If you have some tissues left, you're in luck because you'll need them!

Read when emotionally prepared!

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I don't like rewatching shows. What's the point of watching something when you already know what's going to happen again? The best part about watching something for the first time is the anticipation and suspense of what's going to happen next.

I think that applies to almost everything in life because life itself is an ongoing experience. Whatever we feel right now will be the past in the next second and the future will then be the present. When we're perceiving reality and interacting in the present, we subconsciously are aware of the fact that what we're feeling in that very second, is a feeling we'll never feel again.

Humans have a natural ability to gravitate towards things that give us pleasure, so when we experience something we love, we tend to chase that feeling. We plan our lives out in the pursuit of feeling a certain feeling that we already have felt before or maybe we think that feeling in the future will be better than the one before.

Some people make the chase look classy and elegant. They're able to manage through the obstacles and reach for whatever it is they want and take it with grace. It's almost like when a model walks down the runaway for the hundredth time.

She knows her power. She knows that all the eyes are on her, but she doesn't stop to acknowledge or even look around the audience. It doesn't even matter what the designer made her wear because she knows that if she fucks up, no one is going to blame the dress. She knows the world around you is only as chaotic as your mind, so she mediates every day. She works on the world inside of her. She controls what she can which is her confidence which emanates with every step she takes down the runway. When she opens her eyes, opportunities come to her. The cameras flash and people call her name, designers beg for her. The chase was over before it even started.

Others get there but make it seem as if they're the only ones who deserve it. They're the ones who do whatever they need to do even if it goes against their own values and morals.

It's the person who lies, manipulates and steals their way up to the highest place they can reach. They don't care about the trail of misery they've left in their footsteps. They don't stop to look back and process anything they've caused. No, they're always looking for something better; going round and round and round hoping to catch something that has already passed.

They fail to realize that nothing will ever be as good as it was the first time. Some might even know that, but they go against their better judgement. People thought half of the things in the world today weren't gonna be possible fifty years ago, but look at us now with little handheld cellphone devices and the internet would be something they'd argue in their defence.

I know that's what I would say.
That's what any addict would say.

See when you ask an addict why they took another pill, most of them would say to feel what I felt the first time. It's the same every time though: the second, third, fourth, fifth pill we take, we take it to feel what we felt the first time. Any sane person would know that's impossible, right? The high is just never the same as it was the first time you ever felt it.

But aren't we all addicts? A person rewatches shows and hates starting new ones because they're used to the feeling of comfort and knowing; the unknown scares them. A person who watches new shows and hates rewatching them is used to the feeling of anxiety and nervousness; they're addicted to the adrenaline rush.

The person who goes to work from Monday to Friday, nine to five never gets late but gets anxious when they're at home when they know they should be at work, is addicted to working. It's like a junkie who takes his fix every day of the week the minute he wakes up. If he doesn't get his fix every day at the exact same time, he gets anxious.

So no one is really normal if everyone is an addict, right? The addiction and how a person chases it is subjective; one can either make it seem elegant or disgraceful.

I'm an addict, a drug addict in particular. An alcoholic too.

I remember that itch I had last night. I didn't allow myself to feel anything because I knew if I overreacted, then everything would be irreversible. There would be no one to hold responsible because everyone would have been too busy caving under their own emotional distress unable to think rationally.

I'm seventeen. I don't think many seventeen-year-olds think the way I do or been through what I have. I've been told many times that I sound very wise and that I seem much older. Even though their words hurt, I smile and thank them for the compliment because how do you tell a stranger you don't wanna be wise? That you wanna be a kid? That you grew up too fast because you grew up around irresponsible men that also somehow made you insecure and claim that they love you?

When men lose their anger, it's a woman's natural instinct to be the responsible one in the room and control the situation so that it doesn't get worse. I'm a woman, I did what I knew I was obligated to do by putting my emotions aside and I did it all alone while I had every man in that room standing against me.

King didn't die at the hand of my brothers and I'm still alive.

I deserved relief after all that. I knew how it'd feel to let my emotions cave and I knew how it felt to be so numb high under the influence of drugs that nothing matters. I wanted to be floating free even if my feet were still on the ground. To my luck, we were at a party and bringing that need to life wasn't gonna be too hard.

Two things were against me: time, because I didn't wanna be there longer than I needed to be and there were no pills around. There was; however, alcohol. I took what I could and now I'm making do with it.

The night was rough. I kept falling in and out of consciousness crying through my drunken state.

My eyes peel open, white specks of dust stuck to my lashes, my eyes focus on the road in front of me.

My chest feels heavy as I lie on my side with my arm under my head. Rocks dug into my ribs, but I didn't feel them up until now. My head throbbing, I feel disoriented not recognizing my surroundings. I hiss sitting up. My spine and bones crack as I move and I wince dusting my hands. I brush my arm free of small pebbles stuck to my skin.

Where am I? I think to myself until my eyes land on the half-empty bottle of alcohol next to me and I notice the dress I'm wearing.

It's my birthday today, I turned seventeen. It's Roman's birthday too, I smile and look around so I can wish him. I frown when I realize I'm all alone. I slowly bring my knees to my chest as I wrap my arms around my legs and rest my chin on my knees.

One by one, memories of last night come into mind and for the first time, I actually think about them while I'm sober, still quite hungover though.

King lied to me. He said I could trust him. He said that he loved me. He said that he wouldn't hurt me. He lied. He used me.

Memories of us flash before my eyes as my heartbeat rises. Then, images of last night come into mind.

He called me a whore.

God.

My mouth parts gaping like a fish when I feel it getting hard to breathe. Tears blur my vision as my body snaps open from the fetal like position. My hand slaps the ground. The physical pain in my hand diverts my mind from the internal feeling of agony piercing through my heart.

I imagine that's what being stabbed in the heart would feel like. Damn King, thanks for making me feel that alive, I cry at the sadistic thought.

"God," I breathe brushing my hair out of my face and wiping my eyes. Both my palms pull on the side of my head widening my eyes as I try to wake myself up.

I bring my hands down a few seconds later sighing as I look at the bottle of vodka.

My head is hurting and my stomach growls adding to my distress. I look around. No cars have gone by from what I remember and I'm thankful. I want to be left alone for as long as possible.

Alone with alcohol, that is.

I grab the bottle of vodka and bring it to my lips as I chug.

I'm an addict remember.

I wanna feel what I felt the first time.

I gag on the burning liquid as it lights a trail of fire down my dry throat. I set the bottle down next to me and cough.

No matter how many drinks I've had, the first shot never gets easier.

But I'm an addict. I might not like the path I need to take to get where I need to go, but I'll do whatever I need to do to get to my destination.

Once the taste in my mouth subsides, questions start running through my mind, but I don't have answers to any of them.

I need answers.

I bring my bag around, which I slept with on my body, to take my phone out. I hold the bottle in one hand and the phone in the other unlocking it to read that it's currently two pm.

"Dammit," I huff looking down the ends of the tunnel to the sunlight. I sigh deciding to stand up since my legs feel numb from laying down for so long.

I take a deep breath and slowly stand. I put the hand that's holding the phone on my back as I straighten it out. The bones crack as my muscles ache and I groan in relief.

When I lift my head, it spins and I almost fall back but stick my arms out and slightly squat trying to balance myself. I manage to achieve a steady balance and keep my phone and the bottle in my hand so I smile proudly for myself.

I stand up again even slower than before. When I'm standing, I clear my throat not feeling too drunk but shake my head to get rid of the tiredness.

Feeling my arms sore as they press to my side, I look down finding a massive black and purple bruise wrapping the circumference of my upper arm. I look at my left arm and find a similar bruise in the exact same place.

Sebastian, I remember. My brothers just watched as he yelled and abused me. No one said a thing to him. It was right in front of their eyes and they chose to ignore it at my expense. No one else's, but mine.

My dry eyes sting as they wet with tears. I look up and wince feeling my neck and jaw quite sore. Reluctantly, I bring my hand up as it shakes. The tips of my fingers brush the tender skin on my neck and I hiss sucking in a deep breath. My head snaps away but the edge of my phone slaps the tender skin making me wince.

Tears run down my face as the pain takes over my senses.

I look at my fingertips as if they had a current running through them. As if I was the one who did this to myself.

I close my eyes as I fist my hand and bring it down next to me.

I didn't do this to myself.

Then how did we get here, Reese?

I decide to pace back and forth for a bit getting movement because my whole body feels rigid and difficult to move. Since I've been moving since birth, you'd think it'd be easy for me to move my limbs, but external circumstances have weakened my ability to do it well. Cool air runs, sneaking in through the numerous holes in my dress as my whole body trembles.

I probably look disgusting, but I don't really mind. For once, I might as well look as I feel.

Out of all the people in the world, why me?

How did King and Kairo even get in touch with each other? Why does Kairo hate me so much? How did King manipulate me so easily? How did they even get that video of Silas and me?

Only two people had copies of that video: Silas and me. I deleted the video a long time ago and Silas was told to give anything he had on me to the police so that it could be destroyed.

I know Kairo is a part of all this, but he didn't have the video. He only told King what he knew. Yes, it was in detail and yes I'm just as hurt by his actions, but the person truly responsible for this is Silas.

If King was able to get in touch with Kairo somehow, then he got in touch with Silas too. Or maybe Kairo went to Silas for King? Either way, it was Silas who gave them that video.

Even while incarcerated, he has managed to obliterate any hope of me ever being happy again. He has made everything I worked for in the last year seem worth nothing. In one fucking night, he has ruined my whole life.

Anxiety starts making me tap my foot as I stop pacing and stand in one spot. My heartbeat rises and my breath deepens as I feel myself becoming angry. Adrenaline pumps through my veins and I decide to take a few more gulps of alcohol before I go to do what I need to.

I sniff clearing my nose as I bring the phone up and unlock it. I check the charge and see that it's only twenty percent. I quickly turn on my data and turn airplane mode off. My phone blows up with notifications from my brothers, Astrid, Raven, Ridge, Maverick and Cindy.

I don't mind looking at them because I know I don't want my phone dying. I go through my contacts and click on the name I'm looking for.

The phone rings a couple of times before someone picks up.

"Ronny Stefano speaking," he answers. My head starts spinning and I feel the alcohol taking over. I scratch my head and clear my throat to start talking since I almost forgot who I called and why.

"H-hi, Ronny th-th is-s Reese Price," I speak trying really hard to keep my composure but keep stuttering.

"Reese!" he replies excitedly. "How are you? I haven't seen you since the case was closed."

"I-I'm g-good," I reply. I take a deep breath before continuing, "Can I speak to Silas?"

"Is everything okay?" he sounds concerned.

"Yeah, I just think it's time," I share as I curl my toes. The rocks scrape my toes and I suck in a sharp breath frowning at the ground.

Ronny is the superintendent, or warden is what they call it here in America, of the jail Silas is in. My parents had gotten this arranged so that if I ever needed to talk to Silas about anything, I would be able to as part of a coping mechanism. I never used it before today.

Obviously, they made it so that they'd be informed if I ever used this. They're not here now so I suppose Grayson will be informed, but I don't care. Grayson and Aaron's plane doesn't land until four meaning they have no idea about what's going on. It also means I still have a couple of hours to myself.

"Okay," Ronny concedes. "I'll put you through, it'll take a couple of minutes."

"Thank you," I reply. My fingers come to my mouth and I chew on my dirty nails as I wait on hold. The glass bottle rests between my chin and palm as I bite my nails. Time seems to be slow as I wait for what feels like forever. Anxiety ridden, I take another shot of vodka since biting my nails wasn't helping.

"Hello?" he speaks carefully, unsure of who is on the other side. I stop breathing. My eyes sting with fresh tears and after a few seconds, I breathe inaudibly.

Even though I heard his voice last night, it still feels weird. He has a unique voice and I can tell it apart from anyone else's. It's definitely heavy, but not too heavy. Right now, his voice sounds lower, more compressed probably because it's early morning in Singapore. He speaks with a certain attitude that's distinct, only belonging to him. No matter what words I use, I'll never be accurate enough to string together the right ones.

I guess that's what happens when you loved that person so much at a point in your life because I could tell King's voice apart too.

"Hello?" he asks again.

"Hi," I squeak and instantly hate myself. Is this really what you say to your ex rapist boyfriend who is in jail because of you and you haven't seen or talked to him since?

"Reese," he repeats trying to comprehend the moment. I bite my bottom lip nervously as I feel my body cover itself with goosebumps. I hug myself trying to keep warm, but it doesn't work so I decide to take a few more gulps of alcohol. "You're relapsing?"

My eyebrows furrow and for a second, I bring my phone away from me just to confirm he can't see me before bringing it back to my ear.

"What?" I spit drunkenly. I'm just gonna act dumb. I don't owe him shit.

"What happened?"

"Don't... act... stupid," I slur. Fuck, I'm so drunk.

"What are you talking about? I haven't seen or heard from you since court," he defends.

"Why'd you do it?" I start shaking as tears fall from my eyes. The thing about alcohol is that it's a depressant. Unlike pills that keep you high and happy, alcohol gets you really high before it lets you freefall until you are drowning and suffocating in the pool of your own darkness.

"Reese, I'm sorry. I should have reached out earlier, but I didn't think you'd wanna hear from me," he explains.

"I'm not talking about the past, Silas. I'm talking about the video! Why'd you give it to King?" I yell frustrated.

"Video? What video? And isn't King your new hoodlum boyfriend?" he lets out a small laugh at the end. I expected it to be condescending, but it's not, which confuses me.

"Excuse me?" I ask like I'm offended. I feel my face and ears heating up.

"Uh... you're excused?"

"Silas!" I yell pissed flailing the bottle in my hand.

"Reese, listen to me. Where are you right now?"

"That doesn't matter," I cry as I can barely hear myself over the sound of my own heartbeat.

"Just listen to me for a second, Reese. I can hear your breathing and you're biting your nails. You're having a panic attack, just tell me where you are. What do you see?"

I immediately stop biting my nails and gulp at how well he knows me. Panicking, I look around to answer his question and lick my lips feeling them dry.

"I-I'm in-a... tunnel, it's empty... with white walls a-nd some graffiti," I hiccup.

"What's something you can smell?"

"The alcohol on my clothes," I close my eyes and answer almost immediately. I hear him sigh.

"What do you feel?"

My breathing becomes a little more rhythmic as I start calming down, but I start crying since I'm still too drunk to be completely somber.

"Pain," I reply opening my eyes.

"What happened, Reese?" he asks after a minute of letting me catch my breath.

"Th-that video you took of me,... that day in that apartment we went to and did a few lines. I... I lifted my shirt. Y- you said you deleted the video."

"I know what video you're talking about," he says after a few seconds, "- and I did delete it. It was a Blackberry, Reese. They don't even have backup and you made sure I deleted it."

"I had a copy," I sniff. I start hiccuping in between, "but I never showed or — sent it to anyone. I-I deleted a few — months after court," I share.

"Did someone go through your phone?"

"I don't know..." I try to think, but I'm too drunk to think that far back.

"What even happened?" he asks. I can imagine him leaning against the wall with one hand holding the phone and the other in his pocket. His right leg crossed in front of his left hooking his ankles together.

He's holding his phone closer to his mouth and further from his ear. I can tell by how loud he is. He's not trying to be loud, but since he holds the phone far from his ear, he thinks I can't hear him either.

Then I imagine his smile, is it still as white as it used to be? He had nice, kind of long hair before. Oh my God! He probably had to cut it. No! His hair was his best feature. Si–

"Reese," I hear a voice in my ear pulling me out of my thoughts. I had subconsciously started smiling at my thoughts but it disappears in the exchange of facing reality.

"Are you sure you didn't send the video to anyone?" I scratch my head and wince when the bottle hits my head.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I clear my throat not allowing myself to drift off-topic.

"Reese, I didn't send it to anyone," he states confidently after a few seconds. I guess he wants to show that he's actually thinking about it for my sake.

"Silas! Come on! Why can't you just admit it?" I push. It sounds like he's telling me the truth, but what if I'm just being stupid again?

"Reese, you're drunk. I did not send a video of you to anyone," he repeats.

"You fucking did! You!.. You fucking ruined my life and it's too much for you to watch me heal with someone else? Huh? No? Why else do you keep tabs on me while you're in fucking jail!" I burst accusingly. My head spins faster the more energy I spend.

I feel out of character. This isn't me. At least it wasn't for a while. Maybe this is a sign. Maybe this actually is me; an angry, miserable girl with no other purpose in life than chasing the next high.

"I do it because I'm sorry!" he raises his voice. I hear a guard tell him to keep it quiet and Silas replies muttering sorry. "I've been sitting inside thinking about how much potential you had. If I never came into you're life, you would've been happier. Then I read your parents died too and as much as I hated them for putting me in this shit hole, I sympathized for what you might be feeling.

Yes, I hated you and your family for putting me in here, but it helped me get sober and see life from a different perspective. My own family doesn't even call me. I have no one. Nothing. I had a fifty-k hit on my head when I was put in here. I might only be alive today because of it. I owe you my life, Reese why the fuck would I fuck yours up more than I already have?"

"Y-you're lying," I cry. If he didn't send the video, then who did? I know I didn't. Why is Silas lying to me? Does he like me suffering? "You left m-me th-that night!"

"You took two pills that night, Reese," he speaks low, but with force. "Two. You passed out and I put you to bed before I left. The reason I left was because my boss called me for an urgent meeting. I told you I was going to come back, but when I did, the party was over."

What the fuck.

It sounds so absurd, but for some reason, the words bring a nostalgic feeling with them.

"The me-medical reports... s-said I-I had... over thirty pills i-in my system."

"Reese, listen to me when I say this, I knew you then and I can tell you for a fact that you would never kill yourself. Whether that is your ego or your strength, I can't tell you, but I remember how you took every hit I threw at you. Not saying that whatever I did was right, but if I had treated someone else the way I treated you, I think I'd be in here for murder, Reese," his words send chills down my spine as I breathe deeply.

"I don't know what happened that night, but I know for a fact you did not try to kill yourself. You might think I'm lying, but some people told me that they saw Kairo go into the room you were in after I left. I told my lawyers, but we couldn't gather enough proof and clearly, there were more charges than just that," he shares. I hear shuffling behind me and turn.

The man in the distance seems familiar, but it takes a minute for my eyes to focus. My mouth parts when I notice Kairo standing a couple of feet away. He's still wearing his suit from last night, but he's much cleaner than I am. His hands in his pockets, his brown eyes zone into me.

"Who's on the phone?" he questions in a low demanding tone.

"Reese? Are you still there?" Silas asks through the phone. Another chill runs down my spine as my mind connects what Silas just told me and what the coincidence of Kairo showing up here could be.

"It's King," I lie bringing the phone down not moving my eyes away from him. Kairo smirks and lets out a small laugh as he kicks a random rock on the ground. I watch as it bounces off my toe and lands a couple of centimetres away. I blink a couple of times looking at the piece of rock and wondering why that action was necessary?

"King's in jail, Reese," Kairo informs when I look back up. The grip around my phone tightens as I feel my heart drop.

Okay, so this is what was going through my drunken mind. If Kairo is here to do something to me, then he would decide how long to take depending on who's coming.

For example, if I had said one of my brothers, then he would do it fast because he knew my brothers would be here in a matter of minutes.

Versus King and well, that's just self-explanatory. I could have easily said we're just talking and he isn't actually coming, but at least he'd know that someone knows I was with Kairo.

King's in jail meaning Kairo knows I'm lying so let's see if he decides to do it slow or fast now. I love surprises anyway.

Also, when I say King's in jail, I'm not letting the words process in my mind otherwise I'll be on the ground wailing again.

I might just be overreacting, but after hearing what Silas just told me, I don't really feel safe being alone with Kairo so I'm praying that Silas doesn't hang up and at least stays on the line as a witness to whatever is about to happen. And that is also why I cannot be emotional right now.

"End the call, Reese," Kairo commands.

"W-why?" I ask sobering up a bit.

"Because I said so," he speaks dangerously low. I gulp bringing the phone up so I can look at the screen. The call is still going and I look up at Kairo. I'm not as drunk as I was before so I can manage to think a little logically. I pretend to end the call and immediately drop my phone on the ground.

Even though I knew the phone was about to crash, I flinch at the sound not expecting it to be so loud.

Luckily, the phone lands facing down. Kairo looks at my phone on the ground and lets out a frustrated chuckle as he licks his lips.

His eyes then set on the bottle in my other hand.

"You relapsed," he states almost unable to hide his happiness. His odd reaction takes me by surprise and I try to hide the bottle behind me. He doesn't need to know I'm not sober. "Take a sip, Reese."

"What?" I ask as my eyebrows furrow. I'm drunk, maybe I heard him wrong. Even better, maybe this is all a dream and none of this is actually happening.

I watch as he looks to the side losing his patience. There's nothing even there? Why is he looking there?

His thumb slides across his nose before he lets out a breath and strides over to me. My eyes widen, but he's too fast.

One of his hands grabs my face and he spins me around to press my back to his front. His other hand wraps around my hand holding the bottle of vodka. His hot breath on my neck, his front is hard against my back. He brings my arm up and makes me pucker my lips by roughly compressing my face with his fingers.

My eyes widen as he pours the vodka into my mouth. I try to use my other hand to hold the bottle back, but he's too strong for me. I can't swallow as fast as he pours. Liquid goes up my nose and into my lungs making me panic.

I try stepping on his foot with my heel, but it doesn't bother him. He only holds my face tighter and I cry as hot liquid trickles down my neck and the front of my dress.

He keeps pouring ignoring my thrashing. It feels like I'm drowning and I know the surface is right there, but I can't manage to get there no matter how much I fight.

I want my mom.

I want my dad.

I didn't do anything to deserve this.

Kairo's hands open and I fall on my knees as a violent cry echoes from my throat.

My eyes full of tears, my head spins as my vision comes in and out. The burning sensation makes me sick and I clench my stomach as I breathe through my injured lungs.

My face hurting from his hold, I shake feeling exploited.

God. 

When I hear his feet shuffle, I watch his footsteps walk around me as I continue coughing.

When I look up, I see Kairo drink whatever was remaining in the bottle. It really wasn't enough since he made me choke on the majority of it.

After a few more minutes, I think my lungs are finally empty but the insides feel dry and damaged. I wipe my eyes and face using the back of my arm. When my vision clears, I see my phone within reach. I stretch my arm to grab it but scream when Kairo steps on my hand.

"Ug-gh!" I groan through my gritted teeth. I look up with pleading eyes begging for mercy.

"Uh uh," he shakes his head sides ways. He pinches the fabric of his pants and pulls it up as he squats down. His eyes glued to mine, he keeps full pressure on my hand. My whole body trembles with pain, but it doesn't seem to bother him.

I blink and slightly jump when the glass bottle clanks against the concrete floor as he sets it down.

He grabs the phone and when he gets up, he lifts off of the foot that's on my hand. I groan in pain and pick out the rocks embedded in the skin. I watch patches of blood spill from before bursting and dripping down in thin trails.

Tears rush down my face as I hear the phone land far away shattering. There's no way out of this.

Kairo, just make it quick.

When Kairo turns around, he points with his finger and instructs, "Get up."

I don't move. I feel paralyzed. How worse could it possibly get? If I'm gonna die, I might as well go out strong and with a little bit of dignity.

I'm not gonna beg for my life. I know what it's worth. If Kairo doesn't, then I can't sit here and convince him otherwise.

He makes his way over to me.

"Get up!" he yells in my face and I flinch. He takes a couple of steps away and crosses his arms in front of him with his hands intertwined. He waits patiently for me to do what I'm told to.

I bite my bottom lip and drop my head unable to keep it up. I clench my jaw knowing I'm about to get really drunk much faster since I'll be standing. I don't know what's gonna happen, but I'm praying that if I comply, he'll be nicer.

But I guess the outcome won't change either way.

So I'm hoping that maybe I won't have to give my life up today.

I close my eyes and tears stream down my face. I sniff and wipe my nose. I pull my dress up a little and mentally thank it for hanging on so nicely. It's been through so much and didn't fall too far down.

See, it's the little things that matter. I smile at the thought as I continue crying. I must seem so psychotic right now.

Not trying to test Kairo's patience, I get on all fours and get up slowly. I hiss in pain when I put pressure on my right hand, but work through it. Not like I have a choice not to.

Once I'm squatting, I rise slowly. Near the top, I pull the bandaid off snapping my back to stand straight. I regret it because my head spins and I fumble back.

"Here here," Kairo coos much softer than before. He grabs my arms and pulls me into him. His arms wrap around my waist and I almost fall back, but he grabs my hand and places it on his shoulder. I lay my head on his chest and for a second, smile feeling the warmth and comfort.

For a second, I forget everything and it feels like I'm in King's arms again. The fortress of his arms makes me feel at peace and gives me more warmth than any amount of clothing has. His eyes, his beautiful grey orbs bring me serenity. When he looks at me, I feel like a ballerina dancing on the clouds weighing next to nothing to a feather.

I love him.

He makes me wanna be me.

But then I remember everything that happened and force myself to open my eyes. Drool sticks to his suit and the side of my face before I look up at Kairo and I see three of his heads.

"Fuck, I'm so drunk," I giggle. I should not be giggling right now. I swear I have pissed just a second ago. I don't know what's happening.

"Yeah, I know," three Kairos smile at me. I blink several times trying to focus, but I can't. I feel him move and I move with him. A few moments later, I feel the wall behind me as he takes his arms off letting me carry my own weight.

Without even thinking, I slide down but Kairo stops me half.

"Whoa," I giggle as he lifts me up with his hands in my armpits.

"Stay standing," he says. "Okay?"

I look up at him and his brown eyes that used to be so innocent. He's just acting nice right now because he knows I won't be able to run even if I want to. My lips stretch into a quivering smile as I take a deep breath. I bob my head assuring him that I'll comply.

He smiles. His willful blindness towards my clear state of hysteria brings a further sense of fear with it and I feel chills run through my bones to my core.

I watch as Kairo grabs the empty bottle of vodka and comes back to me. He holds the bottle in his hand next to my head as he leans over me and looks down. I gulp as I force myself to look up at him.

"I'm sorry things had to be this way," Kairo says, feigning sincerity. "I really did care for you at one point."

"Wh-what are... you... talking ab-out?" I slur my head slightly swaying. It feels so heavy and my neck feels so weak, it's hard to keep my head up. It's even harder for me to keep my eyes open and so they keep shutting on me.

God, I'm so tired.

"You deserve the truth before you go," Kairo says and my eyes widen and my lips part at his words. For a few seconds, I'm able to clear my mind and focus, staring into his eyes. I shiver under him feeling the depth of his words.

Tears slide down the corner of my eyes as I wait for him to continue. I turn my head not being able to look at him and my inevitable death reflecting in his eyes.

"Your family killed my brother and mother," he says. My forehead creases at his words. "Aaron shot my brother and your parents tried to bribe him into staying quiet. When my brother didn't take the bribe, your parents had him killed. My parents' marriage broke apart because of his death. My mom ended up committing suicide because of everything.

The thing is I didn't know any of this up until we entered high school. I found out my dad had been getting payments from this unknown insurance company ever since my brother died. I did some digging and found out that the company is owned by your family. I did some further research and I found out about the fighting ring and everything that truly happened.  

I've hated you and your family ever since. I practically raised myself since I was twelve years old!" he continues. I listen to him carefully, but I feel like I forget whatever he's saying as soon as I hear it. My head spinning and he sounds so distant that it's getting only harder to focus. "Yet, you and your family lived on as nothing happened? Just because you had money, you thought you could put a price on someone's life and take it away just like that?

Well, I'm here to prove to everyone how much a Price's life is worth," he growls. He grabs my hand and forces me to hold the bottle of vodka underneath his own grip to make sure I can't let go.

He then pushes that hand against the wall and I scream shutting my eyes. The bottom half of the bottle shatters as glass flies everywhere and the loud sound sends my ears ringing.

"Kairo," I breathe terrified. I gulp slowly opening my eyes. Kairo is staring down at me, his jaw clenching as he lets his anger take over.

I don't see my old friend in there. I don't see anyone in there. It's a long abyss of darkness that I've never seen in anyone's eyes.

Even Silas always had some sort of feeling no matter what he was doing. He never completely shut the world out and maybe that's why I do believe that he has moved on. He had a rough childhood and got mixed up with the wrong group of people. He tried to hide his emotions with drugs and when I came along, it showed him that someone could actually love him and that he, indeed is lovable.

He showed me what he thought was love at the time and yes some actions were based on wrong intentions, but if he's willing to own up to them, apologize and be better, I'm not gonna sit here and stand in his way. No matter how much I wish things had turned out differently, I'm happy that my last conversation was with Silas.

Kairo brings my hand down and holds the sharp edges of the glass in my hand towards my stomach. He leans over me again with his opposite hand on the wall next to me. I look down and use my other hand to stop Kairo from stabbing me.

"Kairo," I plead as tears rush down my cheeks. I breathe rapidly becoming anxious.

I don't wanna die.

"It's funny we're back where we were almost a year ago," he taunts smiling. I grit my teeth as I use all my strength trying to keep the glass away from my skin. My breath hitches when I feel it against my stomach and Kairo continues pushing it forward. "I came into your room after Silas left. I woke you up, but luckily you didn't remember that. I had a flask full of water in my jacket and I had dissolved quite a few sleeping pills in it. I helped you chug it all down and as you fell asleep, I told you how worthless your life was and how dying is the best choice you've ever made.

The thing is, I wanted to kill you long before then but when I saw that Silas made you into a walking corpse, I thought that was punishment enough for you and your family. After a while, you started growing balls, and you wanted to leave Silas. Knowing you, you would've gotten out of it so I didn't wanna take that chance and decided to just do what was necessary.

If Roman wasn't such a horny ass kid, then he never would have found you in that room and you wouldn't have been here today. Your parents passed a couple of months later and then for a second, I thought that maybe this is good, that everything took care of itself. We even started dating and I thought I actually might've liked you. I was wrong. When you started becoming better again, after their death, I hated it. I hated seeing you and your brothers so happy again. Your parents' death didn't break you guys and I was fucking furious.

When you moved, I lost it. I came by every day to see if you ever came back, but I met Aaron and he told me the move was permanent. I felt helpless up until I saw Sebastian Diaz post a picture on Instagram tagging you," he explains.

Pepper spray, Reese! I remember and I freeze for a second before I take my hand and pull the bag around. I struggle unzipping it slowly. I make sure to keep my eyes glued to Kairo so he can't tell.

"I followed along with your life for a while through people who would tag you and what magazines would pub– uh, uh," he says bringing his other arm down to hold my hand right above my purse. My hand shakes trying to force my hand inside the purse, but Kairo is too strong. He continues talking like he's unbothered. "Where was I? Right. I... I dmed King one day and we started talking. It wasn't long until we started planning this whole thing. Silas even came in handy by sending me that video–"

"Silas d-didn't send you that v-video," I speak with little breath. I try to take quick short breaths because the glass has now ripped through my dress. Every time I breathe and my stomach inflates, I feel the sharp edges dig into my skin.

Kairo looks at me trying to figure out how I'm so sure. He looks down the direction he threw my phone and then back at me with a smirk.

"You whore," he accuses. "You called Silas?" he laughs in disbelief. "Whatever. You're right though. He didn't send me the video. I sent it to myself when I was going through your phone."

"Ah-ugh!" I groan as the glass pierces my skin and I hunch over. I gasp as the air is blown out of my lungs and I wince as an ungodly sound escapes my throat. My other arm grows weak as I lose my strength so he's just holding it up.

Kairo presses his lips next to my ear and lets my head rest on his shoulder, "Reese Price, youngest of the Price Empire commits suicide after nude video scandal and relapsing."

I look at him through my peripheral vision. They widen as Kairo pushes the glass one last time and I feel it in my spine.

Kairo slowly backs away and my head immediately falls without his support. He then slowly pulls his hand out of my grip on the weapon and I look at the amount of blood dripping from his hand. Both my hands hold the foreign object stuck inside of me like somehow it'll help me.

The pain is excruciating and my knees clasp underneath me as my body slowly sinks down the wall. My eyes still dripping wet, I sniffle as Kairo watches. My eyes slowly open and close as I keep getting sleepier and sleepier. I try to fight. I try to stay awake. I don't wanna die.

He stands about two, maybe three feet away staring in pleasure as life slowly parts from me. I look away from him feeling extremely betrayed.

I never thought I'd die like this.

I mean I never imagined that if I were to be murdered by someone that it'd be for this reason. I always expected I'd be murdered for being such a bad bitch or for my amazing sense of humour or something like that. You know?

Really, Reese?

What?

You're dying.

I know.

This is what you think of?

...
Yes.

Oh my God!

...
I love you too.

...
Are you saying goodbye?

Yeah, but I
don't see a white
light, it's just getting
darker. Do you think
I'm going to hell?

Sis, who you lying to?
We both know you're
going to hell.

...
Damn.
...I'm scared.

It's okay... See?...
It doesn't even
hurt anymore.

True.
...I'm tired.

Good night.

...

?

...
...
Goodbye.

A/N:

O1/18/21🌹.