School was my only refuge. I was thankful that school was back in session because being with my brother made me want to scream. And then cry.

On top of all my drama with my brother, Finlay was not talking to me. I tried at the beginning of the day when I saw her at our lockers. Finlay just walked away from me. She avoided me at lunch, and I knew that something was wrong. I was pretty sure it had something to do with her almost kiss with Scott. She wasn't at my house when I got home from the river with Joshua.

I left class immediately after the bell rang, signalling the end of the day. I took my time to get to my locker. I didn't want to go home. I didn't want to face my brother again. I just wanted to stay with Joshua and have him take care of me. Maybe if I went to his house, I could talk to Finlay, too.

Most of the halls were cleared out by the time I made it to my locker. And that's when it hit me. I cursed under my breath as I realized I missed the bus. Joshua's car was still in the shop, so he probably took the bus home, too. That meant that I couldn't really get home unless my brother picked me up.

"Match Stick."

Things just really weren't going my way. I turned around to see Drew with a small smile on his face.

"What?" I snapped.

"Is everything good?"

"No!"

He laughed, and I had to hold my hand back before I slapped him. "You don't have to be angry at me."

"I'm angry at a lot of things."

"Must be your hair. I heard that redheads have awful tempers."

"No, I think it's just my personality. I am an angry person."

His face shifted into something I couldn't read. "It's not good to be angry all the time."

"I know that."

He stepped closer to me, and I held my breath. His eyes were pools of darkness, dragging me underwater. He said, "What's wrong?"

"A lot of things are on my mind."

I turned away from him, hating how my heart beat a little quicker when he was around. He did weird things to my body. I knew I was attracted to him, but that was about it. He was mysterious and rude. I unlocked my locker, and he stood next to me, doing the same. He wasn't warm like Joshua, but he wasn't cold like my brother.

"I see your boyfriend isn't here to take you home."

I fought the urge to smile. Boyfriend? "His car broke down."

"Do you have a car?"

"No."

"You missed the bus."

"I wouldn't have known."

"I can take you home," he said, ignoring the sarcasm dripping in my voice. "I have a car."

"I can wait. I'll just call Fin or something."

"She isn't talking to you."

"Are you stalking me?"

He laughed, glancing at me. "Of course not. I was coming to my locker when she ran away from you."

"She didn't run."

"She didn't take a leisure stroll, either."

My locker slammed with a loud thud, and I said, "I'll see you later."

His hand stopped me. Electricity raced through me where his fingers touched, and I cursed myself for being attracted to him. "Let me take you home."

"No, thank you."

"I'm sorry."

I raised my eyebrows, facing him. "For what?"

"I was rude in the bakery."

I pulled my arm out of his hand, and we walked side by side together. Thankfully his hand didn't brush mine. I think I would've fallen down if it did. "I was too."

"It wasn't a good day for me. At all."

"Why?"

"It was the anniversary of my father's death."

I gaped at him, stopping in my tracks. I wasn't sure I heard him correctly. "Your father's death?"

"Yeah." He said it like it was the most normal thing ever. He wouldn't meet my eyes as he continued. "He died from alcohol poisoning."

"That's a lot to go through," I said, and he nodded. He was a few feet ahead of me because he hadn't stopped walking like I had.

"It was."

"Was?"

"Still is."

I ran to catch up with him and said, "My father is the worst man ever, but I wouldn't want him dead."

"I try to think that he's in a better place, but that doesn't help," he said, his eyes trained forward. If I looked close enough, I could see tears glistening in his eyes. "Mom's been a wreck since it happened."

"I would too."

He held the door open for me, and we walked through the parking lot, our breaths billowing out in front of us. His small car wasn't much, but it looked like it was well-used.

"That's why I was such a jerk then."

"You don't need to apologize," I told him, pressing my hand into his bicep.

His eyes found mine, and he said coarsely, "Thank you."

We stayed like that for a second too long, and he pulled away from me. He stuck the key into a keyhole on the trunk, saying, "The fob doesn't work. I have to manually do everything for this car."

I set my backpack in the trunk, next to his and got in the passenger seat. His car was nice and neat, totally different than Joshua's.

This boy was so different from Joshua.

I rubbed my hands together, trying to get some warmth back in them. A pair of gloves smacked my cheek, and I looked up to see Drew smiling. "Oops," he said innocently.

I slipped the gloves on my hands gratefully. They were certainly lived in. My fingers were smaller than the indents. The jacket that Joshua got me was a blessing, but I wished they came with gloves and a hat.

"What's your address?"

I told him that he had been to my apartment, but he didn't know it because of the bakery. He guided his car out of the parking lot. I watched him as he drove. He had such a serious look on his face. His arms looked at ease, though.

Before I knew it, he was parked behind the bakery. The staircase that led up to the second floor glistened from the water that dripped off of it. "Thank you."

"Of course."

I glanced at him before getting out. He followed suit and opened the trunk for me, handing me the backpack. He didn't let go, though. Instead, he got even closer.

"What are you doing?" I whispered.

"What I shouldn't."

He pushed me against his car before catching my lips with his. My backpack fell in the snow, discarded. But I pushed him away before I could get caught up.

"I'm sorry," he said, his blonde hair flopping in front of his eyes. But he didn't look too sorry as he gazed at me.

I didn't trust my voice to speak. I didn't want to say what I was thinking - that I wanted so much more. Instead, I grabbed my backpack and ran inside. I didn't look back at him; I didn't want to feel that way about him. Guilt raced through my body. How could I do that Joshua?

"Who was that?"

I jumped when I saw my brother. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he did not look happy.

"A guy."

"Who you kissed."

"I didn't - It wasn't like that," I said, shaking my head. I hoped my face wasn't red.

"What about the other guy? Aren't you two together?"

"Yes. No. I don't know."

I brushed past Scott, trying to forget the feel of Drew's lips on mine. Trying to forget him.