Riley's POV:

My eyes flicker open to blinding rays of light from a window not too far from where I lay and I immediately squint to block them out. I don't have to reopen my eyes all the way to recognize the simple fact that I am indeed in a hospital, and not just a hospital. I'm in the same hospital I was in months ago... I'm right back to where I was--kinda like a deja-vu.

My hands travel underneath me to prop me up enough so I can look around the room. It's decorated with 'Get Well Soon' cards from Joni, empty coffee cups and an overwhelming amount of flowers. I try to recant the events that took place, but nothing is coming to mind. The last thing I remember is being in the middle of the dance floor with Dixie and maybe seeing Zayn? My memory is fuzzy and blotchy that it's genuinely scaring me.

My chest rises and falls faster and faster as I try and remember what happened and what put me in here, but nothing is coming. How long have I been here? I tug at the oxygen mask that is tightly placed over my nostrils and listen as the monitors beeping sound grows louder and louder with every frantic breath I take. I immediately feel trapped inside my mind and scared of what could have happened to me.

"I think something's happening to Riley, her monitors are going crazy." I hear that familiar deep voice echo from outside the closed hospital door and I tug the mask off completely.

"Zayn!" I shriek, and large shuffling takes place behind the door and maybe half a second later, it swings open.

"You're awake?!" Zayn's joyous voice rings through the room as if it's Christmas morning and the smile on his face is so big it almost doesn't fit his clean cut jaw line.

"What happened? Why am I here?" I ask, and his smile turns abysmal. "Zayn, speak to me." I shout, fanning myself from the extreme heat I'm feeling. The stress I'm giving myself along with the stress of Zayn standing there staring at me feels like too much.

"Hang out," he sighs, "Can I get a doctor in room 121 please?!" Zayn shouts, and immediately a nurse bops inside the room wearing a little elf hat.

"Merry Christmas sir! What can I do for--" She stops herself when she notices that I'm wide awake and panic stricken. It's Christmas? 14 days have passed. 14 fucking days of my life, wasted.

"Christmas?" I gasp out, and Zayn immediately wraps his arms around my torso.

"I'll go get a doctor." The nurse whispers with her head down, and scurries out of the room like a little mouse.

"It's gonna be fine Riley, you're gonna be fine." He whispers in my hair, running a hand over my back in a soothing way. I press my face into his shoulder and release a few small sobs into him. It's Christmas and I've can't remember anything that has happened over the past two weeks. I can't even remember what the hell I'm doing here. Why was Zayn the only one here? Where are my parents? Where is Dixie? Oh my gosh, is Harry going to be pissed at me about going to the dance without his permission?

The dance. And just like that, jumbled up memories and pieces of information flood my screaming brain.


"Is Dix here yet?" I ask and Maddie and Cody point towards the entrance.
"Is that her?" Maddie asks and my heart beat quickens when I see who she's with.
"Is she with Seth Chambers?"

"Just shut up and take a drink!"

Zayn is here. Fuck my life.
"I'll be right back." I slur, following Zayn out the doors and into the parking lot.

"Ri, run!" He shouts but I'm blinded by the headlights coming straight at me. Before I can react, my body is shoved out of the way and Zayn's body flies up against the windshield of the car and falls flat in front of it.

"Get in, it's bridge time." Seth's voice pierces right through me. Bridge time?

"Surprise bitch!" Dixie gives me a twisted smile and I start punching and hitting her as hard as I can.

"You've always been number one! The best dancer, the prettier friend, you even dated Zayn and Nick! I've been sick of you since sophomore year and this year really just pushed me to the limit... So when Seth came along and asked me for help to 'get rid of you' how could I say no?"

"For fucks sake, enough is enough!" Brian screams, swinging his fist into my stomach.

"That's the way I've always liked you... helpless." Seth smirks, coming down so his face is even with mine.

"Harry's not saving you now love, no one is." He coos, slamming into me a bit harder.

"This is for Eric and Celia... Maybe Harry will learn his lesson." Seth laughs, sliding my feet over the cold railings.

"Your parents car... I... I cut the brakes." He whispers and my heart drops.

"Put her down Seth!" Harry shrieks, running towards us.

I hear a few screams including my own as I drop down the side of the bridge.

"I love you Harry. I'm really sorry." I choke, my grip lessening and lessening the closer we get until everything completely fades away.

"A lot happened while you were in the water, Riley. People died." Eric whispers the last part so low that I ask him to repeat it.

"Harry, Nick, Zayn, Both of my parents? What the fuck!"

"Eric, please make it stop! Please God, make it go away! Make all the bad go away!" I sob, coughing, gagging and screaming.



"Zayn!" I shriek out, sobbing and shaking so much that I can barely control myself. When I finally come back to the real world and away from my horrifying memories, there are over ten doctors and nurses in the room surrounding me, flashing lights in my eyes and shouting orders.

"She's seizing!" The mousey nurse from earlier squeaks and I feel my eyes roll back into my head.

I want to pull myself out of this but I can't, I'm numb from the inside out all over again, and this time it's not from freezing cold water or betrayal.


Harry's POV

"Merry Christmas!" My parents greet me in the morning, fake smiles plastered across their faces. I sit numbly in my bed like I've been doing for the past two weeks. The only time I leave my room is to go to the bathroom or eat, which I've barely done. Other than that I am glued to my bed or to the floor, depending on what kind of mood I'm in.

"Son, we have some news for you." My dad sits on the corner of my bed, eager to tell me what's going on.

"If it's not about Riley then I don't give a shit." I reply coldly, staring intently at the wall. I've grown to admire it's dark blue color and bumps and scrapes. It's a rather nice wall.

"It's about Riley." My mom whispers, a indifferent look on her face. Heat rises inside of me and a single shred of hope flushes through me along with an overwhelming amount of fear. God, please don't tell me she died on Christmas. They say she doesn't really have much of a chance but please don't tell me she's left me on all of the days.

"If she's gone, I can't deal with it. I don't want to hear it and I, I, I..." I stop talking and rock myself back and forth slowly, the only method that has been keeping me from exploding lately.

"She's not dead! She woke up." My father cuts in, a large smile plastered across his face.

"She's awake?" My voice trembles and I ask him to repeat it so I know it's real. Riley fucking woke up... she's probably so confused and alone and I hate myself even more than I have ever before.

"Yes, Zayn was there with her this morning. At first she didn't remember anything but then it all came back which lead to her--"

"Enough Anne!" Des stops her, and she immediately closes her mouth. I shake my head and point at my mother.

"Finish." I demand, through gritted teeth. That was so arrogantly stupid of my father.

"She had a seizure right after she remembered everything." She sighs, and I flop onto my back and put my hands over my face, tears pouring out of my eyes like a leaky faucet.

"She's gonna be ok though, Harry. She's just confused and sad and hurt but she's gonna be ok." My dad tries to assure me, but I can't take hearing another word.

I stand up from my bed and grab a jacket, keys, my cell phone, it's charger and my wallet.

"Where are you going Harry? It's Christmas..." My weak mother whispers, her voice shaky and filled with fear. I shove my sleeves through the jacket and shove past them both.

"Merry Christmas... I'm leaving." I say, before storming down the stairs, out the front door and into my car.

I don't know where I'm going, but all I know is that I can't stick around for this. Believe me, I'm happy that Riley is alive but... The aftermath is whats gonna hurt her the most. Who lived, who died and who isn't the same. It's my fault and I know she won't want to see me when she realizes that, so I should just cut my losses and run away, right?

What do I do? 14 sleepless nights later she's awake a freaking out, and I'm cowering like the bastard they all think I am. Might as well give them what they're gonna want and escape early, right?

Right?

Who am I kidding, everything is wrong. This is wrong, I'm wrong and my love for her is wrong. The only thing I can think to do is confront the enemy, and maybe that will solve all of the problems. Maybe this will solve all of the problems? Maybe it's my last option to find clarity... But then again, maybe this is the worst decision of my life.

Time to pay a visit to Maywood's finest criminal, Seth Chambers.

Notes

yay, you guys got 70 votes so here's your update!

what do you think is gonna happen next? comment what ya think about the chapter / what will happen next for moreeeee

i'm taking the SATs saturday and have a shitload of homework for the weekend so I probably won't be able to update for a few days. x

and of course, vote if you haven't! :)