Taylor

"So, how was it?" she asked eagerly.

"It was nice," I replied as I sat down on my bed and took off my shoes.

"Just nice?" she questioned.

"What's wrong with nice?" I asked.

"Did he at least kiss you?" was her next question.

"Yes," I replied. It had been a nice kiss.

"Did the earth move and did your knees go weak?" she asked expectantly. No, was the answer. I shook my head.

"That's disappointing," she murmured.

"It doesn't always have to feel that way, does it?" I asked her. I liked Caleb, and I wanted to see him again. It wasn't like we were dating or exclusive. I liked the fact that he didn't have heartbreak stamped all over him.

"We bumped into Sin and Slater on the way to the movies," I revealed to her as I began to change into my pajamas.

"And?" she asked. I had her undivided attention.

"It was a little uncomfortable," I told her honestly. "Sin seemed a bit standoffish, but Slater invited all of us to a party at their house on Saturday."

"Yeah, I bet he was. Nothing like him getting a taste of his own medicine. Who is 'all of us'?" she asked as she slipped under the covers of her bed. She was already dressed in her pajamas.

"You, Caleb and me."

Was Jordan right? Had Sin's behavior been because he didn't like seeing me with someone else? I stopped myself from letting it play on my mind. It didn't matter. We'd had a one-night stand and as good as it had been it was never going to be anything more than that. The sooner I put it behind me, the better.

"Can I ask you a question?" Jordan said once we were both settled into our beds, and the lights were off.

"Sure."

"You've been a little jumpy and high strung lately. Is everything okay?" she asked. Her question took me by surprise. She was right. I'd been on guard and nervous the past few days. I didn't want to make a big deal out of something that could just be a figment of my imagination, although I still hadn't found my missing underwear. It was like it had just vanished into thin air.

The constant feeling that I was being watched and the mysterious footsteps in the stairwell had just added to the feeling that something wasn't right. But the problem was I couldn't prove anything. I was scared that if I told her the truth she'd make me go to the cops. And at this stage I had no concrete evidence that there was something going on.

"I haven't been sleeping that well," I said, a little white lie. I told myself that if it escalated then I would tell her. There was no way I would allow the fear to dictate my life. I'd try and be careful, but I wasn't going to allow it to stop me from living my life.

************

I saw Sin a couple of times around college later that week. It didn't help that every time I saw him I felt a jolt through my body and the inevitable flutter of butterflies. No matter what he wore, he looked good. So I was thankful that each time I'd been walking with Caleb.

I'd briefly greeted him, and he'd returned the greeting a little stiffly. There was definitely something up with him. Then another thought struck me. Maybe it was uncomfortable to see me after having sex with me, and that was his way of keeping his distance from me. It made sense. I began to question if it was a good idea to go to the party Slater had invited us to. I shared my thought with Jordan.

"I really want to go to the party," she said. "Just ignore him. You'll have Caleb to keep you company."

I didn't want to keep her from going to the party. I had a feeling there was something going on between Jordan and Slater. That was another thought. If Jordan and Slater ended up together, I'd be seeing a lot more of Sin, and I had to get used to it. There was no point in trying to avoid him.

"Okay, we'll go," I replied.

We helped each other get ready. I decided to wear a short mini. Jordan looked stunning as usual in a pair of skinny jeans and a crop top that showed off her stomach. Caleb waited for us outside the dorm building. When I'd told him that Jordan and I planned on walking there, he'd insisted on driving us there instead.

"Hi," I greeted him as he dropped a brief kiss on my cheek. I also needed to talk to Caleb about what was going on between us and I was hoping I'd get a chance to talk to him about it at the party. I got the distinct feeling from him that he wanted more out of it than I did. He'd called and texted me. He walked with me when I saw him at college. We hadn't exactly discussed what exactly was happening between us.

I'd just assumed it was seeing each other but in a non-exclusive way. I didn't really want to be in a relationship with anyone at the moment. I was having fun with the dating thing and I didn't want to be restricted.

When we pulled up outside Sin and Slater's house, I felt a little nervous as Caleb opened the car door for me and I got out the car. It was one of the things I really liked about Caleb; he was such a gentleman.

The party was going strong, and there were a couple of people already unsteady on their feet as I entered the house behind Jordan. Caleb followed in behind me. I couldn't help scanning the crowds for Sin as we made our way to the kitchen to get drinks, but I didn't see him. We found Slater in the kitchen pouring drinks.

"You made it," he said as he pulled me into a hug, lifting me off my feet. I hugged him back.

"Yeah, we made it," I replied when he set me down on my feet again.

"Hi," Jordan greeted him. I felt the nervous energy between the two of them as he smiled at her and said, "Hi."

Was I the only one getting a hug?

"Nice to see you came as well," Slater said to Caleb as he shook hands with him. Slater organized our drinks, and I sipped slowly on my red cup filled with whatever concoction Slater had put together.

While Caleb and I moved into the living room, Jordan remained in the kitchen with Slater. I thought the two of them looked great together. I let my eyes drift over the dancing crowd as I took another sip of my drink. The moment my eyes connected with his, I felt a shiver of awareness.

He was standing on the other side of the room, but this time he wasn't alone. I couldn't believe it still hurt to see him with another girl. Although his eyes were on me, he was listening intently to whatever the girl was saying. You'd think I'd be over it by now, but the truth was I wasn't. It also didn't help the way he looked at me. It was like he was undressing me with his eyes and I felt naked under his gaze.

Suddenly the room started to feel too claustrophobic and I was finding it difficult to breathe. I needed to get some air, and I was thankful when Jordan and Slater joined us.

"I'm going to the bathroom," I whispered to Jordan and I handed her my drink. Without another look in Sin's direction, I headed to the bathroom. Unfortunately the one downstairs was busy so I went upstairs to find another one. The bathroom was empty and I walked inside. As I turned to close the door, someone stopped me. It was Sin. He stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

I didn't know what to say; instead, I stood there open-mouthed, waiting for him to say something. His features were unreadable as he stepped forward and closed the distance between us. I licked my lips nervously under his gaze.

Then in the next moment his lips were crushing mine and his hands held my body against his. I could have pushed him away, but I didn't. Instead, I kissed him back.