riend. Who I let borrow my note

canned the crowd. When he saw me,

looks like!" He sounde

issa

t the same time. My heartbeat thundered

ward me, with two glasses of wine in he

pressed one glass i

clicked against the floor with each deliberate step. The c

was wrinkled , and his hair was messed up from

ass and poured it di

taining his white shirt, dripping o

onto her exposed chest, her ha

silent. Even the music seemed to

my heart was shattering into a

she was

a behind the huge television scree

ore force than necessary. Th

ith disappointment,

as I tried to

Troy had put his shirt back on properly. Bu

lease li

storm raging inside me, despite the way my hands tremb

yes. "Melissa, please, just listen. I was dr

aped my throat . "You weren't thinking when you

nd my eyes, but

and of her blonde hair around her finger like this was just s

not like you guys were

d her so fast my neck

st saying, Troy told me you guys have been having problems. That you're always work

a slap. My vision w

Troy hissed, his

ll me boring because I didn't want to attend your parties? Because I was bu

not wh

." Aria's voice cut through like a blade as she appeared at

l me, what's your idea of fun? Giving random guys blowjobs in

ed dangerously. "Yo

what? Your

ce going from pale to bright re

, babe. Of course wo

ore I tell everyone how you got drunk an

bbed her purse and stormed out, nearly trippi

d, reaching for my hand. His

me. "I'll only say this once. W

cally. "You don't mean that. Y

th each word."I am not confused. I did not stut

led after me, his voice

t earlier. But I was rushing,and these ridiculous hee

alance and

d and add physical pain to the emotional

n't hit t

ms caught me, stea

staring into the most beautif

..black shirt, black pants...which somehow made his eyes seem even more striking. There was something utterly reckless and dangerous about him

tuttered i

ice was deep, sending

Troy...all of it disappeared. It was just me and this stupidly

oment like glass. He pushed through people to g

e stranger's arms, not ready

anding on my tiptoes to whisper in

tional brain could stop my impulsive

y feet. He crushed our bodies together, and I felt his

t gentle, it w

ting so fast I thought it would burst straig

Troy, still in th

ight red, like he'd just been slapped.

d my waist. He straightened to his full height, and su

ge one bit as he looked at Troy.

it's ove

ne of your

show." The stranger's voice was quiet. But it carried absolut

id." He reached for my

as on the floor. His nose was bent at a weird

, his knuckles slightly red

ck. He'd moved so fast I

ed out and gently wrapped his arm around

behind us, his voice high and pa

ors, and the cool night air hi

, breathing hard from p

The stranger's voice