The subway rumbles beneath my feet as Liam and me venture away from Lincoln Centre. From what I can remember, Liam's loft isn't too far from campus, so it should be a relatively short ride.

It took quite a bit of persuasion on Liam's part to get me to agree to go back to his place with him. At first, I didn't feel comfortable, but that was before Liam reassured me that everything would be fine. I was more nervous about taking the subway than being alone with him in his apartment, but that was before I remembered that he has roommates. Now, the subway ride feels like a piece of cake.

"How many roommates do you have again?"

"Four," Liam says, scratching the back of his neck.

I let out a sigh. I really hope this isn't awkward. My biggest fear is that Liam's friends will think that I spent the night, or, much worse, that I had sex with a guy I just met. I don't want that to be an image I have to carry around the rest of the year. I don't want to be known as "the 'easy' girl."

Liam takes my hand as the subway doors open, revealing a mob of people, most of whom are moving in opposite directions. I'm like a fish out of water here. I have no idea what to do. Do I apologize for bumping into someone? Liam sure doesn't seem to be bothered by it, so maybe it's best if I stay quiet.

After weaving through the crowd, the pair of us take the staircase to the street, and when we reach the surface, the sunlight immediately beings warming my skin. Liam keeps looking straight ahead as he dodges in and out of groups of people. I keep a firm grip on his wrist as he pulls me along with him.

The sidewalk isn't as crowded as the subway platform, but it's still tricky to navigate due to having our instruments on our persons. After a few minutes, Liam pulls me to the inner side of the sidewalk and stops in front of an old-style brick building, which I soon recognize as his apartment building.

Within minutes we are riding the elevator to the eighth floor. It's much quieter than it was last night, although I'm not surprised. What I am surprised at is that there wasn't a noise complaint from anyone else in the building. But this is New York, after all. There is probably some unspoken rule about going along with crazy-ass parties.

Liam ushers me into the apartment and slams the door behind him. The place is a mess. Cups and cans are everywhere, and the floor is in dire need of a scrub.

"Go have a seat at the island," Liam starts, "and I'll put these in my room," he says, slipping the cello case from my shoulders.

When I walk into the kitchen, I almost vomit. The sink is full of God-knows-what, and the counters are sticky with booze. I shake my head, grab a washcloth, and start wiping down every free inch of counter space. After emptying the cleaner side of the sink, I fill it with hot soapy water and begin washing anything I lay my eyes on. After a couple of minutes, I hear someone walk up behind me. Thinking it's Liam, I turn around to greet them.

"Sorry, I couldn't leave it like this," I begin, but stop speaking when I notice that the man in front of me is not Liam.

"Hey, gorgeous," the guy coos in a raspy tone. I don't say anything. Instead, I turn back around and continue washing. "Did you spend the night here?" he asks, his voice sounding much closer than it was a moment ago.

"No," I reply sternly.

"Well, do you want to?" he asks, placing his hands on my hips.

"Don't touch me!" I yell, spinning in his grip and pushing him backward.

"Woah, woah, woah there, darlin'. No need to be pushy," he says, coming toward me again.

"Cole! What the fuck?" Liam yells as he enters the kitchen.

"Sorry, man. I didn't know she was yours." Liam glares at him. "She's a nice piece of ass, but she's feisty, huh?"

"Excuse m-" I begin before getting cut off.

"Get the hell out!" Liam demands. Cole looks at him dumbfoundedly before glancing at me. "Don't even! Get going!" he shouts again.

When Cole shuffles out of the room, Liam looks over at me. He looks angry, much like how he looked last night. This worries me. I don't like seeing him like this.

Liam continues to stare at me from across the kitchen. He hasn't said anything regarding the interaction with Cole that I just witnessed. Instead, he stands there silently, looking like he's about to shut down indefinitely.

Without thinking, I stride across the kitchen and place my hands on his biceps. When I look into his eyes, I see the same dark glaze that coated them last night in his bedroom. I was the one that pulled him out of his haze then, and I have the feeling that I am about to do it again.

"Liam?" I ask softly. His eyes and body soften at my words as if I've just woken him from a hypnotized state. "Are you alright?"

"Are you?" he asks, maneuvering one of his arms out of my hold to cup my cheek.

My body melts under his soft touch. In all my life, I've never felt this way toward someone. Liam makes me stop thinking about everything else going on in the world, which, in my eyes, is a superpower. How he can transform my hectic thoughts into a subtle bliss baffles me. How is he able to do this to me? Why is he able to do this to me?

"I'm fine."

"I'm sorry about Cole; he's a perv. He should have never spoken to you the way he did."

The memory of Cole's hands on my body makes me shiver in disgust. I don't want anyone touching me. The only person I can fathom touching me is Liam. He is the only person in New York City that I feel completely safe with, which is strange because I have only just met him. But, for some reason, he's that person.

"Why do you live with such an asshole?" I ask without thinking.

Liam lets go of my cheek. "It's cheaper than on campus," he shrugs, before making his way over to the sink.

I follow him with my eyes, staying put on the opposite end of the room. I watch in amazement at how his back muscles flex under his white tee as he scrubs dishes with a sponge. There's something so sexy about seeing a guy playing a domestic role. It assures me that he can take care of himself. But what does an independent man like him want with someone like me, someone who's fresh off the 'high school boat' and has no experience in the real world? But if only he knew. If only he knew how the ghost of my past haunts me every day, how the memory of Laura's death shreds my heart into a million pieces.

I let out a silent breath before joining Liam at the sink. It's nearly vacant of bubbles except for one small clump in the corner. I scoop the delicate things up in my hands, place them in front of my mouth, and blow them at Liam. His harsh flinch shows me that I caught him off guard, but after a moment, he smirks. Before I realize what he's doing, he throws a small scoop of water at me.

A small shriek escapes my lips as the lukewarm water touches my skin. Liam's laugh echoes throughout the apartment as I back away from him slowly.

"You did not just do that," I say, wiping the water droplets from my face.

"Oh, you know I did," Liam says, coming toward me.

I shuffle backward but have nowhere to go. Liam backs me into the brick wall and proceeds to pin me down with his body. I tilt my head upward to meet his eyes, which are now glowing with lust. Everything about him is tempting, and the way that his body is flush against mine makes me throb for him. Without thinking it through, I snake one of my arms between our bodies, rest it on his neck, and pull him down to kiss me.