Running Away With The Bad Boy

The Nastiest Surprise of All

Charli POV 

I lived alone now, not ready to go back to my parents and face them for what I did. I didn't even know if they would let me come home. They would probably disown me, and I had missed a lot of school so I would probably have to repeat a grade and I didn't have any idea where Larie was living. 

Somehow I didn't feel like it had been a mistake though. Sure I was miserable now, but I had known love for that short time I had been with Maddox and it had been the most incredible love. So I thought it was worth it, at the end of the day. 

Blake kept coming to see me, even though I tried telling him to leave me alone. He was the only source of information I had about Maddox though, so I let him in. 

"How're you doing, Charli?" asked Blake, coming inside. 

"Not so good," I said. 

"Mm? Why not?" 

"How can I be good?" I snapped. "I have no friends here in LA, and the only boy I've ever loved thinks I cheated on him thanks to you." 

Blake just smiled. It was so irritating. "Maybe you should come live in my apartment," he suggested. "You could become friends with all my friends and forget about Maddox."

"No possible way," I said. 

"Well," said Blake, "you're going to have to forget about Maddox anyway. He's dating some new chick now. The one from the picture I showed you, remember?" 

The blood drained from my face. The girl from the picture—Maddox was back with his ex? 

I felt like I was going to cry. If he was dating his ex again, that meant he had probably never loved me to begin with. I had just been a failed rebound. 

"Her name's Julia," said Blake. "She's way hotter than you, no offense." 

I felt anger course through my veins. "She might be hotter, but she can't love him more than I do," I snapped. "I hope she's careful. Maddox will probably break her heart too."

"Aw, isn't that cute," said Blake. "They're happy together, and they're probably going to move back home. Y'know, since LA isn't really working out for him." 

A chill went through my body. I realized that a big reason I was staying here in LA was because I had always hoped and prayed that Maddox would come back and realize that I hadn't cheated on him. If he left, that would really be the end of us. 

"He can't," I said, my whole body cold. "He can't really be planning to leave me here."

"Oh, he can," said Blake. 

"When?" I asked. My mind felt numb. "When is he leaving?" 

Blake smirked again. "Well, to tell you the truth...he's already gone."

"Gone—gone? Seriously? Without—without even saying goodbye?" I could feel my body begin to shake, and then everything went black.