A/N: *So, I decided to continue the story! Sorry this next chapter will be so short, I just need time to get back on my feet, but Ive been working on some future chapters, and more excitement is yet to come! Enjoy!*

Chapter 15

That son of a bitch, he thought as he leaned his forehead against the door. “Alyssa, let me in.” Again, he was met with silence.

“Alyssa.” He sighed, exasperated. He had been trying for two weeks to get her out of her damn room (occasionally skipping class to do so). He didn’t even know when the girl managed to get downstairs to eat, if she had eaten at all.

The thought made him knock on the door harder. “Let me in.”

He heard movement, and he felt his spirits lift. “What part of ‘I want to be left alone’ do you not understand, Ryan? Go away.”

“I cant do that.” He answered honestly.

“Why not?” her voice cracked.

He smiled painfully. “Because you’re hurting.” He placed his hand flat against the door. “I don’t know what you are going through… but I do care” More than I should. He ignored the thought and continued. “Kevin’s a bastard, Aly, I cant believe anyone would do this to you.”

He jumped when he heard her unlock the door and he stepped back so that she could open it.

She had opened the door just enough to let him in. Once he had stepped into the room she slammed the door shut behind him. Before he could react, she had wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shirt.

He held her closer, saying nothing.

(Two days later)

The door bell rang several times, followed by pounds on the door. “Alyssa! Let me in!”

“Leave me alone.” She whispered, hugging her knees tighter to her chest. She wasn’t trying to be a drama queen or even seek this much attention, she just couldn’t find the strength within herself to keep going. Why bother trying to get up when you get kicked down every time?

She couldn’t bear the thought of hurting him. Not again.

It was Monday. She had called in sick to work. She knew she’d have to make a decision tonight, that Jason would call and demand an answer, otherwise those pictures and the letter would be on Kara’s desk before she had time to change her mind.

“Alyssa, don’t make me bring Ryan over here. I will call him.”

This caught her attention. Ryan couldn’t see her like this, she wouldn’t let him.

She got off the couch and walked towards the door. “Please don’t call him, Hanna. I’ll be ok, I just… I just need to be left alone.”

“God dammit Alyssa! You can’t do this again. You are stronger than this. Whatever Jason said, whatever he did, you can’t hide from everyone who cares.” She knocked on the door again. “I know you’re hurting.” Hanna’s voice had quieted. “But I can’t help if you won’t let me.”

She bit her lip and leaned against the door frame. “I’m sorry, Hanna. I need more time to think.” I don’t want you to see me like this. I don’t want anyone to see me like this, this weak, pathetic looking excuse for a hum-

She heard Hanna sigh. “My lunch break is almost over. But believe me, I will be back, Justin in tow. And if that doesn’t work, I’m bringing Ryan over Alyssa.”

She didn’t have the chance to respond: she could hear the footsteps hitting against the pavement as Hanna walked towards her car.

Alyssa collapsed back onto the couch, returning to the hellish nightmares that had plagued her all weekend.

(A few hours later)

Alyssa awoke in the dark, surprised to find herself in her bed rather than the couch she had occupied all weekend. She yawned and stretched her arms, relaxed, until a disturbing thought hit her. What time is it? Did Jason Call? Did I miss it? “No!” she cried out, and sat up abruptly, in search of her cell phone. What if he had called already? What if he took her silence as an answer and Kara already had those pictures in her hands?

The lamp on the other side of the bed suddenly flickered on, and she jumped at the sound of his voice right next to her.

“Bad dream?”

Ryan. He was sitting on her bed, a book in his hands, as if he had been there for hours and was waiting for her to wake up. He looked tired, but not angry, which made Alyssa temporarily relax. If Jason had called and sent those pictures to Kara, she was sure Ryan wouldn’t look as calm and in control as he did right now. “I…I… yes I guess you could say that.” She stammered. “How did you…”

“You always keep a spare key under the potted plants by the front door. I’m surprised Justin and Hanna didn’t think of it.”

She brought her fingers to her temples. Her mind was racing and she was struggling to keep up. “Why are you here?”

He took off the reading glasses she hadn’t noticed he was wearing before. “Justin and Hanna called me and told me what happened... well, as much as they know, anyway” His voice was hard, but she could hear the concern in his voice and that fact alone melted her heart.

She rested her back against the headboard and refused to look at him, staring at the wall across from them instead. “I wasn’t trying to shut them out… I just needed time to think.”

“You scared the hell out of them is what you did.” He stated.

Her eyes fell to the pattern of the comforter, and the feelings of guilt swept over her once again. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to upset them… or involve you… I didn’t… I didn’t mean for any of this!” The tears ran hot and fast down her cheeks, and she was surprised she still had that many tears left in her body. She covered her face in her hands. “I won’t hate you if you leave.” She cried.

“Alyssa…” He placed his hands over hers, and removed them from her face. “What did he do to you?”

She kept her eyes down, she couldn’t look at him. If she did, it would all come spilling out. And as much as she wanted to tell him, to confide in him about Jason’s plans, she couldn’t- she couldn’t risk the chance of losing him again, and she was still deciding on what that meant. “He… he did-didn’t do any-anything… he just… just didn’t sa-say very ni-nice things to me.” She blubbered out

His look was skeptical. “There has to be more to it. Words would not have made you THIS upset.”

No. She had decided. She wouldn’t do this. She wouldn’t get him involved.“I cant- I cant be your friend anymore.” She sobbed. Her heart ached to say it, but she knew she had to. He couldn’t be used as leverage against her any longer.

“Oh? And why’s that?” He smiled at her, and she felt irritated because she knew he didn’t believe her.

“Because… because I’m not… not a nice person. I don’t deserve you as a friend.” She wiped away the tears still left on her cheeks, determined to not cry in front of him anymore.

He grabbed her hand reassuringly with one hand and lifted her chin with the other, forcing her to look at him. “Alyssa, I am your friend, and I’m here to stay. Nothing you say or do will ever ruin that, do you understand?”

Oh, he was too close to her face. She unconsciously licked her lips. “It’s happened before.” She whispered, making no attempt to pull away from his touch.

His eyes darkened and she could see a twinge of regret cross his features. “We were both wrong in that area, Alyssa. But we are working on it. It’s been a slow, sometimes difficult process, but we are getting there. I feel…” he looked away from her for a few seconds, than focused his attention back to her face. “I feel closer to you, as a friend, than I have in a long time. And I am grateful for it. And nothing, I mean nothing, Jason says or does can change my mind on that.”

He cautiously wrapped his arms around her, but relaxed when she welcomed the embrace. Her head on his shoulder, she felt safe, and impenetrable by Jason’s threats from dinner.

She didn’t want to lose this.

“Do you have to get back to Kara? I’m sorry your time with her was interrupted.”

“She left again yesterday, so I can stay as long as you want.” He pulled away and stood up from the bed. “Are you hungry? Do you want to make something?”

She nodded, “Yeah… yeah that sounds good.”

“Good. I’ll get started. Come down when you’re ready ok?” He smiled at her.

She smiled back. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

She waited until she heard him walk down the stairs and start pulling food out of the cabinets before she grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand.

It only rang once before she heard him pick up. “Well, that took longer than I thought it would, but you are still under your deadline. So, what’s the decision?”

“I…” she paused, walked to the top of the stairs, where she could see Ryan moving around in the kitchen, whistling while he cooked.

She bit her lip. “You’re on. I’ll start tomorrow.”