"Where do you want me to take you?" He asked as soon as we got into his car.

I can't go to Shelby's house, I was still mad at her for the stunt she pulled earlier on tonight. I definitely cannot go home because everyone's going to ask questions - questions I can't answer. I trust Miles, and he was there so he knows what happened. I didn't want anyone else to know.

So I shrugged. "I don't know," I answered honestly. I was about to explain why but he shook his head at me.

"I understand," He said with a knowing look. "I'll take you to my house."

"Can I get a first aid box please?" I asked him, as soon as we got to his room.

He quickly stood up and started checking me once again, his eyes scanning over me anxiously. "Why? Are you hurt? Why didn't you tell me when I asked you earlier?"

"No. I'm okay," I told him but he still looked unconvinced, so I had to elaborate. "It's for you."

"No. I'm fine," He stubbornly said.

"No, you're not. And it's all my fault," I told him as I made him sit on his bed and then sat next to him. I took one of his hands and traced my fingers over the dried blood on his knuckles. There was also some torn skin along his knuckles, and it looked really painful because it was hard to ignore the way he sucked in a breath at the contact.

"It's in the second drawer of my bedside table." He gave up trying to argue with me.

I went to go get it then took a seat next to him once again. I dipped the cotton ball into the alcohol-laced medication and applied it onto his knuckles.

He immediately squeezed my hand as he groaned in pain.

"I'm sorry." I said as I subconsciously pulled my hand away.

"No, it's not you. It's okay, carry on." He told me softly.

I could feel them coming. The tears. As a result of the guilt that was eating away at me, my eyes started to sting. Add the haunting thoughts of my terrible encounter with a whole sexual predator to that list and we have a winner. I was an emotional wreck right now and I knew it.

This time when I applied the medication, he looked away, kept his eyes shut tight, and tried to keep the pain in by clenching his jaw. Trying to blink the tears away, I caused one of them to fall down my cheek.

After that, they seemed unstoppable, coming directly one after the other.

I sniffled.

"I'm sorry, just hold on. It will be all over soon." I reassured him with a quavering voice. I could feel his eyes on me but he remained silent.

When I was finished, I wrapped his knuckles with bandages on both his hands while he watched me intensely.

"Why?" I asked, feeling bad about him getting hurt because he was only trying to protect me.

"Why what?" He asked.

"Why did you do this? You fought him for me and I got away but now you're hurt," I said, tracing the cut on his lip with my finger.

He clenched his jaw. "What do you mean? I couldn't just let that fucker get away with what he did. The fact that he touched you was enough for me to kill him!"

I flinched at his high tone of voice filled with venom and anger.

"So what? You expected me to just go back inside after I saw him doing that to you?" It's a good thing the walls in his house weren't that thin. Otherwise, his entire family would have already woken up.

"I'm sorry, I was only asking." I said softly, looking down at my lap. "I didn't mean to make you angry."

His face softened when I looked up at him. "I'm not angry at you, I'm angry at the fucker for even thinking he had the right to touch you like that. Why some men feel entitled to do this is beyond me."

"Thank you." I whispered, putting my arms around his neck in an embrace. He was quick to respond as he circled his strong arms around my waist. "I honestly don't know what I would have done without you tonight, Miles." I said as soon as I pulled back and looked at him. "I just... I just wish it never happened, then you also wouldn't be hurt."

His gaze slowly searching mine, he suddenly cupped my neck, his thumb brushing the edge of my jaw as he slowly leaned in. His touch was incredibly soft, gentle. Swallowing hard, I kept my gaze locked on his eyes, which had turned dark with desire, as the distance between us slowly became non-existent. When our lips brushed against each other, his eyes fluttered to a close and he stilled his movements for a while, his jaw slightly clenched.

Why did he suddenly stop?

Is he having second thoughts about me?

"Do I have your permission?" He whispered against my lips as his eyes opened once more.

Oh.

I nodded ever so slightly and felt my breath hitch when he leaned in and our lips finally met.

I responded by moving my lips against his and wrapping my arms around his neck so I could get closer to him. As I tugged on the hair along the nape of his neck, he groaned and moved his lips against mine with more eagerness.

He suddenly pulled back and I was deprived of the warmth, comfort, and pleasure I was feeling.

"Tyler," He breathed, trying to get a hold of his breath and I let out a sound of impatience from my throat.

"No talking, just kiss me." I mumbled against his lips. I was the one who leaned in this time and as we continued kissing, I felt him smile against my lips.

He put his hands on my hips and picked me up to place me carefully on his lap, so I was straddling him. His tongue ran along my bottom lip, asking for entrance and I opened my mouth a little more to give him entrance, as our tongues intertwined, creating a feeling of ecstasy. I moaned just as he released a deep sound of pleasure from the back of his throat.

He ran his hands along my bare thighs and I allowed him to explore my legs. I was glad he kept a respectable distance from the danger zone.

"Fuck, you're sexy," He breathed against me. "You've been driving me crazy the whole night, every part of me was dying to touch you, to taste you. You're so beautiful, Ty."

He started planting wet kisses on my neck. I could feel goosebumps rising on my skin in each spot he kissed.

When he started sucking on my collarbone, I gasped. "Miles..." I moaned as he gently bit that area before sucking on it again. A part of me wanted him to stop but the other part was enjoying what he was doing on my neck. That must be one of my most sensitive spots.

Me wanting him to stop had nothing to do with him per se. I could feel myself yearning for more and more. I did not want to find myself at the point of not being able to control my desires, but it seems like that might happen a lot quicker than I had anticipated.

I could feel my resolve almost crashing down.

But I want him. So I blocked out everything else and let him hold me close, in his arms.

We leaned in for a kiss once more and he groaned against me. It wasn't long before we pulled back for breath and he cupped my cheeks.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this," He said, sounding a little breathless.

"Me too," I admitted. Except, my waiting period has been since junior school...

"But we should stop." He said, with finality.

Suddenly I felt like a knot had tightened in my stomach. What a way to immediately kill all the butterflies he gave me, literally just seconds ago. He was rejecting me already?

I looked down, clenching my jaw, "Because of Shelby, right? Why do you even like her? She's so shallow, mean, manipulative and selfish!"

He chuckled a bit at the things I had just said.

When he saw the slight anger and hurt on my face as he realised I was being serious, he sighed softly. "Tyler, no. It's not that. After what happened earlier, I didn't think you wanted to be intimate."

"Oh."

If anything I was embarrassed about the way I just acted towards him. What the hell is wrong with me? Was I seriously getting angry with my best friend's boyfriend because I thought he was choosing her over me?

Before I could even apologise, he shook his head slowly and cupped my face so he could wipe the tears on my cheeks... telling me it was okay.

He then smiled softly, "You don't have to feel guilty, sweetheart. I'd do it again, if I could. I wouldn't take any of it back, okay?"

I nodded slowly, as he leaned in to peck my lips tenderly.

thump, thump, thump.

Please tell me I'm not falling already. My fragile heart better not let me down.

"Come on." He laid back on the bed and pulled me so I could lay my head on his strong chest, pulling the covers over us. It wasn't long before I started to fall asleep, feeling safe and sound, with Miles right beside me. He had his arms around me and occasionally planted a kiss on my forehead.

As my eyelids got heavier, I found myself releasing a deep internal breath in content.