Blaire and I sit on a bench, watching as Kyle and Ian do laps around the running track. Every single time they pass by us, he flashes me a cute smile that has my heart melting. I wave back happily while my eyes casually sweep across the area.

I don't miss the way some girls are loitering by the fence. There are several good-looking guys on the track & field team, but most of their eyes are ogling at my boyfriend's hot and sweaty body.

I scowl, making a small noise of annoyance.

Blaire seems to read my mind at the exact time. "Damn," she snorts. "Some people just can't get the message that he's off limits, can they?"

I nod in agreement, but when I look over at her, her eyes are fixed on Ian instead. As understanding sinks in, I pretend not to know anything.

"I feel as if I've not talked to you for ages."

She lifts a brow at me, confused. "But the last time we spoke was like a second ago?"

"I mean talk, like real talk."

"Oh!" She shifts her body so that she's facing me instead, one leg folded on the bench and the other on the ground, and gives me her full attention. "What happened this time? Who bullied you? Tell me and I'll gouge their eyes out when they sleep. Nobody messes with my best friend."

My heart swells at her concern.

Clearly, she thinks I'm troubled. I am, but I don't want to just talk about myself. I want to lend her my listening ear. "No, it's not that. It's just that I think I haven't been a good friend towards you, especially after I got together with Kyle. What did I miss while I was away?"

Blaire knows I've caught her. She averts her gaze and holds her drink in hand, chewing on her straw to hide her hesitation. "Crap," she mutters. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yeah."

She let out a small groan, burying her face in her hands. "Promise me you won't judge?"

I move closer to her and place a hand on her shoulder. "I won't. You are my friend."

"I don't doubt that." She lifts her head and bites on her bottom lip, hesitating. "Ian and I... We sort of patched up."

My eyes flicker where Ian is and I see him chugging water from his bottle, but also sneaking a glance in our way. "I can tell that."

Blaire runs a hand over her face, looking small and embarrassed. It's a side of her I've never seen before and I'm amused. She leans in towards me and whispers, "look. I overheard Mom fighting with her boyfriend on Monday night over the call. She brought out the B word."

"B word?"

"Breakup," she explains quickly. "She never uses that word unless she's tired of him and ready to move on. That's who she is. She thrives on the fluttery feeling of falling in love, but backs away when the relationship moves on to the real deal. I think her marriage with Dad broke her."

"Anyway, I did Ian's dad a huge favor." Her admittance has my jaw dropping in horror. "Don't give me that look. Mom deserves to have a taste of her own medicine. Often she's the one doing the dumping, but this time, I let him do the honors. I sent him a screenshot of her texting another man—it's real, okay?—and next thing you know, he called off their relationship."

Suddenly, I'm afraid for her. "Blaire, but she's your mother. Won't she be mad at you for doing that?"

Her shrug and tone are nonchalant. "Whatever. I'm so sick and tired of seeing her hanging out with different guys. They keep entering my house so often that it no longer feels like a home."

Blaire has a point and I feel sorry for her situation. "Does Ian know?"

"Yeah, he does. In fact, he complimented my brains."

The image of them as partners in crime amuses me. "Does that mean the both of you made up as friends or...?"

My question catches her off guard and she coughs to hide her embarrassment. "We-we are back to dating again."

I can't suppress my elation and throw my hands around her, nearly causing her to fall off the bench. "That's great! I'm so happy for you!"

"Easy there, Riley. I almost died from your chokehold."

"Sorry, I got mad excited there for a second."

As we laugh, the boys approach our bench, sweaty and exhausted. Kyle glances over at me with a look of apology. "Training's going to end slightly late today, Riley. Can you wait a little longer?"

"Of course," I reply just as Blaire offers, "I can drive her home, Mr. Protective. I drove to school in my Mom's car."

"You will?" When she nods, he shoots her a serious nod of gratitude. "Thanks, Hernandez."

"Wow, is the sky falling?" she jokes and glances up at the sky with a hand shielding her eyes. "I never imagined the day would come where I'll hear you thanking me, Evan."

He scowls at her. "Are you done? Just take my girlfriend home–oof, Ian! What's that for?"

It turns out his best friend has just nudged him lightly in the ribs, pretending to look annoyed. "Don't forget that's my girlfriend you're talking to, you know."

"Finally?" Kyle does his best to look surprised. "So the Tom & Jerry chase is now over? Congrats. It was a real pain in the ass to see you both act like that."

As Ian grins, Blaire seems offended, her cheeks growing red with annoyance. "You did not just compare me to a mouse!" She stands and draws to her full height, but only to come up to Kyle's chin. Annoyed, she glares at her boyfriend, who's chuckling instead of defending her. "Ian!"

"Blaire, it's just a joke."

"Ugh!" She throws her hands up in the air. "Forget it. Come on, Riley. Let's get away from these blockheads. Don't go catching their brain virus."

I burst out laughing as she leads me away from the dumbfounded boys. After we pull out of the parking lot in her car, we turn on the stereo and Rolling in the Deep by Adele blasts. It's Blaire's favorite song, and she belts the notes professionally. For someone as sharp-toned as her, her voice suited the song—strong and crisp.

"Blaire," I marvel, officially turning into a fan of hers. "That's amazing! You sound a hundred times better than Kyle."

"That's comforting to hear, considering how he mocked me earlier. Maybe I'll have a karaoke showdown with him the next time," she huffs. "I'll make sure that he loses, and I'll laugh back at his snobby face. No offense, Riley."

I laugh, knowing that she's joking. The car stops at a red light in an intersection and she leans forward to peer out of the windshield. "Oh, it's raining."

She's right. Dark, angry clouds roll in without us knowing. Raindrops soon pelt from the sky and grow heavier by the second. As Blaire continues to drive, she doesn't notice how I'm rooted to my seat, how my hands are clutching the edge of my seat anxiously. I fixate my narrowed eyes on the raindrops battering the windshield and glimpse a flash of lightning across the gray sky, followed by a rumble.

My heart is pounding harder. And faster.

I know what's coming next.

Just like the last time, a memory flashes in my mind without a warning.

A man in a black hoodie broke into the place we were temporarily staying. He first attacked Mom in the kitchen when she was making lunch, pushing her down onto the floor and wrapping his thick hands around her delicate neck. The thrashing noise had me running down the stairs and witnessing the horrifying scene.

Acting on instinct, I grabbed the nearest vase and smashed it to the back of the assailant's head. His movements faltered in strength, and I shoved him aside to get to Mom.

Together, we fled from the house. The heavy downpour drenched us both completely in under three seconds. We got into the car and drove onto the highway. There were some bruises on Mom's neck and even though she's panicking, she was okay. We were okay. We just need to find another safe place to stay and hide from him–

Tyres screeched loudly. A cab skidded on the slippery road and rammed into our car. The world flipped around us as the car rolled and the glass shattered to bits. When everything finally stopped, I could only hear a car alarm blaring and the loud pounding coming from my heart.

I didn't know what to think. My legs were stuck. I couldn't move my head and neck because it hurt so much. My breathing grew heavy, and I felt something warm and wet on my left cheek. I smelled something strange and metallic, but my brain couldn't register what it was until I saw Mom.

Blood trickled down the side of her face. Her large, fearful eyes stared into mine. A shaking hand slowly reached out towards me and I saw blood seeping through her white blouse.

"Riley..."

The flashback is too much for me to handle and bile rises in my throat. "Stop the car."

Blaire's startled by the pain in my voice. "Riley, what's wrong—oh my gosh! Why is your face so pale?!"

"Blaire." I grit my teeth so hard that my jaw hurts. My nails are digging hard into my jeans. "Stop the car. Please."

"Give me a second. I'll switch to the side lane—Riley?!"

I can't answer her. Just as she hit the brakes, I wrench the door open, tumble out of the car and throw up onto the grass.