Benji had dropped me off but I didn't mention the text message to him. One, I knew he would freak out about it. And two, I had a feeling I knew who was behind it.

There was only one way for my suspicions to be confirmed, though.

I opened my front door and almost tripped over Hugo laying on the welcome mat. A smile spread across my face when I realised if he was here, my sister had to be.

Thankfully, she worked things out with Joe and they all spent New Years here. Then they returned to their house to prepare the children for school.

Before leaving Amber made me promise that I would never hide anything from her again. She said wanted to know every detail of my life, the friends I made, anything that bothers me and the time I used the toilet.

I hoped the last one way a joke.

Anyway, I promised because I felt guilty about keeping things from her which lead to her marriage almost ending. An exaggeration but you get my gist.

That's why, despite my better judgement, I was going to tell her about the ominous message I received.

"Amber!" I squealed when I entered the living room, rushing over to hug her. She hugged me back but pulled away when clung onto her for a minute too

long.

"We literally saw each other last week, Clo." She said with a bemused smile. I grinned at her.

"I know, but can't I be excited to see my favourite sister?"

"I'm your only sister."

"That's besides the point." I dismissed.

"Then what is the point?" Amber questioned suspiciously. "You're acting weird."

Damn. She caught on.

"The point is," I started. "You are the best sister in the world and I love you ever so much."

She stared at me and I stared back, the smile not leaving my face. Hugo's soft bark broke our eye contact.

"Alright, what do you want?" She said and the smile dropped off my face. So much for buttering her up.

"I promised to tell you everything, so here you go." I handed her my phone and watched her expression contort as she read the message.

"Don't tell me you're thinking of going, Chloe." Amber asked in a worried tone. I shot her a look.

"Of course I am. You don't need to worry, I have a pretty good idea about who it is."

"Yeah?" Amber sat on the couch and I followed suit. "Who is it?"

"John." I stated confidently. "He's done creepy and mysterious stuff like this before."

Amber raised an eyebrow. "The same John who almost had a fit when you said you'd been to Blackjack Avenue?"

"Well, yeah-"

"Did it occur to you it could be those guys? What'd you call them... Cyrus and

Ian? You got quite lippy to them at the hospital the other day so they could be out for revenge." Amber pointed out and I froze.

"And I saw them today..." I said to myself but my sister heard.

"What? Tell me what happened."

I quickly summarised my conversation with Maisie that they'd been watching from a distance.

Amber gave me a pointed look when I was done. "I make a valid argument, Chloe. It could be John but I doubt it. Why would he wait this long to contact you when you guys left things on good terms?"

"Because he's weird, confusing and wants to drive me nuts." I ran a hand through my hair. "You're right, I'd be asking for trouble if I went."

"It's clueless girls like you that get kidnapped and sold into human trafficking." Amber added on.

I nodded and whistled for Hugo to come. He did so obediently and I turned to him, looking into his glassy brown eyes. "Hugo, do you think it's a bad idea if I go?"

Hugo let out an enthusiastic bark that clearly meant yes. I turned to Amber. "Even Hugo said it's a bad idea, and I cannot go against him."

We surveyed each other for a moment before Amber sighed, giving me a knowing look.

"You're still going, aren't you?"

"Yep."

"This is so stupid, Chloe."

"I told you the same when you dyed your hair purple, but look how that turned out?"

Amber shot me a deadpan look. "It turned out horrible. I looked like one of those fuzzy creatures."

"You know, if I squint slightly I can still see a purple tint-"

I laughed and moved when she reached out to hit me. "Shut up before I tell mum about your crazy plans."

"Love you sis!"

*****

At seven PM on the dot Amber and I pulled up the Blackjack Avenue. Unsurprisingly, it was pitch black outside, the street lamps doing little to illuminate the street. We quietly looked outside, ignoring the faint noise of shouting and glass smashing nearby.

"I don't feel good about this." Amber told me and I glanced at her.

"Neither do I. Let's go home, please." If the person behind the message really was John, I'd just have to find another way of seeing him. But I wasn't about to knowingly put myself in danger based on my certainty it was him.

Amber started the car and startled pulling away when my phone pinged. We exchanged a glance and I brought it out, reading the message that was on the screen.

Come out of the car.

I showed Amber and she frowned. "Tell him to show himself first." She said and I typed that. My phone pinged again.

You have 5 minutes before I leave. Come out of the car.

I bit my lip as I read the message, unsure of what to do. Another message came through.

I need to see you, Clo.

A couple people used that nickname, but one person in particular struck out. I smiled slightly and showed Amber the message. She sighed and handed me pepper spray and a pocket knife.

"Stay right outside the car, alright? Right there." She instructed and I nodded, exiting the vehicle. I heard her mutter "this is crazy" before I slammed the door shut and was submerged in the unnerving silence of the night.

"Show yourself." I called out into the darkness, eyeing the bushes next the

road. I heard rustling and was immediately on guard, my eyes wide. A tall figure stepped out from the bushes directly in front of me and I took a step back, pressing into the car.

The figure moved forward a few steps, wearing a thick jacket with a hood that concealed their face. I watched in scared silence as they removed the hood to reveal a sheepish looking John.

"Hi, Chlo-"

Before he could finish his greeting I rushed forward and shoved him, hard. I would have punched him but was conscious of his injuries.

"Hey!" John cried out as he toppled into the bushes he'd creepily emerged from.

"You are such a weirdo! Why does everything need to be difficult with you?" I exclaimed, watching him stand up and dust himself out. The glow of the moon did little to illuminate our surroundings, but I could make out the blueness of his eyes.

"Is that your way of saying you're happy to see me?" He asked with a cheeky grin and I rolled my eyes but smiled back.

"Yes." I admitted. "Even though it took way too long. Come on, lets talk back at my house."

John sighed and pulled away. "As much as I would love that, I can't. I didn't contact you when I left the hospital for a reason, and I had to meet you here because they wouldn't expect it."

I frowned and my heart started to beat faster as I glanced around us. "Who is 'they'?"

"The guys we were meant to deal with on the Ambush. An enemy gang." John explained, shoving his hands in his coat pocket. "It was a tough fight but we managed to finish most of them off, the important ones at least. Those who escaped are out for blood, and they're picking out Taro's members one by one."

I was shocked. "But you're not part of his gang!"

"i was on the ambush." John reminded me sadly. "One of them saw me when I was discharged from the hospital. So I had to make myself scarce for a good two weeks and figure out how to move forward."

"Well, do you have a plan?"

John shrugged. "Not really, that's why I wanted to go to Cyrus and Ian for help but I can't seem to find them. Have you seen them?"

I frowned. "They showed up at the hospital the night you were taken. Then today Maisie pestered me about your whereabouts. Are you sure you can trust them?"

John shook his head. "No. But they're Taro's most loyal gang members, practically second in command. What would they get out of screwing me over? Plus, I fulfilled my side of the bet." I flinched slightly and his expression softened. "Sorry. All I know is it's not safe for me to be around anyone I care about."

I felt my eyes start to water at what he was implying. "So, this is goodbye?"

John cleared his throat and nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I think so. For now at least. I couldn't bare for anything to happen to you, Chloe. You mean the world to me."

I wiped my eyes with a small laugh. "Why do I always seem to cry around you?"

John offered me a smile. "It comes with being best friends with the 'bad boy'."

We stood there and stared at each other for a moment, shivering from the cold. My eyes scanned his face, trying to imprint his features in my memory as I felt like it was the last time I'd see him.

Wavy brown hair hidden under a beanie. Bushy eyebrows that were currently furrowed in sadness. His lips were pressed into a thin line but I imagined them stretched into a smile. And his blue eyes that seemed to shine, maybe with tears. But I thought they shone the same way a diamond did when it hit a ray of light,

John slowly pulled out something from his pocket. Upon closer inspection I made out a white envelope and grinned teasingly.

"You write me a love letter or something?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood. John humoured me with a small smile.

"Something like that. You said I should say those three words when you saw me, alive, after the ambush. Here they are." He tried to hand over the envelope but I stepped away, shaking my head.

"I said that because I thought if you came back, everything would be back to normal." I told him, my voice thick with tears. John stepped forward and embraced me. I let myself melt in his arms and cried, my mind saying this would be our last hug.

"Thing can never go back to normal." He said in a quiet voice. I sniffed.

"I wish I never left."

John paused before answering. "So do I. But I'm happy you did."

I pulled back and looked up at him with my vision blurred with tears, "Why? If I had stayed you wouldn't have gotten involved with the wrong people. I would have never met Dave. Our lives would have been perfect."

"Your mum would have believed she was meant to remain alone for ever." John countered. "Dave was horrible but he showed her she could learn to love after your dad. And you wouldn't have ended up with Benjamin, because if I was still in the picture you wouldn't have had any contact with any other guys."

I made a face and punched him lightly. "You're so lame. But you're right, everything happens for a reason I guess."

John didn't reply, he just pressed the envelope into my hands. It felt heavy in my hands, as if the words written on the paper weighed it down.

"I'm going to live with my Dad." John told me and my eyes widened. "He showed up the day before I was discharged and we had a long talk about everything. Turns out, not like it was a surprise, but my mum had more involvement than I knew in him not seeing me. We've already arranged it."

"What about school?"

"I'll finish my junior and senior year at a new school. But I won't be with my mum, that's all that matters."

"And your mum agreed that easily?"

John smirked. "My mum isn't really a rich woman, so when my dad brought up talk of a custody battle, lawyers and all that jazz she backed down. I'll be 18 in a few weeks so it would be pointless anyway." He explained and I nodded.

I heard a phone ping and John brought his out and read whatever was on the screen. He turned to me with a grim expression. "I have to go,"

I silently hugged him again. We stayed like that for a moment before I pulled away, conscious Amber was still waiting in the car. John's eyes skimmed my face in a similar fashion to how I did do to him.

"Don't wind up lying in a ditch." I told him seriously as he started backing away. He smiled widely.

"Don't forget me." John replied in a serious tone that contradicted the smile on his face.

"I won't." I promised. John nodded.

"Goodbye, John."

"I''ll see you later, Chloe."

"Promise?" I closed the distance between us and held out my pinky finger. He wrapped his around mine securely.

"I promise."

I stood in the empty street, clutching the envelope and watched as John disappeared into the darkness of the night.

******