Aria's POV:

Chase's hands felt soft against my face, and my back was against his chest. I have no fucking clue how we could manage to walk that close together without stepping on each other's feet.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked. I reached up to take away his hands but he refused to uncover my eyes.

"Just a little further." He whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. Damn you Jerkface.

I felt myself getting frustrated, and before I knew it, I spun around and pinned Chase's arms behind his back.

He groaned, and turned his head to the side to look at me.

"Aria, if you had just waited like four seconds, we could've avoided this. We're here." He said. I dropped his arms in realization and helped him up. When Chase was back on his feet he placed a hand on my chin, making me look at whatever he kidnapped me for.

I gasped, we were standing in like a circle of threes and in the middle there was a blanket surrounded by candles. I smirked and turned around to Chase who looked nervously at me reaction.

"Dude, what it this? It's not like we're going to have sex." I said, Chase chuckled, and playfully punched my shoulder.

"Don't. I just remembered one time when we were sitting on the roof of the Headquarter, and you told me how much you loved the stars. I asked you why, and you said you'd tell me if we ever ended up just watching the stars again. The whole time you were in a coma, or didn't let me see you, it kept me sane. You wouldn't die without telling me that, because the twinkle in your eye when you told me that also told me that you really wanted me to know."
To be honest, that night at the roof had totally slipped my mind. But he was right. I had been buzzing from excitement of telling him, but in the heat of the moment, I decided to be mysterious and give him a hint to take me out to watch the stars.

"You got me." I said smiling. Chase sighed in relief, and reached out to take my hand, and I let him.

Chase had somehow ended up moving closer and closer to me. We were laying on top of the blanket, and we had just been watching the stars in silence.

"I like the stars because they are beautiful. I wish I had something poetic to say, but I don't. I remember when I was younger, I've always loved watching the stars. I can lay on the same spot for hours and hours, just watching them. It brings me back to happier times, and makes me forget about the sad ones." I suddenly said, and I didn't realize it was me talking until Chase's shoulder bumped into mine.

I looked away from the stars and into his eyes.

"Do you still think I'm a jerk?" He asked, smiling that damn smile that gives me butterflies!

"Yeah, but I'm an asshole, so I guess we're even." Chase chuckled, and wrapped his arms around me, so that my head was resting on his chest.

I think I could get used to this.

"What happened to James?" I asked, breaking the silence that filled the car. The sun is rising, and Chase is currently driving me home.

"Erm. H-he got away?" I felt myself stiffen, and I slowly turned my head to look at him.

"He. Got. Away?" I asked, trying to stay calm.

"You see, eh. We kind of focused on how you were almost dead. He managed to escape." Okay, that's it. I quickly jumped into his lap and pressed the breaks. Don't ask how I did that and why I wasn't wearing a seatbelt, cause I don't know.

The car jerked forward, and I jumped off Chase lap and sat back down on the passenger seat. Chase just stared blankly at me.

"w-what?" He then managed spit out.

"Yes, What? That's exactly what I was thinking!" I shouted.

"Like I just said! We were focusing on you who were coughing up water and refused to wake up, we forgot about the little shit!" He shouted right back at me. Ah, how I've missed this.

"You are so stupid I swear to god." I muttered under my breath.

"Oh, says the one who knew you would die but still forced me to leave you in that cave." He sneered.

"Okay, listen up! I don't give a fuck about me as long as Tyler is safe and that bastard is caught. Yes, I knew I was going to die, but I was okay with it. Everyone I love was safe, and James was caught. Or so I thought!"

Chase just stared at me.

"I will do whatever it takes to make sure that the people I love are safe, and they were. You and Tyler was back out of the water, and the girls was already on the beach." I wasn't screaming anymore, and the softness in my voice surprised me.

"Wait, you said Tyler and ME. Does that mean....." Chase started but I cut him off.

"No. Drive me home, we need to catch James." Chase sighed, and once again started the engine to drive me home.

"Okay, so I don't blame you for losing him." I said for what has to be the eleventh time. We're all at the Headquarter.

"It sure as hell didn't sound like that when you started screaming at me and almost killed us." Chase snapped. I flipped him that bird.

"But we need to work together to find him. I heard Jayden, Justin and Brent saying that they've found a lead on to where he might be. Go on, do tell." I pointed over at Justin, Brent and Jayden who both wore big smiles.

"Yeah, Ari. We have the location to where he was last seen. He was seen a few miles east. At one of those like, camping places? Don't know what the dick is gonna do in the middle of the woods. But yeah, that's where he was last seen, which, was about 15 hours ago." Brent said. I nodded.

"So, I guess we're going on a drive?" Em said.

"I guess so!" Cece said.

Yeah, I guess.

Cece's POV:

Shit. Okay, this is not good. The girls and I know why James is at that camping place, thing. I seriously don't know what it's called. Aria knows too, of course. But it seems like she's still refusing too remember.

I still do though. And I bet that bastard do too.

"Aria. Are you going to tell the others why James is where he is?" Eve asked, carefully. We've been driving for a while, me as the driver, Eve in the passenger seat and Em and Ari in the back. The boys are driving behind us in Justin's car.

"Why would I need to tell them something I don't have the answer to?" She said, showing no emotion. But she kept staring out the window, so I think she remembers, just refuses to say it.

"You sure as hell do! We know you remember, Aria. And seems like James does too. The boys has to know! If you don't tell them then James probably will when he gets a hold of him." Em said. Glancing back, I saw how Aria stiffened, and turned to look at Em.

"He, is not going to get a hold of anyone. Do you understand?" She hissed through her teeth.

I suppose Em dropped it, since we sat in silence for the rest of the trip.

Aria's POV:

I know they meant well. And I know that the boys deserve to know. But I just can't tell them. I can't even admit it to myself, so how am I supposed to tell my childhood friend, the boy I'm in.... none-hate with, and my two new best friends that this was the place where my psycho ex-boyfriend abused me to the point that I was close death.

Yeah, I'll let you think about that and then get back to me.

Fuck school, guys. Fuck it.

So much stress, so much anxiety. I'll try to finish this story before New Year's, it's just that I've been hella stressed.

I've decided what the sequel will be about, but I guess it's more like a spin-off of Aria and Chase's kid. (I assumed you all know they definitely will end up together.) But more details when I've finished this story.

Thanks for reading and I hope you didn't hate it

Goodbye my fellow pandas

- Panda_Bacon