CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
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     CARMEN LAYS LIMPLY. Her arms lay at her sides, gashes and purple bruises covering them. Her left foot is angled awkwardly, sticking out from its normal position. Her forehead is covered in blood from the recent impact with the floor.

She stares up at the ceiling, not daring to move from her current position. Her body aches, a burning sensation shooting through her limbs every time she moves even an inch. Jackson stands above her, staring down at her in amusement.

"I can't quite grasp why you're still holding strong," He sighs, stepping away to take a seat next to Cole. "It's really easy, Cam. I don't understand why you won't just end this and tell me the truth."

The girl doesn't reply, blinking away the tears that had constantly been pooled in her eyes.

"Think about it- you could go home," He says. "You can go back to that Zach kid, and all your Hollywood besties. I'll let you live your life happily, and you'll never see me again. Just say it."

"I won't lie," Carmen's voice cracks. "Not now, not ever."

"Wrong answer," Jackson seethes through gritted teeth, moving back over to her.

Carmen doesn't flinch once as his foot connects with her side, damaging her body even more than before. Within the last minutes, she had grown tolerance for the pain. It was like she could no longer feel it.

Perhaps it was her body's way of shutting down, she thought as he kicked her again. Maybe she was finally dying- that she had taken enough hits to be put out of her misery. It was a slow death, she thought, but at least she was numb.

As Jackson saw that her expression never changed, he stopped. Carmen didn't seem to notice that he stopped, though- at least until he started to stomp at her ribcage.

By now, blood was covering the floor around the girl. Her black clothing was soaked in the paint-like substance. If she could've felt her bones break, she knew she would've screamed bloody murder. But she was caught in her thoughts.

She wondered where her mother was, and how she was coping. Did she not know that she was missing? Or was she not missing her, just like the others?

Of course she had given up on someone coming to save her, so that definitely wasn't an option that ran through her mind. Instead, the girl guessed that her mother hadn't figured out that she was missing. Maybe she thought Carmen was still at the Why Don't We house.

And then she thought of Zach.

Was he with a new girl now? Of course he was- Zach is famous, and any girl would be lucky to have him. Unfortunately, Carmen never got to truly know him- she fell for him anyway. Despite them only knowing each other for two weaks, she felt like she was in love with him.

That was before she had given up.

Now, she felt nothing but regret. Regret that she didn't follow her own promise- that she defied the warning for herself. Carmen shouldn't have gotten caught up in him because she knew love hurt. And it broke her to pieces.

"I have to say, that's a great act you've got going on," Jackson chuckles, pausing to take a breath. "And I'm sorry to do this, but I believe your time to admit is up."

With one last glance into his ex-girlfriend's beautiful brown eyes, he pulls something from his back pocket, and leans down next to the girl. Staring at her, memories of her flash through his head.

But as quick as the flashbacks came, they were gone, replaced with images of her with Cole. And looking at her, not breaking eye contact, he plunges a knife into her stomach.

"JACKSON, NO!" Cole rushes from his seat, dropping onto his knees by Carmen's side.

Carmen gasps, the pain coming back to her as she stares into the eyes of Jackson. She glances down at the pocket knife that sticks from her stomach, blood pouring from the fresh wound. Her body begins to sting, her fingertips erupting in tingles.

And suddenly her head begins to feel lighter, as if she were floating on a cloud. Her weight were no longer a problem- it was like she was a feather.

"I did it, okay," Cole cries, supporting Carmen's head. "I started the rumor, it wasn't true! I lied to get away from Casey."

He sobs as he stares down at the dying girl, his eyes taking in all of her injuries. He knew that this was his fault. But why had he let it go on this long? Why didn't he just stop Jackson immediately?

"W-what?" Jackson stutters. "You- Derek, you both lied?"

"Derek wanted Casey," Cole shakes his head as tears flow from his eyes. "I never did. She was too much to handle, Jax!"

"Why didn't you stop me?" Jackson demands, gesturing down at Carmen. "Cole, what the hell?"

"I don't know," The boy replies, wiping his nose. "I didn't think you'd go this far! I thought you loved her!"

"Until I thought she cheated on me, you bastard!"

Carmen gasps again by Cole, her vision blurring as she stares at the warehouse lights above her. Her breathing grows more rapid- heavy in a way.

"We have to get help," Cole says, removing the hair from Carmen's face. "Jax, you have to call 911!"

The warehouse doors burst open, revealing five people Carmen thought she'd never see again- Zach, Casey, Laila, Aurora, and Jonah.

"Oh shit," Aurora covers her mouth, stopping as she sees the pool of blood that the girl lays in. "Jackson, what the hell did you do to my Caramel?"

"No, no, no," Zach mutters, rushing over to the girl. He shoves Cole aside, resting his hands underneath Carmen's head.

"We're here, what happened?" Carmen's mother enters the warehouse with Jack, Corbyn, Jessica, and Daniel following suitly. "Oh my god, my baby!"

"Jackson, what have you done?" Jessica asks, her eyes filling with tears as she looks to her son. "Look what you've done!"

"Get Aurora out of here," Daniel says to Jonah, glancing at the girl that sobs into Jonah's jacket. "She shouldn't be here right now. You need to call for help."

Everyone is at Carmen's side immediately, steps away from where Zach sits in distress.

"Zach?" Carmen questions, confused by his appearance. She wasn't sure, though, as her vision was repeatedly fading.

"I'm right here," Zach assures her, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I'm right here."

"I didn't think you'd come," She croaks, placing a bloody hand on his face. "I-I was so scared without you."

"I'm here now," He says steadily, one of his tears falling onto her bloody shirt. "And I'm not leaving you ever again."

Carmen smiles, her lips twitching upwards as she runs her thumb over his cheek. Her eyes flutter closed, before she forcefully opens them again. She moves her head, her head getting lighter by the second.

"Carmen," Zach says, shaking her slightly. "Keep your eyes open, okay? You can't leave me, keep your eyes open."

"I love you, Zach," Carmen murmers as her eyelids grow heavy. "I-I tried to deny it, but I can't."

"I love you too," He smiles, his heart brightening. "I love you so freaking much it hurts."

"Tell the others too, alright?" Carmen smiles. "Especially Aurora and Callie. And give Dobby a kiss for me."

"I'm not going to," Zach shakes his head in denial, brushing the tears from her face. "You're going to get to do all of that yourself, Carmen."

"Tell my mom I love her," Carmen continues. "And take good care of her, okay? She'll need you."

"Carmen, stop, please," Zach begs.

"And even though Casey and Laila betrayed me, let them know that I missed them. Jessica, Jackson, and Cole, too. The next time you visit Mark and Elle's graves, make sure you leave the prettiest flowers you can," She smiles weakly. "I'll let them know we didn't forget about them."

Zach's cries grow harder as Carmen's eyes flutter once again. "Carmen, no! Stay awake! Please, I love you!"

"I love you too, Zach," Carmen says one last time, her vision leaving her. "Always remember that."

And with that, Carmen's eyes close, her hand dropping to her chest limply. Zach sobs, into her shoulder, the others falling to the floor as they cry.

"I love you," Zach repeats. "I love you, Carmen."

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