I don't like what I saw in the mirror earlier, it's an image of a girl who's been hurt and her eyes reflected it as so. I couldn't stay looking at the mirror any longer and quickly did my morning routine, before leaving the bathroom.

Knowing that it's my turn to take out the trash this morning, I change into something a little more comfortable before heading out. Thank God it's Saturday, because I wouldn't have been able to go to school , more so to see Wesley, because my heart would hurt more.

I can't believe I'm hurting over this, but the more I think about it, the more I realise that my feelings were so deep towards Wesley. My feelings are real and genuine for him, now to have him do what he did, that felt like a slap to my face last night.

Gosh, I must have looked like a fool.

Heading out with the trash, I come across a sight that pulls me to a pause. It's Aiden standing right at the end of the drive way, busy talking to him, Wesley.

Why is he here?

I take notice of his clothes and I realise, that he's still in the same clothes from last night.

Why didn't he just leave like I asked him to, why is he so damn stubborn?

I square up my shoulders and keep a straight face, as I continue my way. My heart races in panick, when Wesley is the first person to see me and his whole attention, shifts towards me. This gains Aiden's attention and now he turns to me.

Now both of them are watching me like two creeps.

" Chloe." He starts towards me.

" What are you still doing here?" I direct the question to Wesley.

" He wants to talk to you." Aiden speaks up before Wesley does.

" Leave." I say to Wesley, ignoring Aiden.

I place down the trash before turning around and heading back to the house, ignoring their calls.

I huff in irritation when I'm suddenly spun around by arm, I realise that it's Wesley.

" Chloe, please, let's talk for a bit."

" I said all I needed to say last night, now leave me alone." I try wiggle out of his hold, but he tightens his hold.

" No, I can't do that." He shakes his head in protest.

" Wesley, stop being stubborn and leave me alone!" I push him back.

" Chloe, no, don't tell me to do such a thing because you know deep down that I can't do that. I bloody can't leave you alone!" His voice rises to my own level.

" Okay, okay, let's all calm down." Aiden intervenes, coming to stand between us.

While trying to calm down and not get worked up, the feeling of my phone vibrating in my pocket, diverts my attention from Aiden, who's busy trying to be the voice of reason between us.

Taking it out and opening the message, my heart stops for a second before it races again, due to what I see. An unknown number has sent me a picture, it's a picture of me at the party no doubt.

The feeling of humiliation once again fills me, seeing the picture of a girl who had hope, but her hope was shattered. In the picture, I don't look like my normal self, but weak and vulnerable, worse off, it's expressed in my eyes.

Damn it.

" Chloe ?" I hear Aiden call me and my head snaps up, as my temper gets the best of me.

" Are you happy now, huh?!" I show Wesley the picture, almost hitting him with the phone that he has to lean back to see the picture. " The whole world watched as I was made into an idiot by you. "

A guilty look takes over Wesley face, glancing between me and the picture.

" Congratulations Wesley, for convincing me that I should have never, crossed paths with you. "

"Chloe ----------"

" I don't want to see him Aiden, I'm telling you that I don't want to see him ever again!" I shout out, pointing out in warning to Wesley.

" Okay, okay, Chloe calm - Chloe wait!" Aiden calls after me when I march back into the house.

I bang the door for effect, wanting the message to be clear. I rush off to my room, passing Ingrid along the way, who doesn't say anything, not that there's anything she could have said to make me feel better.

I wish I had a punching bag right now, so I would blow off some steam. I quickly delete the picture and throw my phone on my bed, before I start pacing up and down, needing to keep calm and push back all these thoughts.

I don't know who is the idiot that sent me that picture, but if I find him or her, I swear that I might just break their nose.

' And how did that fool find my number?'

Before I can even try and find the answer myself, I hear a knock on my bedroom door.

Oh gosh, don't tell me it's him again.

" Chloe?" Whew, it's just Aiden.

I look at the door but don't answer.

" Chloe, I know that you're in there and are upset right now, but please don't lock yourself in!" That's what I did.

" Don't shut me out!" I could never do that Aiden.

" Just talk to me!" I can't right now.

I hear him sigh before he speaks up again. " I'll give you a little more time alone but then after, I'm dragging you out of there, even if I have to kick down the door first!" I hear his footsteps trail off, meaning that he's leaving.

I let out a breath before heading to the bathroom, needing a hot shower to distract me. Jumping in, I close my eyes and lose myself to the good feeling of water touching my body. As time passes, I find tension melting away bit by bit and my thoughts more calming, no longer leaning towards violent acts.

Gosh, I had such violent thoughts that it almost felt scary. I mean from a very young age, I learnt to be independent and to be able to defend myself, against other kids, as I moved from one school to the next.

When someone pissed me off or I felt cornered, the first thought I had was to break their noses. I would mostly regret it afterwards, because I actually did it and I would get into trouble later on. But that was when I was a little girl and when my mom found out, she was actually so upset and blurted out that I'm turning out to be like Luis.

I believe that she had never meant to say those words to me, because immediately after she had said those words, and realized what she had said, a look of regret, guilt and shame took over her. I remember frowning in confusion at her, not understanding what she meant.

I remember saying sorry so many times, just for the fact that she was angry at me. She literally cried and took me into her arms and hugged me tight. She turned out to be the one apologising to me.

I remember falling asleep in her arms as she rocked me back and forth, murmuring how sorry she was.

I learnt to never just hit someone because they upset me or made me angry, but I resorted to defend myself when only necessary. I guess within, as I grew up, I wanted to be able hit back, if ever Luis did.

I didn't want to cower back and let him have his way, I wanted to protect my brother. I didn't care about myself, I just wanted Aiden to be safe and not get hurt ever again.

But now....

' I just had those violent thoughts again, I wanted to hurt someone because I was pissed. Gosh, mom must have been right, that I'm turning out to be like him. I'm becoming a splitting image of Luis.'

I gasp at those thoughts and I jump to my feet, staggering a bit as an image of Luis chasing after us in his drunkeness, comes into mind.

I quickly turn off the water and get out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my self before rushing out of the bathroom. I let out a harsh breath as I try blink away that horrifying image.

I uneasily sit down on the edge of my bed, breathing in and out.

" No." I shake my head vigorously. " I'm not like that man, I could never be like him, I can't. I refuse to be like him." I murmur.

" I can't be like him." I keep on murmuring.

' I dont think you fully understand how amazing you are.' Wesley's words.

Those were Wesley's words to me. Oh gosh, Wesley, I slapped him.

I hurt him just like Luis used to do to me, just like I used to see him do to Aiden.

" Chloe?" My head snaps to the door, where Aiden now stands, looking at me.

How did he get in, I thought I locked the door.

It doesn't matter, he shouldn't see me like this.

I quickly look away, not wanting him to see me like this.

" Chloe."

" Y-yeah?" I quickly cough, fixing my throat while wiping away a fallen tear.

I hear his footsteps draw near before I feel him stand infront of me. As I open my mouth to say something, I feel him crouch down to my level.

" You're upset and hurt." My head snaps to him and the mention of the word ' hurt.'

His eyes widen slightly before his brows pull together as he looks me over. Feeling ashamed, I drop my head, trying to avoid eye contact.

" Chloe, look at me."

I shake my head no, barely being able to hold in the tears.

" Come on, look at me."

" I can't, I'm ashamed. I've been a bad girl." I mumble, an image of Luis coming into mind.

And all I see is him infront of me.

" W-what?" He gasps.

" How can you say something like that - Why would you say such shit, stop."

Not being able to control my tears, they start to fall.

" Chloe, dammit, look at me!" His hands on my arms shake me. " Look at me!" He shakes me harder, forcing me to look at him.

A gasp escapes me when I look into Aiden's angry, watery eyes, and Luis's image disappears again.

" I'm like him, aren't I? I'm like ---------" I say in a small voice.

" No." He shakes his head in disagreement.

" I'm like Luis, aren't I?"

" No, you are not like that monster !" He shouts.

" But I slapped Wesley!" I also shout in response, cutting him off. " He hurt my feelings but I did far worse, I slapped him, I hurt him just like Luis did to us, to you mostly. So I must be like him!" I cry out.

" No, bullshit. You are not like him! - You are not like him!"

" But he's my father, so that must mean we are similar."

" No, he - he....." He cuts himself off, releasing a groan before quickly sitting beside me and pulling me in his arms.

Small cries slip out as he rocks me side to side.

" You, Chloe James, are not like Luis. You are my little sister, my angel. Don't ever compare yourself to him, okay?" I wrap my arms around him and bury my face in his shirt, wanting to feel small and safe in his warmth and comfort.

" You are not like Luis. You are your own person. An amazing person."

                       ******

Coming down the stairs, I meet Aiden halfway as he is coming up. Surprise flickers on his features and he looks me all over. I give him a weird look, for acting weird.

" I thought you were still in your room." He says in a tone, that suggests that I should understand what he means, so I nod as if I understand.

" I was feeling hungry." I say, letting those words be an explaination.

He nods, still staring at me as if he has something to say, but something is holding him back.

" Uh, I baked a few cookies, chocolate chip, your favourite."

" Why do you look like I was about to reject them or something?" I finally ask, not being able to handle the awkwardness he's displaying.

He shakes his head. " I don't want to sound like I'm nagging and annoy you, but how are you feeling now?"

I nod, now understanding him. " I'm okay, just really hungry." I say, walking past him.

" I made something." He says, following me.

" Is it pizza?"

" No, you know I can't make it."

" I know, I was just teasing you."

We enter into the kitchen and already the smell of something good fills my nose, making my stomach to grumble even more.

" Oh, you're here!" Ingrid perks up, joining us in the kitchen.

" Uh, I never went anywhere." I say in confusion.

" No, I meant here, as in down here. We were worried about you." I notice her glance at Aiden, them both communicating with their eyes.

" Okay, did you do something that you know I won't like ?" I speak out.

" Ask your brother." Ingrid quickly says, pointing at Aiden, who shoots her with a glare.

" Aiden, what did you do?"

" No, I'm not the only one who did something." Aiden says, obviously throwing the blame to Ingrid, because now, she's the one who glares at Aiden.

" Okay then, what did you both do?"

Aiden sighs. " I called Owen."

I just stare at him, telling myself to listen before I say something.

" He knows what happened."

" Why did you call him?"

" Because I feel like he's the only one, who can knock some sense into you sometimes."

" Excuse me?" I ask, taken aback.

" He's the only one who can get it in your head, that you are not like that..." He cuts himself off, not wanting to mention Luis's name.

I don't say anything but stare at him, feeling emotion thick in my throat and heavy in my chest.

He sighs yet again before speaking up. " Don't look at me like that, please."

I continue staring at him, words stuck in my throat.

" You listen to him."

" I invited Wesley over." Ingrid speaks up before I can.

My head snaps to her.

" I thought I made it clear that I don't want to see him."

" But that was you upset talking. Deep down, you miss him, you can't stop thinking about him."

I open my mouth to protest but she continues. " How everything happened felt planned, and I have a feeling that Wesley was also a victim in all of this. Just listen to what he has to say, listen to the Wesley you've gotten to know, the one he's let you see and no one else."

I don't understand why they can't just respect my decisions.

They went behind my back and did all these things, there's so much I want to say but I hold myself back, the energy having left my body.

I feel exhausted, honestly.

I quietly turn away from them and get busy with preheating the food made for me.

" I know you might be upset that we went behind your back, but please try to understand that we were, no, we are worried about you. " Aiden speaks up after a while.

" I'm fine." I answer, not looking at them.

" Chloe, you're not fine, you're ---------"

" I'm not fine, I'm hurt! - I'm hurt Aiden, is that what you want to hear?!" I snap, jerking around to face him.

Both just stare at me, Ingrid looks taken aback while Aiden looks like he was expecting my reaction. Even so, I'm already feuled and I can't stop now.

" You went behind my back and disregarded my wishes, I feel humiliated and angry that I let myself be vulnerable out in the open, for everyone to have a field day over. I hate the feeling of maybe one day bumping into Luis, because he's a freakin' nightmare. I can't put too much trust in Owen ever living with us, because he's never here even when I need him. I'm reminded of the fact that he's just a family friend, he doesn't have to be here and he can leave and never come back, at any time.

I hate the bad memories of Luis almost killing you because of me.

And the worst part is that I regret coming to stay here, because then, I wouldn't have met and fallen for a guy like Wesley, who I should have better protected my heart from, because now I'm flipping hurt and it's painful to hurt, knowing that I could have prevented it!!!" My chest heaves up and down after letting out so much, even things I never thought were stored within, ready to burst out.

To have them look at me the way they are now, pushes me to rush out of the kitchen. I ignore Aiden's calls as I storm out of the house, the door banging behind me.

My feet pick up pace and I find myself running, running with no destination in mind, but needing to let off some steam and get away from everything and everyone.

***********************************

Another chapter done.

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Thank you for reading.