I woke to annoying beeping, my crusty eyes squinting at the blinding white room. Groaning, I clenched my teeth together in hopes of lessening the pounding in my skull. Irritation pricked at my skin as I grew more conscious, the foul smell of antiseptic crawling up my nostril.

Memories of my kidnapping rushed through me head, my back lurching forward in panic as I gripped the soft material beneath me. The weight of a hand on my shoulder had me flinching, fear settled in me as I remembered how rough Xander had been.

"Honey, it okay. Its just me," the familiar voice of my mother encouraged me to loosened my grip on the sheets.

She tentatively reached for my hand, clasping it between her. The fear I had felt quickly disappeared as the warmth of her touch calmed my ragging heart. I clung onto her, digging myself further into her embrace while drinking in her familiar scent.

"Its okay" she soothed, her voice thick with emotion "your safe"

Tears began to flow down my face at the realisation that I was in deed safe, I was back with my mother. She wrapped an arm around me, running her palm up and down my shoulder in a conforming way. I gradually began to calm down, relief washing over me.

"I love you so much sweetheart" she whispered before placing a delicate kiss on my forehead.

My heart clenched at how tired she looked, her frown lines more defined than usual. Her reddened eyes held residual moisture from all the crying I was sure she had done. The large bruise stamped on her forehead had my heart clenching even harder, it reminded me of the state she was in the last time I saw her.

"Sorry" I murmured, my eyes still fixed on the discoloured bruise.

"It doesn't hurt any more" she said as her finger lightly traced the crooked line "It wasn't your fault" she leveled her eyes to mine, willing me to accept it.

"It wasn't your either" I said meaningfully.

"I...I should have been able to protect you" her voice came out hoarse, her fingers tightening around my hand "I'm just glad his in custody." She said while running the pad off her thumb along my knuckles.

"H -how did I get here?" everything from my escape was hazy and I could briefly remember an unfamiliar man talking to me.

"Someone dropped you off at the emergency room" she furrowed her eyebrows, staring distractedly at the white bed sheet "he knew your name but he never stayed. He just left"

I struggled to put a face on him, giving up when the ache in my head increased. I resorted to nodding, pushing the thought to the back of my head.

"I should call the doctor. Your friends are here too" she said while straightening her back, kissing my cheek before disappearing behind the door. I frowned at the mention of my friends, I had assumed they would want to be the furthest place away from me.

I sighed, poking a finger on my covered stomach. It still hurt but it was mostly numb pain, suppressed by the drugs that were flowing from the drip inserted into my vein.

My mother soon came back with the doctor, seating on a cramped chair as she listened intently to whatever he had to say. After multiple questions the friendly doctor left, passing us a brief smile on his way out.

"The...the doctor said Xander didn't hurt you, that the injuries are mostly from the accident" she sounded unsure, her eyes examining my face as if to look for an injury the doctor hadn't noticed.

"H -he was different" I rasped, clearing my throat.

"How?" Her face scrunched up in confusion as she handed me a bottle of water.

"He...he thought he was in love with me" I stared blankly at the clear bottle, not making a move to open it even though my throat was painfully dry.

As if sensing my displeasure at the topic, she simply nodded in understanding. I concealed my emotions behind a blank mask, bottling up my feelings when she scanned my features in concern.

"The front desk informed me that the man that brought you here said he was you boyfriend's relative" She said hesitantly, probably at the tense way we had left things the last time we talked about Holden.

My foggy brain struggled to grasp on the bits and pieces of the short conversation I had with the stranger. I remembered him saying he was Holden's uncle and that was they look alike. As I thought back on it, I couldn't help but think about how stupid it had been to believe him so quickly. It could have just been a coincidence that they looked alike.

"He has been here since yesterday" my mother continued after a prolonged silence.

"Who?" I asked after finally easing the sandpaper dryness in my throat, clasping the lid back on the bottle.

"Holden" I was momentarily stunted that she knew his name, my confusion painted clearly on my face "his been here all night"

The statement cut right through me, my breath hitching for a moment. I tried to disguise my shock, but my mother didn't miss it. The inconspicuous raise of her eyebrow making my eyes drop in embarrassment.

"I shouldn't have judged him so fast, it was unfairly of me. His nothing like Xander" she said this while her downcast eyes stared at her clipped fingers.

"What changed?" She had been adamant on me staying away from Holden, it fazed me just how fast her opinion on him shifted.

"He cares about you. They all do, your friends" sadness loomed over me as I thought back to the way we had last interacted, like complete strangers. I doubt he would want to see me, it didn't stop the flutter of hope that formed in my chest.

A knock resounded in the room as the door creaked open, Mark's familiar face poking into the room. He smiled lightly as my mother ushered him in, plucking the two coffee cups from his hands once he settled beside her.

"How are you holding up?" His asked, concern intertwined in his words. He wasn't pretending to care, nor was he only asking for the sake of it. He genuinely cared.

"I'm fine" I tried to reassure both him and my mother, my chapped lips forming into a painful smile. It probably looked like a grimace but it was the further my lips would stretch.

"I'm glad your safe" he returned my smile, squeezing my shoulder briefly.

"Your friends have been seated in the waiting room for a while now, you should see them" my mother said. I had been trying to put it off for as long as I could. It wasn't that I didn't want to see them, because I did. What I wasn't looking forward to was the sympathy they were bound to give me, I couldn't handle that "they have been so worried" she added when she noticed my hesitation.

I pushed down my emotions, giving my mother a stiff nod as confirmation. It wouldn't be fair to refuse to see them because I was afraid, I doubt my mother would let me.

"Okay, I'll just call them in. We'll be outside if you need us" I gave her a week smile, watching as her and Mark walked out the door. Minutes later Avery, Talia and Archer enter the room. I couldn't ignore the way my heart dipped when I didn't see Holden among them.

"Oh my God" Avery grasped as she rushed over to me, flinging her arms around me. I clenched my teeth at the impact of her small frame, biting down a groan. I could feel my hospital gown dampen as she squeezed me tighter, making me wince through my clenched teeth.

"Sorry," she abruptly jumped off of me, running her teary eyes over my battered body worriedly.

"It fine" I assured her, smiling for emphasis. She hiccupped, dragging the back of her hand along her eyes to get rid of their moisture.

"Hey" Talia greeted me, giving me a much more stubble hug than Avery. Archer simply waved from his position, smiling sightly.

"We were so worried..." Avery spoke up, her voice cracking towards the end.

"I'm okay" I reassured her, filling guilt at how rattled she looked "I'm sorry about our dorm room"

"Don't worry about it, nothing special was destroyed" my shoulders relaxed immediately, the guilt slightly easing off me "I'm just really glad your okay"

"You guys didn't really have to come and see me" we hadn't know each other that long, they weren't obligated to check up on me.

"Are you kidding, your like the hot sister I never had" Archer said lightheartedly, lifting the thick air from the room.

"You do have a sister" Avery rolled her eyes in annoyance as Talia chuckled at their usual banter.

"I said hot sister" he exaggerated his words, receiving a slap on the back of his head from Avery. My eyes kept shifting towards the door every minute, anticipating a black haired athlete.

"He left" Talia startled me, causing my cheeks to flush in embarrassment.

"He spent the night here though, he wanted to make sure you were fine" Archer explained, a knowing glint in his eyes "he thought you might not want to see him" I did, I desperately wanted to see him.

A throat being cleared by the door drew their attention away from me. A short nurse stood just outside the door holding a tray with both hands.

"Hello, I'm here to dress her wounds" she said in a friendly tone, addressing us.

"We should leave" Avery said, giving me another hug. They all bid me goodbye before disappearing outside the door.