The next morning, happy, satisfied, and relieved to be alive, Kyla and Sam indulged in breakfast at the café. It had to be done after a night out.

"It measured six-point-six on the Richter scale," Sam said. "We were at the epicentre apparently."

"It's crazy," Kyla replied, biting into a bit of toast. "I mean, we've felt tremors before, but nothing like that. That was something else."

Sam nodded and sipped at her tea. "That's global warming for you."

Kyla chewed her toast, glancing out of the window as a grey Porsche pulled up outside, its occupants two very familiar faces. Her jaw dropped open, almost spilling her partially eaten toast.

"Is that who I think it is?" Sam asked.

"Uh-huh," Kyla said, coming back to reality and closing her mouth. "Not only do they come back hotter than ever, but they're now rich enough to own a Porsche. Of course they fucking do."

Sam laughed. "Are you forgetting Henry had more money than our local bank branch? And they've inherited the lot."

The car doors opened simultaneously, the two hot as hell brothers climbing out of the little sports car, Adam from the driver's side. As he closed the door, he looked directly at Kyla.

A sudden dizzy fog descended over Kyla as their eyes met, making her grip onto the side of the table for some sort of stability. The feeling of déjà vu hit her like a violent of gust of wind, leaving her grabbing at pieces of memory that simply evaporated whenever she got too close.

"He's intense," Sam whispered. "And intensely hot." She looked Ben up and down as he walked to the café door, a pink blush sweeping up her neck and to her cheeks. "Ben is something else. He's like a divine hot chocolate. You know, the sugary rich cup of oh so good badness that you want to curl up with on your sofa."

Kyla laughed. "The sugary rich cup of what?"

"So good badness," Sam replied, giggling like a teenage girl. "You know, when it's so good it's bad."

"I thought you wanted Adam when you made a beeline for him last night." Kyla's heart skipped a beat as she waited for her friend's response.

Sam lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. "You know tall, dark, and handsome is my thing. I was just curious what Adam was like after all these years. Ben, is well...you've seen him."

Kyla laughed. "I have, yes. He's nice but I think I prefer his brother."

Sam wiggled her eyebrows up and down and grinned. "So we've decided who's having who then?"

Kyla cleared her throat and lowered her voice. "Shouldn't you be telling me to stay loyal to your brother?"

Sam let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "Are you two official?"

Kyla shook her head.

Sam shrugged her shoulders. "Then what happens between you two is between you two. I'm not getting involved."

Before Kyla could think of a response, the café door opened and the two men breezed through with an air of authority that had the middle-aged waitress, Miranda, flustered in an instant.

Pushing her shoulder length brown hair back behind her ears, Miranda scurried out from behind the counter. "Hi, where would you like to sit?" She hurried over to the table opposite Sam and Kyla. "Is here ok?"

Adam glanced over at Sam and Kyla, a mischievous smirk tweaking at the corners of his mouth. "Well, well, well. Fancy seeing you here. If I didn't know better, I'd say you two were stalking us."

Kyla snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. And just remember who came here first. Stalkers follow, not lead."

Jade green eyes illuminated with joy, relishing a challenge. "Wow. I see someone forgot their happy pills this morning."

Ben pointed at the two empty chairs on their table of four. "Can we sit with you two?"

Sam widened her eyes at Kyla, sending a silent message of 'hell yes'.

Kyla shrugged her shoulders and took a swig of her orange juice. "Sure. I guess it's the least we owe you after saving us from the club."

"Oh, ok," Miranda said, shuffling from foot to foot. "Um, I'll be back in a minute for your orders?"

Adam nodded at her. "Sure. Thanks."

Ben pulled the chair out next to Sam, leaving Adam to seat himself next to Kyla.

Leaning back in his chair and turning to look at Kyla, Adam asked, "So who was the jealous jerk that picked you up last night?"

"That would be my brother," Sam replied, raising an eyebrow at him. "Why do you ask?"

Not even the slightest bit bothered he'd just insulted her brother, Adam looked at her and grinned. "No reason. Just good to know who's likely to try and take me on."

Sam snorted. "If Dylan wanted to take you on, he certainly wouldn't make a point of making himself memorable to you. Besides, you wouldn't even know he was there. You'd be dead before you knew it."

Adam smirked. "Is that so?"

"He's a private contractor for the military," Sam continued. "Whatever they don't want their lads to do, he does, off the books."

"I see," he replied, nodding. "I'd better sleep with one eye open then."

Ben shot his brother a glare of 'shut the fuck up' before clearing his throat and changing the topic. "I hope you both managed to sleep last night?" He turned to Kyla and asked, "Have you done anything about your car yet?"

She shook her head. "It's Sunday. My insurance company is closed. It'll be my first job tomorrow before I go to work."

"At that pub, right?" Adam asked. "That's where you work?"

Kyla nodded.

"Full time?"

"Yes. Why?"

He shrugged his broad shoulders, a speck of glee lighting up in his eyes. "Just asking. Making conversation. Nothing more."

Kyla narrowed her eyes at him. "Before you get all judgemental that I 'only work in a pub' just remember that I have bills to pay like any other person around here. Me working in a pub is no different to people working in McDonald's or a supermarket. It all helps the world go round."

Adam quirked an eyebrow up. "I never said a word."

"You didn't need to. Your face said it all."

Miranda reappeared then, asking Adam and Ben if they were ready to order. They both ordered a full English with black coffee.

Just as Miranda walked away, Kyla's phone rang. When she saw Keith flash up on the screen, she let out a groan of frustration.

"Everything ok?" Sam asked.

Kyla showed her who was calling. "He's going to want me to go in. I want a weekend off. Just one whole weekend. Is that too much to ask?"

Sam giggled. "He can't bear to not see you for more than twenty-four hours."

Kyla flipped the bird at her unsupportive friend before pressing the green answer button on her phone.

"Hello? Kyla?" Keith said.

"Yes, Keith. Hello."

"Um, I'm terribly sorry to intrude on your weekend but is there any chance you could cover Amy's shift today? The poor dear was in that club last night when it collapsed and she's terribly distraught. Such a near death experience has shaken the poor little lamb up."

Kyla rolled her eyes. "I was in the club when it happened, too, Keith."

"Oh, oh my goodness. How awfully frightening that must have been. Are you ok?"

"I'm alive, Keith, yes."

"Well, you have always been such a strong girl, never one to be beaten by anything, hey?" He let out a nervous laugh, all but barking into Kyla's ear. "Do you think you can be here in the next half an hour?"

Kyla let out a sigh. She didn't want to go in. Sunday's were the worst day. The pub was always overflowing with people, people who were delusional enough to think that Keith's cooking was the bees knees and his carveries were the best for miles around. That meant a sweaty, stressed Keith who would have a pub full until close. However, extra shifts meant extra cash and she definitely needed more of that.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Wonderful, Kyla. Thank you so much, dear. I'll see you soon."

Kyla ended the call and threw her phone down on the table, letting out a sigh.

"Why agree to it if you don't want to do it?" Sam asked. "You moan about him all the time but whenever he asks for more, you're always there. I don't get it? I thought you'd avoid him as much as possible."

Kyla pressed her lips together. She quickly debated whether to be honest or not. Had Adam and Ben not been present, it wouldn't have been an issue, but admitting the truth in front of two smoking hot guys was nothing short of embarrassing.

"Is it money?" Sam asked, reaching her hand across the table. "Just let me lend you some. Please."

Kyla shook her head. "No, Sam. This is my mess and my issue. I can't keep going through life relying on your handouts when I fuck things up. One day, you'll need all that money for yourself and you won't be able to give it to me so just keep it, ok?"

Sam grinned. "Exactly. So take it whilst I offer it."

Kyla smiled. "Like I said, my mess, let me figure it out. Thank you though."

Sam pushed her car keys over the table. "Take my car. I'll get Dylan to come pick me up."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

Kyla finished her breakfast in a hurry before grabbing Sam's keys and standing to head out. Just as she stood up, Miranda came over with Adam and Ben's food.

"Thank you," Kyla said, looking between the pair. "For saving us last night. We owe you."

Adam grinned, a mischievous glint flashing through his eyes. "Yes, you do."

Kyla ignored him and headed out to work.

As soon as the café door shut, Adam said to Sam, "She's quite the fiery one, isn't she?"

Sam nodded. "She's not had an easy life so far. She is the way she is for a reason. Deep down, she has a heart of gold. You've just got to give her time to show it."

"That," Adam said, biting into a mushroom. "Sounds like a polite way of saying she's a bitch."

"Stop it," Ben said, narrowing his eyes at his brother. "Stop it now."

"I'm not wrong, though, am I?" Adam asked, looking at Sam.

"That woman is my best friend. She's my sister from another mister. She can be challenging at times, yes, but you just have to understand her, that's all. She had another setback recently and it's kind of put her on edge." Sam's eyes glistened over with water. "I'm actually quite worried about her."

"What's happened then to make her life so horrible? Her pet goldfish die or something?"

Sam glared at Adam, mentally cursing him to high heaven. "As if I'm going to tell you, an all but stranger, my best friend's deepest darkest secrets." Sam took a sip of her tea. "And especially with your attitude."

Ben placed his hand on Sam's forearm, causing her to look at him. When their eyes met, her breath hitched in her throat. Her heart started pounding as a cold sweat broke out all over her body. A shiver ran down her spine as she stared into Ben's chocolate eyes, instantly captivated by his dark, swirling depths.

"Ignore him," he said. "We just want to understand you both better, nothing more. We're going to be sticking around for a while yet and I would like to think we'll become quite good friends."

Warmth and hope flowered inside Sam, filling her stomach with butterflies. "I'd really like that," she said, her face flushing bright red.

"So please, help us understand Kyla a little better."

Sam nodded, and after a few seconds, she tore her eyes from Ben's and took a deep breath, her voice shaking as she spoke. "Kyla started dating this sleaze ball called Tony Wilkins. He's three years older than us, which to a young eighteen-year-old girl is a big deal. Not only was he highly desired by most women because his father is an MP, but he was also her first love." Sam squeezed her eyes shut and ran her hands over her face. Wringing her hands together on the table, she continued. "And he was also her last. She's damaged not only physically, but mentally, too. The last time I ever saw this attitude on her was when she had a meltdown."

"A meltdown?" Ben asked.

"As in she ended up in a straight jacket and locked in a psychiatric unit for six weeks. She's been in intense therapy and under strict psychiatric care until eighteen months ago. Everything's been fine. Medication hasn't been needed for two years. She's done so well."

Feeling overwhelmed and utterly hopeless, Sam couldn't hold back the wave of tears any longer. Ben looked to the table behind him, hoping to find some napkins. Seeing none, he glanced around quickly before deciding to manifest his own.

He slid a hand under the table. A brief, but affirmative thought of what he wanted appeared in his mind's eye. Blocking everything else out for just that second, he focused his energy on white napkins in his open hand. Hot tingles heated his palm before the white tissues pieced themselves together on top of his skin, as soft as velvet and as thick as a winter duvet.

In less than a second, he was offering the crying woman just what she needed. Grabbing at them without another thought, Sam blew her nose into one and wiped her eyes with another.

"Sorry," she said, keeping her eyes down in embarrassment. "I just don't know what to do to help her. I never expected her to go back there..."

Annoyed at the cryptic conversation and having no juicy gossip, Adam drummed his fingers on the table and sighed. "Some detail here might help, you know. All we know so far is that her first love was a politician's son and him dumping her sent her into a decade worth of pills and shrinks. Not seeing anything traumatic there, honey. Welcome to 'love'."

When he said the word 'love', Adam couldn't resist looking at his brother as he mimicked the quotes with his fingers. Love was a load of horse shit in his eyes. Ben glared at his brother, rage boiling up inside him at his blatant disregard for anyone else.

Sam snapped her head up and narrowed her eyes at Adam. When she spoke, the venom dripping from her words would have killed a King Cobra. "I never said he dumped her, asshat. This isn't some sad tale of a first love breaking up. It's so horrific you couldn't even dream this up."

"Oh, I don't know," Adam said, smiling. "I bet I know a situation or two that would fit that title."

"Really?" Ire bubbled inside her at his sheer arrogance. "You might have a pretty face, Adam Worthington, but there's definitely nothing deeper than that, is there? I bet if I had a black dog, yours would be blacker, wouldn't it? If I'd...skydived twice, you'd have done it three times—"

"Six, actually."

Sensing the tension building up inside her, Ben acted before Sam reacted. He punched his stoic brother on his upper arm, sending him sprawling across the floor.

So emotional, Sam didn't even find it funny. She simply looked at Ben and said, "Thank you."

"Would you rather go somewhere else to talk?" Ben asked, wondering if the openness of the café made her feel uncomfortable.

All too aware a break would make her chicken out of revealing her best friend's sordid tale, Sam declined. Apart from an elderly couple across the other side of the room, they were the only ones in here now the breakfast rush had left.

She took a deep breath and continued. "All was fine for the first eighteen months or so. Then he got her pregnant," she said. Folding her arms across her chest, she managed to hide her clenched fists. "And insisted she had an abortion. Kyla refused. Not because of how in love with him she was or anything like that but because she didn't see it as fair that their carelessness had created a life. To her, that gave her no right to extinguish it. She was prepared to carry to term and give it up for adoption."

The clatter of Adam's wooden chair being righted cut through her explanation. Not even daring to look at his brother for fear of exploding, Adam sat back down and forced himself to pay attention.

"But that wasn't an option for Tony's father. It would be nothing but an embarrassment for his son to have an illegitimate child palmed off on other people, so he piled on the pressure. Kyla ended up taking a couple of trips down the stairs. When that didn't work, Tony got desperate."

For the first time in years, Adam felt nausea churning around in his gut. Whatever Sam would say next would be sickening. He could feel it. He suddenly felt more than foolish for his mocking comments.

"He drugged her one night, put some rohypnol in her drink." She choked back a sob. "It was me who found her—" Sam took a deep breath before carrying on "—there was so much blood. God, I've never seen so much blood." She took a swig of tea, not caring it was cold, her throat raw with dryness. "He'd attempted to give her a home abortion with a coat hanger. Needless to say, it'd gone horrifically wrong and he'd ripped...inside. She nearly died. If I'd been any longer—"

She burst into tears. Whilst supporting Kyla through all of her turbulent times, not once had Sam given thought to the fact she might need some help too. Nightmares were frequent and always involved the sickly grey face of her best friend dying in puddles of her own blood.

Without even thinking, Ben wrapped an arm around Sam's shoulders, unsure of the best way to comfort her. Truly shocked by what he'd just heard, he looked up to see his brother's features paling. Was he actually feeling something from hearing this harrowing tale?

"Shhh," Ben said, rubbing the tops of her arms. "You weren't any longer though and you did save her. It's all ok."

Sam shook her head, tears flying from her flushed face. "No, you don't understand. That's not the worst of it."

The brothers looked at each other, exchanging part worried, part enquiring thoughts.

"It's ok," Ben said. "I get that she probably can't have kids now. Is that right?"

"No," Sam said. "I mean, yes, you're right. He did so much damage to her that it's pretty much all scar tissue in her womb. If by some miracle she ever fell pregnant, chances are she wouldn't be able to carry to term anyway." She shook her head. "But that's not what I meant. Haven't you wondered why I found her and not one of her parents?"

That queasy feeling hit Adam's gut again. He wasn't used to feeling human things...not the bad side anyway. He enjoyed pleasures of the flesh but blocked everything else out. Except, somehow, this had snuck up on him from nowhere.

"Her father skipped out years ago, but her mother...ha." Sam wiped at her eyes and sat up straight again, filling with irate defiance. "Her mother had been having an affair with Tony. Whilst Kyla was in hospital, the pair of them took off. She's never seen or heard from her mother since."