I leave a rose at her front door the following day with a note. Hopefully, she gets what I'm trying to do. I want her, not just what she can give me. At school, she ignores me. What am I supposed to do now? The identical motions continue throughout the week, but nothing happens.

⁂

When Friday night arrives, I make the decision to care less about anything. She doesn't want me, but I'm going to have fun regardless.

She enters after Brie, and the two of them move to join everyone dancing. I'm sucked into her peppermint aroma. I can't look away from her. She hasn't even approached our group once after hours of partying. I finally stand up and approach her. Despite how loud the music is, I can hear my heart racing. I manage to take her hand.

"I've been watching you all night," I whisper in her ear. We lock eyes; I'm not giving up. "You know I can tell what's going on in that head of yours, so don't try and hide it."

"I'm not hiding anything," she tells me, taking her hand back. "Look, did you think you could be the one to save me?" She laughs, "Oh, baby boy, you're not the only one who has tried."

The words coming out of her mouth are profound, but her body language and facial expressions show differences. She doesn't want something to happen, not because she doesn't want to, but because she is scared. She walks back to the rest of the group and sits down on the floor like she did the first time she came.

Sloane joins me on the couch after I take a seat. Although I can hear Raven's heart racing, she doesn't seem to care that Sloane is all over me. I let Sloane kiss me as she leans up close. She glances over at Raven and smirks as I wipe my lips on my shirt. My face is covered in guilt as Raven stands up, irate, and Brie follows. I shake Sloane off of me and follow them as they move into the corridor. I listen to what she has to say from behind the wall. I now have her attention.

"What do you want to do?" Brie asks, "Do you want to go home?"

"Then what? Am I meant to be broken-hearted, huddled in a corner crying over this guy, torn apart? Not likely to happen. I was aware that everything he said was nonsense." She is speaking as her heart is shattering, and I can hear it. "Brie, I've never had this level of fear, yet he always acts in the right way. I get weaker every minute I spend with him, and my heart shines because of him. This battle between my heart and my brain is one I can't win."

I smile at her thoughts. "Raven, it's okay," Brie tells her. "It's okay to let someone in. The only problem is that you let someone in who's just as hard-headed as you. He is only doing this to get to you, and it's working. Logan told me that Clay has feelings for you."

I'm going to kill Logan.

"Maybe you need to talk to him. Clay has never been in love with anyone but himself, but you have opened up something in that cold heart of his. I can even see it."

I turn the corner and face both girls. "Can I talk to you?" I look at her as if she is the only thing I see. There's sadness in my eyes, and Brie can see it. She has seen me through a lot, so to see me like this, she knows I'm not playing games.

"I'll leave you two," Brie says; as she walks by, she says, "Be nice, or I'll kill you myself." I nod.

"What do you want, Clay? To flaunt the girls all around you, or how Sloane can make out with you whenever she wants, or to prove you made the one girl who was determined not to fall for you do just that?" She says with defeat. I see her eyes become glossy, as if she's trying to hold back tears.

"Clayyyyyyy." I hear the piercing voice come from behind me. I turn to tell Raven to wait, and she's gone.

"What do you want, Sloane?"

"I came to see if you wanted me to stay tonight, you know, so that we can have some fun." She caresses my arm.

"No!" I growl, "You can't stay here, you don't have to go home, but you aren't staying here."

"Oh, come on, Clay, why don't we go up to your room right now?"

"You're crazy if you think I'm going to have sex with you in my room. Have I ever done that?"

"No, but maybe since we are a couple, for once you could, instead of my place."

"Wow, you're more twisted than I thought. Get it through your goddamn head, I'm not your boyfriend; I never was and never will be." Anger fuels me, and it takes everything in me not to rip out her heart. But Raven's face crosses my mind, she makes me a better person, and I don't want her to see that part of me.

"Fine, but remember what happens when another one steps on my territory." She threatens.

"Go near her, and I'll make you live in misery for eternity." I step closer to her and whisper, "And you know I keep my promises."

She storms off and leaves me to think. If I keep chasing Raven, Sloane will stop at nothing, but I can't live without her, so I'll be the one to keep her safe.

⁂

The party continues to wind down, and by the time everyone leaves, I believe Raven has already left. My chance to speak with her was lost when Sloane interrupted us. I see Brie being brought upstairs by Logan; she is intoxicated and giggling.

"There's a surprise in your room, Clay." She shouts as they head upstairs.

What in the name of hell is she talking about? I decide to do some cleaning before turning in for the night. As I make my way up the stairs, the aroma of peppermint welcomes me; she never left. She was hiding. When I open the door to my room, she is sitting on my bed.

"Raven ... " I start, but she cuts me off.

"What Brie said—was that true?" She asks.

I sit next to her. "Yes," I tell her, "the fact that you don't feel the same way has been made obvious, or did you really mean what you said down there?"

She takes a deep breath and looks at me. "Don't get this all twisted. I want you too." She gets up and paces back and forth, and I follow, my fingertips gripping her hips.

"At night, when I think of you, all I want is to hold you, no one else," I tell her.

She doesn't turn, but I can hear her holding back tears. "But all those girls, even Sloane, they..." I stop her and have her face me.

"Those girls mean nothing. If it's not you in my arms, it just doesn't feel right." She looks into my eyes. She knows I'm telling her the truth. "Look, I've never been good with words, but I'm asking you to stay with me tonight because I want to try to attain this between us." I plead with her. "If you walk out of my life, I honestly feel like I might die, so please stay."

"Okay, let's try this," she says with a smile.

"We'll take it slow, we're both new to this, but I want you to know something." I pull her close to me and kiss her forehead. "I'm only yours," I say, holding her tight.

She looks up at me, tears filling her eyes. "Don't hurt me or make me sorry I ever counted on you." She tells me quietly.

"You can always count on me," I assure her.

"I'm trusting you to love me. I've never been in this situation before." She says. I pull her close to me and hold on tight. "I'm all yours." I kiss her head. "Nothing will ever change that."

"I don't have anything to wear." She looks down at her clothes. "But I guess for one night I'll be fine?" She questions herself.

"Here." I hand her my shirt. "You can wear this." She thanks me and heads to my bathroom. She comes out, and I can't help but stare; she looks sexy in my shirt. "What?" she says as her face goes red.

"I like you wearing my shirt. I like it better on you. We might have to make this an everyday thing."

She crawls into bed and starts laughing. "What happened to taking it slow?"

"After what we've done, slow has gone out the window." I kiss her. I take her into my arms, not wanting to let go. Our tongues meet, and I feel the goosebumps rise on her body. She crept her way inside of me until, slowly, I fell for her.

Her legs intertwined with mine, and she nestles her head into my neck. I hold onto her as we fall asleep. I had no idea how much I simply needed her; she made up for all my shortcomings. There are no longer any nights spent getting wasted and making out with girls to make up for lost time. I needed her just as she is. Just holding her in my arms makes me feel as though I can truly love.