One Week Later

The police in Nashville have decided that I can leave Tennessee and head back to California.

They arrested Bethany and she won't be causing any problems for me.

I was told that she was going to get psychiatric help and that she may be unfit to spend any time in jail.

I just hope the help she'll get will make her better.

I don't want to think that she's completely evil and the reason why she did all this to me is because she can.

Hans knocks on the door. "Are you ready to go home, Ariana?"

"Yes, I am."

There's a knock on the door and Hans tells me that he'll get the door.

I hear my brothers voice. "Can we see Ariana, please."

Hans turns in my direction and I shake my head. "Come in." He opens the door.

I step into the room behind me.

Hans walks into the room and he looks at me. "You need to stop being childish. They're your brothers and they love you. They didn't have a chance to plan things out properly when it came to Bethany. Jen is with your brother if that helps."

I throw my hands in the air. "Fine." I walk out of the room.

Brad and Jen are sitting on the couch.

Brad stands. "Sis, I want to apologise for everything I've put you through. I don't want to lose you like I lost my daughter. Life is too short for you to do this to me."

Jen touches his arm. "Give her time. She will come around."

He looks at her. "Will she?"

I take a step toward him. "I will come around, Brad."

"Mom called last night. She was pissed at what we did to you and she yelled at Shawn and I for 1/2 an hour. I have never heard her that angry before."

Crossing my arms I ask. "Can you blame her?"

He shake his head. "No, I would have been the same if it was my child's brothers hurting their sister."

"Jen are you going back to Los Angeles with Brad?"

She nods. "Yes, I want to get to know him again and possibly start dating him again."

A smile spreads across my face. "I'm glad you found each other again. Even if it's under bad circumstances. The both of you deserve to be happy."

"Thanks, Ari." She walks over to me. "There's someone out there that wants to talk you. He's been their since last night."

"How do you?"

Brad looks at me. "We went to his room to invite him out for dinner, but he wasn't there. We checked this hotel and found him outside you're door. He told us that he wasn't going to leave until you saw."

"Hans," I yell.

He walks into the room. "What's the problem?"

"Did you know someone was sleeping on the floor outside our room?"

He laughs. "Yes, I thought the guy would have found his way to his room after midnight."

Opening the door I see Evan asleep against the wall and he jacket over his arms. I shake him. "Evan, wake up."

"I don't want to." He mumbles with his eyes still closed.

Should I be mean or should I be nice when it comes to waking him up.

Leaning down I place my lips on his and he opens his eyes. His eyes widen as he kisses me back.

I pull away from him.

"I could get used to waking up like that."

I roll my eyes. "Maybe, one day you will. Right now I need time."

"I know." He pulls me onto his lap. "I'm sorry, Ariana. I shouldn't have gone along with anything that Bethany did, but I wanted to protect you and so did your brothers. We're extremely sorry."

It's funny how the brother that lost his child is begging me to forgive him and the guy that owns my heart.

What hurts the most is the brother that I'm the closest too is nowhere to be seen.

Looking at Evan and Brad I ask. "Where's Shawn?"

Brad looks away from me. "He's not coping with you hating him. He's turned to drinking."

The last time Shawn drunk that much was when I was in a boating accident and he thought he killed me.

When I was sixteen Shawn took me out on a boat that he borrowed from a friend and we went skiing.

It was my turn to ski and Shawn drove us around the lake.

I fell down and Shawn drove back to pick me up.

He helped me into boat.

As we were heading back to shore a boat sped towards us and hit the boat.

I hit my head hard on the side of the boat and everything went black after I fell into the water.

When I woke up I asked for Shawn and everyone went quiet.

They didn't know what to tell me about Shawn.

"I have to like for him." I tell them.

Brad steps out of the room. "Check his room."

"Okay," I stand up and head down the hall where Shawn is staying.

I found out a couple nights ago that Shawn wanted to stay in the same hotel as me.

Knocking on the door I wait for my brother to answer.

The door swings open and I can smell bourbon on his breath. He sways. "What are you doing here?" His words come out a bit slurred.

"I came here to see my brother."

He looks at me. "You hate me."

I place my hand on his shoulder. "I don't hate you, Shawn. I'm just pissed at what you did to me."

"I'm sorry," he looks at the ground. "I've been trying to say that to you for awhile now, but I knew you didn't want to see me. So I stayed away."

"Drinking your problems away isn't going to help us."

"You're right." He hugs me. "All it takes for you to talk to me is for me to get drunk."

I place my hand on his cheek. "No, it's not Shawn. You should have come to my room and talked to me. Evan and Brad came to my room and they're their right now. The only person that was missing was you."

"When we get home I'm going to make it up to you."

Shawn and talk for a little bit longer before I head back to my room.

Hans has my suitcases in his hands and he looks at me. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Yes," I turn towards Evan and Brad. "I'll see you when we get home."

Knox walks out the door and he looks at them. "She'll be at my place for a couple of days. I doubt Charlie will let her leave for a while."

That's true.

Looking at Evan I say. "I'll give you a call when I make an appointment for the ultrasound." I kiss his cheek before I walk away with Knox and Hans.

When we get to the front of the hotel the car is pulled up front and we climb in.

I look out the window as we drive through Nashville.

***

Here's a character trailer for the newest character Jennifer "Jen" Monroe.

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