Taylor

When we got back from the movie, I was quiet and subdued. Jordan eyed me sympathetically, and I waited for her to say something like, 'I told you so,' but she didn't. That night as I lay in my bed staring at the ceiling in the dark, I gave myself a pep talk. I knew what I'd been getting into with Sin, and I needed to put my big-girl panties on and deal with it.

The next morning I woke up feeling emotionally lighter, and I was ready to move on to new experiences. I didn't see Sin around campus for the next couple of days. Wednesday, Caleb and I made plans to go out to the movies. I didn't want to overdress, so I settled for a pair of skinny jeans and a tight pale-blue crop top that matched my eyes. Jordan did my makeup, and I was happy when I surveyed myself in the mirror.

Caleb was waiting for me outside the dorm. He was dressed in dark jeans and white button-up shirt that he rolled up to his elbows. There was no doubt about it— he was a good-looking guy. His eyes took me in, and he smiled.

"You look beautiful," he complimented me.

"Thanks," I replied, feeling excited about our date—my first date. Like a gentleman, he opened the car door for me, and I slid into the passenger seat. I had no idea what type of car it was, but I knew it was expensive. I fidgeted nervously as he closed the door and walked around the car to get into the driver's side.

"What would you like to watch tonight?" he asked as he started up the car. I liked that he asked me that although I really wasn't that fussy.

"Anything," I replied with a shrug.

"Anything?" he questioned mischievously as he gave me a side-glance.

"Yes," I replied as I shot him a suspicious look, wondering what he was up to.

"Even a horror?" he said, lifting his eyebrows.

"Yes, even a horror," I replied, shaking my head at him. Horror movies didn't scare me because I knew they weren't real. And it was hard to get scared at them when I'd lived through real horror.

The ride to the theater was quick—so quick, in fact, we could have walked. Caleb pulled up at the front and got out of the car. It was only when I got out, and Caleb closed the door, that I saw Sin and Slater. They were standing outside the same bar where I'd seen Sin and the girl a few nights before. Was there no getting away from the guy? The bonus was that I was with a hot guy, and he wasn't with a girl. It made me feel more confident this time around.

Slater smiled at me when he saw me and I knew I couldn't just walk away without saying hello. Sin glanced from Caleb to me before giving me a tight smile.

"Hi," I greeted them and turned to introduce Caleb.

"Nice to meet you," said Slater as he shook Caleb's hand. Sin didn't. He just gave a brief nod of his head.

"Where are you guys headed?" Slater asked.

"To the movies," I replied nervously. While Slater was being friendly, Sin was being the exact opposite. I couldn't help but wonder if it annoyed him to see me out with someone else. I didn't let it play on my mind for too long because it didn't matter. I glanced down at my watch.

"We'd better go, otherwise we're going to miss the show," I told them as I reached for Caleb's hand and felt his fingers intertwine with mine. The truth was no matter how much I wanted to say that Sin didn't affect me, no matter how many times I repeated that to myself, I'd taken Caleb's hand hoping to make him a little jealous. I wanted him to feel what I had when I'd seen him with that girl. It was childish, but I couldn't help myself.

"We're having another party on Saturday. Why don't you come? Bring Caleb and your hot friend, Jordan," Slater said as Caleb and I started to walk away.

"I will," I replied as I turned to Slater and gave him a short wave. Sin was staring at me with a look I couldn't decipher, but I ignored him as I turned around. Hand in hand with Caleb, we walked away. When we entered the movie, Caleb turned to me.

"You have history with Sin?" he asked with a questioning look as he let go of my hand. Had it been a bit obvious?

"I don't think it quite qualifies as history," I said with a shrug. It wasn't history; it had been one night. One great night, but there was no way I was going into details with Caleb.

"He looked like he wanted to beat the crap out of me," said Caleb with a smile.

"Really?" I said. He'd been a bit standoffish but I hadn't noticed that. "You don't have to worry. Whatever was going on is finished."

"Good," he said, taking my hand in his. I looked at him.

"You get to choose the movie," he told me. Whatever had happened hadn't hindered him, and I liked that. He was secure in himself.

I ended up choosing the horror. Caleb insisted on paying for everything, which I found nice. During the movie, he put his arm around me. It had been a nice date and on the walk back to the car there was no sign of Sin or Slater.

"Tell me a bit about you," Caleb said as he walked me to his car while holding my hand.

"I'm not that interesting," I said with a shrug.

"Well, what about your family?"

"My parents are dead and my older brother, Connor, raised me," I answered vaguely, leaving out any finer details. It always came up at some point in conversations, so I decided to get it over and done with quickly.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. I looked at him.

"It's okay. They've been gone for a long time," I replied. It had only been ten years, but they'd been gone for more than half of my life.

"What happened to them?" he asked.

I pressed my lips together. I didn't answer questions about my parents. There was no way I was going to tell him the truth so instead I decided to lie.

"It was an accident," I said with a shrug.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, pulling me to a stop with a gentle tug of my hand.

"It's fine, really," I said and I gave him a reassuring smile as I looked up at him.

"I had a nice time tonight," he said.

"Me too."

Caleb wasn't Sin; he didn't make me feel alive or make me hold on tight as my world spun out of control. But that excitement came with the cost of heartbreak. Caleb was the safer option. He was talkative and interesting. He was attractive, and it had been nice when he'd put his arm around me while we'd watched the movie.

He took me home, and outside the dorm building he stood in front of me. He reached for my hand and tugged me closer. I looked up at him as I took a step closer, and he leaned forward. He was going to kiss me, and I felt a flutter of excitement. His lips touched mine gently, and he pulled away. Caleb's kisses were nice.

"Did you have fun tonight?" he asked and I nodded my head at him.

"I'll meet you here on Saturday and then we can go to the party," he suggested. I'd forgotten about Slater's invitation to his party.

"That sounds good," I replied.

This time when he pressed his lips to mine he threaded his fingers through my hair and kissed me harder. I felt the tentative touch of his tongue on my lips, and I opened my mouth for him. His tongue tangled with mine, and I followed his lead as I held onto his arms. Before the kiss got too intense, he pulled away from me, a little breathless, and he smiled. I smiled back at him. He walked me to the door of the dorm and only turned to leave once I'd entered the building.

I looked at the elevator, hating the fact that it still didn't work. After the other day when I'd got a little spooked when I'd heard the strange footsteps, I felt a shiver of apprehension every time I entered the stairwell. I climbed the stairs two by two as quickly as I could and only felt safe when I reached my dorm room. Jordan was up and waiting for details about the date.