"So, prom. Me and you. We're going." Kyle whispered demandingly at my ear, one morning two weeks after the camping trip.

"Gee that's a very romantic way to ask a girl out to prom." I smacked his hand away from reaching my butt.

The position we were in was very compromising considering that he had me trapped behind the kitchen counter island.

He arched his eyebrow. "You want romance?" He asked, hiding his smirk.

"God, no." I grimaced. "Seriously I've had enough of it. Don't know why you persisted on being romantic with me for the past two weeks."

I was mocking him but internally I was elated. Kyle's version of romance these past two weeks was very typical. We had romantic dinner dates; in the kitchen, in his bedroom or restaurants. We had romantic picnics; outside on the roof terrace and in the dark, under the stars. Romantic strolls around the park, exclusively just us. Going out for movies and staying in for movies. All of these activities always ended up with us having hot explosive sex, the kind that left my whole body trembling. We've been virtually inseparable.

In a response to my comment, Kyle simply gathered my hands and pinned them behind me as he leaned to capture my lips with his.

"I still can't get enough of you." He admitted, nibbling my lower lip.

Just like that, my nerve endings spanned into attention.

Hiding how his kiss affected me, I decided to tease him. "Hmm, so what happens when you do get enough?"

"Never." He twisted his lips into a smirk as he shifted closer, invading more than just my personal space. I felt the unmistakable presence of his erection digging just under my belly.

I bit my lip, knowing how I became well acquainted with what was beneath his jeans for the past two weeks. Well, if you excluded those five days Mother Nature decided to pay her monthly visit.

The heat in his eyes intensified as he studied my lips. "You gotta stop doing that?"

"Doing what?" I feigned innocence.

He groaned, releasing my hands only to take my face by one hand while his other arm snaked across my waist. His fingers pulled my chin so that I released my lower lip.

He kissed me briefly, teasingly. I smiled against his lips. I knew exactly how to make him tick and biting my lips was one of those actions that did the trick.

He stopped abruptly; leaving me protesting as I reluctantly opened my eyes.

"You didn't answer my question?" His eyes were serious.

I was usually left disoriented after he kissed me so it took a while to understand what he was talking about. "Oh, prom."

"Yes, Prom. The major event of our senior year, happening precisely next week on Friday, and this event is usually followed by our graduation." He told me, informally.

"So will you go there with me?" He added.

I made a disgusted face. "I don't think I want to go to prom."

Kyle gave me a long meaningful look. "Keya the choice is not really up to you. You and I know that your mom will literally drag you there by herself if she has to."

I sighed, rolling my eyes inwardly. My mother has been talking about my prom nonstop as if she hadn't gone to hers before. Her level of excitement toward the event was overruled by how she had already got me the dress, shoes, jewellery—everything, just for it. I didn't even go dress shopping with her, she picked my dress for my prom all on her own. Not that I was complaining though. I was glad I was relieved from that stress. I trusted her judgement so I knew no matter what; I was going to look fabulous next week.

"So will you go? You know... with me?" Kyle gave me pleading look that I couldn't refuse.

"Do you really need to ask?"

"No. But I want to hear you say it." He grinned.

"Sheesh. Fine. I will go to prom with you!" I rolled my eyes. "Happy?"

He shook his head. "Not until you kiss me. Right here." He said, pointing to the corner of his lips.

"You're so exasperating!" I slapped his chest but smothered the impact by kissing the corner of his lips.

He pouted. "But you love it when I'm exasperating."

I did. I really did. He wasn't aware of how much he ruined my heart every day. I was too late to be in danger of falling in love with him. No, I had fallen long ago.

"You wish." I slapped him again and chose to look away in case he saw exactly how those mindless words he uttered affected me. He still thought I only loved him as best friend. He didn't know exactly how much of that has changed.

"Okay so the going has been sorted. Now, what about the how we are getting there?" He told me.

"Don't worry my mom has already gotten the limo covered." I told him.

He shook his head. "That's not what I meant."

I frowned.

"Sav and Ned, Keya. You know they have to come with us." He said testily.

I groaned. "You had to bring her up."

"Yes Key, I had to. She's your best friend." Kyle was worried as he stepped closer again, caressing my cheek with his thumb as he coaxed me to look at me.

I grimaced. "As far as I know, you're the only best friend I have." I told him.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Keya it's been two weeks. Haven't you punished her enough?"

"Punished her? She made it clear to me that she no longer wished to be my friend." I flailed my hand at the same time stepping away from him. I knew I was being immature but what she said to me really hurt. And what she did to Ryland was unforgivable, not that I cared much about his àss. As far as I knew they were better off with each other. I really don't know why Ned kept up with her. Didn't he know that after a while she will get bored and look for someone else to entertain her?

No one was surprised when Ryland and Sav ended things that day. Their drama had been an elephant in the room and Sav poorly executed the situation. That's why we returned to home soon the morning after. It wouldn't have been the same hanging out in that remote place with people clearly spouting hatred to another. Where was the fun in that?

Kyle followed my movements. "Look. I get you're mad at her but—"

I shook my head, cutting him off. "You don't get it, Kyle. I tried to help her like a friend should and she backlashed at me throwing my attempts at my face."

His concerned look marred his beautiful face. "You don't see it but she's suffering. All I'm saying is to try settle things with her." He suggested.

"If she still wants me as her friend, she knows what to do. I'm not going to be the one trying to fix something she broke. No, she has to apologize."

Kyle cocked his head to one side. "Keya I've known you for how long? More than eight years now and I know deep down that you act like you don't care when you do."

I frowned.

"I know this is eating at you too. Talk to her."

I was ready to shake my head but Kyle wasn't having any of it. "Just of think of how much relief you'll feel afterward."

"Please, Key? If you won't do it for yourself then at least do it for me?" He pouted, welding that sad puppy dog face I could not resist. "It won't be fun at prom if you guys aren't talking."

"Fine." I relented instantly. "Fine, I'll talk to her. But if she's btchy to me again, I'll be done with—"

He kissed me before I could finish my sentence.

"Good." He grinned.

"Hmm."

"Good." He repeated, leaning down to kiss the line of my jaw until he reached the base of my ear. At the same time, his hands reached under my thighs, grabbing and lifting me up to sit on the kitchen island.

I melted under him, my back hitting the cold granite marble. Kyle hovered on top of me, kissing my neck while his hands pulled the hem of my t-shirt until I was completely stripped bare.

He studied every inch of my body with his heated eyes while playing with the line of my jeans shorts, his fingers leaving a burning sensation as they brushed ever-so-lightly under abdomen.

"Kyle." I trashed, bringing him between my legs so that I could feel his insistent erection pressing right where I wanted.

In response, Kyle slowly glided his hands upwards until they moulded upon the swells of my breasts. I arched my back, pressing them even more unto his hands.

I didn't know how long Kyle watched me writhe under his hands but he seemed to enjoy it. He increased the torture when he rocked his hips with mine so that his unmistakable hardness rubbed me the right way.

"I can't take this." I groaned, my hands reaching to grab his t-shirt but ended up grabbing the air when Kyle moved away from me.

I hissed in protest, sitting up quickly to find him hiding his laughter by smirking.

I pouted. To be honest, I felt like crying. He's never teased me like this. Whenever he tried, he always lost control and we both ended up in heap on the ground, or bed, or couch—any surface basically.

Right now to be so turned on by someone who was only playing with my emotions, well it was overwhelming.

Since when did master his control?

"Why?" My voice was a mixture of deprivation and longing.

He ignored me as he continued backing away, his smirk now stretched into a full blown grin.

"If you want me, baby, just come and get me." He licked his lower lip and bit it for added measure.

It took a while to process what he said, since I was temporary dazed. However, when I snapped out of it, I jump out of the corner and lunged for him.

He had calculated my movements since he began running away to the other room but I chased after him, revenge being my motivation.

*******

"I don't see why you have to drag me here." I complained when Kyle pulled me inside the tailor shop.

Suits and Tuxedo dominated every corner and foreground of the place. As I was taking in my surroundings, Kyle stopped us and turned me around to face him.

"Because I want your opinion. I have to look good in your eyes too, not just mine. I don't want to pick something you'd hate." He told me this while his thumb brushed my lower lip.

I shivered involuntarily.

Earlier images of us making love began to surface but as quick as they came, I crushed them down before they could affect me.

I rolled my eyes at his words and shoved him away when he began leaning closer. We weren't alone anymore. We had an audience.

"You care too much." I whispered, just as we turned to face the gentleman who looked expectant towards us.

Kyle ignored my words as he shifted behind me, snaking his arms around me. He kissed the back of my ear before pressing his chin on top of my head.

"How may I help you guys?" The man was trying to mask his amusement.

"We a need something suitable for prom." Kyle told him as if pointing out the obvious.

"Of course. Right this way." As he led us to an isle he began telling us all about the materials and fabric all these kinds of suit and tuxedos were made of. We really didn't need to know the gory details and history of this place so in the end we dismissed the guy. We collected a few suits and tuxedos ourselves for Kyle to try on.

In the changing rooms, we stumbled upon Ned who looked at us as if he's been caught with his hands on a cookie jar.

"What are you guys doing here?" His tone sounded off and from that, I assumed he already knew Kyle was dragging me here.

I narrowed my eyes at both of them. Kyle shrugged as he went to change, leaving me with a nervous looking Ned who kept scratching the back of his neck.

I was about to say something about this fickle but then a bombing voice belonging to the one and only Savannah Biers interrupted me before I even spoke.

"Found another—" She stopped once she looked up and saw me with Ned. "Keya? What are you doing here?"

I expected her to be scowling and giving me dirty looks so it completely disarmed me when I found neither disgust nor hatred m in her tone or facial expression.

Instead of answering her inquiry, I just blinked at her.

"Y'know what, it doesn't matter. I'm glad you're here." She laughed like everything was normal, gave Ned the suit she was holding and pushed him into one of the changing stalls.

My look of alarm had intensified.

She rolled her eyes at my reaction, grabbed my arm and dragged me back into the interior, specifically behind an isle of clothing where it was private.

I waited until she let my arm go to fold my arms around my chest. My expression was wary.

"I owe you an apology."

Well, there goes my utter look of surprise. My jaw dropped and my eyes bulging in disbelief.

"Yeah-yeah. I know. Shocker." She rolled her eyes again at my expression. However, soon enough she was staring at me with a sorry face, the one she always used whenever she knew she let me down.

"Look. I'm really sorry about...y'know. I can go ahead and say I was in shock and that I wasn't myself but there was no excuse to act like a completely btch to you that day." She looked away and twisted her hands together.

My brows knitted together, my face hard. "Why has it taken you two weeks to apologise?" I asked.

"Because I was too proud to admit I was wrong?" She offered.

It was my turn to roll my eyes.

"Keya, please. I'm sorry. I was wrong, okay. It wasn't right what I did, to you and to Ryland—although, I don't regret what I did to Ryland but that's not the point. I just...I can't pretend anymore. I can't pretend I'm proud of what I did when I hurt you along the process. You did warn me that someone was going get hurt in the end. I didn't realise that the person I hurt the most was you. I'm so sorry, Key, I know I can be a total bïtch sometimes. I wonder why you put up with me..." She rambled through her speech, the gentility of it was proven when I saw her run the back of her hand through her eyes.

"Sav, are you crying?" I asked, shocked.

"No." She denied, her tone muffled by her emotions.

My chest ached when I saw her bright blue eyes brimmed with tears. My instant reaction was to reach out and pull her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around me, tightly.

"I'm so sorry." She mumbled upon my shoulder. This was another revelation, because the Sav I knew never and when I say never, I mean, never cried before.

I wanted to stay mad at her but I couldn't. To be honest I think I forgave her that day we left camp. I just couldn't nurse animosity towards anyone for a long time. It wasn't in my nature. Plus, it was tiring work that would end up hurting, not only the victim of your hatred but yourself as well.

When we pulled away, she wiped some of her tears falling in her cheek.

"Just promise me you won't do to Ned what you did to Ryland."

She nodded vigorously.

"I'm serious, Sav. Ned is not Ryland. You know him, he's more sensitive."

"I know. I don't why, but it's different with him, you know. I feel like I've been trying too hard with Ryland and others before. But because I know Ned its well...different." Her smile was small.

I gave her a tight smile as I nodded. "That's good, I guess."

Her smile increased. "It is."

Her smile was contagious and soon enough we were both grinning.

She knew I'd forgiven her and from that she started telling me all about it.

We linked arms as we went back to check up on the boys. She began bugging me about Kyle, coercing me to tell her everything. I guess some things never changed. She was still tenacious. Kyle was right, I felt more relieved now that we've mended, but this didn't stop me from putting her in arm's length.

.............