LINUS' POV

It had only been a week after Sally heard the terrible news. She was now in Alaska with her parents and Charlie. Her mother was the only one who knew about Sally getting abused besides me. She tried everything to divorce him, but once she couldn't get full custody of her children she stopped. Lawrence Brown (their father) knew better to do anything at their house in Alaska since their mother (Ophelia Brown) scattered guns around the house. Places only she knew about.

Ophelia was my favorite person ever (after Sally) she protected Sally whenever she could, she would die for her. Ophelia and I formed a special bond, she treated me like her own son, mainly because she was positive I would become her son in law in the near future. When I was younger she was like my psychologist, I would always talk to her about Sally. I would tell her how I felt, but being the blind stubborn person I used to be I would never actually admit to liking her. But she was the only person I ever talked about towards her so she connected the dots quickly.

Sally calls me everyday and gives me Ophelia's health status. She told me it was a little lonely at Alaska, with no one but your own mother who can't even leave her bed. That wouldn't be very amusing. So I decided to take action. I booked a flight to Alaska myself. Lucy and Schroeder come a little later (Lucy has always wanted to go to Alaska and Schroeder didn't want her to fly alone and paid for her and his tickets)

I just got out of the airport. This is the first time I've ever been to Alaska.

I arrived the their house and I gave three gentle knocks to the door. It was like a signature thing I did, no one ever does an odd number of knocks. Most people never caught on. Only Sally, Lucy, and Schroeder know about it, even my own brother never caught on.

I saw a tiny pale skinned hand reaching out to slowly open the door. It was Sally. To confirm my confident suspicion Sally peeked head out the door that still laid slightly ajar. Her jaw dropped when she saw me. I hadn't told anyone I was coming. A huge grin landed on her adorable face. Oh how I had missed that face.

The door flew open. "Linus!" She squealed. I took a closer look at her. She ran up to me for a hug but instead of letting her into my arms I pulled her back gripping onto her shoulders. "Sally your going to freeze!" I cried. She was only wearing a long faded T-shirt that covered her shorts.

Apparently her mother had been struggling to stay warm with her condition. And with Sally being a similar size, her dad gave all of her baggy long sleeves to her mother, leaving Sally with only shorts sleeves and tight dresses. "It's fine, I'll get used to it." She said. It clearly wasn't fine, her body was like ice, and their house didn't have a heater.

I looked at her and without another word I picked her up. "Linus! Put me down!" She screamed.

"No! You are going to die!" I gently placed her on their couch and put a knitted blanket over her. She adjusted herself as I took my varsity jacket off and put it over her shoulders. She started talking as her hands slivered through the armholes of my jacket. "You really don't have to do this." I walked over to the fireplace and placed more logs into the fire causing it to grow bigger. "Well it was either this or I let you freeze to death, so I regret nothing." She giggled and pulled the blanket up past her chest.

OPHELIA'S POV

It's all been a mess recently. I feel terrible. I hate my husband, my daughter is suffering, and my son is clueless. It's all so terrible. And on top of all of it I don't even think I have long to live. I've done everything, every medication. The doctors are terrible in our area. I've tried every single one. I'm a lost cause. There's no denying it. But I have to stay strong. For my family, for my daughter. The longer I live the longer she's safe. I've done everything I could to protect her, yet it wasn't enough.

Suddenly I could hear commotion outside of my door. It's normally silent at our house. Everyone is doing their own thing. Sally talks to some boy. My husband works, and often times Charlie follows. I listen closer. I could hear two people. Talking or fighting who knows. One of them was Sally. The other one I didn't know. I was confident it was a man, when I listen closer the voice sounds oddly familiar. But not recognizable. Was Sally in trouble?

Why was there someone else in our house? I forced myself off my bed and wobbled a little. I could technically walk, although it was a little clumsy and I would stumble and even fall sometimes. I bent down and opened a loose floorboard and grabbed a gun. I put guns around everywhere, it was most definitely illegal but anything to keep my daughter safe.

I slowly walked towards my door. Then I throw it open.

SALLY'S POV

I was covering my body with a comfy blanket as Linus puts logs into the fire. I felt on top of the world. Linus would always make me feel special. And I admit I kind of needed it. I knew I was safe at my home in Alaska. But living with my father was honestly a nightmare no matter what. With Linus around I knew I was safe. I wasn't getting any sleep. I couldn't close my eyes. I was too scared.

I'd stay on 5 hour calls with Linus because it made me feel safer, but now he's actually here. My body was warm, but not as warm as my heart. Linus was there for me, again. I could never thank him enough for all he's done for me. It would be good to assure him one last time.

"Linus I just want to say-" before I could finish my mom's bedroom door flung open. My mom was pointing a gun straight at Linus. Linus swiftly threw the log in his hands into the fire, stood up, and held his hands up. He looked at me. "Mom! Put the gun down." My mother inspected him further really looking at him.

"Linus? My boy is that you?" My mother's face was frozen. Linus grinned and nodded his head. She ran up to him. "How I've missed you! We have to talk and-" as she ran up to him she nearly fell. "Mom! Go back to bed!" Luckily she caught herself held her hands out to keep her balance.

"How about we talk there?" Linus asked politely. He walked up to her and walked her back to bed. He looked back and blew me a kiss. I smiled back at him as I pulled my blanket further up my body. I love that man.

I felt a vibration on the side of my torso. It was Linus' phone. Someone was calling him. Should I answer? I pulled out the phone from his pocket. It was Lucy. Might as well answer.

"Hello?"

"Sally is that you? Why do you have Linus' phone?"

"Oh uh- no reason. Why are you calling?"

"I was going to ask Linus if he was there yet but clearly he is, and already getting comfy with you."

"He's not getting comfy with me, he's not even here."

"Then why do you have his phone?"

"It was in his jacket."

"Why do you have his jacket?"

"I was cold."

"Sure ok. Anyway I have to get onto the plane, see you at Alaska!"

"You're coming too!? Wait what-"

She hung up. She's coming? With Schroeder? Linus has some explaining to do.

LINUS' POV

I sat down on a stool by Ophelia's bed, apparently Sally would sit here and talk to her when she wasn't resting or calling me. It felt impolite to call Ophelia by her name, but she insisted. "So Ophelia how are you doing? How do you feel?"

"Well the fact I can barely leave my bed says enough. Now how have you been? I heard you lost the scholarship to that fancy school, that must've been hard."

"It was more of a blessing really, at first it was like a punch in the gut but now I think I'm happier than I was over there."

"And why's that?" Why's that? What does she mean by that? "What?" She looked at me and furrowed her eyebrows. "Is it Sally?" Wow direct much?

"What I-"

"Oh I'm sorry! I forgot! She's talking to someone." Huh. "She's what?" She raised an eyebrow looking at me. "Oh she didn't tell you? She's been talking to some guy like everyday, their talks last for hours." I chuckled looking back her. I guess Sally never told her. She furrowed her eyebrows again. She was mixed with confusion and subtle offense. Until she figured it out. "You were that boy weren't you?"

"I am. But we aren't together by any means."

"Your aura says otherwise." Ophelia was always very spiritual. She could read your aura. "Well it's complicated."

"Is that so? Well maybe it'll seem a little less complicated if you'd try and explain it."

And I did. I told her my entire side of the story, from when I came back to now. "Ok that was complicated." She admitted. I gave her a small chuckle, I did tell her. "So what do you think? Was I a bad boyfriend?"

"Oh certainly, you broke her heart into microbes. But you aren't a bad person. And she knows that, that's why she lets you back into her life. And maybe soon she'll let you back into her love life."

"Oh no, she already said she wouldn't I don't think-"

"So you just kissed platonically?"

"I guess?"

"Look Linus, you two can love again. I can feel it. But you have to wait for her, you have to earn her love back."

"How?" She was giving me a obvious and familiar look. "I have to figure myself don't I?" She closed her eyes and nodded. I smiled back at her. "Thanks Ophelia, I needed this."

"Anytime." She responded. I walked over to the door and waved goodbye one last time. Before I could open the door I heard a muffled scream. I looked back at Ophelia and she gestured me out. I opened the door as fast as I humanly could. It was Sally.

She was sitting by the fireplace holding her hand. She burned it. "Sally!" I ran over to her and pulled her into my arms. I examined her hand looking closely at the burns. It wasn't anything serious, her hand was incredibly red with ash leftover. "Where do you keep bandages?"

"We don't have any." She looked up at me with that terrible helpless expression. It made me feel even worse than I already did. I could feel my stomach twist as I looked back at her. I looked over at my hand that was still injured, from the time I got pricked by thorns. I slowly unraveled the bandages and wrapped them around her arm. The bandages revealed dry blood and several cuts that hadn't healed. It still hurt to some extent but it no longer mattered. I finished the job and tied it together. She looked at me confused yet grateful, still helpless and pained, but less now.

I walked her to her bedroom. Once she sat down the doorbell rang through my ears, I told her I was going to get it and went off.

SALLY'S POV

Once Linus was completely out of sight I tucked myself into my bed awkwardly moving my injured hand out of the way. Once I was finally comfortable I felt a vibration, it was Linus' phone. I probably should've told him I had it, and that Lucy called. And I probably shouldn't have took it out of his pocket and checked the text without his permission. It was Eudora- wait Eudora!?

"Love you!" He was texting her!? I thought he said he wasn't going to date her! And I definitely know I shouldn't have unlocked his phone (we put each others fingerprints into our phone's when we were dating) but I was so furious none of that mattered. He had every right to date someone else, we had nothing left. There was something between us, but nothing to establish and hold onto. Somewhere in my heart I felt like I was being betrayed.

Was I reading the signs wrong? Shouldn't Linus know I wasn't over him? Couldn't he tell? What more did I have to say to him? How many more times did I have to kiss him? Why would he do that? I harshly pressed my thumb on the home button and checked the texts between them. I was truly horrified

At first it was just Eudora flirting with him and the whole fake act. Then things started getting weird.

"I'm sorry Eudora, I have feelings for someone else" He never told me he liked someone, now I feel like a fool.

"You know Sally's never going to like you right? She couldn't care less about you!" He likes me?

"You don't know that" Wait what!?

"When was the last time she owned up to her actions. She spent your entire joke of a relationship blaming you for the fall outs. And you listen to her? You need to move on." What is she saying!? Please don't tell me Linus is falling for this!

"Do you really think it's for the best?" No!

"I do, whenever you're ready I'll be here."

"Thanks Eudora"

"Of course! Love you!"

At this point I was in tears, I'll say it. That tore me apart. That shouldn't have hurt me as much as it did. Once again I tried to fix things, for what? This guy is so inconsistent! Why did things have to change? Why did Linus have to come home? And Schroeder too. Everything is a mess and I hate it! Everything was just fine before. Everything was easy. Why did I give Linus a second chance? How could I be so stupid!? I regret everything. Everything hurts.