Ashley followed Maddox into the house and wondered what was in store for her.

"So what is this all about?" she asked when he handed her a drink in the kitchen.

"It's about letting loose." He shrugged. "You're far too serious."

They headed out to the back of the property where a group was seated on the grass talking and laughing. She recognised his friends and felt self conscious when Maddox sat down and indicating for her to sit beside him.

Nervously she sat down and sipped the drink. She didn't drink much and whatever he had given her tasted awful but she stopped herself from handing the cup back to him. Alcohol really wasn't her thing but she was going to humour him.

She noticed he didn't have a drink. "You're not drinking?"

"No. The point of tonight is for you to let loose." He explained. "You get to drink and enjoy yourself and I make sure you don't do anything you might regret in the morning."

Like a guardian angel. She had never been drunk before. Once she had gotten a bit tipsy but it was the lack of control that had made it something she made sure she didn't do often.

She avoided the curious looks from his friend Jasper. "What are you doing with little Miss Perfect?"

She spluttered the sip go of her drink as Maddox shot him a glare. "Don't."

Jasper gave her the distinct feeling her presence was unwelcome and she had no idea why. She frowned.

The girl leaning against Jasper's shoulder murmured. "Let him be Jasper."

She didn't recognise the girl from their school. Her hair was wild and red. She had beautiful pale skin.

"I'm Leigh," the girl introduced.

"Ashley," she replied.

Jasper put his arm around Leigh and pulled her close, making a point of ignoring Ashley. She had never done anything to him to explain his cool indifference to her.

She sipped her drink quickly hoping the night would end soon. She was uncomfortable in Jasper's presence but his attention moved to the girl who was with him giving her a reprieve from his disapproving glare.

She gulped a few more gulps of the drink, getting half way through her drink and grimaced. It was strong and combined with the fact that she rarely drunk it was already taking effect. She had seen enough people get so drunk they hadn't been able to stand and the stupid things they had done was another reason to stay sober.

Her life was complicated enough without being reckless like that but here she was going against what she usually did for Maddox. It showed the trust she had in him.

"How are you feeling?" Maddox asked watching her closely.

She was starting to feel a warm fuzzy feeling inside her stomach. "I feel warm."

He smiled as he studied her eyes. "You're buzzing already." Was it the warmth in her cheeks that was the sign she was starting to feel tipsy?

He had a nice smile. She found herself staring as his lips wanting to trace them with hers. She set the cup of alcohol down on the grass and leaned back to gaze up at the sky. The alcohol was taking effect and she began to relax. Usually there was so much going on in her mind but now all she do was think about the beautiful starry night above them. Her mind wasn't else where wrestling with problems of her every day life. For the moment she was right there with the bad boy, content to just be.

"Let's go dance," Maddox said when his face appeared above her with his hand out stretched.

"I don't dance." She refused, shaking her head.

"Tonight you do." He was so confident in his words.

He pulled her to her feet. She get a tight grip on his hand as he led her into the house where the party was still going strong. Once in the living room where people were dancing wildly Maddox turned to face her.

Usually she was too self conscious to dance but this time she didn't care. She swung her hips in time with the beat while Maddox watched her with a satisfied smile. He had nice eyes.

The more she let her guard down the more the bad boy was getting under her skin. But the alcohol in her system made her ignore any warnings going off in her head. She closed her eyes and allowed the rhythm of the music to move her body as she allowed herself to let go.

Someone bumped her and she opened her eyes to see Maddox shove the guy with one hand as his other caught her around the waist. "Watch it."

"Sorry," the guy mumbled stumbling away unsteady on his feet.

To be in close proximity to Maddox when she had no care in the world was dangerous but she didn't care. She gazed at him. His eyes locked with hers. Ignoring the noise, it felt like it was just the two of them in a bubble.

She didn't want to say anything or look away, worried she would break the moment. But Maddox released her. The disappointment was amplified.

"What the hell are you doing here with him?" an angry voice cut into her thoughts bringing her back down to earth with a bump.

She whirled around. Logan. He was so angry. Maddox stood just behind her.

"I..." She couldn't think of an excuse that would go down well. His eyes were bleary meaning he had been drinking which meant it was going to be difficult to reason with him.

He had every right to be angry with her.

"She's my girlfriend," Logan warned Maddox, shooting him a glare.

Flashes of Maddox getting fights in school made her put a hand to Logan's chest to push him back. She didn't want Maddox to hurt him.

"We weren't do anything," she argued, even though deep down inside she had wanted something to happen. And showing up with another guy at a party when she had a boyfriend wasn't right either. He had every right to be angry.

Something had to give.

"Let's talk...outside." She took Logan by the hand and dragged him out to the front of the house. When they got to the sidewalk she turned to face him. He crossed his arms glaring at her. She warmed her arms as a chill of wind caught her.

"I'm sorry Logan," she said, trying to find the right words to soften the blow but her mind felt so jumbled it was difficult to think.

"Did he try something?" he asked, the one vein in his head bulged.

"Stop," she said as put her hand to his chest but he pushed it away roughly.

"That's once" Maddox stepped out of the shadows and stepped between them, rolling his shoulders back. "Touch her again and I'll make you regret it."

"She's my girlfriend," Logan argued, like he had the right to do anything he wanted.

"That doesn't mean you can get aggressive with her." The steeliness in Maddox's hard gaze on Logan didn't waver.

She was opened mouthed unsure of how to diffuse the situation and Maddox's presence was just making things worse. If she could just speak to Logan without Maddox she was sure she would be able to calm the situation.

"He won't hurt me," she assured Maddox but he didn't acknowledge her as he continued a stare down with Logan.

Logan broke it to glare at her over Maddox's shoulder. "I wouldn't need to compete with some asshole if you were really mine."

She couldn't argue with him. He was right. Despite how much she wanted it to work with him, she had never really been his. He had been more committed than she had ever been. It was wrong and he deserved better than that. She couldn't even understand why she had been so set on trying to make it work with him.

"Watch how you speak to her," Maddox warned. His shoulders tensed and his fists tightened at his sides.

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Stop Maddox."

She moved to stand in front of Maddox. "You're right." She let out a heavy sigh. It had been coming for a while and she had been a coward not to face it sooner. "I'm sorry Logan."

"So this is how it's going to end?" he asked flickering a resentful look to Maddox.

She didn't want to hurt him but she couldn't continue to pretend it was something it wasn't.

"You're a great guy but you and I just...aren't going to work." Words she should have told him from the start tumbled from her lips.

Logan shook his head at her. "You know what?" He gave a hollowed laugh.

"What?" she asked.

"You deserve him," he spat at her before shooting a glare at Maddox.