Chapter 13

Noah's POV

Hale and I walked in comfortable silence, the night air crisp and cool against our skin. It's nice to see her out of the house, but the weight on her shoulders is still visible in the way she holds herself—tense, as if the world could come crashing down at any moment. I've known her long enough to see that something is eating away at her, something more than the usual stress.

As we walk, I glance at her, trying to find the right words. I want to help, but I don't want to push too hard. Finally, I decide to just be straightforward. Hale's always appreciated honesty.

"Hale," I say softly, breaking the silence. "I can see something's been bothering you for a while now. I'm here, you know? If you want to talk about it."

She didn't respond immediately, her gaze fixed on the pavement. I give her time, letting her decide if she wants to open up. Eventually, she takes a deep breath and looks up at me, her eyes reflecting the dim streetlights.

"It's been… a rough," she admits, her voice quiet. "Everything just fell apart, Noah."

I stayed silent, letting her continue at her own pace.

"It started with Cassandra," she begins, her tone bitter. "She didn't show up at the restaurant right? And I was left sitting there, wondering what went wrong. Then, when I went to the park to clear my head, Mia told me she saw Cassandra with Theo. I didn't want to believe it, but I went to see for myself. And there they were, laughing and celebrating while I was left alone."

She pauses, her voice shaking with a mix of hurt and anger. "It felt like a punch to the gut, you know? Like everything I thought I knew was just… gone. I didn't know what to do, so I just got on my bike and drove, trying to outrun everything. But I ended up in the middle of nowhere, out of gas and out of options. I was stranded, stranded and scared."

"Hale," I said, reaching out to gently touch her arm. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. No one should ever have to feel that way, especially not you."

She nods, her eyes downcast. "I just feel so lost, Noah. Like everything that was holding me together is gone. I don't know how to move forward."

I swallow hard, feeling the weight of her words. "I know it feels like everything's falling apart, but you've still got people who care about you—who want to help you get through this. And I'm one of them."

She looks at me, her expression softening a bit. "Thanks, Noah. I don't know what I'd do without you and dad."

I give her a small smile, hoping to lighten the mood. "Well, you don't have to worry about that. We are not going anywhere."

For a moment, we just stand there, the quiet of the night settling around us. I can see she's trying to hold herself together, trying to keep from falling apart again. And I get it—sometimes, all you can do is keep moving forward, even when it feels like the ground is crumbling beneath you.

An idea strikes me, something that might help take her mind off things for a while. "Hey, how about we go grab a drink?" I suggest. "There's a bar not too far from here. We don't have to talk about any of this if you don't want to. We can just sit, have a drink, and let the world fade away for a bit."

Hale blinks at me, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "A drink? I don't know…"

"Come on," I encourage gently. "Just one. It doesn't have to be anything crazy. I just want to see you relax a little. You deserve it after everything you've been through."

She hesitates, then slowly nods. "Okay. A drink sounds nice."

"Great," I said, feeling a bit of relief. "Let's go, then."

We started walking again, this time with a clearer destination in mind. As we head toward the bar, I glance over at Hale and see a small, tentative smile on her face. It's not much, but it's something—a sign that maybe, things will start to get better.

Hale's pov

The bar is dimly lit, the kind of place where you can disappear into the shadows if you want. And right now, that's exactly what I need. Noah and I have been here for a while, sitting at a small table in the corner. The drinks have been flowing steadily, and I can feel the alcohol dulling the sharp edges of my thoughts. For the first time in days, I'm not completely consumed by everything that happened. Instead, I'm just… here.

Noah's been great, keeping the conversation light and easy, not pressing me to talk about anything heavy. I appreciate that more than I can say. It's nice to just exist in the moment, to laugh at his stupid jokes and feel a little more like myself.

I take another sip of my drink, savoring the burn as it slides down my throat. The buzz in my head is comforting, like a blanket wrapping around me, keeping the world at bay. I glance over at Noah, who's telling me about some ridiculous thing that happened before. His smile is infectious, and I find myself laughing along with him, even if my heart isn't quite in it.

Then, suddenly, a shout cuts through the noise of the bar. It's loud, angry, and all too familiar.

I whip my head around, scanning the bar until my eyes land on the source of the commotion. There, near the entrance, I saw Chiara. She looks terrified, and next to her is a girl I don't recognize. They're surrounded by a group of guys who are clearly harassing them. One of the guys is looming over Chiara, his hand gripping her arm too tightly, while the others are laughing and egging him on.

Something snaps inside me. Without even thinking, I'm on my feet, my drink forgotten on the table. I can feel Noah's eyes on me, but I don't stop to explain. I just move.

As I push through the crowd, the anger builds in me, a fiery rage that drowns out everything else. By the time I reach them, I'm not even thinking—I'm just acting.

"Get your hands off her!" I shouted, my voice trembling with fury.

The guy holding Chiara turns to look at me, a sneer on his face. "Or what?" he slurs, clearly drunk. His friends snicker, but I'm already done with this.

Before he can react, I grab his wrist and twist it hard, forcing him to let go of Chiara. He yelps in pain, stumbling back. The bar seems to go silent as everyone watches, but I'm too far gone to care.

"You heard me," I growled, stepping closer to him, my fists clenched. "Back off."

He tries to recover, his friends stepping up beside him, but they don't scare me. I've had enough— If they want a fight, I'm ready.

One of the guys lunges at me, and I dodge to the side, bringing my elbow down hard on his back. He crumples to the ground with a grunt. Another one comes at me, and I'm already swinging, my fist connecting with his jaw. The impact sends a shockwave through my arm, but it's worth it to see him stagger back.

I don't stop. I can't. Not until they're all down, until they understand that they can't just treat people like this. I can feel Noah behind me, ready to jump in if needed, but he didn't interfere. He knows I need this—to take control, to fight back against everything that's been dragging me down.

The last guy standing looks at me, fear flashing in his eyes. He's smart enough to back off, raising his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright!" he stammers. "We're done!"

"Good," I spit out, my voice cold. "Now get out of here."

They scramble to their feet, grabbing their fallen friends and stumbling out of the bar. The moment they're gone, the adrenaline starts to fade, and the reality of what just happened begins to sink in.

I turn to Chiara, who's still shaking, and the unfamiliar girl beside her. "Are you okay?" I asked, my voice softer now.

Chiara nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. "Hale… thank you."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. The anger is gone, replaced by a strange sense of calm. "Let's get out of here," I said, glancing back at Noah. He's watching me with a mix of concern and something else—maybe pride. I can't quite tell.

We left the bar together, the night air cool against my heated skin. I know this isn't over. There's still so much I need to process, so much pain that needs to heal. But for now, I feel stronger—like I've taken back a piece of myself that I thought I'd lost.

And for tonight, that's enough.

Chiara's POV

It was late afternoon when my phone buzzed on the table. I glanced at the screen and saw it was Uncle William calling. I picked up, unsure of what to expect. He usually doesn't call around this time, maybe it's important.

"Hey, Uncle," I answered, leaning back in my chair.

"Chiara, I just spoke with Lauren's father," he began, and instantly my heart leaped. Lauren and I had been apart ever since I came back here, and adjusting without her had been way harder than I'd let anyone know.

"She's coming back," Uncle William said, and I could hear the relief in his voice. "She'll be following you here, and you two will be going to the same school together."

I blinked, processing his words. "Wait, Lauren's coming back? For real?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "It's been hard for you to adjust alone, Chiara, and we think it's better if you and Lauren are together. You two have always supported each other, and going to school here without her will be tough for you. This way, you won't have to go through all of that alone."

I couldn't help but smile, relief washing over me. I had been doing my best on my own, but the truth was, everything had felt a little empty without Lauren by my side. Knowing she is coming back, that we'd be facing this together, made everything feel a hundred times easier.

"When is she coming?" I asked, trying to contain my excitement.

"Very soon," Uncle William gently replied. "You'll see her before you know it."

After I hung up, I immediately dialed Lauren's number. She answered on the second ring.

"Guess who's coming to join me?" I said, unable to hide the grin in my voice.

Lauren laughed on the other end. "Yeah, I just found out! I'm packing as we speak. I can't believe we are going to the same school again!" She squealed.

We spent the next few minutes making plans and catching up, but then Lauren had an idea. "We should go out when I get there. You know, before school starts. Let's celebrate. I heard about this bar we can check out."

I hesitated for a second—bars weren't usually my scene—but with Lauren, I didn't care. She had a way of making everything fun. "Alright," I agreed. "Let's do it."

---

When we finally met up a few days later, it felt like no time had passed at all. We headed to the bar Lauren had found, excited to catch up properly now that she was back. The place was packed, neon lights flickering in the dim atmosphere. The low thrum of music filled the room as we grabbed a table near the back and ordered our drinks.

For the first time *except when I met hale*, I felt like I could breathe again. With Lauren here, everything felt easier. We laughed, talked about how strange it was to be back together, and what school would be like. It felt like old times—like we hadn't missed a beat.

But then, as the night wore on, I noticed a group of guys nearby, lingering a little too long, their stares making me uncomfortable. I tried to ignore it at first, focusing on Lauren's stories, but then one of them came over.

"Mind if I join you?" he slurred, leaning in far too close for comfort.

Lauren shot him a sharp look. "We're fine, thanks," she said firmly.

But he didn't back off. Instead, he grabbed my arm, yanking me toward him. Panic surged through me, my heart racing as I tried to pull away. His grip was tight, his friends laughing and egging him on from behind.

"Let her go!" Lauren snapped, her voice full of anger.

The guy just laughed, tightening his hold on me, and I felt frozen, trapped in that moment.

And then, out of nowhere, I heard a voice that cut through the chaos.

"Get your hands off her!"

It was Hale.

She appeared like a force of nature, her eyes blazing with fury. Before the guy could react, Hale grabbed his wrist and twisted it hard, forcing him to let go of me. He stumbled back, shock written across his face, but Hale wasn't done. She moved quickly, taking down anyone who dared get close to us.

I stood there, still in shock, as Hale tore through the group. Her fists flew with precision, and within moments, the guys were either on the ground or running for the door.

When the chaos settled, Hale turned to me, her expression softening. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice gentler now.

I nodded, tears brimming in my eyes. "Hale...thank you," I managed to say, my voice shaky.

"Let's get out of here," Hale said, she glanced at her friend before glancing at Lauren to make sure she was okay too.

We left the bar, stepping out into the cool night air. I glanced at Lauren, who was still holding onto me protectively, and then at Hale, who walked ahead, her presence still radiating calm and strength.

With Lauren back and Hale stepping in when I needed her, I felt safer than I had always been. And even though the night had taken an unexpected turn, I knew that I wasn't facing this new chapter alone anymore.

(⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧(⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧(⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧

A/N

Hale is me, and noah is zeed (my online best friend) in this chap. Like you know, I'm gonna rant or open up about my problems and then she will make me feel better. Zeed is actually the one who's pushing me to continue this, because I told her that I will stop writing it anymore. She told me it was worth it, and she was waiting for an update. So here I am, writing this again¯⁠\⁠_( ⁠•́⁠ ͜⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠•̀⁠ )⁠_⁠/⁠¯