I don't know what to say. Why are you here? Where's Jackson? Did you talk to Nikki? It surprises me that Brittni is standing on my door step, but then again I think I know why she's here.

"Can I come in?" She asks, wrapping her arms around herself tighter. It's cold outside and I want to know what she has to say, so I nod. Leading her over to my couch, I sit down with my elbows on my knees while she fidgets.

"What brings you to mi case at this time of night?" I finally ask.

"I want - need to talk to you," she says. It's obvious she's been crying by her blood shot eyes and red nose, or maybe that's just from the cold.

"About what?" I furrow my eyebrows. I think of Brittni like a sister, even before she was dating Jackson, I usually can read her pretty good. But not tonight. Tonight she's very stoic and placid.

"I - about Jackson and Nikki," she looks down for a second.

"Okay," I drag out, my nerves spiking.

"It's just," she wipes her palms on her leggings. "Jackson cares about Nikki so much and it hurts to see him so defeated. I'm not saying that's your fault-"

"It kind of sounds like you are," I bite back. I don't mean to have an attitude with her, but I can't help it. Did I mean to make Jackson mad or upset? No, I was simply giving into my feelings for Nikki.

She sighs. "Did you know about their aunt?"

I think back to the previous conversations Jackson and I had, but none of them even resemble to an aunt. I didn't even know they had an aunt.

"No," I say. "What does this have to do with anything?"

She rolls her eyes. "He told me how she had died and how she was his dad's little sister. He was very protective of her, and when she died if hit him hard. He had told me why he is so protective of Nikki and that's the reason."

"Because she reminds him of their aunt?" I'm so lost.

"No, Colten," she scowls. "Because he doesn't want to miss out on anything. He wants to be there for her and say all the things he's supposed to before it's too late. He doesn't want anything to happen to her and not have told her how much he really cares for her."

Oh. Oh! The whole reason why Jackson is trying to keep her away from me and other guys is so she doesn't get hurt, but also because he wants to keep her as young as possible. He wants her look up to him as her hero and if she's with me, that evaporates. I feel guilty.

"Why had he never told me that?" I question more to myself than Brittni.

"I'm not sure," she sighs. "I don't think it's something he likes to talk about much."

But still, I was his best friend for over ten years and he never shared a story like that with me? I just feel like it was all fake. I understand that guys like us don't like to seem vulnerable, especially to other guys, but I was his best friend.

"What do I do?" I ask. I chew on my bottom lip in anticipation for her advice, my nerves slightly meeting at the possibility of having to let Nikki go.

"Talk to him." I release a breath. "Let him know that you're not trying to take Nikki away from him. That you love her just as much as he does."

"What about you?" I totally forgot about her little chaos circle with him. "Will you talk to him?"

"No," she looks down. "I better go."

I want to ask her about what it is exactly that they're fighting about, but instead, I stand up as well and walk her to the door.

"Thank you, Brit," I scratch the back of my neck. "It means a lot."

She smiles, a genuine smile that I haven't seen grace her lips in a while.

"You're welcome," she nods. "Anytime."

•••

What am I doing? Am I really going to do this? Does it even make sense? Jesus, I'm screwed.

"Jackson!" I call out. I had expected to see Nikki hop out of the car with him, but she's no where in sight.

"Not in the mood to punch you today," he snaps, trying to walk away, but I step in front of him. "Move."

"Not until we talk." This is weird, usually I'm saying this to Nikki. Ew. Weird mental image.

"I have nothing to fucking say to you," he growls, trying to shove past me, but I stay still like a statue.

"Listen," I try to coax him. "Just for a minute. You don't have to exactly hear what I'm saying or speak, just let me say this."

I can practically see a waging war behind his eyes, making me look away. After what Brittni had advised me to do, I couldn't back down. I need Jackson to know that I'm not trying to take Nikki away from him, he's doing that himself.

"Fine," he huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Brittni came by my house last night-"

"Why?" He sounds pissed.

"I was getting there," I scowl. "She had told me why you feel the need to protect Nikki-"

He starts walking away, an angry look on his face, but I step in front of him again.

"-I understand now," I bite out. "And I'm not trying to take her away from you. I've never tried to do that. You're pushing her away by being so angry about our relationship."

"I always knew you liked her," he says, his voice strained. "I knew since the day you kissed her in the backyard. I saw it through all the torment you put her through, but I let it go. I shouldn't have."

"Jackson-" I want to yell at him, punch him in the fucking face, but I'm refraining myself.

"And to find out you guys were fucking under my roof in front of everyone at school pisses me the fuck off." He really angry now. "I was so fucking stupid to think you actually got over her this year."

"I love her," I growl. "I love her just as much as you do, but you're so blinded by the fact that we're together you don't think about that."

"You'll hurt her," he says more to himself. "I know you will, and I'm trying to protect her from that."

"I-" My voice is cut off when I get a text, I look at the screen and nearly put it back in my pocket, but something drives me to open it.

And above that message is a picture of Adam and Nikki, my Nikki pushed up against a wall with him in front of her.

My visions goes red and I practically crush my phone in my hand before I start stalking towards the field house. If it's what it looks like, I'm fucking done with her and I'm going to break every goddamn bone in his body

"I'll see you later," I tell Brittni as I get out of her car. I know she's probably confused, beyond confused, but I can't help the nagging feeling in my stomach.

I have no idea why I'm so quick to follow his orders, but as I walk along the grass towards the field house, I don't have anything in mind, but what it could be. I shouldn't trust him, fuck it, I shouldn't have kept his number, but I'm stupid.

Besides, if it's something giving me insight on what Angelique is going to do to try and break Colten and me up I'd like to know. Not that he knows Angelique - or does he?

I find him leaning against the brick exterior of the building, looking the same as he usually does. The only difference about how he looks now to me then other times is that my stomach doesn't buzz with nervousness. Or at least not for the same reason.

"I thought you wouldn't come," he pushes himself off the building. "I didn't get an answer."

"You didn't need one," I strain out. "What do you want?"

"Always the one to cut straight to the point," he chuckles with humor. I don't find it funny.

"If you're not going to speak I'll leave," I threaten.

He rolls his eyes. "Calm down. I'll fucking tell you what you came here to hear."

"Okay," I wait.

"Did you know Colten came to me yesterday?" What?

"No," I say a bit on the defensive side. He's probably just lying.

"Well, he did," he smirks. "He was trying to beat my ass over the text I sent you."

Is he lying? Colten told me that he believed I haven't been texting him, had he been lying? For some reason, my courage starts to fade and my emotions threaten to take over.

"Told me something along the lines of 'you're his' and 'I'll never have you because no one can make you scream you the way he can'." Adam pouts. "I find it weird how he treats you like his property, don't you think?"

My heart is lodged in my throat. I feel like I can barely breathe. I know we agreed to not let anything get to us, but Adam has never lied to me before, and he sounds sincere. The worst part is, that sounds like something Colten would do, especially after that one time he told Adam we had slept together.

"You're lying." I don't sound very convincing. Adam takes notice.

"I don't think you sound very confident in that accusation." He takes a step towards me. My mind is telling me to move away from him, but my feet seem to have a different plan. They stay planted to the ground while Adam gets closer to me. "You deserve someone better than that, Nikki."

He doesn't sound like a creepy person, but despite that, I feel scared out of my mind. Not exactly of Adam, but what I'm about to find out.

"I can give you better." And in the blink of an eye, my back is hitting the brick building, Adam standing over me. The thing that gets me though, is the fact that he doesn't look malicious, but almost guilty.

"Get off," I growl, pushing him away. That doesn't do anything, because then Adam's pulling me to his chest and covering my mouth with his. Then...

...he's suddenly taken away from me.

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