Just as my hope is diminishing fast, the door to the room opens with a loud bang.

Relief floods into me when I see Kyle walk in. His eyes zeroes in on our intimate positions—Taylor pinning me down—and his face contorts in rage immediately. He marches towards us with a murderous look, hauls him off me before throwing a punch into his face.

Taylor staggers backwards and falls to the floor. He winces and glares at Kyle, clutching his jaw where a bruise is slowly forming. "Seriously, dude? What's wrong with you?"

Kyle's eyes narrow into slits. "Why don't you ask yourself that question?" he spits back.

He raises his clenched fist again to hit him again, but I grab his arm quickly. Even though I'm shaken by everything that has happened, I'm able to get a hold of myself right before hell unleashes in front of me.

"No," I plead with him, but I'm saying this because I'm more concerned for him than the other guy. "He's not worth getting you into trouble for."

Kyle stares at me for a long moment, hesitating, before eventually doing as I ask and drops his fist. Turning towards Taylor, he glares at him. "Touch her again and I won't let you off this easily again."

With that, he wraps his fingers around my wrist and leads me out of the room. I don't protest. In fact, I'm extremely grateful when he takes me out of the house and towards his car. We pass by several people, including Carly, who yells his name, but Kyle ignores them all.

We haven't exchanged a single word, but I can feel waves of his anger radiating off his body. His silence only makes it worse, leaving me anxious. It is only when I'm tucked safely into his car and he's seated behind the wheel do we break the silence.

His jaw clenches so tightly that I wonder if it hurts. With the way he's glaring off into the distance through his blazing emerald eyes, I'm surprised he hasn't murdered anybody tonight.

The first thing he asks me is, "did he hurt you?"

"No."

He shakes his head at me, his eyes still burning with anger. "Of all people, Taylor? Didn't Hernandez warn you?"

I shrivel under his livid gaze and bite my bottom lip. "She did, but it's my fault. I gave him the benefit of the doubt."

Shivers rack my body. I feel cold all over. Shock and numbness. If Kyle didn't appear back there, what would have happened to me?

As I battle with my internal turmoil, Kyle watches me silently. He purses his lips in a tight line but says nothing. When he sees me hugging myself to keep warm, his hand automatically reaches for something in the backseat and drapes it over me — his jacket.

I clutch it to my chest gratefully. An inhale is all it takes to realize that his musky scent still lingers in the material. I pull his polyester-cotton jacket around me and slip my hands through into the warm and comfy sleeves. Taking deep breaths, I calm down slowly.

I flash a grateful look at Kyle. "Thanks."

He nods and presses his hand to my cheek, looking every bit worried. "Don't worry," he promises me. "I won't let that bastard come near you again."

In return, I nod dazedly. I believe him.

He starts the car and pulls out of Taylor's driveway. "Riley," he tells me carefully. "The nice guys are often the ones you need to be wary of. They come with motives. The not-so-good ones."

I tilt my head at him. Curious. "What about you?"

"Me?" He raises a brow. "I'm not a nice guy."

"Really? Driving me home aren't you being nice?"

His lips form a rare smile at my unexpected teasing, his anger finally dissipating from his expression. "Who says I'm driving you home right now?"

He isn't lying when he tells me that. Even though it's nearing 10pm, we hit the beach. Apart from the sound of waves sweeping up the shores, it's relatively quiet, with few people in sight. We find a spot to sit as the sand sinks under our feet. The full moon nestles in the sky above our heads and we gaze up at the blanket of stars that stretch to infinity. The wind blows against our faces gently, chilly but bearable.

Even though we're sitting in silence, I can't help but think that this place is several times better than being at a party.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I read the text that Blaire has sent me; she can't find me and she's panicking over my sudden disappearance. Remembering that she isn't aware that I've left the party, I quickly text her back that I'm with Kyle and he's giving me a ride home later.

Five seconds later, her reply comes.

Blaire: GIMME THE DETAILS LATER!! 😉

I shake my head to myself and shove the phone back into my pocket. Beside me, Kyle lies on his back and stretches out his long legs, putting his hands behind his head. His eyes close. He looks relaxed, free from the woes plaguing his mind. It's an image that's a complete opposite of the guy who has just punched Taylor in the face.

And I enjoy seeing him like this.

A curious question blurts out from me. "Back at the party... How did you know where to find me?"

His forest-green eyes flutter open and his gaze shifts to me. "You called me, didn't you?" he says. "The last time you did, you were in trouble. And when I saw Hernandez with Ian, I knew you were somewhere in the house."

"Why were you at the party?"

He gives a shrug. "Ian," he answers. "He's literally friends with everyone. I just got dragged along for the ride."

I bite my bottom lip and I stare down at my hands. "I saw you earlier. With Carly," I admit, before saying in a quiet voice. "Is it too late to give you my answer now?"

At the last line, he startles me by sitting up so suddenly. His eyes are now sharp, focused, and pinned on me. His posture is straight and rigid. "You know how she enjoys pestering me," he explains to me. "Nothing's going on between me and her. Trust me."

I nod my head quietly. "I do."

Whatever the reason is, I decide to trust him. Although he may be brusque with his words, he has been there for me more times than I expected. And for this, I choose to believe him.

"So..." he begins, fiddling with his hands nervously. "What's your answer?"

The way he's looking right now really amuses me and I take the chance to tease him. "Hm..." I muse, taking a longer time to ponder on purpose. "I don't know. Maybe I need a little more time..."

"Hey." Wearing a deadpan expression, he flicks sand at me playfully. "Quit playing around. I'm about to die from waiting."

I chuckle lightly. "Okay."

"Okay to what? To tell me your answer or...?"

I glance back at him in all seriousness, tucking my loose strands of hair behind my ears. Just like him, I'm nervous too.

"I'm okay with us being in a relationship again," I say.

His eyes brighten immediately, and the muscles in his shoulders visibly relax. "Really? Do you really mean that?"

"Yes," I tell him. Feeling more certain than ever. "Make me fall in love with you, Kyle. Just like the first time."

His expression softens. His hand reaches for mine, intertwining them, and he gives me a smile that I swear could melt any glaciers in the North Pole.

For the next half an hour, we simply lie on the sand right next to each other with our shoulders touching. No words, no kisses, no flowers, but our hearts are full and content. Ever since I woke up with amnesia, this is the first time that I know what I wanted for myself and I've gotten it.

For now, I'm happy and that's all that matters.

❖

Dear Riley,

Let's not ruin this again, alright?

😂✌🏻