Nervousness swirled inside of me at school the following morning. I had no idea what I would have to face, and a part of me didn’t want to stick around to find out.

I had agreed to go to the club with Darren and ended the night with Taylor. How the hell did that happen? I knew exactly how it had happened. I’d left Taylor in the club, finally feeling as though I had control of my life, but I had been wrong. So damn wrong. I really had no control when it came to him and how he made me feel. There was no denying how bad we were for each other. Wrong, even. But he was the best kind of wrong in my life and I needed him too much to simply walk away.

He’d told me everything—about visiting his dad in prison and finding out that he wasn’t really his father. It made perfect sense why he had gone so cold all of a sudden, and how he had pushed me away, thinking he was doing the right thing. I hoped he realised now how wrong he had been to even think that. I wanted to be there for him. I also wanted him to know that he could tell me anything. Although our situation wasn’t the same, at least I understood a little how he was feeling. I was a master at closing myself off from the rest of the world. But he had to know that I would have done anything to help him.

A small part of me was still a little hurt that he hadn’t realised that. I couldn’t help but feel that we’d wasted so much time destroying our friendship, avoiding our feelings and trying to hurt one another that we could have missed out on something really good. But, between my lack of memory and Taylor’s news, we were a bad combination. On paper, we were so damn wrong for each other. In reality, we shouldn’t have worked. But in our case, two wrongs did make a right, because despite the odds, we had each other and together we could find that balance we needed in order to survive.

I blew out a breath and continued to walk the small path that led to the gates. Brightly coloured leaves littered the walkway and I made bigger movements with my feet, relishing the way they felt beneath me. I pulled out my phone and noticed a text from Taylor. I couldn’t hide my smile as I swiped the screen.

He couldn’t stop thinking about last night? Taylor thinking about me at all was enough to send me into my very own danceathon.

I hit reply, feeling brave.

I laughed into my hand as I hit send. Immediately, he responded.

I could almost picture his face, scowling. I suddenly felt bad.

I added a winking face before sending.

I frowned.

I hit send and almost wished I hadn’t. Would he think I was desperate? Great, I was already sounding like one of those needy bimbos he hated so much. Worse. I was turning into Melanie.

I groaned.

A fiery blush crept up my neck, smothering my cheeks. So not the response I was expecting. I suddenly felt exposed. Bare. Another text pinged through.

What? How? I glanced up, half expecting to see Taylor appear in front of me, but he was nowhere to be seen. I began to type quickly.

I didn’t get to finish what I was typing, though. Two hands snaked around my waist, locking me in place, and I squealed. “What the hell?”

No matter how much I fought to break free from the tight hold, it was no use.

“I’ve missed you,” Taylor whispered behind me.

I turned in his arms and stared up at him, my cheeks still warm. “You just saw me last night.” I giggled.

“Too long,” he said before he lowered his mouth to mine. I melted against him. Taylor had that effect on me.

Lost in his touch, I almost forgot where we were. My arms came up and looped around his neck just as he deepened the kiss. Right now, I didn’t care where we were or who would see us. When we were like this, the whole world faded away around me. Right now, it was just the two of us enjoying a moment of pure fucking bliss. I could easily have spent every waking moment like this, in his arms. I never wanted the kiss to end.

Just when I thought it was about to, Taylor pulled back slightly and tugged my lower lip into his mouth. He let out a primal growl and I actually moaned. I didn’t have time to feel embarrassed about that. Not when his erection pressed against my belly. I liked that I made him feel that way, that I did that to him. I also liked knowing that I affected him just as much as he did me.

Eventually, though, the kiss did end and Taylor and I fell into step side by side as we walked the short distance to the quad. We were silent as we did. My head hung low as I studied the ground as if it were something amazing. It wasn’t really. It was just a distraction from the prying eyes and whispers I knew were waiting for me when I looked up.

“What’s up?” Taylor asked, knocking his arm against mine.

I begrudging lifted my eyes to his and shrugged. “Nothing really. I guess it just feels a little weird after last night, that’s all.”

Taylor pulled me to a stop and spun me around in front of him, forcing my eyes back to his. “No one is going to say anything, Firebox. I won’t let them, I promise.”

I smiled. He already knew what was bothering me before I’d even said anything. “You can’t stop them and you shouldn’t have to. I’m a big girl, Taylor. I don’t need you to defend me. Besides, they’re right. Not even you can deny how bad this looks. I’m a slut.” I groaned and threw my head back.

Taylor dropped his own head back and laughed. “You’re not a slut, babe. Not even close. It’s not like anything happened between you and Darren anyway. It was just a drink.”

I was still reeling from the texts that I had gotten that morning from the girls in English so I didn’t answer him.

“It was just a drink, right?”

I shook my head. “What? Yes. Of course it was just a drink. I wouldn’t do that—”

Before I could finish, I collided with Taylor’s chest. He was gazing down at me with look of intensity. I swallowed hard, warmth flooding my stomach.

“No one touches you but me, understand? No one.”

I could only nod in response.