Recap: In front of me stood an all-too-familiar brunette, her arms folded across her chest. She was clearly unhappy. And behind her was Danielle, with an absurd amount of concern coating her features. 

Eleanor?

I craned my neck and saw that Louis' expression was a mere replica of Danielle's. 

What is going on here?

After what happened yesterday, I truly believed my life could not get more complicated than it already was. But when Eleanor opened her mouth to speak and shot an accusing glare my way, I was certain that all hell was about to break loose. 

* * * 

Do you ever feel like the universe is out to get you? 

Like you're its only target and the goal is to make your life miserable? Well, that's how I felt. 

"Louis?" Eleanor inquired, stepping towards her fiance. "What are you doing here?" 

Maybe the cold had gone to my head, or I had officially gone nuts, but when I turned around to glance at Louis, he seemed almost intimidated by her. Danielle wasn't too calm herself. She looked eager to tell me something, but couldn't because Eleanor was in our presence. 

"I was just giving Charlotte a lift home from our dance lesson," Louis shrugged, glancing at me when he said my name. His fingers fiddled with the cuff of his jacket, a habit which gave away that he was nervous.

"Dance lesson?" Eleanor raised her eyebrows, her eyes flickering back and forth between the two of us. I shot an irritated look Louis' way. 

Why hadn't he told her that I was his instructor? He couldn't be completely oblivious to the fact that his girlfriend hated me, could he? Or is that precisely why he never cared to tell her? 

Louis nodded, informing Eleanor that she had heard right. When her lips pulled up into a tight smile, Louis probably thought that she didn't care for his words. But that was because  he clearly didn't catch the snide glare she sent my way. 

"Oh," Eleanor said, a hint of annoyance intertwined into the lone word, "Will you do me a favor, Lou?" Her tone changed drastically from skeptical to a feigned innocent as she sauntered up to her fiance.

Danielle and I shared a knowing look.

Eleanor thought she was just adorable by the way she peered up at Louis through her eyelashes and twirled her auburn hair around her index finger. "I left my purse in the car, will you go grab it for me?" 

The wench... I thought, she's trying to get rid him! 

Louis didn't take note of her strange behavior, and nodded nonchalantly. He smiled and planted a kiss on Eleanor's cheek before taking the keys from her and departing the house. Eleanor's uptight smile dropped the second Louis stepped out of the flat. By the devious look in her eyes, I knew that she was up to no good. 

And I learned that I was right when Danielle spoke. 

"Um, Eleanor?" She inquired, "Your purse is right here." She held up the shiny leather bag, her expression one of confusion. Eleanor's iniquitous laugh contained no trace of humor. 

"I know," She responded, but she wasn't facing Danielle. Instead, she was looking straight at me. I was almost positive that I could see the steam coming out of her ears due to unrequited anger.

"Then why did you send Louis?" I wondered aloud. I didn't necessarily know why Eleanor seemed so angry. Louis wasn't obliged to inform her of all of his plans, was he? And Louis and I were friends. Just because he got engaged didn't mean that we could no longer spend time together. 

"Oh, like you don't know," Eleanor remarked just as quickly. 

Taken aback, I gaped at her. "Excuse me?" 

"Don't play innocent with me, Charlotte!" She fumed, her hands clenched by her sides. I looked to Danielle to see if she knew what Eleanor was on about, but her bewildered expression mirrored mine. 

"Eleanor, what are you talking about?" Danielle piped up at the same time that I asked, "What do you mean?"

Even though I tried to sound defensive, I couldn't bring myself to even speak above a whisper. My skull was pounding, begging me to get some sleep. But because of the way that things were taking a turn for the worst, sleep was the last thing I was worried about.

I didn't know if I could take much more. Truthfully, I had given up. I didn't bother to veil my emotions or be optimistic because at the moment: my life just plain sucked.

Instead of answering our questions, Eleanor grit her teeth. Her arraigning eyes, which were still directed towards me, narrowed into impossible slits.

 "You're pathetic, Charlotte." She spat, uttering my name as if it was a fatal disease. Eleanor pointed an accusing finger at me, growing closer with each word. And I didn't bother to stop her, nor did I say anything in defense.

Even though I knew that it was silly to take her words to heart, I still did. I wasn't the strong girl I tried so hard to portray myself as. The truth was that I was weak. Pathetic, just how Eleanor had described.

"Going after Louis even when he's happily engaged? Absolutely. Pathetic." 

My nails dug into the skin of my palms as my patience ran thin. So that's what this was about? Eleanor thought I was trying to take Louis from her? What she would never understand was that I had done the complete opposite. All I had tried to do ever since Louis got engaged was push him away. 

"Eleanor!" Before I could object, Danielle approached Eleanor and roughly shoved her shoulder so that she stumbled away from me. "What the hell has gotten into you?" She was outraged, possibly angrier than I was--even though I was the one Eleanor had insulted. 

I wasn't angry as anyone would expect me to be. I was more unfeeling, her words like knives that caused no pain and drew no blood, no matter how many times rammed into my senseless body.

"You stay out of this!" Eleanor retaliated and shoved Danielle back with the same force. From what I could tell, Danielle was about to take a go at her and Eleanor would probably had lost a few teeth if I hadn't held Danielle back.  

"What are you doing, Charlotte?" She asked, her eyes big with surprise. "You're just going to let her talk to you that way?!" 

I shook my head, a laugh that was of great contrast to the tense environment leaving my lips, surprising all three of us. Here I was, being insulted and accused of something I was not the least bit guilty of. And what did I do? I laughed. If I wasn't sure about losing my mind before, I was certain I had gone insane now.

When it came to the girls at my parents' parties, I had never allowed any of them to talk to me in such a way and get away with it. I had always stuck up for myself, never tolerating ridiculous claims such as the ones Eleanor was making.

But that was before I had my heart shattered time after time. That was before I was lamentably forced  to spend every day pretending to be happy; before my father kicked me out of my own home. 

I was no longer that person. I no longer remembered what it felt like to be independent and unbreakable. Because I wasn't. I had become all too dependant on people who didn't spare a second glance my way. 

And maybe that wasn't entirely true for when it came to Louis, but the part that was true was deteriorating.

Eleanor's maniacal laugh followed mine. "Let her speak for herself, Danielle," she raised her eyebrows, challenging me to say something--anything against her. And I knew why. So that she could go and tell Louis. And it was Eleanor's word against mine. 

"Poor, broken Charlotte," she clicked her tongue when all she received from me was an enduring silence, "Did you think, for a single second, that Louis would leave me for you?" 

No. Ironically enough, I had sacrificed my own happiness for the sake of Eleanor and Louis' relationship. She would never know the twisted sense of humor that cowered behind the grim situation. 

"Eleanor," I squeezed my fingers into my palms, ignoring the way my long nails scratched the soft skin. "I don't know where you got that idea from, but I would never try to take Louis from you." 

Danielle was seething behind me, but she hadn't opened her mouth to speak, being respectful to my request. I wanted to be angry. I wanted to tell Eleanor off and show her that I would always fight back. But I was exhausted. I couldn't bring myself to do as much as glare at her, my voice remaining ridiculously serene the entire time. 

Truthfully, my cluttered mind was already having trouble processing the recent grievous events. The last thing I wanted--or needed--was yet another thing to worry about, but that was everything I was getting. 

"Ha!" Eleanor snorted, "You think I'm stupid, don't you? I know what you're trying to do, Charlotte, but Louis and I are meant to be together. And nobody will ever change that, especially not someone like you."

My eyes didn't meet hers. I wasn't the slightest bit pained by her words. If anything, I was overwhelmed. I felt like a screw that kept getting hammered into a wall, even though it was head-deep. 

There was not a single place I could remain in for long without causing people trouble. And in the most contorted of ways, I was glad that Eleanor said what she did. 

She wanted me to keep my distance from Louis, and what if...what if the very idea was the answer to it all? In no way was I actually considering listening to her, but her words helped me figure out exactly what I had to do.

I ignored the inquisitive look Danielle shot my way when she saw me heading for the couch. Without a word to Eleanor or her, I plopped down onto its welcoming leather surface. What surprised me most was that I hadn't shed a single tear, but I soon came to conclusion that there weren't any tears left to shed. 

"Get out," I hear Danielle mutter to Eleanor. Both of their eyes on me as Eleanor stomped towards the door. She didn't bother to say a word before slamming the door shut behind her, making the paintings on the walls surrounding us shudder. The couch sunk in, telling me that Danielle had taken a seat beside me. 

She placed a consoling hand on my shoulder, one I reluctantly shrugged off. 

"Why didn't you say anything to her?" She sighed, her voice portraying hesitation. 

I didn't know quite how to answer her question. Or maybe I just didn't want to. For much too long, I had allowed myself to believe that fighting was always the answer. That I needed to fight for what I loved, for what I cared about, and for what I desired. And every single time, I learned that my life only became worse. No matter how many times I tried to mask how horrible I felt, I couldn't deny that little by little, I was being shredded to pieces by the people I least expected. 

"I'm tired." My response to Danielle held meanings more than just one. Sure, I was exhausted from dancing and I definitely wasn't feeling too good, but I was most tired of life. I didn't want my father to despise me, I didn't want to love Louis, and I certainly didn't want his girlfriend to think I was out to get her or something. 

But did my wants even matter? According to everyone and everything around me: No. Not the least bit. I was a toy--a pawn, being controlled by the forces that made so many efforts to ruin my life. And now? I had given up. I stopped fighting and realized that there was only one way out of this mess. And for the first time in an extremely long time, I knew what to do.

Danielle didn't pry and instead allowed me to stand up and head off to the guest room. With Eleanor's voice ringing through my mind, I trudged over to the bed and divulged myself underneath the covers. The darkness that enveloped my vision seemed so frightening every time before. However this time, I didn't fight it. I allowed it to swallow me whole, to take me to a place where there were no troubles, no love, no hatred, and a place in which I wished to spend the rest of my life.

 ***

(A/N)

Hi :) sorry for the short chapter, but I think a lot of them are going to be short from now on, it just suits the rest of the plot more. Only 8 chapters to go! Ahhhh, it's a bittersweet feeling :p

Please VOTE if you enjoyed this chapter and I would love to see what you think! Chapter 31 should be up very soon. :)