"Hey. What are you doing home?" Ian asked me as I walked inside full of groceries. "I can't feed my brother?" I replied making him roll his eyes.

"Where's Ethan?" He asked again as he continued watching tv. "Do you remember those fairs Mom and Dad used to take us to? Let's go. Do something fun for a change." I said changing the subject making him look at me as I anxiously unpacked the bags of food.

"Since when do you want to celebrate Christmas?" Ian asked trying to study me making me shrug nervously. "How did you get here? Your car is in the driveway." He asked again sensing something was wrong.

"Rebecca dropped me off." I mumbled not looking up at him as he walked towards me. "Why? Where is Ethan?" Ian asked making me shrug again.

"Amelia. What's wrong?" Ian demanded as he grabbed the bags away from me. "What makes you think something is wrong? I-I'm fine." I lied turning away from him to wash the dishes that piled in the sink.

"Because you keep changing the subject and answering my question with more questions. And you won't look at me." Ian stated making me frown knowing he could tell when I was lying. "I-I think we broke up." I stated still not turning around as I washed the plates.

"You think? Why?" Ian asked as he walked up beside me. "I don't know. He told me that I shouldn't be with someone like him. That I shouldn't worry about being killed when being with him." I answered hesitantly.

"The next thing I remember I was driving with Rebecca." I continued creating silence between us before he turned off the sink. I looked up at him before he replied. "Are you okay?" He asked looking down at me with such sadness.

I had realized right then that he has never asked me if I was okay. Not once over the years.

"No." I confessed through a muffled sob making him wrap his arms around me. I started crying into his chest as my wet soapy hands gripped the back of his shirt.

After a few moments, car horn honked making me pull away from him quickly. "It's Trevor. I can tell him to come back tomorrow." Ian stated making me shake my head as I moved away from him.

"No, no. Go have fun. I-I'll be fine." I said with a weak smile making him frown. "Mia-" Ian started instantly making a tear fall.

"Go. I promise I will be fine." I insisted making him silently debate. Trevor honked again making us both jump. "I'll see you tonight." He said defeated giving me a hug before leaving.

As soon as the front door locked behind him everything poured out of me. The tears I have kept inside for the past few hours with Rebecca and now Ian finally broke free.

I stumbled towards the stairs until a sob ruptured my throat making me lean my hand against the wall. Once I made it to my room, I slammed it shut before collapsing in my cold bed.

What felt like hours of sobbing and crying my phone started ringing in my pocket. I pulled it out to see Ethan's name calling me.

After a few rings of debating if I should answer I did. I placed my phone to my ear as I continued to lay against my bed.

"Amelia? Are you there?" Ethan asked worried as I stayed silent. "Please understand. I didn't mean to hurt you. This is for the best. We never would have worked out. Please understand." Ethan begged making a soft sob escape my throat.

"Why?" I asked after a few minutes of silence. "So, you can feel better about yourself? If I say I understand will you forget me and go find someone to go sleep with?" I asked making him start to reply before I cut him off.

"Well, I do understand. I now understand that you're a coward, Ethan. You'd rather stand by tradition and what is expected of you instead of being happy. You'd rather just assume that I couldn't handle or understand that part of your life instead of trusting me to make that decision for myself. I understand that a lot more conversation happened between you and Lucas this morning for you to be doing this to us." I said through the phone not caring how I must've sounded.

"Amelia-" "You're a fucking coward, Ethan." I stated sternly through my tears before I quickly hung up on him.

I threw my phone against my wall as an angry sob escaped making my phone fall into broken pieces. I continued to lay in bed feeling sorry for myself until the sun finally set.

I slowly sat up from my bed before undressing as I walked towards my dresser. I threw on a pair of shorts and a warm hoodie before lying back down.

As soon as my head rested against the pillow the doorbell rang. I groaned as I sat back up before walking hesitantly downstairs. They rang the bell again in impatience making me roll my eyes.

"I don't have anything to say to you, E-" I started as I opened the door before I saw it was Lucas. "What the hell do you want?" I spit as he stood there with his hands in his pockets.

"Charming." He replied as he walked inside pushing past me. "Come here to convince me like you did with Ethan?" I asked as I closed the door in annoyance.

"All I did was show him the reality of you two." Lucas replied as he looked around my home making me frown. "Are you sure you didn't do this for your own personal gain?" I asked making him look at me.

"Did I hurt your ego when I rejected you for him? I thought you were a good person- a good friend. Seems to me that all you care about is yourself." I said making him grin down at me as he walked towards me.

"No. You did exactly what I had hoped." Lucas stated making me frown. "What do you mean?" I asked as all my confidence quickly faded away.

"Well, I have to admit that you are attractive. But I have no interest in stealing you away from him." He replied making me look up at him in doubt and fear. "Word of you two had obviously gotten around. So, it wasn't a surprise that people wanted to know everything about you. Once Ethan's grandparents and their friends caught wind of who you were, they were obviously upset." Lucas started as he looked around aimlessly.

"I was told to see if you were sincere about your feelings and reasons with being with Ethan. Everyone is on edge with you being a civilian they didn't want something like what happened with Sarah and Tyler to happen again. So, I tried putting doubt in each of your guys' head. I faked being drunk at Halloween to make you think Ethan was a bad person. But that obviously didn't work." Lucas explained making my lips part as I listened to his every word.

"It was yesterday where the people who told me to keep an eye on you asked me to 'push the boundaries' if you will. It was then that I decided to kiss you and tell you to break up with him for me. All to see if you were only in this family for the money or opportunities. Or both." Lucas finished as I stayed speechless absorbing everything.

"B-But Ethan. He believed you. He-" I started until he interrupted. "Yes. That I did not expect. Seems he really does stand by and listen to his family rules even when it is in the way of something he truly cares for. He always was a goodly two shoes." Lucas mumbled the last part in annoyance.

"But yes. I am- well somewhat am a good person and a good person. I wanted to make sure my best friend wasn't in a serious relationship with someone who didn't share the same feelings for him." Lucas continued making me scoff as I crossed my arms.

"It seems like the person you were trying to protect was the one who truly didn't share the same feelings." I muttered making him laugh. I quickly looked up at him in confusion as he replied.

"Oh, believe me he does love you very much. He just fears his family and the rules more." Lucas stated making me frown. "Why? His parents are like us. Wouldn't people understand like they do with them?" I asked making him smile to himself.

"Ethan is the first born. That is a big deal in our gang. Being the first born comes with its own sets of challenges and rules. Cynthia was a middle child so she had more leniency for what she could do. Ethan is to inherit everything once he is twenty-one and he has to meet his wife before that time also. She must also be in a gang that is alongside ours. So, you can understand why Ethan is so hesitant to trust you with this and much more." Lucas explained making my head hurt from all this information.

"So, he was right. There was no way for us to work out. His family would forbid it." I stated more than asked making him shrug. "There is no way to find out unless you try your best to prove them all wrong. You could learn every rule and all the history to prove to the 'higher ups' that you mean business." He said in air quotes making me frown slightly.

"Higher ups? How would I even learn about this?" I asked hesitantly. "Colton is the brains in our friend group. Or Daniel since they probably share dorky facts l." Lucas teased in annoyance making me frown in confusion. I ignored it as I spoke.

"Is that really the only way to prove myself?" I asked thinking how easy this would be making him laugh. "Believe me they will be impressed of you can remember and show off every fact to them. We have a lot of rules and history. I doubt even they know it all." He replied making me frown again.

"They? Who were the ones that told you to investigate us?" I asked eagerly as he started walking towards the front door. "The council. And it was Cynthia." Lucas answered making my lips part in shock as he opened the door.

"I hope you fight for him. You have no idea how different he is for the better when he is with you. And how much he cares and loves you. Ethan has never dated or cared for a woman like he has you. Don't let him throw it away out of fear." Lucas said seriously making me snap from my rambling thoughts and questions. I just nodded in reply before he shut the door behind him.

I walked into my kitchen as I continued to think about everything Lucas had just told me. I grabbed ingredients to bake muffins when I remembered I couldn't contact Colton to help me since I had broken my phone.

Why would Cynthia ask Lucas to see if my intentions were true? Did Victor know? Does he think I wish to harm their family or gain somehow from dating Ethan? Does Sarah?

The thought of Victor and Sarah not trusting me disappointed me and broke my heart for reasons I don't know. But what hurt me more was the fact that Ethan didn't trust me with knowing this part of him. How he chose his families complex rules over us being happy together.

But maybe Ethan knows something I don't. Maybe there is a reason he chose his family over me. I had done the same with Ian before and not wanting to tell Ethan about Tyler. Does Ethan know what he is doing, or should I listen to Lucas?

I quickly ignored those questions as I started to think of my future without Ethan. I would never forgive myself if I didn't at least try to fight for us. Fight for the only person I let into my heart after my parents died. I couldn't let everything we had been through go to waist. If Ethan and his family really want us to break up, then they're going to have to try harder.

I mixed the thick batter in frustration continuing to think about ways to contact Colton when the front door opened. I looked up to see Ian stumbling inside before he saw me making me smile softly.

"How was your day?" I asked him making him shrug. "Good. I found a job." Ian stated instantly making me look up from the cupcake pans as I placed batter inside them.

"What?" I asked making him look at me confused. "You told me to find a job." Ian replied making me frown.

"That was weeks ago. And you don't need a job. I can take care of us both." I stated sternly making him sigh. "I can see how hard you work and how often. You and Ethan always had to plan around your schedule, and I want to help." Ian said making me sigh and look away to think.

"Where?" I asked in defeat making him ease slightly. "The grocery store right down the street. Bag boy." Ian answered making me rake my fingers through my hair.

"You shouldn't have a job. You should be enjoying your life as long as possible without responsibilities. You-" I started making him cut me off. "You can't deny that we need the money, Mia. It is only a few shifts a week." He stated making me realize there was no use in trying to talk him out of it. Once he set his mind to something it was set in stone.

"Fine, but most of it is going to paying the bills and groceries. If you are going to work, it will have to be worth it." I said making him chuckle knowing I had just given into it.

He started walking upstairs as I continued to fill the cupcake pans when I spoke. "Can I borrow your phone? I broke mine." I said full of annoyance and regret knowing I would have to add a phone to the list of things I needed to buy.

Ian walked back over before placing his phone on the counter. "Thank you." I said before he walked up the stairs.

After I quickly placed my muffins in the oven, I remembered Colton's phone number as I typed it in. I held the phone up to my ear as it rang.

"Hello?" Colton said through the phone making me let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Hey, It's me. Amelia." I replied hesitantly creating a long pause.

"I-I need your help with something." I continued as I nervously paced the kitchen. "Is this about you and Ethan?" He asked making me ignore the ache in my chest at the memory of Ethan's words.

"Uh, yeah. I-I need you to teach me everything about him and all the other gangs you're all involved with. I-I need you to tell me everything."