The house is packed with unfamiliar faces that all show signs of this being a party that is fueled by something more potent than beer or the screeching heavy metal music jarring my nerves. I immediately feel out of place. Even when I used to drink too much at parties, I never participated in drugs, recreational or otherwise, and have intentionally avoided this kind of party.

“Kendall?”

“Ace?”

“Hey, where are you?”

“I’m at the bonfire where you’re supposed to be. Where are you? What’s all that noise?”

“I’m … at Tim Evans’s.” I cringe. Kendall knows these parties are all about drinking and drugs.

“Tell Eric it’s time to go.”

I take a deep breath, sidestepping a group of people as they begin cheering on a couple of guys doing some sort of drinking competition. “I can’t find him.”

“What do you mean you can’t find him?”

“I mean …” I take a deep breath, preparing myself for her reaction. “I think he left.”

“You think he left?” Her voice rises and I know this is going to be ugly.

“Yeah, we somehow got separated, and I think he left.” I’m half expecting her to tell me I should call him, something I’ve already done a dozen times after realizing his car was no longer where we’d parked it.

“What a bastard! I can’t believe him!”

“Trust me, I know,” I say, making my way through a crowd of drunk guys trying to talk some girls into strip poker. “I just want to get the hell out of here. Can you or Jameson drive at this point?”

“No, we’ve both been drinking. You can try Max. He hasn’t shown up yet. Or Jenny, I think she mentioned being over on that side of town.”

“Okay. I’ll let you know.”

“Ace wait!” Kendall says, and I hear her dip her phone to her shoulder and can make out a few of her words as she explains to someone, likely Jameson, what has happened. I inwardly groan at the shame, knowing the looks of pity and confusion I’ll be receiving.

“Ace, Max is coming to get you. He hasn’t had anything to drink tonight and he just got here.”

“No, tell him to have fun. I’ll try Jenny, or call a taxi.” She’s ignoring me; I know this because I can hear her reciting my whereabouts over my protests.

“Kendall. Kendall. Kendall!”

“Hey, baby, I bet I can get you to scream my name.”

I jerk my head to see a tall, skinny guy with dirty blond hair. His face is round for how thin he is, but his jaw and chin are strong, and by the way he’s approaching me I can tell he’s used to women fawning over him. His eyes fall to my chest, missing my look of disgust.

“He’s on his way, Ace. Slap that guy and walk away. He’s going to call you.”

My phone begins ringing almost instantaneously, and I glance at the screen to see an unfamiliar number.

“That’s him. I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay, be safe.” Loud squeals slightly obscure Kendall’s parting words before she hangs up.

I plug my right ear pressing the phone hard to my left and try to move away from the noises surrounding me.

“Hello?”

“Ace, are you okay?” I hear Max’s deep voice.

“Yeah, I’m fine! I’m really sorry you—”

“Yeah, you’re fine!” The same skinny, dirty blond appears and I glare at him to indicate I’m not interested.

“Sorry,” I grumble, pushing through more people “This place is crazy.”

“It sounds crazy.”

I lower my shoulder and brush by a group of guys.

“Find a bathroom or a room with a lock,” Max instructs.

“I’m looking.” I watch a couple stumble backwards as they work to rip each other’s clothes off while engaging in a kiss that looks nearly painful, it’s so intense.

“What? I can’t hear you?”

I’ve reached a congested area where three tables are set up surrounded by a large congregation of people playing beer pong, all extremely vocal. Beside them is an even louder group of mostly men, crowded around a girl doing a keg stand, wearing such minimal clothing I feel certain that if she can recall any of this by tomorrow she’ll be mortified.

I slip through a few more groups, trying to go undetected as I avoid eye and any physical contact.

“Ace, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m trying to look for a room,” I answer, gripping my phone tighter.

I reach out to try another door handle and discover that it, like all of the ones I’ve already tried, is locked.

“There aren’t any rooms, I’ll just meet you out front?”

“I’ll find us a room. You ready to go for the ride of your life?” I don’t even turn toward the slurred voice to give a reaction. I just want to get the hell out of here.

“Max—”

“I’m almost there, Ace, just stay on the line and keep looking.”

I slide along the edge of the room and through a hallway to where I spot another door that’s slightly ajar. I sigh in relief as I approach it, slowly pressing it open with my fingertips to reveal a small laundry room.

“You still with me?”

“Yeah, I found a room.”

“Where’s that?”

“The laundry room.”

“Alright, tell me how to get there.”

“No, when you get here I’ll meet you out front.”

“Ace, it will make it a lot faster for me if you tell me where I’m going.” I hear a loud thunder of yelling coming from Max’s end.

“Are you here?”

“Yeah.” I stand up from where I’m leaning against the washer and place a hand on the door. “Just tell me how to get to you. If you leave, we’re going to have a really hard time finding each other. This place is insane.”

Even though I want to rebuke, I know he has a valid point. Begrudgingly, I give in, trying to recall the turns I took to get here, hearing the party sounds echo from behind the door and through the phone.

When the door slowly opens, I sigh with relief as Max fills the doorway. His face really is so beautifully handsome.

It seems wrong to use the word beautiful when I think of how to describe Max, because the term is so often used to describe feminine attributes, and there is nothing even remotely feminine about Max, but I’ll be damned if the word doesn’t join the mass amount of expletives that always seem to float through my mind when I see him.

“Hey.” His deep voice fills the small room, and a wave of self consciousness washes over me as I watch his eyes travel the length of my body. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just ready to be out of here.”

Max nods, extending a hand to me. “Why don’t you lead, I don’t want my back to you in this crowd.”

“They won’t bother me,” I say, pushing off of the washer.

“Humor me.”

I take a step closer and reach my hand forward, placing it within his. I feel the heat of his hand sear through me.

“Ready?” he asks, applying a gentle squeeze of pressure to my hand.

I nod and brace myself for the crowds of crazy.

I attempt the path of least resistance, avoiding groups that look rowdy as I lead us through the house holding Max’s left hand in my right. Periodically, he lifts his right hand as a shield, even though the few times he’s done so, no one has come close to running into me.

We’re nearly out. I can finally see the front door when a guy comes barreling toward us with another man quickly chasing after him, looking enraged. Before I can come to a complete stop, Max is half pulling, half lifting me so I’m behind him as he raises one arm and keeps his other securely wrapped around my waist in a protective stance.

“Let’s see if there’s a back door.” I plead as several more guys begin running toward the commotion, throwing punches and yelling.

Max looks at the chaos ensuing and nods. As he turns, his hand readjusts to my hip, and his long calloused fingers wrap around me. The feeling shoots a foreign surge of energy through me, distracting me from the task at hand.

“Lead the way, Captain.” Over all of the chaos, Max’s deep voice becomes a singular sound for me as I feel his lips graze the shell of my ear.