Elyse sneaks out of Pax's room in panic before he wakes up.

Pax Sandejas is a cuddler. Shameless and arrogant, rude and scary Pax Sandejas is a cuddler!

Her hair is ruined, her dress is in rumples, her cheeks are flushed and her skin is marked! Pax made her neck red!

Elyse keeps her head down as she speed-walks down the stairs and back to her room, only breathing when she presses her back against the door.

And then she covers her face with her hands and shuts her eyes.

Last night was...Pax was...her face is flaming red remembering what happened.

He came to her to the library because he missed her. He let her hold his hand and lead the way because she was in heels and he remembered she hated being pulled. He bought her food with a table napkin and watched her without complaining that she was slow.

Said yes to a movie. Didn't touch his phone. Didn't say, "Just watch it on your own, I'll be playing here."

And then he...God, Elyse now knows how desirable and beautiful he found her with his eyes and hands and mouth.

He stopped when she said so. Slept with his hard-on. Cuddled with her all night.

Elyse shakes her head, pulls herself together, and goes to the bathroom to wash up.

She has a text on her phone as she's getting dressed.

Pax: fucking mad at you

Pax: didnt fucking wake up next to u, what the fuck is that

Oh. Oh.

He's annoyed she took off without a word and he woke up without her.

Elyse smiles. He's so cute, damn it. I'm sorry. But you looked so nice asleep.

shut the fuck up

Her smile grows wider. He's obviously still in a mood she left.

At breakfast, no one dares come near her or bother her. Elyse smiles triumphantly. She knew dating Pax Sandejas has its perks—everyone's terrified of him.

But when he walks in, even Elyse can't meet his eyes.

Her upper torso was stripped naked last night and she's embarrassed and humiliated she let herself lose her control like that. God, she's not—she's always calculated, always calm and cool and collected. The second any of her past boyfriends began to get handsy above the waist or below it, Elyse would move away and endure the annoyed sigh.

She couldn't move away with Pax. She didn't want to.

But then Elyse hears the whispers—

"Caught her leaving his room this morning—"

"Same clothes as last night—"

"Looking disheveled, so unlike her—"

Elyse resists groaning. What is this, high school?

She raises her chin to shut down the rumors, a practiced smile already on her lips, but Pax is right there in front of her, holding out her cardigan. "You forgot this last night, love."

He winks—winks!—and then walks away.

The rumors spread faster and louder.

Pax is waiting outside the dining hall, breaking candy in his teeth, and Elyse pulls him aside with her hand in his. "What were you thinking!" she hisses.

"That's payback for leaving me fucking alone this morning," he drawls lazily.

Elyse's jaw drops. "You wanted the whole school to know we slept together?"

He stares at her. "Didn't we?"

Elyse smacks him, cheeks flaming.

Pax grins, gripping her chin, tilting her head up to meet his eyes. "You're mine, love. I don't fucking share."

That should have been another turn-off, but God, no, her heart flutters and she finds her fingers hooking themselves in his belt loops, pulls him chest to chest, brushes her mouth over his.

"Neither do I," she whispers.

Pax groans and grips her neck, kisses her harder.

Elyse can't stop smiling as she walks to class with her hand in his.

He fits his long fingers in between hers and follows.

He waits for his kiss on the cheek this time after class (she's worried about his grades. Is he actually listening or just staring at her the whole time?) because he turns his head and meets her lips with his instead. He smiles in her mouth. "I can fucking walk you," he mutters.

Actually, Elyse hated it when her past boyfriends did that, leaving her by the door of her next class, flaunting her around the halls.

She wouldn't mind with Pax, but she doesn't want him to do it now. Elyse shakes her head and grins, kisses his cheek again. "It's fine, I'll see you later."

"You fucking better."

Elyse laughs at the threat in his voice and leaves.

God, it feels so good to be wanted as much as she wants him. Pax is making all the efforts to see her, to move at her pace, to remember what she likes and what she doesn't like, to let her know how much he wants her.

His attention is all on her when she's with him.

Maybe it's because you let him touch you, her vile subconscious says. Maybe Wesley would've wanted you as much if you let him touch you like you do Pax.

Elyse's smile slips off.

She worries her lip in between her teeth, distracted all day. Maya and Liam, her closest friends, notice this and take her out for frozen yogurt after their class. On the way back, Elyse turns around when she hears her name.

Wesley jogs up to her, eyebrows scrunched together.

"Watch him get pissy about Sandejas," Maya whispers, rolling her eyes.

Liam pulls his girlfriend away to give them privacy. To Elyse, he whispers, "We'll be right behind you if you need us."

She gives them a smile before she turns to face her ex and sighs. "Yes, Wesley?"

"Did you fuck him?"

God. Her smile tightens on her face. "That would be mine and Pax's business, would it?"

His jaw ticks and Elyse forces herself to stand still. Frozen. Chin tilted up. "We were together three months and you never let me touch you, and now—"

"You watch what you say, Wesley," Elyse cuts him off quietly. "The way you're acting right now is exactly why I never let you touch me."

"I wasted—"

"I didn't tell you to waste your three months on me." Elyse raises one eyebrow. "No one forced you to."

Wesley steps forward, angry, and Elyse's feet dig to the ground. She keeps her chin up.

He opens his mouth, probably to spew curses at her, but then his jaw clamps shut and his eyes go behind her.

Even without looking, Elyse knows it's Pax.

She feels him stand behind her. He doesn't say anything, doesn't even touch her. Pax just stares at Wesley and that's enough for him to shut up.

"Was there anything else, Wesley?" Elyse asks sweetly, hugging her tablet.

His eyes go to her, jaw tight, and he opens his mouth again.

But then Pax steps forward and her ex flinches, steps back, and turns around.

Elyse lets out a breath and composes herself.

Pax holds out his hand wordlessly.

Elyse takes it, and he fits his fingers in hers, walks forward. Doesn't pull her. "Where are we going?"

"A fucking date."

His voice is calm and quiet, but it gives her chills. He sounds angry.

Elyse waves to her friends and gives them a thumbs-up to let them know she's fine, and they raise their phones to say, "Text us if you need anything."

Pax's hold is gentle. Elyse smiles down at their hands because Pax Sandejas is never gentle. To her, he is.

He opens the door for her again and Elyse's heart races, settling in the passenger seat.

Pax's hands are tight on the steering wheel as he stares forward, and Elyse watches the side of his face while he drives.

Her jaw drops when Pax stops the car at the theme park she mentioned to him a few nights ago. She said she's never been to a theme park before.

She told her past boyfriends this as well and they called her childish.

Elyse was too stunned to notice that Pax already opened the door, raising his eyebrow.

Her heart is soaring. A wide smile appears on her face as she jumps out of the car, grabs his hand, and pulls him inside excitedly.

Elyse drags him first to the souvenir store after they get their tickets, and she lets go of his hand with a gasp to look at the headbands. She gets an angel halo and takes the devil ears, turning to her boyfriend.

Boyfriend! Elyse grins when she meets his scowl. "Lean down, you're too tall."

Pax scowls some more but leans down so she can put it on his head, above his hair. He's so cute!

She giggles and then she takes his hand and drags him to the rides.

Elyse notices that Pax doesn't try to touch her. He keeps his distance, but he doesn't protest when Elyse grabs his hand or his arms, encircling it around her waist while they wait in line, pressing her back against his chest. He stares at her mouth when they get ice cream but he doesn't do anything.

"I want that. Please," Elyse says, pointing to the pink bear stuffed toy.

Pax rolls his eyes. "Of course you fucking do," he mutters, letting go of her hand to grab the gun.

Elyse hugs him tight when he wins the shooting game and thrusts in her face the bear.

She's happy—beyond happy—but she's also annoyed. Why is he not kissing her? Why is he not touching her?

Elyse huffs and pulls on her seatbelt harshly in the car, not even hiding her irritation with him. Then she stuffs her face with the cotton candy she ordered him to buy.

Pax stares at her. "What."

"What," she mocks, rolling her eyes, shoving her hand in her cotton candy.

"Spit it out, Jesus."

"Fine." Elyse faces him and snaps back, "You don't want to kiss me anymore? You don't want to touch me?"

"I've been fighting for my fucking life trying not to!" Pax snaps angrily.

Elyse's jaw drops. "What? Why?"

"I don't fucking know, Song, maybe because I didn't want you to feel like I was fucking taking advantage of you."

She stares at him. Pax looks away, teeth clenched, and flexes his fingers on the steering wheel.

Ah. Elyse understands now. He heard what Wesley said.

Pax spent time with her today without trying to touch her—something she never did with her past boyfriends. He wanted to show her he's not just with her for that—even though it started that way.

"You stupid, stupid boy," Elyse whispers, leaning forward, turning his face to hers to kiss him.

Pax freezes.

She smiles at him. "I let you kiss and touch me because I want you to. You're not taking advantage of me. Besides..." If she didn't let him touch her, Pax still would've wanted her. He wouldn't be like Wesley or Damian or Jeremy who began to neglect her.

"I wouldn't have kissed you that first time if I really didn't want to."

"Why the fuck did you." Pax finally, finally puts his hand on her thigh and strokes it.

She grins. "Because you were the first one to say you wanted to." Elyse laughs a little. "Because you smudged my lipstick and I didn't care. Ah, and you're a cuddler—imagine that. I think I'll keep you."

"Fuck, shut up," he breathes, gripping her neck and kissing her again. "Shut the fuck up, you're killing me."

Elyse grins wider, fingers threading in his hair. "Don't try to be nice, Sandejas. It doesn't suit you."

"You want me to demand for fucking kisses and time and attention and touch you whenever I want to as long as you want it, too."

She nods. "My past relationships never worked out because I was the one who always liked them more," Elyse tells him quietly. "Loved them more. I loved them more boldly than they did...it's always about getting to date Elyse Song, getting to flaunt her around—but never about making the effort to actually want me."

He shuts her up and kisses her harshly. Against her lips, he rasps, "I fucking want you."

Elyse grins. "I know."