I stumbled out into the parking lot with Danny and Ronnie as she guided us to the car.

"Why do you guys always get so messy?" She laughed, shaking her head, opening the door for us.

"Speak for yourself." Danny giggled, climbing in first. "Sam's the one that gets crazy."

"I do not." I said, hopping in, shutting the door behind me. "It's a party, what else are we supposed to do?" I lied down, leaning my head against the door.

"So what was all that about in there?" Danny asked, leaning up to talk to Ronnie. She sighed, shaking her head.

"I think Josh and Jess are breaking up." She said quietly. I picked my head up, looking over at them.

"Breaking up?" I asked. "I.. I didn't know they were.. together." Ronnie shrugged, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know what you call it these days, either way, I think it's over between them." I sat up, leaning in close.

"W-what makes you say that?" I asked. She peeked back at me, her eyes peeled in the rearview mirror.

"Because.. there's someone else." She said softly. I felt my cheeks burn. Someone else? Did that mean.. maybe..

"Why are you so curious?" Ronnie asked. "I thought you two were staying out of it." Danny laughed, playfully shoving me.

"Well, I am.. Sam on the other hand.." I glared at him, shoving him back.

"What about Sam??" Ronnie snapped, turning back.

"Nothing about Sam!" I yelled. "There's.. there's nothing."

"Yeah, except for the fact that he fell for her too. What is it with this girl that you all lose your minds over her?" Danny said, rolling his eyes, leaning back in his seat. It felt like my face was on fire. Ronnie was the last person I wanted to know about this.. if there was anything to know.

Which there wasn't.

"Sam, I swear to God.." She said, shaking her head, turning back around. "Please do not get involved in this." I sighed, leaning back, staring out the window.

"Don't worry.. nothings gonna happen." I sighed.

"And not by lack of him trying." Danny giggled. I shot him a look, shoving him again.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ronnie yelled, looking back at me in the rearview mirror.

"It means he's been trying to win her over ever since her and Jake broke up. You should see him.. it's gross." Danny laughed.

"Will you shut up!" I snapped, feeling my cheeks burn again.

"Sam, please, for my sake.."

"Nothings gonna happen." I said softly. "Don't worry. She doesn't feel that way about me. We're.. we're friends. That's all." She glared back at me.

"I just don't want you to get hurt too." She said quietly.

"I know." I sighed. She was quiet for a moment, then looked back again.

"What has he been doing, Danny?" She asked. I felt my heart beating faster as I shot him a look. He smirked, rolling his eyes.

"For starters, he can't keep his hands off her."

"Samuel!" Ronnie snapped, a smile escaping her lips. I bit down on my lip, holding in my smile.

"That is not true.." I said, feeling my cheeks burn.

"Sam, she slept with you in your bed.."

"She what!?" Ronnie yelled, turning around to look at me. I kept my eyes out the window, holding in my smile.

"She was upset.. and.. she asked me to.. it.. it wasn't like that."

"Sam, I like Jess, she's a great girl but.. please." She sighed. I looked down, awkwardly picking at my fingernails.

"You guys just.. you don't get it." I said quietly.

"What don't we get?" Ronnie asked.

"Well, she has been.. very friendly with him too." Danny chimed in. "Honestly.. she might.." I felt my heart start to beat faster.

"She might.. what, Danny?"

"She.. she might like him. Seeing them together.." He sighed. "It is cute, I'll admit. She looks.. so happy when she's with him." I did my best to try and hide my smile.

"Sam, I just think.. you shouldn't get involved."

"That's what I said." Danny laughed, looking over at me. I smirked at him, feeling my cheeks burn again.

"I just.. I don't know, I have fun with her. I.. I can talk to her about anything. And I just.. I want to be there for her and.. I know she'd be there for me and-"

"Oh my god.." Ronnie groaned, pulling into our driveway. "You've got it bad. Sam.."

"I do not have it bad." I laughed, getting out of the car. "I just-"

"You've got it bad." Danny laughed, following me out. I shook my head, trying to hold in my smile as I followed the two of them inside.

We made our way into the kitchen where Ronnie went into the fridge, grabbing us all more drinks.

"What happened to no more drinking?" Danny laughed, sitting down at the counter. Ronnie rolled her eyes, popping off the caps and handing us each a bottle.

"That was before I found out about this." She said, motioning towards me. I sat down next to Danny, grabbing the other bottle.

"Alright, let's actually think about this.." Ronnie said, leaning up against the counter. "Let's say she does like you. Then what?" I bit down on my lip, feeling my cheeks burn.

"I.. I don't know, I-"

"Would you date her? Despite knowing about Josh and Jake?" She asked, taking a sip. I shrugged.

"Her and Jake are done." I said quietly, picking at my nails again. "And.. why am I the bad guy here? What about Josh?"

"You know how Josh is.." She sighed. "But you know better, Sam." I rolled my eyes, looking away.

"What's stopping you from telling her?" Danny asked. "It may just be easier to find out rather than forcing us all to watch you two flirt with each other, trying to act like you're not.."

"We don't fl-"

"Don't even try that." Danny laughed, leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms. "She wears your sweater, your arm is always around her, she stays in your bunk, you're taking her to get a guitar for Christmas.." I quickly shot him a look, feeling my cheeks burn bright red.

"You're doing what?" Ronnie asked, staring back at me wide-eyed. I sighed, keeping my eyes down.

"I told her.. I'd take her to get a guitar for her Christmas gift. She asked me to help her write a song one day and.. she's pretty good. So.. I wanted to take her to get her own, and maybe-"

"And maybe she'd fall in love with you while you taught her." Danny laughed.

"It was just.. another excuse to spend time with her." I said quietly, picking the label off my bottle. Ronnie stared back at me, her lips curving into a gentle smile.

"Sam.." She sighed. "You know this is stupid, right?" I smirked back at her, nodding.

"Yeah.." I said, shrugging.

Then we all jumped, hearing a car door slam outside. Ronnie and I both looked at each other, wide-eyed.

"Yeah.. they're definitely done." Ronnie said softly, taking another sip of her drink. I peeked out into the living room to see Josh, slamming the front door behind him, storming off into his bedroom. Danny sighed, getting up from his seat.

"I'll go talk to him." He said, making his way down the hall. I got up from my seat when Ronnie stopped me.

"Where are you going?" She asked. I bit down on my lip, feeling my cheeks burn.

"I.. I was gonna see if-"

"If she was okay?" She asked, smirking at me. I nodded, looking down.

"Are you gonna tell her?"

"W-what if now is my only chance?" I said softly, peeking up at her. She sighed, holding her stare on me.

"You guys have a good thing, why ruin it?"

"Because.. I've had too much to drink and I don't ever think I'm gonna be this brave again. Besides, you said there was someone else.. what if it's me?"

"Sam, she-"

"I'm.. I'm gonna get changed and then.. I'm gonna talk to her." I said, getting up and going into the bathroom. As I hopped into the shower, my mind starting racing. What would I even say to her?

Hey Jess, I know we're friends and all, and I know you're in love with my brother, maybe even both of them so.. how about one more?

I shook the thought. Was I being stupid? What made me think this would even work? Was I completely overthinking this? Maybe this whole time she really did only see me as a friend. Maybe.. she was just being nice to me, and all of that didn't mean.. anything. My heart was racing as I stepped out, drying off and making my way into my room. I threw on an old white t-shirt and pair of sweat pants, tossing my hair into a bun.

She had never made me nervous before, but now just the thought of her made me feel like I was going to be sick. What if this ruined everything? I stopped in my doorway, now second guessing myself.

Hey Jess, it's Christmas Eve, so what better time to potentially ruin a great friendship by saying I really like you and I think that we should be together.

This was stupid. I was being stupid. I went back over to my bed, plopping down, staring up at the ceiling. But what if.. she did feel the same way? What if.. just a few seconds of courage turned into something.. amazing?

But was that worth the risk?

I felt my heart start to beat faster at the thought of her, holding my face in her hands, smiling back up at me, pulling me into a kiss. I wanted to know so badly what it would feel like to kiss her. It felt like the other day.. it could've happened. Maybe.

I hopped back up, quickly making my way down the hallway. I had to stop psyching myself out. I just had to say it.

Jess, I really like you, and I think maybe you.. you might feel the same way. What's better than getting to be with your best friend? I think we'd be perfect for each other.

I wiped my hands on my pants as I felt them start to sweat. The last thing I wanted to do was gross her out if.. anything were to happen. As I got closer, I could hear her in the living room. My heart started beating faster.

Who was she talking to?

Finally I turned the corner, peeking in to see her sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace with Jake. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a passionate kiss. He lifted her up, pulling her into his lap.

"I love you." He sighed, kissing her harder, smiling back at her.

"I love you." She said, reaching up, tangling her fingers in his hair.

My heart dropped.

I quickly backed away before I could hear anything else, making my way back into my bedroom, quietly shutting the door, and tossing myself back onto my bed. My chest felt tight and hollow, my stomach sick.

I pulled my pillow over my head as I felt tears start to come to my eyes.