Once my makeup is done I do a twirl in front of my mirror. Yesterday I felt like I was trying to be something I wasn't, I was uncomfortable dressed in lingerie with everyone looking at me. But now standing here in this beautiful dress I feel like me, it was something I have always wanted to dress as.

It's not that I didn't enjoy putting myself out there with a more revealing costume, it just feels like since I've been here I have just been doing whatever I thought would help me fit in. It was nice to wear something that made me genuinely happy.

I put on a final coat of lip gloss just as there was a tentative knock at my door. I walk over and open it expecting Sarah or Abby but I am shocked to find a guilty-looking Adam.

"Wow," he breaths looking at me and my dress. Normally I would be flattered but I was still annoyed with him. He looks better than he did this morning, although I don't know how he could possibly go out tonight.

"I wanted to apologize, well I have wanted to apologize all day but I haven't felt the best so I waited but I'm ready now. Can I come in?"

I nod and move so he can walk past, closing the door behind me I stay standing as he stands in front of my bed.

"Juliet, I am so sorry. I let Emily get into my head and I know that's no excuse but she was feeding me some fucked up drinks and I honestly don't remember much." He looks genuinely sorry but I don't know what to do. I have to admit to myself that I might have a slight crush on Warner, but before last night things were so much easier with Adam.

"You're right it's not an excuse." I didn't want to look like an idiot by forgiving him so easily.

"Please just give me a second chance, I won't be an idiot like that again I promise." He has stepped toward me and his eyes are pleading. I feel bad. Not just because he looks so sorry but also because all I can think about is Warner.

I knew Adam was the safer option here, I couldn't put myself out there with Warner it was too scary. But here with Adam, it wasn't nearly as scary and I know it sounds bad but I had no experience with guys let alone having feelings for two of them.

"Fine but just as friends. And promise to never accept a drink from Emily again." He looks sad at the word friend but still steps forward and wraps me in his arms. I know the real reason why I used the word friend, and that reason us down the hall. It feels nice being held but I can't help but compare this hug to the one I had with Warner.

It wasn't the same.

_____

We end up at a club called 'PRZYM' where Winston's cousin works. It's convenient enough because that means we get to skip the queue and no one asks us for our IDs. I was glad since mine is so bad I don't think any bouncer would let it slide. Once we walk inside I'm shocked, this was way better than a house party. The dance floor is huge, with hundreds of people in costume dancing along to music from a live DJ. There are multiple bars around the floor and seats as well as booths to sit at.

The girls and I sit in the bar section of the club which has a direct view of the dance floor and order our drinks. I let Amy make the decision on what drink I should get since I had no idea the options. Cheap beer and vodka shots were the extents of alcohol knowledge and consumption I had.

She orders me a whiskey sour and after one sip I am sold. Why have I never drank these before? It was great because it came in a glass so I couldn't check the calories or sugar content, a voice inside tells me to google it but I push it away. We drink our drinks and take a few pictures but I keep looking towards the entrance.

I'm distracted and it's annoying, I want to get lost in the music, dance with my friends, get drunk and wake up with the hangover from hell but I can't. My eyes are glued to the entrance.

Where is he?

The guys came separately because Warner was picking up a few of their friends from the soccer team. I didn't want to be that girl waiting for a guy to show up but ever since Warner gave me this dress I couldn't suppress my feelings.

We grab some tequila shots and I knock back the burning, bitter liquid in my glass like a seasoned pro. Soon after I grab my friends' hands and drag them to the dance floor. The music is loud, reverberating through me and breaking through the apprehension. Kiwi by Harry Styles is playing so it is easy to lose myself in it and let my body take over.

After an hour of dancing, we decide we need a break and more drinks so we went back to the bar. I was just forgetting about you know who when I felt a presence behind me.

"I like the dress," He whispers in my ear and I gasp as his teeth lightly scrape against the skin of my ear.

I smile and take a huge gulp of my drink, Warner was standing there and I was thankful Adam wasn't next to him. Turns out his hangover prevented him from going out on actual Halloween, I am sure he learned his lesson now.

The energy between us feels different. I am nervous and he isn't even touching me, god I was such an inexperienced loser I needed some water. I get up without even looking at him and try to walk past him.

Warner grabs my hand startling me as he pushes us through the throngs of people. He makes nothing of the action but my heart rate has spiked up, traitorous blush colours my cheek and I'm starting to sweat through the dress I have on.

Once in a clearer space, we can actually breathe in he lets go of my hand and then places his at the small of my back as he guides us.

"Are you okay?" He asks but I can't make head or tails of whatever's coming out of his mouth. I am way too aware of where his hand's rubbing my back slightly. He slept in the same bed as me weeks ago and that didn't freak me out as much as this. I can't keep blushing because of Warner Brooks, it's so absurd!

I had so much to say, I had practiced in my room all the words and how I would say them but now that I am standing in front of Warner I have turned into some love-struck loser.

"Jules?" He sounds a little worried. I need to get it together, I cannot let him see that he's affecting me the way he is. His already ginormous head doesn't need to get inflated more. I'll be just another girl who falls under his spell and then once he sees that he'll leave me alone.

I like being special.

I don't want him to leave me alone. Not just yet.

He tugs at my arm and pulls me back. Turning me around he grabs a hold of both my shoulders and tilts my chin to look at him. His eyes penetrate into mine like they're trying to figure something out.

"Are you okay?" He repeats scanning my face and visible parts of my body for I don't know what.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

I detest sounding so breathless but he doesn't make a big deal out of it

"Did someone do something? I'm going to kill them..."

"I'm fine, sorry the drinks must have gotten to me."

Getting out of his grip, I turn my back on him and take a few deep breaths. It's getting easier to lie to him but I would never profess to be a professional. He didn't look like he believed me but he let it go thankfully.

"Why are you being so nice today?"

"Oh I am always nice" his voice turned to a whisper as he gave my legs and body the once over. "Nice legs".

The rest of the night went down without a hitch. This was one of the best Halloween's I have ever had, I got to dance with my friends all night, drink tasty sugary drinks and for the first time in a while I didn't worry about how my body looked. I felt confident for the first time in a while, tonight I was being myself not who I thought people wanted me to be. I danced like an idiot, snorted when I laughed and wasn't constantly reminding myself to suck in.

_______

It was almost 2 am and I was getting tired, I wanted to go home soon and eat Halloween candy in bed. This juice cleanse was officially over and I wanted to stuff my face with chocolate. Then I could just run it off.....or other unhealthy methods.

I was too busy dreaming about all the chocolate I was going to eat to notice Warner was in my direct line of vision. He had been swarmed by girls in hot costumes all night, girls who were much more experienced than me at flirting. He never did anything though, he kept to himself which made me even more nervous.

He walks over and we're staring at each other intently, daring one another to make a move and secretly hoping that each other would. I'm about to make a snarky comment when Warner's eyes lose focus, looking past me and toward the bar. His mouth hardens into an almost-angry scowl and he gets up from the table.

"Stay here," he says quickly. "Don't move."

The tone of his voice was indicative of something serious and I don't want to be anywhere near it.

Then I see the problem, three men at the bar looking way too old to be at this club. I don't think they were here to dance, they seemed to be here for Warner. Westshore had a big game in a few days and I had a feeling those men had some bets on the game.

Warner stalks up to them and I can't hear what they say. All I see is Warner's tense stance and the way he's cracking his knuckles. Warner says something to the guy and although I can't hear what they're saying, the second guy starts looking around nervously.

I start thinking of the worst scenarios possible. But then a miracle happens and I hear Warner say something quick and threatening to the other dude before turning and walking back to me.

"Is everything alright?" I ask when he reaches me

Warner is gathering our things quickly and reaching for my hand. "Yeah, we should leave. Now."

I take the hint and start gathering my things quickly, I was already ready to leave before this happened. We find all our friends but none of them are ready to leave and want to uber back later so we leave just us two.

I don't think I've ever seen Warner move faster than when he's tugging at my arm and walking us both out of the club. Palpable excitement bubbles through my chest and any effect that the alcohol may have had on me is quickly disappearing. Warner Brooks is definitely more intoxicating. He keeps shooting glances back at me like he thinks I'm going to vanish at any given second but I smile at him reassuringly basically telling him that I'm not going anywhere. It's funny how my feelings for him are always all over the place. I can go from hating him immensely to wanting to kiss him in a matter of seconds.

Outside it's a cold fall night and there are still lines of people waiting to get inside the club. A few, okay a lot of them whistle and yell not so polite things at me as we pass them by. Warner glares at the source of each and every err, comment and they pipe down pretty quickly. Scowling he spins and asks me, "Would you be mad if I went back and knocked that guy's teeth out?".

"You're feeling particularly murderous tonight."

I can't help but laugh, it's all so ridiculous, men leering over me. If they had seen me a year ago I'm pretty sure they would have reacted differently. The fact that guys would find me sexually attractive is baffling on its own and having a guy like Warner threaten them off is even more mind-numbing.

"What's so funny?" Warner pouts as he pulls me to his side, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I try to stop laughing but the side effects of alcohol linger making the situation funnier than it is.

"It's just..." I gasp, "this time last year I was in bed alone eating an entire box of Halloween candy. It's just funny how different everything is now."

His entire body stiffens and I'm pretty sure mentioning it was a mistake but he recovers quickly, squeezing me tightly. "Only up from here".

As we're walking toward the car, I walk as close as possible to Warner desperate to ask him about what happened at the bar with those men. When he finally slows down enough for me to talk to him, I take the chance.

"So what was that all about?"

Warner turns to look at me for a second and his eyes tell me that he's hiding something important and I don't like the way that makes me feel.

I hold onto hope. "Warner, you can tell me anything, You know that, right?"

Little did he know I had eavesdropped already and knew all about his dad and the betting.

"Don't worry about it."

I want to press for information but I don't, what did those guys want? Did he have to throw the game next week? What would they do to him if he didn't?

After sitting down in the front of the car, I huffed, shutting the door beside me. Warner's knuckles were white on the wheel and he started the car with more force on the pedal than needed causing a card to fall out of his pocket. On instinct, I picked it up and shoved it in the pocket of my jacket.

We arrived at the dorms and he sighs, I can see the worry written all over his face and it makes my heart race in the worst of ways.

"I need to go somewhere, so I can't walk in with you but thank you for tonight. I'll be back"

I couldn't even hide the disappointment on my face that he was leaving, I knew it had something to do with those men at the bar. I wish he would just tell me what was going on.

I faked a smile and said goodbye watching him drive off. I had no intentions of going back inside though, I was going to get to the bottom of this...tonight. I looked at the card that fell out of his pocket and smiled, an address was scrawled on it.

Perfect