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Thanks so much for sharing my book and supporting! I appreciate you guys so much! Enjoy !🀍

"You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending." β€” C.S. Lewis

β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”

Chapter 55
<β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”->

I took a seat on the bed, then thanked Raven as she handed me a canned soda.

She sat across from me, pressing her back to the bed frame. "So, I have news."

Maggie and I looked at each other with cartoon, then back to her.

"Levi didn't wrap it before he tapped it?" Maggie guessed, following it up with a sip of her soda.

Raven rolled her eyes. "A couple times actually, but that isn't what this is about." Her eyes beamed. "My dad called."

I paused, choosing to skim past the first half of what she'd said. "What? Really? What'd he say?"

Her expression grew grim. "Well...he said that he wants to spend a weekend with me, soon," she said, tracing the rim of her can with a finger. "I'm not really sure what that means for us, or if I'm even going to go but..." she shrugged with a sigh.

I placed a hand over hers, offering a smile. "But, it does mean something."

Maggie scoffed, bumping Raven's shoulder. "That son of a bitch better apologize at least a thousand times, and throw a couple of Porsches in there, too. A car wouldn't even make up for half of his shit."

Raven cocked an eyebrow. "I already have a car."

Maggie responded with a wave of her hand. "Oh, I know. This one's for me." We all chuckled at this.

My eyes fell to Raven, again. "How are you feeling about it, though?" I asked, reaching over to squeeze her knee. "Talk to me, babe."

She sighed, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "I don't know, honestly. Excited, scared, angry. I'm excited to talk to him, but scared that I'll just get hurt all over again, yet absolutely furious at his absence, you know? I'm not sure if I wanna sit and talk with him, or have Levi bodyslam him so that I can get a good knockout in."

I nodded my head. I understood every single thing she said. I wasn't sure if I had it in me to talk to my mother over the phone, let alone be around her. She was brave for even considering it.

I squeezed her knee again. "If you need support, I'm sure I could get Kade, and he could get Luke to help you jump him, too," I joked to try and earn a smile. "You'd have all three, plus us."

Maggie nodded in agreement, pointing to me. "Good idea. I've seen videos of those three sons of bitches jumping people. Their evil little trio could do a lot of wreckage if we need it. I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to do it, again."

Raven's saddened expression broke, the laughter falling out as she nodded. "I'll consider it."

"Whichever option you choose though, you know we'll support you," Maggie added, patting Raven's hand. "We'll be your getaway car if you need it."

Raven chuckled, but I knew she took our words to heart. "Thank you." Her hands clasped together as her eyes fell. "I might be meeting my new step-sister too."

I cocked an eyebrow with surprise. "He's bringing her along?"

"I have no idea, but I'm guessing he wants me to meet his new family as soon as possible. I'm not sure how I'll react, honestly."

I bit my lip as I took in what she was saying. If I were her dad, I'd wait until Raven was comfortable to introduce her to a step family, even though it was nearly impossible to just...pretend as if you didn't abandon a child for another. It was disgusting.

I wasn't sure how things would turn out, but I truly hoped my best friend wouldn't be let down. She didn't deserve it.

We all looked up at the sound of buzzing. Maggie pulled out her phone, and Raven and I followed her.

She rolled her eyes, her expression drenched in raging gasoline as she aggressively declined the call.

"Who was that?" Raven was the first to ask.

She ran a hand through her raven locks, a disgusted expression claiming her face. "My birthgiver. She had the nerve to try and call me," Maggie scoffed. "As if she couldn't have years ago."

I shook my head with shock. "Wow," I flicked my head at her. "How did you know that it was her?"

"She keeps calling from random numbers. The idiot knows that I wouldn't have answered in the first place if I knew it was her."

Raven took a sip from her soda, before placing it between her legs. "Has she tried calling you before?"

Maggie huffed, pulling on the sleeve of her jacket. "Mhm. It's been going on for years, but mainly early this month. I didn't say anything about it because I thought it would stop."

I nodded slowly before the next thought came, "Does Jax know about the calls?" I asked her.

Her emerald eyes widened as she shook her head. "No, and it's going to stay that way too."

I wasn't sure if it were the best idea to decide for Jax when he wasn't present. They were his parents, too.

Raven's concerned eyes rose to mine, mirroring the same conflict we both held at the situation. "Maggie..." Raven trailed off.

At this, Maggie's expression grew grave. She anchored her attention on both of us. "Guys, I'm being serious. It took years for Jax to recover from everything. He wasn't the same. No more laughs. No more smiles. Just...nothing."

She pretended to be picking at her nails, her brows scrunched in concentration. "I'm not entirely sure when he realized that our lives weren't coming back, but when he did, he finally accepted things for what they were. When he did, he grew stronger and better. I won't let my brother go back to that dark shell. I won't."

We both nodded in union. I still disagreed since I knew the betrayal I felt when I found out my dad had his my mothers' letters. But, if Maggie wanted to withhold it from her twin, then that was her decision. I knew that she wanted to protect her brother from the vulnerability of their parents' absences.

The longer I stared at her, though...the more that feeling came back. Her story, again, felt so...improvised? Scripted? I wasn't too sure, but I knew that that feeling was there for a reason.

I wasn't sure if it were right, nor did I want to believe that it was, but it remained, nonetheless. Either she was lying, or she was hiding far more of the story.

I wasn't sure if Raven caught it, too, but I wasn't going to bring it up. Raven was quite trusting, and she couldn't tell a lie from a truth even if it were right there in her face. If she suspected, then she was hiding it as well I was, too.

Either way, though, it wasn't my business. I didn't want her to think that it was, either. Her life, her past, and her trauma was her own, and if she felt that she had to reinvent that to better herself, then I'd go along with it. I still loved her, nonetheless.

I just hoped that she realized that there was no reason to lie to us. Perhaps, it'd take more time, though, which I understood. She was our best friend, though. Nothing would change that.

"Jesus," Raven chuckled, rimming the top of the soda. "We're all so fucked. We all have at least one parent who hates our guts."

Maggie chuckled, taking the conversation shift. "You're right. We're the three musketeers of trauma." She flicked her head at me. "You only have a dad." She moved her gaze to Raven, pointing to her. "And, you only have a mom." Then, she motioned to herself. "And, I have neither. The fuck kind of shit is that?"

I couldn't help it. My laughter burst from my throat a second later.

I'd never thought I'd laugh about that, but here I was. Raven joined, the laughter drumming right out of her throat, and Maggie's as well. It was true, we were all so fucked when it came to our parentage, yet here we were.

Sisters.

I shrugged, my laughter fading into giggles. "I think were destined to be, guys."

"Fuck yeah," Maggie confirmed, bumping her feet against Raven and mine. "Three traumatized sisters for life, girls." She offered two pinkies, to which Raven and I took with a laugh.

I'd never thought I'd see the day I'd laugh at my own shit, nor did I ever think I'd see some type of silver lining in it. But, I'd found it. I'd found them, the people who were showing me a true friendship, a true family, and an unconditional love.

I think that we'd all found it in one another. I'd found so much strength, so much hope, and freedom in these people, just so I'd see it in myself for the first time. So that I could uncover what'd been suppressed my entire life. I could only hope that they'd found a bit of that from me, as well.

I loved every part of them, bad or good sides. I loved them. Incredibly so.

Maggie chuckled once-more before pulling her phone out to glance over the time. "We should start heading out." She smacked our thighs, raising herself off of them to get up.

Raven stood up. "You're right," she agreed. "There's no way we're getting shitty seats." We both nodded in agreement before rushing down the stairs.

When we shut the doors to Raven's car, a shiver racked my body. "Shit. I can see my breath."

Maggie agreed from behind me. "My ass cheeks are sitting on an ice-block back here."

Raven shook her head with a chuckle, turning the heaters on. "Wimps."

Then, we were off. The only stop we made was for hot chocolate. It could at least warm our insides for a while through the night. By the time we reached the school, the parking lot was packed.

"Damn it," Maggie cursed, leaning forward to get a better look. "I told you guys the hot chocolate would slow us down."

Raven threw a look at her over her shoulder. "You were the one who requested it."

Maggie sipped her cup. "You're supposed to know how to resist temptation," she grumbled in a shamed tone.

I rolled my eyes at them, gazing ahead for a good spot. "I'm sure we can still find seats." I pointed ahead to a free spot, which Raven took immediately.

Even though the game already started, we still decided to stop by the food stands. We were already late, anyway. After we were finished, we went to find seats.

"Oh, thank God," Raven huffed once a group of friends got up, heading towards the bathrooms.

I sat on the side closer to the exit. "They're going to want their seats back," I warned Raven.

Maggie took a seat to my side. "Oh, they are going to be so pissed at us," Maggie chuckled, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "They have no one to blame, but themselves, though. Everyone knows not to get up during a game."

I shook my head, dipping my chip in nacho cheese. As I watched it drip drip, I felt myself crack a smile.

If only there were gummy bears around.

That wasn't the only thing I wanted around, either. I smiled as my heartbeat leaped in my chest, but it soon transitioned into a frown.

What was he doing right now?

The only text I received from him was earlier today when I was leaving school. He asked if I were okay, in which I responded yes, but then nothing. Nothing, but my dying, growing curiosity.

I knew a lot of things about the cages, but not enough. Not enough to know exactly what Kade was up against. What I was up against.

I was violently torn from my thoughts as I felt the chip be snatched from my fingers. I blinked, then looked up in confusion.

Familiar eyes met my own. "What's up, ladies?"

We were struck with shock as Levi grinned at us. He wore a black hoodie along with grey sweatpants, with a casual expression to go along with it.

"Ew," Maggie decided was appropriate to say. "Don't tell me the other musketeer's going to show up too."

Levi raised a brow at her. "Musketeer?" He thought over it for a minute. "Wait. You mean Luke?"

Maggie waved him off. "Yeah, whatever the fuck his name is. I get you all in the evil trio confused at times."

"What?" Levi returned with amusement. "What the hell is the evil trio?"

Maggie motioned toward him, an exaggerated eye roll following at Levi's confusion.

"It's a nickname she made for you, Luke, and Kade," Raven explained with a chuckle.

I shrugged. "It kind of fits when you think about it." The three were always together, and as much as I'd seen them fight, I knew they'd still go to war for one another.

Levi shrugged, a chuckle skipping from his lips. "Kade's gonna crack up at that shit. I'm gonna have to add that to the list, now."

Levi took it upon himself to find a seat on the side of Raven. "But, nah, not this time. It's just me."

I exchanged looks with Raven. She looked just as surprised as Maggie and I, so I knew that she couldn't have invited him here.

Just as Levi popped my chip in his mouth, his boyish grin fell as he looked at Raven. His lips transitioned into a heart-warming smile.

Maggie and I watched in genuine curiosity as her eyes shifted to Levi's. All sadness had disappeared.

His grin only grew until his dimples popped. "What's up, pretty girl?" Without missing a beat, he threw an arm around her, tucking her into his body.

"I'm gonna throw up," Maggie leaned closer to whisper in my ear. "In 3..2–"

I threw a humored eye roll at her. "Stop it, let them be."

I turned toward the field as the roar of the crowd grew louder. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that the couple still hadn't looked away from each other.

Of course, Maggie had to ruin it.

"So...no one's going to ask what he's doing here?" she questioned.

Levi glanced at me. "I just decided to not go home, and to see this game, instead." As mine squinted, he returned his eyes back to Raven. It clicked, then.

How could I be so stupid?

How I hadn't figured it out before, I would never know. Kade was the one to send Levi here. I could only guess that it was because he wanted someone's eyes on me when his couldn't be.

I wasn't sure if Levi had told him that I wasn't home, but I guessed not since Kade would probably be in his place right now if he knew.

I felt the shiver travel down my spine. I was grateful that he cared so much, but that didn't stop the fear of the situation completely.

I thought of all the possibilities, of any type of loophole. Couldn't Kade and I just go to the police, and tell them everything?

No, Kade and everyone in the cages would face several years for only god knows what. Even though I wasn't a very big fan of Luke, I still cared for both Kade and Levi. I didn't want anything to happen to either of them.

I took a sip of my hot chocolate as a headache began to surface. I knew I couldn't ignore it forever, but whenever I touched this subject too deeply, my body turned against me.

"There's Jax!" Raven announced, reaching over Maggie to smack my shoulder.

Maggie placed her cup down, standing up. "Welp, that's my cue."

I shook my head as she pulled me up by her hand. "Whatβ€”"

Raven was already standing up. "You go, Jax! 13 forever!" she yelled her heart out.

I felt my cheeks redden in a matter of seconds. But, when I saw Maggie yell right after Raven, my chuckles fell out.

The fans from the opposing side stared at us as if we were animals. Maggie glared back at them, chuckling at their startled expressions before moving back to her brother.

"Well." Levi shrugged his shoulders, pouring a couple of skittles in his hand. "If you can't beat em, join em." After the words left his mouth, he stood up alongside Raven.

He cupped two hands over his mouth. "You got this, number 13!" he shouted.

Jax glanced up from his spot on the field. His jersey sported his number, as did he with pride. It was beyond great to see him in such a happy mood.

His grin could light up this whole football field. if given the opportunity. Just to imagine that it could be taken away in a matter of seconds at the mention of his mother saddened me. No one, especially Jax, deserved that.

Raven grinned back, waving at him. "Show these bitches who their daddy is, 13!" She nearly ripped Levi's arm from his body as she raised it to wave, too.

"I wanna see you do your big one!" Maggie shouted, cupping two hands over her mouth to add another round of whoops. "Come on!"

Levi reached back to grab Raven's megaphone, raising it to his mouth a moment later. "Norris! Norris! Norris!"

Since every person at this school kissed Kade, Levi, and Luke's ass, they followed and copied everything they did. I'd seen that plenty of times, and I saw it now, as well.

A moment later, our side was all cheering for Jax, either through their blow horns or by their mouths. Jax was soaking it all in.

He turned to blow a kiss our way, a large grin stretching across his pink lips. We all laughed as we caught it. I waved at him, throwing back a grin for good luck, to which he responded with a wink.

The game carried on. As Jax instructed, I only clapped and cheered when the crowd behind me did. So far, it had worked just fine. Our team was up by eight points, and Jax had been the main one to bring them there.

Finally, I took the chance to break past their yells. "Hey, guys," I called. "I'll be right back."

Raven took a moment but when her eyes found mine, she frowned. "Where are you going?"

I chuckled. "Bathroom. You guys will be fine without me, don't worry."

I scooted past Maggie to head to the restrooms. As I made my way there, I clenched my jacket tighter in between cold fingers. It was an excruciating walk, but at least there wasn't a line.

The silence was eerie. Everyone was watching the game, so there were very few familiar faces near the parking lot.

I slipped my hand in my pockets to make sure I had my phone. I highly doubted I'd need it, but if something were to occur, I could at least have communication with someone on the outside.

I entered the bathroom, and picked a stall. As I shut the door, I began to make an attempt at calming myself.

"It's okay," I whispered. "There's a crowd. Nothing will happen. Nothing."

As the last word left my lips, the bathroom door was slammed. I jumped back as a silence soon followed. My chest was tightening by the second.

You're just hearing things, Kimberly.

I attempted to shush the thoughts of fear, but more of stupidity than anything else. I don't know what led me to think that it'd be okay to head out alone. Even if I were sure of myself, precautions had to be taken.

I'd never peed so quickly in my life. While I crouched, I found my my thighs shaking and trembling from the fear.

I fixed myself up, quickly. I stood up in a hurry, but then stopped as I heard it.

Footsteps.

Quiet, careful footsteps.

I stepped further back into the stall, reaching for anything to hold myself up. My heartbeat increased drastically, the thump almost painful.

"W-who's there?" even my own voice frightened me.

The footsteps continued on. Until they stopped. My breathing went with it.

My chest was pained as I held a long puff of air inside. I prayed that I would make it out of this situation, but I highly doubted the chances in this moment. My lungs struggled with the tension.

Silence. It was silent again. Too silent.

Maybe they're gone.

I was wrong.

I screamed as gloved fingers grasped the top of the stall door. They moved quickly, shaking the door so hard, I

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