With the pack of toilet paper in one hand, I used my other hand to press the buttons in the elevator. The elevator's doors slid shut and began to move back down to our floor. After a few moments, the doors opened again and I walked back into our place.

Walking through the front door, I made sure to be as quiet as I possibly could, afraid to wake up Erin. If she were to wake up, I would be screwed. I knew she would question where I had been and eventually she would get the truth.

Closing the door behind me, I ripped open the pack of toilet paper, taking out a roll before putting up the rest of the toilet paper in the bathroom cabinet. I used the bathroom and then tiptoed out, towards my room as softly and as discreetly as possible.

Just as I was about to make it to my room, the lights suddenly turned on. I froze in my tracks, my heart thudding against my chest as I slowly realized that I had been caught.

"Why are you still awake, Darcy?"

My eyes widened in surprise at the voice. I was like a deer in the headlights and I wasn't sure how to react. Slowly, turning my head around to see who it was, I realized that it was Blake instead of Erin.

"Why are you home so early?" I asked, avoiding his question.

Blake seemed tired and exhausted like he had a long night. His heavy eye bags beneath his eyes were hard to miss.

"My mom called." Was all he said.

"Oh."

There was a short silence.

I didn't know much about Blake's relationship with his family but I knew it wasn't the best. Blake didn't like talking about them mostly because he wasn't close to them.

"So why were you up so late?" Blake asked, his solemn expression now gone.

"I went to get a drink of water since I couldn't sleep." I lied. Blake nodded, a smile on his face. I smiled back but I couldn't help but feel that something was off. His smile seemed too big and fake to be genuine.

"And how was the water?" He asked.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. He could tell I was lying.

"It was good." I continued to lie.

Blake was acting weird. He continued to stare at me with his creepily wide smile and I had no choice but to smile back and stand there awkwardly for the next few moments.

"Bullshit." He suddenly said. "I saw you come from the elevator from our neighbor's floor."

My muscles tensed up and I froze in the spot I was in. Did he know this whole time? I continued to stare at Blake in shock, not knowing what to say or do.

"Did you sleep with him?" Blake finally asked, breaking the silence.

"No!" I said immediately. Why would he think I would sleep with Vince? I wasn't going to lie, he was hot, but he had just moved in today and it was way too early for anything to be going on.

Blake raised a brow, amused. "What were you doing, then?"

I bit into my bottom lip, unsure of what to say. I could've just told him that I went to ask Vince for toilet paper but instead, I chose to stay silent.

"Tell me or I'll get Erin to help me," Blake threatened with a pleased look on his face.

I didn't want Erin to know what I was doing at 1 am on my neighbor's floor. I groaned before rolling my eyes. Blake knew I would have to tell him either way if he got Erin or not.

"Fine." I snapped back at him, giving him a dirty look. I was making it seem way worse than it was. "I asked him for toilet paper."

This time, both his eyebrows were raised.

"Is that some kind of excuse you used to see him?" He asked, looking a little confused.

"What? No!" I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. Why was Blake making it all so weird?

He snorted at my response. "Then why else would you need toilet paper in the middle of the night?"

"We were out of toilet paper," I said in defense, holding my hands up. Was it a crime to ask for toilet paper?

"Okay..." Blake said slowly. He didn't seem to believe me. It was quiet for a moment before he burst out laughing.

"Darcy, it's fine if you want to sleep with him-" He started but his laughs drowned out his words.

"I just asked for toilet paper." I clarified once again before rolling my eyes. He was teasing me on purpose and I couldn't help but laugh along with him.

...

Walking down the busy street, the city was crowded with people and cars. New York was a busy place and everyone had places to be, including me.

After the whole thing last night, we finally went to bed and managed to get in some sleep.

Since it was nearing the end of October, the weather had become much colder. I chose to wear a long sleeve v-neck and jeans with an over-sized jacket to top it off. I also had a small black purse that hung over my shoulder, carrying the items that I needed.

I worked at a coffee shop that was a walking distance from our apartment complex. I had received the job a week ago after I moved to New York and I was glad I could finally earn my own money for a change.

Finally making my way to the coffee shop, I unlocked the front door and stepped inside. I turned on the lights and empty display cases lit up. I immediately set out to work, setting out donuts, cookies, and muffins. Before even half an hour, I was done.

I went to wash my hands and that was when I heard the entrance door open. I quickly wiped off my hands and put on my apron before walking out to the counter to greet our first customer of the day.

"Good morn-" I started but my mouth went dry once I saw who it was.

In walked Vince dressed in a black button-up shirt and dress pants. I couldn't help but notice how good black looked on him. He looked as charming as ever with his hair styled perfectly on his head as he strode up to the counter.

He preferred to keep his dark hair neat and gelled back, unlike most men who usually had messy hair. It made him seem more intimidating, more daunting.

What was he doing here?

"What would you like to order?" I asked, politely after gaining hold of myself. I forced a smile. I was going to treat him like any other customer because that was all he was at the moment. Just a customer.

He looked over the big tv screen above me, looking at all the options. I tried not to stare at him as I waited for his order.

Did he come here because he knew I worked here? First I met him at his club, then he's my neighbor, and now he comes to the place I work at? This seemed to be too big of a coincidence to be just a coincidence.

"Get me a dark roast coffee," Vince said, lowering his gaze back down at me. His face remained emotionless as he acted as if I was just a normal barista and he didn't know me either.

"What size?"

"Large." He answered, not missing a beat.

I nodded before turning around to make his coffee. Dark roast coffee was bitter but it was strong. I personally never liked dark roast coffee but it was his drink that I was making, not mine.

When I finally finished, I turned around and handed it to him, avoiding his eyes.

"That'll be $2.99," I mumbled. He pulled out his wallet and handed me a twenty-dollar bill.

"Keep the change." He said before he grabbed the drink from my hand, brushing fingers with me. Ignoring the small contact, I smiled again before he walked off.

Looking down at the twenty-dollar bill, I slowly realized that he had given me more than six times the amount of money that he was supposed to. Not thinking about it any further, I opened the cash register and placed the money into the machine.

Vince sat down at one of the seats and began to drink his drink. I watched him for a few seconds before forcing myself to look away so I didn't seem like a total creep. I walked to the back of the shop to continue to set everything else up.

I heard the sound of the entrance door again. I glanced up to see another customer and walked up to the counter.

I took their order and made their drink. A few more customers came in to order some food but none of them stayed. I glanced over at Vince again.

Vince was slowly taking his time and not in a rush at all. The longer he stayed, the more nervous I began to grow. He was taking an abnormal amount of time to drink just a simple drink.

After some time he finally finished his drink, stood up, and threw it away. I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding in once he left the coffee shop.

...

Letting out a sigh, I continued walking down the sidewalk. After my shift had ended, I decided to walk through the park to clear my head.

There were a few people having picnics and jogging around the perimeter of the park.

I needed some fresh air and some quiet to be able to think. And this was the closest I was going to get in New York.

Closing my eyes for a second, I slowed down my pace, enjoying the chilly breeze that went by. Fall was my favorite season, not too cold and not too hot.

Opening my eyes, I heard someone close behind. I didn't dare to look back so I continued walking. I picked up my pace but the presence behind me stayed.

I knew that someone was following me. Still refusing to turn around and confront whoever was following me, I took a sharp turn into an empty alleyway, away from the park.

I could sense that they were still behind me, hot on my trail.

I began to realize that was the worse possible thing I could've done. There were a few people pretty far from where I was so if anything happened they wouldn't even realize. It was starting to become late and the sky was slowly darkening.

After a minute or so I came across a dead end and I knew I had to face whoever was following me. I stopped suddenly and they did too. Holding my breath, I slowly turned around.

A few feet in front of me was a man dressed in a suit. He seemed so familiar but he was unidentifiable due to the dark sunglasses that covered his eyes.

I saw a smug smirk tug at his lips once he realized he had been caught.

"Darcy." The familiar voice said as he slowly took off the sunglasses he was wearing to reveal my former bodyguard, Jack.

"Jack?" I asked, puzzled.

Jack was one of my dad's men who my dad made one of my main bodyguards.

Realizing why Jack was here, I glared at him and crossed my arms. My dad must have sent him to convince me to go back.

"It's been a while." He said. I rolled my eyes, knowing that I wasn't going to fall for my dad's stupid plan.

"I'm assuming my dad send you?" I said, ignoring his comment.

Jack paused for a second, a sheepish smile crossing his face. "Yes." He admitted.

I narrowed my eyes. I had told my dad to send whatever men he had for me away but sure enough, he didn't.

"Who else did my dad send?" I demanded. I saw Jack give me one of his stupid grins before talking.

Jack and I were pretty close. I assumed my dad had made him one of my main bodyguards since we were pretty close in age unlike all of the other bodyguards. We were almost friends at one point but then I would realize that he was working for my dad.

He was fun to hang around with sometimes he would be an ass like most boys were.

"Can't tell you that, Ms. Hale." Like now.

I rolled my eyes before crossing my arms against my chest. He knew that I hated it when he referred to me as Ms. Hale.

"Tell him to fuck off," I said before turning a heel to leave. Instead, I came face to face with someone's chest.

"What the-" My voice was cut off when I looked up to meet eyes with an older man.

He was wearing the same suit as Jack was but he was almost twice as buff. He could crush me at any given point if he wanted to.

My mouth almost dropped at the view of this intimidating man. There was no doubt this was another one of my dad's men.

I whirled around to look at Jack again.

"You're not gonna take me back," I said, my tone almost angry. Jack raised an eyebrow as if he was testing me.

"Your dad is letting you stay." Jack started. I clenched my jaw at his words. "But only under his terms."

Of course, there was a but.

"What are they?" I could still feel the presence of the overly buff man behind me. What was he? A bodybuilder?

"No more clubbing," Jack answered.

"B–" I started but I was quickly cut off by him.

"Also we'll be watching you at all times."

I stared at him with disbelief. They had been here since days ago. That was how they knew I went clubbing. For all I knew, they could've been here ever since I had left.

"I'm 18! I don't need a bunch of men watching over me and limiting what I do!" I said, throwing my hands in the air. Jack snorted.

"I don't make the rules, your dad does. And in his eyes, you're as big as a five-year-old." Jack spoke, taking a step towards me.

I was about to take a step back but I quickly realized the literal Hulk was standing behind me.

"Plus, aren't you a little bit too young to be clubbing?" Jack asked, another playful smirk tugging at his lips, reminding me of how I had snuck into the club.

"That's none of your business." I snapped, uncrossing my arms and letting them fall at my sides.

"You have two options." He said, switching the subject. "Either you go back home or you stay here with your dad's rules."

I sighed exaggeratedly before glaring at him. Even though we were states apart, my dad had still managed to find a way to control me. I knew he only wanted the best for me but it had all become all too overbearing years ago.

The man behind me made a noise that sounded like a grunt and I almost jumped in surprise.

"Fine." I declared, finally agreed to my dad's conditions.

"Wonderful," Jack said as a slow smile grew on his face as he began to walk off. The Hulk from behind me moved past me, following him.

Suddenly Jack paused, turning his head.

"One more thing," He shouted out to me. "Alcohol is completely off-limits too!"

...

After the unfortunate encounter I had with Jack, I made it back to our apartment safely.

I was exhausted from the long day I had. My job wasn't hard but it was enough to wear me out, especially after coming across Jack.

I ate dinner with Blake and Erin and then watched a movie together. After finishing the movie, I showered and then changed into comfortable clothes to get ready for bed.

As soon as my head hit my pillow I was sound asleep.

...

My loneliness is killing me (and I)

I must confess I still believe (still believe)

When I'm not with you I lose my mind

Give me a sign

Hit me, baby, one more time

Jerking awake, my eyes snapped open at the pounding loud sound of music. I could practically feel the vibrations of the music shake the whole building.

Who the hell was playing Britney Spears this late at night?

I pulled my pillow over my head, attempting to drown out the noise but the noise only seemed to get louder.

I took in a deep breath before counting to 10 and praying that the music would go away soon. To my utter disappointment, it didn't.

HIT ME, BABY, ONE MORE TIME

Letting out an irritated groan, I crawled out of bed.

Don't get me wrong, I loved Britney Spears. She was a wonderful singer but her high-pitched voice wasn't exactly something I wanted to hear when I'm trying to sleep. Especially not the song "Hit Me Baby One More Time".

I stumbled out of my room, half asleep, trying to find whoever was playing that god awful sound.

Oh baby, baby, how was I supposed to know?

Oh, pretty baby, I shouldn't have let you go

I had checked Erin and Blake's room and they were sound asleep. It amazed me how they were still sleeping with how loud the music was. I didn't bother waking them up and instead, I continued my search of finding where the sound was coming from.

It wasn't long until I finally found out that the horrible ear-splitting music came from our neighbor's floor. Vince's floor.

I could feel a slight panic set in once I fully grasped that fact.

It was either not face him and not sleep at all for the rest of the night or face him and possibly embarrass myself. I valued my sleep too much so I went with the former.

Building up my confidence, I walked out the front door and towards the elevator. After a minute or so, I was walking towards Vince's door.

I've never pegged the sexy Vincent Ferraro to be a Britney Spears fan but I guess everyone has their own weird little thing.

Or maybe it wasn't him who was playing the song. Maybe it was his blonde friend. What was her name again? Selena? Serena? No, it was Sarena. It might've been Sarena blasting Britney in the middle of the night.

Storming towards his door, I grew angrier as the music grew louder with closer I walked to his door. It was almost loud enough to shake the whole building and make it topple over.

I pressed on his doorbell and waited for him to answer. Tapping my feet impatiently, I waited for him for a couple of seconds. No answer.

I doubted he could hear the doorbell ring over the ear-splitting music so I pressed it again. No answer.

After a couple more ties, I retorted to banging on the door, hoping that he could hear my useless attempts to get his attention over the booming music blasting from inside his floor.

Hit me, baby, one m-

The music stopped and I let out a sigh of relief. He must've heard me.

-ore time

My loneliness is killing me

I must confess I still believe

When I'm not with you I lose my mind

I let out a scream in frustration when the music unpaused and continued louder than before. Was he fucking deaf?

I kicked the door bitterly, losing hope in getting his attention at all. The lack of sleep was getting into my head and if this music didn't stop I was gonna burn down this whole place.

When I was just about to give up, willing to suffer through the music for the rest of the night, the music finally paused once again.

For a second, I almost got on my knees and thanked God.

After a few moments, the door opened to thankfully reveal Vince and not Sarena. Looking as posh as ever, he was dressed in his usual formal attire.

Despite how his clothing covered almost every square inch of his body, I could still see the faint outline of his muscular physique bulge through. The first two or three buttons of his top were unbuttoned, revealing a faint scatter of chest hair.

I tore my eyes from his muscles. If I didn't stop ogling at his body I was going to do something incredibly stupid and embarrass myself.

Like, beg for him to fuck you. I cringed internally before quickly pushing the thoughts away. Was I that sex deprived?

Vince looked down at me and had an almost annoyed look on his face.

"What do you want?" He asked, arching a perfect brow. He watched me through his hooded eyes and couldn't help but notice how thick and curled his lashes were. His eyelashes were dark and full, enough to make a girl writhe in jealousy.

Sucking in a deep breath, I forced a polite smile on my face and opened my mouth to speak.

"Please, Vince, turn down the damn music. It's 2 am and your stupid Britney Spears music can be heard throughout the whole building." I said, trying to be civil. Not.

His jaw clenched and a glint of amusement passed his eyes but it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

I wanted to ask him why he chose Britney Spear out of all the other artists out there but right now I just wanted to sleep.

"Oh, I thought you came to ask for toilet paper again." He replied, sarcastically.

My eyes widened and I could feel the heat creep up my neck.

"Is toilet paper that important to you? Last time I checked, you owned a whole fucking nightclub. But if you want me to pay you back, I can."

"You don't need to pay me back," He spoke as soon as I finished talking. I nodded, a slow smile tugging on my lips.

Watching his expression, I attempted to figure out what he was thinking but his face didn't reveal any emotions.

Vince was attractive, to say the least. I wasn't going to deny the fact that I was attracted to him. Any female that was attracted to men would be.

"Stop looking at me like that." He suddenly said, cutting me out of my thoughts. His voice now lower and huskier than before, sending heat rushing to my core.

I gulped, meeting his eyes. I didn't dare think what else he could do. His voice alone was enough to cause the pool of wetness in my panties.

"Like what?" I said, breathless. He watched me for a second like he was studying me silently.

"Like you want me to fuck you."

I had thought my heart stopped beating. The words that he had uttered caught me off guard, taking me by surprise.

All I wanted right now was for him to throw me on his bed and dominate me. Although I wasn't bold enough to voice my actual thoughts, I was bold enough to hint at it.

"What if I do?" I uttered, my voice barely above a whisper. He didn't respond.

I bit down into my bottom lip, temptingly. His eyes flickered to my lips before meeting my eyes again. His eyes darkened with lust as he shifted the position he was standing in.

I shifted my gaze to his lips. His deliciously plump lips looked so kissable at the moment. I wanted to lean in and run my tongue across his bottom lip just to see how it felt.

The sexual tension was undeniable.

Suddenly, he cleared his throat, snapping me out of my daze.

"I'll turn down the music," He assured. He took a small step back from the door and then shut the door in my face.

I didn't realize my jaw was practically on the floor until it began to hurt. I wasn't sure why I was so surprised by the fact that he had shut me off so abruptly. He had turned down the music as I wanted, so what else had I expected?

I slowly walked back into the elevator, in no rush. The elevator went down to my floor and I walked back into our apartment.

I went back into my room and crawled back into bed, trying to sleep once more. I wasn't tired anymore and I knew exactly why.

Laying down in my bed, I tried to sleep once again but something was keeping me up.

And this time, it wasn't because of the music.