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"Sir, you can't be here." A nurse says, trying to push me away as I hurry towards Carter's bed in the intensive care unit.

"He's my brother!" I lie quickly.

The nurse hesitates and looks at me.

"Do you have ID on you?" he asks.

"No, I left it at home. I just want to see my brother. Make sure he's okay." I say pleadingly.

He sighs and nods, then lets me pass.

I hurry to Carter's bedside and find him conscious. His face is swollen and absolutely covered in gashes and bruises. But thankfully, most of the damage seems to be superficial.

Part of me feels empowered seeing him in such a vulnerable state. I don't feel weak or scared of him for once.

"What do you want?" he hisses as I sit down in a chair beside the bed.

"I want you to drop the charges against Vic." I tell him.

He just laughs at me.

"Why would I do that?" he chuckles.

"You know this isn't Vic. He wouldn't hurt anyone. He just reacted." I choke out.

"He hurt me." he mutters.

"You love him, don't you?" I sniff.

Carter's silent after that.

"If you love him then you'll do what's best for him. Vic doesn't deserve to go to jail. You must know how sweet and caring he is. You should have seen the look on his face. He was horrified at what he did. He didn't mean to do it. He just lost himself." I explain.

"Is he okay?" Carter squeaks out.

"I don't know." I whisper. "He's at the police station."

Carter falls silent once again. He stares at the ceiling in thought and soon turns to me.

"How's you head? I was coming to check on you earlier." he mumbles.

"It's okay. I just got a little cut and a mild concussion." I explain.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that." he mumbles.

"It's understandable. I crashed your wedding." I shrug.

"You did the right thing. You were right. Vic is much better off without me." he whispers. "I'm dangerous."

Neither of us say anything after that. Carter looks back to the ceiling.

"I'll drop the charges if you swear to never go to the police about what happened between us." he says.

It sickens me that he can't even say it. He can't even say that he raped me.

I don't have to think about my answer though.

"Okay, deal." I nod.

"You're stupid." he mutters. "How do you know that I'm not going to hurt you again?"

"I don't. But Vic is important to me." I murmur. "I'll take the risk."

"He deserves you." he whispers ever so softly.

There's another tense silence between us.

"So will you?" I ask nervously.

"Will I what?" he says confused.

"Will you hurt me again?"

He shakes his head.

"As soon as I'm out of here, I'm leaving town. You won't have to see me ever again." he murmurs.

Relief floods me so fast that I feel a little dizzy, but that may just be my concussion.

"Carter Cruz?" someone says from behind.

I look and see two police officers, probably here to collect Carter's statement.

I turn back to Carter and he gives me a reassuring smile and a nod, so I get up and leave.

I have no doubt that he's going to do the right thing.

I meet Jenna outside the ICU and she's looking at me with worry.

"What happened?" she asks.

"He's going to drop the charges and he's leaving town." I smile proudly, already beginning to make my way out of the hospital.

I haven't been released yet but I feel fine.

"Just like that?" Jenna asks, struggling to keep up with me. "What did you say to him?"

"I just told him that if he really loved Vic, he'd do what's best for him." I explain, leaving out the agreement we came to. I have a feeling Jenna would get mad at me.

"Hard to believe that sick bastard could love anyone." she grumbles.

I ignore her comment, not wanting to dwell on Carter anymore. My mind is set on Vic right now.

Soon enough Jenna and I are in the parking lot.

"Where to now?" she asks.

"Police station." I say, heading to Jenna's car as soon as I spot it.

I get in the passenger seat and then Jenna heads towards the police station.

"How are you feeling?" she asks softly.

"A little dizzy but I'm okay." I answer.

"No, I mean, like, how are you feeling?" she says, emphasizing the word 'feeling'.

I sigh as I search myself for the emotions my determination has pushed down.

"Scared, I guess." I whisper. "Overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed is understandable. Why are you scared?" she asks softly.

"I'm scared Vic's going to hate me. I got him arrested."

I blink away the tears that are fighting for a spot in my eyes.

Jenna soon pulls up into the parking lot of the police station and shuts off the car.

"Kells, Vic got himself arrested. Given the state Carter was in, the police were going to get involved anyway." Jenna explains but it doesn't make me feel any better.

"What if he breaks up with me, Jen? What if he doesn't want to see me again, for real this time?" I sniff.

She sighs and pulls me into her arms.

"You're stupid if you don't see how much he loves you and how much he doesn't want to let you go, ever." Jenna murmurs.

I smile a little at that and let a few tears fall onto her shirt.

"I hope you're right." I sigh softly.

"When am I ever wrong?" She says confidently.

"Literally all the time but okay." I chuckle.

"Pfft, whatever." she laughs, rolling her eyes.

We sit in the car for a while, just silent as I try to catch my breath.

"You ready, sweetie?" Jenna asks after a while.

"Yeah," I nod.

I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

We get out of her car and go into the police station. I take a seat, just needing to take a breather while Jenna goes up to the counter to talk to an officer.

She soon sits next to me.

"He said that Vic will be held until he goes to a county jail or his charges are dropped. I think we just need to wait for Carter's statement to come in, assuming he's stuck to his word." Jenna explains.

I sigh and rest my head against her shoulder.

"I just want to hold him and make sure he's okay." I sigh.

"You're not mad at him?" she frowns.

"Why would I be?" I ask confused.

"He behaved disgustingly for one. And he hurt you." she explains. "Have you seen your eye?"

I bring my hand up to my eye and even the gentle touch makes it hurt. I don't doubt that it's bruised and swollen.

"It was an accident." I remind her.

"An accident that could have been prevented if he didn't resort to violence." She huffs.

"Jen, he made a mistake. What he did was stupid and I'd be lying if I said that there isn't a part of me that hates him for what he did. But I know Vic well enough to know that he did not have complete control over his actions or his thought process. Vic wouldn't hurt anyone, you know that." I explain to her.

She lets out a sigh that holds a mixure of frustration and exhaustion. Then we fall into a silence that lasts for hours.

I'm ready to fall asleep on Jenna's shoulder but as soon as I hear footsteps, I find myself wide awake.

A door pushes open and two police officers escort Vic into the room.

His skin is clear from blood but it's been soaked into his clothing and he looks beyond pale.

"The charges were dropped. You're free to go." one of the officers says before they both head back behind the doors.

I get up and rush over to Vic, desperate to wrap him up in my arms but as I approach him, he steps back and puts his hands up.

I frown at the action. I've been sitting here for hours missing him and now he doesn't even want to touch me. Does he really hate me?

He puts his head down and storms off towards the door. Jenna and I follow him then watch him get into the back seat of Jenna's car.

"He hates me." I choke out.

"He doesn't hate you. Just give him space. He's been through a lot today, we all have." she explains.

I nod and get into the passenger seat. I don't dare look back at Vic and just focus on not crying.

The drive home is tense and silent. When we finally arrive home, Vic is the first person out of the car. He rushes inside the house, disappearing from sight.

"You can't tell me that he doesn't hate me." I croak out.

"Go, talk to him, Kells." Jenna says softly.

"I can't," I whimper. "He's just going to break up with me. I don't want to talk to him."

I get out of the car and Jenna does the same. We both go outside and immediately I hear the shower running.

"Well, I'm going to go cry a little, maybe take a nap." I mutter.

Jenna looks stressed and takes my hand.

"If you're going to cry and take a nap, you're not doing it alone." she says softly, pulling me into the living room.

I'm grateful, because all I want is a drink right now. And when I can't drink, I cut.

I sit on the sofa and Jenna pulls me into her chest so I just let it out and start sobbing.

"I just want things to be simple, Jen." I cry. "I want things to stop hurting. I want things to work out and fall into place."

"They will, Kell." Jenna coos. "You have to hit rock bottom before things get better. Sometimes you've gotta fall before you fly."

I smile a little at her words and pull away, wiping my eyes.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps down the stairs. My head snaps to Vic who's only in his boxers. He has his car keys in his hand and doesn't look towards us before he leaves out the front door.

I can't help but to start crying again. He doesn't even want to be around me.

Jenna tries to console and comfort me until I find myself drifting off to sleep again.

I don't know how long I slept for, if I even slept at all, but I'm startled awake by the sound of the door closing.

I pull away from Jenna and look to Vic who has just entered the house. He looks a lot more relaxed and he's wearing some clean clothes. He holds something in his hand as he comes over to me.

He kneels on the floor in front of me and I watch tears flood his eyes. Jenna immediately gets up and leaves to give us space.

"I'm so sorry, Kells. I fucked up." he chokes out, his voice shaking. "I don't know what came over me. I just thought about what he did to you and I just got so angry. I couldn't stop myself."

"You scared me." I whisper.

"I scared myself." he admits. "And fuck, I hurt you."

He runs his thumb over my eyelid ever so gently. He then leans forward and kisses it.

"It was an accident." I coo.

"That doesn't matter. You suffered the consequences of my actions. I'm so sorry." he sniffs.

"I forgive you." I whisper as tears fill my eyes. "And I hope you can forgive me too."

"Forgive you? Darling, you've done nothing wrong." he says confused.

"I told Jenna to call the police. I'm the reason you got arrested." I cry.

"No, Kells, you have nothing to be sorry for. You did the right thing. What I did to Carter was disgusting and horrible. I should have handled things better. I should have just called the police."

"So you don't hate me?" I sniff.

He looks confused.

"God, no. Kell, don't ever think that. I could never hate you." he whispers.

I sigh relieved and nod.

"Sorry, I just thought you hated me. You couldn't even look at me and you didn't let me hug you." I whisper.

Vic sighs and gently presses his lips against my forehead

"I just had to get the blood off of me." he says quietly.

I just nod again.

"This is for you." he says, finally smiling as he reveals the object in his hand.

It's the bear he gave me on prom, only now it's not decapitated.

"You fixed him." I gasp, taking the bear from Vic.

"Well, Mama fixed him." he chuckles.

"Carter broke him." I whisper softly and Vic's face falls.

A silence lingers over us after that. Vic stares at me but his mind seems somewhere else.

"When are you going to talk to the police about what he did to you?" Vic asks softly.

My stomach sinks at his question.

"I can't." I whisper.

"You can, Kells. I'll be here for you." he urges.

"No, I mean, I can't." I sigh.

"What do you mean?" Vic asks confused, taking my hand in his.

"The only way I could get Carter to drop the charges against you was to promise I wouldn't go to the police about what he did to me." I admit.

"You did what?" he snaps. "Why would you do that?"

"You were going to go to jail." I choke out.

"So you just let him get away with what he did to you? Do you understand how sick and disgusting he is? You don't understand how dangerous he is!"

"I know!" I snap. "I know better than anyone!"

Vic looks immediately ashamed.

I blink quickly to hide my tears and then look down at my hands.

"I wish I didn't have to do that. I wish I could have him put away so he couldn't hurt anyone else. But I couldn't lose you." I admit in a whisper. "People like him deserve to go to jail, not you."

Vic sighs and pulls me into his arms, gently holding my head to his chest.

"I'm sorry. This is my fault. If I hadn't hurt him, things could have been different. I'm so sorry. But I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and to keep him away from you."

I'm about to tell him that Carter's leaving town but I'm interrupted by a knock on the door.

I'm instinctively anxious and frozen. I feel Vic's arms tense around me.

We wait, silent, but another knock doesn't come. Instead, we hear the sound of tires screeching down the driveway and a car speeding away.

"I'm going to answer the door." Vic says softly.

I nod and loosen my tight grip around him. He kisses my forehead before he stands off the sofa.

He goes over to the door. My heart races the entire time. Then he opens it. And there's no one there. He then kneels down and I watch him pick up something.

"What is it?" I breathe out nervously.

"It's a letter." he frowns, cautiously coming back over to me. "It's for you. It's, uh, Carter's handwriting."

I gulp nervously as I stare at the letter in Vic's hand.

"Do you want me to throw it out?" he asks.

I shake my head and take the letter from his hands. He seems reluctant to give it to me but his body visibly untenses once it's out of his hands.

My hand shakes as I hold it. Nervous of its contents, I climb onto Vic's lap for support. His arms immediately snake around my waist and his chin rests on my should.

I look down at the pail blue envelope, the same kind Vic had used for his wedding invitations. My name has been scrolled across the paper, clearly stating that this letter is for me.

My hands shake as I tear open the envelope and pull out a folded piece of paper.

Vic kisses my cheek comfortingly.

I unfold the paper and read what Carter has written.

Kellin,

If you're reading this then I am on my way out of town or I am long gone. My actions towards you were unforgivable and I'm sorry to say you're not the first to be a victim of these actions.

But I want you to be the last.

I'm sick. So I'm going to get some help. I truly am sorry and I regret my actions more than you could know. No apology could ever make up for what I've taken from you. There's not a thing I can do to make this better. So I'm leaving and you're not going to see me again. I hope that can help you heal in some way.

I have signed the deed of my house over to Vic, but I want you to have it. Live in it. Sell it. I don't care.

I'm not asking you to forgive me. What I've done is unforgivable. Just know that I'm truly sorry.

- Carter.

Ps: tell Vic I'm sorry.

Tears fill my eyes as I'm overwhelmed with a whirlwind of emotions. I hand the letter back to Vic so he can read it.

"Are you okay?" he whispers after he's finished.

I shake my head.

"After everything, after admitting that he's sick, he still can't even say it. He can't even write it down. He can't say that he raped me." I choke out.

Vic tosses the letter to the side and pulls me closer to him.

"He's sick, Kells. Hopefully one day he'll be well enough to understand the pain he's caused you. The important thing is that he's gone and you can heal now." Vic murmurs.

"But what if this happens again? Just because Carter's gone, doesn't mean that some other guy won't do the same thing." I choke out.

The heartbreak is immediately visible in Vic's eyes.

"Baby, I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe. And I can't promise anything, but how many people do you know who have been through this? I doubt you're going to have to go through this again." Vic says.

I know he's trying to comfort me but I can't help but to see his naivety. Jenna and her sister have been through this. And I didn't know about it until last week. God knows how many people I know that have dealt with this.

"Why don't we start looking for a house?" I sniff, ready to change the subject.

"Good idea." Vic chirps, pulling out his phone. "What is our budget?"

"How much do you think Carter's house would sell for?" I ask.

"You want to sell the house?" he asks.

"Yeah. That way we have money for our house. It'll be the only good thing that came from Carter." I shrug.

"That's a good idea." Vic smiles. "He paid about three hundred thousand for it but it's been renovated so maybe three fifty."

"Three fifty it is." I smile.

I take Vic's free hand and begin playing with his fingers.

"How many bedrooms?" he asks.

"Two." I chirp. "One for us. And a spare."

"Good idea. Why don't we move to a nicer neighborhood?" Vic suggests.

I nod, loving the idea. I've always hated this place but it's really the only neighborhood we can afford to live in.

Vic house hunts in silence while I just enjoy his presence. It's just like old times, except better.

"Four days sober, right?" Vic asks.

"Yeah." I smile.

"I'm proud of you." Vic whispers, softly.

I just smile grateful that he cares. Of course he does, it's Vic. There's no one kinder, no one sweeter, no one more caring than Vic.

"And no more cuts?" he asks.

"Nope." I chirp honestly.

He looks away from his phone to kiss my cheek.

"I love you." he whispers.

"I love you too." I smile back.

He suddenly passes me his phone.

"What do you think about this one?" he asks.

I look through the photos of the listing and read the description. It's beautiful. It has two bedrooms and a study. A bathroom and an ensuite. Walk in wardrobes. A decent kitchen. And it's lakeside in the cutest little neighborhood.

"Babe, it's gorgeous." I grin.

"Just like you." he chirps. "And it's only three hundred and twenty."

I hand Vic back his phone and look at him excitedly.

"Email them. We'll do a walk-through and apply." I suggest.

Vic looks just as excited as I am. He grins widely as he types out an email on his phone. When he's done, he tosses his phone to the side and wraps his strong arms around me.

"Can you promise me something?" Vic asks but just at that moment, my phone phone rings.

"Hold that thought." I say, pulling it out of my pocket.

For a second I'm confused to see Jack calling but then I realize he's probably wondering when he's going to get his money that I supposedly owe him.

I roll my eyes and answer the phone anyway.

"What do you want?" I sigh.

"I owe you a big apology." he spits out.

"Huh?"

"I know it wasn't you that took the money." he explains.

I'm immediately relieved.

"Who did it?" I ask curious as to who framed me.

"I took your advice and finally replaced the security cameras. It was Gabe." he explains.

"Gabe?" I frown confused. Gabe is my friend. Why would he do that? Why would he frame me?

"Yeah, his father has cancer and they couldn't afford treatment so he started taking what he could. At least that's what he told me." he explains. "I want you to come back. You can have a raise and paid vacations whenever you need them. You're my best worker and everything has been falling apart without you here. I should have trusted you. I hope you can forgive me."

I'm overwhelmed by everything he just said. Gabe is my friend and he should have told me that something so big and horrible was going on in his life. He should have come to me with this.

And now Jack is offering to give me my job back. I would love my job back but I'm not sure if I'm mentally well enough to work. I'm an alcoholic, self-mutilator who just got out the hospital for a suicide attempt.

"Um, I appreciate the offer but I need some time for myself. I'm struggling at the moment, and I need some time to get back on my feet." I explain, breaking my own heart as I give up the job of my dreams.

"Then consider this your first official paid vacation. You can have all the time you need. I'm not willing to let you go without a fight." he chirps, chuckling a little.

"Okay, you've won me over." I grin, biting my lip.

"Yes!" he exclaims. "Thank you so much, Kellin."

"It's my pleasure." I smile. "So what's going to happen to Gabe?"

"That's up to you." Jack says. "If you want him fired, he's gone. Or you can give him another chance. I think his actions affected you most so it's your call."

I think about it. If what Gabe says about his father is true, I can understand why he did what he did. He must have been so desperate. Maybe I can help him out.

"I'll talk to him and get back to you." I say.

"Okay, thanks a lot, Kell. Take care." Jack says and I say 'bye' before hanging up.

"What was that about?" Vic asks curiously.

"I got my job back." I grin, turning back to him.

"Really? Baby! Oh my gosh! That's great!" Vic exclaims excitedly, placing a sloppy kiss on my cheek.

"I know! Turns out it was Gabe that took the money. Which is really weird." I frown. "I know we were in the middle of something, but do you mind if I give him a quick call?"

"Of course not, love. Do what you need to." Vic murmurs, running his fingers through my hair affectionately.

God, I love how attentive and cuddly he is. It's like he has to be touching me in some way constantly.

I quickly kiss my boyfriend and then give Gabe a call.

He sounds nervous when he answers, understandably so.

"Kell, hey, it's been a while." he says. I can practically hear him cringing.

I don't want to get upset or argue. I'm way too worn out for that and I care about Gabe. I just need to find out why he threw me under the bus.

"I lost my job because of you." I state calmly.

"I know." he whimpers, his voice cracking as if he's already about to start crying. "I feel terrible. I have felt terrible for such a long time. And there's no excuse for what I did. We were friends and I betrayed you. I am so sorry."

The sincerity in his tone leaves me grateful.

"Gabe, we're friends. If you need something, all you have to do is ask." I sigh.

"I know. But you couldn't help me with this. And I was embarrassed. And you were obviously going through your own shit." he sniffs.

My heart breaks a little.

"How much do you owe Jack?" I question.

"Just over three thousand." he mumbles sounding ashamed.

I don't even have to think too much about what I say next.

"I have some spare money. You can have ten grand to pay off your debt and the rest can go to your father's treatment." I offer.

"Oh, no, Kells, I can't accept that. It's too much." he sighs.

"It's fine, Gabe. I'm happy to help. Just do me a favor and cover my shifts until I'm back at work." I chirp.

"Really?" Gabe chokes out.

"Really." I smile.

"I don't deserve this." he whispers.

"People do stupid things in desperation. Trust me, I know." I sigh.

"Thank you so much, Kells. I really appreciate this. You have no idea what this will do for my family." he sniffs.

"It's not a problem. You take care, okay?" I chirp.

"You too, Kell. Thank you." he says again then I end the call.

I sigh as I toss my phone to the side before turning to Vic and wrapping my arms around him tightly.

"You okay, Kells?" he asks softly, his fingers still trailing through my hair.

"Yeah, just overwhelmed. Today has been a lot." I breathe.

"I'm sorry." he whispers back.

"Don't be." I frown, pulling back so I can kiss his cheek. "What did you want me to promise you?"

He smiles and kisses my forehead lovingly.

"Promise me that we'll spend next New Year's together." he murmurs softly.

That makes me grin from ear to ear.

"I honestly don't want to spend another moment without you." I beam.

He grins and pushes his lips to mine. I kiss back, thinking about how absolutely amazing this is. I get to kiss him, not just now, but maybe for the rest of my life.

"I love you." he mumbles.

"That's crazy." I whisper.

"Why?" he laughs.

"It's just insane." I giggle.

"Why though? You're incredibly fucking gorgeous and we've known each other forever. It's hard not to love you." he explains.

I sigh, and nuzzle my face into his neck.

"Thank you for revealing your feelings. I probably would never have worked up the courage." I murmur.

"Thank you for waiting for me." he smiles.

I smile at him, just thinking about how I would have waited my entire life for him. Thankfully, that's not neccessary.

"Love is patient." I whisper.

I then lean in and gently kiss his lips, suddenly coming to the realisation that in the ten years I've known Vic, I could have kissed him any of those days, but it wasn't the right time.

I had to wait, I had to learn, I had to yearn, I had to long, I had to love, before the right time presented itself. And I'm glad I waited because things couldn't possibly be more perfect.

All the pain, all the suffering, all the torment, it was worth it in the end.

I now have my dream boyfriend.

And after all is said and done, I still have my best friend. 

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