After Julian left, Heather sat down in the chair next to me.

She looked ahead for a moment and was quiet and then turned to me.

Her eyes locked with mine as she spoke, "I wasn't trying to be rude when I first saw you, I was just in shock."

My heart beat fast as I said, "I understand. I'm sorry you weren't told I was coming here."

"I'm not...I'm not mad about that," Heather responded, "You just have to understand how much it fucks me up to see you after all this time."

"You're not alone there. But I get it...I'm the one that-"

"Stopped talking to me?" Heather cut in, "Out of nowhere, might I add."

"I'm sorry, Heather. That time period was rough to put it lightly. What happened to Haley completely messed me up."

Heather visibly tensed at the mention of Haley, "It fucked all of us up. Why did you have to stop talking to me?"

"I don't even have a good answer for that. At the time it's what I thought I needed. To dissociate myself from everyone."

"I can understand that to a degree. But Alice, you really hurt me. I wanted to keep what we had going. In all honesty, I wanted to be with you. When you cut me off, I was pretty devastated."

"I wanted to be with you."

My mind wandered to the night 4 years ago when Heather and I were both up at 3 AM, moments before we heard Michelle scream.

I knew she was about to tell me she loved me, and I was going to say it back.

"I wanted to be with you as well," I admitted, "Depression just got in the way of it all."

"I'm not going to pretend like I don't get it. I just wish that you would've let me be there for you. I know you weren't officially my girlfriend, but it felt like the worst breakup when you stopped talking to me."

I meant every word as I said to Heather, "I wish I could go back in time and fix it. I would've never stopped talking to you. I tried reaching out to you months later, but I saw you blocked me."

"I had to. For my own sanity."

There was another moment of silence, the only noise coming from the muffled voices and music on the other side of the door.

Heather and I were turned towards each other, and she met my gaze again. As she looked at me, I could tell there were a million thoughts going through her mind, matching mine.

Finally, Heather said softly, "I'm wondering where we go from here."

Surprised, I asked Heather, "You want to see me again?"

Heather chewed on her bottom lip, making me know that she was nervous, and deep in thought. She looked down for a moment and then back up at me.

"Now that I've seen you again, I don't think I'm going to be able to get you off my mind, Alice."

Warmth flooded through my body as Heather said this to me, and my breath hitched.

"I'm definitely not going to be able to either."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Heather's lips, and she said, "I guess we'll just have to see how it goes, huh?"

She then glanced my way, and the warmth that was within me spread through my chest.

That glance she just gave me is telling me all the ways she wants this to go.

Unless I'm reading this wrong?

"I'll have to admit you look really- "

Heather started to say, and then the door to the deck slid open aggressively.

Heather and I both turned our heads immediately to see Edwin.

Heather's tone was clearly annoyed as she said, "Yes, Edwin?"

"We're about to sing 'happy birthday' to Michelle. I didn't want you both to miss it."

Heather and I both stood up, "Thanks," she said to Edwin, "You're right we shouldn't miss it."

Heather motioned for me to go inside before her, and when we walked in, we stood next to each other. Not super close, but close enough.

I noticed Michelle glance our way curiously, and Edwin then whistled loudly.

"Alright, all! Let's gather around and sing happy birthday to our girl, the sole reason why we're all here."

As Michelle stood by the table in front of her cake, a young man with dark blonde hair in a plaid shirt joined and put his arm around her.

That must be Mike.

We all sang "happy birthday" to Michelle, who looked equal parts thrilled and bashful.

"Thank you all for being here," she said, "It means the world to me."

I was curious as I turned to Heather, "What were you going to say to me before Edwin interrupted us?"

As I faced Heather, it was like we were the only two in the room. Everything else seemed to fade away.

Without wavering, Heather said, "I was going to say you look really good. Maybe a little too good."

Immediately, I blushed.

Oh, Heather. You have no idea what those words do to me.

"Is it bad if I say the same about you? I have to say...I love all the tattoos. They look great."

Heather smiled, showing her dimples, "Thank you. I have a bunch of other tattoo ideas sketched out that I want."

"Show me sometime?"

"How about I show you once everyone leaves if you'd stay that late? All the sketches are in my room, and if we went in there during the party, it might look...some type of way."

You could go grab them from your room, but I'm certainly not complaining.

"I'll stay after everyone leaves. I'd like to see the sketches."

This could be dangerous.

The night went on, and I felt more at ease with everyone. I wasn't quite at the comfortability that I was with them 4 years ago but maybe overtime I could get there.

As the party started to wind down, just Mike and I remained. I spoke to Mike a few times throughout the night, and I could tell he was a really nice guy, seemed perfect for Michelle.

"Alice is staying a little later to look at some of my tattoo sketches," Heather said to Michelle.

Michelle looked between Heather and I, "Got it. Well, Mike and I are going into my bedroom to chill. Alice, if I don't see you, thank you so much for coming."

Michelle gave me a quick hug, and then her and Mike were off to her room.

"Follow me," Heather said, "My room is on the other side of the apartment."

I followed Heather down a short hallway, and at the end of it was her room. When I walked in, I was immediately enthralled as she closed the door behind us.

Sketches, so many sketches of tattoos, hung on the gray walls. I hardly knew where to look.

Okay, I understand why she wanted me to come to her room.

"Wow," I said, "Everything that I am seeing looks incredible."

"Thank you," Heather responded, "Some of the sketches are very rough, but I appreciate it."

"A million times better than anything I could do."

Heather then grabbed a binder that was on her nightstand and sat down on her bed.

"The sketches that have the tattoos I want are in this binder. Want to look?"

She motioned for me to come sit beside her, and I did so.

Knots formed in my stomach as our knees touched. I was so close to Heather after all this time.

Heather opened the binder and started to show me some of her ideas.

She pointed to a sketch of an intricate flower pattern.

"I'm thinking about this for my thigh," she said, "I want more tattoos on the lower half of my body."

Do not think too much about the lower half of her body...

"I think that would look great," I nodded, looking down at the sketch with Heather.

We then both looked up, and Heather asked, "Have you gotten any more tattoos?"

"No, I haven't. Though I have an idea for one. Maybe you can do it for me."

"I'd love to. What's the idea?"

"I'm thinking of getting something small on my upper neck, close to my earlobe."

Heather then motioned that she wanted to push back my hair to see the exact spot and she asked, "May I?"

I swallowed as I nodded, realizing she was about to touch me.

Heather lightly pushed my hair back behind my ear, and brushed some of it off my neck, sending electricity through my veins. By the way her breath hitched, I knew she was feeling the exact same.

She then gently touched the spot that I was thinking about and asked, "Right here?"

My heart hammered as I nodded, "Yes."

"That'll look cute. Just let me know what you want and when and we'll make it happen."

Heather then removed her fingers from my upper neck, and my heart still continued to pound. Even though she didn't need to, she brushed my hair behind my ear one more time.

Tension. You could cut the tension with a knife that was transpiring between us. Something shifted, and I knew we were playing a dangerous game that likely wouldn't be stopped.

Heather's eyes seemed even darker than usual as they flickered down to my lips.

"You know I want you, Alice," Heather said softly.

"Is this...should we do this?"

"Do you want me as much as I want you right now?"

I nodded and spoke more urgently than intended, "Yes, I do."

"So how about we don't worry about if we should do this...and just do it?"

Feeling like my heart was about to leap out of my chest, I moved in to close the gap between Heather and me.

Our lips met in a fiery kiss, all of the lingering thoughts we had about each other over the past 4 years pouring out all at once.

Heather's hand immediately grazed my hip, her thumb rubbing over a sensitive spot by my pelvic bone that sent a bolt of desire through me, and I slid my tongue into her mouth.

Heather let out a soft moan of appreciation, and her tongue flicked against mine.

We didn't stop. There's no way I could have stopped. Heather pulled me on top of her and I straddled her lap, our hands running all over each other, as if we were trying to map out each other's bodies all over again.

"Fuck," I breathed in between kisses, "You don't know...how badly I've missed this."

"If it's anywhere near how bad I have, then I think I do," Heather murmured back and pulled me in for another kiss.

As minutes passed with us all over each other, Heather moved her mouth to my ear and whispered, "I want to fuck you. If you give me the okay, I'm going to make you cum harder than you have since you last saw me."

All I could do was nod, and Heather then flipped me over onto her bed with surprising strength, now on top of me.

I flung off my shirt, and she did the same, showcasing even more tattoos.

Heather looked at me with pure hunger in her eyes as she once again kissed me, and her mouth then started to move lower. She pulled down one of the cups of my bra and placed her mouth over my nipple, flicking her tongue over it.

"Heather," I moaned softly, "Lower. Please move your mouth lower."

"Oh, how I've missed you moaning my name," Heather said, and she then started to move her mouth down lower, until she removed it entirely.

"Why did you do that?" I asked frantically, the ache between my legs that only she could satisfy growing by the second.

Instead, Heather moved her hand underneath my skirt, and skimmed it over the fabric of my underwear, which I knew was soaked.

"What's got you so wet there, Alice?" Heather asked me in a teasing tone.

"It's you...you got me wet," I replied, my mind hazy with desire.

Heather pushed my underwear to the side and moved two fingers between my legs, settling at my entrance. She lightly circled her thumb over my clit, and even just that slight touch sent waves of pleasure through me.

Heather hovered over me and spoke, her tone husky, "I'm going to make you work for it. Tell me how much you've missed me."

"So...so much," I managed to get out, "Please, I need-"

Heather inserted one finger inside of me, and I gasped out loud.

"What do you need, Alice?" Heather locked eyes with me.

"You!" I moaned, "I need you, Heather."

"That's it," Heather murmured, and she stuck another finger inside of me, making me cry out.

As Heather curled her fingers inside of me, I moaned loudly, and she caught it with her mouth against mine. As she nibbled my bottom lip, she said, "I need to hear one more time how much you want me."

With her fingers inside of me, I was at her mercy.

"I want you more than anything," I groaned.

A mischievous grin crossed Heather's face, and she said, "Such a good girl you are. And good girls get rewarded."

In one swift motion, Heather lifted my skirt, and her head was in between my legs within seconds.

As her mouth met my core, pleasure immediately spiked throughout my whole body.

This was what I needed.

"Oh, god," I moaned, "Fuck, Heather."

Heather gripped my thighs, pulling me in as close as possible as she sent me to new heights with her mouth that I never thought imaginable. I could hardly handle it; the pleasure was almost too much.

At one point I opened my eyes and glanced down to see Heather touching herself, and as she moaned lightly against me, the vibration only added to the euphoria.

When she added her fingers again, my orgasm rapidly approached.

My legs clenched around Heather and the pressure mounted, and I gasped out, "I'm close, I'm so fucking close."

With one final flick of her tongue, I was sent over the edge.

I bit onto Heather's pillow, trying to muffle my loud moans. As I gripped the bedsheets, she grabbed a hold of my hand with the one she wasn't using to touch herself. As she worked her tongue, carrying me through, she moaned along with me, reaching her peak.

As my high started to wear off, reality set in.

I fucked Heather again.

And I had no idea what was going to happen from here.