I skipped down the stairs to meet him. He was gorgeous standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me with a bouquet of flowers. In it were two Birds of Paradise.

“This is for you.” He smiled and handed me the flowers.

“Birds of Paradise.” I fingered the flowers. “You remembered.” I looked at him and smiled wide.

It’d been weeks ago that we’d walked through the shops downtown. We passed a flower shop with a display of Birds of Paradise in the window. I’d never seen them before, and I told Jaden how beautiful I thought they were. How unique—their odd shape that really did resemble a bird at certain angles.

“Of course I remembered. I remember everything you say, Willow.” He brushed a lock of hair from my face.

I glanced at him through my lashes and smiled.

“Here.” My mom took the flowers. “Let me put these in a vase so you two can get going.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Jaden and I started out of the door. “So, where are we going?”

He threaded his fingers with mine as we walked to his car. “Well, Jamieson is having a party, but I know you aren’t really into those, so I thought we’d see a movie instead.”

I smiled up him and emotions filled me—so many I couldn’t identify them all.

That was the night I fell for Jaden. I thought he was the most perfect boyfriend on this planet, or any other. Not many guys would give up a party with his football teammates for a girl. Just my guy.

I couldn’t believe how lucky I was.

Jaden squealed out of the parking lot, breaking through my memories and thrusting me back to the present. He cut off another car. The driver honked, and Jaden flipped him off. I held on to the dashboard as he sped down the road, swerving in and out of traffic, driving at least twenty miles over the speed limit.

“How much have you had to drink?” I asked, gripping the center console so tightly that my fingers turned white.

“Not enough.”

“So you’ve already been to Jamieson’s party.” He didn’t answer me. “So it’s okay for you to go to a party by yourself, but I can’t go to a stupid school dance? Who were you hooking up with? Sarah?”

“Jealous, baby?” He smirked.

I rolled my eyes. “Disgusted.”

Jaden pulled up to Jamieson’s house. Cars were parked along both sides of the road. Jaden pulled into the driveway and took a sharp right into the front yard. He wouldn’t park his precious car near anyone else. Someone might touch it.

He threw the car in park and got out, not waiting to see if I’d follow.

The party was in full swing. Music blared, and people danced on the front lawn, laughing and acting like a bunch of drunken fools. One girl, I didn’t know her name but I’d seen her around school, was on her boyfriend’s shoulders, her tank top wrapped around her stomach. Her boobs on display for anyone who cared to take a peek. And Jaden did.

Closing my eyes, I turned my face away. Tears pushed the back of my eyes, demanding to be let free. I squeezed my eyes tighter.

“She’s pretty.” I watched the tall blonde walk across the room. She’d been crowned a member of the homecoming court during halftime at the game. “Her.” I nodded my head in her direction.

Jaden gave her a quick glance and shrugged a shoulder. “She’s okay. I think you’re beautiful.” He kissed the side of my neck up to my ear. “You’re the only girl I have eyes for.”

Jaden elbowed me to get my attention. “Get me something to drink, Wills,” he said, dropping down on the porch steps next to one of his friends from the football team. They bumped fists and ogled the Vegas-showgirl-wanna-be.

Well, he certainly has eyes for other girls now… at least their boobs. Crap. I hate these parties.

“Don’t call me that.” I hated Jaden’s nickname for me. He knew it, and I was certain that was why he used it.

I pushed my way into the house and through the crowd of people to the kitchen, where the kegs and a variety of other liquor were laid out. I grabbed a Coke from the fridge and a beer for Jaden. When I shoved my way back through the crowd to the porch, I saw Sarah in her tight mini skirt and clingy, white T-shirt—barely long enough to cover her boobs—sitting next to Jaden. She had one arm wrapped around his waist, her finger hooked in a belt loop on his jeans, while the fingers on her other hand twisted a lock of his blond hair around them. I took a deep breath and sighed before walking to them.

Skank. And Jaden isn’t much better. And I have to sit around and watch. There’s nothing I can do about it, and Jaden knows it.

There were always girls throwing themselves at Jaden, and I was positive he’d caught a few. There were plenty of rumors about him hooking up with some girl or another at a party.

Our relationship had run its course months ago. I tried to break things off with him more than once, but he wouldn’t leave me alone. He’d show up at my classes and follow me, making sure no guy came near me. I was off-limits whether we were dating or not.

Then, one Monday morning, he handed me an envelope just before my first period. Inside was a newspaper clipping and a note that simply read: ‘I know and I’ll tell.’ I knew I was screwed. I was his bitch. Do what he wanted, say what he wanted, go where he wanted, and make sure the world revolved around Jaden—or he’d tell what she did. So breaking up with him wasn’t an option. I was stuck.

But it wasn’t all bad. After all, what girl didn’t want to date the captain of the football team and the most popular, not to mention gorgeous, guy in school? Me, that’s who.

I’d been at Jamieson’s party for two hours watching Sarah throw herself at Jaden. She didn’t seem to care that I was there. Of course, she was so drunk she probably didn’t know her own name. Jaden drank beer after beer and was almost as drunk as Sarah was. I sat by, sipped my Coke, and watched them.

I didn’t drink alcohol. Well, I should say that I didn’t drink anymore. I had my fair share of hangovers after Jamieson’s parties, but I didn’t like losing control. My inhibitions flew out the window when I was drunk. I lost control and it wasn’t a cool. Plus, my mom drank a little too much and I had a stepdad before my mom married Ralph—my current stepdad—that drank way too much. Ralph did his share of guzzling, too. I saw—lived—with what booze did to them. No thank you. Not for me. Call me a prude, or whatever else you wanted to, but I was sticking with Coke. Just Coke.

“Me and Sarah are going to find somewhere quiet to talk,” Jaden whispered in my ear. His breath reeked of booze, and I turned my face away.

Yeah, talk. That’s what you’ll be doing. Sure.

“Come with us.” He pulled me up by the arm.

“Nope.” I pushed his hand away and sat down on the porch step.

“Come on, Willow. It’ll be fun. I promise.”

Um, I’m not into that.

“Go do whatever it is you’re gonna do, Jaden. I’m not going with you.”

“He’s gonna do Sarah,” Jamieson slurred, leaning so close to my face I could smell the stench of liquor and cigarettes clinging to him.

Everyone around us laughed. I walked away and wandered aimlessly around the huge yard, looking at the flowering bushes and flower garden surrounding a gazebo in the far back corner of the yard. It was beautiful and I made way toward it, admiring each new type of flower as I passed. The gazebo was wood, painted white. There was an intricate design in the railing and the eaves. The roof was rounded before it came to a point at the top. It looked like part of the Kremlin in Russia.

Preoccupied with the beautiful gazebo and the flower garden, I didn’t pay attention to who might be inside and almost walked in on two people who most definitely did not want my company. The term “get a room” took on a whole new meaning. It seemed “get a gazebo” worked well, too.