I bat away Amelie's hand, my self control being put to a real test as she waves the bag of coke beneath my nose, a devilish smile on her face. Her lips are small and pink whilst her eyes are huge and wide, her face not exactly pretty, but so full of charming innocence that you don't mind.

"Oh come on, Ledge. You used to hang out with us all the time, we haven't seen you in forever." She says, her soft voice so fucking persuasive.

"I said no, Amelie." I murmur, but there's a weakness in my voice and she pounces on it.

"Just fifteen minutes." She pleads.

My shoulders crumple and I open my mouth to give in when I spot a beautifully familiar head of hair.

And just like that, all of Amelie's charm evaporates. Her shining brown hair now looks dull, her hazel eyes boring, her captivating personality all but forgotten. And she knows it.

Her hand releases it's grip on my wrist, my body floating away as I drift towards my shining beacon.

His face lights up when he sees me, his thunderous expression lightening as his mismatched eyes shine. His lips quirk upward into a small smile that soon overtakes his face.

"Hey." He says softly.

And just like that, everyone else is forgotten. He has captured my attention with a single word and it's almost humiliating how much of a hold he has on me.

"Hey, I didn't think you'd be able to make it." I say, leaning in as our lips press together.

Everett's dissertation was taking up more of his time than either of us had anticipated, and I've barely seen him for the last two weeks.

"I decided to finish early today. I missed you." He murmurs, pressing our lips together once more.

I smile to myself, raking a hand through his hair.

"Oh yeah?" I ask and he hums, his eyes on my lips.

"How much?" I ask, pressing my hips against his softly.

He stifles a moan, laughing at my shameless flirting.

"You know how much." He says tensely.

He's right, I can feel just how much he's missed me.

My hands snake down the front of his shirt, dancing in the waistband of his jeans, teasing the exposed skin there as he moans quietly.

"Alright, alright, break it up."

I smile, Everett's arm winding round my waist as I turn to face Amyas.

He's flanked by James and I feel my smile widen, before noting that Marie is also here. My smile falls.

"Hey James, Marie." I murmur.

James grins, waving whilst Marie grimaces.

"Is this a thing now?" She asks bluntly, gesturing to Everett and I.

"Yep." I say smugly.

"Why?" She asks, directing the question at Everett and I roll my eyes.

"Don't hate me cause you ain't me. I know I snagged the best looking guy out there, but James is definitely in the top fifteen." I say.

Marie scoffs whilst James looks torn between confused and hurt.

"Why not top ten? Saying fifteen insinuates I wouldn't make the top ten." He says.

I look at him pointedly and Amyas laughs.

Marie rolls her eyes, shaking her head.

"It'll never last." She mutters.

James elbows her and she shrugs.

"Thank you, Marie, that's so sweet of you to say." I say, my teeth grinding together.

God she's irritating. The girl can hold a fucking grudge that's for sure.

"Why not?" Everett asks, his thumb gently caressing my waist.

He sounds merely curious, his expression scarily blank, and Marie pauses for a second. She's tentative now, not nearly as comfortable insulting a stranger. How nice.

"Because Ledger is really talented." She says.

My eyebrows just about shoot off the top of my head. James is looking at her like she's lost her mind and even Amyas looks confused.

But Everett's expression clears in perfect comprehension, and for a second, I think he looks scared.

"He's too gifted to stay here. His mind would rot and his talent would be wasted. He will never be satisfied with this life." She says plainly and I scoff.

She's wrong, and I am not petty enough to need the satisfaction of telling her so.

I finally have everything I need, right here, and I've never been happier.

Yeah, so my art has sort of taken a back seat recently, and I haven't started any new projects lately, but that doesn't matter. It'll come. My inspirations and infatuations come and go, and my next one will find me in due course, I have no doubt.

But even if it doesn't, I don't need it, because somehow I managed to make one permanent. I have Everett in my life and I get to keep him. That's better than any fleeting fancy or passing whim.

I smile, leaning into Everett, with the happy knowledge that Marie's wrong.

But she smiles back, just as smug with a knowing look in her eye, and Everett's arm tightens around my waist ever so slightly as she repeats her final words.

"He will never be satisfied."