"Are you alright?" Flynn's question makes me shift my attention to him.

His brows furrow. He stares at me with wonder. "What was that call all about? Is there something wrong?"

Honestly, it's so much more than that. I'm afraid that this will turn into a disaster.

I'm debating whether I should go back or not, but now that I'm here with Flynn, as well as Ash and Maya, I don't think that what Aiden is doing is fair.

This is the first time for me being at a college party, and that's why I've asked Flynn to come over. We haven't seen each other for quite a while, and he has prolonged his stay in Seattle because of me. I don't want to leave him like this.

I don't want to leave Ash and Maya either.

"You look pale," Flynn says. His voice is filled with worry. "I don't know what just happened, but you need to relax. I'll get you some water first, okay?"

I nod. My throat feels dry, and I don't even know what to do.

Flynn stands up, but then his expression turns serious. "If a guy is approaching you again and trying to take advantage of you, don't be afraid to hit him. I'll only be away for a minute."

I nod again, watching as Flynn walks off.

Before I can worry about what's happening around me, Flynn is already back, just as he said. He hands me a glass of water, and I drink it to calm myself down.

"Hey, what are you doing to her?" A loud voice echoes in my ears. I find Ash staring at the two of us in horror.

She just came back from the dance floor with Maya right behind her.

Ash snatches the glass away from me and glares at Flynn. "What the hell did you just give her?"

Oh my, this is a misunderstanding.

"It's okay, Ash," I quickly interrupt. "He's my friend."

Ash stares at me with a blank expression.

"We're actually really close," I say. "He's like a brother to me. I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you that he was coming here."

Ash's mouth drops open. Her face immediately flushes. "I'm sorry," she abruptly apologizes to Flynn.

"It's okay." Flynn smiles at her. "Nevaeh is lucky to have such a protective friend. Some guys at this party deserve to be knocked out." He throws a glance at Ash's ex-boyfriend, who's laughing with his new girl.

I suddenly remember what Flynn told me. Earlier, he said that he saw me at the entrance. Did he see what happened to Ash?

My gaze shifts to the entrance door. Aiden still hasn't arrived, but my pulse quickens as I think about it. I hope that he won't attract much attention. I don't know what he's going to do.

"Nevaeh," Maya calls. "You look nervous. Are you okay?" She might be thinking that I'm still trying to adjust to these new surroundings. "This party is too loud, but you'll feel better once you dance. Trust me, I did. Let's dance, shall we?"

She offers her hand to lead me to the dance floor. A cheerful smile spreads across her lips.

"Go have some fun," Flynn says, encouraging me. "It's why I'm here."

I sigh, stand up, and take Maya's hand. While the two of us are walking toward the dance floor, I can't help but think about Flynn's words.

Indeed, why is it so difficult for me to just have fun at a college party? Can't everyone just give me a break?

Thinking about Aiden would only make my head blow up. Maybe it's indeed better to not think about him right now, even just for a while.

Maya takes both of my hands, facing me as she pulls me to dance. She leads the first move, and I follow her. We dance to the beat of the music, and a burst of laughter finally escapes from my lips.

Oh God, how long has it been since I last danced like nothing else mattered?

I think the last time I did it was when I had a sleepover at Sienna's house. That night, we were dancing in our pajamas like crazy.

But I've never danced in this kind of place. It feels refreshing.

Maya and I switch places, now having our backs against each other. I move my hips, and so does she.

I can hear a guy whistle, but his comment isn't audible enough for me to understand. Another guy shouts, and before I know it, people cheer on us.

Maya spins around, and that's when she bumps quite hard into someone. The guy catches her upper arm to prevent her from falling.

Her eyes widen as she sees who the person is. It's Kai.

Maya detaches herself from him awkwardly.

"Are you okay?" Kai asks.

Maya nods. "Yeah. Thank you for your help." She quickly turns her head toward me, probably thinking that he's looking for me. "Um... Nevaeh's there."

Kai stares at me, and a sad smile touches his lips. "That's okay. She doesn't want to dance with me, anyway." With that said, he walks away.

I feel horrible.

I told him that I didn't feel like dancing tonight because my feet hurt, which was clearly a lie, considering how wild I was dancing just now.

Maya approaches me with guilt and panic skating all over her face.

"I'm sorry," she says. "It's because I asked you to dance."

I shake my head. "It's not your fault at all."

"Should we get off the dance floor?"

she asks, and I nod in agreement. "I feel thirsty. We should get some drinks."

She takes my hand, and we walk through the crowd. I see the kitchen area, but then another hallway catches my attention. There's a sign leading to a restroom, and I need to go there.

I halt, letting go of Maya's hand. She turns around, but a large group of people passes between us, separating us.

I know that we probably should stick with each other, but I don't think that I can hold my bladder.

"I need to go to the restroom," I say.

"What?" she shouts because of the loud noises around us.

More people come between us, making it harder for us to reach each other.

"I need to go to the restroom," I speak louder. "It's okay. I can go there alone. We'll meet again at our table, okay?"

I can't hear Maya's voice, but I see her nodding with worry. Then she's completely out of sight.

I swallow and proceed to the hallway leading to the restroom. Some people come out of the hallway, but when I walk further, I notice how deserted it is compared to the other areas of the house.

There's something uncomfortable about the air around here, so I better get this done quickly.

I finally find the restroom next to the powder room, where some girls are fixing their appearances in front of the mirror. At least, I'm not alone.

I step into the restroom and lock the door. I pee, flush the toilet, and step out to wash my hands. When I stare at my reflection, I notice that my face is a bit sweaty and red.

It was too hot back there on the dance floor.

I'm about to walk off when someone behind me suddenly cries out in pain.

"What the fuck, man? Let go of my hand." His voice is shaking with fear.

"Did you think that you could just grope her from behind?" another voice hisses coldly, filled with anger.

I freeze on the spot. I know this voice so well.

**

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