[|]I wasn't sure I heard right because whatever he said just sounded like something he said to sound like a joke."You're lying," I said, feeling slight anger in me.Axel frowned. "Why would I lie to you?"He had a point. I sighed and pressed the pads of my fingers to my forehead."So, you're saying you're related to Lucas Hamilton?" I asked and he nodded his head."Lucas is my brother. He's older than me by just a year. I'm eighteen. I've been in his shadow since I started this school at age fifteen and everyone knows me as his baby brother and not Axel. We both have the same parents and sometimes, I wish we don't because he doesn't act like a true brother at all."I could sense the sadness in his tone. I wanted to walk away from Axel, especially now that I knew he was related to the jerk who sent his boys to assault me. But from what Axel was saying, he looked like he was nothing like his brother."Are you one of his girls or something?" Axel asked and I flinched. "Oh, sorry if tha

[|]I sighed in relief when Lucas grabbed his sister's hand and walked away. I didn't have the strength to deal with him and any complaints he might have about me selling the phone. I smiled and looked at the wads of hundred-dollar notes in my hands.I put the money in my backpack and walked to the entrance of the mall. Just before I stepped out, I saw the boys from Lucas' party laughing and walking toward the mall. I started to walk back in fear as I didn't want anything happening to me. Flashes of that night came back with so much force that I began to hyperventilate.When their eyes went to the revolving doors, I turned around and ran away, panting hard. Who knows what would happen if they saw me and cornered me in a store? I had to act fast and find a place to hide. I saw a coffee store and went into it then sat at a table that was away from the entrance of the place. I calmed my heavy breathing and ignored the looks the people close to my table were giving me."Oh, God!" I whispe

[|]I wasn't sure what he said was what I heard and all I could do was stare at his face in confusion."Huh?" I finally spoke and he sighed, rubbing his face."I've been plagued with what happened that night and I am very confused about who is trying to frame me. I swear to you, Jackie. I didn't—"I flinched when he got pulled away from my body. He also looked startled and when he turned around, I craned my head to the side and saw an angry-looking girl around my age. Her eyes held pain with tears that were about to roll out of them. I was confused about who this girl was until she slapped him. I gasped at the deepness of the slap as it made Lucas stagger backward.Who was this girl and why did she suddenly interrupt us when I was about to hear what Lucas had to say? I shifted my eyes to Lucas who rubbed his cheek with his hand and then looked at her."Why did you slap me?" He asked and she hissed."Is that supposed to be a question?! I just saw you kissing someone and you dare ask me

A/N: The time skip may be a bit confusing but it's important to the next part of the storyline; them in college. I apologize if it seems too jumpy.[|]Months Later."You're fired." I've heard these words too many times and each time I did, it made me sadder than how my life was. I needed this job to save up for next year and here I was, losing it because I had been late again due to lectures."Okay, ma'am," I said to the elderly lady and took off my apron before leaving the office. I walked to the locker room and locked myself in it then rushed to the bench where I sat and started to cry."Why is my life like this?" I whispered dejectedly and wiped the fallen tears off my cheeks. "I'm just in my first year in college and I'm already having debts here and there."I had not been able to get the scholarship for some reason and it ruined my dreams of going to the prestigious college I wanted to attend. Coming to this college in California had been a second choice for me and I reluctantly

[|]Jackie's POVI rushed to my residential building and ran straight to my room. I was relieved when I saw that my roommate was not around, so I had the time to think about whom I had seen a few minutes ago. I could not believe that I had bumped into Lucas Hamilton. He was the last person I would think of bumping into and it was funny how I have never forgotten about him all these months ever since that very night in front of his house. I was confused about a lot of things. Firstly, what was he doing where I schooled, and secondly, I wondered if he has been monitoring me all these years."Nah, something isn't right about this," I said and sat on my single bed. I folded my legs and leaned on the wall. "Why is Lucas in my area?"Despite everything that happened the last time I saw him, I could not stop thinking about what he was doing and where he was. I had even searched him online but found nothing. I had nothing against him as I learned to forgive and forget about the incident but