"You can't imagine how many of these shirts I lose to women," I tug at the end of the Armani button-down Audrey is wearing.

"Actually, I can. I know you, remember?" She says as she starts the coffee maker.

"Obviously, otherwise you wouldn't feel so comfortable wandering around my flat in nothing but a shirt," I smirk.

"Get over yourself, Bailey."

"What? I can't be happy that you're sleeping with me?"

She turns and gives me an unamused expression.

So, naturally...I laugh.

"Now, what if someone heard you say that?" Audrey sighs.

"Oh, they'd definitely think we are having sex," Trevor nods, "but the only other person here is Harry...and he sees you coming out of the guest room every morning."

"Aren't you worried about what Alison might think?" She pours herself a cup of coffee, making it black with two sugars.

"Why should I be worried?"

"Because for some unknown reason, you like her."

"And that, Audrey, is exactly why this is so great," I say slyly, "not only do I have a sexy new roommate...but she cares."

"Go on..."

"If she cares enough to be jealous, then she still wants me."

"She won't if you keep calling me sexy," Audrey says arrogantly.

"Well, that'd be an injustice to you."

She playfully rolls her eyes, "do you know why I called you that day, Trevor?"

"Because I'm a financial genius?"

"That...and because you're the only friend I know who wouldn't pity me."

"Audrey Juliet Michaels...how could anyone ever feel sorry for someone so divine?" She smiles in response before trying to hide her flattered expression behind her cup. "Stay as long as you want...and try not to spill on the shirt."

"I'll go change."

"Can I watch?" I say suggestively.

"Trevor," Audrey shakes her head.

"...Take it off," my eyes scan over her as I stand back.

"Whatever..." she says as if she's considering it.

"Here...let me help," I look directly into her eyes...tracing my fingertip down her neck and over her skin until I reached the first button on the shirt, undoing it easily.

"You'd be a terrible boyfriend."

"This is what you would've wanted if we were dating, right?" Jace leans up against the lockers next to mine.

"...what?" I say in confusion.

Jace looks around to make sure no one is watching, "here," he takes my hand and places what feels like a stack of cards in it.

When he pulls his hand away, I see that they're not cards at all, but rather a few...flashy shots of Ali.

"Oh, my god," I quickly flip over the photos so that the picture side is down.

"Yeah, I know," Jace raises his eyebrows.

"Why give them to me? Why not Alison?"

"I kinda figured she'd be a little less...horrified if you were the one handing those to her instead of me."

"I think she'll be horrified regardless."

"Probably...but you'll know what to do," Jace backs away, sending me a thin smile.

I scoff in response. What makes him think Alison won't still be uncomfortable after realizing I saw them too? At least she already knows that he did.

Maybe they're better off in the trash...

I groan and swiftly close my locker in frustration, accidentally shutting the strap of my bag in, as a result.

"Dammit," I sighed and set everything I was holding down by my feet so I could reopen my locker. However, the Polaroids began sliding down the slant of my binder.

"Need some help?" Leo asks, crouching down with me to pick up my stuff.

"Oh, no— you don't have to-" I try to speak up before he could grab anything, but the pictures were already in his hands.

"Wow...you and your friends are close," Leo says as I quickly regather the polaroids.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You don't have to. I already heard about your friend...and those pictures...and those guys," Leo shrugs nonchalantly.

"I never would've thought you were one to listen to rumors."

"I'm not...but word gets around. Plus, if it's true, then it's not a rumor."

"It's also none of your business," I narrow my eyes at him.

"It's yours?" Leo argues. "I doubt that she gave you those pictures."

I huff in annoyance, "I'm throwing them away."

"Without telling her? If it were you in those pictures, wouldn't you want to know where they were?"

"I'd want them gone, and they will be. Can I go now?" I push past him.

"I'm not trying to make you mad, butterfly," Leo calls out, "I don't even like your friends, but I think you should talk to her first. Who knows if she'd do the same for you, but you're-"

"Ugh," I groan and start walking up on him, "if you tell me that I'm better than that one more time, Leo, I swear I'll-"

"You'll what?" He smirks, clearly unfazed.

And there you go again..."stop looking at me like that."

Leo chuckles, "I don't know what you're talking about." Yet, his arrogance says otherwise.

I shake my head and sigh, "I don't have time for this. I have to go."

"Good luck."

"You know, just because you play guardian angel to everyone around you, doesn't mean that anyone else wants to take on that savior complex."

He seems to scoff in disbelief, "Heather, that's really funny to hear coming from you, because you never seem to complain when it's you I'm saving."

"Son," my father yells up the stairs, "you have a guest."

I sigh and throw my head back before grudgingly heading toward the staircase.

"Jace, if you're here to give me shit then you can just-" I stop speaking when it's not Jace I see at the bottom of the steps.

"What did Kendal do to piss you off?" Tony smiles and laughs at my hostility.

"Nothing today, and I want to keep it that way," I said as I came down the stairs.

"Coach is mad you skipped practice, I told him you had food poisoning," Tony smirked.

"Thanks for covering, but you don't have to. I'm quitting lacrosse," I say smugly.

"Quitting?" Milligan shouts, "you can't quit, the team needs you!"

"Screw the team," I say without hesitation, "have fun trying to win without me."

"But you're off the bench now. Why are you leaving?"

"I'm done playing little kid's games, Tony," I straighten my tie in the reflection of one of my mother's paintings, "it's time to play with the big boys."

"What do you mean?"

"I've just been thinking..." I say slyly, "after I got the letter stating that they made a mistake and I got the internship after all...and I called and told them to go screw themselves...I realized I don't need any of this."

"...you're starting to freak me out a bit, Carey," Tony laughs awkwardly.

"Doing the right thing and doing things the right way is a waste of goddamn time," I shrug, "right is pointless. I don't want to do that anymore," I start walking toward my dad's study, "follow me."

Once he's in, I close the doors behind us.

"So, what's your plan?"

I grab the decanter of Scotch and pour it into two glasses.

"I'm glad you asked," I hand him one.

"My dad is working this case, this guy got himself into trouble something about embezzlement and tax fraud, whatever. Point is— he owns this place, well, he did...but before he was arrested, he signed it over to his brother so that it couldn't be taken from him. Obviously, his accounts have been frozen...but if he sells this place, he'll have money to spend...or flee the country with, I don't care."

"Okay, so what's the place?" Tony sips his scotch.

"Currently...it's a lowly bar, particularly favored by CEOs and white collars. In other words, boring."

"...you want to buy it...don't you?" He raises an eyebrow at me.

"Imagine that same lowly bar, sitting there like a mask...and behind the mask is your wildest dreams."

"Keep talking," Tony smirks.

"Gamblers...strippers...escorts, I want them all. It'll be my funhouse, a surprise behind every door."

He chuckles, "a casino slash nightclub slash bordello?"

"Exactly," I nod, "and I can do it too. I have the money to buy the bar...I just need an investor."

"...how about me?"

I laugh at his suggestion, "no offense, Tony, but you're not exactly a businessman. I'm not either, I'll be doing this all behind my dad's name. No one is going to want to invest in a teenager."

"My uncle owns a chain of casinos all over California. If I can get him to invest...will you let me be your partner?"

"...you think he'll do that?"

"Sure he will, he's into stuff like this. He can probably even recommend some suppliers who don't mind doing business under the table," Tony shrugs.

"Then if you're willing to take on this risk, you've got yourself a deal," I extend my hand out for him to shake.

"Hey, what happens in Vegas, right?" He shakes my hand proudly.

"No," I smirk, "what happens in Manhattan."

"Really?" Val gasps.

"Yes, Vally, look at the ring," Mariana squeals happily.

"Oh, my god, I'm so jealous."

"Well, don't be. It'll be your turn before you know it," Mariana says reassuringly.

Like hell, it will be.

I love Val, but I hate when stuff like this happens.

When she sees a baby...she wants a baby. When someone gets engaged...she wants to get engaged. And I have to hear about it for a week.

"Kevin really loves you then, doesn't he?"

Mariana giggles, "what do you think?"

I roll over in the bed when I hear footsteps approaching. Val comes in, and I pretend to be asleep.

"Danny," she gently shakes me, "baby..."

"Hm?"

"Did you hear? Kevin proposed to Mariana," I feel the bed dip down next to me.

"That's nice," I mumble.

"I love you."

I sigh and roll back over to face her, "I love you too, are we done now?"

Val huffs and crosses her arms, "sure, Danny, we're done."

"Baby...don't be like that," I try to brush my thumb over her cheek but she pulls away from me. "I hate when you get like this."

"Like what?" She rolls her eyes.

"All sentimental and shit as if you need to be reminded that you're my girl."

"Maybe I do, Danny. You spend more time with Leo and Matt than you do me. You only come over because you don't want to stay with your dad."

"I'm with you all the time, Val, I'm surprised you haven't gotten sick of me yet."

"Why, because you're sick of me?"

"Wha-" I scoff, "I didn't say that."

"You go to that fancy school every day, and I don't know what you do there...or who you talk to."

"You don't trust me?" I narrow my eyes at her.

"I do, Danny, but when you're not with me, it makes me wonder who you are with," Val says, "before I was your girlfriend, you dated some of those girls there. I know you did."

"I didn't date them, I hooked up with one or two my first year there...just to do it," I say honestly, "If you're worried about old girlfriends, then be glad I don't go to Chester."

None of my exes got transferred to Addington. I don't think they made the cut grade-wise, despite only needing a C-average and a decent attendance record to be eligible.

Sloane Sarandon made it though. She's not an ex, but I did like her...and we could have dated, but Leo liked her first, and when she asked me out...I just couldn't do that to him.

"You're a jerk," Val gets from off of the bed.

"I don't know what you want from me," I huffed. "I'm trying to talk you down, and it's not working. So, just tell me what to say or do."

"I don't know. It doesn't matter, it's fine."

I shake my head, "it's not, but okay whatever."

"Whatever?" She scowls at me.

"Yeah, I don't care," I shrug.

"You don't care?"

"Not at all," I say to rile her up. It's only a real fight if she starts being dismissive...if she's yelling at me, then we're okay and I can fix it...easy.

"You know what you are?" She says rhetorically as she starts approaching me with a cold glare, "You're such an ass, Daniel!" Val says harshly, "so, how about you take all your stupid ex-girlfriends and put them in your stupid, shitty van, and then shove it-" I grab her by the waist and pull her down on top of me to kiss her...which shuts her up right away.

"You know what I love about you?" I smirk against her lips.

"What?" Val pulls away, giving me a look that says: 'This better be good.'

"You scream at me when you're mad..."

She tries to hide her smile as she rolls her eyes, "you get on my nerves, Danny."

"I know," I tighten my grip on her waist and kiss her slowly.

"Mmm," Val bites down on my lip, and I start unbuckling my jeans.

"Take your clothes off," I reach over to take a condom off of her nightstand.

I pull my shirt over my head and tug down my jeans while she undresses. We're moving like there's no time to waste, ripping open the condom wrapper with my teeth and spitting out the torn foil before slipping it on.

Val straddled me immediately, and I didn't even need to ask if she was ready because she simply slid onto my cock, gasping out as she sank down on me. I smiled arrogantly at her reaction as I breathed out as well.

Her hands stayed on my chest and mine rested on the small of her back following the motion of her hips and lifting mine to meet hers.

She bounced up and down on me in swift, fast movements...dragging herself over my dick. I groaned and sucked in air between my teeth as I let her ride. She looked almost too good, and I rose up and kissed her to help keep her from being too loud.

Moans fell out of her lips anyway, and she leaned her head down on my shoulder, her nails dragging down my skin as she rocked against me and I guided her waist, holding her up so I could thrust up into her.

I didn't stop after she came, going harder and faster, instead, until I fucked her into another orgasm. There's no way in hell she'll still want to fight after this...

She latched onto me, her body ready to give out. "I love you," I whispered into her ear as she moaned into mine.

"I love you— too, Danny," Val says through broken moans.

My fingertips dug into her hips and soon she was watching me cum...my eyes tightly shut and my head thrown back against the headboard, exposing my neck that she didn't hesitate to start marking up.

My lips were parted and her gaze fell to where our bodies connected and where I was finishing off by still grinding into her and somehow still cumming. Val moaned softly as she rode out my high and I hummed blissfully in the comedown.

She laid next to me after I slid out of her.

"Still mad at me?" I smirked.

"Shut up, Danny," she smiled and looked away shyly.

"Didn't think so," I said smugly before standing up to go toss out the condom, "works every time," I laugh to myself.