But it was the final word that pierced Harper's heart like a dagger. Lovey. Griffin had bestowed that name upon Harper, a name meant solely for her, a symbol of their unique bond. Yet, now it seemed that this cherished title had been carelessly passed down, stripped of its significance. The once sacred had become ordinary, leaving Harper wounded and betrayed.

"POOKIE, LETS GO!!!!" Startled by Bailey's piercing scream, Harper's mind snapped back to reality. With a sense of urgency, she swiftly snatched her phone and carefully stowed away the yearbooks in a plastic box, concealing it beneath Lexi's bed. In a flash, Harper bolted out of the room, closely followed by Bailey, as the cacophony of approaching voices grew louder and more menacing. Racing towards the back door, they burst through it, their hearts pounding with adrenaline. Through the vast expanse of grassy fields they sprinted, until they reached the weathered wooden door at the edge of the backyard. The two 17-year-olds wasted no time, scrambling into Harper's car. Ignoring any semblance of caution, Harper slammed her foot on the gas pedal, causing the tires to screech in protest as they sped away into the unknown.

**********

Griffin slumped in the dimly lit parlor, his bare chest exposed and clad only in flannel pajama pants. His phone, a lifeline to his beloved Harper, rested in his trembling hands. Fingers danced across the screen, desperately crafting messages of remorse and longing. Yet, despite his fervent efforts, his pleas fell upon deaf ears. Each word he typed was devoured by the void, devoured by Harper's silence. A guttural groan escaped Griffin's lips, a lamentation of his shattered hopes.

"Dammit!" Griffin caught the reverberation of his father's voice resonating across the hotel. Intrigued, he arched an eyebrow and proceeded towards the entrance, only to discover his dad perched on a ladder within the lobby.

Curiosity burning within him, Griffin turned to his mother, who observed the spectacle from her post behind the counter. "What's Dad doing?" he inquired, his voice laced with intrigue.

A sigh escaped Sarah's lips as she replied, her eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before them. "He's attempting to mend a crack in the wall," she explained wearily. "But it seems to be more challenging than he initially anticipated."

"It's not a matter of difficulty, Sarah," Ben interjected, frustration evident in his tone. Descending from the ladder, he continued, "I simply lack the proper tools to accomplish the task at hand."

Ben's declaration echoed through the room, filling the air with determination. "I'm going to Home Depot," he proclaimed.

Griffin, taken aback by the suddenness of it all, couldn't help but voice his concern. "Dad, can't this wait? It's like 12am," he commented, hoping to reason with his father.

But Ben's response was sharp, cutting through the silence like a knife. "Can childbirth wait?" he snapped back, his words dripping with urgency.

Perplexed, Griffin searched for words, trying to make sense of his father's analogy. "What-"

"Exactly," Ben declared, his determination unwavering as he made his way towards the door. Sarah, witnessing the exchange, couldn't help but sigh as she stepped out from behind the counter.

"I better go with him," Sarah said, her voice filled with a mix of concern and resignation.

Griffin, desperate to make his father see reason, pleaded with Sarah. "Tell him he's crazy," he urged, hoping she could sway Ben's stubbornness.

But Sarah's response held a hint of weariness, as if she had fought this battle countless times before. "I already have, love. Many times," she confessed, her voice heavy with the weight of their futile attempts. With a final sigh, she followed Ben out of the hotel, closing the door with a resounding shut.

Griffin's face contorted with confusion, his brows furrowing in a quizzical expression, before he swiftly ascended the stairs with a sense of urgency. Determined, he reached his room and firmly shut the door behind him. Collapsing onto his bed, Griffin raised his phone above him, the weight of uncertainty lingering in the air. Yet, a glimmer of confidence returned to his being as he tapped on Harper's contact and pressed the call button. The room was filled with suspense as the phone emitted its incoming ringing sound, but in that very moment, a voice answered on the other end. Griffin's body jolted upright, his heart pounding with anticipation.

"Harper?" He asked, his voice filled with prediction.

 ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩ"No, it's Topher," The 15-year-old boy said, his tone laced with mischief.ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ 

Griffin let out a frustrated sigh, his patience wearing thin. "Can I talk to Harper? She was reading my messages," he pleaded.

 ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩ"That was me," Topher replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes. ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ 

Griffin's eyes rolled in exasperation. "Whatever, just give her phone back to her. I really need to talk to her," he demanded.

ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩ"She's in the shower," Topher said, positioned outside her bathroom.ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ  ﮩﮩ

The sound of running water made it difficult for Griffin to hear.

"Okay, can you just tell her that I'm really sorry and I love her a lot," Griffin pleaded, his voice filled with desperation.

ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩ"HARPER, GRIFFIN SAYS HE'S REALLY SORRY AND LOVES YOU A LOT," Topher screamed, ensuring Harper heard every word.ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ 

ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩHarper's response was swift and filled with anger, "CAP!"ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ 

ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩ"Did you hear that?" Topher asked, a smirk playing on his lips.ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ 

"Yes, I did," Griffin replied, his voice filled with determination. "Turn the volume all the way up," he requested. Topher obliged.

"HARPER, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND I'M REALLY SORRY. I WAS JUST SAVING LEXI, THAT'S ALL. I WASN'T KISSING HER, I WAS DOING MOUTH TO MOUTH. THAT HUG THAT WE HAD MEANT NOTHING. PLEASE, BABY. I LOVE YOU AND ONLY YOU!" Griffin pleaded, his words filled with sincerity. Just then, the shower abruptly turned off. Topher looked puzzled, but a small smile spread across Griffin's face.

ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩ"Bubby?" Harper whispered, her voice filled with uncertainty.ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ 

Griffin's smile widened, his heart filled with relief. "Yes, Muffin."

ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩﮩـ٨ﮩ"YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE," Harper screamed, her anger echoing through the phone. Topher burst into laughter, and Griffin ended the call with a frustrated grunt.

Griffin's hands instinctively flew to cover his face, his body slumping back in defeat. How could he have let it come to this? Harper's words echoed in his mind, branding him with the label of an asshole. But was he really the only one at fault? No, Harper was an asshole for calling him one in the first place, he thought bitterly.

Just as he was drowning in his self-pity, a voice cut through the heavy silence of the room. Griffin's head shot up, his eyes meeting Lexi's as she stood confidently in the doorway. The sight of her presence alone was enough to jolt him back to reality, causing him to quickly sit up.

"Lexi?" Griffin questioned, his voice laced with surprise and confusion. "How did you-"

"You did a good thing today, Buttercup. Saving me. And, like, we all know you gave me mouth to mouth not just to save my breath," she explained, closing the door behind her.

Griffin slowly rose to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest as Lexi approached him. The air between them was thick with tension, a silent battle of emotions raging beneath the surface.

"Just admit it. You still love me," Lexi declared, her voice filled with confidence.

Griffin shook his head, desperately trying to deny the truth that lingered in his heart. "I don't," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. But Lexi's smirk told him that she saw through his facade.

In an instant, Lexi's hands seized Griffin's, guiding them to the ends of her shirt. With a deliberate slowness, she pulled it off, revealing her black bra underneath. The sight left Griffin breathless, his mind racing with a mixture of desire and guilt.

"Look at what a good boy you are. Took off Mommy's shirt for her," Lexi smirked, her words dripping with a seductive power that left Griffin powerless to resist. However, he was compelled to do so, for the sake of Harper.

Griffin stumbled backwards, his heart pounding in his chest. "I have a girlfriend, Lexi. Why can't you just accept that?" he pleaded, his voice filled with desperation.

"Girlfriend? She called you an asshole." Lexi's voice dripped with venom as she recalled the insult. Griffin's confusion was evident on his face. How could she possibly know about that?

"Leave my damn house, Lexi. Now. And if you refuse, I will not hesitate to call the police," Griffin warned, his voice laced with anger. He moved towards the door, but before he could reach it, it swung open on its own.

A wicked smirk played on Juju's lips as she stood in the doorway, handcuffs dangling from her finger. "I wouldn't be so sure about that," she taunted. "There's no one here to help you, Griffin." With those words, she confidently stepped into the boy's room, closing the door behind her. Griffin's heart sank as he realized Juju was right. Zoey was away at a sleepover, and Wyatt was out with his baseball team.

Juju backed Griffin into his bed, causing him to fall onto it with a startled gasp. He looked up at the two girls, fear evident in his eyes. His pleas fell on deaf ears as Juju removed her shirt, a sinister smile playing on her lips.

"Now, you're going to be a good boy for your mommies, aren't you?" Juju's voice was filled with sadistic delight. Griffin's eyes welled up with tears as he begged for mercy, his gaze shifting to Lexi, hoping for some sign of compassion.

"What happened to my sweet Lexa-Bear?" Griffin whimpered, his voice filled with confusion and pain. Lexi paused for a moment, relishing in his vulnerability, before finally responding.

"Your Lexa-Bear is gone, Griffin. And if you dare tell a soul a word about what's about to happen tonight, I swear, you'll be gone too," Lexi sneered, a cruel smirk spreading across her face.

"No, no, PLEASE, NOOOOO!!!"