;to heal a wound you need to stop touching it

A party was the last place I wanted to be tonight - but since Maddox pulled his little stunt after class, Steph hasn't let up about it - annoying me into saying yes and actually going.

Currently me, Steph and Hannah are stuffed in the bathroom, all huddled around the sink that was sitting below the best mirror in the whole apartment - the artificial and natural light creating it to be the perfect mirror to do your make up in.

I was shoved in between the two girls, a sporting a towel only, Steph, and a bra and barely there shorts, covered, Hannah - me in a pair of panties and a tank top.

"Do you think if me and Eli had kids, they'd have an English accent too?" Hannah asked, applying an unholy amount of pink lip gloss.

"Not unless you moved to England and let them grow up there." I pointed out, stopping to talk before returning to applying my mascara.

Steph laughed. "She should of been the blonde."

I chuckled while Hannah gasped freighting offence.

Hannah has been none stop talking about my brother since the other night.

Highly annoying but I'm also secretly and silently rooting for them.

If anyone would be able to keep my brother grounded and on the straight, it'd be her; high GPA, motivated, confident, straight talking but also very humble.

Maybe I can play matchmaker for the night?

Then again, maybe not - I really don't wanna be the reason my brother and roommate hook up.

That's just weird. And I honestly like having her as a friend, my brother will scare the poor soul outta Miami.

Finishing up our make up and hair, we all tumbled in our own bedrooms, ready for outfits.

I was warned not to wear sweats or jeans or I'd wake up bald - not wanting to chance it, I decided to go with a black wrapped skirt, and black biker top that showed enough stomach to be considered modest and kept the girls firmly in place, pulling my necklace out to hang down my chest, I patted it while looking at my finished look in the body length mirror hanging on the back of my door.

My anxiety of going into the lions den had me texting Eli to please make sure he has my back and keep Mason away from me - if Jack hadn't already created the uptight man-hater I am today - Mason certainly did with they way he forced himself on me - exactly one of the reasons I wanted so badly to stay away from Maddox.

I couldn't trust myself around him and I didn't want to break my one rule about no more jocks.

I couldn't.

Me and the girls loaded into my car smelling like a whores handbag and dressed to kill, I pulled out the lot and made my way to the house full of ballers and skanks.

Yay for me.

I parked outside the house - luckily there was a spot - and killed the engine.

Hannah and Steph had already jumped out the car and slamming the door - Steph knocking on my window and yelling for me to hurry up.

I took in a deep breath, removing my keys from the ignition and sliding out my comfort zone.

Steph wrapped her arm around my waist and pulled me into the garden where topless girls are sat on a bench with their feet in a blue blow up pool, red solo cups to hand and frat guys fawning all over them.

We each earned a few wolf whistles, lustful glances and cocky remarks about bedding us.

Idiots. Only in their wildest dreams.

Stepping inside, the music was incredibly loud - vibrations felt under my heels as soon as I entered.

Sweaty, drunken bodies filled any and every free space with dancing horrors or couples wrapped in each others arms playing tonsil tennis like their lives depended on it.

Steph grabbed onto my hand and pulled me through the swarm of people and towards the kitchen where ping pong and foosball tables were set up side by side.

The kitchen counter holding an ungodly amount of alcohol, from beer to spirts, to whiskey and alcohol pops.

Steph snagged two fresh solos and poured some random concoction together and handed it to me, licking the drops of spilled drink from her thumb.

"Drink, it's good." She ushered the drink towards my lips.

I swallowed back the pink looking drink and was stunned when I didn't instantly want to throw it back up.

"Nice, right?" Steph says shooting me a pleased smile. I nod. "Good, I expect to see sloppy Tori tonight, so keep drinking!"

I giggled, necking back the rest of my drink and getting Steph to make me another when I felt a strong arm wrap over my shoulders and pull me close to them.

I look up to see Jason Cooper. The literal blond ray of sunshine.

"There's the only person I actually wanted to come tonight!" He beamed, bright smile on his face and blonde hair slightly damp from the stuffiness this house held.

"Hey, Jace."

He tilted his head towards me, a silent gesture for me to place a kiss on his cheek.

I playfully rolled my eyes with a smile and pressed a peck on his left cheek.

"I'm glad you came, babe. I've been keeping an eye out for you all night." He yelled over the loud music.

Me and Jason started talking in social studies and instantly got along - he was like a big sister in male form.

We spent the whole lesson laughing, joking and bouncing off one another.

At first I was uncomfortable with his terms of endearment but after a little bit of time I got used to it and suddenly I didn't even hear them anymore. It was just Jason being Jason.

He was like a ball of softness that'd dropped from a fluffy cloud.

After a little while talking with Jason, Steph, Hannah, Eli and Miles - a ear screeching whistle echoes through the already chaotic room.

Everyone of us look up to see Maddox glaring over from the pong game he was involved in, waving and mouthing Jason to go over.

"I'll be right back, hot stuff." he whispers in my ear with a cheeky little wink before pushing himself through the crowd and over to where Maddox is standing who hovers above everyone else because of his gigantic size.

"So, Tori - or Bella - as my boy likes to call you," he winks. "tell me about yourself." Miles smiles, bringing his beer bottle to his lips.

"Depends on what you wanna know, M." I replied giving him a impish smile before mimicking his actions.

"Everything and anything, boo. Lets start with if you're single." he suggested, forest green eyes twinkled with mischief.

I snort while shaking my head. "I think the answer to that is very clear, don't you?" I raised a brow.

"I don't know, is it?" he challenges.

"Well, have you seen me with anyone?"

"No?" he shrugs, his tone expecting more of an answer.

"There's your answer then big boy." I smiled innocently.

We continued talking for a while when suddenly I felt a body behind me.

Looking over my left shoulder, I see Maddox standing incredibly close - too close - close enough for me to smell his designer aftershave and the alcohol on his breath.

I should of been repulsed, I should of been so freaking repulsed, but unfortunately, I wasn't.

He lowered his head slightly, almost resting his chin on my shoulder sending a chill down my arms. His warm breath tickled the side of my neck as he brought his lips to my ear. "Dance with me." he whispered.

I tipped my head back until it reached his broad chest. "I'm good here."

He pushed the front of his body into the back of mine, nudging me forward. "I wasn't asking."

Still behind me, Maddox linked his hand with mine then swung our arms over my head so they were dangling off my shoulder, pushing me through to the living room, stopping in the middle, surrounded by a sea of drunk college students.

He starts this little kidnapping by throwing my arms around his neck and even though I wanted to move away from him, I couldn't seem to do it.

Was it the alcohol or the pull I felt towards him?

I don't know but I mean, what's the harm one dance could do?

Interlocking his long, thick fingers and resting them on the small of my back, inching me closer towards him.

My head barely reaches his chest so I have to crane my neck to meet his eyes - eyes that were already blazing into me with a blank expression on his face.

The dark chocolate swirls almost stopping my breathing.

"Any particular reason as to why you kidnapped me?" I solemnly asked.

"I could tell you, but that would be a dumb move on my part."

"I didn't expect anything else." I replied sweetly.

His fingers began to drag lazy patterns across the bottom of my spine, I had to suck in a breath in hopes that he couldn't tell how badly he was affecting me right now.

"Ouch, a hit right to the soul, Bella." His chocolate orbs dancing with playfulness as a cheeky smile appeared on those beautiful full lips of his.

"Considering you actually have one." I quipped back.

"And again. That one went through my heart."

"You're heart is stone. It would've bounce right off, drama queen."

"Okay, now you're just showing off, princess. "

"Or maybe your presence just brings out the bitch in me."

"Maybe." he mused. "I prefer my reason though."

"Of course you do." I rolled my eyes which gets a low chuckle from Maddox.

"So, Quinn, tell me, are you going to continue acting like you don't know me, or do you need reminding?" The words slipping from his mouth like the finest silk.

"Depends, what does the reminder entail?"

"Smooth. Okay, I'll give you that, I'm just not sure you're going to approve of the answer so instead why don't I offer to stop hitting on you and be friends instead."

"What if I don't want to be friends?" I point out. "What if I want to continue pretending I don't know you?"

He leans in, bending down so his brown eyes level with mine, but still, his hands remain locked and wrapped around my waist. "I don't think I can allow that to happen."

"Is that so?"

"That's so." he states in a matter of fact tone.

Cocky ass.