EXHIBIT || Justin Foley

0.45 || REAL LIFE

"I'm sure Dominic or Maggie told you the basics of my relationship with Kai," Lottie explained shakily, not moving off of Justin. They all nodded.

"He seems like an ass," Zach cut in quietly.

"He is," Maggie muttered bitterly, squeezing the pillow Dominic had given her for the umpteenth time.

"Well, he wasn't at first," Lottie sighed. She played with Justin's fingers, avoiding everyone's eyes. "For the first few months he was really sweet to me, and he treated me like a fucking princess." She let out a bitter laugh, her free hand finding the scar on the back of her neck.

"About half way through sophomore year Kai made some new friends who really loved to party. So he decided he wanted to fit in with them. He smoked, drank, did drugs, even got arrested almost every weekend. After a while, his friends dropped him, and he blamed me." Justin curled his hands into fists around hers, and Lottie let out a hurt sigh.

"He started to—" she let out another shaky breath, looking to Dominic and Maggie, who shot her encouraging smiles. "—He started to hurt me."

Everyone in the room sucked in a sharp breath, Zach and Monty even going as far as cursing.

"Did he leave scars?" Tony asked softly, rubbing Sheri's back as tears fell from her eyes.

"Every—fucking—where," Maggie snapped. "When she tried to break up with him, he hit her with a bike chain and threw her out a fucking window." Lottie looked down at her lap shamefully, trying to steady her trembling hands.

"It's not your fault," Clay told her, noticing the way she hid her face.

"But I could've—"

"—No," Hannah cut her off immediately. "All of the blame is on him; not you."

Jessica nodded, resting her head on Sheri's shoulder in comfort.

"Thank you," Lottie whispered, still absentmindedly playing with Justin's fingers. "Anyways. When my mom found out what happened, we got a restraining order against him, then moved here."

"We're glad you did," Jessica smiled, giving her hand a light squeeze.

"I was too," Lottie whispered with a forced smile. "But now he's moving here too, and I'm scared of what he'll do to me when he finds me."

"He won't do anything to you," Zach promised.

"I'll kick his ass," Monty muttered, clenching and unclenching his hands in anger.

"I'll bring my brothers into this," Tony shrugged casually, as if it weren't the first time.

"I can't do much with a bike, but I'm here for you," Clay promised. Lottie let out a tear filled laugh at that.

"Ryan can sass him to death," Jessica murmured, earning a soft laugh from everyone as Ryan positioned his hands beneath his chin as if to say I'm adorable and I'm not afraid to slap you silly and smiled.

"And he'll have to get through me," Justin muttered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. He had his arms around her middle while she sat curled in a ball on his lap. Lottie leaned back into him and let out a tired sigh.

"I think we should all go to sleep," Sheri whispered, sharing a knowing look with Jessica. Everyone went into their separate beds, except for two.

"Can I stay with you?" Lottie asked softly, looking up at Justin with wide doe eyes.

He nodded.