A/N: Hey all! The author here (almost a decade later lol). I have published the start of a sequel to this book since I got so many requests for it. Obviously, I've grown a lot and my writing style has GREATLY shifted since I was fourteen and wrote ITILMBBF. If you're interested in giving it a chance I'm published it on here under the title "Starting Over". Without further ado, here's a preview!

"You're kidding?" Aaron asked as his jaw dropped.

He'd listened patiently as I told him the cheating Cam story. The image of my beautiful ex thrusting into a busty blonde was burnt in my retinas and if I had to suffer through it I certainly wasn't going to do that alone. Luckily for me Aaron kept his cheeky comments to himself long enough for the story to come. Probably due to the job of moving my belongings into our apartment. I could hear his wheezing from here and knew he didn't have the lung capacity to get some backwards comment out quite yet.

With a deep sigh at my story, we finished moving my last box into our apartment so I could unpack. The goal was to be ready before Adam got back from his football practice. We were sharing the first floor of a local house between the three of us. Adam wanted to keep an eye on me, which my budding adulthood was skeptical about. College was a time to grow and try new things, I didn't need my big brother tailing my every move. My parents, however, felt "more secure" in sending me across the country under the watchful gaze of Adam and they were the ones footing the bill after all. Funny how he didn't have that condition when he went away.

Kicking at the bin my bedding was contained in, the two of us slunk down onto my floor while resting our backs against my bed to talk more freely. I owned a surprising amount of stuff that needed to be brought. Who knew one girl could collect so much junk?

I shook my head no to answer his previous question and in turn he asked, "So what did you do?"

"I broke up with him obviously!"

I mean, had the thought of staying with him crossed my mind? Yes, of course. He was the first guy I hadn't sent packing after date numero uno post Chace break up. Something about his grey eyes and humorous attitude was the perfect juxtaposition to my ex. So I kept him, but I couldn't continue on down that path when each time I closed my eyes I was reminded that he hadn't even waited a today before falling into bed with another woman.

Aaron snickered, poking a finger into my side which made me squirm.

"Isn't it kind of funny that you and Chace broke up when he left for college because you two were afraid of cheating then bam! The guy you were going to stay with when you went to college cheated on you."

I narrowed my eyes into slits, batting his spidery long fingers away from my waist, "I'm sorry, what's funny about that?"

"Just ironic," he shrugged.

"Just ironic," the words spat out of me with a mocking venom that I hadn't meant to aim toward my best friend. Still it felt too late to take it back and so I groaned in lieu of an apology, hitting my head back against the firm mattress. "This is fucked."

"Mmhm. So what's the game plan?"

"I'm just going to relax and take a break from guys this year. Cam cheated on me- so what? I'm at a new school surrounded by new people and intend on getting a new job. What's the point on wallowing in the past?"

"...I meant what did you want to do for dinner."

"Oh."

Even with Aaron, my closest of close friends, the embarrassment flooded across my cheeks painting my cheeks a bright pink. For all of his positive qualities Aaron was still a typical guy, who held more interest in what his body was telling him than my feelings. As I listened to his stomach grumble and the pair of us giggle, I wondered if that was a healthier way to be.

"Tacos?"

"Yes! And since you mentioned it... you're sure Chace isn't going to be a problem for you?"

I gulped, hesitant on my answer. Chace and I hadn't exactly been amicable this past year. On his first few breaks back to Cali, he'd spent most of his time at our house with Adam. It was almost like nothing ever happened, like he'd never left. Until he'd sneak into my room at night and we'd fuck like animals. 'I missed you' and 'I still love you' poised on my lips threatening to pour through with each thrust. It never did. And when Chace came back for Christmas break, but I'd started seeing Cam, he didn't frequent the house anymore. The occasions that he did come over were met with tequila and screaming matches galore.

So was Chace going to be a problem for me? I didn't know, but I knew the answer that I'd give Aaron and Adam until I was blue in the face:

"It's a big campus, I'll barely even see Chace."

"Well I wouldn't assume that often on campus-," he agreed hesitantly.

"I'll be focusing on my own thing. Too busy slayin' to even register Chace's existence," I joke.

"Yeah, but Skye-."

I would've paid more attention to the way Aaron was scrunching up his eyebrows and his lips were pulling into an aggressive frown, but I heard a voice call from the hallway. Adam, who'd left two weeks prior for football camp, was back. The aching feeling in my chest from not seeing my big brother was dwindling with each racing step my feet took toward the front door. We'd never been a pair of siblings to utilize FaceTime, busy bees that we both were, so periods of distance were painful.

My feet screeched to a halt in the living room, making it there before the upper half of my body in my rush. Words tumbling out of my smiling lips before I could even see straight. "A!-dam..."

Stood in front of me was five burly men, sticky with sweat and dirt from what appeared to be a football game- if the uniforms were anything to go off. Adam led the pack, standing in front and moving first to give me a sweat slicked bear-hug. My arms weren't motivate enough to move around him as I register the amount of sweat on me as well; partly from Adam's wet arms, but mostly from the unpacking.

My hair was in a rat's nest of a bun, tumbled on top of my head to keep it off my hot neck. The outfit I was sporting wasn't particularly flattering either. I was dressed in a hole ridden, over sized tee shirt and mom shorts with stains scattered about the blue and white acid wash. I wanted to scold Adam for bringing strangers over when I was obviously going to be in a state, but a little voice in the back of my head reminded me these were his friends. My brother probably wasn't interested in maintaining their attraction towards me.

I pulled back from Adam to meet them all appropriately. Glancing at faces until Adam remembered his manners and introduced me to the lot. One of the men had coily black curls and brown eyes that lingered on my face. One other was built like a brick house, so much so that I only needed a glance to tell he played defense. Another lean and tall. As my eyes trailed the men I was greeted with smiles until I got to the very last face.

The last face held a scowl set in a familiar strong jaw. Pouty lips that I'd recognize anywhere turning down at the mere sight of me. As if my body was made only to react to him, my welcoming smile faded, meeting his grimace with one of my own. Eyes drawing in every inch of him: honey locks, tanned skin, board shoulder that I'd bit into enough times that I could feel the taste of his skin in the back of my throat from this considerable distance.

Still not distant enough. Chace came to my house, a sight that had only ever existed at home for Adam's birthday party after our fourth of July blow out. I wanted to snap. Wanted to ask him just what he thought he was doing here, but my tongue was frozen. So terrified of his hostile demeanor.

So he spoke first, "Come on guys. Let's go to my room. Give the sibs some time to catch up."

I watched in a haze as Chace and three large men marched passed me, funneling into the door next to my own. My room? he'd said.

Aaron's terse presence was very much felt behind me. One hand hovering by my elbow, the other at my waist line in case the shock caused me to fall over. "Skye, didn't Adam call you?"

"No." My own voice wasn't recognizable to me. Merely a high pitch squeak of a thing.

Eyes dragging from the door to my older brother, I stared him dead in the eye. I was praying and waiting for any sort of explanation to get this to make sense. My brother wouldn't do this to me. Wouldn't force me to live with an ex and not tell me. My brother cared about me, was over protective of my feelings if anything. I couldn't imagine a world in which this situation happened.

"Chace's housing fell through when we got here," Adam throws his hands up and speaks fast like it'll defend him, "And we had an extra room."

"So you... you let my ex boyfriend move in with us?" the stunned incredulous tone was clear in my voice. I didn't even try to articulate beyond that or hide my shameful pain at such a fact.

"No, Skye, I offered my best friend a place to stay." He grabbed my hands, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles tenderly. "I hope you can see the difference. You know I'd never do anything to hurt you."

He was being so tender with me. It was an Adam I was unfamiliar with and I just knew he was aware of the strain this situation would put on me. In turn, I had to be aware of the strain I'd put on him. Dating his best friend, limiting their time at our house, it was all because of me. I'd placed him between a rock and a hard place and was now reaping the consequence. Suddenly feeling immensely guilty for what I'd put Adam through I could only find myself nodding and whispering;

"I understand."