Falling For the Bad Boy

Chapter 34: It hurts so much

Stella's POV

No, of course I didn't completely trust Chimera even if she had apologised yesterday.

She came back a few days ago after not seeing me for years, and then spent days and days pretty much obsessing over Brandon and completely ignoring me and Nicola- also her friends. Not to mention, she had been quite bitchy too.

So I wasn't completely oblivious and I decided to stay wary of her. Be civil, but do not trust.

"Thank god it's the last day today, and we're going home tomorrow. I can finally get away from that attention-seeking bitch." Carter muttered from beside me, making me chuckle. "And since it's the last day, the teachers are letting us have a relaxing day."

I nodded in agreement, staring out at the beach. That was true; it was currently around 11 in the morning and we're having a relaxing day at the beach. It felt nice, dressing in a comfortable bikini whilst sitting on the soft, warm sand. "Yeah."

The others were actually doing beach activities and crap, and here I was sitting on the sand next to Carter because I didn't feel like doing sports at the moment.

I was actually watching the game the guys were playing, and you know... it's a very lovely sight for me to see Brandon shirtless. Oh, and half wet from the ocean..

"Where are the other girls anyway? I haven't seen them.." Carter mumbled, curiously. Considering we literally just came out onto the beach a few minutes ago, some of the others weren't here yet. The guys went straight into the game of football but on the sand, and I think the girls were still changing.

"Which girl are you looking for, Carter?" I teased, sticking my tongue out at him playfully. He scowled at me and rolled his eyes, not amused.

"Definitely not Chimera." He replied nonchalantly, as I let out a chuckle and stared back out at the ocean. As we let silence fall between us and just listen to the happy cheers of people enjoying their day at the beach, I suddenly remembered something.

Carter admitted that he likes me, well a few months ago at least. But tonight at seven o'clock, I'll be with Brandon discussing our past and most likely making us official...

But then I started to think about Carter. No, I can't do this to him... but then I started to doubt if he even likes me anymore. With the way he's been acting these past few weeks; being so distracted and all and no longer showing the usual interest he does in me.. maybe his feelings have changed?

"Carter-" I started to say, but was interrupted by the sound of someone calling us out.

"Hey guys!" Bloom and the girls finally appeared from behind us, all standing in their fabulous bikini swimsuits with a smile on their faces. I grinned back, brushing the sand off of my legs as I stood up.

Nika stood right next to Bloom, wearing a cute black bikini and giving me a small smile, but then that faltered in nervousness when Carter appeared right beside me. Strange...

"Well aren't you ladies looking smoking hot, today..." Carter spoke smoothly, flashing his famous fuckboy smirk. I slapped him on the arm lightly, letting out a chuckle.

But I didn't miss the look he gave Nika when he said that. There was certainly something going on between them, and I'm really curious to find out.

"Oh shut up, Carter." Musa retorted, glowering at him although seriously, but also teasingly. That's my Musa; she isn't so fond of players so much. And although Carter still acts like a player, he doesn't do what players do anymore. "Control your whore-mones." She coughed.

I knew that now... him and Brandon have changed and I'm proud for them about that.

"Looks like I'm not welcome here." Carter muttered out playfully, rolling his eyes and then flickering his silvery-grey eyes towards the other guys who were playing football. "Anyways, I've got some football to catch up on. Nice seeing you, girls!"

He then sprinted away, leaving me with my friends. All of us started to part ways to do some other activities, whilst Bloom my best friend of them all linked her arm through mine and started to walk, "So, what are we going to do today?"

"Hmm..." I mumbled, thinking about it for a moment and then shrugging, "I don't know, just play games and relax on the beach, I guess? I am pretty hungry though, so can we go to that bar?"

Bloom nodded in reply, as we walked down to the bar which was still on the beach but near the palm trees. The bar was open and colourful; the sight of exotic drinks and fruits making me lick my lips in hunger.

"How's your relationship with my brother then?" I questioned, as we both sat down on the stools and skimmed through my menu.

Looking up from the menu, she flashed me a happy smile and blushed, "Great, actually! Sky is so sweet when it comes to me, and we always joke around as a couple. You know, we're kind of one of those immature couples but it's fun."

I resisted the urge to smile at how cute that was, and scoffed, "Sky? Sweet?! Sky and sweet don't go in the same sentence, ever." I joked, making her laugh.

Once we had ordered, the food came almost immediately and I hastily dug in. Considering it was still in the morning right now, I bought a fruit salad- the one Flora is obsessed with and usually buys, accompanied with a tall glass of watermelon juice.

I was just feeling particularly fruity today.

"So, what about you and Brandon? It's only fair to talk about you guys when we've gone through about me and Sky." Bloom said, giving me a hopeful and mischievous smirk.

I groaned, placing my fork down and shaking my head, "But... it's different! Unlike you guys, we're not actually together." I explained, matter-of-factly, but Bloom was still giving me a look, "...yet." she finished, causing me to narrow my eyes at her.

Sometimes having a best friend is annoying. But I still love her.

"I feel like we've switched personalities over the years. Aren't I usually the cheeky and flirty one instead of the more relaxing and joking one?" I retorted, shaking my head in amusement. Bloom pretended to think about it, before chuckling.

As we fell into another moment of silence, my mind ran back to the events that occurred yesterday.

"Brandon and I are going to talk about our past tonight..." I trailed off, nervously. Bloom perked up at that, and gave me a curious expression. I continued, "We're not official yet, but we've gone through our feelings. We've confessed; it's all done. The only obstacle we have to get through is what happened to the past... why it was so confusing and messed us up."

Bloom glanced back down to her food, furrowing her eyebrows in concentration, "Wow... I'm so happy to hear that you confessed. But talking about the past thing, yup, that's going to be a tough topic to talk about."

"Yeah." I murmured under my breath, feeling my body tense up. I didn't know what to expect from tonight; all I know is that it'll either end up with us being together or not... and that slightly worries me. "We had initially planned to talk about the past so that we can have no more secrets between us and have a good, healthy relationship, but..."

My best friend placed her hand on my shoulder, giving me a small, reassuring smile, "You'll both get through this. I know you will. I've always loved you two together; you're meant to be. If you don't trust him just yet, then don't. But please, hear him out if anything goes wrong.."

I looked back at her, smiling in gratefulness, "Yeah I will, thanks..."

"Where have you been all my life?" a masculine voice suddenly interrupted the nice moment between me and Bloom, and both of us looked up to see a cute guy smirking in a flirty way at me.

He stood by the seat next to me, his dark blonde- almost brown hair styled up in a quiff and his green eyes raking down my body almost in hunger. I eyed him in disgust, because his vibes practically screamed: Fuckboy!

"Away from you." I answered smoothly, giving him a fake sweet smile. His smirk immediately vanished; replaced by a scowl of disbelief and annoyance.

Aw, his ego got crushed by my rejection. How sad.

"Hey Scott, you don't want to mess with her. She's Brandon's girl." Luke warned, appearing behind us with Gabby by his side. The scowling Scott guy's face immediately paled at the mention of that, and he subtly walked away.

We all burst out into laughter at that. Everyone knew not to get on Brandon's bad side, especially when he's jealous.

"Hey, love birds. What are you doing?" I asked Luke and Gabby, once we had recovered from our laughing fit.

Gabby immediately blushed at that and Luke snickered in amusement, "Thought we'd order some drinks. I was with Carter just a minute ago playing football with the guys, but he just left. Gabby was with Nicola too, and Nicola left somewhere saying she needed some space. I'm really confused.."

I furrowed my brows in confusion, and looked back at the group to see Carter and Nika nowhere in sight. Alright, this is getting more and more suspicious every day. Their behaviours, it's making me confused and curious at the same time.

But then I realised, I should just leave it alone.

"I'll admit, I'm suspicious a bit but I think we should just leave them alone." I explained, shrugging. "Maybe they're just trying to be civil or friends again? Considering Nika is on good terms with Brandon now since they decided to forget the past, surely Carter and her are doing that too?"

Bloom nodded in agreement, and suddenly jumped off her seat.

"Hey Stell, Sky's waving at us right now. Brandon's by his side; I think they want us to join them. And hey, maybe we can join in on the sports games!" Bloom said, staring out into the distance.

I shook my head immediately and vigorously, "Uhh... no! I don't feel like- Bloom!"

My best friend was practically dragging me now, as we headed towards the boys. Musa, Aisha and their boyfriends were ready to play; standing next to that net thingy that divided us into two teams to play volleyball.

When I caught Brandon's gaze, he flashed a small smile at me which made my insides warm up. "Hey, Sunshine."

Once Bloom and I were completely stood in front of Musa, Aisha, Nabu, Riven, Sky and Brandon, I immediately dropped onto the ground to sit on the sand. Dammit! I really didn't want to do sports... I guess I'm way too lazy for that.

"Come on, Sunshine! Get your cute little ass off the sand and play with us." Brandon smirked, kneeling down in front of me. I eyed the ball he was holding, and let out a sigh as I got up.

Where was Chimera, anyways? I knew she'd also be one to not do sports like this, so I was now curious on where she is. I'm surprised she's not clinging onto Brandon right now... "Where's Chimmy?"

Brandon shrugged dismissively, twirling the ball on his finger, "Dunno, probably getting a tan from the sun somewhere. I don't care."

I rolled my eyes at that, and focused my attention towards Aisha who was asking what groups we should be in. Considering there's 8 of us, it'll be even.

"Boys vs girls?" Sky offered, wiggling his eyebrows at Bloom, "We're so going to defeat you girls! Just a reminder, Riven and I are super competitive and we won't hesitate to crush you guys to bits! WE WILL WIN!"

"Whoa." I breathed out in exaggeration, glowering at my brother. "Crush us to bits?! We're doing volleyball, not freaking wrestling!" Sky caught my gaze in amusement as I playfully grinned at him. I knew he was only joking, and I was too.

But I mean, the competitive part definitely wasn't a joke.

"Nope, it's always boys vs girls! So boring. Why not a mixture or something?" Aisha spoke up, snatching the ball from Brandon which made him throw a glare at her. She arched an eyebrow at our curious expressions and shrugged, "Couples vs couples?"

Well, that was reasonable I guess. Considering there's 8 of us, we'd have to split into fours with each four containing 2 couples. If Aisha and Nabu were to go together with Musa and Riven, then that left me and...

"Hell yeah!" Bloom exclaimed, flickering her eyes towards me and winking at me as she secretively gestured to Brandon. I tried to maintain the blush that threatened to break out onto my face when I realised she wanted to address me and Brandon as a couple already.

A couple.

Two people who have feelings for each other, express it in affectionate gestures such as hugs, kisses... and just trusting one another to be faithful and honest to make a relationship work. My mind drifted off to a thought of me and Brandon officially being a couple..

We kind of already acted like one. We've already confessed our feelings, kissed a few times and have shared all our secrets to each other, so what was holding us apart from being one? That's right... the past. Honesty wasn't on our case at the moment.

"Hello? Earth to Sunshine...?" someone murmured, flicking the end of my nose which made me instinctively stagger back and give away a shocked expression. "Too busy day-dreaming about me?"

"No!" I glowered at Brandon who had caught me getting lost in my thoughts, but my expression faltered when I saw the other pairs of gazes staring at me.

Everyone was already preparing to start the volleyball game, with Aisha and Musa with their boyfriends at the other side of the parting net whilst my brother, Bloom and Brandon stood around me.

Wow, did I really space out that long?

"LET'S GET STARTED!" Aisha yelled triumphantly, and before I knew it, the ball was flying in the air.

Hurtling towards our team.

Bloom clasped her hands together, eyeing Musa with a mischievous glint in her eyes before finally deciding on a question, one which tumbled out of her mouth teasingly,

"Food or sex?"

Suddenly, almost every one of us choked on air from Bloom's bluntness over asking such a... heck, I didn't even know what to describe it! An Awkward question, to say the least.

My big group of friends and I were huddle up playing a game of Would you rather 'Something' or 'Something' which is just some crappy game Bloom made up, but you basically had to spin the bottle and whoever it lands it to, the person who spun the bottle has to ask the person to choose between two things, which one they'd rather I guess. After the person answered the question, they have to ask another person who get the bottle landed towards them.

Simple, yet kind of fun.

"Sex." Musa answered casually, sneaking a flirtatious glance at Riven who in return, smirked cheekily back at her. I wrinkled my nose at the thought and internally shuddered.

Musa and Riven are probably the couple most comfortable talking about those kinds of stuff without even being embarrassed at all. That made me admire them as a couple, though.

Ignoring everyone's gawking and heavy stares, Musa reached forward and spun the bottle, making my eyes train on it carefully until it landed in Flora's direction. Oh god.

"Hey Noah, what time is it?" I asked, averting my gaze towards the blonde-haired boy beside me with a small smile. He hastily glanced at his watch and replied, "6:50 PM."

I took in a sharp intake of breath, briefly closing my eyes when I realised that there's approximately 10 minutes left until I'd have to go to the cabin to meet up with Brandon to finally discuss about our... past.

"Thanks." I nodded at Noah gratefully, turning my attention back to Musa who had a devilishly evil smirk on her face; one that so badly reflected like Riven's.

Flora gulped under Musa's playful gaze and remained silent as Musa asked the question, "Helia or Nature?"

Damn. That would be a hard one to pick, considering Flora was thoroughly obsessed with nature and had a great fond for her boyfriend, too. And I think if she were to choose one, it would be impossible because she'd definitely pick both.

Unfortunately that wasn't an option. Helia's dark blue eyes flickered towards his girlfriend, curiosity flashing in them as Flora blushed even more from the many gazes that were burning through her.

I tuned out for a moment, trying to get more comfortable on the floor I was on. It has been hours since I was playing ball and water games at the beach whilst running around in my bikini, and now it was already night time so a majority of us chose to stay in one of the separate public cabins which was extremely large and provided a lot of space.

I eyed my friends, noting that Nicola and Carter weren't present, which made me wonder where the hell they've been all day. I saw them after the volleyball game, but then they just disappeared again.

And now they're gone; which sparked up my curiosity but I let it pass.

Brandon wasn't here either, earlier claiming that he wanted to take a walk alone to call someone and then saying that he'll meet me at our cabin when the clock strikes 7. I felt the rapid beat of my heart inside my chest, and let out a deep breath in anticipation when I realised there's only a few minutes left.

Left until I'm finally going to see him again and to face yet another obstacle between us...

"H-Helia or nature?" Flora stammered out, eyes wide and cheeks immediately flushed in a rose colour at Musa's question. She fiddled with the hem of her cute skater skirt, and attempted to conceal her face from everyone's eyes by pushing her caramel brown hair forward, "I... uhh, u-um..."

Musa lets out a sigh of exasperation and impatience before raking a hand through her dark locks, "Come on, Flo! What's it gonna be?"

As my eyes came to an abrupt stop of scanning my group of friends, I suddenly realised that Chimera wasn't here either. Wow... strange. She'd usually one who's obsessed with these types of silly games.

"Ugh, fine!" Flora sighed out, sharing a brief glance at Helia as her face burned a darker shade of red, "I'm going to pick... H-Helia."

She was too adorable for her own good.

After she spun the bottle and it landed on Nabu, I concentrated on the minutes that pass by as I felt my mind going crazier and crazier. Oh my god, I'm over thinking this, aren't I?

Why did I feel so nervous?

What am I going to expect from it?

And most importantly, am I even prepared for this?

Letting out a distressed sigh, I placed my hand on my forehead in an attempt to soothe the horrible headache that was slowly forming and tried to control my shallow breaths, keeping in mind to calm all of these over-flowing thoughts before I go insane.

I'm being so dramatic. But I couldn't help it...

"Stella, it's your turn." Bloom's voice broke me out of my thoughts, and she gave me a knowing look; probably sensing my tense posture due to what will happen soon. "Sky has to ask you."

Regaining my composure, I arched a expectant eyebrow at my brother, who was staring at me with scrutinizing eyes. I think he knew what I was feeling right now.

It's the twin bond; he can sense it.

"Shopping or Brandon?" Sky finally uttered out the question, and it took me a few enduring seconds to blink at the realisation of it. Shopping or Brandon?! But... this is like Flora's question all over again! Gathering the boy we love and something else we have a deep passion for.

I opened my mouth to voice my current thoughts but abruptly stopped; realising that most of my friends doesn't know about me and Brandon yet. I think so far only Bloom knew about the confession, and I'm grateful she hasn't said it to anyone else.

Like Brandon and I agreed on, we wanted to go slow at first. Don't rush into things and not tell anyone yet until we're officially official.

Giving my brother an irritated look, I glanced towards Noah's watch to see that around 6 minutes have passed which meant it's 6:56... only four more minutes until I have to go. But considering I'm in a nervous state, I'll need to go early to calm down my nerves.

I've got to answer the answer- quick, and then sprint outside this large public cabin.

"Brandon." I breathed out in a rush, standing up and ignoring the heavy, curious gazes on me. No doubt everyone expected me to pick shopping, but I found the next best thing. And that's the boy I love.

And I'm going to see him now.

"I need to go." Swiftly lifting myself off of the floor, I felt my cheeks burn as I slammed the public cabin's door behind me. "Phew.." I mumbled to myself, shivering slightly as the cold wind brushed past my skin.

Luckily I was in a pair of skinny jeans and a comfortable top, providing a tad bit of warmth. My mind lifted up as I thought back to the other night when Brandon and I sat on the tree branch, his arms around me keeping me warm.

I felt safe around him. Warm. He's like my own sun.

I chuckled when I realised he regularly calls me Sunshine. I really, really need to ask him why he calls me that one day. Wait- in fact I'll ask him now!

Taking in a sharp, long breath, I carefully crept towards the front porch of mine and Brandon's cabin, and stared at the plain black door that when I open, will pull me into a world of our devastating past. One that I dreaded to think about.

This is the time.

Closing my eyes, I trained my gaze on the floor, trying to think of any problems that might happen because of this. Well... crap. That didn't help at all to calm my god damn nerves!

"God damn it, get a grip.." I grumbled to myself in a painfully low voice, and bit down onto my lips in anticipation as I clutched the doorknob. It's not locked, which meant I can just go in.

Oh my god, oh my god, OH MY GOD!

There was this terrible feeling in my stomach that was warning me not to open the door. Warning me that something bad will happen and that I'll regret it.

But there was my mind again; screaming at me to open the freaking door and get it over with. I'm doing this because I love Brandon, right? Because I want to give him a chance to explain himself on why he humiliated me all those years ago and suddenly comes back claiming he loves me.

I needed answers.

It was killing me to think about our messed up past, and it was getting in the way of our relationship. I just needed to get this over with.

I needed to get to Brandon.

After discreetly eyeing the closed curtains showing that the lights were on, I pushed the door open, feeling excitement yet nervousness at the same time about what would happen next. I finally walked in.

I'm so goddamn nervous, and right now all I wanted was to-

NO.

"B-Brandon?" I gasped out loud in horror, not believing the sight my golden honey eyes have caught onto right in front of me. My body froze on the spot, head was spinning dangerously and my heart was aching painfully.

So, fucking painfully...

Brandon was sprawled out on his bed, hair messy as if someone had ran through it a few times, some sort of fabric covered his eyes and... and Chimera was on top of him. She was dressed in her dark magenta night gown, which had almost ridden up all the way to her waist. She was fucking straddling him!

And the worst part? They were KISSING!

At the sound of my gasp, Brandon immediately ripped off the fabric around his eyes, and his chocolate brown gaze snapped up to meet mine. They were suddenly filled with immense astonishment and horror as he glanced down at Chimera in his arms.

"What the FUCK Brandon?!" I exploded loudly, feeling my heart shatter to pieces.

My breathing became laboured and my chest tightened excruciatingly painfully, almost as if it I had just received a harsh stab in the heart with a sharp knife.

No, no no NO!

Still in mid shock, Brandon's confused eyes darted between us as he hastily sat up, almost making Chimera fall to the ground from the impact.

Shaking my head in disbelief and HURT, I turned my back on them and forced my feet to run away.

I should've freaking known something like this was bound to happen! How stupid was I to think that Brandon, who treated me like shit when we were younger AND rejected me in the most humiliating way ever could ever LOVE me?! I knew I shouldn't have trusted him from the start. I knew I shouldn't have gotten too attached the moment I came back, because I KNEW he was going to break my heart again!

And now look what happened... it's my fault. I can't believe I thought he was different than the boy I met years ago. Chimera... I won't even start about her! All I think of her now was a conceited, rude whore who uses everyone despite them trusting her.

...All Brandon ever said to me was LIES!

"Wait! No, NO! Sunshine let me explain!" A hand clasped onto my wrist, jerking me an abrupt halt in my tracks as I was just about to step outside the door. Brandon had ran after me, and his expression was contorted in pain. "Sunshi-"

"NO! D-don't call me that!" I snapped, glaring furiously at him as I tugged onto my wrist to make him let go off me. I was scared that my voice was going to break off due to the amount of hurt I felt right now.

Brandon lets out a pained sigh, biting down on his trembling bottom lip, "Stella, I-It's not what you think!"

"Oh, really?!" I growled out, feeling the heavy weight on my eyes and the burn that indicated that tears were threatening to spill out of my eyes. But no, I won't cry in front of this asshole. I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me break down.

"That's such a cliché sign, don't you think?! They always say that in movies, books... Go fucking ahead and give me that made up explanation that you think will solve everything! Go ahead, LIE TO ME like you've always done for the rest of your life!" I exploded out, now breathing in fury from how much anger I felt towards him right now.

I gave him my heart, and he just stomped on it as if it was nothing!

Brandon's expression turned into one I would've normally break down from if I wasn't feeling so much hatred towards him. His face showed so much freaking HURT and I usually would've found it heartbreaking, even when his eyes glazed over like he was almost close to tears.

But I couldn't give two shits right now. He could cry all he fucking wanted, I still wouldn't care!

He lied about everything!

The other night we both made a promise to each other to stay faithful and to not wander off with other girls or guys even if we weren't an official couple yet. He agreed to stay loyal to me as if he was my boyfriend, and I was willing to wait until we discussed about our past so that we can have a relationship which was lie and problem free!

And he broke that promise the moment I caught him kissing Chimera just moments ago.

My eyes burned even more at that thought, and the pain was just so unbearable that I couldn't help but let a tear drop from my eye and trail down my cheek.

"Y-You promised to never go with anyone since that night..." I sobbed out, my voice breaking from the tight feeling in my throat. Brandon's eyes flashed once again with hurt, but now it looked surreal... so much despair was hidden in them.

He realised this was the second time he broke my heart and made me cry in my life. And he probably felt guilty...

But what do I know? He lied about everything, so he must not care!

"Um, what's going on here?" an annoyingly high-pitched voice broke me out of my thoughts, and I glanced towards the back where Chimera stood, looking innocent as ever. I felt my fists clench by my sides due to the rage I felt towards her.

She has the decency to even ask what's fucking going on!? Oh my god, how was she ever my friend? Especially when she's such a bitch... I can't believe I've never realised it!

Brandon's jaw clenched at the sound of her voice, but he never once turned around to look at her. He kept his gaze of sorrow solely on me, coaxing me to listen to whatever shit he has to say. But I wasn't buying it anymore...

I shook my arm again in an attempt to loosen his grip on me to allow me to sprint away, but his hand only held my wrist a bit tighter, but not too tight that would make it hurt.

"Please, Stella, listen to me..." he whispered in a broken voice, his eyes now threatening to overspill with the tears. My own vision blurred, knowing that deep inside I felt so much sympathy for him but I snapped myself back into reality.

He freaking lied to me and basically cheated on me. He broke my heart, twice now, and I wasn't going to let him do it again.

This was the final straw.

I let out an exasperated sigh, losing my fight with him to demand him to let me go and instead mustered up enough anger to glower at him furiously. "Don't you understand what you've put me through now, Brandon?! You've hurt me twice, and when I started to actually forget the past because I thought you had CHANGED, here you go again breaking my heart into little pieces!"

I was breathing heavily after that rage-filled rant and my heart hammered against my chest as if it was going to explode. This was so hard...

Brandon took a step closer to me in an attempt to get me to hear him out but I instinctively staggered back, wanting to be as far away as I could from him right now.

He growled out in frustration, raking his hand through his hair exasperatedly as his tears pricked his eyes again, "Oh my god! I didn't mean to hurt you that time, don't you fucking see it?! What is wrong with you, Stella? You and I both know why I did it that time! But why aren't you opening your eyes to realise it now, god damn it!" he yelled at me, eyes showing numerous emotions.

I shook my head vigorously in disbelief, "You want me to open MY eyes? FINE! You really want to know what I see? A guy who fucks around with any girl that comes around and feeds them lies, then breaks their fucking hearts because you're a heartless bastard like that! That's what you are!" I shouted, blazing with my risen temper.

"Jesus Christ, Stella will you STOP jumping into conclusions?! For once stop being so goddamn stubborn and LISTEN TO ME! What the hell screwed you up so bad to make you explode like this?!" he screamed, his hand furiously running through his hair again.

I threw a deathly glare at him as I thrashed in his strong hold, "Shut up! Just.. let me go!"

"What did I freaking do, Stella?! You're the one who HURTS me first! Why are you always being so oblivious about it?!" he pushed, as I struggled against him. "WHAT screwed you up to make you explode so much like this, huh?"

"Fuck you Brandon!" I hissed out, "You really want to know?! It's because of YOU! The amount of pain you put me through by breaking my heart so many times! I can't stand this anymore!"

Brandon gripped me by my shoulders to stop my wild thrashing, and held me in place as his eyes blazed with a mixture of anger and hurt, "Why can't you just OPEN your eyes! Open your eyes to see how much-"

"How much what, HUH? How much of a dick you are!?" I screeched, shoving his chest with my palms roughly, "How much of a man-whore you are?!"

He growled out exhaustedly under his breath, as his grip slightly loosened and his glare softened just a bit, "Stella, please."

I attempted to shove him again, but that only made him beckon me towards him closer, up until our bodies were pressed together and our faces only inches away... "What do you WANT from me, Brandon?!" I spat, feeling my voice slowly give out from my tiredness.

"Everything..." he breathed, his anger filled eyes slowly melting to a tender, but still hurt look.

And precisely at that moment, I nearly lost myself in his intense, chocolate brown gaze. They looked so inviting, so broken right now that I had nearly convinced myself to give him a chance and to hear him out but that was until the bitch spoke up.

"But, Brandon?! Hello? You said that you wanted everything from me, not her!" Chimera exclaimed, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she flashed me a look. Brandon gaped at her with shock and opened his mouth, "What! I nev-"

That was the last thread...

"I can't believe I actually trusted you! I... I hate you Brandon!" I snapped, using his shocked stance to my advantage, and breaking myself free from his hold to allow myself to sprint out the door.

As I sprinted outside, I had to clasp my hand against my mouth to stop a sob from breaking out, but I was sure I couldn't hold it in any longer and that I was bound to break down any minute. And they did; tears dripped down like waterfalls.

Taking a last short glance behind my shoulder, I watched as he dropped onto his knees by the cabin door, his hand in his hair in despair as tears visibly spilled from his eyes.

Oh my god...

What did we do?

Forcing myself to look away, I sprinted towards the only other cabin I could go to right now.

Carter's.

I lifted my shaking hand up, gently knocking on the wooden door and almost cursing at myself for how quiet it sounded- he probably didn't hear it at all. The moment the door creaked open to reveal Carter, his eyes immediately widened in shock as he took in my shaking, crying and vulnerable posture.

I was a terrible mess.

"Stellie..." he breathed out in concern, and within seconds I was wrapped in his warm, comforting embrace. "Oh my god... fuck, what the hell happened? Did he do anything to you? I'll kill him-"

I choked on a sob, finally able to break down now from the amount of hurt I felt. Tears streamed down from my eyes and I found difficulty in taking in breaths, which made Carter guide me inside the cabin and shut the door behind him.

Gently, he guided me towards his bed whilst keeping his tender hold around me, letting me cry against his shoulder. I sighed softly against it, glad that he wasn't saying anything yet but instead choosing to remain silent and comfort me as I broke down.

It felt so fucking painful... my emotions.

Carter's fingers brushed over my hair soothingly as I clutched onto him, slowly getting lost in the moment and not realising that after the long, enduring moment, he had hesitantly spoken up, "What happened...?"

His voice was soft as I pulled away slightly to look at him, and I gave him a pained look before sighing gently, "W-we had a fight..." I hiccupped, the one habit I usually do after crying too much.

Carter brushed his finger over my cheek softly, catching a tear that had slipped out and then frowning in concern at me, "We as in... Brandon?" he clenched his jaw immediately at the thought, which made me tense up at the name.

Even if it has only been over 8 minutes since I had sprinted away from Brandon, I still couldn't kick off the words we yelled at each other during our heated argument. So many words were carelessly thrown about and they did more damage than they had intended to.

Those words... they cut deeper than a knife. Straight into my heart.

"Please don't do anything to him..." I pleaded, watching as confusion etched onto his face at the fact that I was defending Brandon. Yeah, why was I? "H-he's not worth it..." I added on, murmuring it so silently that he probably didn't catch it.

I closed my eyes, trying to focus on Carter's arm around me than the fight that had occurred mere minutes ago. God damn it, just get a grip, Stella!

As I looked up into Carter's silvery-grey eyes, I felt hurt even more because I finally realised that I should've chosen him instead of Brandon... Carter's been my freaking best friend for years now, and I trusted him more than anything.

And yet I picked the boy that broke my heart...

Shaking my head to myself, I let out an exasperated sigh knowing that it's all too late now. Carter's eyes didn't have that certain spark anymore whenever they caught sight of me, and although my mind tried to convince itself that I should've picked Carter, my broken heart on the other hand had still decided to latch onto Brandon.

Even if Carter were still to like me, I don't think I could ever be with him when all I've ever seen in him was a brother. I still appreciated that.

"Will you at least tell me what he did?" Carter mumbled quietly, clasping my hand in his and intertwining them together. He glanced back up at me and gave me a sympathetic smile, noticing my broken expression again.

I nodded, feeling tears burn in my eyes again. He carefully pulled me towards him again, wrapping me in a comforting embrace which assured me that everything was going to be alright.

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening made me flinch slightly in my seat, and my curious eyes glanced towards the bathroom door which revealed Nicola, hair damp as if she had just taken a shower and attempted to towel dry her hair.

I gawked at her in shock, and she mirrored my expression as Carter let out a nervous, uneasy laugh.

"What's going on?!" I questioned in disbelief, the situation clicking inside me now. Nika and Carter were hanging out before I came! Oh my god... now that answered one of my questions on the whereabouts of Nika and Carter.

Could they have been hanging out together all along?

Nika ignored my comment, her flustered face showing by the pinkness that tinted her cheeks as she gave me a concerned expression, "Stell, have you been crying...?"

I glanced down on my lap as Carter pulled away slightly, but his hand remained on my back rubbing soothing circles. Noticing my discomfort, he gave a nod at Nika and she zipped her mouth immediately in understanding.

"I don't want to talk about it much..." I trailed off, though thankful for how concerned she was for me. "Aren't you going to tell me what's happening between you two, then!?" excitement tinged my voice which made Nika chuckle.

"I'm gonna have to leave Carter to explain it." she laughed, walking towards the cabin door before flashing me an apologetic smile, "I hope you'll be okay, Stell. Well I've got to check on the others right now so... see you later."

I nodded, biting down on my lips as she left.

Great. Now Carter's going to expect me to spill out what had happened before.

But he's my best friend after all... he's like another Sky to me, that protective brother who I would be comfortable to share secrets to. And I did.

"Will you tell me what's going on between you and Nika first? I promise to tell you what happened between me and... Brandon, afterwards..." I murmured curiously watching as he gulped in nervousness and nodded.

He lets out a sigh, raking a hand through his jet black locks before giving me an uneasy smile, "I, uhh... to simply cut the story short, Nicola and I have been hanging out for the past few days, going unnoticed by you lot of course."

I let out a small chuckle.

"And after a while, we suddenly realised that we actually missed more than our casual hang outs. We started to miss... us. Us as a couple, that is." he grinned sheepishly after that, and pink tinged his cheeks. I nearly gaped at how adorable he looked, but I most importantly caught onto where this was gonna go.

Who would've thought!

Nika and Carter still have feelings for each other... even after all these years. I finally realised why Carter always seemed to have that sparkle in his eyes whenever he sees her. That same spark that he used to have for me, but it wasn't as bright as the one for Nika.

He truly loves her, and she loves him too. I tried to bite back the grin that wanted to evade onto my face.

"So... that's when things started to get a bit tricky. But we overcame it by the end, not too long ago, which is just about last night, we had finally gotten over our stubbornness and talked about our feelings. Turns out... we both still uhh.. love each other." He added that last part so shyly, that the grin finally spread across my face.

Oh my god, they're so cute! I totally ship them, especially after realising just how much they love each other.

It made sense now. And I was so happy for my two best friends. They're finally getting the happy ending they deserve.

"How were you in a hysterical crying state just moments ago and now you're grinning so happily like I had announced that every shop in the U.S will provide free clothes and shoes?" he questioned incredulously, making me laugh a bit.

He sure cheered me up, just like the brother I now see him as.

"I'm just so happy for you two, Cartie-bear." I smiled softly, reaching my hand up to playfully ruffle his hair up which earned me a joking irritated expression from him, "I'm so glad you worked things out between the two of you..." I let my sentence trail, as my mind drifted back to the events that had occurred earlier.

And suddenly... the grin vanished from my face and I was back in the mood of breaking down hysterically.

Carter leaned closer to me again, and placed my head against his shoulder, knowing full well that I was going to break down again... but even worse as I was about to explain everything that had happened.

Right now, I'm not even worried anymore if he threatens to kill Brandon. That's how much hurt I felt right now.

Carter held me tight against him, comforting me as I finally let the words loose. Words that were strong enough to give a feeling that a sharp knife was stabbing straight through my heart.

And boy, did it hurt so much...

A/N: Aw, a Brella fight :( Please don't think Stella overreacted, she was really hurt and lashed out because of it.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you guys could leave a review about your thoughts on what happened in this chapter, then I might just update the next chapter fast!

I feel like I've lost so many readers now from the lack of people reviewing...