''Hey, Aaron?'' I knocked on his door, cursing myself for ever agreeing to be the one to ask him this stupid favor.

The guys (after some serious convincing) finally got me to go and talk to him. I had to convince him to tell Tara his secret. And I was terrified. To say the least.

''Come in, TT!'' He called from his room. I gulped as I opened the door slowly. ''Hey, what's wrong?'' His smile dropped as soon as he saw my terrified face.

''I'm going to be honest, okay?'' I gulped as I closed the door behind me, not allowing my eyes to drop his intense stare. ''I am terrified of this newly learned news, I really am. But I have to do this because I care about my friends'' I sighed, ranting and spilling all my thoughts out.

He scrunched his eyebrows, clearly catching onto something.

''I know, A'' I spat it out, letting out a sigh of relief immediately. ''I know you work for Jared. There, I said it'' I finished my thought, so he would understand.

His face grew cold, taking me by surprise. I was not expecting that reaction. ''He told you? He fucking told you'' He seethed.

I pressed my back into the door, more terrified than before. ''No, listen t-to me. They did, A. They t-told me!'' I rushed the words out, tripping over my words a little. ''I'm sorry if you feel betrayed or something, but this had to happen! I have to make you tell Tara, A. I have to do that, okay? You have to tell her the truth!'' I ranted, scared as heck.

''No. Absolutely not'' He shook his head, furious.

I gulped.

Well, this is going great...

''Then, if you rat the guys out'' I let my mind race for another strategy to persuade him. ''Tara, Sasha, and I...we can die'' I tried my best to keep my voice calm and steady as he glared into my eyes like a completely different person.

''What? Why would you three die?'' He asked, confused.

''Because we're the leverage over the guys'' I gulped again.

His eyes scanned my face, generally confused. ''Why would they bring me here then? If they're so scared of me ratting them out?'' He asked.

''Because Tara invited you, without telling them. Because... because she doesn't know the truth about you, A'' I tried to explain it, from the little information I knew.

''I won't rat them out'' He scoffed finally.

''Tara needs to know!'' I insisted just like Austin told me to.

''No, Tina'' He refused sternly.

I was shocked he used my name and not my nickname. He was really angry, which was unusual for him...and it scared the crap out of me. How much did I not know about him? ''Why are you working for him?'' I asked bravely.

''Did you ask Austin that too?'' He spat back.

I blinked once, wide-eyed. This wasn't the Aaron I knew, at all. ''Why are you acting like this? This isn't the person I know...what's going on with you, Aaron?'' I tried again.

He stayed quiet.

''Aaron, talk to me'' I sighed.

''If I tell Tara...she'll never speak to me again'' He admitted, finally.

''I think you're being too harsh. I bet she'll be in a mood for a little bit and then she'll come to terms with the whole thing. Come on, you know Tara!'' I tried to lighten the mood.

''No, this is a different situation. I really fucked everything up for her, Tina. I really messed up'' He shook his head sadly. What the hell is he talking about? ''She has gone through so much...and if she finds out, she'll realize a lot of it was my fault. I can't let that happen'' He tried to explain it but the whole thing was too vague for me to process.

''What do you mean, Aaron?''

''I supplied Jay with the drugs, on Jared's command'' He rushed out, gulping. I refrained from gasping at his words. Instead, I just stared at him wide-eyed and waited for him to continue. ''I was doing them too, a while back...when things had just gotten worse with Brooke. And you know how Jay and I were friends at first? Yeah, well, I was the reason he started doing them in the first place. And then he got...aggressive...whenever he was out of them. So I kept supplying him with them, to keep him steady. But it all got out of hand...it went too far. I was dumb and believed everything Jared told me, so I kept doing it''

''Aaron...'' I was at a loss for words.

''I know. Great brother, right?'' He shook his head, a sour look on his face. ''I hate myself too, don't worry'' He chuckled humorlessly.

''It's not too late'' I shook my head, thinking everything through. ''You can still fix it all'' I nodded more to myself than him.

He shook his head, frowning. ''I can't, Tina. It's too late. Trust me, I know'' He sighed.

Well, that went...terribly.

***

''I swear...he makes me hate him more and more with every fucking second'' Austin groaned at everything I had just spilled out for the three of them.

Seb appeared to be deep in thought.

Caleb looked incredibly pissed off.

''I don't know what else we can do'' I sighed, grabbing a fresh bottle of water out of the fridge.

''We can tell Tara'' Austin offered in a 'duh' tone.

''No!'' Seb and I said in unison, protecting Tara's wellbeing.

''Actually, that might be exactly what we have to do'' Caleb shrugged, jaw clenched.

''Why can't we just...trust him?'' I asked sheepishly.

''Because he probably has his own fucked up deal with Jared!'' Austin growled, getting fed up with me trying to protect both Tara and Aaron. I mean, I couldn't exactly blame him. I had to pick a side. And I had to do it fast.

''Austin's right'' Caleb nodded, giving me a look.

''So what do we do?'' Seb groaned, clearly hating the whole thing.

''We tell Tara'' Caleb and Austin said in unison.

I groaned, my head hurting from the whole thing. How was I going to do this? How was I supposed to upload all that crap onto her fragile shoulders? ''She'll kill him...'' I muttered.

''You think? I think she'll literally lose her mind over this...'' Seb shook his head at the thought.

''One of you two has to do it'' Caleb looked at Seb and me.

My eyes widened, suddenly anxious about the whole thing. ''Emm, no thanks! Have you people seen her when she's mad? Haha! No. No way! I already talked to one Kingsley, it's someone else's turn now'' I gave them all a look.

''I'll do it'' Seb nodded, an emotionless look in his brown eyes.

Shit's about to go down...

***

Caleb, Austin, and I sat quietly on the living room couch as we waited for Seb to bring Sasha and Tara home from the mall. Earlier, I had told the girls I was feeling ill, so they went without me. Now, I wish I had gone with them...

''I'm terrified'' I broke the heavy silence.

''Don't be'' Austin sighed, dragging his hand across his face in an exhausted manner. ''It'll be okay. You'll see''

Just as Caleb opened his mouth to speak, the front door slammed open aggressively. It hit the wall, making me jump from the sudden noise.

''Where is he?!'' Tara seethed, tears streaming down her face profusely. Seb and Sasha appeared in the doorway too, staring at her with worry. ''Where the hell is that stupid fucking idiot ?!'' Tara shouted again, throwing her purse against the wall in a fit of pure rage.

That was when Aaron slowly made his way down the stairs. His eyes were brimmed with tears and my heart clenched at the sight in front of us.

''Tara-''

''No!'' She shook her head at him, cutting him off immediately. ''You don't get to cry now! You don't get to fucking cry, okay!'' She sobbed uncontrollably, her hands trembling. ''You. You ruined him. He was the only one, the only one...he cared about me. Everyone fucking left me and he was the only one to care about me. And you, you ruined him. I can't believe it, Aaron. Why? Why would you do that? Why?! I don't understand...you knew the drugs made him abuse me. Why did you do that to him, Aaron!?''

''I-''

''And...Jared...'' She cut him off again, losing herself in her overwhelmed mind. ''Why would you work for him?! Why the hell would you, of all people, work for him?!'' She shrieked, trying to make sense of everything all at once. ''Why didn't you just tell me? We could've...we could've gone to dad! We could've done something!'' She cried out helplessly.

''It's not that simple, T'' He shook his head, tears escaping his eyes discreetly.

''Oh, really?!'' She laughed humorlessly, her chest shaking with a mix of sobs and laughter. ''Is it not? Please, enlighten me, dear brother! What exactly isn't 'simple' about this?!''

''He'll kill you'' He said simply, shrugging despite his visible inner struggle.

Tara shut up, tears streaming down her face. ''W-what?'' She stuttered.

''If I try to leave him, or...if I try to rat him out, he will kill you'' He explained, a stone-cold expression on his usually cheery face. ''But if I rat them out, you live. And I get to leave him, finally'' He admitted, glancing at the guys emotionlessly.

''Ah, there it is!'' Austin scoffed in his usual manner. ''I knew that you were nothing but a filthy rat all along'' He spat.

I stayed quiet, shocked by the news.

''Sorry, Aussie, but my sister and my freedom are more important than you!'' Aaron spat back at Austin, his hands balled into fists.

''So...you'll just let him kill them?'' Tara asked, sobering up. ''You'll let him take away my friends...let him take away Seb, just like you let the drugs take away Jay?'' Tara's jaw ticked with every sentence she let out.

Aaron stared at her, emotionless. ''If it means you'll be alive, yes'' He nodded.

Tears left Tara's eyes again and I wanted to help, but I didn't know what I could do in a situation like this one. ''You're a monster, Aaron. You're not my brother, no. You...you are a fucking monster!'' She spat, before storming off into the kitchen.

Seb followed her immediately, leaving us all in uncomfortable silence.

''Happy?'' Aaron asked, looking into my eyes painfully.

''Hey, shut your fucking mouth! Don't you dare fucking put this on Tina!'' Austin raced to him, death written on his face. ''If I kill you, we'll have fewer problems to deal with. So don't fucking test me, alright?'' He growled in his face.

''Do me a favor and do it, yeah?'' Aaron cocked his head, challenging Austin.

''So, when are you going to rat us out?'' Caleb calmly interrupted them.

''When I feel like it, alright?'' Aaron smirked wickedly.

I shook my head, overwhelmed by the whole thing.

Who is this? Who the hell is this evil, vile, repulsing guy? That's not Aaron. That is not the Aaron I knew and loved like a brother...

I guess that was exactly how Tara felt now.

''Always knew you were nothing but fake-ass bitch...'' Austin shook his head in disgust as he stared Aaron down with authority.

That's when I noticed Sasha.

She stood in the doorway, staring at the floor with her jaw clenched as tears piled up in her eyes. ''Sash...are you okay?'' I came up to her, bringing her back to reality. She looked into my eyes before glancing at everyone else.

''I know what we can do to flip this whole thing around'' She whispered loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

''What do you have in mind?'' Caleb asked tiredly.

''I go to him, alone'' She shrugged.

''What?! Why the hell would you do that?'' Caleb raised his voice, staring into her eyes with angry confusion. His eyes traced over her features, trying to read her emotions.

''Because that's what he wants. He's playing you all, to get to me. He knows me. He knows that all of this will make me come running to him to save you all. He knows me too well, guys'' She smiled cynically, tears filling her eyes so much so her eyes were nothing but a blur. ''He knows his daughter well, I guess''

The room grew silent.

Caleb, Austin, and Aaron all stared at her like she grew three heads. I stared down at the floor, the heaviness of the atmosphere affecting me.

''I guess all the secrets are out today, right Aaron?'' Sasha chuckled but her eyes were screaming in agony as she desperately avoided Caleb's stare.

''Sash...'' Caleb tried.

''So, that's what we'll do. We'll do exactly what he wants, so all of you guys stay safe'' She nodded, not waiting for our approval. ''I don't mind going back to him'' She added.

''That's a lie, Sasha'' I shook my head sadly.

''Maybe it is'' She smiled, avoiding Caleb's pained stare. Her hands were trembling a little but she tucked her hair out of her face anyway. ''But it's what I have to do'' She shrugged.

''No, it's not'' Aaron finally spoke, guilt taking over his features. ''I can get my father involved''

''Oh, really? Where was that offer a few minutes ago?'' Austin scoffed at him.

''No, wait'' Caleb interrupted them again, clearly coming up with something in that genius head of his. ''I have an idea'' He stared into Sasha's eyes.