Sutton stayed home the next two days doing exactly what Johnny had said to do. She slept a lot and did everything she could to relax, but that also meant she didn't do a lot at all, which left her alone with her thoughts. More often than not they drifted to Thayer and she would feel the tears scald her cheeks almost as soon she saw his face in her mind.

The door slid open and her mom slipped in silently as she lay on her side. When she saw that Sutton's eyes were open Kristin spoke, "I brought you some food."

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry."

"Sutton you have to eat something."

"I said I'm not hungry," Sutton spat, "Now please I just want to be left alone."

"Sutton, please talk to me. I don't know what your father and I did to make you upset, but—"

"You didn't do anything," Sutton assured, finally looking at her mom. She knew she was being a little difficult, but she hadn't meant to make her parents feel like they'd done something wrong. She pushed herself up into a seated position and tried to show her mom how wrong she was.

"Then why won't you talk to us? You shut us out of your hospital room and you've barely said three words to me in the last few days. I don't know what to do."

"I'm sorry," she said on the verge of tears.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Sutton. I just want to know what's going on."

Her mom wiped a tear from Sutton's eye and took her good hand. Sutton took a deep breath and tried to maintain her composure as she spoke, "The night of the accident Thayer and I got into a fight. That's where I was coming from when I wrecked the car. Things were said and I ended up storming out of his house. When he came by the house the next day we got into another fight and I told him we couldn't be friends anymore."

"Why not?"

"When I was in LA I did something out of spite that ended up really hurting him and it sort of changed things between us."

"Did you mean to hurt him?"

"No," Sutton responded adamantly, "But I knew he was going to get hurt when I did it."

"I don't understand why you can't be friends anymore. I mean you didn't mean to hurt him and I'm sure if you told him that he would understand. I'm sure you could get back to the way things used to be."

"That's the problem. He wants to act like nothing happened and go back to the way things used to be between the two of us."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"I don't want things to be the same between us and I don't think they can be."

"Why not?"

"Because," Sutton began, but paused. She wasn't sure she wanted her mom to know why. Not even Emma knew this part of the story. She took another deep breath focused on Kristin. She needed to admit this to someone and her mom obviously wanted to know.

"Because," she repeated, "I think I'm in love with him."

Emma was standing outside Sutton's bedroom eavesdropping on the conversation when she heard Sutton profess her love to Thayer. As soon as the words came out of Sutton's mouth she threw the door open and stomped right over to her crazy sister.

"Are you kidding me?"

"What?" Sutton questioned.

"I'm gonna go," Kristin announced as she got up off of the bed. Emma didn't look at her and neither did Sutton, but they both waited for the door to click closed before they continued their conversation.

"I've been trying to get you to admit that you're in love with Thayer Ryback for months and now that you guys aren't even friends you finally realize how you feel? Are you insane?"

"That's why we're not friends, Emma."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"He gave me his heart and all I did was break it. It's what I've always done and it's what I'll always do to him. I'm not good enough. I never will be."

"Sutton, when are you going to realize that you are the only girl good enough for Thayer?"

"He still hates me for what happened in LA."

"He doesn't hate you," Emma stated, "You hurt him and—"

"All I do is hurt him. The one time he has ever hurt me was when he was being completely honest with me. It might've hurt, but he wasn't wrong. I have never been there for him and he has always been there for me. He did give me his heart and all I did was break it. I have no right to make him to do it again."

"Wow Sutton," Emma exclaimed, "You know I knew you were a good liar, but I never realized you actually believed the BS that came out of your mouth."

"Excuse me?"

"You're right that you can't make him give you his heart again, but you also can't stop him. It's his heart and whether you want to admit it or not he gets to decide who he asks to protect it."

Emma stomped out of the room and slammed the door closed behind her. For months she'd been waiting for Sutton to realize that she was in love with Thayer and now that she had she wanted to slap her sister upside the head. All Thayer wanted was her, so why was she denying him that? If she really loved him she would've told him. She would've given him what he wanted. Why wouldn't she tell him? Why would she break her own heart for the sake of saving his? Unless…

She ripped her keys out of her bag and moved in the direction of the front door. There was only one place she needed to be right now and it wasn't in her bedroom.