To say I was disappointed was an understatement. I was devastated.

The soon as my lips locked with his, I had expected the earlier waves fire that had burned their way through my body when Kyle had cornered me. Instead, that fire fused down to a simmering flame that barely touched me when I kissed James.

He was the one to break the kiss because I took him by surprise.

"Keya?" He said his tone a mixture of worry, confusion and excitement.

"Shh." I pressed my fingers on his lips. "I had to do that."

"You're so full of surprises." He grinned dreamily as he leaned down to capture me in another kiss. I stopped it quickly before it escalated into something more, something more like feeling his tongue in my mouth. I didn't want that. I told myself at least not yet anyway.

Because my back was starting to ache from all the burning holes emitting from Kyle's glare, I had to turn around to look at him.

I gave him an I-dare-you-to-do-something look, but he just narrowed his eyes at me, both his jaw and hands clenching. He closed his eyes as he breathed in deeply and by the time he breathed out and opened his eyes, he disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.

I could have felt smug if it wasn't for the guilt that was sipping its way inside me.

Damn you Kyle! I thought. Why the hell am I feeling guilty for?

James tugged me back to his attention and I basked in his grinning face, it slowly appeased the guilt. But, the fact that I could still feel it meant that I was still slightly sober.

So what's a better way to block out your sorrows than to drink? That's what I had done for the hours of partying that followed. I danced with James and then we drank. We talked, we laughed and we drank some more until I just couldn't remember anything.

Whatever guilt I felt had long seized. It completely wiped its way out of my system when I saw Kyle in the midst of the crowd on the sofa talking with someone whose face I recognised belonged to Mandy Braxton. He was grinning from ear to ear and she was smiling too, leaning towards him in the process.

For a long moment as I watched the two of them looking at each other that way, a slow but tearing jealousy hit my system, completely knocking me off course. Because I was also drunk, this meant that I couldn't walk away from the scene without staggering and bumping into people.

I don't know how I ended up in James's arms, but I did.

"There you are, you...you keep slipping away from me." He slurred his words, a result from his drunken state.

"My knight in shining silver armour!" I threw myself at him.

"If there's anything that's shinning and silver, it's your gorgeous eyes!"

I swooned because I was not myself and because the song that was playing was so overwhelming we found ourselves slow-dancing to it.

"C'mon...let's go somewhere q-quiet!" He moved away from the living room, dragging me to one of the bedrooms.

This is it. I thought drunkenly to myself. I am finally going to lose my virginity!

As he barged to one of the rooms, the occupants in it were making sexual mournful noises. The noises stopped as soon as they heard the door banging open.

"Dude, get the fúck out!" A male voice boomed.

"Who is it?" My slowly processing brain recognised that voice, it was Sav's voice.

My jaw dropped to the floor as realisation of what they were doing dawned. James was quick to act as he pulled me away, apologising to the couple before he shut their door. We staggered to the next room and found it unoccupied.

I giggled when James pulled me to a kiss and began the notion of groping me in places that I had never been groped before.

I knew that this was unsettling, even my drunk brain somehow finally managed to realise that although my body was sexually frustrated. It didn't want this at the moment.

It was too late to back out. James was already pushing me to the bed, pulling his t-shirt off at the same time. For a moment, I worried that he was going to be rough on me, thinking I was already deflowered.

I anticipated his body about to lie next to me when suddenly he grunted. In the dark, I could see blurring figures and someone pulling James.

"Back off!" James shouted.

I sat up and staggered out of the bed to face the figures.

"It's me, Kyle." A voice spoke. Not just a voice but one that belonged to my best friend Kyle.

My slow processing brain recalled that we weren't in speaking terms due to our earlier argument regarding my virginity.

"Dude, what the fruck ... you chose a wrong time. I'm kind of bus—"

"You can't sleep with this girl, James." Kyle spoke.

"Why not?"

This was followed by a whisper.

"What?"

Kyle whispered again.

"She's a ...virgin?" James suddenly burst out, his tone laced with shock and incredulity.

"Seriously. And you know how virgins are. They become very clingy and you don't want that, do you?"

"I...guess not."

I was sick to my stomach, literally. I felt bile rising up in my throat and I tried to swallow my impending gag.

The figures moved towards the bed and I saw the blurred vision of Kyle putting James back to bed.

"Just sleep, buddy, I'll take care of everything." He told James as he draped a blanket over him.

"Thanks man, y-you're the best!" James made a drunken yawning noise.

Kyle turned to me and I staggered back, away from him. He was quick because in two strides he was before me. Without words spoken, he simply grabbed me by my arm and began pulling me away from the bedroom.

"W-what are you... doing?" I slurred as I staggered with him out of the apartment.

"Taking you home." He said.

I shook my head vigorously. "N-no, no you can't. I'm...I'm staying over at Savs."

"Then where is she?" He asked rhetorically.

I fumed silently. "You can't...you can't take me home. Teddy can't see me like this....he'll... he'll murder me."

The boy that was hauling me to his car seemed pissed off. I could tell by his constant clenching and unclenching of his jaw that he was angry at something.

"Maybe it's for the best, Keya, cos I really don't know what do with you right now." He muttered.

I don't know how he managed my to put my fumbling body to the passenger's seat with a seat belt safely strapped on too, but he did. I laughed through it all.

Kyle went over to the driver's seat and fumbled with the keys as he began the car and drove away.

The movement of the car wasn't agreeing with my head and stomach and I groaned as I felt bile rising up again.

"I think I'm gonna—" I didn't get to finish my warning before I spewed all my stomach's contents down the passenger seat.

"Frucking hell!" I heard Kyle's bellow and I groaned at his shouting. He swerved to park at the side road. He got out banging the car door.

In minutes he was by my side, unbuckling my seat belt and helped me out of the car. He was holding my hair back from my face, tenderly caressing my back as he encouraged me to finish throwing up.

When I was done Kyle gentle sat me on the ground away from my sickness. He took off his jacket and draped it on my shivering body, and then he went back to the car where he brought a bottle of water. He helped me drink it, but, because there was still alcohol in my body it meant that I was still intoxicated, so I spluttered the water from my mouth as I laughed, for some reason finding the situation a lot funny.

Kyle's patience never waned but he constantly released curses now and then at my lack of cooperation. When he was done with me, he went over to take the mat under the seat where all my vomit was oozing from. Groaning out a curse, he used the remaining water to drain out all of my vomit.

The smell was still strong but it seemed like he was prepared because he went over to the boot of the car to discard the infected mat. From there, he brought out some fabric freshener in which he used to drown the penetrating stench of vomit in his car.

He helped me back to the passenger seat and I giggled when he touched me in my hips as he buckled my seat-belt.

When that ordeal was over, Kyle simply drove silently away. With a lot of mood changes from me, he managed to get us to his place safe and soundly. I don't know how he managed it, but we made our way to his room instantly.

It was then and there that my anger flared up again from his earlier actions.

"Don't touch me!" I pushed him away when he pulled his jacket from my body and tried to take my shoes off.

"You know what? Fine, do it your own way. I'm done!" His patience had ran out and my anger was increasing by each minute, especially when I tried and failed to get the straps of my heels off.

When he saw that I was struggling he seemed to have taken his words back because he was by my side instantly, helping me get my shoes off.

"I don't like you right now." I grunted when he got the last shoe off.

He remained unresponsive.

"You're such an ass! Why did you say that! I was having a moment with James. You just had to go on and ruin it!" I ranted.

He went over to one of his drawers and took a fresh t-shirt and sweatpants.

"You'll thank me later." He muttered as he walked over to me.

I watched him with shrewd eyes. "You'll thank me later." I mocked him, immaturely snorting to myself.

"You're such an áss!" I told him.

I watched him try to put my legs through the two holes of the sweatpants.

"And you love me for it." He muttered again.

I snorted."You wish."

"You're moody when you're drunk." He only commented.

"You're moody when you're drunk." I mocked again and laughed to myself when I got his tone right.

He pulled me up roughly and I could tell he was annoyed. He pulled the sweats from my legs up too to cover my bottom half. The dress I was wearing was pushed upwards to my midriff in the process.

I was gasping evidently because he was intimately touching me my waist as he tied a knot to adjust the sweatpants so that they will fit me properly. Because I was still drunk, his touch had a huge alarming affect on my body.

"Are you wearing a bra?" He asked me suddenly as he released his hands from my body and took the t-shirt.

It took a lot more to process his words, so the end result was me just staring lamely at him.

"I'll take that as a no." He breathed. He draped the t-shirt on me, head first and took my hands into the holes, dressing me as if I were a child.

Maybe I did seem like a child by the way I was acting because of my drunken state, however, I couldn't care less if I was being immature.

"You have a nerve!" I exclaimed exasperatedly but it was more from of the affect of feeling his hands brush under the skin of my armpits and sides as he slowly slid my dress downwards exposing me. But the t-shirt I already wore kept me from exposing my chest from the full view of his penetrating eyes.

I felt his thumb brush past the side of my breasts and I stopped breathing. I think he did too because his hands remained in that position for longer than necessary. We both stared at each other as if seizing each other's actions.

My alcohol infected brain was encouraging me to make a movement that would make him move his hands into fully cupping my breasts, but, as if he knew what I was thinking Kyle closed his eyes, took a deep breath and pulled my dress downwards from waist to hips, to thighs and legs and eventually off my body.

He moved away instantly as he folded my dress and placed it somewhere in his chair.

"Why didn't you just touch me?" I asked him.

He whipped around to face me, his lust-filled eyes searing mines.

"You don't know what you're talking about." He said as he moved over to the bed and pulled the covers. "Get into bed."

"No, not unless you're coming in with me." I said in what I thought was my seductive voice.

It seemed that my anger had long fled and was replaced with this want—no, need—to have sex, that I was now making irresponsible actions. Gosh, I was turning into Sav.

"You told me the other time...that if we weren't friends...you'd sleep with me, so why not just pretend we are not friends now?" I asked, slowly moving towards him.

"Keya, you're drunk. Get into bed." He ordered, carefully blocking my attempts to touch him as he swiftly and forcibly pushed me downwards to the awaiting bed.

I groaned out of frustration, but the minute my head hit the pillow, his scent emanated from his sheets. I breathed in deeply and it felt as if I was being lulled to sleep. My eyes closed involuntarily and I found myself being pulled to sleep.

I felt hands brushing my hair out of my face, followed by soft lips pressing against my forehead, burning the skin there. Before I completely fell into slumber, his soft voice wished me goodnight. After that, I slept in what was the most comfortable dreamless sleep.

•*•*•

A shrilling noise wrought me awake, instantly setting my head into a pounding throb that blurred my vision when I tried to blink at the light scorching my vision.

"Ughn!" I groaned croakily, because of my dry throat.

I blinked fervently until I could slightly make out my surroundings but my head was still aching. I was in a bedroom, but not just any bedroom. The familiar stale whitish cream and poster-free walls where enough for me realise that I was in Kyle's room.

And where was the resident of this bedroom, I had no idea because it seemed that I was the only person that had slept in this bed. As I shifted, the movement was enough to make my head ache even more. I let out another pain-filled groan.

I was having the mother of all hangovers.

Rubbing my eyes to clear them, I pulled myself up into a sitting position, just in time to hear a soft knock rapping against the door. This was followed by Kyle entering his den. In his hands, he held a tray that contained what looked like breakfast and a glass of orange juice.

He seemed wary as he approached me, but that might have been the scowl that impaired my features since my headache was getting worse by each minute.

"Morning." He said softly, but it felt like he had shouted.

I groaned, rubbing the spot in my temple where it was aching the most. As if by soothing it, would lessen its pounding.

"Hangover?" He was trying to hide his amusement as he placed the tray in front of me in the bed.

"The worse. How much did I drink last night?"

"Enough to make an elephant dance." He twisted his lips to hide his smile.

I scowled at him but I wasn't intending to seem menacing, it was just that I couldn't for a moment longer bear this pain.

"Don't worry; I have something to fix your headache. Here," He said as he handed me pain killers and the glass of orange juice. I greedily grabbed the contents from him. I swallowed the pain killers and drained the oranges juice instantly.

The effect was immediate as my pounding lessened to a steady beat.

"Now you need something oily, I think this bacon, sausages and eggs sandwich shall do nicely." He said, indicating to the sandwiched breakfast in front of me. I hesitantly took it in my mouth. However, the instant I bit into, the sandwich tasted so good I had to gobble some more bites.

Kyle just stared at me as if I was entertainment, "Good?"

I nodded eagerly at him. I stopped instantly, wincing when that motion sent waves of pain in my head. "Really, good."

He flopped on the bed next to me, folding his arms behind his head and watched me eat.

"Aren't you having any?" I asked through a mouthful.

"Already ate." He replied.

"Oh." I shrugged and then chewed my last bite.

"Is...he home?" I asked hesitantly, staring expectantly at him.

"The last time I checked, his room hasn't been occupied since two days ago." He shrugged.

I frowned. Although, it was usual behaviour for Kyle's father to disappear without any explanation. It was still odd. But I knew Kyle had stopped caring about his whereabouts long ago.

I swallowed my last bite and Kyle was still staring at me, his expression impassive.

"So how did I get here last night, I mean, I was meant to sleep over at Sav's, but I don't remember how the night went out."

"You don't remember anything?" He asked me, incredulity printed in his face.

I lacked any expression except from my confused frown as I shook my head.

"Anything at all?"

"No."

"Really? So you're saying you don't remember kissing James and throwing yourself all over him." His eyebrows were quirking up in a grim line.

Brief flashes of scenes similar to what he had just presented made their way to my cognitive vision. I remembered Kyle and I having a brief argument over giving myself to James and then after that I drank three shots and kissed James just to rub into Kyle's face that it was my decision to make.

"I remember kissing him. But not throwing myself all over him?" I said.

"Oh really? Explain to me exactly how of much of last night you remember." He sat up from the bed leaning his body on the headboard as he folded his arms across his chest. His eyes were filled with curiosity.

I sort of didn't want talk about it, it meant that I would rehash that argument, but I wanted to prove it to him that I didn't throw myself at him. Just that I simply took the initiative.

"Well I remember our argument and then drinking vodka and kissing James. After that...nada." I told him.

He shook his head and smiled. "You did more than just kiss him."

"What?"

He had that tables-have-turned kind of smile as he said, "What? You don't remember almost having sex with him?"

"WHAT?" I bellowed. I was trying to remember that part of the night but my memory was redundant. I didn't remember a snitch of anything.

"It was kind of embarrassing to watch, the way you were throwing yourself at him. I had to intervene before you did something I knew you were going to regret." He had a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Wait, you intervened?"

"You don't remember do you?" It seemed like he was finally accepting the truth of my words.

"I stopped both of you. I took you here, though it took a lot of effort. You couldn't stop moaning and laughing. It was like there were two sides of you." He frowned at the memory.

I cringed as I tried remembering that part of the night, but nothing seemed to recall itself.

"You puked in my car." He said.

"Oh god!" I hid my face in my hands, imagining that vile image. "I'm so sorry! How is your car?"

"It was only in the mat, I managed to clean it, but you owe me a car wash."

"Sure. Is there anything else embarrassing that I did last night?" I asked him, taking the courage to stare at him.

He only looked at me for long moment as if contemplating something, but at the same time he was studying me. I felt like cowering away from his inspection into the blankets, but I managed to hold my steady gaze.

"No, that's all." He said.

I breathed a sigh of relief because I felt pretty certain that I must have done or said something to him to make him stare at me that long.

After a while of assessing all that he told me, I finally realised that I was still a virgin.

"So I didn't do it with him?" I asked, I felt more relieved from the fact, considering I was set on doing it last night.