Chapter One

I walked into my empty apartment and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. Okay so I bet your wondering why my apartment is empty, why I called it my apartment and not Audrey and My apartment, and last but not least your probably wondering where Audrey is. Let me start off by telling you no Audrey isn't dead...that I know of. And no she's not at work or anything. After Charlie died I ran away, as far away and and as fast as possible. I'm sure by now my mom has sent out a search party, considering its been a year since a left. And now I didn't go to Charlie's funeral...I couldn't I had to get out of there after the doctor told me Charlie was dead I couldn't stay in that town any longer. It was too painful so like I said I ran and it wasn't easy, it still isn't easy even a year later. I had to put my faith in somebody, I couldn't do it on my own. Whether I wanted to or not I had to trust somebody.

*flash back*

It was 3am and there wasn't much activity going on in the hospital. My mother was passed out of the couch snoring up a storm. And there's weren't many nerses around. The doctor said I had broken and bruised ribs, and my left arm was brokening. So knowing that I knew sneaking out of the hospital and running away wasn't going to be easy. I unhooked myself from the machines and everything else they had me hooked up to. I threw the blankets off myself and rolled out of the bed. I tiptoed towards that door careful not to wake my sleeping mother up. I peaked out the door to the left and to the right and saw nobody coming so I tiptoed out of the room and down the hall. I heard nurses talking at the nurses station so I pressed my back against the wall and tried to think of a way to distract them so I could escape. I quickly snuck down the hall and yelled "HELP!!" than I hid in a near by patients room when the nurses came running I saw them looking so I said "In here" when they walked in the room I snuck out behind them and took off running towards the door because I knew it wasn't going to be long before they realized the patient in that room was asleep.

Now I was out of the hospital and I needed clothes I couldn't stay in the hospital gown. I went home to get some clothes I knew the door would be locked so I went around back and found something to break the window with. Once the window was broken I cleared all the glass out of the way and climbed in through the window. "Ow!" I mumbled when I landed because I landed on my broken arm. "Okay so I'm not the smartest person on the planted" I said to myself "And I'm talking to myself...yeah there's nothing crazy about that at all.." I shook my head "Alright shut up Destiny!" I yelled at myself. I went up stairs into my room and changed into a pair of ripped jeans, my pink 'earth without art is just eh' tank top, my varsity jacket, and black converse. Than I went back to my closet and grabbed my leather trimmed backpack and grabbed my hidden stash of money and stuffed it in my backpack. I assumed my phone had been destroyed in the accident or lost..or something. After grabbing a few other things I thought I would need I walked out the front door locking it behind me. I started walking I didn't know where I was going but I knew I couldn't stay here, and sooner or later I was going to have to buy a bus ticket or something.

I bought a plane ticket and I'm now in Florida only problem is I don't know what to do now. I mean I guess I could go to a hotel or something. "You really didn't think this through did you Destiny?" I whispered to myself

"Talking to yourself? Or maybe you have a friend that I can't...OR maybe your hearing voices. Who is this Destiny? What didn't she think through?" a boy said I looked up and saw a gorgeous boy with green eyes and jet black hair that swooped down over his left eye. He flipped his hair out of his face as he continued to stare at me. I laughed

"I'm Destiny" I said

"Ah ha you are talking to yourself." he teased

"Yeah, yeah so what if I am..who's asking?" I asked

"I am, duh" he joked

"Yeah genius I got that, I meant who are you?" I asked

"I'm a genius you just said it yourself" he continued to avoid my question

"Seriously who are you?" I asked again

"Why isn't it obvious, I'm the man of your dreams" he joked I burst out laughing

"Really? And how many girls have you picked up with that line?" I asked he smiled and BOY was his smile a killer

"I don't know yet, this was just the practice run, I wanna see if it will work first" he said I laughed and rolled my eyes "Yes! The eye roll! She's totally into me" he said to himself causing me to laugh again.

"Now who's talking to themselves?" I teased

"In my defense.." he trailed off "You started it" I laughed "For the record I'm Skyler" he said with a laugh

"Finally I have a name" I said Skyler laughed

"Yes beautiful, I have a name too." he joked and we both laughed "And you never answered my other question" he said

"Wait..there was another question? I must have missed it" I joked

"Yes, after 'who is Destiny?' and I said 'What didn't she think through'." he stated

"And.." I trailed off trying to avoid answering him hoping he would drop it

"And what didn't you think through?" he asked

"Why should I tell you?" I asked things got serious real fast

"Because.." he trailed off I could tell he was trying to think of something to say "Because I care enough to ask..if you need something I can help you...but only if you let me" he said as he looked into my eyes he grabbed my arms and I flinched because of my broken arm he noticed that I flinched and instantly let go of me. "Look, I can see your hurt...you've got cuts all over the place. Destiny I want to help you" I sighed

"I ran away" I mumbled

"From where? Home?" he asked

"Yes" I answered

"Why? Did they do this to you? Did your family beat you?" he asked sounding more worried than before

"No. Its a long story but my family didn't beat me." I said

"Than what happened?" he asked

"Can we get out of here?" I asked

"Yes, but please tell me what happened" Skyler said as he took my hands in his

"I will..I promise but first can we just get out of here?" I asked he nodded and we left the airport.

*end of flash back*

I was just getting out of the shower when I heard "Dezzi..you home?" Skyler called from the living room.

"Yeah, in the bathroom" I called back

"Okay, take your time" he said I smiled and rolled my eyes and thought Thanks...I was going to take my time anyway but thanks for permission. And obviously I'm home why would I leave the door unlocked if I wasn't. Silly boy After I got dressed I walked out of the bathroom and into the living room to find Skyler spread out on the couch. I laughed at him

"Comfy?" I asked he laughed and nodded

"Why yes, I am thank you for asking. Care to join me?" he replied I rolled my eyes and shoved him off the couch before sitting down and smiling at my best friend who was now on the floor staring up at me. "That wasn't nice" he said as he got back up. I just laughed and shrugged

"By the way, why would I leave me door unlocked if I wasn't home?" I asked Skyler laughed

"Hey..you never know" Skyler said I laughed and rolled my eyes

Its been a year since the accident and since Charlie's death and I hadn't thought about it much since I left. The only time I really ever thought about it was when Skyler brought me back to his apartment after we met and I explained everything to him. "Hey..you okay?" Skyler asked

"Yeah..I'm fine" I said and forced a smile the truth is no..I'm not fine a year ago today...my brother died. I tried to save his life but instead he saved mine and still died. I couldn't help feeling like it should have been me and I still can't shake that feeling.

*flash back*

Skyler sat down on his couch beside me and looked at me patiently waiting for me to start explaining. "My brother and I got in an accident, that's why I'm so cut up and bruised. And also why I ran away." I said

"You ran away because you got in an accident? Shouldn't you still be in the hospital or something?" he asked

"No I ran away because I couldn't stand being in that town any longer..not after what happened to Charlie. I was in the hospital but knowing I failed and Charlie was gone....I couldn't stay there. I had to leave...it hurt to much to stay" I said as tears started to fall from my eyes

"Charlie's your brother?" he asked as he put his arm around me

"Yes" I said "I tried to save him but...I failed. He died because I failed!" I yelled mainly at myself

"Hey it wasn't your fault, you didn't know it would happen" Skyler said and pulled me closer

"Yes I did...I dreamt about the accident thats why I went back. I went back to stop it, to save his life. He saved me when I should have saved him. It wasn't supposed to end this way." I cried "It should have been me. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ME!!!" I cried out as I started to cry harder. Skyler didn't say a word and neither did I, he just held me close and tight. "I'm sorry..Charlie I'm so sorry" I whispered through my tears.

"Come on let's get you cleaned up" Skyler said while we were in the bathroom and he was cleaning up my cuts and stuff I looked at him.

"I'm sorry.." I said

"For what?" he asked

"For yelling..I kind of yelled at you" I said "And I'm sorry..I didn't mean to yell at you" I said my voice started to crack. Skyler just smiled at the ground before he looked up at me and cupped my face.

"You were upset. And I understand that. I'm not mad, hell if you ever need to yell or punch something or a shoulder to cry on or anything at all. I'm here for you" he said I smiled slightly as a tear slipped from my eye and he wiped it away. I honestly seriously felt the urge to kiss him right than and there. But I stopped myself. Now wasn't the right time.

*end of flash back*

"You sure your okay?" Skyler asked when I snapped out of my thoughts "You were out in space there for a second"

"Yeah, I'm fine" I said again

"Dez, the reason I came over here is I have something I need to tell you" he said

"So than tell me" I said he sighed as he looked at the tv and than back at me

"I'm in love with you" he said I jumped away from him

"What?" I asked suddenly terrified

"Dez, I love you..I have since the moment I met you" he said

"No..you can't" I said as I got up and started pacing back and forth "Skyler you can't love, I mean I love you too and that scares me. Because everybody that I love always gets hurt."

"What are talking about?" he asked as he stood up from the couch and started to walk towards me. I backed up and held my hands out motion for him to stay back

"My brother died, my dad died when I was a little girl...I can't lose you too. This is what I was afraid of, this is exactly why I left Arizona. I'm better off on m own nobody gets hurt that way." I rambled

"Charlie's death wasn't your fault, and I'm sure your father's wasn't either" Skyler said as he took another step towards me "And nothing is going to happen to me if that's what your afraid of. Its been a year since we met and nothing has happened to me yet"

"Yet" I said

"Nothing is going to happen to me. I'll be fine" he said

"Don't say that" I warned "That's exactly what Charlie said before he died" I'll be fine Charlie's voice rang in my head. To this day his death still haunted me and I didn't think it would ever stop. I still blamed myself even though Skyler kept telling me it wasn't my fault. That I couldn't have stopped it no matter what.

"Dez" Skyler said

"No...this can't happen. We...I can't.." I had no words I had gone into pannick mode I ran out the door, down the hall, down the stairs and out the door of the complex. With Skyler chasing me all the way yelling my name

"Dez! Wait!!" he called after me when he finally caught up to me he grabbed my hands "We can figure this out, nobody is going to get hurt. Not you, not me. Nobody." he said and when he looked me in the eyes I couldn't help but believe him. My heart was still pounding in my chest and I could barely breathe. We were about to kiss when I heard a voice from my past coming from behind me.

"Dez?" she said I froze It can't be I turned around and there she stood Audrey was standing there staring at me.

"Audrey" I said

"Uh..I'll leave you two alone" Skyler said and was about to go back into the building but I grabbed his hand and stopped him

"No" I said as I glanced at him before returning my gaze to my other best friend, the one I thought I'd never see again.

"Why?" Audrey asked as she stood and stared at me "Why did you leave?"

"I couldn't handle it...you of all people should know how much my brother meant to me. I couldn't stay in that town..not after what happened" I answered

"But you could have contacted me or your mom who fyi has been worried sick the past year. We both thought you were dead." Audrey said

"No, I was running from my past and both you and my mom were part of my past." I said

"One bad thing happens and your willing to throw your friends and family away just like that.." Audrey trailed off shaking her head in disbelief "How could you Dez. We love you, we could have helped you through it. But instead you decided to run from your problems instead of dealing with them." she looked at the ground as she bit her lip fighting back the tears "I thought I knew you...but clearly I was wrong" she turned and started to walk away. "Oh and by the way you might want to call your mom and let her know your okay. Unless she really means nothing to you since clearly I don't mean anything to you." and with that she was gone as quickly as she had appeared.