I danced, but it wasn’t like the old days. When I was young, I loved to dance. The dance floor was my second home. But since leaving Lexington, things had changed. I had changed. The events with Ryan changed me, and I was never the same carefree girl again.

Noticing my hesitation, Rachel bumped her hip on mine. “Where’s that fiery girl who nobody could make stop dancing?”

Good question. Where was she? Could I still be that girl? Could she just be dormant inside me and in need of awakening? I closed my eyes and let the song envelope me. The beat carried through my body, energizing my core. I took a deep breath and let go.

I raised my arms above my head and moved my hips and shuffled my feet like I hadn’t done in four years.

“That’s more like it!” Rachel winked.

The four of us danced the next two songs as if nobody was watching. Until I spun around and met Ryan’s eyes. Now sitting at our table, he stared at me and his whole being screamed tension. His arms were folded over his chest, his jaw popped every two seconds, and his eyes … oh, his eyes weren’t only rough. There was more to it, but I couldn’t name it, because once I named it, there was no going back.

I averted my eyes and turned back to the girls. My mojo was gone, but I didn’t stop dancing.

Several guys had gathered around us. Some were bold and tried dancing with us. Rachel and I kept the girls safe.

Hands landed on my hips, and I stepped forward and away. I whirled around, intent on lashing out at the drunk who dared touch me.

“Noah?” I asked.

He smiled at me. “Let’s dance.”

Hmm, hell no. “We’re trying to have a girls’ night out, Noah. Maybe another time.”

I started turning my back to him, but he grasped my elbow and pulled me against him. “Come on. Just one dance.” His breath reeked of alcohol.

I pushed against his shoulders. “I said no.”

His hand dug into my skin, hurting. “You can’t dance that way and—”

“Let her go.” Ryan’s voice was harsh, cold.

Noah glanced at him and shook his head. The guy was drunker than I first thought. “I called dibs on her, Ryan. Go find some other girl to take home.”

Ryan’s face reddened—pure rage. Pulling his arm back, he stepped toward Noah. “You sick bast—”

Jason, Luke, and Ethan appeared behind Ryan, their arms around his shoulders and waist.

“Whoa, whoa!” Noah swayed.

“Calm down, Ryan,” Jason said. His voice was even, but his eyes had murdered Noah at least three times already.

Ryan struggled against his friends.

“Ryan, you can’t fight,” Luke said.

Ethan squeezed between Ryan and Noah. “Remember. Only four months now. Four more months without trouble. You can do it.”

Whatever he meant didn’t seem to have an effect on Ryan. He thrashed to get rid of his friends, but the guys kept a good grip on him.

Noah kept on dancing beside me, totally oblivious.

Jason looked at me. “We have to take him home. I know I have no right to tell you what to do, but please, you should consider going home too.” His eyes shifted to Noah for a moment. “If you know what I mean.”

I nodded. The guys dragged Ryan back. He disappeared into the crowd, but not before his gaze met mine once more. His eyes shone with concern and rage.

When they were gone, I pulled the girls away from Noah. He was so drunk that he didn’t even noticed we weren’t around him, and he danced as if he were in a trance.

I tried letting it go again and losing myself to the music and the moment, but the spark was gone. I kept seeing Ryan’s eyes. The lust when I was dancing, then the rage when Noah hit on me.

A flutter made my heart beat faster. Had he been jealous? Why would he? But if not, then why would he act that way?

Other questions took hold of my mind. The guys insisted Ryan shouldn’t fight, and Ethan mentioned something about only four months. What the hell did that mean? I was going to ask Jason about it first thing tomorrow, even though I knew what he would say—that I had to ask Ryan. Well, I tried and he wasn’t saying anything. I had to find another way to find out what happened to him.

Not wanting to break the party, I stayed with the girls, but it was like only half of me was here. Rachel noticed right away, of course, but other than her knowing eyes, she said nothing.

***

Ryan

Jason followed me until I parked my car inside the garage and crossed the front door of my apartment. But once he drove away, I raced back to my car and drove to my parents’ house. At some point, Jessica would have to drop Brianna off, and my sister would finally hear what I had to say.

I leaned against my car and waited. My mind betrayed me and went back to the club. I closed my eyes and saw Jessica on the dance floor, her body moving with the beat, an inexplicable grace to her movements, her curves so sensual and inviting. No wonder drunk Noah hit on her. Rage rolled in my chest. Fuck, I had almost lost it back there. If it weren’t for Jason, Luke, and Ethan, I would have pummeled Noah, and then I would be in big trouble.

I shook my head. Everything was going so well. I was able to control my rage, to live one day at a time, one hour at a time, doing what I was told to do. I had been able to suck it up, to hide my feelings, to push them back. Until she came back and brought everything with her, every feeling, every regret.

The sound of an approaching car alerted me, and I opened my eyes. It was Jessica and Brianna. Lindsey wasn’t with them. Jessica must have dropped her cousin off first. It made sense, since my parents’ house was closer to hers than her cousin’s house.

She parked the truck in front of the driveway. Brianna leaned into her for a hug, and then slipped out the car.

“What you have to say, I don’t want to hear,” Brianna said. She walked in a wide arc around me.

I stepped in front of her, cutting her path. “You’re my little sister. If I want to say something, you’ll listen.”

“Ryan, it’s almost two in the morning. If you really need to be a jerk, can you do it tomorrow?”

She started walking again, but I grabbed her arm.

“You’re going to listen to me.”

“Hey,” Jessica called out. She was out of the truck and marching toward me with a big frown. “Let her go, Ryan.”

Brianna jerked her arm back and rushed inside the house. What was I doing? Grabbing my sister and barking at her? If my anger was this uncontrollable, it was because of her.

I glared at Jessica. “You have no right to come between my sister and me.”

“This is ridiculous, Ryan. She was talking to a friend; she only drank Sprite. I know because I checked every few minutes, and she danced with me. What’s so wrong about that?”

“She’s only sixteen.”

Her eyes widened. “If I remember correctly, that didn’t seem to matter four years ago.”

That was different. Wasn’t it? I didn’t know anymore. “Why do you keep bring the past up?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “When are you going to tell me what happened to you after I left?”

I opened my mouth to tell her to go to hell, but the words didn’t come out. I shut my mouth before I said something else I regretted.

She shook her head. “We can’t keep doing this, Ryan.”

“This what?”

“Walking on egg shells around each other. We’re only making ourselves more frustrated and angrier, and we’re putting stress on our friends. I already said this the other day. This is a small town, and I’ll be here for the next two months.”

I strode past her, toward my car. “And I’m gonna say what I told you the other day. It’s better if you stay away from me.”

When she spoke again, her voice was soft, as if she really cared. “What happened to you, Ryan? Tell me. I need to know.”

I whirled around and was surprised to see her only a couple of feet from me. “Why do you need to know?”