Hey guys! Hope everyone has had a good week. It has been pretty stressful for me with midterms starting (I know, I wanna cry too, but save your tears), but nonetheless, here I am with the next chapter!

Now, here's the thing. I have around 10 chapters for this story, but I wrote it last year and then I kind of ran out of steam and I haven't written anything for it since. This chapter was supposed to be the end of Dahlia and Henry's story, but then I just kept going and then as stated above, I just sorta stopped. Sooooooo I thought I'd ask what you guys want. I can either end the story here with this chapter, because this was the conclusion - and I hate it when stories are inconclusive because then I never feel satisfied - or I can post the other six chapters.

So anyways, here is Chapter 4, hope you all enjoy, and just leave a comment below if you want, and from there I'll decide what I'm gonna do.

Have a great weekend everyone! Enjoy!

xoxo Evie

All alone she was living

In a world without an end or beginning

- In the Night

The Weekend

He lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, not believing his luck.

She lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, not believing how stupid she was.

He ran his fingers over his lips, marveling at the memory of her mouth on his.

She ran a finger over her lips, trying not to marvel at the memory of his mouth on hers.

He couldn't wait to do it again.

She could not let it happen again.

He put his arms behind his head, knowing his pounding heart wouldn't let him sleep tonight.

She placed her arms on her stomach, knowing her unbelievable guilt wouldn't let her sleep tonight.

He couldn't wait to see her tomorrow. She has to stay now.

She was dreading seeing him tomorrow. There's no way I can stay.

When she woke up the next day, she allowed herself a moment to appreciate what had happened last night. She remembered leaving the park around 12 am, feeling calm and safe and … happy. He had kissed her goodnight outside her dorm building, a soft, lingering kiss that made her insides turn to butterflies and her legs turn to jell-o. But after, in her room, she felt the guilt crash down on her. Why did you kiss him?

She knew nothing good could come of it, and yet she had done it. And it's not like you can say you were drunk. You didn't even drink your beer. She passed a hand over her face and through her hair, mussing up her already messy bangs. She had this pent up energy she felt the need to get rid of. The gym. Clarity will come while at the gym. She quickly changed and set off.

When he woke up the next day, he relived the night all over again. How she had looked right before she kissed him, her face all determined, like she was about to do something that took all her courage. Her lips had been soft, but firm, her skin smooth beneath his finger tips. He had wanted the kiss to never end, but then she pulled away, and he was afraid to push her, so he just held her. After they left the park, she had been quiet, lost in her thoughts, and he worried she would turn him away, But when he had kissed her at her door, she had kissed him back. She even seemed a little unsteady after. He smirked smugly to himself.

He got out of bed and walked over to the sink looking at his smiling reflection. Suddenly, it all came crashing down on him. He quickly splashed some cold water on his face, before looking back himself. She's leaving today. And she doesn't intend to come back. But he refused to believe that. She just couldn't leave, not now. He dressed quickly, and hurried out of the building.

She pushed herself to go harder on the treadmill, running so fast, she felt like her legs were barely touching the ground. She didn't care how much noise she was making or that she was covered in sweat, she just needed to run. When the stitch in her side became too painful, she slowed down. It had been nice to forget for a while, but now she needed to face her problem. Make a list. Lists always help you. To Do List. While she wiped down her face and neck, she went over some points she brainstormed to say to him, but they all felt weak, pathetic, rotten. Gods. I really messed up this time.

She left the gym, but wasn't quite ready to head back to her room yet. Not ready to face reality yet. She turned in the direction of the park before pausing. Is that the best place to go? But despite what had happened there last night, the park had been her sanctuary all year. It would be the one place where she would be able to collect her thoughts. She started walking towards the park when she heard a voice call her name. She was surprised at the sudden joy that sprang up from her stomach, how her lips tingled when she turned and looked at him.

He was smiling broadly, his blue eyes sparkling behind his glasses, his hair and clothes disheveled like he'd just woken up. Gods, I want to kiss him.

He ran up to where she stood, her bangs clipped on top of her head, her tank top clinging to her with sweat. Gods, she's beautiful. She pulled out her earbuds as he approached her, a smile starting to form on her lips. His eyes stared at her mouth, and he had to restrain himself from gathering her to him and kissing her again.

"Hey."

"Hi."

She watched as he took in her appearance, his eyes lingering on her legs for a few seconds longer before he met her eyes again. Stupid shorts. She tried to ignore the thrill it sent through her that he was checking her out. "Leaving the gym?" He asked. She nodded.

"Thought I'd get in a quick workout before my dad shows up." She watched as his face fell slightly, but he perked up.

"Wanna grab breakfast?" Breakfast. You can do breakfast. "Sure," She shrugged.

He hesitated for a moment, before taking a step towards her and bending down. She took a step back. They both flushed and he tried to keep his disappointment from his face. Her heart nearly exploded at the sight of the confusion and hurt that passed over his face. Neither said anything, just looking at each other. Just do it now. Like ripping off a band-aid. "I- I think we should talk," she said, staring at her feet.

Fuck. Nothing good has ever come from those few words. He looked at her staring at the ground, his stomach dropping. "Sure… what about?"

She scuffed her foot against the pavement before looking up at him. I can't do this. She took a deep breath and said, "About last night…. It can't happen again."

It was silent again as he let that sink in. He felt like he might cry or punch something. He wasn't sure how to respond, but she didn't give him time to. "Not that I didn't enjoy it… Or rather, it was my fault. I shouldn't have kissed you. It's not fair to you," she sputtered, tripping over her words. Strike one for Dahlia.

His mind was reeling and he wasn't sure he was following her. "I don't understand."

She sighed, looking around like the words might drop from the sky. "Nothing can come out of that kiss. I'm not saying it didn't mean anything to me," she said, quickly as his face fell further. "But I'm leaving today, and I'm not coming back next year. Any relationship would be over before it even started."

He took a step towards her, catching her chin in his fingers and turning her face to his. "It doesn't have to be like that." Her eyes softened slightly as she looked at him, leaning into his hand, before she came to her senses and took a step back.

"It does! I- I can't stay here another year." This is not going well. "Besides, you know I've already formally withdrawn and cancelled my housing application."

"But that doesn't matter! You can talk to student services. Say you made a mistake," he said desperately, taking a step towards her.

She stepped back, needing to keep as much distance as possible between them. "But I didn't. I will not stay here next year! Not again!"

"What is so terrible about this place? You're no longer alone! Caleb and Matt think you're awesome and… and you've got me now too."

She looked at him, feeling like she might start to cry. "Staying here is no longer an option for me."

"But why? I thought you said the kiss meant something to you." He ran his hands through his hair, feeling desperate. "Don't go. Stay. Stay with me," he whispered.

At those words she did start to cry. "I can't!" She said again. "I can't! I can't!" She spun around on her heel, walking a few paces before turning back to face him. It was clear to him that she was obviously agitated. She wiped at her tears, trying to compose herself. "You have made the last two weeks the best two weeks of this year. And last night was… amazing, but I can't stay here with you. My life was miserable and lonely before you. I- I couldn't cope with being so alone. I- I went to a dark place and it has taken a lot to pull myself back out." She took a breath, before holding out her arms to him. He looked at her quizzically before taking her hands in his. As he looked at her wrists, he took note of the jagged scars that lined her forearms. He felt horror shudder through his body as looked up to meet her eyes. She turned her head away in shame. "Staying here would mean that the darkness would never totally leave me. Waking up to still be here would mean remembering how miserable I've been and I fear I won't take things further this time."

He looked at her, fear and guilt pulsing through him. He ran a finger lightly over her scars and she shuddered, pulling her arms from his grip and hiding them behind her back, her eyes darkening to a stormy gray. He took a step towards her, watching the whole time to make sure it was okay, before wrapping his arms around her. She shuddered, burying her face in his t-shirt while he kissed the top of her head.

They stood there for a few minutes, rocking back and forth, until she started to calm down. She stepped out of his arms, and opened her mouth to say something, when they heard familiar voices. "Dude! Where have you been?" Matt cried, coming up behind him and smacking him on the shoulder. "Hey Smith. We were just heading to get breakfast. Wanna join?" Matt gave her a crooked smile, his eyes hidden behind a pair of aviators. Caleb stood just beyond him, hands in the pockets to his jeans as he waved at her, an easy smile on his face.

She gave Caleb a small smile, but shook her head. "I wish I could but my dad will be here in an hour and I've got to shower and clean the room. My stupid roommate left yesterday night, so I've got to do all the work," she rolled her eyes, trying to fein fineness. Her eyes turned to his, and she bit her lip. This is such a bad idea. "Are you still going to stop bye later?"

He could tell Caleb and Matt knew something was up from the way Matt squeezed his shoulder and Caleb kept his distance. He looked at her, how small she seemed, and all he could think about were her forearms. This is such a bad idea. "I said I would be," He gave her a crooked smile. She nodded her head and said goodbye to the boys, before walking down the street towards her dorm.

Caleb walked up to him. "You okay man?"

He nodded, letting out a breath he'd been holding. "Yeah."

"What happened?" Matt asked, his face turned towards where she had disappeared.

He looked at his friends, unsure if he should tell them, but he knew Matt would find a way to extract it from him no matter what. "We kissed last night."

Matt gave him a big smile and clapped. Caleb smiled a little too, but knew from the look on his friend's face that there was more. "Good job my brother!" Matt said, slapping him again. "Good choice. She's hot. I mean did you see those shorts. Woo!"

He shook his head, turning so that he was facing his two friends. "She's leaving."

Caleb nodded his head in understanding, but Matt continued to smile. "No duh. But you've-"

He cut Matt off. "No. She's leaving for good. She's transferring." He thought about telling his friend's what she had shown him, but decided not to. That's her story to share.

"I'm sorry," Caleb said. He nodded his head in thanks.

None of the boys spoke for a moment, before Matt groaned. "Dude, I'm starving! And I want to hear about this kiss! Did she pass out in your arms after due to your awesome kissing powers?"

He laughed, pushing Matt away. "You're such an idiot. Let's go grab some grub and I'll tell you on the way."

She showered back in her room, letting the cool water calm her down. She did everything as though she was in a trance. She hadn't told anyone about the cutting, not even her best friend. She'd been too ashamed to let anyone know. But you told Henry. That has to mean something.

She dressed in the clothes she had laid out days ago: her Harry Potter list shirt and a denim skirt with her converse. She blew out her hair and did her make up. She cleaned the room, vacuuming and wiping everything down. She took out the garbage and recycling. But then she just had to wait. Wait for her check out time. Wait for her dad to show up to help her carry her stuff downstairs. Wait for him to come say goodbye. Her body recoiled at the last thought.

When her dad finally showed up, giving her a big hug, they carried her belongings down to the car. She filled out her paperwork and said goodbye to the RA. Her dad had just finished loading up the car when he showed up. He hesitated a moment, taking a minute to look at her, before walking towards her car. She suddenly felt nervous. I've never introduced Dad to any boys before. "Hey," she said, sticking her hands in her pockets as he approached.

He smiled at her, a little sadness behind it. "Hey."

Her dad closed the trunk then and came around the side of the car to where she stood. He looked at the two teens and raised his eyebrows at his daughter. "Dad, this is Henry. Henry, this is my father, Paul," she gestured with a hand, hoping neither could see it shaking.

Her father shook hands with him. "Nice to meet you Henry. My daughter has told me a bit about you."

He smiled at her father, looking at her briefly from the corner of his eye. She was blushing fiercely. "I've heard a great deal about you too, sir."

"I'll be back in a minute, Dad," she said, stepping in quickly. She grabbed his hand before he could protest and pulled him away from the car.

When they were a safe distance from the car, so that she knew her father wouldn't see, she stopped and turned to face him. "So… I guess this is goodbye."

He looked down at her, everything inside of him recoiling at the thought of this being goodbye. "No."

She looked up at him, surprise on her face, and she opened her mouth to protest when he bent down and covered her mouth with his. She froze for a moment before melting into the kiss. She rolled up on her toes, her hands going around his neck, while his one arm wrapped around her waist, his other settling in her hair. The kiss felt like it lasted forever, and when they finally broke apart, they were both breathless, their hearts pounding in their chests. "No. This is not goodbye," he said firmly, a hand coming up to caress her face.

She leaned her forehead against his, deciding now was not the time to protest. "I'm going to miss you so much."

He bent down and kissed her again, once more stealing her breath. "We will see each other again."

She sighed, wrapping her arms around his waist. They stood like that for another few seconds, before she kissed him once more and stepped out of his arms. "So I guess… I'll see you soon then?"

He nodded, his eyes lighting up as he smiled. She smiled back, taking his hand and squeezing it, before spinning on her heel and walking towards the car. When she reached it, her father gave her a knowing look, but she refused to be embarrassed. She closed her eyes, reliving the moment as the car pulled away from the curb. She glanced out her window as they passed where he stood. He held up a hand, giving her a crooked smile that made her toes tingle. She smiled back, watching as he and her surroundings minimized in the rearview mirror.