A/N: EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE NOW! Well, almost.

I suggest that you guys get ready for the next chapter 'cause that one will be hella INTENSE, and not a softie like this one.

Anyway, enjoy! I wanna know what you guys think - N

Chapter 10: The perfect target

Darren had managed to somehow keep the lunch in his stomach so far, and that's mostly what convinced him that the hangover wasn't as bad as he thought. Yes, he still felt kinda dizzy like if he was in a boat and his throat ached like hell, but he had it worse in the past.

So he rejected the beer that Jim offered for obvious reasons, only thinking about that thick liquid put his stomach upside down. He finished his bottle of fresh water and had a cold shower, like it was the tradition in every hangover he had to survive; and he continued his conversation with Rick for a while, but when his phone vibrated it was impossible for him to keep his focus on anything else.

"Can we tak?"

He'd lie if someone asked him about it, but that text put him to an unknown level of anxiety. Last night, the mess of different feelings increased inside of him as he walked away from that party, finding comfort only in the bottom of the sixth bottle. It had been too much to deal with at once: Perkins was back, and he knew Lauren, and he showed too much confidence to ignore, and he claimed to be showing up at The Hole soon. And Lauren knew it all and it was obvious she wanted answers. He thought he wouldn't have to handle that situation in any near future, and least now that Lauren was finally starting to trust him.

Any sane person could realize that Lauren wanted to remain in her status, and world, and out of problematic events. But there was something that tickled him about her; that she was different, that she wouldn't be any other judgmental snob that would give him away, he still believed it despite she had stated clearly before how she wouldn't put up with any kind of delinquency issue. Confessing everything to her was extremely dangerous for both, and it wasn't something he planned at any point, and he knew that anyone in that same room he was would tell him that it could be nothing but a terrible idea.

But why did he still feel so disposed to confess everything to her, without missing any little detail? He didn't plot in any moment to trust her that much, or to have that strange certainty that she'd believe his version of the story. They didn't even know each other that much or for that long.

But damn, it was so easy talking to her.

He sent the text without going through any more thinking. The subject kept going on circles.

"Come over to my place."

Rick realized that he wasn't paying attention, but he pretended he didn't.

Darren held his breath while he waited for an answer. Was that too harsh?

"Give me fifteen minutes."

He let out a quiet sigh.

He patted Rick's back to excuse himself for leaving in the middle of the chat, as he stood up. The fact that Lauren said that she'd be there soon didn't sort it out. Everything could still end disastrously. And he still looked like shit.

He thought that some fresh air could mend a bit his aspect, so he walked to the balcony of his apartment. But it was a terrible idea. It didn't take him long to notice that Joe and Devin were passionately making out against the cement railing, although they split out when they heard the glass door opening. Darren didn't even remember they were there, so he just muttered what it should've been an apology, but it was more of a curse, as he walked back his steps inside again.

He felt way too anxious for the talk he had ahead, and too tired from the hangover that he didn't have the energy to feel jealous or angry about the landscape he just saw.

The conclusion that he couldn't talk there with Lauren hit him only then, too; since he noticed that everyone were there. How it come that everyone were always in his apartment?

Darren didn't truly think it all through when someone called from the door, and he opened and saw her standing up in the other side. But that was an instant relief though, she didn't look pissed at all. She looked concerned, and this only fed his theory that she'd understand.

"Hey." She sounded pretty shy, too. And this wasn't common in her.

"Hey, please come in for a minute." He asked, while he stepped out of the way.

It was a little weird and uncomfortable after what happened last night, like if they contradicted the noise and chat coming from everyone else inside of the apartment.

Darren closed the door behind her, and then walked to Brian, who was supposedly playing a card game at the table, completely alone. He rested his elbows on the table, leaning close to him to get his attention, which wasn't an easy job having in mind the state of his friend.

"Brian, I need the keys of your apartment. Lauren and I will be there for a few minutes."

Lauren sat on a chair on the opposite side of the table, from where she could clearly observe the situation.

Brian's voice came out twice louder than what the situation warranted. "So, tonight is the night, am I right?!"

"No. Give me your keys." Darren tried to cut the situation approaching.

But it was too late, Brian had stood up and was walking to the kitchen to get another drink.

"It was about time, if I'm honest!" He sang loudly, and then made a sexual gesture with his pelvis that couldn't be more explicit.

Darren looked at Lauren. "Please ignore him. He's drunk."

"He's not so different from the sober Brian I know." Lauren said, but she shared a short complicit grin with Darren.

"Well, he's been drunk since last night."

"God, is that normal?" She asked, surprised. But then she added quickly, "And you?"

But Rachel was nimblest, and her answer intruded quickly in the conversation.

"I think he'd have drunk the toilet water if we didn't stop him." She said, smiling, placing a hand on Darren's shoulder. "You should've seen him. I don't think you know the real Darren until you see him drunk in all his magnificence." Then she pushed his shoulder, laughing and walking away; leaving the conversation as quickly as she joined it.

"Um, yeah, I ended up kinda wasted. But I'm fine now. Brian, the keys?" The change of subject was abrupt.

The third time was the victorious one, and Brian gave up his keys. Then he mumbled a comment or a joke that they couldn't understand, and Darren just laughed as he grabbed Lauren's hand.

Brian's apartment was small. Darren's was a mansion in comparison. It consisted in two rooms, the bathroom and the kitchen/bedroom. And it was messy and pretty much chaotic. There were clothes and notes all over the floor, a dirty dish on the bedside table; but at least the bed was neat.

Lauren sat on the head of the bed. The smell of cologne was strong, like if it had been spread all over to hide any other smell. Darren sighed deeply once he closed the door, like if he was walking directly to his death sentence. It seemed he couldn't even sit down, so he stood there, at the feet of the bed, looking at her.

"I really don't know where to start."

Lauren crossed a leg under the other, trying to get more comfortable, which was hard in that situation.

"What if you explain to me what the hell was last night about? All of it."

Darren ran a hand through his hair, like if she couldn't have done a question more difficult than that.

She sighed, too. "Please, sit down." She said, exasperated. Seeing him standing up was making it all worse. "Just talk to me."

And he wanted to, there was even a part of him that was craving to let it all out, but it was so hard.

He sat down, and his voice was harsh and serious. "You can't tell this to anyone, Lauren. Anyone. Not even Caroline. It's risky for both you and me."

"Darren, you're scaring me." She frowned, starting to doubt whether she wanted to know the truth or not.

"I'm serious."

If she wasn't ready for it, then the best would be that she just went to her mom's house again and they spent the rest of the year pretending they had never known each other.

There was a moment of silence.

"I promise." She finally said. "What's going on?"

Darren took another deep breath; but this time, he started talking, clearly and loud enough.

"It started on freshman year." Darren started explaining; his voice calmer. "Remember that I told you about those road trips in the bike that I've always enjoyed? Well, we used to do that all together before. Joe, Rachel, Jeff, Brian, Jim. Some other guys that graduated last year. We usually went to New York because Jeff had a few friends there, and we became very close to this group of guys from New York University. And there was this guy. Perkins."

"Michael?" Lauren couldn't just get used to call people by their last name, and it seemed nothing familiar that way.

"That guy." He nodded, but the way his voice became deeper made her know the only mention of that name wasn't desirable. "His brother had a club on the upper west side. A great club, very popular and it was a huge building. We always hang out there. He gave us free entry and we just talked, and drank, and had fun. We thought there couldn't be anything too weird going on there. He offered to give us weed we could sell in here, and we accepted it because it was only weed, nothing else."

"Oh, I heard about that… I didn't know it was you all." Lauren said, although her eyes didn't match the surprise. She remembered very well when Caroline announced excited that they could try and smoke it, and became very disappointed when Lauren repeatedly rejected her offer.

"It really wasn't a big deal. But the University found out. Someone snitched us, I guess. The headmaster called us, and said that despite it wasn't huge, it could get huge if the sensationalist media found out, and they didn't want to get involved with that. So they wanted to nip it from the bud. But they asked for the people directly responsible of it. We didn't know what to do. I couldn't be that person; and Perkins had treated us like royalty so far. So… Rachel lied and took full responsibility of everything, and they cut the mess there but they had to expel her. She knew what the consequences were, but she did it anyways." His words let her know that he deeply admired that girl. Lauren had realized before, but it was only then that she knew the reason. "After that…Everyone stopped going to New York and to hang out with that guy. Everyone but me."

Lauren raised her eyebrows, surprised. "Why?"

He shrugged. He looked upset with the memory, "It was due the road trip, mostly. I guess I just wanted a reason to keep going to New York every weekend. I wanted somebody to hang out with, and he gave me free alcohol; and if that meant I had to kept selling a bit of weed every once in a while, I could deal with it. I thought so.

He avoided Lauren's gaze every once in a while, like if that confession just made him feel too embarrassed and he couldn't look at her eyes. She wanted to say something, like that she had made mistakes too, but she decided to let him do it his way.

"There was this night, when I got lost upstairs where we always were hanging out, and I was looking for a bathroom, or something, and I got to the third floor. We knew that nobody was allowed to be there, but we never questioned why. And then I understood everything." He made a pause, like if he was trying to gather the courage to resurrect such an awful memory. His thumb kept running through his index finger, carelessly, like trying to distract the stress. "It was a whorehouse. I saw it. He was involved in weird stuff. Serious weird stuff. I'd have never guessed. None of us did; he just never gave us that impression. He seemed like the kind of person who… Anyway, he wasn't." He interrupted his dialogue, knowing he could go on for hours through similar conversations. "It wasn't a game. There were… young girls there."

Lauren felt a pinch in her chest just to imagine that situation, and to know that she had talked with that person as if.

"That's disgusting. I can't believe it." She finally snapped, shifting on her place. She was starting to feel uncomfortable. But she knew that now that he started and he was in that place of mind, involving memories and emotions that she was privileged to hear, he had to keep going.

So that's why he looked so affected by the conversation. But he continued calmly, although she noted how he was controlling himself.

"I think Michael knew since the moment he saw my face that I wouldn't put up with that shit. He knew I'd tell the police. He just knew it." He wet his lips before continuing. That was one of the memories that felt so vivid, like if they had engraved in his brain. "It was like if he was a different person when he saw I was there. He and his brother pushed me against the wall, and they… well, they threatened me. They said that if I tried to tell, they'd drag me down. I was their perfect target. There were pictures of me in that club, it was suspicious that I drove there every weekend, and people from the university could tell that I was involved in illegal circles. I came back to Michigan scared to my bones, and I didn't go to New York in weeks. And then, it happened. It all came to the light, and the club was shut down; I read it on the papers. It wasn't me, I didn't tell. I should've, though." He looked genuinely angry with himself for it. For that more than for anything else. "But everything indicated it had been me."

"They can't just blame you for the whole thing." Lauren had tried to not interrupt during that explanation, but she couldn't help it anymore. "You sold weed, big deal, everyone does it; you weren't a procurer. It's ridiculous."

"We're talking about one of the most influent families in that city. You know how this works, Lauren. Or are all of your mom's customers honest and innocent people?"

She had to bite her tongue this time. He was absolutely right.

"So what did you do?"

"At that time, I had a close relationship with my parents. They covered me. The case was hidden in the bottom of the police's registry, although it can come out if my name pops up at a station, or if Michael decides to push it to trial. But that wasn't likely to happen back then; since my parents made a deal. But in order for that plan to work, I had to leave, far. And Michigan wasn't away enough."

"So you went to Los Angeles." Lauren said. Finally, every little piece seemed to start fitting, like if she was assembling a puzzle.

"I went to Los Angeles." Darren confirmed, nodding his head.

His mysterious return, his determination on convincing her not to go to the police, the way he talked about police, and money, and moral; it all made sense now.

"But the music contract…"

"It was a coincidence. Thank God it happened then. Everyone thought that was the reason I leaved, and I let them believe it." He explained. "But then things went down with my parents. So I came back. And now, I don't know where I stand. I don't know if I'm still under my parent's protection, or if Perkins is trying to take me down, through the law or through my new business."

"I can find out what he has in hands." Lauren suggested, remembering how many times her mom had talked to her about it and she ignored it.

But Darren looked at her with a serious face, like if she couldn't have said something that horrifying.

"Lauren, you need to stay away from him. It's important that you understand this. He's not what he seems."

"He can't do anything to me." She assured, but his response was too fast to be out of nothing.

"He can, and he will, if he needs to. He doesn't care that you're just dating me or that your mom's his lawyer. Promise me you'll be careful."

The way his eyes looked for hers seemed just as powerful as the tone of his voice. Despite she couldn't get to understand perfectly what it was all that about, Darren knew what he was talking about more than her, and she knew she should listen.

"I promise." She finally said.

He let out a sigh, looking down, frustrated. "Now that I've seen him there, and to know your mom is on his side, it's just… I'm worried."

"But I'm on your side." She replied firmly, and her hand looked for his, holding it strongly.

The concern on his face vanished a bit, as he squeezed her hand back.

"I know." He said quietly, placing a hand on her jaw and giving her a soft, slow kiss. She kissed back like a reflex. He moved away only the fair amount to talk, gently pressing his forehead against hers, and his whisper draw an unavoidable grin on her lips. "Thank you for listening."

She moved her face a bit, placing a delicate kiss on the corner of his lips.

"Thank you for telling me."

His thumb caressed the line of her jaw, while he breathed deeply. The room was entirely silent, and he kept holding Lauren's fingers with his other hand.

"Can we go back to your place?" She asked quietly. Not that she didn't want to be alone with him for any longer, but she felt uncomfortable in Brian's apartment and she wanted to leave as soon as possible. "This place kinda freaks me out."

Darren giggled, standing up and pulling from her hand. "Sure. But listen, changing the subject." It wasn't a big change, actually. "Rick's throwing a New Year's party the night of the 31. They say he gives amazing parties. It'd be so great if you go."

This time, there wasn't an essay, or class preventing her to go; and if she had made an excuse to call a taxi and leave her house with no clear explanations that day, she could do it again.

"Can I take my friends?"

"If you can ditch them to be with me afterwards, you can." The response was clear.

Lauren laughed. "It's a deal."

After the ten minutes trip back to Darren's apartment, the volume of the voices was louder and there was music playing. Lauren couldn't even begin to understand how all of them had spent the night of Christmas breaking the party of a family they didn't know, and not even have the decency to spend the next day with their parents, like the very least. But she had to admit that the bond and complicity between the group of friends was admirable and a part of her wished she could care so little about so many things, like they did.

Brian had fallen asleep on the couch, Rachel was with her cellphone next to her unconscious friend; and Jim, Rick and Jeff were playing poker at the table.

"I'm kinda hungry. Do you want something to eat?" Darren asked her, leaving his jacket on the top of the couch. "I'm not a chef, but…"

She had left her house so out of the blue that she hadn't eaten a thing, so she was quick to reply. "Um, yeah, just a sandwich or something would be okay."

He nodded, but as soon as he walked away she regretted not having offered to make the meal herself. It was hard for her to just walk in and try to integrate to a group that had known each other for so long and so well. She finally decided to sit down on the arm of the couch, next to Rachel, who greeted her. She had to make a slight effort to not wince at her beer breath.

"Hi, Lo, how have you been?"

The nickname was still weird, but she didn't comment on it. "I'm good, and you?"

"Great." The girl put the phone back in her pocket. "Listen, can I ask you a question?"

"I guess so. What?" She was starting to regret to choose this location.

"What's really going on with you and Darren? Like, really." The emphasis in those words only made more complicated a question that was already confusing.

"We haven't discussed that yet, actually. I don't know. I like him, and I think he likes me too, so that's pretty much where we are." The answer sounded even more pathetic, since she was avoiding to front that matter, too.

"Oh, well, you know, Darren's a good guy. Sometimes. And he seems to care about you." The emphasized word of this phrase was even worse.

Lauren made to herself a lot of questions at the same time, yet she could answer none. What was she trying to tell her? Did she date Darren in the past? Or did she want to? Was she just trying to protect him? Or worse, her?

"I need to get some fresh air."

The words came out clumsy and weak, but she stood up and somehow managed to walk towards the glass door, to the balcony; not having the time to analyze if Rachel noted how fake that sounded.

The first sensation was strange, because the cold wind instantly stroking her face was comforting, but she thought she'd be alone in there. She wasn't.

"Hi, I'm sorry." She said, apologizing for the possibility of ruining a solitary moment.

Lauren walked to the railing, resting her arms on the cement wall, in the other side where Joe was doing the same thing. But the balcony wasn't really that big, so they weren't that away from each other as it'd have been common.

"It's fine." He just replied, handing her his glass of beer. Lauren wouldn't have accepted it if it wasn't so cold outside, but she could use some alcohol to warm up her body.

They were in silence for a moment, until Lauren finally said, mostly in an attempt to break the ice; after she took a sip and gave the glass back to him.

"I'm sorry that you lost the race that other night. If it makes you feel better, everyone seemed shocked about it."

Joe shrugged, although the hint of a grin on his lip made her know that it did work to brighten him up. "Well, I wasn't expecting much more, actually. I can't handle Darren's bike the way I did with mine."

Lauren almost chocked with her spit. "W-what happened with that, either way? Did you ever get it back?"

He shook his head, resentful. "I won't pretend it's not lost by now. But I might find out what happened soon." He replied; and passed the glass to her again. Lauren bit her cheek. Was he? "Do you like motorbike races?"

"Not really." She honestly replied. "I don't understand a lot about it. But it was fun. People were cool, and I had a good time. And I thought it was nice of Darren to give you his bike for the night."

"Yeah, he's pretty great when he's not busy pissing me off."

She laughed. Partly because it was funny, and partly because Joe didn't understand the literal meaning of that phrase.

"You two are very close, right?"

Joe nodded. "I have tons of stories about him you wouldn't believe, if you want to hear them someday."

Lauren grinned. "I'd love to."

She had gotten a wrong impression about that guy the last time. She thought he had tried to make a move on her, or something; but the truth is that he just seemed like someone who joked a lot and had good intentions. She even felt more comfortable around him than with any other of Darren's friends, who seemed sort of cocky and made no effort to include her.

"Speak of the devil." Joe said with a smirk as Darren opened the glass door.

But Darren didn't laugh; he was too busy wondering why Lauren and Joe were there alone, and laughing. Instead, he walked between them, leaving the dish with food on the surface of the cement railing.

"Joe, where's Devin?" He just said dryly, out of nowhere, and giving him a defiant though subtle look.

"She had to go." Joe replied. His tone wasn't challenging, but the way he moved closer and looked at his friend back was a clear cue he wouldn't be intimidated easily.

Lauren couldn't tell if the ice cold tension she perceived was her imagination because she knew Darren's secret, or if there was something else.

But Darren changed his strategy too quickly to give her time to suspect. He placed a hand on her waist, moving close to her.

"Do you want to go inside?"

Only thinking about resuming that talk with Rachel put her uncomfortable.

"No, it's fine." She said, and Darren pressed his lips together.

Joe snorted, like if he found that picture funny; and then walked inside of the apartment.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, frowning. She didn't quite understand why that situation happened in such a rare way.

Darren grinned, but he suddenly looked away; and his eyes didn't match his words.

"Of course, Lauren." He replied, and he probably didn't realize how his voice was muffling. "What could be wrong?"

A/N: I'm willing to do dirtiER things than the last time in exchange for reviews.