AN: Wow! Thank you for the feedback. I'm really touched and appreciate it. This chapter takes place on the day of the Tween Choice Awards. We see Elle getting ready, Kendall does something good for once, and a character from the past pops up. This chapter could be a bit triggering for people so proceed with caution.

There's a longer note at the end and I'd be grateful if you read it.

Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

There were only twelve hours standing between me and the end of the summer. It couldn't come fast enough.

My job was the greatest in the world. I knew this. Being able to see a different city every day and getting paid to sing was something most people could only dream about. I was beyond grateful to have made it out of Arizona. But it was also nice to be home. Out my window, I could see the familiar skyline of downtown Los Angeles. The view made up for the long day ahead.

It was the morning of the Tween Choice Awards and things were already in full swing. I was tucked away in an expensive suite looking through the day's schedule. I had a spa session from ten to noon. Rehearsal and interviews were from noon to three. I'd come back to the hotel to get ready from four to six. The red carpet started just before seven and would last for 45 minutes. Liz wanted me to do as many interviews as possible before my break. The award show itself only lasted from eight to ten. And then it was nothing but after-parties that would go on until the early hours of the morning. It was a little past ten now and I was trying to mentally prepare myself for what was to come. We were at the hotel down the street from the venue. I was getting some early beauty preparations done for tonight's red carpet. This was my favorite part of any award show besides winning. It had been a grueling past few months and I figured I deserved to treat myself. I had expected it to be just me due to Liz being at the venue with Gustavo. But a sharp knock made me excuse myself from the woman plucking my eyebrows. I was pleasantly surprised to see James.

"Morning." He greeted with a bright smile. "Happy award show day."

"Happy award show day." I gave him a once over and saw that he was newly showered and had a red flush to his face. "Did you run here?"

"My trainer and I had a session now that I'm back in town." He flexed his bicep, showing off his muscles. "I need to look my best tonight. I have people to impress."

"I bet you do. I also need to look my best tonight. Liz arranged for this whole glam squad to make me over."

James was looking past me into the room where the small team was gathered. "You want company?"

His early morning visit made sense now and I scoffed. "You just want to use my glam squad."

"Guilty as charged. I heard Liz mention it to Kelly." He followed me into my room. "I can never pass up a spa day."

James seemed to enjoy a good pampering even more than I did. He was right at home getting his nails trimmed and buffed alongside me. He reminded me of who his mother was and it all made sense. It didn't surprise me that his mother had been treating him to things like this since he was a child.

"You saw my house, she likes the finer things and so do I."

I let out a contented sigh and admired my freshly painted nails. "I don't blame you. This is nice and after all the Bet Bullshit, I deserve it."

He raised his green juice in a toast. "I'll drink to that."

Before every award show, celebrities indulged in a variety of beauty treatments to get red carpet ready. My makeup artist did a great job on the tour. But spending every night sweating under hot lights tended to wreak havoc on my skin. Award shows also meant high definition pictures and cameras. So, I spent the better part of my morning getting my eyebrows plucked, my teeth whitened and my body exfoliated. James and I were now getting facials from my usual girl and my hair had been trimmed. James was great company and it was nice to have someone to talk to. We chatted about what we were going to do now that the tour was over.

"Realistically, BTR is probably going to do a world tour and then taking a break." He confessed in a quiet voice. "I think we all want to branch out a little. Carlos has been directing, Logan's writing stuff that sounds nothing like the band's music, and I think I want to jump into acting."

It didn't go unnoticed that he didn't mention Kendall but I was too surprised to comment on that. "A break could be good. You want to act, what about modeling?"

"I can multitask but I think it could be cool to be creative in a way that's different from singing. Griffin wanted us to do our own projects a few years ago but we turned him down."

"I could see you on the big screen. You have leading man energy."

This made him grin and he seemed touched. "You think so?"

"For sure. Speaking of acting, you didn't have to hang out with me. I know Sydney is in town."

"Nonsense, I was awake from the gym." He opened one eye. "Besides, I'll never say no to a facial and a massage."

The esthetician applied thick face masks to our skin and James and I settled in deeper into our chairs. It was relaxing to spend the morning being treated so well. Mornings on tour involved a too-small shower and an early wake-up call.

"Too bad we couldn't get the guys to join us."

"Logan and Carlos are asleep and probably won't wake up for another hour." He tutted. "It'll be a miracle if the makeup artist can even get them to powder their noses."

I looked in the mirror at the white face mask I had on. The thought of extra sleep was nice, but this was better. The Tween Choice Awards were a fairly casual event but I knew I was in for a long day. I always found it interesting just how time was put into getting ready for something that only lasted a few hours. Concerts and award shows required so much build-up for such a short event. But I didn't mind, it was the best job in the world and after tonight, I'd be free.

"Men are so easy," I complained. "I'd love to roll out of bed and look good."

"I spent all summer watching you roll out of your bunk. Trust me, you look better in the morning than half of these people will look tonight."

His compliment made me smile under the drying face mask. "I bet that line works wonders on girls."

"I'll let you know how Sydney likes it. We'll see though, she's notorious for not dating people in the industry."

Sydney West was James' latest crush. She was a well-known child actor turned film star. Jett had been her costar once and he had told me all about her 'basic bitch boyfriend' who had been a normal person. He had found it completely bizarre that she'd date someone so boring. She had never dated someone famous and made a point not to mix business with pleasure. And after this summer I didn't blame her.

"I think she has the right idea. My life would be so much easier if I found a normal boyfriend. Maybe I'll date a barista or an accountant."

James was amused by the idea of this. "Maybe a lawyer, that way you can get a restraining order against Kendall."

The mention of Kendall made my stomach turn over. I was glad the face mask kept my face from moving because I'd probably be frowning. We had called our relationship off for good last night and it hurt. I had fought tears for most of the three-hour flight and once I had been alone in my hotel room I broke down completely. To make things worse, I had to sing the duet with him tonight because it was nominated. The only saving grace was that Gustavo and Liz had agreed to let us rehearse separately. We'd use the studio version of the song with the other person's voice left in. That way I only had to sing it with him once. James must have noticed my silence because he sat up from where he was getting his eyebrows tweezed.

"You okay?"

I picked at the belt on my robe. "We called it off last night. Or I guess I did, technically speaking."

"So I heard." He cringed at his choice of words. "We weren't listening in, it's just that you're both loud. And Kendall was drinking on the plane and you looked like you were going to cry so it wasn't hard to put it together."

"It's fine. It wasn't a secret or anything."

"Does he know that you're over? He was in Carlos' room trying to tell him about this song he wrote about you and kept saying that you had feelings for him."

"He knows." I thought of the way he stormed out of my dressing room. "And of course that's what he focused on."

He seemed unsure of how to continue. "Is he wrong to think that?"

I guess I hadn't told anyone the truth about my feelings and it felt strange to say it out loud. "No. I have feelings for him. I-I feel the same way he does."

James was surprised by this and blinked a few times. "And you're not together?"

"No. I like him and it sucks but we shouldn't be together." I sighed and gave a tight smile. "Like I told him last night, sometimes there isn't a happy ending. We're never going to see each other again after tonight if I'm lucky."

He reached over and gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "That's really brave. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks."

We were both quiet for a while, enjoying each other's company and the pampering when James spoke up.

"Oh, and by the way," He flashed his freshly whitened teeth with a devious grin. "You may be getting rid of Kendall. But you're never getting rid of me and the other guys."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

My beauty preparations came to an end after my facial and I soon found myself down the street at the theatre. The day had gotten off to a rocky start when I arrived at the venue. It was huge to accommodate the myriad of celebrities that would be here. My dressing room was hidden in a distant hallway and I had to call Liz to send security to come find me after I had gotten lost. At first, I felt bad for holding up the schedule but it turns out she had gotten lost too.

I had just practiced presenting the award for Favorite Social Media Star and was watching the guys practice their introductions. Kendall and Carlos were presenting for Favorite Gamer. Logan and James were presenting for Favorite Actress. They shared a bit of banter before Logan leaned into the mic.

"And the Tween Choice Award for Favorite Actress goes to..."

James opened an envelope. "It says to be announced but probably Sydney West."

This made me laugh and Liz shook her head. "You know he picked that category on purpose."

"The things people do for crushes. It's kind of sweet. The only time Jett did something cute for me was after he did something awful." Liz shot me a dark look. "What? All I'm saying is something like that is cute but they aren't real. No one is going to pull a grand gesture like that for me."

"What about Kendall?"

We both turned to look at him. He was standing with Carlos who was clearly trying to cheer him up. I could sense his hangover from here. His blonde hair was tucked in a beanie and he was wearing his black sweatshirt. His eyes were red and puffy just like mine had been this morning. It had taken the glam squad a long time to tone down the redness and soothe how swollen they had been.

"I doubt it. He left my dressing room last night and said he accepted that we were over."

Liz clapped her hands together. "Who needs a vacation when you can hear something like that? Suddenly, I feel better."

I shoved her. "Yeah, yeah. Once I get through this stupid duet, I'll be golden."

Luckily, I wouldn't be seeing much of him today. Big Time Rush and I had separate interviews that took up the rest of the early afternoon. Once again, I got lost trying to find the interview room and needed someone to guide me. Between interviews Liz wanted me to sneak in some time to answer some fan questions on Twitter. She had left me in Kelly's hands while she ran to go get lunch and make sure my stylist team was set up at my hotel. We were only a few hours away from the red carpet and I would be heading out soon. I was excited for tonight even if I had to sing the duet. I would also be singing Colors which fans really seemed to enjoy.

BTR had to go through their soundcheck a second time after a microphone complication. My soundcheck went fine. I ran through Colors and couldn't wait to sing it on live TV. It was a little awkward to sing a duet with a recording of Kendall's voice but it was better than the real thing. This one song brought up so many memories. It had been a month and a half since I had last sung it but I didn't miss a beat. And according to Gustavo, neither did Kendall. He had practiced early this morning when I was hanging out with James. I was glad I didn't have to hear him sing it more than I had to. It was sweet of him to come in early and do that. He definitely didn't owe me any favors. Despite the tension, I was determined to have a good time.

Award shows, in general, were always enjoyable. I was looking forward to other people's performances. It was also nice to see other friends from the industry. It was like a giant reunion because people you hadn't seen for a while were bound to be here. Adam, who had been in my video, had dropped by the craft service area to say hi. As well as Lucy Stone. She leaned against the table and nodded to Kendall.

"How have you been? I wasn't sure if I should text you or not."

"I'm fine. Just ready to never see him again." I turned on the kettle to boil water. "This summer has been too much."

She nodded. "Do you think he'll get back with Jo?"

Kendall's words from last night rang in my head.

I don't want Jo. I'm in love with you, not her.

"Doubt it. He cheated on her and she's been talking shit about both of us."

Lucy seemed surprised by this. "Has she? She's always been disgustingly nice."

It took all of five seconds to pull up her Twitter feed. I had stumbled across her posts when fans had tagged me in them. They ranged from the day after the Kendall Incident to just a few hours ago. They were mixed in with regular tweets about being on set, what she was up to, and pictures of Italy. It made me wonder if she had no one to vent to.

"See for yourself."

JoTaylorOfficial: Heading home for the TCAs today. Hopefully, I only see people I like!

JoTaylorOfficial: Some girls love to play the victim when they're actually just a slut.

JoTaylorOfficial: I may be boring but at least I don't fuck guys with girlfriends. #noshade #justfacts

JoTaylorOfficial: People have been asking what happened in New York. He cheated on me with a low rate bitch. He didn't know how good he had it.

JoTaylorOfficial: Don't feel bad for either of them. They're both toxic liars who deserve each other.

Lucy raised an eyebrow and handed my phone back. "I don't know whether to be proud that she finally grew a backbone or pissed she's running her mouth."

"I love how her username includes official, who would want to pretend to be her?" I snorted and rolled my eyes. "She slapped me last time I saw her, I better beef up my security."

"We can take her." Lucy gave a smug smile and jokingly cracked her knuckles. "Kendall's exes have to stick together."

This made me laugh and I shoved her. It was nice to be home with friends again. "Speak of the devil."

Kendall was making his way over to the table and was on his phone. He hadn't noticed us yet and Lucy gathered her things in a hurry.

"This is awkward. I'll see you at the afterparty."

I waved goodbye and Kendall was confused when she rushed past him. "Was that Lucy?"

"We were just catching up." This was the first time we had talked since last night and I shuffled my feet. "How are you?"

He rubbed his forehead. "A little hungover. I drank a little too much last night."

"Of course you did."

The cold shoulder I gave him caught him off guard and he looked like he wanted to say something. I busied myself with opening a teabag and hoped he'd go away.

"I wanted to let you know, our dressing room is next to yours. So if you see me loitering it's not on purpose."

Leave it to Kendall to find a way to have a conversation about something so unimportant just so he could talk to me. But I was determined to be polite. I only had to be professional for a few more hours.

"You're fine." I stopped stirring and set down my cup. "I doubt I'll be in there much. I've gotten lost twice today."

He rolled his eyes and he was amused. "Of course you did. You have a terrible sense of direction. Carlos got lost too."

"All the hallways look the same. You can't blame me."

There was a brief pause and he looked unsure. "I uh- I wanted to let you know-"

"Spit it out."

"Jett and Jo are here." He said quickly, trying to get it over with. "I overheard Kelly say something about it. I just wanted you to know so you wouldn't be surprised or scared or anything."

My aloof attitude faded and I was actually grateful. "I'm not scared of Jett."

"Of course not. You're a badass." He gave a small smile. "I just thought you should know beforehand."

"Well, thank you. I appreciate it." I picked up my cup and patted his arm. "I'm definitely going to hide in my dressing room once I find it."

"If you get lost just shout."

I hightailed it away from the backstage area and towards my dressing room. Seeing Jett and Jo wasn't high on my to-do list today. Jo would probably try to slap me or slut-shame me and I wasn't in the mood for Jett's sexist comments. Liz and my driver would be coming back for me so I could get ready for the red carpet. I simply had to bide my time in my room.

That was easier said than done because I was lost in the maze of grey hallways. Celebrities deemed more 'important' were placed further away from the noise of the crowd. I didn't consider this a perk and wondered why I needed a dressing room when my hotel was just down the street. I passed by door after door, none of them had my name on them. It was quiet back here, no one really spent much time in these rooms until they were about to go onstage. I knew damn well Jo Taylor wasn't important enough to have a room near mine. As for Jett, he had probably left for his traditional red carpet routine of spray tanning, teeth whitening, and ingesting some kind of illegal substance. I wasn't too worried about him, but I still would rather avoid them both.

At this point, I wasn't going to find my dressing room in time to pee. I made a mental note to ask Liz to get me a room that wasn't in a different universe for the next award show. After washing my hands, I sent her a quick text asking her when she'd be here. Her response was quick but made me groan.

Ten minutes, stuck in traffic. But I have your dress and a salad for you!

Ten minutes wasn't too long of a wait but it didn't make finding my dressing room worth it. So, I pulled open the door and decided to just go hang out with the guys near the stage. If I hurried, I could probably sneak in a bagel before Liz got here. She claimed carbs before the red carpet would make my face puffy.

"Well, well, well."

Suddenly, my appetite was gone and I shook my head.

"What are you doing here?"

"You could sound more excited than that, Len."

I was face to face with all six feet and two inches of Jett Xavier Stetson. He was coming out of the men's room and wore a wolfish grin.

"I had to powder my nose." He laughed at his own joke and held up a small bag. "Get it?"

It was obvious to me now that he had mentioned it. His pupils were blown wide, the black nearly obscuring the blue. He sniffed and rubbed at his nose.

"It's a shame you wasted all that money on rehab." I scoffed as I went to walk away from him. "Bye."

He stepped in front of my path and seemed annoyed by my comment. "Do you want some?"

"No and especially not from you. I just came to use the bathroom. Enjoy your drugs, Jett."

"I didn't come back here to do drugs. I mean, I did." He smirked a little and came closer. "I saw you head back here and couldn't help myself."

This made me wrinkle my nose and I felt a bit nervous. I didn't relish the idea of being back here with him. "Well, you saw me. Congratulations."

He let me walk past him but hummed. "So, you found out it was a bet? Kendall's a real dumbass for letting you find out. I told him how great you were in bed. I know I wouldn't do anything to fuck that up."

"Fuck off. That's none of your business and the last time I checked, you did fuck it up. Or did you do so many drugs that you forgot?"

"Trust me. I didn't forget and even if I did." He leaned down into my ear and used a sing-song voice. "I have the tape."

Anger coursed through me and I shoved him. "I hate you."

"I gotta admit, I saw your soundcheck and knew I had to come see you." His voice was low and his breath was warm against my cheek. "You looked good, moving that little body of yours and singing that song. You think about me when you sing it?"

I hadn't realized he had seen my soundcheck or heard me singing Colors. My gut told me I had to get out of here and I distanced myself from him.

"I don't actually. It's not just about you, it's about me."

This didn't stop him and he continued talking. His speech was rushed and he was all charm. This is how he always was after doing a line of coke.

"I miss you, Len. I fucked up and I know that. But I miss you, miss being with you." He ran his hand up my arm. "I'm sorry I was such a shitty boyfriend. I'm doing a lot better now."

"Yeah because snorting cocaine backstage is such an improvement. At least you recognize how shitty you were."

He frowned at me. "It was a long flight, don't be a bitch. You weren't perfect either, you made everyone think I overdosed."

"You did! You weren't breathing and I wasn't going to let you die."

Goosebumps cropped up on my skin at the memory of coming home to Jett unconscious on the couch. I really thought he had been dead. He didn't know how to reply to this and changed the subject.

"I still love you, you know. I think about you a lot, what we could have been. Do you ever think of me?"

"Only in my nightmares."

Jett was still stroking my arm. "Well, I think about you. At night, in the shower, when I'm with other girls. No one is good enough for me. You have to think about me. I know damn well you're not thinking about Kendick. He's such a fucking loser, he couldn't keep his mouth shut and lost out on the best sex he's ever gonna get."

"Don't touch me and don't talk about Kendall." My defensive tone surprised both of us. "He's not a loser and at least he apologized and owned up to what he did."

"And what did I do?" He challenged and folded his arms. "Kendall was a moron. All I did was have sex with my girlfriend."

"You know what you did. You drugged me and forced yourself on me when I begged you to stop." My fists were clenched and I glared at him. He was garbage and needed to know just how sick he was. "And when he thought I was pregnant, he didn't bash my head into a wall. When I tried to kill myself, he felt bad. He's a thousand times better than you are."

His jaw was so tight that I could see the muscles tense up. "No one is better than me. I'm Jett fucking Stetson. You're just pissed everyone was reminded how easy you are. Like I said before, you're disposable. I make you interesting. I make you worth something."

That last bit took me right back to the rough days of our relationship. He had filled my head with nonsense like he was the only person who would ever love me. He had made me feel needy and dependant on him. I gave him a hard shove and he stumbled.

"That's not true. You're just a sad addict who has no self-esteem."

"Now that's not what you really think." Jett's grin was genuine and smug. "You said it yourself baby, I'm a masterpiece."

It didn't surprise me that was the lyric he remembered. "Whatever. Go fuck yourself."

His footsteps were loud as he caught up to me. He had a grip on my arm. "Was I really that awful to you?"

I laughed at this. Maybe he really had damaged his brain between the drugs and car accident. "You raped me and filmed it for the world to see. You gave me not one, but two concussions and cheated on me. Yes, you are that awful." I pushed him again. "Don't touch me, I'm leaving."

The shove he gave me was hard and it made me cry out in surprise. Not only did coke make him confident, but it also made his already quick temper even shorter.

"Don't be a bitch. We were good together. When are you going to see that I'm the guy for you?"

"You're not the guy for me. Not in this universe or any other."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Oh, so Kendall can fuck you as a bet and you'll go back to him and your tour? But when I make one tiny mistake you want to go to the police and never speak to me again?"

His arrogance knew no bounds and it made me physically ill. "Leave him out of this. You meddled enough in that and it's not your business."

"So, you'll fuck Kendall but not me?" His hand found my waist. "People said you fucked after you came back to the tour. In Michigan or wherever he's from. Why don't I get a second chance?"

I decided not to focus on the fact that he kept up on my every move and the gossip surrounding me.

"Because I don't hate him, because I actually want to be with hi-" I stopped myself and pried his hand off of me. "We're not talking about this."

"Why would you want to be with him? Have you ever really looked at his face, it's fucking weird. Why date him, someone who only pretends to be nice, when you could date me? You know me, you've seen it all."

Jett's logic was so flawed that I could barely form a sentence. "You raped me. You held me down and forced me to have sex with you."

He was fiddling with his drugs and raised a shoulder in a half shrug. "You say rape, I say we were both fucked up."

"Because you put drugs in my drink!" My voice was shrill. "You know what? Fuck this. I'm not going to argue with you. Enjoy your blow, try not to have a heart attack."

Arguing with Jett always made me feel like I was crazy. Gaslighting was one of his favorite pastimes next to doing drugs and staring in the mirror. There was no point to continue this conversation and I was going to remove myself from it.

"Eleanor." He said from behind me. "I'm sorry about that night. Filming it was fucking dumb. I was young and stupid and high. And about the aftermath, when I came to your place to ask if you were pregnant, I was stupid."

This was the most he had ever taken the blame for anything in our two and a half year relationship. "Really?"

"Yeah, it was good sex. It's a shame you don't remember and that you didn't enjoy it. I don't think you even got off." He scratched his face then gestured to my stomach. "And I guess hitting your head like that was bad. But I know damn well you didn't want a brat and neither did I. You're a fucking foster home reject and I value my beauty sleep too much."

Why the fuck did I think he was going to actually say sorry? This was classic Jett, he'd apologize but make snide and backhanded comments. Of course, I didn't get off when he assaulted me. His dig about me being a foster home reject stirred up memories of one of our worst fights and I flinched instinctively. He was still talking, he was running on charm and cocaine. His grin was the one I had fallen for at 17.

"You've worked hard to come back from everything. I honestly am surprised that you didn't kill yourself after Kendick. It's really good to see you again, baby." He took a few steps towards me. "You know what would look really good?"

"What?"

"If we got back together. The media would eat that shit up. You getting back with your first love after Kendall broke your heart. You'd get good press for once and I'd look like the hero. I booked a role for this movie in France and I'm sure you're gonna tour overseas soon." Jett placed his hands on my hips. "We can brand it as a Jelle European Takeover. I still think we could take over the industry. Young fucking gods, right? We used to say that, remember? We're gonna be legends."

The thought of getting back with Jett made my skin crawl. If I was going to be with anyone, which I wasn't, it would be Kendall. But I had to hand it to him, he really did have the brain for spinning anything into good press. His plan was something Liz and Dani would have come up with if Jett wasn't a walking cesspool of a human. It was a shame really. He could probably do great things if he wasn't so busy being awful.

"That's ridiculous." His hands roamed my sides. "Get off me."

"Fine, no takeover. But that doesn't mean we couldn't get to know each other again. I've missed this body, you've let it go a little but that's what personal trainers are for."

His hands were rough and hot on my skin and my heart pounded in my chest. "Jett, stop it."

"I miss you every day. I still love you." His lips brushed against my ear. "I could make you my trophy wife like we talked about."

There had been a time in my life when hearing Jett say that he wanted to marry me could have made me look past everything. There had been a point when we had a plan to be the power couple in Hollywood. We were going to be young gods, ruling everything and accepting only the best. But that dream had died a long time ago. I was shaking like a leaf and wanted him to stop touching me.

"I don't want t-that."

The fact that he wasn't too cut up about this told me he hadn't been serious, He rebounded and his offer was casual. "Doesn't mean we can't fuck."

"That's exactly what it means. You never get to touch me like that again." My voice was low and rough. "Stop now and I won't have my security kick your ass."

"But I miss you." His hands cupped my ass. "I miss this." He groped my breasts and chuckled. "I miss these."

All my self-defense training was gone and I was frozen where I stood. My eyes burned with tears and panic bloomed in my stomach. He wouldn't stop touching me and I could feel his breath on my face. I wanted someone to round the corner and save me from this.

"I miss this mouth of yours." His thumb brushed over my lips and he leaned in. "I know you miss me."

Jett kissed my neck and I tried to pull away. His hold was too tight and I felt like I was going to throw up when he kissed me on the mouth. His lips were hard and rough as they moved against mine. I managed to break away and he realized I was crying. He snorted and touched my cheek and wiped my tears. Had it been anyone else, the gesture would have been sweet, but it made my skin crawl.

"I know you want me." He grabbed my ass again. "You're so pretty Eleanor. So, so, pretty. I should have been nicer to you. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"Get off of me," I demanded.

He took a look at my face and huffed out a laugh. "Crying? Really? I just want to be with you."

His fingers undid the button of my jeans and I felt the color drain from my face. "No!"

"You're so much prettier when you smile. You're even hotter when you're getting fucked." He was whispering in my ear. "Did Kendall fuck you better than I did? Was he bigger than me? Let me show you how much better I am. Let me take you into the bathroom. I can fuck you better than Kendall. I won't even film it this time."

Jett's nails dug into my skin and I swayed. It felt like I was going to collapse, I had to get out of here. "Stop! Get off of me!"

My voice echoed off the walls and Jett didn't seem too bothered. He was beyond high and was determined. He pulled down the strap of the tank top I wore and kissed my shoulder and neck. I hated the way Kendall's name came out of his mouth and I hated how he touched me.

"You wore this to tease me, didn't you? I always said you look sexy in red." He kissed me and his tongue found it's way into my mouth and I clawed at his arms. "I want you to remember this time."

He said this as if the last time wasn't already burned into my brain. He started guiding me to the bathroom and I knew that I absolutely couldn't go in there. I thrashed my arms and attempted to escape his hold. I dragged my feet against the concrete floor and shouted at the top of my voice. My phone buzzed in my back pocket but there was no way I could get to it.

"Help! I need help!"

Jett groaned. "Not this again. You're so fucking loud."

"Fuck you. Don't touch me!" I spit on him and shoved him. "I hate you."

He wiped at his face and glared down at me. He was nearly a foot taller and towered over me. His pupils were still wide and I could see a bit of dried blood and cocaine under his nose. He was high and angry and I knew he wouldn't take no for answer. I fought back even harder now but he overpowered me.

"You're such a bitch."

His hand was heavy as it landed across my face. The slap sent me tumbling to the ground I frantically scooted back on my hands and knees. I clutched my face as it began to sting. My legs were shaking as I stood up. Jett's hand was raised, ready to strike again. There was hunger in his eyes and I knew I had to save myself. I gave a swift, hard knee to the crotch and he crumpled over. My face burned and my vision was blurred with tears. The sound of hurried footsteps caused relief to wash over me. Someone knew I was here.

"Elle, come on. Lighten up." He groaned and looked up from where he held himself. "I was kidding."

I stayed tense ready to strike again. "Some fucking joke. You're disgusting."

"At least I didn't get fucked as a bet. I told you he thought you were trash." He hissed in pain again. "Jesus, did you really have to hit me?"

"It's called self-defense. You only have yourself to thank for that." I thought of the classes I took during my two-year break. "Go fuck yourself, Jett."

"What the fuck?" The voice behind me made me sob all over again. "Elle?"

Kendall looked from me to Jett and was confused for a second, unsure of what to make of the scene before him. When he realized my jeans were unbuttoned and saw the tears in my eyes, his face hardened. It took no time for him to jump between us and land a blow to his face.

"Keep your hands off of her!" He gave Jett a hard push and backed him against the wall. "What the fuck did you do to her?"

If Jett was scared, he didn't let it show. "Stay out of this, Kendick."

I jumped at the feeling of someone's hand on my back. I turned to see Logan, Carlos, and James standing behind me. They led me away from Kendall and Jett. My brave exterior shattered and I fell to pieces in their arms. My thoughts were on a loop.

I was safe. I was safe. I was safe.

"You're okay." Carlos kept his arm around me. "It's okay."

The sound of grunting made me turn my head. Kendall's fist collided with Jett's face over and over again. He was bleeding from his mouth and nose. He punched Kendall square in the face. They struggled for a bit. Kendall was stunned by the hit but gained the upper hand and held Jett to the wall, his nails digging into his throat. His green eyes were full of fury and his teeth were clenched.

"You're fucking sick."

"I'm not the one who fucked her as a bet," Jett smirked as blood dripped from his mouth and nose. "That was you."

Kendall hit him again and his words were full of venom. "You're the rapist."

Jett's smug face faltered and he looked over at me. He had never been confronted about his actions by someone other than me. "She was drunk. You know how she is. She's a fucking slut."

I cringed at this and watched as Kendall blocked his view of me. "Don't look at her. It doesn't matter if she was drunk, that doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want."

His face was bleeding and would probably bruise shortly. But he didn't seem to feel any pain because he pushed past Kendall like it was nothing. His eyes raked over me and he sneered.

"You're so fucking dramatic. You're such a little bitch just like he is." He bared his teeth and his eyes burned holes into me. It was objectifying and his eyes lingered over my breasts. "What a fucking whore."

I couldn't form words but it didn't matter because James spoke first. "You don't get to talk to her like that."

"If anyone's a bitch it's you," Logan said as he forced him past me. "Get the fuck out of here."

Jett leaned over and scooped his bag of drugs off the floor before stomping down the hallway. Kendall started to go after him but I held out my hands. The last thing I wanted was to cause a big scene a few hours before the award show. And I didn't want him to leave me.

"No." My voice was hoarse and I rubbed my eyes. "N-no."

Unlike Jett, the sight of my tears made his anger fade. He was careful as he stepped towards me. He was gentle as he wiped the tears from eyes. This time the gesture was sweet. His warm hand soothed where I had been hit. "Len."

"P-please stay. Please don't go." I turned to the guys. "Can you find Liz? Talk her down before she sees me."

They left without a word but Carlos squeezed my shoulder before following. It was just Kendall and me in the hallway and I launched myself into his arms. We may not have been together but he was the only person I wanted to touch me right now. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and I clung to him for dear life.

"It's okay. You're safe, Elle." He whispered into my hair. "I've got you now."

He led us to my dressing room, which was one hallway over from where I had been. I emptied the contents of my stomach into the trash can and couldn't sit still. Kendall sat on my couch and frowned at me.

"Elle, sit down. Did he hurt you? Should we call the police?" He was worried and angry all at once. "Your face is red, did he do that to your face?"

I looked over at Kendall who's lip was split. There was a cut on his eyebrow and his knuckles were bruised. I laughed without humor and shook my head. Now that I was safe, I was shaking with rage. I had become a victim once again. But I wasn't going to run away or let Jett get his way.

"You're the one bleeding. And no, we're not calling anyone."

He looked in the mirror and winced at the blood. "He attacked you. He hit you! Your pants, he could have-"

Kendall couldn't finish his thought and shuddered. "But he didn't. I got myself out of it, you missed me kneeing him in the dick. And if we call the police, he'll get publicity and he'll spin it into something that makes him look good. Liz and my lawyer will handle it. Quietly."

"We don't have to talk about that. You shouldn't have to worry about that." He crossed the room and took my hand. "It's not your fault. Are you okay?"

"I know it's not. I got fucking lost and he followed me into the hallway." I sniffed a little and my hands shook. "I t-thought he was going to take me into that bathroom. But he lost control and I just went for it. I owe Liz a thank you for those classes. Did you hear me yelling?"

"Not at first. But the producer was looking for Jett and it made me nervous. You said you were going to your dressing room. I was scared he had seen your name on the door." Kendall swallowed the lump in his throat. "I was scared he was going to hurt you so I wanted to see if you were okay."

For once in his life, Kendall's need to involve himself in things that weren't his business proved useful.

"And then I heard you shouting and it felt like I was going to puke. When I saw him and your face, I just..." He was angry and had to steel himself. "No one is ever going to touch you like that. I swear to god, I would have done more than punch him if you weren't standing there."

"You didn't have to do that." His protective nature was calming for once and I reached over and touched his arm. "I'm okay. Thank you."

"I'd do anything for you. You know that." He gave a smile but winced and touched his lip. "Shit."

I wet a paper towel and sat down in front of him and dabbed at his lip. "I'm sorry he punched you."

"I've had worse in hockey. I'd take something ten times worse than this if it meant keeping you safe."

"Even if we're not dating?" I asked softly as I cleaned his face. "You don't owe me anything."

He shook his head. "I owe you everything and I'll never let anyone put their hands on you like that. I promise, even if we're not together. I'm never going to let you get hurt."

My smile was tight and my nerves finally began to settle. "Thank you."

We were both quiet and I tried to savor it. We didn't have long left together and I was glad we weren't arguing for once. I was grateful he had been there to save me from Jett. He rubbed my arm and I could feel my nerves settling. I was safe with him. Today turned out to be more than I had planned. It wasn't even time for the award show and I was exhausted.

"So, did you really kick Jett in the balls?" He asked after a few minutes had passed.

We both laughed, the tension from a few minutes ago vanished. "I did."

He looked proud and nodded to himself. "That's my girl."

I didn't say anything, I just went back to cleaning the blood from his face. This summer proved to drag on longer and longer. And I was so tired, I was ready for this to all be done with. I knew Liz would be storming in here any minute, guns blazing. This quiet moment would be over. But right now it was just us. It was me and it was Kendall. And for once, that was okay.

There were only five hours and twenty-nine minutes to go.

AN: So, this chapter went a little off track from the main story but I wanted to come full circle. At the start of summer, Elle had been alone, haunted by the Jett Incident. She was a victim and no one was really on her side. I wanted to show that not only is she capable of saving herself but that she has people on her team no matter what. And who wouldn't want to see Jett kicked in the balls?

Also, this chapter is kind of a backdoor introduction to the fic I'm writing. It's about Elle and Jett's relationship prior to the Incident. They have a long history that's been hinted at. This chapter alone Elle mentioned an overdose, a car accident, and two concussions she got because of Jett. Jett also mentioned that he wanted to marry her and implied they had big dreams and plans together at one point. This fic will probably be posted in January or February if all goes well.

I've been hinting at James' interest in Sydney West over the course of the past few chapters. Who is this actress? Why won't she date famous people? I also showed a bit of James' family life from his mom's taste for fancy things and his dad's relationship with a younger woman. I've never written a James centric fic and would like to.

Since these would all be in the same universe as Anything Can Happen, I thought I'd gauge your interest.

The next chapter is the Tween Choice Awards! Summer is almost over but it's clear that Kendelle still have intense feelings for each other. How will the duet go? Will Kendall try one last time to fix things? Should they even get back together after everything that's gone down?

Anything can happen!

Let me know what your favorite part and what you think Kendall and Elle will do. I plan to update in two weeks or so.

Thank you.