This story is for darkhk and I hope you like it! It's a companion one shot to my story 'Look at Me' invovling the main OC's brother, Braden. You really don't have to read 'Look at Me' to read this one-shot. Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Twilight.

Crazy Girl

Willa Longwood sighed heavily before she took a pull from the cigarette in her hand and blew the smoke out into the air. It was a nasty habit she had recently acquired, but it took the edge off of her nerves and in the long run it was probably better that she smoked rather than continue to stick a needle in her arm and fill her blood stream with the poison that had slowly been killing her since she was fifteen. At twenty Willa had done many things she wasn't proud of, many things, but she'd been clean for eight months, two weeks, and five days. She had no intentions of returning to the life she'd led after running away from home at fourteen.

However, she also had no intentions of ever going back to the place that was supposed to be a sanctuary for her, the place that was supposed to be home. It wasn't home and hadn't been since her father passed away when she was ten and her mother took solace in a bottle, which led to her severely bad choice in men and then Willa's decision that living on the streets of L.A. was a better alternative than living in the hell that had become her home. It wasn't until her best friend died of an overdose ten months earlier that she realized she was going down the wrong path. So, taking the last bit of the money she had she hopped on a bus instead of buying heroin like she usually did.

On the bus she started going through the painful withdrawals, but she managed as best she could until she reached Forks where she was promptly admitted to the hospital after collapsing in front of the police station of all places. She managed to tell the nurses that she was going to see her aunt in La Push, and after giving them her name they were able to track her down. With her aunt's help she went to rehab and now, after six months in treatment, she was living with her aunt and soon she would be working alongside her aunt in the diner she owned down by the piers.

Sighing once again, Willa sank down onto the damp sand of the beach before she crossed her legs in front of her and looked out at the dark gray ocean and cloud covered sky in front of her. She took another pull from her cigarette and closed her eyes as the wind whipped across her face and knotted her shoulder blade length black hair. She blew out the smoke as she opened her eyes once again and found herself smiling.

La Push was a far cry from the hustle and bustle of L.A. However, she liked it and sleeping on an actual bed with clean sheets, having decent food in her stomach, and being clean was as close to heaven as Willa knew she probably was ever going to get. Her aunt, Marge, took her in without question and in the few months she'd been around, Marge had become more of a mother to her than Willa's own had ever been. Even before her father died, Willa's mother wasn't exactly mother of the year. Her father had been the one to take care of her, and with him gone Willa wasn't even a blimp on her mother's radar most of the time. However, the men in her mother's life took notice.

She closed her eyes tightly as the memories flooded her mind, the memories that she used heroin, alcohol, and just about whatever she could to forget. The desire to forget was still there, but she would not let herself use ever again. She opened her eyes again and flicked her cigarette into the water in front of her before she ran her hand through her hair. Well, if anything she had a topic of conversation for her therapist the next day. The first time she left her aunt's house on her own in two months and she already wanted to use. She balled her fists in her lap, tilted her head back, and let out a scream; knowing that that would make her feel at least a little better.

Braden sighed as he ran his hand down his face before he cracked his neck on both sides and walked along the beach. It had been a long two weeks and all he wanted to do was go home, crawl into bed, and sleep for the next two days. However, that wasn't a possibility, at least not right now. DJ gave him the next couple of hours to recharge and after stopping at the Uley's house for something to eat, Braden went for a walk and ended up at the beach. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, and thankfully he was able to keep the thought to himself, but he was worried.

Somehow the leech continued to out maneuver them and she taunted all of them to the point that Braden's father was ready to just tare off on his own. She was threatening his daughter, and Paul's temper, the temper he long kept in check, was getting the better of him. However, the leech had gone north, but the pack was still on high alert in case she made another appearance. Right now, Olivia was safe in school since Andrew was in all of her classes and two other pack brothers were in the school. Also, Paul and Jared were camped outside the school in the woods just to be safe.

Braden was nervous because he was worried that the leech might manage to sneak by them and somehow get to Olivia. He knew it was highly unlikely because Olivia never left the house unless one of them was at her side, but there was still a small chance and that small chance brought out the overprotective big brother in the young man. DJ, Brandon, and Braden had made the change long before the other five members of the pack; however, they were novices when it came to actually going after a vampire that came on to their land. That was why the small pack's fathers had came out of retirement to help and to show the boys exactly what they needed to do to get rid of the problem.

Braden was pulled from his thoughts when a blood curdling scream echoed through the air. It came from a little further down the beach and Braden took off in a run to see what the hell was going on. He couldn't smell the leech, there was a scent in the air but it was human. He rounded a bluff and slowed to a walk when he saw a girl sitting on the sand near the water's edge, her hands in fists on her crossed legs and her black hair with bright red streaks whipping in the wind as she bowed her head and breathed so heavily that her shoulders rose and fell quickly. Slowly he approached her and nervously licked his lips.

"Miss?" he asked and he saw her body stiffen as he stopped about two feet from where she sat. She was dressed in dark jeans and underneath the dark blue cotton jacket she wore a vividly yellow shirt that was tight to her body, accenting an ample sized chest and flat stomach. "Are you okay?" he asked and she lifted her head to look up at him.

His hazel eyes locked with the dark eyes of a young woman he had never seen before in his life; and for a moment time seemed to stop. She blinked in surprise and gasped quietly, a sound that would have gone unheard by a normal person, but Braden heard it as though those ruby red painted lips of hers had done it right next to his ear.

She was beautiful, but that wasn't even the right word to describe her, and perfect was too boring of a word to do her justice. Her eyes were brown with gold and green flecks around her pupil that he could easily see and lined by thick lashes that were heavily laden with mascara. Her left eyebrow was pierced as was the left side of her nose with a small clear crystal stud, and though he usually found body piercings to be a turn off, he liked the little additions on her because they seemed to suit her. Her skin tone was much like his, a lighter version of the russet skin tone that ran rampant on the reservation and he knew that she was not fully native.

He couldn't believe what had just happened to him. He had never wanted that moment to come, even telling Olivia that he was glad that he hadn't imprinted. He hadn't wanted to be 'whipped' like his brother, Andrew, and father was. However, it had just happened and everything seemed to fall into place as he looked into her captivating eyes. He had felt everything in his world shift and suddenly the woman in front of him was all that truly mattered. As long as she was happy, healthy, and safe he would be happy. He hadn't understood why Brandon, Andrew, and DJ had been so happy upon finding their imprint, but then and there he understood. It was like he was finally complete and all was well in the world so long as she was there.

"Are you okay?" he asked her again, since she had yet to answer him.

"Yeah," she said, her voice was a little deeper and slightly raspier than most young woman he had met before but it made goose bumps rise on his skin and he liked it. "I just had to let out a little frustration." She stood and wiped the sand from the back of her jeans and looked at Braden. She looked almost relieved and he found himself wondering why as she continued to look at him and he her.

"Well, you got a pair of lungs on you," he said with an easy grin and she laughed lightly, the sound making those goose bumps make another appearance.

"Thanks," she said lightly. "Aren't you cold?" she asked him and he frowned before he tilted his head to the side, and she smiled at him. "You're only wearing shorts and it's not exactly warm around here."

"Oh, um, no," he said as he felt his own cheeks heat. "I'm fine actually. I don't get cold easily." She nodded her head and ran her hands through her hair. "I'm Braden Lahote," he said as he held out his right hand after he wiped it on the black basketball shorts he was wearing.

"Lahote?" she asked with curious eyes. "Any relation to Harper Lahote?" she asked and Braden smiled as he kept his hand poised for her to shake. He wanted to touch her, he needed to touch her.

"That's my mom," he said and she smiled at him, revealing dimples in both her cheeks. "How do you know her?" he asked curiously.

"I see Dr. Harrison in Forks, and sometimes the appointments before me go a little long; so, we talk," she admitted with a small shrug. He knew then that she saw the psychologist his mom worked for, and he wondered why. It wasn't something he could out right ask her, but he would find out when he learned more about her. She took a step closer to him and raised her hand to his before she placed her much smaller hand into his. It was then that he saw her nails were painted black and the feel of her skin against his was better than he thought it was going to be.

"Willa Longwood," she said as she shook his hand. "I'm Marge Longwood's niece," she continued as her beautiful eyes danced back and forth between his as she looked up and into his eyes. Braden knew that Marge had a brother and that he had lived in California with his family before he died ten years ago; so, he nodded his head and smiled at her. She slipped her hand from his and he reluctantly let her go even though he hadn't wanted to.

"Are you staying with Marge?" he asked her and she nodded. "For how long?"

"As long as she'll let me," she said and Braden's smile grew. Willa couldn't help but blush yet again as the extremely tall, extremely well put together, and extremely handsome young man smiled at her like she had just told him he'd won some sort of prize. She knew of him thanks to her recent talks with his mother, Harper.

Harper had told her she had five kids with the youngest being a freshman in high school, but Willa had had a hard time believing it since the woman didn't look old enough to have a kid over ten years old let alone five. However, if Harper's husband looked anything like her son Willa could see why she had so many kids. Willa would find it hard to keep her hands to herself too.

"Good," Braden said as he nodded his head. "We can use some new blood around here, especially of the very pretty variety like you." Willa blushed and shook her head. She didn't believe him, but that didn't stop an unfamiliar warmth from spreading through her at him calling her pretty. Her cell phone vibrated in her jean pocket and she realized it was the alarm she had set to remind herself to go home. Marge had given her the use of her car so long as she was back home in two hours. She took her right hand out of her pocket and took her phone out of her jeans before she turned off the alarm and stuck her phone back in her pocket.

"I need to get back home," Willa said as she gestured towards the path that led to the road where she had parked her aunt's car. Braden's eyes flickered towards the road and saw the car, and he mentally cursed because he wished she would have walked. That way he could have walked her home and spent a little more time with her.

"I'll walk you to your car," he said and Willa smiled and nodded her head before she turned and he fell in line beside her. She was wearing high heeled boots with thick solid heels that gave her at least three inches of height but the top of her head was just short of his shoulders even with the extra height. They reached the car all too soon for really either of their likings, and they both stopped next to the driver's side door.

"Thanks Braden," Willa said as she looked up at him and he smiled. She turned away and opened the car door to climb in, but Braden stopped her.

"Willa?" he asked quickly and she lifted her head to look up at him once more. "Do you want to hang out sometime?" Braden asked, nervous as to what her answer would be, and Willa smiled. "Since you're new and everything, I thought I could show you around; maybe introduce you to my friends."

"I'd like that, Braden," she said. "I'd like that a lot."

"Awesome," Braden said, a bright smile coming to his lips after she said his name for the first time. "How about we meet at the diner tomorrow for lunch?"

"My aunt's diner?" she asked and he nodded.

"I'll have my truck and I can show you around once we've had something to eat," he said.

"Um, all right," she said. "How about we meet there at one?"

"It's a date," he said and Willa's heart jumped at the word 'date,' but she found that she didn't want to even protest the thought of it being a date. "I'll see you tomorrow, Willa," he said as he took a step back and she smiled yet again.

"Tomorrow," she said with a nod before Braden took another step back. "Hey, do you want a ride?" she asked, surprising herself, and Braden shook his head.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm not going far," he said. "Drive safe."

"I will," she said softly before she watched him turn around and continue down the road in a light jog. Willa climbed into her aunt's car and closed the door before she buckled her seatbelt and started the car. She was still smiling and for the first time in what seemed like a very, very, long time she was actually looking forward to tomorrow.

"Dude, what's up with the stupid grin?" Brandon asked as Braden walked into the house that night after his final shift of patrol. His twin was sitting on the sofa and their dad was in his chair as they watched the evening news.

"I imprinted," Braden said with a grin.

"You what?" came Olivia's voice and Braden turned to look at his younger sister as she stood at the base of the stairs.

"I imprinted, Liv, and you were right," he said as he walked over to her and picked her up by the waist, making her squeak in surprise as he spun her around before putting her back down on the floor. She smiled up at him and Braden looked up from her to see Brandon and Paul looking at him expectantly.

"Well, who is she?" Brandon asked, a grin on his face that probably mirrored Braden's.

"Her name's Willa Longwood," Braden said. "She's Marge's niece."

"I didn't know Marge had a niece," Olivia said and Braden looked at her.

"She does and she's absolutely beautiful," he said and Olivia laughed at his dazed expression. "I've got a date with her tomorrow afternoon, and thankfully DJ gave me the time off."

"What's going on out here?" came Harper's voice as she walked out of the kitchen and into the foyer as she dried her hands on a dish towel.

"Braden imprinted," Olivia said and Harper turned her eyes from her daughter to son, a smile lighting up her face.

"You did?" Harper asked and Braden nodded. "On who?"

"You know her actually," Braden said as he walked over to his mother. "Willa Longwood." Harper's eyebrows rose and her hands stilled in the towel.

"Willa Longwood?" she asked and Braden nodded. "Braden, could I talk to you in the kitchen for a minute?" Braden's smile slipped at his mother's serious face and he nodded before he walked further into the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready soon, I'll call you in when it's ready." Paul nodded his head and urged his other children into the living room. Harper followed Braden into the kitchen and looked up at her son.

"What's wrong, Mom?" Braden asked and Harper shook her head as she put the towel down on the kitchen island.

"Nothing's wrong," Harper assured him and Braden relaxed, however, he still didn't know what his mother wanted to tell him. "I just want you to tread lightly with Willa," Harper said. "She's led a very difficult life, and she's still fighting demons that you can't even begin to understand."

"What do you mean, Mom?" he asked, a frown marring his face.

"I can't tell you, Braden, because it's her story to tell; and when she's ready she'll tell you. Just, go slow and take it one step at a time; and when she does tell you, she's going to need you to be strong for her."

"I will," Braden said without even thinking about it and Harper smiled as she raised her right hand to his face and patted his cheek.

"Good," she said softly as she lowered her hand. "Now help me get the table ready." Braden laughed lightly and nodded his head before he did just that.

"I'll be back in an hour. I've got a few errands to run, but I won't be late," Marge said with a small smile as she dropped Willa off at Dr. Harrison's office that Wednesday morning.

"Okay," Willa said as she picked up her bag from the floor of the car in between her feet. "Um, Aunt Marge?"

"Yes, sweetie?" Marge asked as she looked at her niece, who looked like a completely different girl than the one who had been laid up in the hospital almost nine months earlier.

"Could I go with you to the diner today and then would be all right if I went out for a while?" she asked and Marge looked at her curiously. "I, um, I sort of have a . . . a date."

"A date?" Marge asked, her eyebrows rising and making Willa laugh.

"I know, I was surprised when he asked too," Willa said and Marge smiled.

"Who's your date with and when did you meet him?" Marge asked.

"Braden Lahote and I met him on the beach yesterday," Willa said.

"Why didn't you say anything to me yesterday?"

"Honestly, I really didn't know how to tell you. I wasn't sure if you'd be okay with me going out with him."

"I know Braden, Willa. Braden, his brothers, and his friends are always at the diner. They're a bit of a rowdy bunch, but they're all good boys. His younger sister's a sweetheart too, you'd like her. They're exactly the kind of people that you should be around," Marge said as she reached out with her right hand and took hold of her niece's left and gave it a gentle squeeze. "As long as you're with Braden and back home by nine, you have a nice time today."

"Thanks Aunt Marge," Willa said before she leaned in and kissed her aunt's wrinkled cheek. Marge laughed lightly and let go of Willa's hand before the young woman climbed out of the car and headed towards the single story gray building.

Willa walked inside as she adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and smiled at Harper as the older woman sat behind the receptionist desk. Harper looked up from the computer screen in front of her and gave her a warm and welcoming smile. From the moment Willa met her, Willa thought Harper was a very pretty woman. Even with the scar she had on her left cheek, her kindness made the marring feature invisible to those that got to know her.

"Morning Willa," Harper said gently.

"Good morning, Harper," Willa said back.

"Dr. Harrison should be ready for you in a little while," Harper said. "How are you doing today?"

"Surprisingly good," Willa answered truthfully and Harper continued to smile.

"That's good to hear," she said. "My son told me he met you yesterday," Harper said as Willa sat down in one of the chairs in the small waiting room, "and that you two have date this afternoon." Willa blushed and nodded her head as she tucked her long hair behind her ears.

"Yes, ma'am," Willa said and Harper smiled.

"He's already smitten, but don't tell him I told you that," she said her face going serious before she smiled again, and Willa's blush only deepened.

"Are you okay with me seeing him, Harper? I mean, you know about . . . about what I've done and what I'm going through," Willa said.

"We all have a past, Willa," Harper said evenly. "Some people's pasts are darker than others, but you're working to better yourself; and I know that Braden is a good man. He won't judge you, and you can trust him."

"Are you sure?" Willa asked.

"Of course I am," Harper said. "I raised him after all." Willa laughed before she shook her head.

"No, I meant, are you sure you don't mind?" she asked.

"I'm sure, Willa," Harper said in such a sincere way that Willa knew she wasn't lying or just saying it to make her feel like it was okay. She meant it, and Willa couldn't explain the wave of relief that hit her.

"Ah, Willa, right on time," Dr. Harrison said and Willa smiled at the older blonde woman. "Ready?" she asked and Willa nodded as she grabbed her bag and followed the doctor into her office. However, Willa paused at the door and looked at Harper.

"Harper?" she asked and the auburn hair woman turned her eyes to her. "Thanks." Harper just smiled at her before she winked and Willa quickly went into Dr. Harrison's office for her appointment.

"I know there's not much to do around here, but it really is a great place to live," Braden said as they walked along the paths towards the cliffs.

"Trust me, the slower pace the better for me," Willa said with a smile as she walked along side Braden and he looked down at her and smiled. She was wearing tennis shoes, so she was a few inches shorter than she had been the day before and she came up to the middle of his bicep.

"Really? I thought you would miss the fast pace of L.A.," he said.

"Hardly," Willa said. "I'm glad to be out of there, and I have no desire to go back."

"That's good to know," he said and she looked up at him, "because I think I would miss you if you did." She blushed and looked away from him, smiling as she did so.

"I think I'd miss you too," she said in a gentle whisper before she quickened her pace and broke through the tree line. Braden smiled as he watched her rush forward through the trees before she slowly walked towards the edge of the cliffs.

Lunch had been perfect, and the conversation was comfortable and easy between the pair. He now knew her favorite kind of music (classic rock and heavy metal which surprised him), her favorite color (red), and despite her small size she loved food almost as much as he did. She gave him a run for his money in the amount of food the two of them had consumed at lunch. Of course he still bettered her, but it pleased him to see her so at ease with him especially with his mom's words still forefront in his mind.

"This place is so beautiful," Willa said as Braden came to stand at her side.

"Yeah, it is," he said as he looked down at her, but her eyes were out towards the water. "You know, we cliff dive from here," he said and she looked up at him.

"Really?" she asked and he saw her beautiful eyes light up.

"Yeah," he said before he looked down at the water. "If the surf wasn't so rough, I'd suggest we jump."

"It doesn't look too bad," Willa said as she too looked down and Braden looked at her just as she was peeling off the same dark blue jacket she had worn yesterday, leaving on the fitted black t-shirt she had on underneath.

"What are you doing?" he asked as she tossed her jacket aside and slipped off her tennis shoes before pulling off her socks.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked as she looked up at him and then took her cellphone out of the pocket of her jeans.

"Willa, the surf's too rough," he said. "You'll get slammed against the cliff face before you even break the surface."

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Willa asked before she moved closer to the edge.

"Willa," Braden said, but before he could even reach for her she jumped and let out a scream as she fell. "Willa!" he shouted as he looked forward and saw her hit the water down below. He watched, breathless, for a minute and when she didn't come up he stepped out of his shoes, tossed his keys and his phone on the ground and tore off his shirt before he dove in after her.

He opened his eyes and ignored the sting of the salt water and looked through the dark water for her. He found her floating and unmoving under water and quickly swam over to her. He grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her to the surface. He took a deep breath as he broke through the water, but Willa's head just lulled back.

"No," he breathed before he swam has fast as he could to the shore, towing her along with him. He made to the sand and laid her back on the sand, where he pushed her wet hair from her face. "Willa?" he said as he shook her shoulders. "Willa?" he demanded a little more forcefully as he shook her harder, jerking her body, and suddenly she coughed, forcing water from her lungs.

Braden let out a sigh of relief as he lifted her up into a sitting position, and held her close to his chest as she coughed. Once she had caught her breath, he moved her slightly so he could see her better and she looked a little pale.

"Are you okay?" he asked and she nodded after she swallowed hard. "Are you crazy?" he asked, his voice loud and laced with the fear that had gripped him when she didn't resurface. He had only just found her; he didn't want to lose her.

"I've been called that a few times," she said hoarsely as she looked up at him and blinked slowly a few times. Braden sighed and shook his head, and what he did next not only surprised Willa, but it surprised him. Braden took her face in his hands and leaned forward, pressing his warm lips to her chilled ones.

He kissed her hard and he kissed her deeply, and Willa did not protest. Her hands moved to rest on his shoulders as their lips battled, and Braden shivered at her touch. Willa had never been kissed like that before in her entire life, and she had kissed plenty of guys before. Braden was different than those men, Braden was different than any man, and she wasn't so sure she deserved him.

She had been excited for their date, and with her aunt and Harper encouraging her she allowed herself to enjoy the afternoon. However, as he kissed her and held her so tenderly and close to him, like she was the most precious thing in the world, she felt like she was soiling him. Like she was tainting him because he was, as far as she could tell, perfect and she was far, far, from that.

"Wait," she rasped after she pulled her lips roughly away from his, but his hands remained on her face as he looked down at her with darkened hazel eyes. "Braden, I don't know if I can do this."

"Why not?" he asked, his own voice deeper than usual, as he looked down at her.

"I . . . there are things that you don't know about me," she said. "If you knew, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want anything to do with me. You probably wouldn't even want to touch me."

"Willa, I just pulled you out of the ocean after your crazy ass jumped when I told you not to," he said. "I don't think there's anything you can say to me to get me to let you go." Tears lined her eyes as she turned her hands on his shoulders and rested the back of her hands against his shoulders and exposed the underside of her forearms to him. He looked down and saw what looked like old marks and scars on both of her arms.

"Up until eight months ago, I used to shoot heroin," she said and his eyes raised from her arms to her tear filled eyes. Her lower lip trembled, from her tears or cold Braden didn't know, but he didn't like it. "I did terrible, terrible, things to support my habit, Braden," she said, "and I didn't think it was that big of a deal because they would have taken me by force anyway; so, I figured why not make money off of it."

"What made you stop?" he asked after he swallowed hard; his voice soft as he held her gaze. Willa had expected him to push her away in disgust, or anger to fill his eyes; but none of that happened. He had lowered his hands from her fact to her waist and pulled her even closer to him, and looked down at her with sadness and concern in his eyes.

"Ten months ago, the girl I considered my best friend died of an overdose," she said, her tears finally falling from her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. "For a month and a half I continued to use to try and push away the new pain I felt at losing her; but then I realized that if I didn't stop I was going to end up like her. So, I hopped on a bus and came here. I knew my aunt would help me, and that I could get clean if I was far away from my life on the streets I was living.

"Yesterday was the first time I'd left the house on my own since I got here and left rehab. I screamed to let out some frustration and to try and push away the desire to use. I'm damaged goods, Braden, and you . . . you really don't want to get involved with me. I screw everything up."

"Willa, you don't screw everything up," he said and she blinked at him before she sniffed. "I like you, and yeah, you've got a past; but I don't care. I don't care what you did or who you were before you came here. You've changed. You're making your life better, and I want to be a part of it."

"Why? You barely know me, and I really am crazy. I see a psychologist and everything," she said, her voice quivering.

"Yeah, well, what I know I like," he said as he brought his right hand to the side of her face and wiped at her fallen tears. He smiled softly at her and shook his head, tears lining his own eyes at the distress in her voice. "And if you insist that you're crazy, you can be my crazy girl," he whispered.

"You sure about that?" she asked as he pressed his forehead against hers. "After all, we just met yesterday."

"I've never been surer about anything like I am about us, Willa," he said softly, "and I don't know about you, but I feel like I've known you my whole life." Her tears finally quieted and he saw her smile softly before he heard her take a deep breath through her stuffy nose. She tilted her head and pressed her lips softly to his for a second.

"I feel that way too," she said and he smiled fully.

"Good," he said. "Now, what do you say we go get our stuff and then head someplace warm before you freeze to death?" he asked.

"Sounds good to me," she said and reluctantly, he pulled away from her before he helped her stand. She looked up at him and laughed. "You know, I just realized how much taller and bigger you are than me."

"Which means I can easily do this," he said before he scoped her up bridal style and started carrying her up the sand towards the well-worn path that would take them back up to the cliffs. Willa squeaked in surprise before she locked her hands behind his neck and looked at his face. He had a smug smile on her face, and Willa rolled her eyes before smiled as she looked at him and let him carry her without arguing.

She had told him the worst of her past and he hadn't even batted an eyelash; and it was then that she realized since she met Braden she had not had the desire to use for the first time since she started treatment. In fact, she didn't even have the desire to smoke, which she hadn't since that last cigarette she had smoked on the beach before Braden came jogging into her life. She didn't know if Braden had anything to do with it, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he did, and as long as he was in her life she knew that she would never use again.

Getting on that bus and choosing life over a needle was definitely the best decision she had ever made in her entire life; just beating out her decision to run away from home. If she hadn't, she would have never had met Braden and she would probably be dead by now. So, instead of dead she was his 'crazy girl' and it was a title she would wear proudly and knowing her, she would probably live up to.