Twelve minutes into my shift at the gym where the resident basketball team were conspicuously absent, and I was seething.

Seething, because I'd been escorted to my job via squad car, curious eyes on me as if I were a felon and some kind of menace to the campus, when that couldn't have been farther from the truth.

Seething, because Maddie had only taken my latest night shifts so that I would have to leave before Eli was done, and we wouldn't have alone time together but she would have that time, and everything was so new and I was too awkward to stay and wait on him to be finished because I was terrified of misreading how he felt about me, not to mention of seeming clingy when we hadn't defined a single thing about what we were yet.

Seething, because it was so clear that Maddie had feelings for Eli and was using Patrick to make him jealous, but it was obvious to me that Eli wasn't that kind of guy to steal his best friend's girl.

Seething, lastly, because my father had the gall and audacity to report the car that he'd bought for my sixteenth birthday as stolen and had taken it away from me.

I was trapped at this campus, trapped until Eli was available to take me back home for the weekend and even then, once there I couldn't leave until Sundays. Trapped, like I was at the house the night I'd had a mental breakdown, but even then I had my car to escape.

Trapped, like I'm sure now my mother was in a loveless marriage that she'd probably only stayed in for me.

Trapped, like my mother was in the car after my father had drunkenly run a red light and-

Suddenly, the lights were all too bright and too dim at once, the world swaying and spinning beneath my feet, the cacophony of sneakers squeaking against the freshly waxed courts compounding in on my eardrums and scraping against the raw nerves that held the memories of those nightmares and the night everything changed. When he changed everything.

And he'd done it again. He wanted so badly to have control over me and the situation, to make me be his little puppet on a string, that he had taken my only form of escape away from me.

I didn't notice the tears until my arm became saturated with the salty droplets, and even then the blurring obscured the figure standing before me.

I quickly rubbed my hands under my eyes before looking up and coming face to face with Chuck Manning, the man that my father had asked to hire me.

Oh, great. Was it time for him to rescind the job, as well? Not only was it enough for my father to crush my only way of escape and my spirit, but he had to take away my only outside source of income as well.

Tall and grey bearded, the man before me held a concerned look in his blue wistful eyes, creased around the edges from time.

"Are you alright? You're Virginia, Mike's girl, right?"

I sniffed, desperately wiping at my cheeks to rid the evidence of my almost breakdown. So unprofessional.

"I'm fine, I'm so sorry. I normally don't do this its just...been one of those days," I lightened up the ending, trying to joke my way out of it, but I could tell he didn't buy it.

He crossed his burly arms across his white t-shirt clad chest, eyes narrowed on me but in a way that told me he knew I was full of shit.

"What'd the asshole do?"

"W-who?"

"The one that has you all like this?"

I could've tried to hide from the truth, kept my job intact if he wasn't there to fire me after all, but I'd officially lost my filter. Permanently.

No more silent and permissive Virginia. That shit was done and over with.

"It's my dad, actually. I got my car impounded because he's mad I didn't come home at his beck and call last weekend, so he reported it stolen. Took away all my recording equipment, too. If I don't play nice, I'll never get it back again."

He whistled low and cocked his head to the side.

"Sounds about right. I know Mike wanted me to fire you, but from where I'm sitting, you've been a damn good employee, taking over all these shifts for Maddie, who by the way, should be here right now and not you. She was on the schedule and I was coming to make sure she was where she was supposed to be. I'm actually shutting the place down early since all the players from the main team aren't going to be practicing. Why don't you get out of here, sort that stuff with your dad out?"

"Wait, Maddie hasn't been at work except for two hours at the very end of the night. She was supposed to be working the whole shifts instead?"

"That's right. You were only supposed to be from four to eight every night part time with you to help if you needed anything, then you'd build up to eight hours, but she didn't listen to me, never does. I think I'm going to have to fire her. I know you don't have much experience, but I can come in and train you to take over her spot personally, if you want? Manager is three dollars more over minimum wage."

"Wow. I- that sounds amazing. But- you said my dad asked you to fire me? Why?"

He huffed out a deep breath, dropping his arms to his sides, showing off a few tattoos that snaked around his gigantic biceps.

"He said you were gettin' out of hand, and he needed to teach you a lesson. From where I sit, I'd want my little girl working and making her own way in life. This is my gym and I hired you, so I get to choose if I fire you, but from where I'm sitting, I want to keep you around as long as you're willing. What do you think?"

I was back to seething, but I thew that emotion to the back of my mind and spoke the truth that was filling me with elation by the second. More money meant a better chance at getting away from my father, figuring out how to get my own car, phone, insurance, and everything else that he paid for while working towards the showcase to win the money I needed to go to New York.

"That sounds amazing. Thank you."

"It's not a problem. Now, why don't you get out of here, and figure out that situation you were just telling me about? And don't let Mike get to you, he's always been like that, especially with your mom."

"My mom?"

He grew still and reserved while he contemplated his next words very carefully-too carefully.

"I shouldn't have said anything, it's not my business. Look, I'll lock up for you. Just--hang in there with Mike. I'm sure things will get better."

He obviously didn't know my father very well, then. But what he'd said about my mother...

I couldn't shake the very obvious truth in front of me that this man knew more than he was letting on, but my anger was about to rear its ugly head, and I didn't want it focused on my employer who was willing to help me get out from underneath my dad's clutches.

"Thank you. That's very kind of you. I'll get the schedule from the employee website from now on, and not from the employee group chat where I was getting my previous hours like Maddie told me to. I'm guessing that's how she tweaked the schedule."

"That would be wise going forward. Nice to finally meet you, Virginia."

I met his bright blue eyes and smiled genuinely for the first time that day.

"You as well, Mr. Manning."

"Please, call me Chuck."

***

The party was in full swing the moment I arrived, not dissimilar to the traffic light party I'd attended not a full week earlier, and the smells were just as nauseating as the first time around-- a mixture of sweat, beer, stronger liquor and the congealed perfume/cologne mixture of those desperately attempting to get laid that night.

It didn't take long to find the basketball players, as they were the tallest of the bunch and were all huddled around a large fire pit roasting marshmallows and taking shots while the girls around them were squealing and running away from the smoke that kept blowing in their faces.

"Smoke follows beauty!"

I snorted. I didn't have to take a guess to know who'd spoken those words.

It wasn't long until I spotted Eli perched on the side of a chair and talking to a girl whose face was shadowed, but it was clear by her close proximity to him that she was trying to flirt.

Before making assumptions, I assessed the situation, watching as he politely pulled his arm back when she tried to place her hand there, rebuffing her advances again and again, and finally standing up and walking away when she'd leaned in like she was trying to kiss him.

There wasn't an issue there, but I still had wanted to see what he would've done.

And then I spotted Maddie.

She wasn't beside Patrick like I'd expected, who was sullenly draped over a lawn chair to the side eating a hot dog with his plate of nachos in his lap, eyes on his girlfriend who was dressed as scantily as the previous party we'd attended, even though the attire for this particular party was much more laid back.

A few steps closer and it was clear she'd infiltrated the small circle of Eli's close friends, her hand on his upper arm.

And then Eli noticed me.

Through the thick gray smoke, orange firelight danced across his features as he pinned me with a stare that held awe and confusion, but happiness nonetheless at my presence.

Maddie quickly dropped her arm just as Eli took a step back from her, and then one closer to me.

"V, you're here? I thought you were working all night, otherwise-"

"No, you're fine. I'm actually here to talk to Maddie."

It must've been clear my intent, because the moment the prickly words left my mouth, her bitchy face came out, face contorted while she twirled a piece of extra curly hair on her pinky finger.

"What about, V?"

She used my nickname mockingly, and it was such a drastic change from how she'd acted around me the first few times we'd interacted that I almost got whiplash. First my father, then Kara and Sara, then Jared and now her? I didn't have time for this stupid bullshit in my life, and she was about to figure that out firsthand.

"I just wanted to let you know that Chuck came by the gym tonight."

Her eyes widened and something akin to fear lit her features. She swallowed a gulp of whatever was in her solo cup before trying to edge away from the group, but before she could grab me and steal me away, Eli's arm wrapped around my waist in a side hug, though I could tell from his grip that he wanted me to fold into him but I kept him at arm's length, which I was sure confused him but I needed to take care of the girl in front of me, first, no matter how intrinsically his touch infused my veins with fire similar to the one roaring before us.

I held far too much anger to allow him to melt my ice just yet.

"Oh, okay. What did he want?"

Maddie tried to play it cool, but from the angry butterflies swimming around in my stomach, I knew that she wasn't going to get away that easily.

"He actually was talking about promoting me to manager, you know, since you've been dumping your shifts on me pretending they were mine from the start, and only coming in when it was best for you."

Her jaw ticked as she flicked her eyes between Eli's and mine, like she was trying to figure out how to get out of this with the least amount of damage.

"You're brand new. There's no way he'd do that to me. I've been there two years, and-"

"And are the laziest worker there, and who lies about their hours? Yeah, I'd fire your ass too."

"Bitch."

It was muttered under her breath, but I caught it just as Eli had, whose grip tightened on me, but before he could butt in, I spoke first.

"Excuse me?"

"Whatever, you weren't even invited. Did Eli text you and tell you he was coming? Didn't think so. No one wants you here. He wants to be with Mia, or-"

"Or who? You? Don't you have a boyfriend?"

"I-we-"

She stuttered and stammered over her words until it was obvious that something else was going on, something I had no idea that I'd walked into.

I had walked right over just as her hand had been on Eli's arm, but unlike the other girl, he hadn't shrugged her touch off, at least not yet.

Would he have, if I hadn't been the one to walk up? What the hell was going on?

Was I just a fucking fool, thinking that even after the intense connection the two of us shared, that this was something more when it just...wasn't?

She stole a guilty glance with Eli, and when I looked up to see the stony expression etched on his face, my blood froze in my veins.

I pulled myself out of Eli's embrace, terrified that what was running through my head was actually true, but it couldn't be, could it?

Could Maddie have dumped Patrick for Eli, and Eli actually...went with it?

"V, what are you-?"

"It's okay Eli, I can tell her for you."

Maddie's voice was sickly sweet, sticking to the roof of my mouth as I breathed in her faux innocence and concern.

"Tell me what, exactly?"

Where did I come off having such indignation? It wasn't like we were a couple, and we barely had enough time for each other to begin with, but I knew for a fact that I hadn't misunderstood our connection. It was real.

The night we'd spent together, where not a single nightmare had invaded my senses, was not a lie.

"Well, last night when Eli was practicing drills late, after you'd already left-"

"Maddie. That's enough." Eli's voice could've cut steel, and while I was grateful I wasn't on the receiving end of his infamous glare, I was not looking forward to just what Maddie was going to say.

"I'm sorry, I thought you wanted me to tell her?"

Eli ground his teeth together, but he did nothing to stop Maddie, which in my book made him just as culpable.

"Well, your dad-oops, I should say Mike Bruins, called him earlier. He was just making sure that Eli kept up his end of the deal, you know, since you won't have your car for a while."

There was an evil twinkle in her eyes, like she got off on this. The crowd around us tightened as more people strained to hear what was being said.

There was a ripple in the crowd as they all heard for what I was pretty sure the first time just who my father was, and I had to take a few deep breaths to stop from launching myself at her.

"You knew about that last night, and you didn't think to tell me?"

"V, listen-"

"No, you know what? I'm good. If I wanted excuses and half-truths, I'd go to my father."

Turning sharply on my heel, Eli reached out and grabbed ahold of my arm to keep me from leaving, but one more second in front of these two-faced people and I would burn them brighter than the flames in the pit before us.

"V, please. It's not what it sounds like-" he stopped himself before continuing, knowing just how cliche that line was.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure its exactly what it sounds like."

And with that, I yanked my arm from his grip not-so-gently, and stalked away from him and the crowd of onlookers with the realization that no one in Miami was in my corner--not Eli, not my family, definitely not my father.

I had Hazel, Bea and Leo but would they still be there once I told them that I was leaving UCM to attend the New York Conservatory? Or when I told them that I was vying for the showcase money, just like each of them were?

I had thought I was financially stable enough to not have to perform, and that way I could focus on perfecting my performance in the musical, but I was terrified that once I let it slip that I was entering that they would be angry with me because that was just one more person as competition for them.

The grass crunched under my feet as I dialed the one person still in my corner, and finally gathered up the guts to ask her what I'd been desperate to know the moment I'd had my first nightmare.

"Did he do it? My dad...was he the drunk driver that night?"