|35|

•Charlotte•

Surprisingly my face wasn't as bruised as I thought it would be. My back and body was bruised though and it hurt a little bit but nothing I couldn't get through as I pulled my dress down. It was a flowy blue dress so my bruises wouldn't hurt since I decided I was not going to wear jeans and a top.

There was no school today since it was the ball. The school council needed time to organise it and the doors to the decorated gym would open for everyone to dance and enjoy their time. 

I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. 

It was one of the first times where I felt peace when I woke up. The rage, the pain and the tears didn't want to come out when I laid in my new bed. 

I had moved to the apartment. Ramon and Lizzie helped me bring all the boxes yesterday with the boys. Ramon went home to work on pinpointing Logan while Lizzie helped me unpack. 

The walk-in closet was huge and I barely had any clothes for it but we hung up everything. We ordered pizzas and then I brought Mary over to see the new apartment as well. She loved the place and came in with a bag full of Pepsi cans since we were too young for champagne and vodka. 

Lizzie dropped Mary off home and then left after we ate. The house didn't feel quiet at all, instead it felt peaceful as I had walked to the window and stared out at the world.  

I picked up my brown bag and walked out of the walk-in closet and into my room. My shoes were downstairs so I walked out of the room after stuffing my purse in my bag. 

I walked down the stairs, and towards the tv which was paused on Spotify. The song Come Away With Me had been playing last night. It was a song that made me feel calm. 

I played it from the start and turned the volume up just as someone knocked on the door. I threw the remote onto the couch and walked towards the door as Norah played in the background. 

Ramon stood there waiting with a smile on his face as I opened the door and he noticed me. He listened to the song in the background and a smirk tugged on his face. 

He didn't say anything as he grabbed my hand and walked into my apartment, closing the door behind me. 

We walked in front of the tv and the couch. He held my hands and wrapped them around his neck, before placing his hands on my waist. We swayed side to side as he leaned down closer to my ear. "I love this song." 

We were dancing. For no reason at all. I liked it. 

I smiled, resting my head against his chest. "Today is the big day." I told him softly, the music playing around us as I felt his fingers moving up and down my lower back, softly like a feather touch. 

Today was the day Logan would show himself in the dance. Ramon hummed in my ear. "There is a big chance he wanted to make us all concentrate on going to the ball. I have people waiting outside your apartment, outside Lizzie's house. He will show himself." He sounded confident. "He knows you're the way to get to me." 

"Am I your weakness?" I asked softly. Every person had a weakness. 

Ramon pulled back, looking at me. "You're my strength, amore. I love you." He murmured softly as I felt his lips on my forehead. I closed my eyes, a smile on my face as the guitar played in the background. 

This. This was love. I felt it deep inside of me as the smile grew on my face. I opened my eyes and looked up at him. I didn't want to say the words yet to him. Saying those three words, meant letting go of dad and all that guilt I felt. 

I needed to feel satisfied when I saw Logan dead, it didn't matter to me who killed him now. It was the only way I could truly move on, to open all those boxes in the spare room and pack my dad's stuff away along with my moms. To finally allow myself to live a life I dreamed of. With Ramon. 

"I am grateful to my fucking mind for deciding we needed to be partners." He said to me softly. A smile grew on his face as his eyes glanced down to the star necklace he had bought me for my birthday. I never took it off. 

"I'm going to buy you another star." He promised me and I nodded as knocking started on the door. 

"I really hate our friends." Ramon muttered as he leaned down, wrapping himself around me and holding me close. I felt him place a soft kiss on my bare shoulder. "Pretend they're not here." He murmured against my skin. 

"Charlotte! This thing is heavy." Lizzie groaned from behind the door. 

"Ramon. You made us bring it and now you're fucking about?" I heard Josh's voice as well as they tried to kick the door down. 

"I'm going to kill them." Ramon sighed as he pulled away from me. A smile was on my face as I watched him walk towards the door. I picked up the remote and paused the song as they all walked in, muttering how they were waiting for him downstairs but he wasn't coming up. 

Josh and Calvin were holding a huge canvas in their hands as Alex helped Lizzie with her bags. She was going to get changed here with me later on.

"What's that?" I asked them as they placed the canvas against the empty wall. 

"This is my gift for your new apartment." Ramon said as he turned the canvas around and tore the newspaper off it. 

It was me. The picture I had seen unfinished in his room. I looked beautiful in it, with a big smile on my face and happy in front of a food truck which was shaded in black and white behind me. 

Walking towards the painting, I traced my finger over it. It was beautiful. 

"I love it." I smiled at the picture as he opened his arms for a hug with a smirk on his face. Chuckling to myself, I walked towards him and wrapped my arms around his neck as he hugged me tightly. 

Ramon loved hugs. It was something I had noticed. He liked being hugged any chance he got. 

"Can we stop with the cuteness and go and eat ice cream? If my dad saw you like this, Ramon, he would probably have a heart attack." Alex said to us, letting out a groan to show his boredom. 

"I don't care." Ramon said as I let go of him and pulled myself away from him. 

Lizzie quickly grabbed my arm which was a little sore, and started pulling me out of my own apartment. "You will care when I kidnap the love of your life."  She called out to him and the boys quickly followed her. Ramon rolled his eyes at them. I watched him pick up my brown bag and my phone before walking out of the door where we waited. He locked the door and handed me the keys along with my stuff with a wink. 

"Shall we lock you two up in a room tonight?" Calvin asked with a raised eyebrow as he saw the wink. 

"Why tonight? Why not now and you guys go and eat ice cream or whatever you have planned. I'll spend some quality time with mi amore." Ramon walked towards me, those slow steps as his eyes promised me a fun day and night. Maybe a week if we didn't leave the apartment. 

"Anna is coming with us." Josh groaned and I turned to look at him, removing my gaze from Ramon who stood in front of me. He placed his hands on my waist, pulling me towards him ever so slowly as if he couldn't stop touching me. 

"As your wingwoman, I'm ready to go." I said to Josh who grinned at me. Ramon pouted, his back towards the boys as he looked at me. "Let's go." I removed his hands and held one as I followed the rest of them to the elevator. 

I was happy. Today would be the day where everything went back to normal. The day, I could finally breathe and move on with my life. 

***

"What do you think?" I asked Lizzie as I slid open the black doors to the walk-in closet and stepped out into my room where she was getting changed. 

The emerald green dress was beautiful on me. The v neck was deep, showing a lot of cleavage. I had applied foundation on my skin just so I could hide a few of the bruises that seemed to peek out. Silver earrings dangled from my ears and I had pushed my feet into a pair of silver heels. My makeup was light but my lips were tainted red. My brown hair was curled around behind my shoulders. 

Lizzie looked at me in her black dress looking completely beautiful. 

"You look stunning."

"You look hot." 

We laughed as we said it at the same time. Lizzie picked up her heels since she was wearing her driving shoes. We were going to meet the boys there. 

I picked up my phone and put it in the pocket of the dress and I was done. Lizzie picked up her purse and we walked out of the room and downstairs. 

Anna was really nice. She was constantly blushing with Josh when we had gone out. We had simply gone for an ice cream as Josh had said we needed to cool down. It definitely helped us except Anna. Her face was heated as Josh smiled at her. 

We had walked around the town streets, just watching them walk together ahead of us and laugh. 

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out as Lizzie and I walked out of my apartment. It was a message from Ramon. 

We're already here. Where are you, amore? 

I smiled at the messages as I closed the door and put the keys in my pocket. I replied back to him, letting him know that we were on our way as we stood in the elevator. 

"Do you think he would really show up?" Lizzie asked me as the doors closed. 

Putting my phone in my pocket, I answered her. " I think he will be there. Ramon's men will be in masks but there is a possibility that he will have one on him too. Stay with Calvin." 

She nodded as we walked out of the elevator. People stared at us and I smiled at them as I picked up the back of my dress and quickly followed her out of the doors that opened for us. Thankfully it wasn't raining but the sun was slowly setting as she walked to her car. 

"Calvin asked me to be his girlfriend." Lizzie said as she pulled onto the main road, a big grin on her face. 

She had told me earlier as well but I could feel her excitement as she drove towards school. "I'm happy for you. I'm still the maid of honour, right?" I asked her and she nodded. 

"We're going to have a June wedding. Did you know he is a scorpio?" She giggled to herself. "Just like me and we're going to be an exploding couple with anger issues but mindblowing sex." 

I laughed. "Have you been all the way?" I asked and she blushed at herself. I gaped. "Elizabeth Jonsson. Have you had sex?" 

"No!" She exclaimed, while concentrating on the road as she pulled out of a junction. "I mean we got close to it in his room. Remember when we went to their house?" She asked without looking at me. "Calvin and I sneaked off and we were really close to it but he didn't have any condoms on him so thankfully we stopped." She laughed as she drove up the road to the school and we arrived at the gate that was shut. 

Two students waited outside and Lizzie rolled her window down giving them our tickets. They opened the door for us and she drove inside, rolling her window up. 

"What about you? You seem like you've slept with Ramon too many times because that man is addicted to you." She chuckled to me as she parked her car. 

Lizzie pulled her seat back to change her shoes as I answered. "I haven't even kissed him yet." 

She chuckled glancing at me. "Planning to die a nun?" 

"No." I rolled my eyes at her. "I want to get this over with. Finding Logan is my main priority." I told her. 

"Then once he is found and dealt with, will you jump his bones or will he need to turn into a priest just to visit your church?" She wiggled her eyebrows at me.  

"Shut up." I laughed at her as she tied her heels and fixed her hair. 

We got out of the car and I fixed my dress as I saw students walking in through the doors that led to the gym from the outside. 

Lizzie and I followed them. I glanced at a man who held a phone to his ear. It was the mask that made me stare at him. He gave me a brief nod before turning away from me. 

The gym didn't look like a gym. There were beautiful lights hanging around the rooms with balloons floating in the air, ribbons dangling from them. Music played through the loud speaker and there was a long table in the corner with drinks and chocolates. Food. 

I saw him first. He was standing opposite me,leaning against the wall, not wearing a mask at all. There was something different about his suit today. Ramon always looked professional and ready for business, but today he looked like the Ramon I knew. He smiled at me, a big grin on his face as he straightened his emerald green tie before jogging towards me. 

He didn't dare break our eye contact as if I would disappear in a blink of an eye. The moment I took a step into the gym with Lizzie besides me, Ramon walked past a couple dancing before he stood in front of me. 

"You look absolutely breathtaking." He breathed out in a soft low voice as he reached out to hold my hand as if he needed contact. 

I entwined our fingers together as the others joined behind him, talking to Lizzie as Ramon took a step towards me. He leaned down closer to me so I could hear his exact words. "How about you and I take a trip to Italy once all this is over? A week in a hotel with no one to cockblock us." 

I chuckled as he wrapped an arm around my waist. "I would like that. Though I think my apartment would be just as lovely." 

His eyes darkened, as he slowly pulled his bottom lip in his mouth. I watched him. "You won't open the door for anyone?" He murmured into my ear as I felt his hands on my thigh through the slit. 

I tried not to grin. "Completely locked and you can have the keys." 

He cursed under his breath. "Let's get this day over with." 

Tightening his hand around mine, Ramon ignored everyone else and walked me to the dance floor where other couples were dancing slowly. I wrapped my arms around his neck, as he wrapped them around my body, pulling me closer to himself. 

Just like this morning but with people watching us. 

I laid my head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat instead of the son as we swayed slowly, side to side. "Can I say something?" I asked softly. I felt him nod against the top of my head. "I don't think I can say the three words back to you while he still breathes. I don't want him alive, Ramon and in my mind there is nothing else that I can concentrate on." I looked up at him. 

Ramon had a small smile on his face as we stopped dancing. His hand came up as he pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. "You feel it though?" He asked softly. I smiled back and nodded. 

I love him. 

The smile grew on his face. "I'm assuming it's the same with spending a week in your apartment with me." He leaned down, whispering it in my ear over the loud music that pumped in our bodies. "Those three words though…" 

"Which ones?" I asked him as his hand trailed a finger up my bare thigh. Not going any further up, he simply moved it up and down slowly, causing sparks to ignite inside of me. 

"I love food, I like you, I love music, I love life. Let your imagination run wild, amore." I felt him place a kiss on my shoulder. "I love you." He murmured against my skin. "I'll say it a thousand times, amore. I love you." 

I smiled to myself as he pulled back, a determined look in his eyes. "If I find him, will you promise to love me forever?" He asked, his voice soft. I nodded and he grinned widely. "I'll see you soon." He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead before taking a step back. 

"Where are you going?" I asked him as he smirked at me. 

"To find him. To end it all. I want you, Charlotte and if he is standing in between us," he chuckled at me. "I must get rid of him." 

Ramon walked up to the boys and Lizzie. He started telling them something as Lizzie walked towards me with a pout on her face. "Your man is stealing mine." She muttered as we watched the four of them walk out of the gym. 

"He is acting like a starved man in search of food. What did you say to him?" She asked me, confused. 

I shrugged my shoulders, looking away from her. "I just told him that I can't concentrate on us while he still lives."

She chuckled, nodding her head as we both walked towards one of the tables. I sat down just as I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. 

I pulled it out to see a message from my landlord. I need the keys to the house. I have someone coming to see it. 

I had told him to come and visit me to take the keys this morning, yet he did not show up. I rolled my eyes to myself before replying back and telling him I would be there in about 20 minutes. 

"Can I take your car? I've got to return the keys. I'll be back as quickly as I can." I asked Lizzie who nodded as she opened her purse. 

"Can you get us McDonalds? I want good food." She said as she handed me her keys. I stood up and nodded. 

"Then we can eat, dance and enjoy today." I promised her and she nodded. 

I walked out of the gym quickly and into the cool air outside. There were a few people getting out of their cars, and walking inside. I walked the opposite direction and found Lizzie's car. 

Sitting inside, I pulled the seat closer to the wheel, and reversed it backwards to get out of the parking lot. I had passed my driving test the moment I hit 17. Dad couldn't show me how to drive so I had asked Joe to teach me and he did. Mary let me use her car if I promised not to scratch it. 

I loved driving. It was so peaceful to have the windows down and the wind to blow through your hair. Driving was something I always wanted to do, but never had the chance to buy a car. 

I was going too. 

Ten minutes after driving a little fast but keeping in the speed limit, I parked the car outside my house. I noticed a man standing opposite the road. He glanced at me, a nod directed at me like they had done at school. I closed Lizzie's car door and locked it as I headed up the stairs. 

This was my last chance to check everything. One last check. I pushed opened the door and pulled out the key front the front look, and stepped into the darkness. I switched the lights on in the empty house as I closed the door behind me. 

The house was completely empty of any furniture. Lizzie and I had donated the chairs and tv to the closest shelter. Anything I had paid for, went there. 

I walked into the living room, and froze as I saw him standing there in the darkness. The curtains were closed as I felt someone behind me. I didn't hesitate to stab the key into the man's neck before he could even touch me. 

I was not letting them go this time.  

He gasped for air behind me, and fell to the ground with a loud thud as I stared at Logan. The lights came on into the house. 

"Well don't you look lovely." His eyes ran over my body slowly, taking his sweet time. "No death threats?" He asked once he finished looking. 

"This house is crawling with your men. I'm not stupid." I told him. "I could let out a scream and they will come running from the outside. You're surrounded, Logan." I warned him, watching him chuckle. 

"That man that nodded at you, works for me, darling." He smirked at me. 

That was when I felt it. The back of the gun hitting straight against my temple. I saw stars instantly and darkness that seemed to wrap around me allowed me to keep safe as I fell forward, into his arms. 

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Logan Logan Logan.

Last chapter will be up on Friday with an Epilogue!