.

"I wanna know," I told Jack.

"Kayla, you're gonna regret it," Melissa warned.

"Please Kayla. Don't make us go through this torture again," Zach pleaded.

"Go on, Jack," I said amusedly, looking at how dramatic they were being.

In the middle of Jack's story, I caught Zach looking at me. When my eyes met his, he winked at me and we shared a secret smile. I didn't notice that Nico was watching our exchange.

We stayed talking and laughing until two in the morning. After the bonfire ended, Jack dropped us off one by one in his truck.

I stayed in front of my house until they turned a corner and made my way inside with light footsteps. I rushed to my bedroom and locked the door before breathing out in relief. I didn't want my dad to find out that I was out late. It wouldn't have ended well if he knew. I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I got into bed after changing my clothes and my mind replayed the moment where Zach kissed my forehead. I slowly touched the spot where his lips touched me and a huge grin spread on my face. As I drifted off to sleep, my last thought was that I couldn't wait to go on that date with him.

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A/N

Hello my amazing readers! Here is another update and I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much I enjoyed writing it. Please tell me what you think of it in the comments and don't forget to vote. :)

Thank you all for reading my story. <3