Three years ago.

Jace's POV.

This fair well party turn out is fucking ridiculous.

Luke threw a party at this same pool house last year but it was invites only.

Cassie on the other hand opened the door right open and told everyone to come in and party their assess off.

I didn't think I'd like this party being thrown in my name but then again no one has ever done anything like this for me and I gotta admit, it's quite nice.

"You and Cassandra need to date for real, I'm fucking serious." Diego tosses the little white ball into one of the red cups on my side of the ping-pong table.

I heave a sigh.

"I think this is the first time you're approving my relationship with someone and it's not even a real relationship." I pick up the cup and I chug the drink, retrieving the ping-pong ball from the bottom afterwards.

"Well no one's ever thrown a blast like this for you so yeah, I approve." He nods.

"Fucker." I mutter, throwing the ball at him but he dodges it, laughing.

Blair joins in from nowhere, she wraps her arms around Diego and kisses him on the lips.

I think they're doing that no strings attached thing, which is actually a good thing considering the fact that Diego believes in one night stands.

He'll never admit it but he really likes Blair.

"Hey, baby." He greets when she pulls away, I snort a laugh.

"Don't be disgusting." She punches his shoulder playfully then looks at me, "Hey, Jace."

"Hey, Blair." I plaster a warm smile, "Wanna play with him while I go fetch a real drink?" I ask.

"Sure, why not." She shrugs, walking to this side of the table.

That puts a smile on Diego's face which is a little strange cause I've never seen him smile over a girl before.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." I say as I walk passed him.

"I'll try." He responds, patting my shoulder.

Pushing my way through the crowd, greeting people, trying to put a real smile on my face. It's all a little too heavy.

I don't want these people to celebrate me, I'm not dead, hell, I'm not even a fucking football legend.

I'm just Jace, the guy who's never gonna play football ever again.

God, that's so fucking sad.

I turn the corner to the living, searching for Cass cause she kinda disappeared on me.

I feel someone grasp my varsity jacket from behind me, I snap my head to look.

Olivia.

"Hey." She says, my eyes drop to her hand still fisting my jacket, "Can we talk?" She looks around the place nervously.

I remember that look from the costume party, the look of fear and nervousness and discomfort.

"No, not really." I brush passed her, wandering through all the drunk people.

Rude, I know but hey, I'm the one that got played.

I open a door to the downstairs bathroom and I let out a frustrated growl.

I stride to the floor to ceiling windows, shoving my hands in my front pockets as I overlook all the wild and reckless teens, having their fun.

I'm usually the one having that much fun but this year has been shit so far, or maybe this is what growing up feels like.

Sadness and boredom.

I hear the bathroom door creek open behind me, I don't have to look, I already know it's Olivia.

Her footsteps approach me, she stands next to me but I continue gazing outside, pretending she's not here.

That seems to be impossible cause the side of my head feels rigid from her stare alone, this room feels like it's compressing, getting smaller and smaller each second and of course, there's that reminder of our last kiss and how it felt.

She clears her throat as though she's about to say something.

"I was twelve years old when I first saw you, my parents and I had just moved from California and I was kinda upset about the move, my parents were arguing about boxes so I went outside and stood on our porch, I remember thinking it was a beautiful neighborhood and that it needed a little chaos, then right on cue, I saw Diego's mother shouting at him in Spanish, you were also there, laughing so hard at whatever she was saying to him. I found myself asking what she was saying...." She pauses.

I turn around, leaning my back against the glass wall and staring at her.

"What are you doing?" I question.

She swallows, her eyes darting outside.

"Your laughter made me smile and I hadn't done that since my parents mentioned the word moving, I needed to know what she was saying to him and a part of me wanted to ask you about it." She shifts her gaze to my face.

"Why didn't you?" I ask.

"I was a coward," She whispers, "So ever since that day, I watched you skate, watched you ride your bike, watched you grow, play football, make out with different girls in the hallways, smoke in the parking." She sighs at the last part, "The point is, I had a crush on you and I was more than okay with you never noticing me but then you locked yourself in that classroom with me and-"

"I noticed you so you fucking used me for your own satisfaction." I finish her sentence, she shakes her head, disagreeing with my statement.

"You noticed me and I felt seen." Her gaze falls to the floor then back up to meet my eyes, "You looked at me the way I looked at you when you weren't looking. It felt good." She says.

I roll my eyes elsewhere.

"You're still not getting to the part where you let me kiss you regardless of you having a boyfriend." I raise my tone.

"I don't know, Jace, maybe I told myself I'd get one kiss from you and finally move on with my life." She responds.

Don't they all?

"Then why are you here explaining yourself?" I ask calmly.

"Because..." She stammers.

"Because what?" I push.

"I feel bad for everything, I hurt your feelings-"

"You didn't hurt my fucking feelings, Olivia, fucking get over yourself." I say rudely, her face falls and she rubs her arm like my words gave her chills, "Sorry." I apologise.

"It's okay." She assures.

"So did you get rid of your little crush on me when we kissed?" I ask.

"Yeah." She looks away.

I laugh, shaking my head and looking outside the window over my shoulder.

"You're a shit liar." I tell her.

"I'm not.. lying." She stutters.

I look at her, staring at her face, she swallows and scratches the side of her neck.

"I should go." She spins around, I grab her hand, spinning her back around and pulling her to my chest, she hitches her breath the second our chest slam together.

"We're not done." I inspect every feature of her face.

"I already said I was sorry." She gives me the same look, my hand slides from her elbow down to her trembling fingers.

"Are you afraid of me, Liv?" I stare down at our touching hands.

"No." She breaths out.

"Relax, will you?" My thumb swipes along her knuckles, she takes in deep breaths but if I try hard enough, I bet I can hear that fast heartbeat marching mine.

"Did you tell your boyfriend about our kiss?" My gaze darts to her lips.

"Yes."

"Did you tell him it was with me?"

"No." She pants, her chest moving up and down.

I cup her jaw, her parted red lips and shaky breaths making my heart race even faster.

She looks perfectly alluring, I want some of that.

Fuck, what the hell, Jace, she has a boyfriend.

"You have a boyfriend." I don't take my eyes off her mouth, she nods, her excessive breathing increasing.

"Tell me to stop." I meet her eyes.

She doesn't let the words out, she just keeps on staring back at me with those frosty eyes.

"Olivia-"

"I can't." She blurts out, her gaze searching mine, "I don't know how to." She says, looking a little embarrassed.

Figures.

I bring my mouth down to hers, she gasps, closing her arm around my neck as I shove my fingers into her hair, devouring her mouth with hunger, she opens her mouth, letting my tongue sweep inside, our tongues tangle and lick, she bites my lip and I attack her mouth again, making her moan.

"Fuck, I'm so hard." I pant between kisses, she slides her hand down my chest to my groin to feel how hard I am. I groan, leaning my forehead against hers.

Now, see, here's the thing, I know she has a boyfriend but I'm fucking addicted, obsessed even, I can't stop and neither can she so I'm gonna go ahead and be a little selfish.

"How about you break up with your boyfriend and we can have some real fun?" I breath her in, she steps away from me, panting as she looks at me with accusing eyes.

"Jace, pretty lips, you there?!" Cass knocks on the door.