Chapter 68

*Payton's POV*On the drive home, I convinced myself that it would be best to tell everyone what was happening. What was I thinking when I thought that I could handle this by myself? She could full on screw up my life, and no one would know about it but me.

I already group messaged everyone to meet at my house, and that it was important. Upon arrival, I was pleased to see that everyone showed judging by the cars parked out front.

I walked in, and saw Sean, Matt, Brooklyn, Cara, and Kaden sitting on our white sectional.

"You went to the nail salon in that?" Brooklyn chuckles as he observes my gym outfit from before.

I sigh, "I wasn't at the nail salon I was boxing again.." I muttered the last part.

"You said you wouldn't go back, Payton," Sean says worriedly, turning the tv off.

"I know, but I just went for a quick session with Macklee and it'll all make sense once I tell all of you this." I took another hesitant breath, studying their expressions.

"You know what happened last time, you can't fall into that again," Cara furrowed her thick but perfect eyebrows.

"Can someone explain for me? Or are we just gonna..." Brooklyn said.

"Payton was really into boxing before she moved to LA, it was just to get in shape for runway shows at first, but then she got really good, and somehow found herself in underground matches. She couldn't get out, a lot of money was placed on those rounds, and the money amount increased as the danger of the fight did as well. We all didn't mind that much at first except for the illegal part, but it got really dangerous for her, to the point where she was fighting professionals in sold out shows. She beat them every time, girls, then later on guys, and the opponents got more and more tough to beat each time. Obviously Payton's not a professional, so it was inevitable that she would loose at some point, but you should've seen her opponents and how they looked after they lost. When I say a shit ton of money was placed on her fights, I mean it. Lots of people would place bets on the guy who's three times her size and can probably throw her with one hand, and that's how she became so popular in that world. She barely broke loose out of the business though, her fights were demanding, and each time the risks got higher. After finally quitting for good, she promised that she wouldn't even go back to the gym. Apparently something's happened for her to go back and call us all here," Sean explained. I felt guilty and ashamed that Brooklyn knew about my past. I don't look like the type of girl who used to just barely kill off people in illegal fights every night. But I did, and I'm not proud of it.

"Hmm. I don't see it," Brooklyn pondered, squinting at me.

"Want me to show you? Because that can be arranged," I joked and he held up his hands in defense.

But I never use violence as an answer anymore, unless I really have to. Because I know that if I start again, it's just as easy to fall back in.

"That's not the point though, and I hope that you guys can look past that now. I'm not proud of what I did before, but I did it and that's that. Why I did call you all here for, is unfortunately a bigger problem. It doesn't really concern all of you, but you should know what's been happening to me." I explained, beginning to pace back and forth not knowing what else to say.

"Anything that's happening to you is happening to us too, you know that right?" Brooklyn finally spoke. I bit my lip and gathered my billions of thoughts into sentences that hopefully make sense.

"Mark called me early this morning. He said he found out whoever blackmailed me and Brooklyn. Alicia Heldrends." I said, and Sean, Matt and Kaden's heads snapped up.

"We haven't talked to her in years, she just left.." Matt said in disbelief.

"You probably have talked to her. She's Savannah. I didn't even recognize her, I mean she bleached her hair and put on so much makeup that she looked like a completely different person." I said just as shocked as they all were.

"Wait, who's this chick?" Brooklyn asked again, rubbing the back of his neck looking confused.

"We were all best friends before I moved to LA. Then one day she just stopped talking to all of us, to me, and I never saw her again and I didn't know why until she told me. I never knew that I was doing these things and I feel absolutely horrible for doing it, but she should've told me so I could've fixed it." I rolled my bottom lip into my mouth and stared at our plush white carpet in thought. If only I knew how horrible I was being. Maybe I do deserve all of this. I deserve this for making her life miserable, it's only fair that mine's the same way. I thought to myself, but then shook the thoughts away. It's not like I knew what I was doing and kept doing it just for the fun of seeing someone's life become shit. She should've told me.

"What'd you do?" Kaden asked carefully, trying not to trigger anything in me as I was probably coming off as an emotional wreck as of now.

"Alicia liked you Kaden. A lot. Then we started dating, and I had no idea. That must've been horrible for her to go through. Her own best friend betraying her and going out with her crush." I sighed.

"You couldn't of known that. I didn't even know that she liked me. If she would've told me, or you, things would've turned out differently. And she can't still be mad at you for that," Kaden said, trying to console me as I took the empty seat between him and Matt.

"And Matt. Somehow you always chose me over her when we would hang out and make plans. That hurt her too... And when she broke her foot or something like that, I replaced her spot on the team, and she never got it back because apparently I became the 'star player'" I air quoted the last part. "She just forgot about all that and stopped talking to us after that, but when she met Brooklyn and we started having a thing, she remembered what this felt like constantly, and plotted to accurately fuck up my life. She would hit all the bases; relationship with Brooklyn, with my best friends, my career, the team, everything. She's not gonna stop until I do something about it, but she knows a lot.. A lot about me and I really don't know what she could do with that information," I sighed heavily, collapsing on to Matt. He patted my shoulder and it was silent for a while.

"You have to take this to the police, let them handle it. Get a restraining order! We can't sit here and feel sorry for this bitch when it's Payton's life getting ruined here. Alicia should've told her about everything so Payton could stop it. Payton didn't even know that she was doing these things, and knowing her, she wouldn't just do them to hurt people on purpose." Sean said and I gave him a weak smile.

"Will a restraining order actually help? She still has info on me, she's not just gonna stop until she gets what she wants. This isn't a tiny grudge here, I basically ruined her life without me knowing, and she's gonna want to ruin mine in return." I said.

"Well what else can we do? You should get one either way for the stalking, just so she doesn't end up getting more info on you. And in the meantime, we'll all watch your back, Pay. Stop any rumors she might spread before they get bad, be around you all the time so nothing happens, it'll all blow over soon, I promise. She'll soon realize that she won't have anything else to hold against you, and eventually give up." Brooklyn consoles.

"Okay.. who wants to go to the police station with me and get a restraining order?" I chuckle just saying it. Never thought I would ever say something like that....

"I'll go, and we'll get some Taco Bell just to cheer you up," Brooklyn smiles.

"Thanks for listening guys, I honestly wouldn't know what to do by myself." I smile appreciatively at all of them and we all pile into a big group hug.

"We're always here for each other, no matter what little bickerings we have going on, we all love each other at the end of the day," Matt adds.

"I'm so glad to have you guys in my life, I don't know what I would do without you all." I say before going upstairs to change.

I find a white Adidas top, black jeans, and black old school vans to put on, and I put up my hair in a messy high pony(pic in media slot).

Grabbing my bag on the way downstairs, me and Brooklyn then drive to the police station.

There's a sentence I would've never thought I would say.

Well I guess there's a first for everything, like filing a restraining order against some psycho ex best friend who's stalking you and ruining your life.

Or trying a new flavor for your milkshake, that too.