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It was official. I hated them both and was denouncing this so-called friendship.

Shoving the jeans back at Ronan and Ryder - a scowl aimed particularly at Ronan for his unintentional implication - I stomped towards the dressing room.

Stupid guys. Stupid, sexy guys. Stupid flirtatious leprechauns.

Stupid-

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t see the girl until I plowed right into her. I squeaked, dropping my collection of clothes.

“Oh shit! I didn’t see you there! I’m so sorry!” The girl quickly bent over to gather my fallen items.

“It’s my fault,” I said quickly. “I wasn’t paying attention where I was going.”

Handing me back my clothes, she flashed me a smile. I noticed immediately that she was beautiful, a type of ethereal beauty that made me look like a hobbit in comparison. Her long, black hair cascaded down around her like an onyx waterfall. She had the cheekbones I would die for and beautiful, vibrant green eyes. Standing next to her godliness, I felt small and ugly. My hands instinctively wrapped themselves around my waist.

It was a defense mechanism, something I hadn’t done since I was younger. It allowed me to believe I could hold myself together. Though the gesture was physical, it provided me mental comfort.

“Again, so sorry,” the girl said brightly before sashaying away. My hands were sweaty, and I tried to inconspicuously rub them against my jeans.

Why would the guys ever be friends with me when there were girls like her around? She seemed nice enough. There were probably a thousand girls in this city alone that weren’t screwed up by their pasts. They were probably better, brighter, prettier than I could ever hope to be.

I allowed myself, for only a moment, to wallow in my self-pity. I felt as if the walls of the changing room were pressing in on me, burying me alive. The despondency inside of me was consuming, similar to how it felt before I befriended the team. It wanted me to suffocate.

It wanted me to die.

I tried to ignore the pulls of my own self-pity, but they were relentless. For just a moment, I would allow myself to succumb to the darkness.

Only for a moment.

Just for one moment...