We where sitting in the driveway of the Hollis' main house. There was a thick blanket of snow covering the ground, and the roof. I was happy I wore my new riding boots that Noelle gave me. I looked over at Josh. He was smiling,

"Ready?" He asked me, his eyebrows shooting up to hide under his curls.

I smiled at the sight of him, he still had crusted blue paint on his finger. And his oxford shirt looked adorable on him. "Yeah," I told him. He opened his door and shut it before he walked around the car. Josh opened my door and took my hand as I got out of the car. I gave him a kiss on the cheek, and he wrapped his arm around me. I didn't want him to let go. I put my left arm around his waist. Thanking god my Burberry trench wasn't so low to the ground to drag in the snow.

We made it to the door, Josh dropped his arm from around me. Instead, he took my hand with his and rang to doorbell. My stomach was tying in knots, I was hoping someone was there like Gia to talk to. Mrs. Hollis opened the door and her face lit up when she saw me.

"Reed!" She smiled and wrapped me up in a firm hug. I hugged her back and giggled.

"Susan, Merry Christmas." I told her smiling. Trying to be as polite as I could.

"Hey mom," Josh smiled, as if to remind her he was still there.

"Josh," she whispered and gave him a quick hug. He looked confused when she ran off to tell everyone we where here. Josh took my coat, and I pulled off my boots and placed them near the door. He took my hand again and lead me into the kitchen. Where I was loaded down with hugs and smiles. Josh's family really seemed to like me more everyday. I smiled at the fact.

We were all hanging out in the living room. The cooks where preparing the meal in the kitchen. So I was sitting on the couch with Josh and Gia. Lynn was sitting on a recliner. While the twins where on a love seat, Tess on the arm rest and Tori on the actual seat. Mr. and Mrs. Hollis were in another room.

"So, is aunt Sarah and Hunter coming?" Lynn asked.

"Yeah, their supposed to be here around 6." Tess answered.

I've never met Hunter. Going back to the conversation Josh and I had a while ago, Hunter Hollis apparently brought a hot girl with him every time he visited. Maybe I could finally meet this amazing girlfriend of his.

"Is he bringing his girl?" Lynn asked.

"You're just full of questions today aren't you?" Tori teased.

"I just want to know," He shrugged.

"Oooo!" The twins said at the same time.

"What?"

"Lynn likes Hunter's girlfriend!" Tess laughed.

"What?" Gia laughed. She obviously looked hurt.

"Gia, I don't like her!" Lynn pleaded.

"I think—" Tori began.

"No one gives a shit about what you think." Lynn snapped. He got up and left. Gia sighed and looked at us.

"Sorry," she said. Then she got up to go find him.

"Good job girls, you just pissed someone off on Christmas." Josh said told them with an annoyed smile.

"Whatever, it's true. She's always really pretty, and when Lynn gets a few drinks in his system…" Tori trailed off.

"Tori!" Tess scolded her older sister.

I could feel Josh tense up. He was obviously thinking of the Legacy. I entwined my arm with his and put my hand in his shoulder. He looked over at me and gave me a weak smile. I could see in his eyes. I could see what he was thinking. And I was right. I tore my eyes away from his. The emotion and sadness in those blue eyes where killing me. I couldn't ever see him that way. Never.

Josh looked over at Tess, "Just like go hang somewhere. Let the devil cool off." He took my hand and together we got off the coach.

"Bye Reed!" Tess and Tori shouted at me while I was walking away. I smiled and waved bye to them and Josh brought my downstairs.

"Lynn?" He shouted. There was a TV on and something was being played. Like a video game. Sure enough, Lynn was sitting on the couch and Gia on the other. They looked pissed, both of them. Just like Josh told Tori.

"Our sister is a—" Lynn began. But Gia cut him off.

"Lynn." Reproached Gia.

"I'm sorry." Lynn dropped the controller and placed his hands on his face. Josh sat next to him and I took a seat next to Gia.

"She's just changed a lot. She used to be just like Tess. Nice." Lynn pointed out.

"I know." Josh agreed.

"Reed, come with me to the living room. I bet Tori is going to want to talk." Gia told me. She nodded her head to the stairs and I sighed.

"Ok," I got up. "I'll see you two later." Then we where walking up the stairs.

"Can you believe what she said?" Gia asked.

"No, she was even talking about them hooking up." I choked out.

Gia got tense and then sighed. I put my hand in her shoulder.

"I know how you feel." I told her. We where standing at the head of the stairs.

"Then you have to help me cope," She sighed and dragged me upstairs and into the guest bedroom.

I sighed as I took a seat on the love seat in the gold room. What if I had to tell her what happened? Would she just hate me? There was a thin silence in the air.

"I know about that Sabine girl." She started for me.

She knew? "… How?" I asked.

"Everyone knows. She was a pretty big issue. And I heard about your friend Cheyenne, and the drugs. Josh told Lynn, and Lynn told me." She confessed.

Oh no. No. No, no, no, no. Josh told people? I forced a closed smile. "You must think I'm a huge slut."

"No! No, I don't!" She reassured me. She leaned forward in her chair. "I just know that you where controlled. And it wasn't your fault. And I know about Josh and Ivy." She told me.

I bit the inside of my cheek. Hoping that it would keep me from crying. Gia clearly recognized my current state and started talking.

"I know how you feel," She told me.

What? "How?" I asked.

Gia let out a big sigh, started to play with the ring on her finger and started talking. "A few years ago, senior year in high school. I came here with Lynn for the second year. And Hunter Hollis, of course, brought a new girl. Lynn was being really nice to her and I just ignored it. Thinking, he loves me right?" Gia pointed out. She sniffed, and I could see the tears starting to come.

"And well let's just say, Lynn got drunk, and broke up with me. Telling me that he didn't like the way that I would flirt with other guys. And then tell him I loved him. But I never flirted with other guys. I never tried to, it was all Lynn to me. And I just was crying that whole night. And Tess and Tori, only like 11 years old, told me they saw Lynn… with Hunter's girlfriend. I just lost it. I stayed in their room that night. But those girls where with me.

The day Lynn was completely sober was the day I left. He begged to have me back and I didn't except. Hating what a drunk he could be. But a few days back at school, and I couldn't take it. I needed him." She was crying now. "And he hates what he did. So now if Tori decides to be a horrible person and bring it up, he'll get pissed. And so will I." She told me.

"I am so sorry," I told her, giving her a hug. Her crying was starting to subside. "It's just horrible seeing the one you love with another person isn't it?" I asked her. I felt bad for her, and I was mad. So mad that Tori had the guts to even bring that up. It was mean and rude. I don't blame Gia for acting the way she was now. I would probably get a horrible pain in my stomach if I ever thought of Josh and Ivy together.

"It's horrible." She choked.

"I know how you feel," I whispered and pulled away from the hug. Her mascara was running down her eyes and her nose was red.

"Let's get you fixed up."

For the first time ever, I had to be the rock. The rock, the person that was steady and there for a more unstable person. Every time I was the unstable person. Never was I the rock. Never. But there's a first to everything. And I had to be Gia's rock. I couldn't let her fall into a sickening state right before everyone got here. So I was being a rock, and sitting on the counter in the bathroom. While Gia, was re-applying her make up.

"So you finally got over Josh and Ivy?" Gia asked putting cover up on her red nose.

There names together just didn't go. Why I just noticed this? I really don't know. "Uh, yeah. I eventually did. But it's still kind of hard." I told her truthfully shrugging my left shoulder.

"I'm so stupid. It happened 2 years ago and I still can't get over it." She dropped both of her hands onto the edge of the counter. Holding all of her weight over them.

"You're not stupid, you just really love him." I told her.

"I know I do. I'm just… so thankful that there's a new girl every time. So I don't have to face her." She told me and went back to putting make up on again.

"Just look at it this way, she probably knew that Hunter didn't like her. So she was probably just looking for someone else. And you have a hot enough boyfriend. She probably thought, what the heck? …Other girls don't care if we get hurt." I told her the last part looking down at my hands. Cheyenne came to mind. I couldn't think of her. Badly at least, she went through a lot. She didn't want to leave her life. Neither did Thomas.

Thomas.

I couldn't cry. I bit my lip so hard that I swore it started to bleed. While my mind was shouting, 'Don't cry.'

"Reed? Are you ok?" Gia asked obviously knowing something was wrong.

No, I wasn't ok. I needed Josh. "Where's Josh?" I asked her.

"He's probably still downstairs." She told me. I was walking over to the bed and sat.

"You don't look good. I'm going to get him."

I didn't even think about what she said. But when the door slammed close, I just kept thinking in my head.

She didn't want to leave her life. She was forced to.

So was Thomas.

It was weird. That a bunch of random nonsense came to my mind. Like I couldn't stop thinking about it now that it's been there. Now that's its been cried over. Now that it's been realized again. Now that it wasn't ever to be forgotten. I watched as the lights coming from the bathroom began to blur. I closed my eyes, pushing a tear to come down my cheek. I was pathetic.

"Reed?" A voice asked me. I didn't even look up to see who it was. But before I knew it, Josh was crouched down in front of me. Concern draped over his face.

"Reed, what's wrong!?" He asked in shock. As if it was the most weirdest thing to see me cry now. I wasn't even looking at him. So he put his hands on either side of my face, forcing me to.

"She didn't want to leave her life." I whispered. Hating the fact that I sounded so unstable.

"Who? Reed who are you talking about?" Josh asked me.

"Cheyenne!" I told him, finally able to say her name.

"Reed, why are you upset over this now?" Josh asked. He wrapped his arms around me and made me stand up.

"I don't know," I cried into his shoulder. "I belong in the same mental place Sabine and… Ariana are at." I told him. He pulled back and looked me dead in the eye.

"Reed, those girls are crazy. Their killers, you are not crazy nor are you a killer. You're a beautiful girl who's just in shock still. Getting back together was probably too much." Josh sighed.

"No! Getting back together was the best thing that's happened this year." I told him. Looking into his blue worried eyes.

"It was, but Reed that's all in the past. You don't have to think about them anymore." Josh told me.

"Them?"

"Cheyenne and… Thomas." He told me.

"I was thinking about him too." I confessed looking at the couch behind Josh.

He put his hand on either sides of my face again and smiled.

"I love you, you know that." Josh told me.

"I know that, and I you I love you too." I smiled.

"So let's just have a good time tonight, and forget about… them." He told me.

I was silent for a minute. Just looking into his eyes seeing if he was sure.

"Sounds like a plan."

HEY! I posted a chapter! Review please

peace out,

Lauren