"I was just leaving." I say, brushing past the woman in the doorway. Fuck this. Fuck him. Fuck everything right now. I should've known this was all too good to be true.

I'm tired of fighting. Even if his wife finds out about everything, it's not going to help me in the least. In the end, I'm still going to lose Lucas. I just know that after keeping his wife from me this long and still going home to her every night, he will always choose her. He always did choose her, and I can't believe I never thought something was up before now.

I walk downstairs, and am to the door, when I feel a hand wrap around my wrist.

"Allison," Lucas says. "Please don't leave like this."

"Your wife is upstairs, you should probably go talk to her." I say simply, not bothering to turn around.

"Please look at me."

"I'm done, Lucas." I say, exhasperatedly. "You really had me fooled, but now I know why you were never truly able to commit to a relationship with me. I was nothing to you this whole time, but a fuck buddy, someone you could toy with, while your wife was away. I'm done with you."

"Please." He continues to beg.

I jerk my hand from his grasp and spin around to face him. "You can go to Hell, Lucas." I spit in his face, then I turn on my heel and leave, not looking back.

After

"Allison?" Zach is waving a hand in front of my face, drawing me back to reality. They're all staring at me.

"What?" I feel like I've missed a huge chunk of the conversation.

"You were totally zoned out." Brooks says, laughing.

"Sorry," I admit. "I'm a little out of it still, from last night." I lie. It's just a small lie. It really has nothing to do with last night, it has everything to do with the fact that I ran away from my problems, only to come here and face more problems. I have no fucking clue what I'm doing.

"It's cool. We were just talking music still, you didn't miss much." Brian says, trying to make me feel better, and I smile at him.

I need to find a way to leave. But where will I go? I have no where. I need to find a job soon and find a place to live, if I plan on calling this place home again.

Zach again breaks me out of my thoughts. "So do you live here in Huntington Beach or are you visiting for the summer?"

"I sort of live here." I laugh.

"Sort of?"

"Yeah, I just moved back, so I'm in between living spaces right now." I catch a hint of pity on his face, and I quickly try to push it away. "It's fine though, I know plenty of people in the area, so I'll have someone to stay with." I lie and fake a smile. I don't know anyone here, not anymore. Except for Jason, but I can't go running to him, he's married now. Plus, I haven't spoken to him, nor seen him for a long time, he probably wouldn't even know who I was, at this point.

"That's great." Zach smiles at me. "So where are you moving back from?"

"Boston."

"Really?" He looks surpised.

"Yes, I... umm..." I stutter, debating on giving away any part of my life to these guys that I don't really know. "I attended Harvard."

"Harvard? Wow, that's awesome." Matt says, smiling. "What were you studying? If you don't mind me asking."

"Law. I always dreamt of being a lawyer, when I was younger." I say, not meaning to give so much of myself away, but the words are spilling out, and I can't help it.

"So, you're a lawyer?" Johnny asks.

"No, not yet at least." I say. "I mean, I have my law degree, but I haven't actually taken a job as a lawyer."

"Well, I'm sure people here pay good money for lawyers, and it shouldn't be hard for you to find a job as such."

Johnny's words make me feel the slightest bit better. I'm glad that he thinks it will be easy for me to find a job here. I'm still worried that I won't be able to remake my life here. I'm still worried that the past is going to sneak up on me, haunt me and provoke me until I give into it.

"So how exactly did a smart lady like yourself end up with this dumbass last night?" Zach asks, clapping Brian on the back.

Brian glares at Zach. "Fuck off." He says, flipping his middle finger at him.

I laugh. "I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, I guess." I laugh more, when Brian gives me a worried, half-apologetic look. "I'm just joking!" I say, and he smirks at me.

"I would say that you're lucky I was there to save you." He says.

"Oh yeah, you don't think I would've been able to get into the club on my own?"

He brings an index finger to his chin, as if he's seriously contemplating this. "Maybe if you'd lost your shirt and made your jeans into shorts." He smirks again, and I throw a pillow at him. He dodges it.

"Hey!" He yells, laughing.

"I should be going." I say, suddenly, standing up from the floor. I can't just sit here all day talking with these guys and half-ass flirting with Brian, when I know it's not going to lead anywhere. No where good, at least, not for me.

"Oh. Alright." Brian says, getting up too. "I'll drive you back to your car. It's about time these assholes went home anyway." He says, motioning around the room to the other guys.

After everyone finally leaves, Brian leads me to his car.

The drive back to the club is mostly silent, I'm unsure of what to say to this man that I'm sure I won't ever see again, and part of me is sad about this. The other part of me says this is most likely what's best. I can't let someone, anyone, get in my way right now. I have to get a place and try to make a living for myself here.

"We're here." Brian says, pulling up in front of the familiar club all too soon. He parks next to my car and gets out, coming around to open my door for me.

"Thank you." I say, stepping out onto the sidewalk. "I really appreciate your help last night, and really appreciate all you did for me, including the ride back here." I gesture to the club.
"It's nothing." He smiles at me. He brings a hand up to run through his hair. Nervous habit maybe? "Give me just a second." He says, stepping back to his car for a moment, before reappearing in front of me with a slip of paper. "It's my number." He says, as I take the piece of paper from him. "In case you might need any more help getting into clubs."

Notes

Quick chapter update tonight! Hope you all enjoy!
Thanks for reading!

- J