"Yes."

I could feel my eyes widen hearing her response. She had to be lying. Covering up to ensure no one knew about us. Well, at this point, what was us. However, the reactions by the others in the room placed doubt in my head. Weston shrugged his shoulders in response. Silas was glaring at Brandon. Everyone else seemed unfazed by the news. Hearing Patrick let out a "damn, secrets out" further solidified my doubts.

Brandon stood from his spot. "Don't worry," his words were directed to me as he passed, walking towards the table behind, "You'll get your chance soon enough," I could hear him say as he unscrewed a bottle, "Sluts always make their rounds."

"What did you say?" I spat, feeling my fist tightly clench as I rose from my spot, facing the grinning bastard.

"Sluts always make their rounds," Brandon repeated louder, gaining the attention of the entire room.

"You better watch your fucking mouth," Patrick snarled from behind.

Brandon shrugged his shoulders, pouring the liquid from the bottle into his cup. "I'm just letting my buddy here know the truth, Patty. TJ will let him at it one night, and boy," Brandon sent a wink in TJ's direction, "Is it ever worth it."

I was unable to control myself hearing Brandon continue. Without a second thought, I lunged towards him, tackling his body to the ground. One hand firmly grabbed the collar of his shirt while the other wound back with a clenched fist. I could feel the connection of my fist to his face with brute force. Blood shot out from his nose onto the floor.

"Carter, stop!" I could hear her voice scream.

I fought the urge to listen to the sound of her cry, swinging towards his face once again.

The entire moment blacked out in my mind. I had lost control over what I was allowing myself to do. I hadn't stopped until I could feel two sets of hands grab onto my arms, pulling me off Brandon's body. Blood dripped violently from his nose as he slowly sat up. Brandon wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smearing red across his cheek.

"Are you alright?" I could hear TJ's voice ask.

I continued to stare down the face on the ground in front of me, waiting for TJ to appear at his side.

"Are you alright?" I heard her voice repeat the question. "Carter?"

I forced my head to turn to the side. Her question wasn't for him. It was for me.

I began to sink back into reality, the voices from the others in the room becoming evident to my ears. I watch as she lifted my hand, unable to feel her touch. A mix of his and my blood dripped onto the floor. Everything felt numb.

"Let me clean you up," her voice trembled.

At a loss for words, I gave her a mere nod in response. I followed her from behind, leaving the room and towards the hallway.

"Look at that. They're going to fuck already," Brandon's voice sneered.

"Shut it or you won't walk out of here breathing," Weston was quick to snap back.

TJ led me in the direction of her room, closing the door behind us. "Sit." She instructed, pointing towards her bed.

I did as I was told, watching as she disappeared into the bathroom. Her room was dimly lit, the only source of light coming from the bathroom and the lamp on her nightstand. The glow provided a view of her room, not that there was much to see. The bed was pressed against the wall, facing the door to the bathroom. The wall on the left had a closet, while the wall on the right had a large window. I glanced towards the nightstand, noticing the photos taped onto the wall. The photos only had TJ with her brothers and no one else. One appeared to be missing due to the mark that was left. I wondered if the picture had included the person who was currently on the floor of the living room with a face covered in blood.

Just then, I noticed it. The photo in the top corner was from when we snuck out to Times Square. And there I was standing off on the side, smiling towards her camera.

TJ emerged from the bathroom with a medical kit in one hand, a bottle in the other. She sat down next to me, lightly taking hold of my hand and placing it down in her lap. I watched silently as she unscrewed the bottle, dapping some of its liquid onto a cotton ball.

Bringing the bottle to her lips, she took a swing. Vodka.

"This is gonna hurt," her voice spoke, glancing up at me quickly before back to my hand, pressing the cotton lightly against the skin.

The numb feeling slowly started to disappear as I was beginning to feel the sensation. Within a second, the slow ease of pain hit all at once.

"Mother fucker!" I gritted through my teeth, eyes squeezing shut in response to the excruciating pain.

I bit my tongue in an attempt to conceal the scream I wanted to let out. TJ continued to clean my hand, unbothered by my reaction.

"I'm sorry," she said after a brief silence.

"It's fine," I huffed, "Ignore me, you're the one helping."

"No, I mean for making you do this."

I furrowed my brow, "You didn't make me do anything. He did." I watched her closely, the pain going to the back of my mind. Reaching out my free hand, my fingers went under her chin, tilting her head up. "I hit him because he was being an ass. No man should talk about any woman like that."

Her lips briefly parted before she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip as if she was stopping herself from speaking.

My hand moved to the side of her face, my thumb gently gliding over her cheek. "Am I going to have to be jealous over Weston now too?" I teased, my lips curving into a smile.

TJ shook her head, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards. "No, we all like to forget that ever happened," her tongue swiped over her bottom lip, hesitating before she spoke again, "We had a stupid fifteen-year-old crush on each other when we first met. He was my first. I definitely wasn't his. When Silas found out, they got into a huge fight. And we never did anything like that again."

The thought of Weston being her first, as she put it, didn't bother me in the slightest. It settled any nerve I had brewing inside knowing it had happened years ago.

"I didn't invite Brandon," she whispered, "He... he was here for... something and heard about the party and that you were going to be here and he stayed. We were just talking, I promise."

"Well, now I feel even more like a jerk."

"Don't." She shook her head, "It's not like I gave you much reason to think otherwise," her eyes glossed over as they met mine, "I wouldn't have done anything with him, anyway. I promise."

The look she had caused something to stir inside me. Without giving myself a second to ponder over what it could be, I leaned forward, pressing my lips to hers. It was a soft, delicate touch. Not one of intense passion like the last we had shared. It felt like a kiss fueled by more desire and lust than previously.

"TJ, you in here?" The sound of Silas's voice pulled us apart.

The bedroom door swung open. Silas walked in and tossed an ice pack towards TJ.

"Guessed your hand would need that," he said, pointing towards the bag in TJ's hand.

"Thanks."

I let a low hiss escape as I felt the cool sensation touch my skin. TJ began to wrap a tensor bandage around, securing the cold pack in place. I watched as she slid my hand off of her lap, gently placing it onto the bed. Her eyes avoided mine as she collected the blood-soaked cotton balls, quickly walking towards the bathroom.

Silas followed closely behind her. I was unable to hear what the two began to whisper about due to Patrick and Weston loudly making their entrance into the room.

"DUDE!" Patrick's voice shouted with an ecstatic look, "That was fucking badass what you did. You were all, bam, bam, bam," his arms violently flailed around, "And his face was just soaking those hits, dude. Soaking them, dude!"

I chuckled at Patrick's comical re-enactment. The boy began to swing his arms around once again, continuing his performance.

"Sorry," Weston's voice spoke up as he leaned against the frame of the door, "He did some lines after we got Brandon out."

Patrick's eyes widened with a large grin. "Had to man."

Weston cleared his throat. "Thanks, by the way. For sticking up for her."

I shrugged, opening my mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Patrick ending his intermission and carrying on with his entertainment.

"I know, Silas, okay?" I could hear TJ's voice hiss.

Silas left the bathroom with an unreadable expression on his face. He abruptly stopped, watching Patrick with a confused look. "What the fuck is he doing?"

"I'm doing what he did!" Patrick exclaimed, throwing another punch in the air.

"Alright, time for bed you idiot." Silas shook his head, grabbing hold of Patrick as the three quickly shuffled out of the room, closing the door behind.

I stood from the bed, walking towards the bathroom, lingering in the doorway. TJ had her back to me, her hands gripping the edge of the counter, with her head hung.

"You alright?" I asked quietly, slowly stepping further into the space.

TJ slowly raising her head, nodding as she turned around. Her frame leaned against the counter as I stood closer to her, my uninjured hand brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. I could feel myself leaning towards her, wanting to close the distance between us that remained. Her head titled upward in response, her lips brushing against mine.

"Don't," she whispered suddenly, pressing her hand against my chest, "Don't kiss me."

"Why not?"

"Because obviously, I'm not good for you, Carter!"

I placed my hand over hers. "Don't say that."

"I will drive you insane."

I laughed. "You already do that."

"I'm serious, Carter." TJ averted her eyes from mine. "Everything in my life is a little fucked up."

Every word she spoke began to frustrate my thoughts. "Where is all this coming from?"

TJ sunk her teeth into her bottom lip, slowly releasing a deep breath, "I don't think I can be what you want."

"And what do you think I want?"

"A girlfriend."

"What about you and Brandon? You were his girlfriend?"

TJ shook her head. "It's not the same."

"Why not?"

She looked to the ground. "Because I don't want to be responsible for fucking up your career."

"Who says you're going to do that?"

"No one... yet," she whispered, her eyes finally met mine. I could see the tears building. This vulnerability was something I would have never imagined her being able to show. "I'm not going to risk it."

I could feel my chest tighten hearing her words. Just when I thought I was possibly getting somewhere with her, breaking down those walls she built so high, she added another layer. And yet, something inside me told me not to give up on her.

I cleared my throat. "Where does that leave us, then?"

A shaky breath escaped her. "I don't know. Friends?"

"Friends," I repeated, unconvinced, "Okay..."

I took a step back and walked out of the bathroom, my uninjured hand running through my hair. Friends? Was she fucking serious?

"You can stay," I turned back to face her, hearing her speak, "Sleep here if you want. Since it's late."

Head nodding slowly, I watched as she stepped out of the bathroom and moved towards her bed.

"Think you could help me take off my pants then, friend?"

SO, were TJ and Brandon really just 'talking'??? 

How long do you like TJ and Carter being 'just friends' will last?

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