After a while, my eyes traveled to the couple again, and this time, I couldn't look away. I wanted to, but I didn't stand a chance. I saw every excruciatingly horrid movement of their lips, skin against skin, her rolling hips on top of his body. It would have been a thousand times easier if he had reciprocated, then I would have dropped it and moved on, but this...I felt ill, and not only because of the alcohol.

"Why does he let her...?" My voice came out slightly strained.

"I don't know," Tyra answered, her voice barely a whisper. "I'll get you another beer." She shot up from her spot and walked over the patio and into the house. I wish she would have brought me with her. Instead I kept staring, growing more and more uncomfortable with each passing second.

"Hey, I know it looks pretty strange, but don't bother. That guy doesn't deserve more attention."

I turned towards Mike as he spoke, finally able to tear my eyes away again. I wanted to tell him...I wanted to say no. I didn't know why. I didn't even know if there was something I should answer. Had he asked a question? His words just felt wrong, and I wanted to disagree.

"Whatever," I answered flatly, no one needed to know that Zach made me uncomfortable. No one needed to know just how much he affected me despite being a cold, lifeless bastard. The worst of it all was that I knew the signs. I had fallen for the bad boy act before, and I wasn't particularly interested in doing it again. Yet, here I was, slate clean but soiled in an instant.

In the corner of my eye I saw Mike pull up his phone and take a photo of the couple. I had to bite my lip to refrain from saying something stupid.

"You never know when you might need some delicate material," he said with a wink. I just scoffed, realizing that Mike was a lot less cool than I'd assumed. Who said stuff like that? His phone rang and he shot me a goofy grin and another wink before scampering away deeper into the large garden. Obviously a girl calling, perhaps even the girl, whoever that was.

"You're still sitting here?" Tyra handed me a cup which I downed in a matter of seconds. I threw it away into the bushes, letting out a sliver of that ominous frustration that was boiling within me. Faking a smile, I stood up and dragged Tyra toward the house.

"Let me see you shake that ass of yours," I said, hoping that dancing would take my mind off of things.

"Only if you do the same!" she replied and wrapped her arm around my waist, giggling like an intoxicated girl, which she was.

The music roared in my ears, tempering the tempest inside. I always used music to forget, to release, and it was time to snap out of this weird thing that held me hostage. As I moved in a daze of alcohol, I felt hands slip up under my shirt, stroking along the edge of my pants. My skin burned from the contact as I imagined someone else's hands. I tore the thought away, tore the hands away and opened my eyes to stare into two blue, piercing eyes.

His blond hair fell in unruly waves as he danced, smiling as he saw my eyes wander. It was a hungry smile, and I knew what it meant. He wanted a fuck with no strings attached, exactly what I needed as well. I needed to let out those smothering emotions that clung to every fiber of my being. I gave him the encouragement he needed and felt a hand wrap itself around mine, walking me out of the house.

As we left the party for the dark street outside, he stopped, smiled smugly again and gave me a messy kiss. I'd rather he hadn't, but for some reason I just couldn't make myself care. I just needed release, a few moments of lustful pleasure to take my mind off of him. The blond pulled my body closer to his and rubbed against me seductively. His soft lips hardened against my mouth as he expertly guided his tongue against my own. He tasted like beer and bubble gum. Odd combination if there ever was one. A primal groan built in the back of his throat as he deepened our kiss.

"Danny."

The familiar voice jarred me away from my drunken kiss with the blond boy. I pushed away from him and craned my neck back to see none other than Zach standing just feet away from us. My stomach bottomed out as he looked between the two of us.

"Hey Zach. What's up? I'm kind of busy here..." the blond boy, Danny, responded with a scowl.

Zach's eyebrows pinched together as his gaze shifted from Danny to me, but that was it. He crossed his arms over his chest, distancing himself. Then his cold eyes wandered across my body, assessing me from head to toe. An unwelcome blush rose to my cheeks and I tried to look away, but I couldn't. His eyes were so dark, giving nothing away. It was the type of look I used to give to Lily when she would watch those stupid Princess shows on the kid TV network, telling her to stop watching by just staring at her long enough.

Then there was something, his jaw clenched, ever so slightly, as his gaze came to rest on my groin. His nostrils flared as he took in the sight of my poorly disguised hard-on. Could this possibly be anymore humiliating? Danny moved a step in front of me, shifting Zach's attention away from me. There's no reason this guy should affect me so much. Hell, only minutes ago he had his tongue down some girl's throat. So why did I feel so guilty about my kiss with Danny?

"I'm leaving," Zach announced.

"Where's your date?" Danny asked.

Zach ignored the question completely. Instead his eyes shifted to me again. There was a spark of something in them, but it vanished just as quickly as it came. Then, with a nod toward Danny, Zach turned on his heels to leave, sauntering into the darkness of the night.

"Hey!" Danny called after him. "I still need a ride home!"

"Get your own ride home," Zach growled over his shoulder. "Looks like you got one already."

Danny's shoulders slumped as Zach walked away. He let out a disgruntled sigh and turned towards me. His lips were slightly swollen from our kiss and the heat in my cheeks traveled down to the rest of my body. I had been caught kissing guys before. It happened. So why did getting caught by Zach affect me so much?

"Well that sucks," Danny mumbled and pulled out his cell phone. "Sorry about the interruption. You mind if I call for a different ride? Or could you give me a ride home after we...?"

His question was left open, but it didn't take a genius to figure out where he was going with it. He still wanted to fuck me, apparently not fazed by the run-in with Zach. I, on the other hand, couldn't seem to get it out of my mind. Of all the times I had seen him so far, his face was always blank; his eyes lifeless. This was the first time I saw even a speck of emotion filter through those cold eyes of his.

But what was that emotion?

Danny gave me a probing look as he waited for my answer. His eyebrows arched when my response wasn't immediate.

"I think I'm going to have to pass," I said to him. "If you need a ride home, I can give you one, though."

Danny jerked away from me. His eyebrows scrunched together with frustration. I didn't wait for a response from him as I walked back toward the party. I hadn't been in this town for very long and already I had managed to piss a few people off.

Maybe a few more beers would help me sort it all out. I bet Tyra would have a few more drinks with me, that was if I could pry her off the dance floor. I grabbed a beer as I entered the house again, and I tried to do my best to get back into the party mode.

Yet, all that kept coming back to me was Zach's chiseled face. His stance, so defensive but powerful, and those cool, haunted eyes that seemed to hide so much.