"Wait, you did what?!" Carmen exclaims into the phone, I couldn't tell whether she was mad or happy. "You actually used his own words against him?" She grins.

I nodded my head silently, we were currently on FaceTime right now. She giggles evilly, "oh my god, who are you and what have you done with my little innocent Hail bear?"

"Stop, Car, I feel bad enough as it is already," I frown lightly.

"What?!? What for?! There is no reason why you should be feeling bad, sad, or any type way other than proud right now! Oh my god, Hailey, I am so proud of you!" She chuckles. "Yeah I get it, mami, it's a shitty feeling, but he fucking started this first, you have every right to be fucking petty!"

"I know," I murmur, looking away from my screen, looking down at my notebook in front of me. I had a pen in my hand drawing endless little swirls and squiggles, while I had my phone leaning up against an old candle jar that I was now using for some pens, pencils, and highlighters. "It kind of all just happened so fast," I tell her. "I was happy for a second, then sad, and next thing I knew I was boiling."

"And that's perfectly fine, Hail. You're learning to express yourself more and more," she smiles kindly. "Let him fücking suffer, let him go through the same shit that you went through, Hail. If he really wants to get back together, if he really wants to fix it, let him work for it, dude, and I mean really work for it. You can't give in, you have to be strong!"

"I wouldn't even know where to start," I admit.

"Show him that you don't care, that you don't need him, that he fucked up by letting you go, hell, make him jealous if you can, that's always fun!"

I snicker quietly, "you're evil you know that."

"Only Monday through Sunday," she smiles, flashing me her pearly white teeth.

"Hail."

I snap my attention back to my bedroom door, where my dad was currently knocking at. "Yeah?"

My door slowly creaks open and my dad pops his head in, "wrap it up, Katherine, do you realize what time it is? You girls both have school tomorrow."

I tap my phone screen so that the time can pop up and it shows 12:31 am. Carmen and I have been on FaceTime for almost two hours now. "Sorry, dad, I didn't realize it was so late."

"Sorry, Mr. Summers," I hear Carmen murmurs sadly from behind me, and I couldn't help but chuckle softly, she was such a kiss ass when it came to my dad.

I move a little out of the way so my dad can see my phone leaning on my desk, so he can see Carmen on my screen, and her my dad in the background. He rolls his eyes while softly shaking his head, smiling, "goodnight, Carmen."

She chuckles softly, "I'll talk to you later, Hail, goodnight. Goodnight, David," she smiles.

My dad rolls his eyes even further to the back of his head, while I get up from my desk, quietly snickering. It was always weird hearing Carmen call my dad by his first name, and it drove him insane so she purposely did it from time to tome to tease him.

"She's lucky I like her," my dad says, leaning against my door frame.

"I don't think she would say it knowing that it actually bothered you," I smile reaching for my phone. "I really am sorry about the time, dad, we just got caught up talking."

He shakes his head softly, "how are you holding up, kiddo? I didn't get the chance to talk to you when you got home, you flew up here without saying a word."

"I know, sorry, i'm fine," I smile, plugging my phone up to my charger.

"Hail.."

"No, dad, really, I think Ima be okay."

"Oh, well.. alright then, that's- I'm glad to hear that, kiddo. It'll get easier, honey, I promise. You'll move on, plus you're so young still, you'll find someone else. He's a fücking idiot."

"He apologized tonight."

"Did he?" I nodded. "And?"

"I said no," I muttered.

"No?" My dad frowns.

"He was practically beginning me to forgive him, to take him back, give him a second chance."

"Really?" My dad scoffed, folding his arms along his chest. "And you said no?" He raises and eyebrow.

"For now.." I tell him. I instantly see the little happiness that he was trying to hide vanish from his face. "I love him, dad, I really do and I'm sorry that it had to be with him, I know that you don't like him still, but I'm also not just gonna forgive him in the bat of an eye. I want him to really feel what I felt, I want him to see that I'm not gonna be the same fragile girl he first got with, things are gonna be different if I decide to take him back."

My dad doesn't say anything for a few seconds, he stares at my sternly pushing himself off of my doorframe. "Just becareful, kiddo," he sighs. "A guy like Isaac doesn't look like the type to get pushed around. I honestly believe that he'll do everything in his power to fix it, but a guy will only go to a certain extent, especially after admitting that they're sorry, and that they messed up. If you're gonna forgive him then forgive him, if you're not then move on, kiddo."

~~~~~~~

Although I was still upset with Isaac, I was sad to see that he didn't come to school for the remainder of the week. It wasn't just him though, Dion and Angela missed school the following days as well, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. I personally didn't mind that Dion was absent, it gave me the chance to actually hang out with my own friends again, rather than their little posse. However I did get a little worried today when I didn't see Angela in English class, I ended up texting her asking if everything was alright. School was about to end in about three minutes and I still hadn't got a reply from her yet.

I gathered up all my things and shoved them into my bag, waiting for the school bell to ring, but seeing how it was a Friday Mr. Lynch decided to excuse the class a couple minutes early. I was currently up at the front of the school waiting for Madison to get out of class, she was kind enough to give me a ride home these past few days. I was actually planning on giving her some gas money today that my dad had gave me to give to her, seeing how she did lived in the opposite direction from me.

I had barely shoved my phone back into my jeans when my butt starts to tingle with little vibrations. I pull it back out thinking that it might be Angela but It's Madison, she was replying back to my message, apparently she had to stay after class to talk to her teacher about something and said that she would be out as soon as she can. I quickly replied telling her to taker her time, I wasn't in any hurry. I went back into Angela's message thread to see that she still hadn't read my message, it continued to say "delivered."

I clicked on the little I icon in the bubble on the right hand corner and dialed her number. Her phone rang about three times before she actually answered, "hello?" Her voice sounded a bit hoarse and groggy.

"Oh my god, were you asleep?" I asked.

There's a small smile in her voice, "a little bit, what's up?"

"I'm sorry, Ang."

"No you're fine Hail-" she starts to cough into the phone.

"Aw no, are you getting sick?"

She coughs a couple more times, but I know that she's pulled her phone away from her face this time because her voice is at a distant now. "Correction, I am sick."

"That sounds bad, have you gone to the doctors? Are you taking anything? Is Dion sick too?"

"No," she chuckles softly. "Mr. Matteo has kept him busy with work."

"I see," my voice starts to trail off a bit. "Have you heard from Isaac?"

Angela stays quiet for a couple seconds then sighs deeply, "he told me what happened, you should go see him, Hailey, he's pretty miserable." I stay quiet. "I've never seen him like this, hell I've never heard him cry before, just talk to him please." She coughs a couple more times, "I get where you're coming from, why you're mad, but he technically didn't cheat on you, Hail, he's a fucking idiot for doing what he did and I'm not trying to defend him, but I hate seeing him punish himself."

I feel someone nudge my arm with their elbow, easily startling me. It's Madison. "Come on, let's go," she smiles.

I nod my head following her footsteps towards the parking lot, "I gotta go, Ang, I'll talk to you later. Feel better!" I end the call almost instantly, not giving Angela a chance to say goodbye, or anything else for the matter.

Madison and I both get into her car and we drive to my house in an awkward silence for a couple of minutes. I quickly remember the money my dad gave me and pull it out of my bag handing it to Madison. She of course refuses to take it, and I stick it in her little change cup that she had in one of her cup holders and proceed to make small talk, it doesn't last long though.

"Are you okay, Hailey?" Madison ask's deeply concern, parking her car into my drive way.

"Yeah, why?" I smile.

She shakes her head, "just asking.. Has he tried texting you?"

"No," I mutter, reaching for the door handle. "That's what I don't understand," sit back in the passenger seat, releasing the handle. "If he's so torn up about it, miserable, why hasn't he tried calling or texting me?"

Madison shrugs her shoulders sadly, "maybe he's waiting for you to go to him, maybe he's respecting your choice and giving you you're space. You did tell him not to look for you."

"Yeah but I didn't mean it," I sigh looking down. "I just wanted him to know what his own words felt like."

"Go talk to him."

"What?! Right now?"

She nods, "I'll even drop you off if you want. You obviously miss him, Hailey, talk it out. Hear each other out."

"It's fine, Madison, I'll figure it out. They'd probably kill you and me if I took someone over to the Matteo house," I tease.

"Yeah, good looking out," she chuckles.

"Okay," I exhale reaching for the door handle a second time, opening the door. "Thanks again for the ride, Maddy. I'll see you Monday."

"Yeah it's no problem, are you gonna need a ride to school Monday?" She says behind me as I climb out.

"No," I shut the door and talk to her through the now open window. "My dad usually drops me off, thank you."

"Alright, let me know if you change your mind," she smiles.

"I sure will," I smile back, watching her reverse out of my drive way.

I notice my brothers car sitting in the drive way, meaning he's home and the front door is most likely unlock so I don't need to pull out my set of keys. I walk up to my front door and sure enough just like I figured it wouldn't be, the door isn't locked. I grip the doorknob, turning it slowly and make my way inside, immediately covering my eyes and turning around.

"Ew, ew, ew, I'm sorry!!" I exclaim.

Caleb and Amber were currently having a full on make out session on the living room couch, as she sat on top of my brother straddling him, in only a bra and a pair of jeans.

"Fuck," my brother mutters behind me, as I hear his girlfriend laughing, whispering something to him. "Is it 3 o'clock already?"

I nod my head, "3:18 to be exact."

I hear Caleb chuckle behind me, "you can turn around, Hail."

I turn around cautiously to find my brother still sitting on the couch, a cushion on his lap, while Amber slowly makes her way around the coffee table, and into the kitchen in what I can only assume is my brothers shirt. "Are you hungry, Hailey? I made your brother some fried chicken and Mac and Cheese if you want some?"

"Uh, maybe later, Amber, thank you." I smile turning to look at my brother. "Can I borrow your car, Cal? I let Madison borrow some notes during class and forgot to get them back, I need them for my homework tonight."

"Where does she live?"

"Near the taco bell on Pinterest," I say.

"That's fine, my keys are in my room. Be back before dad gets home."

"I will," I tell him starting to go up the stairs. "Ima just put my bag away and go!"

I quickly head into my room, finding it rather odd that my door was already open, when my little yellow fur ball comes running out of my closet towards me. "Hi, baby!" Waffles immediately lays on his back so I can scratch his stomach. "What are you doing up here?!" I say cheerfully, scratching his little belly. "Were you a good boy today?! Guess where I'm going?"

Waffles immediately turns around and sits down in front of me, happily wagging his tail. "Ima go see daddy," I say, placing my bag on my bed. "Should I call first?" I turn to look back at my dog. "You know, to make sure he's home?" Of course I don't get a reply, I'm talking to a dog for the love of God. Waffles continues to stare at me, still wagging his little tail like crazy. Carmen says that he's getting so big but he honestly still looks like a little puppy to me, then again I do see him every day.

I pull my phone out from my jean pocket and go to Isaac's contact, and I immediately start to get bubble guts. Oh god why am I nervous. The call instantly goes to his voicemail and I roll my eyes, "typical." I try one more time while walking into my brothers room and grabbing his keys that are attached to his school lanyard, but the second call immediately goes to his voicemail as well.

I roll my eyes one more time and grab my wallet from my night stand and make my way back down stairs. My brother and his girlfriend are sitting down at the kitchen table, eating what I assume is Amber's food, "alright, I'll be right back," I say walking towards my front door.

I hear my brother yell from inside the house just as I'm about to shut the door, "drive safe, Hail!"

"I always do!" I yell back, quietly laughing to myself. For a second I felt like my dad when I tell him to be careful, he always replies with "always am."

I climb into my brothers car and start his engine, slowly pulling out of the drive way. I actually loved driving, I got excited almost every time my dad asked me to go to the store to pick up something, or just let me drive instead of him. I actually couldn't wait to get my own car. The drive to Isaac's house actually takes a little longer than it's suppose to, I may or may not have prolonged it on purpose just cause I didn't want the drive to end.

I roll my window down as I pull up to the front gate, knowing damn well that I have to speak to one of the big scary guys that works in the little boot. He steps out of the post house, walking up to the car, "Ms. Summers, hi, I wasn't aware that you were dropping by today."

I shake my head, faintly smiling at Israel. "It's a surprise visit, is he home?" Israel was one of the night time guards. I've managed to learn most of who and who works the front gate, so I was a little surprised to see him during sun hours. Israel and Gionni usually ran the gate at night, while Marco and Anthony worked the day shifts. Israel just so happen to be the nicest out of the bunch, he looked the most intimidating, but was no doubt the sweetest.

"He is," he replied. "But Ima afraid you know the rules, I'm gonna have to inform the boss that you're here."

"That's fine."

Israel then walks back into the little house post and gets on the phone, quietly muttering into it. A few seconds later he nods his head, hangs up the phone, and is walking back up to my window. "You're good to go," he smiles.

"Thank you," I smile back. "You're working days now?"

He shakes his head no, "double shift. Someone should be out front to let you in."

I kindly thank him one more time and drive up to the estate that always seems to amaze me. I put my brothers charger in park and step out of the car to see another big scary guy walk out of the front door, his hands placed behind his back. "Hailey?" I nod. "My names Donny," he extends his hand out in between us, and I carefully place my small hand in his and he gently shakes it, smiling. "Boss said that you were quiet, but I didn't think you'd be this quiet.. Come on, I'll take you to him."

"Him? As in Mr. Matteo?"

"No," he chuckles, shaking his head. "My apologies, I should've been more clear, I meant Isaac. He's down in the basement," he says opening the front door, allowing me to walk past him. "Bevens is currently busy with something so the boss ask that I escort you down there to ensure that you don't get lost."

"Or see anything I'm not suppose to.." I murmur under my breath, following closely behind him and to my surprise Donny starts to chuckle.

"You're funny," he points at me, then inclines his head to the right. "Come on, this way." I follow him through a big white door, and down a flight of stairs where's there's another big door waiting for us, only this ones locked and you actually have to in put a code to get in. I quickly look away while Donny messes with the keypad, unlocking it and holding it open for me. "It's gonna be your third door to the left," he says, and I stare at him confused.

"You're not coming?" I frown a bit.

"No ma'am, my instructions were to give you access and head back up.. Good luck, you're gonna need it with the mood he's in," he smiles, laughing as he leaves me alone in the humongous basement.

I slowly start to walk down the big hall way passing doors to the right and left side of me, when I come across a big glass window just before hitting the third door on my left, which just so happens to be open. I stop directly in the middle of the glass window, looking into what seems to be a perfectly built gym/training area. The room has almost everything you can think of, from exercise machines, weights, bars, punching bags, even an area with some blue floor mats on the ground where you can train I guess. It just so happens to be where Isaac and another guy are at, training I assume, the unknown older guy is yelling at Isaac, while he throws punches in his direction.

"Again!" He shouts. "Breathe!"

"I AM BREATHING!" Isaac snarls. He jumps up and down a couple times on his toes and lunches for the guy in front of him, immediately swinging his arms and his trainer easily dodges or blocks every hit that comes towards him. I slowly start walking to my right, towards the open door, and stand under the doorframe watching the two.

I've seen Isaac get into two fights maybe, but it was never like this. This actually seemed some a little more brutal, and someone was actually fighting back, Isaac always had the upper hand when I seen him fighting. His trainer then switches it up and starts swing towards Isaac, and he manages to dodge the first hit but then instantly gets hit in the face the next second. I actually cringe a bit at the contact, Isaac and his trainer are both wearing a pair of those kickboxing gloves on their hands, but I can only imagine how much that hurt still.

Isaac manages to block two more hits, but then takes another blow to the face and his trainers quickly smacking him in the back of the head. "Have you learned nothing! How many times do I have to tell you, Isaac! Let. It. Go! You need to clear your head! You start getting fucking sloppy when your temper flares out. FUCKING BREATHE."

Isaac doesn't say anything, but I can clearly see his sweaty bare chest rising up and down from here, when his trainer actually looks in my direction, causing Isaac to glance over here too. We make an awkward eye contact for a couple of seconds when he quickly looks away, and his trainer is telling him something. Isaac nods his head and walks in the direction of one of the three punching bags in the room and begins to punch it.

His trainer removes his gloves from his hands and tosses them onto the floor, making his way over here and I quickly step into the room, getting out of his way. "He's all yours," he smiles walking past me.

"Oh, t-thank you," I say, walking further into the room. I make sure to stay off the mat and not step on it seeing how I have my shoes on still. Isaac happens to glance in my direction for a quick second when I reach him, but he doesn't say anything and I'm instantly nervous.

"Hi," I say softly.

He doesn't response verbally, actually he doesn't response period. Isaac ignores the fact that I'm standing a few feet away, and continues to punch the bag in front of him.

"I tried calling you," i slowly inch a bit closer to him, nervously playing with my brothers lanyard. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," he answers shortly.

"You don't seem fine."

"I'm tired," he grits.

"Didn't get enough sleep?" I try and lighten the mood a bit.

"I was in a rehabilitation center," he stops and looks up at me. "Apparently they thought I was a drug addict, so I was in a 72 hour treatment. Biggest waste of my dads fucking money," he scoffs punching the bag a couple more times. "What are you doing here? I thought you were done with me." He says in between punches.

"Can you stop for like two seconds!"

Isaac grabs ahold of the punching bag, preventing it from swinging back and forth, and turns to look at me.

"I want to forgive you Isaac, I really do, but I don't think you understand how hurt I actually am, how angry I am."

Isaac looks down at the blue floor mat, "I didn't come to yell at you, Isaac. I know that you apologized, and I appreciate it, but I can not stop picturing you with her. Out of all people you could've went to, you ran to her, why?"

"I don't know.."

"D-do you have feelings for her?"

He scoffs, "for Santiago? Don't be absurd, Hailey."

"Well?"

"I didn't fucking go crying to her because I needed someone to comfort me, I chose her because she was the only one I could trust at the moment to get me some stupid dope, without it getting back to my dad, but look where that got me either way!" He raises his voice, punching the bag twice. "I never intended for any of that to happen. I literally just wanted to get my fix, and bring my temper down."

"How did you manage to text me in the state that you were in, Isaac?"

He pauses right before he's about to punch the bag, "I didn't," he murmurs. "At least I don't remember texting you, everything's sort of a big blur still. I remember taking a shower, packing, I was gonna come home," he says. "And next thing I know I'm waking up in a fucking hospital bed."

"What happened?"

"As in to what?" He questions walking over to the big bars behind him.

"I mean how did she manage to drug you?" I cautiously follow him, and watch him reach his hands over his head, still wearing his gloves on his hands and grab ahold of the handles, slowly pulling himself up. "Oh my god, can you please stop working out and talk to me!"

He releases his hold on the bar, dropping to the ground and turns around to face me, "fine," he snarls. "But I don't want to talk about her, I don't want to talk about me. I want to talk about you, us," he points back and forth from me to him. "I don't know how many times you want me to say that I'm sorry, Hailey, I know I fucked up. If I have to keep repeating myself over and over, I fucking will, I don't want to lose you, Hail."

"I don't trust you anymore, Isaac.."

Isaac walks up to me, cupping my face in his hands, "then let me try and earn it again, I want to fix this, Hail." And the butterflies in my stomach are back almost instantly from his touch.

"I don't know," I turn to look away from him, fighting the urge to kiss him.

He turns my face back to look at him, "let's just start over then."

"You mean like friends?"

Isaac grimace at the F word, "if that's what you want right now."

"Alright, friends, but I want my space. I want to continue hanging out with my own friends, without your friends hanging over my shoulder."

Isaac makes another grimace, removing his touch from my face. He takes a step back, crossing his arms along his chest. "Done, anything else?"

"Not that I can think of," I smile, but all my smiles are clearly fake right now. "But I'll let you know."

Isaac nods his head lightly, "cool." And looks down at the ground.

"I should probably go, let you get back to your work out."

He shakes his head, removing the gloves from his hands, "I'm done. Did you eat at school, can I buy you some lunch?"

I shake my head, smiling up at him, "I can't, I came in Caleb's car." And show him the lanyard of keys. "I told him I was gonna pick up some notes from Madison."

"That's fine, you can go back home while I shower, I'll pick you up afterwards."

"I'll just see you at school, Isaac."

"It's just food, Hail, I promise. Nothing special, friends, right?" I try my hardest not to laugh at Isaac, he nearly choked on the word "friends."

"Fine, but I'm picking the place."

"That's fine by me," he chuckles. "I'll pick you up in 40?"

"Okay."

Again, I'm sorry for the late update. I got really sick over the weekend, to the point where I actually had to miss school today & that hit me pretty hard because I hadn't missed a day since I started so there went my perfect attendance lmaoo Anyways, sorry if this chapter seems shitty, I feel like it's shitty but then again maybe it's because I feel shitty? I'm currently waiting to get seen by my doctor right now so wish me luck y'all!

-K💕