It was 3:00 am and everyone was sleeping in the other rooms, while Mitch and I laid intertwined on my bed, basking in the happiness that we both felt. Mitch had asked a few questions but quickly realized that I was exhausted, so as he laid beside me playing with my hair as he gazed down on me. I must have dozed off at some point because when I woke, Mitch was gone and my bed felt much colder than when I had fallen asleep. It took everything I had in me to clamber out of that bed, and the aching deep in my bones made me want to curl up in a ball and never come out of it.

The wood planks that line the hallway floor felt like ice against my thin socks. The light streaming in blinded me, as I turned into the kitchen to find the last sight I ever expected to see.

"Hey kid how are you feeling?" Nick asked as he ruffled my hair, coming around the island from where he had been standing, laughing away with Summer and CJ.

"Where's Mitch?" I questioned, the light started up a searing headache.

"He had to work so Steph drove him over. Want a coffee babe?" Summer asked as she snaked her arms around my waist in a tight hug, "How are you?".

I smiled down, unsure of what to say as it was clear that Mitch had not told them about our encounter early this morning. The strangest part of this, was that I was relieved to find that out.I nodded and she slipped away, her warmth leaving with her.

"Can I talk to you Matt? It'll just take a second," Nick asked, a sneaky smile on his face.

My hands started to shake as he grabbed my wrist, pulling me down the hall after him. He shoved me into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

"What the fuck dude? You told them?" his eyes flamed in fury, the fear rattling deep within me.

"I-I-I-... I didn't tell them it was you, I said that I was the one who attacked you," I whispered, flinching.

"You can never run. You would seriously run off again? Haven't you learned that I will always find you? Look at me bitch," he spat out, "I thought that you had actually grown a pair but now I can see that you're still that pathetic little brat who begs for me to discipline him."

I don't know what I thought would happen, but I certainly didn't expect that. I stood up shakily, reaching for the doorknob as I fought back tears when Nick grasped my shoulder aggressively and slammed my back up against the door, ramming his lips onto mine. I gasped as the pain from the impact shot through me, and he took the opportunity to shove his tongue deep down my throat.

Pushing him to the floor, I flipped the lock and bolted into the living room, the tears starting to slip out. I smashed into Ronnie, my mind racing.

"Matt what-"

I jumped off of the ground and took off full speed. I flung my leg over my bike with a ripping pain as I started up and took off. I needed to get out of here fast.

39 missed calls, 101 new text messages, and 16 new voicemails

I sighed as I pulled my hood a little tighter, the icy wind biting at my ears and nose. The bruises were a faint yellow now, the pain of every movement was almost gone. It's been five days - five days since I had kissed Mitch, five days since I had my last encounter with Nick, five days since I ran away for the billionth time of my life.

I was walking down the main strip of a nearby town in search of a warm meal for cheap, when they spotted me.

Four men; one big burly black fellow, an insanely tall man with a greasy long ponytail, a short and stout brown man with a neck the size of his head, and a fancy man about my height with slicked back hair and a blinged-out jean jacket. The fancy man and I made eye contact and he slid his sunglasses down his nose with a smirk. A nod of his head and the men all jumped to action, circling around me quickly.

"What's a pretty little faggot like yourself doing wandering around all by yourself? Ain't nobody told you that's a dangerous game to be playin' " he snickered as the first man grabbed my arms tightly.

His hand stunk like garbage as he covered my mouth and dragged me into the alley behind us. The tears had started to stream down my face as my whole body shook with fear.

Yanking down my track pants, the fancy man flipped me with my stomach against the wall as I felt a cool blade press against my throat.

It felt like hours before they left, each taking turns ramming into me. My whole body had become numb at some point through the second time around, my mind completely blank. When I finally heard the last guy zip up his pants, my body went limp.

They just left me there, face pressed up into the damp gravel as my blood pooled around, a nasty mix of vomit, blood, tears, and whatever else had been in the nasty alley.

As the darkness started to sink over me, there was just one final thought that stuck with me,

This is the end.