{{Dedicated to @EmSlough for the gorgeous banner she made and for being the loveliest person as well as an author I look up to}}

When she hung up the phone, Rhea suddenly realized she hadn't given any thought to how she would get to Last Call as she'd promised she would. That she'd be there in twenty had rolled off her tongue like sort of a reflex or a knee-jerk reaction. She could make the walk to Last Call in twenty minutes but she'd have transformed into the snow monster from Frozen by the time she'd have done so. For the first time ever she regretted being a stubborn butthead about getting her driver's license; she could have used it right about now. Asking anyone for a ride was pretty much out of the question, everyone was already settled into whatever they'd had planned for the night. She could ask one of her parents but that would take a lot of explaining as to why she was asking for a ride to a bar of all places.

Sighing with resignation, she got dressed in the thickest sweater she owned and a pair of black jeans and made her way downstairs. She stepped into the living room where her parents as well as her grandparents were sitting in front of the television and watching one of the New Year's Eve specials.

"Hey guys," she said and every head in the room turned to her. "Turns out I'm going out tonight after all."

"Why the change of heart?" her mother asked.

"Eh, you know Willa, she can be really persuasive." She didn't know why exactly she was choosing this moment to lie to her parents for the first time in God knows how long. It wasn't like they'd forbid her from going out if she told the truth, so she decided to take a little turn and curve her lie as close to the truth as she could. "There's a party at Last Call and she insisted I should join them. Apparently it's too good for her to let me pass it up." There, at least they'd know where she'd be.

This time it was her father who asked, "How are you getting there?"

"Willa's on her way to pick me up," she said, lying through her teeth once again.

"Alright sweetie," her mother said, "Call if you need us to pick you up."

"Thanks mom," she said.

After giving everyone in the room kisses on both cheeks she made her way out of the living room and to the front door. She grabbed her coat from the coat hanger and reached for the doorknob. Just as she was about to open it and leave, she turned back and made another beeline for the coat hanger. She retrieved the dark red scarf she'd worn every single time she went out in the past week, draped it around her neck and stepped out of the house and into the chilly night.

As she stepped off the porch, she stood still for a moment, contemplating her options. Admittedly, knowing Caleb needed her, she'd brave much direr conditions. She still wanted to get there with all her limbs intact though and the weather outside told her her toes could freeze and fall off any second.

A light bulb went off in her brain as she looked toward the garage door.

***

Five minutes later she thought okay, maybe riding her bike to Last Call wasn't her brightest idea.

Her cheeks were numb from the cold air that constantly whipped at her face and sent her hair flying in a million different directions while the helmet she had on made sure the top part of her hair would be pressed closer to her head than it'd ever been, ensuring that she'd look like she'd stuck her head in a washing machine by the time she made it to her destination. Her hands that were gripping the handle bars felt like they were glued to their spots with the way they'd gone numb because of the cold. Another thing she could have really used tonight? Gloves.

The ride that felt like it was never going to end finally did ten minutes after she'd left home and jumped on her bike, thinking it was a genius idea. She wasn't so sure anymore, but she'd made it to her destination with all her limbs still attached to her body like she'd intended to, so hey, that had to count for something.

The first thing Rhea noticed as she walked into Last Call was that it was packed with people of all ages, though mostly teenagers because this was the only bar in town they could even hope to be served alcohol. The swerve of bodies were more prominent by the counter where everyone was trying to get the attention of the poor, overworked bartenders and the dancefloor across from the counter where people were dancing to the blaring music like one big mass of flesh instead of individual beings. On the walls were New Year's ornaments and she could see people with party hats everywhere she looked. Everyone seemed to be in a really festive mood.

She huffed and puffed as she made her way through the crowds and towards the counter. She needed some water before she could even think about functioning properly around Caleb because at the moment she was cold to her bones and sweating at the same time due to the strenuous activity that was bike riding at night.

Just as she reached the counter, she saw Caleb and Xander sitting at the booth nearest to the counter.

Alcohol must have made Caleb a loud talker, because she heard it quite clearly as he said, "Is that Rhea? What's she doing here?" She immediately angled her body toward the bartender who finally decided Rhea was worthy of his attention. She ordered her water as she pretended not to have noticed Caleb and Xander.

"I called her." Xander's reply was a lot quieter, but since she'd zeroed in on the conversation by then, she heard it anyway.

Caleb raised his voice even more. "What the fuck man? I told you to stay away from her."

"It's not like that. At this point, I'm pretty sure she has eyes for someone else."

Rhea glanced at them from the corner of her eye and caught the puzzled expression on Caleb's face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." She finally pushed away from the counter and started to make her way toward their booth just as she heard Xander say, "Here she comes."

"Hey guys," she said in a cheerful voice once she was standing by their table and looking down at them.

They both answered with their own greetings as she sat down next to Xander who'd shuffled closer to the wall to make room for her.

A moment later Caleb stood up from his seat and left after saying, "I'm gonna go get another drink."

As soon as he was out of hearing distance, Rhea turned to Xander and said, "What did Caleb mean he told you to stay away from me?"

Xander winced slightly upon hearing her question. "You heard that, huh?"

"Yes, I did. Why would he say that?"

"Well, I've been known to have a couple eventful romances in the past...he was just trying to look out for you. Did you also...happen to hear the part when I said I think you have eyes for someone else?"

Rhea remained silent for a while. The look in Xander's eyes told her that this time, he wasn't referring to a generic someone else; he meant Caleb and they both knew it. She was surprised it'd taken him so long to figure it out, really; everyone else seemed to be painfully aware of her crush—except for Caleb, that is. She decided she didn't want to get into this discussion with Xander of all people, so she decided to change the subject as she cleared her throat and asked, "So, why did Caleb decide to drink his weight in alcohol?"

"He and Yasmine had a fight."

"Again?"

"Yeah, this one was pretty bad."

"What happened?"

"Well, New Year's Eve is kind of a big deal for them. In fact, I can't remember the last time they spent it apart. Anyway, they had plans this year too, but then Yasmine bailed last minute to take a trip to San Francisco to tour some colleges or whatever."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, ouch. Since San Francisco had been a topic of argument before, it just added fuel to the fire."

She couldn't have stopped the glimmer of hope that sparked in her chest if she tried. "Did they break up?"

"I don't think so, no. But they're not in a great place right now." Xander fixed her with a look of warning before he continued. "I wouldn't get involved at this stage if I were you."

"Trust me, I know not to get involved."

"Okay, I just thought I should put it out there."

"Put what out there?" Caleb asked as he joined them at the table with a bottle of beer in his hand.

"Nothing," Xander said, though his reply was distracted, because his gaze was fixed on someone by the entrance. Even as she followed his gaze, Rhea couldn't determine who exactly it was. "I need to leave you two for a while, please don't get into too much trouble." After that, he left with a vague "I'll be back" that made Rhea doubt it would happen in the near future.

Turning to Caleb, she furrowed her brows and said in what she hoped was an authoritative voice, "That better be your last drink."

Caleb took a large swig out of her drink before he said, "I can't make any promises."

Partly because it was much warmer inside and partly because she was now alone with Caleb in a dimly lit bar, Rhea suddenly felt too warm, so she shrugged off her coat.

Her hands froze in the middle of unwrapping her scarf when Caleb said, "That scarf looks great on you. I have great taste."

"Oh yeah?" she said, amused at the way Caleb's words seemed to slightly mesh into one another in a drunken slur. "How humble of you."

"Mock me all you want," he said, pointing at her with the neck of his bottle. "I could be someone's personal shopper."

"I'm sure you could."

They spent the next ten minutes talking about this and that. Soon, the bottle in Caleb's hand was empty and he was rolling it around on the table. His eyes were more glazed over and his reactions were a bit more delayed than when Rhea had first arrived; he seemed to be getting drunker by the minute, which was the exact opposite of what Rhea was there to ensure.

She passed the half full glass of water she'd been holding onto to Caleb and said, "You should drink this, rehydrate a little bit."

Without a word, Caleb took the glass from her, their fingers brushing in the process. Rhea's hands were still cold due to the freezing winter night she'd braved and Caleb's warm skin felt scorching against her own. It took all the self-control she had not to drop the glass and send it tumbling down.

Caleb took a sip from the water and their gazes locked over the rim of the glass. Rhea saw the same haunted expression on his face as the time they'd hugged right before Christmas break. It was more intense this time and he looked like he was feeling conflicted—like he was battling two opposing emotions at the same time.

Rhea couldn't tell if it was because she'd never been on the receiving end of such a look in her life before or because the dimly lit atmosphere of the bar made the moment that much more intimate but it felt like time came to a halt as they stared at each other.

Apparently it hadn't, because a moment later the familiar opening notes of a familiar song reached her ears. It was the same slow song that came on as she'd danced with Caleb at the Equinox dance. It felt so long ago that she'd been in his arms for a—very much underappreciated—minute and slow-danced with him before their moment had been interrupted by a certain someone she had no desire to think about anymore. She thought she saw recognition flash across Caleb's features too, but she quickly chalked it up to wishful thinking. There was no way he would remember such a small thing from months ago.

Caleb's voice sounded deeper than it did minutes ago as he set the now empty glass of water down on the table and said, "Let's dance."

Rhea's heartbeat tripped over itself. "Wh...What?" she sputtered.

"Come on, dance with me," Caleb repeated the words. They didn't affect Rhea any less than the first time she'd heard them.

She shook her head regretfully and said, "I don't think we should."

"Why, don't you like me? I know you do...I see the way you look at me sometimes when you think I can't see." She inhaled through her teeth sharply. If her heartbeat had tripped the last time, this time it came to a complete halt.

She remained silent, too shocked by Caleb's words to utter any herself.

"I'll let you in on a secret though," Caleb continued, unfazed by Rhea's silence. "In an alternate reality, I could like you too. It's just...I can't fight for Yasmine and want you at the same time."

Rhea had to bite her tongue to keep herself from telling him maybe Yasmine didn't want to be fought for. Maybe all she wanted was to start fighting her own battles. There was nothing but truth to her words but she refrained from saying them all the same, simply because her intentions behind them would have been selfish ones. Instead, she drew her lower lip into her mouth and nodded her head silently before she looked away.

Her eyes scanned the bar without purpose and moments later they landed on the side of Xander's face. He was standing on the other side of the bar with a petite brunette by his side, who talked with flailing arm gestures and a passionate look on her face. Rhea couldn't tell from where she sat whether they were having a simple conversation or arguing about something.

Her suspicions that had stemmed from the way Caleb was actually a pretty tame drunk—except for the way the alcohol seemed to power down his brain to mouth filter, anyway—were confirmed at the sight of them. Xander hadn't called her here because Caleb was too much for him to deal with on his own. He'd called her because he was too preoccupied with something else—or rather someone else—to keep an eye on Caleb.

"I need to pee."

Rhea's head snapped back to Caleb at his words.

"Okay..." she said, unsure of how to react.

He stood up but before he could even take a step, he lost his balance and swayed dangerously. Rhea was out of her seat in a heartbeat, putting an arm around his waist to steady him. She thought about the irony of their situation. In all the romance books she'd read, it was the guy helping the drunken damsel in distress. She was having a hard time stepping up to the role of knight in shining armor, since this particular gentleman in distress seemed to weigh twice as much as she did. She staggered backwards a few steps under his weight but then he was back on his own feet. She quickly stepped away from him and said, "Maybe it's time for you to go home."

"I don't think so. You can leave if you want."

"I'm not going anywhere if you aren't." Caleb's answering smile felt like it had lighted up the entire bar to Rhea.

"Well then, looks like we'll be here for quite some time."

"Fine by me."

After giving her another silly, drunken smile, Caleb disappeared into the crowd.

She had no idea how Caleb had managed to get back from the bathroom and order from the busy counter without her noticing but before she knew it he was back in his seat and setting down a shot glass full of clear liquid on the table.

"Oh no, you won't," Rhea said as she reached for the glass before Caleb could.

"The only way I'm gonna let you take that shot away from me is if you drink it yourself."

Rhea contemplated his words for a moment. Tequila had never been her best friend, but then again neither had the side of her that made it hard for her to back down from a challenge and the challenge was there loud and clear in the raise of Caleb's eyebrow.

That was the thing about her. Give her a real conflict about a real issue that was better dealt with than left unresolved and she was outta there faster than you could say "Alakazam" but when it came to stupid dares that always seemed to equate to trouble, Rhea was diving into it headfirst.

She cursed that stupid, stupid side of herself as the drink burned its way down her throat after she'd knocked her head back and downed it in one gulp. Almost instantly, her body temperature rose and a slight flush made its way to her cheeks.

She gave Caleb a smug smile as she slammed the shot glass back down on the table.

They joked around, talked about things all the while Rhea stayed alert to steer the conversation away from anything that could lead them to Yasmine. After all, she'd set two goals for herself tonight, one was to keep Caleb away from alcohol so that he could sober up and the other was to keep his mind off the fight he and Yasmine had.

She was doing exceptionally well on both fronts, even though she had to down yet another shot that Caleb had initially ordered for himself. She couldn't for the life of her figure out how Caleb had managed to flag down the waiter or since when Last Call had a waiter at all, but she'd snatched away the shot straight from the waiter's hand and downed it after quirking an eyebrow at Caleb in challenge.

"We should take selfies," Caleb declared way into the night. He might be less drunk than he'd been two hours ago, but he was still pretty intoxicated, evident in the way he grinned at her in that way he never did when he was sober.

"Are you going to Instagram them to try and make Yasmine jealous?" She winced as soon as the words left her mouth. She'd been doing so well. The two tequila shots she'd been tricked into downing weren't being too nice to her after all. The silly grin fell off Caleb's face almost instantly and Rhea felt like she'd been punched in the stomach at the sight of the sad expression that took its place. She wanted nothing more than to return the grin to where it belonged. "I'm sorry, let's do it. C'mon."

When Caleb didn't move from where he now sat with slumped shoulders, Rhea got out of her own seat and sat down next to him. Since he hadn't moved over to make more room for her, their thighs ended up pressed together. Trying to ignore the contact, Rhea retrieved her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and pulled up the camera.

Caleb was facing away from the camera pouting in the first couple of pictures. In an attempt to get him to cheer up, Rhea made the silliest face she possibly could. From the corner of her eye, she could see Caleb's lips twitch like he was trying to fight a smile, so she made another face. After the fourth one, he let out a loud laugh and turned his head to face her.

Neither of them must have accounted for the lack of distance between their bodies, because suddenly their faces were inches apart from each other's with identical grins frozen on them.

Ten. Nine.

Neither of them was laughing anymore.

Eight.

Rhea inhaled a sharp breath.

Seven. Six.

Caleb's gaze flickered to her lips.

Five. Four.

He leaned in almost imperceptibly.

Three.

So did she.

Two.

"No, this isn't right."

It was Caleb who spoke up. Even though his words weren't louder than a mere whisper, they seemed to break the spell that had befallen them because Rhea jumped away from him almost immediately.

One. Happy New Year!

Everyone around them cheered and then dozens of couples threw their arms around each other to lock lips just as Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You started playing.

Rhea reached for her coat that lay discarded in her initial seat.

"I need to go," she said in Caleb's direction without making eye contact.