"I already know the risks. But I'm willing to pay the whole price. Please... I'm desperate." Kylie muttered into the phone, growing increasingly agitated with the person on the other end of the call as the conversation progressed.

"Since when do people like you even care about things like that? No...I didn't mean it like that. Look, I'm sorry, I just...please?" She continued, her voice growing louder as each second passed.

Unbeknown to Kylie, Libby had decided to treat Kylie to breakfast-in-bed that morning and had trotted up the stairs almost silently, before waiting to knock on the door but instead deciding against it, as she listened to the strange phone conversation unfold.

"I promise you, no one will be able to trace anything back to you. You have my word."

Libby's face crumpled in confusion as she placed her head closer to the door, becoming increasingly concerned for the young girl.

"Do we have a deal?" Kylie asked the person on the other end, sternly.

Libby pushed open the door suddenly, interrupted Kylie's conversation. If Kylie was to be living in her home, for now, she wouldn't allow her to make any more decisions that would ultimately lead to further consequences. "I thought I'd surprise you by bringing breakfast up to you today." She spoke as she plastered a rather unconvincing smile across her pale face.

Kylie hurriedly murmured some barely audible words into her phone before carelessly hauling her iPhone across her bed, "great, thank you." Kylie answered cheerfully; an unsuccessfully hidden worried expression still lurking on her face.

"Who was that you were talking to on the phone?"

"So, you're listening into my private conversations now, huh?" Kylie cocked her head backwards in mock-horror at the very prospect, half-joking with the older woman but also half-irritated by the fact.

"No, I just overheard some of what you were saying when I was coming up the stairs to you. It sounded...a little odd to me, that's all. I was concerned about you...especially after our chat yesterday."

"Oh, so you're going to use that against me now? Just because I told you one thing, it doesn't suddenly make you my new mum, okay?" Kylie exclaimed, harshly. Maybe, a little too harshly.

"No, I know that. I just...just tell me you're not doing something stupid, please?" Libby pleaded.

"Okay, I'm not doing something stupid."

"Can I believe you?"

"Whether you believe me or not doesn't bother me. I couldn't care less. I'll be out of here soon enough." Kylie yawned absent-mindedly, her hard exterior evidently back in place.

"You don't have to go just yet. I'm sorry if I upset you by asking you, I know it wasn't my place." Libby sighed, admitting defeat. She'd finally thought she'd made the much-needed break-through with Kylie. Yes, it was still true that maybe the girl would never truly forgive her, but she knew that if Kylie let her she could've helped her out of the rut she was currently in.

Because it may have been a very long time ago, but once Libby had realised she'd ruined the lives of two young children as well as their mother, she'd been in that same place. Hating herself, even wanting to punish herself. But only a year later, when her tummy had swollen with her eldest child, Colby, she'd found that much-needed hope that had helped her move on.

Her son had been the one to save her life. And maybe, just maybe, she thought – she could be the one to save Kylie, from herself.

"It's fine, honestly. Let's just leave it."

Libby had blown her chance, she could feel it in the way that the girl avoided eye-contact, in the way her entire aura had changed, in the very way she spoke to Libby. She'd opened up to her in her time of extreme vulnerability and now when she was in higher spirits, she'd snapped.

It'd clearly been too soon to start questioning Kylie's future motives, Libby saw that clearly now.

"So, are you still going to Jess and Elijah's wedding then?" Libby asked, tactfully. Placing the tray containing the Spanish omelette on the table in front of Kylie.

"There might not be a wedding after I tell Jess."

"So, you are going to tell her then?" Libby enquired further.

"I have to, don't I? I don't have a choice." Kylie replied, a flicker of vulnerability crossing her face for a mere second.

"Yes, you do. And I'm glad you have made that right decision, it's never too late to put things right. And you never know...something good could come out of it?" Libby suggested coyly.

"Nothing good could come out of it. I've already lost my brother and my mum. Now all I have to look forward to is losing my best friend. There really won't be anything left to lose for me after this."

Libby offered a gentle smile, perching down beside Kylie on the bed, "from what you've told me, it seems that you and Elijah could still have something special." She teased the idea, "don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the affair was ever right and continuing it would be really wrong. But after it's all out in the open, there could be a chance."

"No. It'll all be over soon. Everything."

"What do you mean by that?" Libby arched her eyebrows slightly, noting the change in Kylie's voice and manner.

"Nothing. I just mean that Jess will know the truth." Kylie smiled up at Libby, before finally digging into her breakfast.

----------------------------------------

Valerie sat in front of the television, the images continually flickering before her eyes but the only thing she was seeing was the image of Kylie crying; the events of that dreaded night replayed in her mind all day, and all night.

"Val...? Val?! Valerie?!"

"Yes, Seb? What's wrong, darling?" She answered, finally hearing his calls.

Seb exhaled deeply, before wrapping one arm around Valerie's shoulders, "How are you, and I mean really? Don't just fob me off with another 'I'm fine'. I can clearly tell when you're not."

Valerie beamed up at the young man. Oh, how he would've been the perfect husband for Jax. In her head, she'd already planned their marriage and even started thinking about how they'd bring their own little family into the World and finally make her a grandma. How had everything changed so quickly? How could she even dare call herself a mother when she'd allowed all the signs to slip through her fingers? The same signs that had been right in her face all along.

"You're right, I'm really not fine. I mean, how could I be? My son's dead and my daughter...well, you've already seen that for yourself." She spat out the words.

"I know how you feel...learning to live without Jax is the hardest thing I've ever had to do it feels like I'm just going backwards in life. And every day feels like this huge chore but it's going to get better, slowly. And I know that this is the last thing you want to hear right now when you're still grieving but you know, it really has to be done now before it's too late. You can't let Elijah marry Jess, not now."

"I know that."

"I know that she should really hear it from either Kylie or Elijah, but I don't know if we can trust Kylie to make the right decision this time. But maybe if Elijah got a little push in the right direction...?" Seb suggested.

Valerie breathed out, "I'm going to have to talk to him, aren't I?"

"It's for the best, Valerie. Five months this disgusting affair has been going on for, she said. That's long enough, it needs to be put to an end."

Valerie nodded in agreement. She grabbed her phone, dialling the number for Jess's house phone, hoping that Elijah would be the one to answer and when she heard a male voice on the other side, she gave Seb's a thumbs up sign. She then proceeded to ask Elijah if he'd be free that same evening. She had something important to discuss with him.

As Elijah made his way to the café that Valerie had asked to meet at, he'd immediately thought that she'd wanted to meet regarding Kylie's wellbeing and health. She'd been really concerned when he'd last been over at their home and he wondered if Kylie had deteriorated since then. He'd agreed to meet straightaway, he'd never be able to forgive himself if something happened to her because of Jax's death.

Valerie arrived, and he quickly waved her over to his table. The two initially made small talk and ordered before Valerie went in for the kill.

"So, you and Jess. You're getting married on Friday."

"Yeah, we are." He raised his eyebrows, wondering if maybe this chat was more her fishing for an invite to the wedding.

"Are you excited then?"

"Yeah, I suppose so." He responded, forking some of his jacket potatoes into his mouth.

Valerie placed her knife and fork back down on the table and watched the young man, before leaning slightly in and whispering, "I know, Elijah. I know all about what you and Kylie have been up to behind your girlfriends' back."

Elijah's eyes shot up to meet Valerie's, his body temperature dropping dramatically as the seconds passed. He audibly gulped before responding, "I don't know what you're talking about." He reached for a glass of orange juice as he noticed his throat had become as dry as a bone.

"Oh, I think you do. Or would you rather I call Jess and we can have a little run through of the details? Would that maybe help refresh your memory?"

"I...no. I wanted to tell Jess the truth. I did, I just..."

"You what? You're too much of a coward, is that it?" She responded back. She could practically see the guilt seeping out of his pores. She'd been through this once with her scum of a husband and had fallen victim to all of his lies. She wasn't foolish enough to fall again and certainly not to a coward, as well as a cheat.

When Elijah failed to speak, Valerie continued talking, "How can you do that to her? If you weren't happy and you wanted to play the field, why couldn't you just be honest and tell her? Why do this to her?"

"I can't defend my actions. There's no justifying what I did and I know that. All I can do now is try and make her happy." He answered quietly, the tears pricking the back of his eyes.

Valerie scoffed, "you'll do it again. Once a cheater, always a cheater. There's no quote truer than that one."

"I won't. I know I won't!" He argued back.

"Do you even love Jess?" She finally asked, "tell me, do you actually love her? I never had the chance to ask my husband before he left me after cheating on me for months, so I'll ask you. Does a cheater ever love the one he's actually with or is everything always a sham?"

"No, it wasn't always a sham. I care for Jess a lot. And my actions were disgusting and didn't show that, but it's all over now. Me and Kylie, it's over I swear!" He cried, and Valerie was unsure of whether he was trying to persuade her that that was the truth or himself.

"You need to tell her the truth."

"I can't. There are so many reasons that I can't tell her. It'll ruin both of our lives." He explained.

"You've already ruined both of your lives, Elijah. And if you won't tell the truth for Jess's sake, then tell the truth for your own. You're not happy and that's why you cheated. So don't ruin your lives further by trapping yourself in a loveless marriage." And with that, Valerie stood up, throwing her napkin directly at Elijah's head before walking out, allowing him to mull over her final words.

---------------------------

Authors Note: So I realise I said the next chapter was going to meet out in 2 weeks but of course, now I've suddenly had this massive surge of motivation and ended up writing the next 2 chapters.

So quite an eventful chapter, wouldn't you agree?

Who was Kylie talking to at the beginning?

Who will be the one to tell Jess the truth? Will it be Kylie or Elijah or will it be someone else?

What do we think of Libby's character? Does she really have good intentions?

I hope you guys enjoyed and I look forward to hearing what everyone thinks. I had very little time to edit this one unfortunately and so I just thought I'd put it out, so if any mistakes are spotted feel free to point them out to me.

As always, vote if you enjoyed x