((AN: Things get slightly heated as the chapter goes on =) I don't know if that actually needs a warning or not so yeah, I guess be aware =)) ))

The cherry vodka I drank has definitely boosted my confidence.

I look up at the handsome guy in front of me through my mascara-covered lashes and greet him.

First, he scans my face, pausing on my eyes and lips longer than needed, and then moves down my frame. A smirk lifts the side of his mouth.

"I want a drink," Abby slurs, bursting my bubble and reminding me that the blond dude and she are here too.

I smile and point out, "You've had enough."

She pouts, her brown eyes unfocused as she prepares herself to argue.

The nameless blond guy tightens his hold on Abby and turns to me. "I think I should take her back to her place. Do you want me to drop you off too?"

"Thanks but I'll manage." I move a strand of Abby's hair behind her ear with a smile. I have lots of unexecuted plans. The night is young, and the fun is just about to get started.

My idiot friend should have been more careful with her number of drinks. Hopefully, tomorrow's hangover will teach her a good lesson.

They stumble away, the guy carrying her entire weight.

But the most important part is, the hottie and I are alone.

My thoughts run round in circles as I try to spark a conversation. I'm out of shape. In high school, before Drew, everything came so easily and naturally to me. I had every boy wrapped around my fingers back then.

Finally, I settle with the most uncreative option. "I wanna grab a drink. Do you want one too?"

The smirk gives place to amusement. "Sure," he replies. His voice is low and deep, causing goosebumps to break through my skin. I am so gonna go more than one round with this eyecandy.

We make our way to the kitchen while keeping my excitement at bay, we each pick up a cheap red cup and stand in an empty corner.

"Are you Abigail's friend?" I wonder aloud after gulping my drink.

"I know her, but James is my buddy."

So the blond guy's name is James. I nod. Noted. Tomorrow I'll ask Abby if something's going on between them.

The hottie quirks an eyebrow at me. A silent question.

I shrug. "She is my best friend, so I was curious."

A beat of silence passes between us as he nods. Then it hits me. I would never forget this face. "I've never seen you on campus, do you go to NYSID?"

He frowns. "NYSID?"

"New York school of interior design."

His mouth shapes an O before shaking his head. "I study in Colombia business school. A friend of mine is one of this party's hosts. Though I have never seen you in parties before," he says and takes a sip from his drink, his eyes never leave my face. His gaze is so intense that it smoulders me.

I push a lock of my hair behind my ear and chew my lip. With a sharp inhale, I regain my composure and begin, "I thought it's about time to try something new," I pause for a better dramatic effect. In the most seductive voice I can pull off, I finish, "To have a little fun."

His brows jump. A devilish smile spreads across his full lips, making him even more handsome.

I hold his gaze. Under the harsh white light of the kitchen, his eye color is recognisable. Dark green. Like a thick forest long after sunset.

My subconscious inches me towards him.

He leans to me in the slightest. "Fun?" he echoes. His deep voice sends shivers down my spine, curling my toes.

I pull my bottom lip between my teeth. Deliberately, I move the cup to my mouth. His gaze follows the movement and stays on my lips while I sip my drink before fixing on my eyes.

As far as first impressions go, his has been remarkably good.

Maybe in a different world, where I haven't sworn off men, relationships, and love, I would have entertained the possibility of having something with him.

Definitely more than a meaningless one-night stand.

But I don't live in that alternative universe, and I just want a night of fun with no strings attached. Hence no need for names. Only a night, and a guy that'll help me move on and forget Drew. He ruined me enough. It's time to take back the control I lost. Even if it's with another person.

Without breaking our eye contact, I place the cup on the nearest cabinet surface behind me.

He licks his lips.

My heartbeat quickens.

One hand finds his shirt, and my fingers furl around the fabric. I pull him to me as I plant my other palm on his warm neck.

The next moment, our lips crash.

He stays stunned for a second. In the following beat, he recovers and his free hand snakes around my waist as we move in sync. His whiskey tinted lips fog up my head and sharpen it all at once. He presses our bodies together, and the world melts away. Just the sense of his arm around me and his soft and skillful mouth on mine remain.

Our kiss, slow at first, rapidly changes. As though after testing each other's limits, we are giving in to our starvation, which only makes us crave more.

He leads me a step back and my butt hits the edge of the cabinet. A moment later, his other hand finds my face and rests on my cheek as he deepens the kiss. Our tongues dance like we've done this a hundred times.

A moan slips from me. I don't move my hands, not wanting to know how his chest would feel under my palms. My grip tightens on his shirt and I draw him closer, even though we're flushed against each other, the need to get closer to him burns strongly inside me.

He breaks the kiss. His chest rises and falls rapidly, brushing my breasts each time.

The room spins around my head while I try to catch my breath.

Damn. He's a fantastic kisser.

He nears his mouth to my ear. His warm breath washes over me with each exhale, sending tingling sensations across my skin.

"Wanna take this somewhere else? A bit more private." His raspy voice seeps into me like an uncontrolled blaze, it ignites the fireworks in my stomach and rib cage. Desire burns down to my core.

Breathless, I nod.

He smirks. His large hand envelopes mine and we get out of the kitchen. He leads the way while I struggle not to fall while keeping up with his long strides. He enters a narrow hallway, darker than the other parts of the house, and tests each door until the third one opens.

We stumble inside.

I shut the door, and he spins to me and crashes his lips on me.

My every sense electrifies. The faint music filtering from outside bounces away as his hands discover my back. We shuffle a few steps backward, and I hit the door, but we don't stop making out. Our tongues battle for dominance. He squeezes one of my butt cheeks and I jump up with his support, wrapping my legs around his defined torso.

The warmth radiating from him, the way he holds me to himself that presses my soft parts against his rock-hard body causes my toes to curl in my shoes. I feel like I'm burning and coming alive all at once. My heart hammers in my chest as I run my hand over the nape of his neck, lightly grazing him with my fingernails. He shudders and groans deeply in my mouth, making my insides clench with desire.

He nibbles my bottom lip, eliciting a moan from me. I tighten my legs around him, his hardness poking at my inner thigh. I swallow my gasp, he's huge.

His mouth attacks my neck, leaving a trail of wet kisses as he moves to suck the soft skin above my collarbone. I whimper and arch my back while tugging at the collar of his shirt.

Our bodies lock together, he carries me to the nearby bed and gently lies me on it. His lips find mine for another sizzling hot make-out. Our tongues glide, and his hands roam over my body until one palm rests on my breast and starts kneading. With his knee, he pushes my legs further apart, positioning himself between my thighs.

Buzzing with excitement and anticipation, I inhale deeply, filling my nostrils with his musky scent, and keep my eyes closed. He sucks and lightly bites beneath my jawline, and trails down to my neck. His hand slides to the bottom of my shirt. My heartbeat quickens.

The music booming from outside fades away, the unfamiliar bed of the frat house turns into my apartment's bed. The guy on top of me is no longer the hottie, but Drew. Drew's rough hand. Drew's aggressive mouth targeting my neck and chest. I freeze. My limbs lock.

Drew's brown eyes swim before my closed eyelids.

"I want you now," he growled, looking nothing like the man I knew and loved as I struggled to free myself from underneath him. "You're mine!" he thundered as he ripped open my shirt while I pleaded with him to let me go. "Didn't I tell you I don't like it when you talk to those guys?" he snarled. "Why don't you ever listen to me?" he questioned with malice as he ignored my desperate pleas to get off of me. "Don't you love me?" he asked as I tried to shove him away. But it only earned me his flaring nostrils and for him to pin my arms at my sides. "You don't love me. If you did, you wouldn't be trying to push me away. Have you forgotten you're nothing without me and our love? I love you so much and yet you never appreciate me, always being ungrateful. Do you want me to leave? After everything we've been through?"

"No," I whimpered as tears brimmed my eyes.

"Then why don't you ever show me you love me? You never listen to me, babe."

"I'm sorry, Drew," I sobbed.

He clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"I love you," my voice broke as I spoke the words. A satisfied smile curled his mouth.

"Good girl," he murmured and pulled off my pants. He had already unbuckled his belt as he fixed himself between my legs and unbuttoned his jeans.

My eyes fly open, I resist the urge to squirm away from underneath this nameless guy. My body trembles as I shove aside Drew's face, words, and voice. Erratic breathing and a drumming heart are enough to delay my comprehension.

I blink multiple times before realizing he has stopped. He is pinching the brink of his nose, his eyes squeezed shut, brows furrowed. I frown with confusion as he remains motionless, his head a few inches aside on the right side of my face. I move my hands in front of me to gently nudge him away but before I get the chance to do that; he moves back himself, settling on the edge of the bed.

Great, now he knows I'm fucked up. The weirdo girl who suggested having sex and couldn't keep up.

"I'm -"

"Sorr-"

We both start at the same time and halt together. I prop myself up and sit properly, avoiding looking at him.

He inhales sharply and stares at his palms. "I'm sorry," his head snaps to me. "It's nothing personal, trust me, it's just..." his voice trails down. I quirk an eyebrow, daring to study his face. "It's me, I can't," he mumbles and looks away.

"Hold on, you can't?" I ask with surprise. Holy shit. He's fucked up too. And here I thought he stopped because of me. I stop myself from smiling as I relax. "I was about to stop you too, and believe me, it has nothing to do with you either," I tell him.

His brows jump high, his tense shoulders relaxing as he licks his bottom lip. "Okay, good. That's good, no hard feelings?"

"None at all."

"Good," he says again, nodding.

I sling my legs off the bed and we sit next to each other without another word. The music from the outside does an awful job of filling the growing silence.

I fidget with my fingers before announcing, "This is awkward."

He chuckles, "Yeah," and shakes his head. A few beats of silence stretches between us. "Moving on from an ex?" he suddenly asks, turning to me.

I gape at him. Was I that obvious? I nod.

He sighs. "Me too."

Oh! That explains why we're both equally fucked up.

"Wanna grab a drink?" he offers, and I squint and quirk an eyebrow at him. He laughs, "Our plans for the night didn't work out the way we wanted, so, maybe we could head out for a drink? I know a good place that's open at this hour."

I consider his offer, I don't have any other plans, and I certainly don't want to go back to my flat and admit defeat against my asshole of an ex.

"Lead the way," I reply with a smile.

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