more exposed than I already was.

I blink my eyes and adjust my dress as far down over my legs

as it will go, and then I hop off the counter. I run my hands

through my hair, trying to fix it in place, and I struggle not to cry from the stabbing sensation in my heart.

Seth arches his eyebrows at me. “See, dresses aren’t so bad.”

I press my lips together, because it’s not funny, and yet it is.

“I guess not.” My mouth sinks to a frown. It aches in every part of

my body. All I want is to be with him in a stress-free situation

where we can enjoy one another, be real, be us.

His shoulders move up as he lets out a low laugh and then

extends his hand out to me. “Come on, baby girl.” He touches my

bottom lip that’s pouting out. “Don’t let the man get you down.

Let’s go have some fun.”

I nod and follow him into the kitchen area and we stop

beside the small wicker table. Seth’s carrying the bottle of Jack in

his hand and he swings his arm around toward me, offering it to

me. “Here, this will relax you.”

I glance around at Luke and Kayden waiting by the screen

door, and then back at Seth. “That’s okay. Someone needs to

drive.”

Luke shakes his head, smiling as he rubs his hand across his

cropped brown hair. He has a loose-fitted red shirt on and a pair of

worn jeans. “I’m having a weird sense of déjà vu, because I’m

pretty sure you said the same thing that night we went to the

club.”

“I did,” I admit, flipping my hair off my shoulders. I don’t

know if it’s the night’s heat or the kiss, but I’m suddenly very hot.

“But what are we going to do? Take a cab everywhere?”

Luke nods as he picks up his phone and rises from the chair.

“Already taken care of. One should be here in, like, five.”

Seth wiggles the bottle in front of my face and the liquid

inside splashes against the glass. “Come one, relax.” He leans in,

lowering his voice. “You need to relax, Callie. You’ve been so

stressed out lately.”

He’s right. I have been stressed and I want to relax—to

forget for just a second about the unbearable weight on my

shoulders. I grab the bottle from him and without any preparation

put the glass to my lips and tip back my head, gulping way too big

of a swallow. My gag reflexes instantly kick in and I drop the bottle as I clutch at my chest.

Kayden’s arm dashes forward and he catches the bottle

before it hits the floor. “Holy shit,” he says and then steps up

beside me to pat my back. “Take it easy.”

I cough and fight the urge to vomit. I’m not a big drinker and

I usually take it in small doses. “I went a little overboard,” I say

between coughs, with my hand pressed against my chest.

He smoothes my hair back with his hand and his palm lingers

on my cheek. He keeps touching me, yet he acts like he shouldn’t.

I’m confused and choking and I just want to be free again. “Callie,

you don’t need to drink if you don’t want to.” He says it so quietly

only I can hear him.

I stand back up and straighten my shoulders. “I know. And

that goes for you too.”

He eyes me over and then his throat muscles work as he

swallows hard. “Here.” He hands the bottle to Seth and hurries

toward the door, pushing it open. He steps outside and the door

slams shut, leaving the three of us lost and confused. I don’t know

what to do or if I should follow him. I have no idea what he needs.

Suddenly, I realize I don’t know much about him at all.

Kayden

She thinks I’m mad at her, but I’m not. I’m mad at myself. For

coming here. For kissing her. For touching her the way that I have.

She deserves better. I’m not even strong or good enough to stay

away from her.

I strategically make Luke and me sit in the front of the cab so

Seth and Callie have to sit in the back. That way I can cool down

and stop thinking about her in that damn dress. All I want to do is

take her back to the house, rip it off, and make love to her again.

But I need to stop thinking about that. And I need to stop drinking

because it brings out the feelings I’m trying to keep locked away

inside my steel heart.

Luke and Seth keep passing the bottle of Jack back and forth

and taking shots with their heads tucked low so the cab driver, a

younger man with long hair and a goatee, won’t see. Seth offers it

to Callie a few times, but she shakes her head and declines each

offer. She hasn’t looked at me since we left the house and she

keeps fiddling with the straps on her dress as she stares out the

window. The sky is dark and the Christmas lights light up the street

and glow into the cab and in her eyes. Her eyes look sadder than

they did when I first met her, if that’s even possible.

There’s some sappy song playing on the stereo. Some guy’s

singing about love and I find myself wanting to stab my eardrums

or at least make a few cuts to my skin. I don’t want to think about

love or what it means to me. I don’t want to think about anything.

I’m about to ask Luke to pass me the bottle when the cab

pulls up in front of a tall brick building wedged between similar

buildings. There’s a crowd lined up in front of it and the music

playing from inside can be heard all the way to the curb.

Luke takes some money out of his wallet, hands it to the cab

driver, and then glides the door open. “You guys are paying for the

drinks.” He hops out and I shake my head as Seth slides over and

climbs out.

I wait for Callie, but she doesn’t move. When I finally dare to

glance over my shoulder at her, I find that she’s watching me. I rest my arm on the back of the seat and twist my stomach so I can turn

to face her.

“Is everything okay?” I ask her.

She brings her bottom lip into her mouth and shakes her

head. “No.”

I fight the urge to touch her. “What’s wrong?”

She releases her lip and slides to the edge of the seat. “I

don’t know who you are.”

My jaw nearly drops to the ground. “What?”

She lets out a shaky breath as she swings her feet out of the

cab. “I don’t know who you are. Not really, and it hurts.” She

doesn’t say anything more as she climbs out, pulling at the bottom

of her dress, and joins Seth and Luke on the curb.

I don’t know how to feel about what she said. I’ve told her

more than anyone else. But really, when I think about it, I’ve told

everyone else nothing and her the bare minimum. My boots scuff

against the gravel on the road as I slam the door. The cab drives

off, tires skidding, and I’m left standing on the curb.