Tonight, at Swift Rock Pub, there's no band playing. Which sucks because I was looking forward to some good old country or an indie band to fill up the pub with music. Instead, it's karaoke night. Some cover songs have been great, while others have made me want to claw my ears out.

The pub is packed, and the booth the four of us are sitting at is small enough that our legs are cramped beneath the sticky tabletop. Easton sits across from me, a beer in hand. Julia sits next to him with some fruity drink. Nova is beside me, a tall glass of water in front of her. Right now, she's picking at the calamari we decided to order as an appetizer.

"You don't drink, Nova?" Easton asks, gesturing to her water.

If East meant those words as an accusation or a jab, they don't get to Nova – she shrugs and goes into great detail about how stupid and unhealthy it is to consume copious amounts of alcohol. Halfway through her spiel, East shoots me a desperate look. I simply shrug. What was he expecting from Nova? He doesn't know her as well as I do, but he should have been smart enough to realize the consequences of bringing up a debatable topic.

As their conversation goes on, I have to grin. It's funny to hear them argue and it only proves how weird their relationship is. Despite the fact that they share some interests, it's like they enjoy quarrelling just for the hell of it.

"I just don't know why you'd want to get drunk and feel like crap the next day," Nova says. "It makes no sense to me."

"Nova," East sighs, "sometimes you have to do it in order to understand. Think about the liquid confidence it could give you. Like, I bet if you tried the stuff, you'd like it."

"East," Nova replies. "I have gotten drunk before, but I don't do it every single weekend. That's the point I'm trying to get at."

Now that's a jab that hits me in a soft spot. I never really considered the effects of alcohol every weekend. Just like I never thought about how Nova must feel being kicked out every Friday night. Shit. Now I feel like an all-star jerk. She uprooted herself from Alberta and came to B.C., and I probably made her feel extremely uncomfortable by negotiating the rules with her. The dorm room would have been the most familiar thing to her, and I took that away.

"Okay, you two," Julia says. "We're here to have fun, so let's do that."

I smile to myself. Julia the Buffer. She obviously can't detect the playful, joking tone between them.

From there, we move on to a conversation about how the summer's been so far. East and Julia throw out numerous questions about how the fake-relationship is treating us. My mood instantly darkens when it's brought up, and the air between Nova and I thickens to the point where I feel like I'm breathing in smoke. Everything that has happened has been like a game of Ping-Pong – an endless back and forth that pushes and pulls our emotions. Some days I feel like she's warming up to me, while during others, I'm genuinely confused by her coldness and reactions to my kisses. Then there's the fact that she's told me nothing but a name – it's the only part of her past that I could obtain before she shut me out.

After another fifteen minutes of talking, the calamari is gone and a waitress stops by to pick up the greasy dish. East kicks me under the table and jerks his head in the direction of the blonde-haired waitress. Out of habit, I check her out. She's tall, blonde, and her cleavage is barely covered. But all I do is look away and shake my head. Unlike the last time I was in a pub, I have little interest in getting drunk and taking a random girl home.

East doesn't bother to hide his surprise. Yeah, I should probably man-up and shamelessly flirt with this girl like I would have a month or so ago if I don't want him to bombard me with questions. He's going to mock me when I admit to him being right. I should act a bit like my old self so Julia doesn't get suspicious and being feeding Nova this information. Not like it would matter, though – what I said when I kissed her was probably enough to make her clue in.

I like her.

There's no getting around it.

I should stand up and rest my hand on the waitresses lower back so I can lead her somewhere off the grid and have sex with her. I know she wants it – her eyes haven't strayed from me since she arrived at our table.

But I can't do it. I just can't.

So, after I've ordered my dinner, I gloomily turn my attention to the whisky I've been nursing. I chug what's left like a shot. It burns like hell, but it gives me an excuse to leave the table and head to the bar so I can order another drink.

I don't realize Easton's followed me until I've placed my order; he stops beside me and asks, "What the fuck was that?"

I play stupid. "What are you talking about?"

"Man, that chick was checking you out. Grabbing women is your domain. What's wrong with you?"

Realizing that he's not going to give up, I sigh and say, "Do you remember what you said about there being a girl out there for every man?"

He nods, frowning. What a contradiction. He has no idea what the hell I'm talking about yet he's still agreed to it. I decide to wait it out. He'll eventually clue in.

I've drained half my drink by the time his eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"Took you long enough," I mutter.

"Seriously?" he gapes. "Nova Elliot? Are you insane?"

I shrug, watching Nova laugh with Julia from afar.

"When? How?" he asks.

"I don't know – she kind of grew on me," I reply. "She's a challenge and I like that."

"But..."

"You know what?" I ask, shaking my head. "This is ridiculous. We don't need to discuss it. I understand I don't have a fucking chance with her, okay? And I also understand that I could get drunk with her and have a one-night stand, but I'm not going to do that to Nova. For the first time in my life, East, I want a girl to like me without the effects of alcohol numbing her mind."

East gapes at me. "Damn," he says. "I always figured a girl would find a way to your heart, but I never expected it to be her."

"Yeah, well, join the fucking club," I mutter.

"Wanna know what I think?" East asks.

"Not really."

"Too bad, you shithead – I'm telling you." He takes a deep breath. "I think you should go ask her out on a date. Haven't you noticed that she's a little more comfortable around you now? She gives you this look, too. I don't think she knows she's even doing it, but it's like a lost puppy look. Strange as hell. Warren, I really think she's got some underlying emotions that she's just too scared to talk about."

I shake my head, refusing to listen to him. I want to knock down her walls and figure out what she's like. I want her. But I can't do any of that unless she wants me. And because of the reactions she's had when I kiss her, I highly doubt she wants anything to do with me when it comes to having a relationship that includes more than being friends.

"Let's just go sit down," I say. "The food's gonna be here any minute."

From the corner of my eye, I see Easton open his mouth like he's got something to say, but then he quickly closes it. For a moment I'm caught up in the idea that maybe he knows what Nova's been through. But Julia would never tell him something like that unless Nova gave her the okay to do so.

Taking a deep breath, I try to shift my darkened mood back into what it was when we arrived here – happy and relaxed – because I don't want to ruin the night for her. So as soon as we're back at the booth, I give her my best smile and sit down. The first thing I notice that's different at the table is that instead of water, Nova now has a drink in front of her.

I look at her and cock an eyebrow as if to ask, Since when do you listen to East?

"It's like Julia said – we're here to have fun. Sometimes even uptight people like me can relax and have fun," she says.

Whether she's joking about the "uptight" comment or not, I can't tell. So, all I do is nod my head and say, "Great."