I try to stand tall, to hold myself together, but I can feel myself starting to break.

Not in front of him, of them. Please.

I take a deep breath when Phoebe speaks up, interrupting Dean. Her icy voice send a chill up my spine. "Why don't I tell the story?" She says with that devilish smirk she seems to always have. It is either that or her resting bitch face. "Hmm, where to start?"

"Phoebe..." Dean warns. Phoebe just smirks and rolls her eyes.

"Phoebe, I think it is time you leave." Marie says, stepping out into the diner area.

I watch as Phoebe's mouth falls open, surprised of Marie's dismissal, as am I. I wonder how long she has been standing by listening to, well to whatever the hell was going on.

"I need a ride, lover boy. I got dropped off here." She whines.

I roll my eyes at my annoyance with her and at Dean's infatuation with her. What the hell does she have that I don't? I grab the rag and begin to finish wiping down the coffee bar when I hear Marie tell Dean, "Go ahead, drop her off at home. But I need you to come right back to help finish cleaning."

The way she said cleaning, I can't help but think there is more to that than just finishing up here. Her authoritative mother-like tone signifies the 'we need to talk' vibes. Dean nods and then steps in the back briefly before coming back up front, apron off and keys in hand. Phoebe grunts as she follows Dean out of the door, stomping her feet and folding her arms over her chest. I can't help but giggly slightly at her childish actions.

"Honey, why don't you just go home for the night, Dean and I will finish up here." Marie says as she walks over to the front door, locking it and turning off the open sign.

"Are you sure? There is still a lot to finish."

Marie gives me a small grin and waves me off. "Yes, we can handle it. Go get some rest, we will see you tomorrow evening. Big night, pot roast special so it will be busy."

I nod and give her what was closest to a smile as I can manage right now. I untie my apron and begin to walk towards the back, my palm against the swing door, as I look back once more at Marie.

"Marie, I am in love with your son." The words are out before I can stop them. I look over to the coffee bar and instantly want to bang my head against it. This is Dean's mother, what the hell are you thinking just telling her something like that? Idiot.

Marie opens her mouth slightly before closing it again and smiles. Her cheeks reflecting my now burning cheeks. "I know you do sweetheart, and I am thankful for that, that he has someone like you in his life."

Had. I want to say and correct her. She must not know that her son not only stole my heart, but he stomped on it and let that psycho Phoebe spit on it. 

Instead of saying anything, I put on another small smile, and push open the swinging door, and hear Marie say, "He loves you too honey. He may be too boneheaded to show you that right now, but in his head, what he's doing is what he thinks is best, for you." 

I look back at her and watch as she grabs the broom and starts sweeping before I grab my things and leave. The entire drive home, all kinds of questions keep flooding in. What did she mean by he is doing what he thinks is best? How can he leave me, right after what happened, and then go back to Phoebe? I mean, Phoebe?

I hate how many questions I have when it comes to him. Like, did he ever stop caring for her? Maybe after that incident with her damn cousin started back up that fire? Was he comparing me to her when we had sex? I cringe at the image of him having sex with her. It wasn't just sex though. He made love to me, I felt it. I felt him give himself to me, we were both vulnerable and exposed, but still relishing in how we made each other feel and the words we exchanged meant everything to me. Should I not have admitted how I truly felt? Should I have not given my virginity to him?

I begin to feel a headache coming on as I pull into the driveway. I walk into the house, whispering a hello to Seth who is sitting on the couch with a very pregnant and very sleepy tired Valerie, whom is laying on his lap with her eyes closed while Harry Potter is learning how to fly a broomstick on the screen.

I get in the shower to relieve the tension I feel in the back of my neck and keep hoping this headache will diminish. It does, only slightly though. After several long minutes, I get out and pull on my softball tee and shorts and put on my robe. When I sit down on my bed and plug my phone in, I hear a light knock on the door.

"Come in Seth." I call out as I get settled in bed, turning my TV on to find something on Netflix.

The door creaks open and instead of my brother, I am faced with electric blue eyes staring directly at me.

"Dean?" I ask, rubbing my eyes and realize it really is him. I sit up and lean against my head board in a quick second, pulling nervously at my silky robe.

He nods and then walks in, shutting the door behind him and then buries his hands in his pockets. "What are you doing here?" I can't help but ask.

"Scar-," He chokes and then takes his left hand out of his pocket to rub the back of his neck. "I need to tell you something, but I don't know where to start."

He shakes his head and runs his hands over his face, he looks like he is about to break right in front of me and I watch a single tear fall from his eyes. I look away so I don't get the urge to get out of my bed to comfort him and tell him everything is going to be okay.

When I don't do anything but pick up the remote and start going through my list on Netflix, hopelessly trying to find something to interrupt this extremely and unnerving conversation, I say, "Well, are you going to speak or are you just going to stand there and gawk."

I feel the edge of my bed shift as he sits down and I hear him sniffling. Good, he should be crying. At least, that's how I wish I would think. Instead, each sniffle he lets out, I can picture tears falling from those electric blue eyes that I love so much and it breaks my heart even more, if that is even possible. Not sure there is any more to break.

"First, you need to know, I am not with Phoebe, only reason why I even agreed to well, leave you and I guess pretend to be with her was because she was hanging something over my head. Something that would absolutely crush you and she was wanting to do it publicly, I couldn't let that happen."

I stop browsing Netflix and finally make eye contact with him. "Do what publicly? What could she have hanging over your head Dean that would make you break up with me?" My voice rises slightly.

"I need to tell you everything from the beginning." He says and grabs the picture I have sitting on my nightstand. It is a picture of my parents, my brother and I at our last family trip together in Cabo. Where I got the worst sun burn I have ever had in my entire life.

"Starting with May 10 of last year," he says, nearly knocking the air out of me at the mention of that horrific date.

May 10...the day my parents were taken from me.