"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."

~ William Shakespeare

Knock.

The light rumble of knuckles against the ashwood door of my room grasped my attention. Realizing it was locked because I had been changing my clothes earlier, I dragged myself out of bed. Gingerly, I pulled the door ajar, only wide enough for me to stand between it.

An anxious-looking Jonah came into view, his dark circles unbelievably pitted. He gulped, not being able to make eye contact with me. "Can we talk?"

I moved away from the doorway, permitting him into the confines of my room. He fidgeted with his fingernails as he settled at the foot of my bed. That night, in the alleyway, when Jonah called me we had had a brief conversation which ended with him apologizing and me telling him that I didn't want to hear him apologize only to repeat his mistakes. We hadn't spoken since.

"Why would you...take the fall for me? It was my weed. It makes no sense. Why would you do it?" He shook his head, not being able to comprehend why I did what I did.

I sighed, slumping down beside him and placing a hand on his thigh. "Because as much of an idiot as you are, I understand what it's like to be a teenager and wanting to experiment." He finally looked at me, clearly torn and emotional. "I want what's best for you Jonah. You have so much potential. I know dad is always suffocating you but you can't just—"

"You don't know what I go through. You've always been daddy's little princess. Hell, he barely said anything to you when you took the fall. If you hadn't stepped in, I was in for a beating," he said bitterly, his features becoming hard as he cut me off.

He was right. Dad used to unashamedly admit that I was his favorite which was probably why Mom felt the need to play bad cop when it came to me. I wasn't the typical middle child who was ignored and left to the dogs, instead, I was pampered and loved, at least by Dad. With Jonah, it was different. Dad and Mom both had these unattainable expectations from him. They were grooming him to become an investment banker, like Dad, but Jonah didn't want that life.

The prejudice towards me wasn't something I appreciated growing up. It came with its flaws, it was one of the biggest reasons for the distance between Stacy and me. When we were little, we were each other's best friends but as we got older we grew apart. Jonah, on the other hand, was a pain in the ass younger brother who loved me so much it used to physically annoy me when he wouldn't leave me alone. He never used to say it out loud, but like Stacy, he envied my bond with Dad.

"He wouldn't have hit you, Jonah." I huffed, trying to reason. "Look, just...can you just promise that you won't smoke up and stuff again?"

He shook his head, "I can't do that, Ariel. I'm sorry but this is my life and I'm going to live it on my terms. If I want to blow off steam once in a while and get high or drink, I'm going to. I'm sorry but I'm not a kid anymore."

I knew I couldn't force him so I told him what I had told Tobias, "It's bad for you."

"So is this house." He was referring to Mom and Dad.

"It's not the same thing. Do you have any idea how many people die because of shit like this?"

He shrugged, "If I'm meant to die, I'll die."

"Don't say that," I scolded him, hitting his shoulder mildly.

"I'm really sorry, Ariel. But I can't make a promise I won't keep. I appreciate that you stepped in but I never asked you to protect me."

I lifted myself off the bed and crossed my arms over my chest disapprovingly. "Won't happen again," I replied seriously before adding, "Just be careful. If not for my sake, then for your own." He shot me a blank stare before getting up and leaving. It was almost scary how much I could compare Jonah and Tobias.

The faint sound of my phone ringing allowed me to push my thoughts to a corner. It was Emily. I juggled the phone between my shoulder and my ear before walking towards the bathroom with a pile of dirty clothes in my hands.

"I'm losing my mind, Dan's taking me out on a real date," she shrieked and I heard a beeping sound at the same time.

I glanced at the phone which was now in my hand after I had tossed the clothes in the washing basket. Emily was requesting to switch to video call.

"What are you wearing?" I smiled as her wild expression greeted me. I positioned my phone against the wall adjacent to the marble counter.

"Hold on, let me show you." She moved around, her pixels breaking. Finally, she came into sight holding two dresses up, one in each hand.

"Wait, do you know where he's taking you?" I asked.

"No, it's a surprise but he did say dress semi-casual. What the hell is semi-casual for girls?" She rolled her eyes, clearly nervous about the date. "Anyway, which one?"

I chuckled, flicking open the tap to brush my teeth. "Are those new? I think the beige one. It's really sexy but subtle and elegant."

"Aunt Shelly bought them last week," she explained. After assessing the dress one last time she smiled with contentment. "Okay, the beige one it is. Okay, love you. Gotta run, okay? I'll tell you everything tomorrow! Okay, bye!" Her voice was frantic, almost as fast as a bullet train. She said okay at least three times which reflected just how nervous she was.

"Don't forget to shave your..." I smirked at her, "...legs."

"A—ri!" She dragged her syllables with a flustered gasp.

I burst out laughing while splashing my face with ice-cold water, "Love you too, bye!"

Seconds after Emily hung up I got another call. It was none other than Dan.

How unexpected.

I struggled to answer with a wet finger but somehow managed to do so. I put him on speaker so I could continue doing my morning routine.

"What?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"I can tell you're rolling your eyes, Ari," he deadpanned.

I let out a hearty chuckle, "How can I help you this fine morning, Daniel?"

"Gross. Don't ever call me that again." I giggled at his dramatic response. "Okay, so should I give her the necklace before or after we eat?" he asked.

"Afterwards," I yelled over the sound of the running water.

"Are you sure?" he confirmed.

"Positive," I reassured him. "Take her for a walk or something after eating and give it to her then."

"Okay, cool. You're the best!" He thanked me before cutting the line.

"I know," I sang with a grin.

————

I was swinging my feet as I sat on the edge of the low wall surrounding the veranda. The clouds were scattered like an abstract work of art, beautifully blending with the pale blue sky. The whiteness of the afternoon sun was hidden behind the large oak tree that was rooted in our front yard. I glided my hand over the grainy sheet, leaving strokes of my pencil behind, trying to carefully outline the wind chimes hanging from the ceiling of the veranda. They quivered lightly as a gentle breeze fluttered by.

My mind traveled back in time.

A two-and-a-half-year-old Jonah was struggling to ride his plastic tricycle, making all sorts of faces that melted my five-and-a-half-year-old heart.

I hopped down the front steps into the lawn, opening my arms wide so he could waddle towards me.

He attempted to dislodge himself from the tricycle but couldn't. He raised his baby arms enthusiastically at the sight of me, signaling for me to pick him up.

I gathered him into my arms, embracing his tininess.

It was just a memory.

A moment in life that was so trivial, I failed to comprehend its significance at the time. I must have run down those steps every waking day to play with him. Stacy did the same when I was a toddler. But it was never going to be the same again. We all had our own lives, worries, and problems. The growing feeling of nostalgia began to overwhelm me. Immediately, I decided that I needed to get away and clear my head.

As I trailed down the street, kicking pebbles and dragging my feet, I came to the realization that my mind would never let me rest. The moment my eyes landed on the familiar alleyway, thoughts of Tobias began rolling in. I hadn't seen him since the riding club, which was two days ago.

"I won't hurt you."

"Stop pretending like you know me."

"You're too young and naive to realize that life isn't just rainbows and unicorns."

"You're just a pawn in a game of chess."

"You can't let your fear control you."

"I won't let you fall."

"You know how you said I was dangerous? Well, I fucking am."

A series of grunts and gagging sounds suddenly echoed around me. They were accompanied by howls of pain and hollers of laughter. I tiptoed towards the sound which led me closer to the alley. A limp body was sprawled across the concrete floor, a group of hooded figures surrounding it.

I watched them mercilessly pound the person on the floor before they vanished. I thought I recognized one of them but I suppressed the thought and hurried towards the scene of the crime. I was brought to a halt by the dots of blood surrounding the stranger.

Walk away, you idiot.

Suddenly, the man wheezed, sputtering out thick drops of blood. He rolled away from me, planking on his elbows. My heart sank as I observed from a distance, scraped elbows and muddied clothes. As he stumbled to his feet, the recognition washed over me, my throat becoming drier than the Sahara.

Tobias.

"You don't know me."

I couldn't breathe.

"You know how you said I was dangerous? Well, I fucking am."

It was Tobias.

Breathe.

Kiara's threat.

"You won't survive this."

Breathe.

I gulped, trying to inhale even the tiniest amount of air. His eyes were infinitely dark, his expression was callous and his jaw was clenched. A fresh bruise over his left eyebrow, crimson blood trickling down his nose. His mouth pooling, which made him instinctively spit it out.

A rush of panic set in as I darted in his direction. "Oh, God," I cried out, my voice overwhelmed with concern. His gaze snapped towards me as I stopped a few inches away. "Should I call 911? How bad are you hurt? Are you okay? What happened?" I flooded him with questions, awaiting his response.

"It's none of your business," he growled ruthlessly before storming off, the amber in his eyes delirious with revenge.

————

It's okay to be selfish sometimes.

Please don't forget to vote, comment, and share if you enjoyed this chapter.

Love, Ari