Chapter 2

Ana POV

"He's back." As these words fell from my Dad's lips, I felt my heart drop. Why is he back now? After all this time he's returned to make my life a living hell. I knew he'd come back eventually but, why did it have to be now? I was finally happy again, I had settled down.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked my voice laced with trepidation.

"There's nothing we can do but move you somewhere else. He's moved here from Atlanta for only one possible reason, to get to you, so you need to come back with me." Ray reasoned.

I now once again looked at my parents faces, they'd finally stopped hiding their emotions, they'd dropped the farce. There were new lines marring both their faces and upon closer inspection I could see the pale look to my Mom's skin. This was eating away at them for God knows how long and, I was completely oblivious to it all. "I understand Dad but, can I at least say goodbye to my friends?" I asked, resigned to my fate.

Daddy was the one who replied, "Of course you can Darling but, only Kira and Jose. We can't let him know we're on to him, if too many people find out he may follow us."

I could see the reasoning behind his point, "Okay, I'm going upstairs to call them, Mom can you help me pack, please?" I could see the pain my mother was going through at this point, so I wanted some one on one time with her.

"Sure Honey." She said with relief written on her face.

Together then, we both made our way upstairs to my room. Once inside I got out my suitcase, when my mother spoke, "Honey, you don't need such a big one. Ray has got plenty new things all together at his house."

I simply shrugged and moved to get iPhone out of my bag. As I began dial the number for Kira, my mom began to get out some of my old mementos and photos to put them in my bag. She also put in my favourite blue teddy; I got it as a gift from an old friend to match my eyes, so I got him a grey teddy to match his eyes, and till this day I've never been able to sleep without it. It always kept the monsters away. Like he did, Chrissy, he was always there for me but because of HIM I had to stop talking to Christian and in the end we just drifted apart. I wonder what he's doing with his life right now. To this day I can't remember to much about my time in Seattle but I always remember his grey eyes.

"Hey Bitch!" Was Kira's graceful greeting.

Sadly, I couldn't project my usual bubble into my voice as I said hello back and it was made evident by Kira's response. "What happened and who's ass do I need to kick?" Now, that actually made me smile.

"No-one needs to get their butt kicked but I need to tell you something," I replied my voice subdued. I paused waiting for her to say something, and when it was obvious she wouldn't say anything I continued. "I'm leaving town... permanently." I finally finished. But if Kira's answering gasp was any indication she was surprised and hurt I guess.

"Why?" She finally whined.

I didn't know how to respond; how do you say that someone wants to hurt you, that someone may be that obsessed that they'd wish you dead before they see you happy or with someone else? So I simply said, "I need to go live with my Dad, indefinitely." And without a choice, I thought but didn't actually say.

"Wait, I'm coming over right now. You need to explain this, and you can't leave without meeting me at least one last time!" She all but shouted.

"I'm sorry but we're leaving soon. I just wanted to tell you now, I mean your one of my closest friends, so I need to tell you that even though I'll be missing you like hell every day, its for the best. It's safer this way." I said tears rolling down my cheek, I continued. "Besides,, if we don't talk at least once a day, I know you'll just self-destruct at the lack of Ana in your life." Just saying this brought a smile onto my face.

Hearing Kira's giggle, I knew it worked to cheer her up. "Okay Steele I'll let you go for know but I will be in Seattle soon to visit." She began, "I'll miss you Steele. You're my best friend so you better not forget me anytime soon. Bye Babes." She ended with a melancholy edge to her voice.

"Bye Kira. I'll miss you." And with that we both hung up. I, subsequently placed my head into my hands and rubbed the remaining tears from my eyes. All of a sudden I felt arms wrapping around me, my mother was pressing me to her chest. I then let it rip. The tears were streaming down both, my and my mother's faces. "I don't think I can deal with another phone call like that. Can you please call Jose for me and relay the message?" I asked my mother hopeful that I'd be free from dealing with this all again. The day was already too overwhelming and now I'm starting to feel suffocated.

"Are you sure Ana?"

"Positive, but make sure to tell that I'll call him in a few days. Actually, wait till I've left before you call him, I just can't deal with it all right now."

"Ana, are you ready to go?" Ray called up the stairs.

"I guess so." I said forlorn. I picked up my bag and while still clinging to my Mom, we made our way back downstairs to Ray. "Let's go," I was still wrapped in my mother's arms as I turned to go to the car. Ray surpassed us in order to place my bag in the backseat and unlock the car. "Bye Mommy." And after one last squeeze I entered the car.

"Ray." Mom said.

"Carla was his equally short and curt answer. With that he started the engine and we left after one last backward glance at my home and sanctuary for a foreign destination.

Christian POV

My head is pounding. I try to open my eyes but all I can feel is a searing pain. What happened last night? I look down and see that I, once again, ended up in the Steele compound. Damn, ever since she left me and cut off all communication my life began to slowly derail. Alcohol and violence; my only relief from the pain. But why do they have to come with such harsh repercussions. My Parents hate the path I'm going down, and it hurts to know that I'm the one that put that pain in their eyes.

Gradually, I lift my body off the ground and looked around, apparently I was in their back garden near the huge pool Mr Steele set up for Ana. He put it in for her a while back when he thought she'd be coming over but, again she stayed with her mother and Ray went down to see her.

I haven't spoke properly to anyone since Ana left and lately I've stopped speaking to everyone as a whole, I barely speak to my own mom anymore. Mia can't even touch me anymore, so I avoid them all, this way I don't hurt them more.

The sun is so bright it hurts my eyes but, surprised that Ray hasn't come out already to send me home after this stunt I looked to the driveway. Weird, his car wasn't home. Before I could think about this any longer Elliott came looking for me.

"Dude, what are you playing at? Hungover on a Tuesday morning? You've got school in an hour!" Elliott was looking down at me with barely disguised pity. Why? I didn't know I didn't need nor deserve his pity, I wasn't worthy of having any emotion aimed at me but anger and disgust.

"Calm down man! At least I finally got a little sleep," I hadn't slept a full night's sleep for as long as I could remember. The nightmares, always reoccurring, never left me alone and lately they were becoming even worse; more realistic.

Elliott released a deep breath, "It's okay, I'll cover for you with mom. Just go and get ready."

With a small smile I left to sneak home. I felt bad for Elliott, he always tries to get me to open up to him but it never works. As I made my way through the house I overheard Elliott talking to mom in the front parlour so I ran up the stairs and into my room. I quickly grabbed everything I'd need for my shower and left for the bathroom.

After my shower I brushed my teeth twice and used up half the bottle of mouthwash, getting rid of the stench of alcohol on my breath. I knew I needed to stop disappointing my Angel, Grace but I can't stop doing stupid things. I'm now at my third school, hopefully Seattle Prep won't be as quick to kick me our like the previous two were. I go downstairs and enter the kitchen. My mother looked at me with so much hope in her eyes that all I could do was, kiss her on the cheek, grab an Apple and a slice of toast and leave the house. I went to Elliott's car and sat in it. Just as we pulled up into the driveway I saw a Truck outside the Steele's house, with people moving things into the house. I wonder what was going on.

But, no later had I opened my mouth to ask Elliott if he knew anything, his phone rang and I knew that I'd have to wait. As I entered my school and Elliott left for the airport in order to get to his college, I began to make my way to my first lesson of the day, my head still pounding. In Maths I sat at the back of the class and watched everyone else plus the teacher, just looking around. Yet, as per usual, a good lot of them were looking back at me. The girls with lust while whispering, the guys with scowl on their faces and obviously gossiping about the new bad boy enigma in their class. Even though I understood what was going on in the lesson, I couldn't bring my self to actually care. I knew the answers but kept my usual utter disregard for anything related to School up.

Repeatedly, my mind wandered to the truck in front of the Steele's house and what it could mean. And with this thought the rest of the day drifted away.

Once I arrived home I got changed, grabbed some clothes and the keys to Elliott's car. I didn't have my license yet but Elliott taught me to drive a while back. I began to drive aimlessly, no idea of where I wanted to go in mind. So I decided to play it safe. I picked up a bottle of tequila and went back home. I sat on my room and poured glass after glass, drinking my way into numbness, oblivion and hopefully a few hours worth of sleep.

Please review. Thanks for all the follows and favourites, it means a lot to me. I wanted to move the story a long a bit so I decided to merge the two POVs. Hope you enjoyed it! ;)