The party was at a medium-sized one floor house in a town about 45 minutes from where Jay lived. It wasn't as big as the party that Jay hosted at his house when I first arrived to stay at the Von Baron household, that's for sure.

A few cars lined the dark street, and I watched as partygoers waited for someone to open the door for them before they stepped inside.

"Are you sure that I'm welcome here?" I asked. "It doesn't seem like an open invite party."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, Alina. You are more than welcome here. I've known these guys for years."

I accepted that and we stepped out of the car and headed up the driveway, up to the door. The front screen was propped open but the blue chipping-paint door was closed. Jay grabbed the doorknob and tuned it. I expected the door to be locked, but we were able to step right in.

It was definitely a party, alright. The lightning was dimmed and there were bright red led lights illuminating the living room. There were people and red cups everywhere.

"Jay, my man!" I heard a voice from behind us. I whipped around to see a blonde guy with stubble and a huge grin on his face. The two embraced for a second as Jay reciprocated the energetic greeting. The guy's name was Mark.

"What's up with your face, JVB?" The guy looked over at me. "And who's this? Your girlfriend? I didn't know you were the type to get cuffed! Good for you!" Mark then looked over at me. "Hey gorgeous."

Jay looked back at me for a second before turning to his friend, running a hand over his jaw. "This was from a scuffle earlier--it was nothing. And this is Alina, my, um, family friend that's staying with us. I don't like getting held down, you know that," he chucked.

Family friend. Jay's words played through my mind. I don't like getting held down. A lump formed in my throat.

I didn't know what to do. Jay turned to me, his eyes seeming to plead with me.

I didn't know why I cared. I knew how he was. He never said we were dating. I just couldn't shake his words out of my head. And what he had said to me when we got back from Texas—about how things were better when I'm around. Now I'm just a family friend?

I decided to just ignore it. I followed Jay, who was following the blonde friend. I felt awkward all of a sudden. I saw as Jay went to sit with a group. He turned to me but I only lingered behind. He beckoned me over, hand below his waist and out of sight, but I only lingered against the wall.

"Hey," I heard a voice come from behind me. I turned around to see a dark-skinned boy wearing a denim jacket. He grinned at me and I couldn't help but reciprocate the smile.

"Hi."

He stuck out a hand for me to shake. "I'm Levi. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Alina. Nice to meet you too."

"Are you from the area? I've never seen you around before."

"Oh, I'm from Texas but I'm staying with Jay's family for the summer."

"I know Jay," he smiled. "Why are you staying with them, if you don't mind me asking."

"My dad and his are really good friends, and they offered to let me stay with them while my parents are establishing their real estate company in South Africa."

"Oh wow, good for them! How are you liking Connecticut so far?"

"It's nice!"

"What?" he raised a brow. "I'm really sorry it's so loud in here."

He was right. It was hard to even hear myself speak over the chatter and commotion in the party.

"Cmon," Levi said. "Let's go in the kitchen."

I nodded in agreement and we both headed past people toward the island in the kitchen, where we were farther from the speaker and where the crowd was a bit more sparse.

"Hi once again," Levi chuckled.

We ended up talking for a bit. Levi wasn't drinking, like me, so the conversation was entirely organic and sober. He told me about his summer job working on a golf course. He also told me about Jay's friend group. They were well-liked but tended to be troublemakers.

"How about you, what's your friend group back in Texas like?"

I thought of all the unread messages I'd received from Griffin, and my friendship with Erin that was entirely in shambles now. But I also knew that I had Hannah and Jenny and all of the guys. I don't know what I was bound to come home to at the end of the summer, but I figured I might as well not be a downer during this light-hearted conversation I was having with Levi.

"I really miss them. We're a close-knit group so it's been tough, but I'm managing."

"I'm sorry to hear that. You know what they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder."

I looked over at Jay, who was mid-laugh on a couch during the conversation he was having with the people next to him.

"It sure does," I looked back over to Levi and offered him a smile.

As we spoke, in the corner of my eye I noticed a pretty brunette come up to Jay and tap him on the shoulder. Since I was all the way in the kitchen I had no clue what they said to each other, but I could see a smile make its way onto this features. I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as I watched him get up and follow her out of sight.

"Alina?"

I whipped around. I'd totally spaced out and forgotten to respond to Levi.

"Sorry, I got distracted. So how come you're with me and not your friend group?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Well, I was going to join them, but then I saw someone who I just had to talk to." He offered me a sweet smile, which I reciprocated.

"Really?"

"Yes."

I was able to see over Levi's shoulder as Jay and the girl returned holding a case of beers. That was quick. I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. I then noticed that Jay was looking right back at me, and making his way over.

Levi seemed to notice that I was looking over to Jay. Before I could say anything, Jay was at my side.

"Alina why'd you disappear like that?" I could smell weed on him.

"Because I wanted to talk to Levi."

Jay looked over to him and offered him a subtle smile of recognition. "Sup."

"Hi," Levi said.

"Let's go home."

"No," I instinctively crossed my arms. "I want to stay."

Jay looked back and forth between Levi and I before clenching his jaw. "Fine. But at least get drunk or something, who comes to a party to sit around and have a discussion?"

I huffed. "Aren't I going to take us home? I have to stay sober." I didn't know why I was getting defensive, but having heard Jay refer to me as a family friend earlier irked me enough to spark a wave of annoyance within me.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm sober too."

"You're lying." I eyed the cup in his hands. "What's that then?"

"Water. And I know what I did and didn't do. I didn't drink, I only smoked, which doesn't impair judgement."

"Great." I replied curtly.

"We're leaving in twenty minutes."

"Jay it's literally eleven thirty, why would we leave before midnight?"

He scoffed. "Okay Miss party girl. We'll leave whenever you want." With that, he walked back over to his group of friends.

I wondered if Jay was jealous that I was talking to Levi. He was cute and we were having a great conversation, but I wasn't talking to him in order to be petty or anything. I was too old for stupid games.

"What was all that about?" Levi turned to me after Jay had left. "That tension could slice through the air."

I chuckled weakly. "I wish I knew."

Levi and I continued to talk. He started telling me about his future college plans when Jay suddenly came up to me. He seemed annoyed, but sober. There was no stumbling or slurring of words.

"Come on, we're leaving."

I pulled away from his grasp. "No, I'm having a conversation."

"Look, we have to go home."

"Can we wait a few more minutes?"

"No, I want to leave."

"Are you a baby who always has to get his way?'

"Shut up. I think someone being forced to stay somewhere takes precedent over being forced to leave."

"Dude, relax." Levi said from beside me.

I saw that Jay clenched his fists, but said nothing. As infuriating as he was being, he was surprisingly maintaining his composure.

"Alina, come on."

"Jay, you come on," Levi said. "You have to leave right now?"

"Yeah. Unless you want to drive her home forty-five minutes one way."

"You're being childish, Jay. You dragged her here and now that she's having a good time and meeting people besides you, you have a problem?"

"Levi holy fuck shut your mouth. But fine." He then turned to me. "Have fun, Alina." With that, he made his way through the crowd of people and went out the door.

I sighed. "It was really nice meeting you, Levi. But I feel like I should go with him."

He chuckled. "You're going to give into his temper tantrum?"

I managed a smile. "He's my ride home. Or perhaps I should be his."

"Alright," Levi said. "Well it was nice meeting you too. Let me give you my number. Maybe we can meet up soon if you're still around."

"I'm here all summer," I smiled and handed him my phone.

We said our goodbyes after he put his number in, and I headed out. Some people were starting to leave, while others were just arriving. I scanned the area to look for where Jay had parked earlier. To my relief, his car was still there, and I could make out a figure sitting inside. I bounded over to the car and got inside.

"How nice of you to join us." Jay said. His jaw was clenched and he was looking straight ahead.

"What the hell is your problem?" I snapped, turning to face him. I was now annoyed. He started the car. "Are you even sober enough to drive?"

"Yes, I'm sober, I've told you that like a million times."

"Alright."

"Why are you being so snappy?" He started driving.

"You drag me to this party, tell people that I'm basically some rando staying with you, and interrupt my conversation, and make us leave when I'm finally having a good time!"

My words were harsh, but I did not regret them. I was no longer going to let Jay walk all over me. I was also beginning to get a cramp--I was pissed off to the max.

"I'm sorry about that. I-it's just that my friends would have given me a really hard time. You heard what Mark said. Plus it's not like we ever established what we actually are. Besides, it's not like I said that to entertain other girls. You were the one flirting with Liam to try to make me jealous."

"We weren't flirting. Not everything is about you. We were just having a conversation."

"Okay. Sorry."

I looked over to him. I saw that his eyes were starting to get watery.

"Are you kidding me? You're crying again?" I scoffed. "You cry more than anyone I've ever met."

He brought up the back of his hand to wipe the tear away while holding onto the steering wheel with the other. "I'm not." He clenched his jaw once more and furrowed his brows.

"Yes you are holy shit you're a crybaby." I had no clue why he was so upset, but it seemed to me as if he just wanted sympathy. Of which I had none to give.

"You're acting like you've never cried before."

"Yeah, I have. But not all the time for no damn reason."

Jay turned to me. "It's not for no reason. You don't know what my life is like, Alina."

"The oh so difficult life of a privileged boy."

"You know what kind of day I had. You're being an asshole." He said.

"You're the one who always starts these things and ends up bawling for no reason."

"Look, I have unresolved issues. Plus I've had a rough day, you fucking know that. You know the shit I'm in right now."

"You created all of these problems though! It's all in your control and it's only your fault that everything around you is falling apart!"

"No it isn't!" He exclaimed. "I dug myself into a hole because of my circumstances! I haven't had anyone to help me in years."

"There are people a whole lot worse off than you who don't end up being hated by their father or selling drugs."

He turned to me. "What the hell? I've told you basically everything that landed me in this situation. You're acting like I am just this bumbling idiot who ruins everything around him!"

"Because you do! You're just a fuck up!" I yelled. "You have a dad, a stepmom, a house, education, and wealth all at your disposal. You make dumb choices and the hole you're in is your fault and yours alone."

"I had no control over my mom dying." He said quietly.

"Nobody does. Except some people actually make their parents proud."

I looked over at Jay. He was chewing his lip and taking deep, ragged breaths while looking straight at the road ahead. I wondered if I had told him something that he needed to hear, or if I was simply being too harsh.

I waited for him to blow up, to yell back at me. The Jay I knew would have said something to hurt me.

Silence.