Aaron's POV

Despite the conversation we had, Diana tried her best to lighten up the mood yesterday. She didn't stay long after that, just enough to inform me that Derek got to know about my moving out, and is now throwing a party on Saturday night, which means today.

He must be beyond happy to get rid of me and considering that our parents aren't around much on weekends, it gives him the perfect opportunity to invite his friends and get drunk. She asked me if I would want to go, because he did leave a message on my phone to come over at weekend, but I refused.

Parties aren't my thing, they never have been. Despite the independent life I had in California, I could never develop into a guy who comes home drunk at three in the morning. Indeed I hung out with my friends and had a beer once in a while but that was just it.

I didn't ask her not to go though, that's not my position yet or ever will be. Just because we're together, it doesn't in any way permits to control her life. And this is Diana we're talking about, her lifestyle is a part of her.

Still contemplating my thoughts, I press the elevator button and the door slides open, I think I just missed it. It takes me by surprise when I see it's half filled with people and my eyes go to Ella and Connor immediately. They pass me a small smile which I return before turning my face to the door. Except them, there's an old man and a middle aged woman with her little daughter.

I'm glad when my floor is the first one to come and I immediately get off. There's something about elevators that make me feel suffocated. After I reach my door, I unlock it only to find Diana inside.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, keeping my backpack on the side.

"You gave me this key for a reason, now I can use it whenever I like." She winks with a grin and I smile at her.

When I got the apartment, I got two keys so I naturally handed one of them to her. All the 'it's too early' crap went off in my mind, but I went with my gut. I want her to know that she's welcome here anytime, and also it was my way of showing her that I commit to this relationship, so she can trust me with anything.

Unless she's a serial killer, which I think she's not.

"Where were you?" She asks, eating out of a wafer pack and watching the television.

"Library, I had some assignments to do." I say and go to the kitchen to get myself some water.

"And when did you set this television up here in the living room?"

"In the morning. No one would have been watching it in my old bedroom, so I thought I'll shift it here."

She nods and I take a seat beside her on the couch, "You thought right." She says and gives me a smile before leaning down to give me a quick kiss.

"What are you watching?" I ask, taking the wafers from her.

"I have no idea, I couldn't set the channels up this time. So from last twenty minutes I've been watching this movie with different language." She says and I laugh.

"You're crazy."

I take the remote from her and set up the channels and she frowns at me, "That easy?"

"Yes, that easy."

"Are you still not coming tonight?" She asks, putting the chips in her mouth and making that annoying sound on purpose because she knows it irritates me.

"Stop that." I say and she tries not to laugh. "And no, I'm still not coming tonight. But seriously, why are you here?"

"I'll be getting ready with Ella because Connor's driving and I still got some time till the party so I thought I'll stop by to remind you of my amazing convincing skills." She wiggles her eyebrows as she leans towards me and I push her away playfully.

"Not going to work. I really don't want to go Diana, please." I say, my tone a little stern and she backs off.

"Okay." She shrugs and I look at the stuff by her side.

"What's that?"

"My dress, heels and just some make up stuff." She says and I nod.

"You can get ready here if you want and leave with them." I suggest and she smiles.

"You won't have a problem with me leaving behind a messy place?" She asks and I shake my head.

"Nope."

She grins as she presses a kiss on my cheek and I put my arm around her as we watch some lame ass movie. The thought that we can act as a normal couple still seems so vague to me, so surreal. She has shut me out in these few days a lot of time, but she jumps back right in to this cycle once she realises that we're in this together.

"I'm going to go take a shower. Will that be okay with you?" She asks and I nod.

"Take the towel from the closet drawers." I shout out once she leaves the couch.

She takes her time in the shower while I move to the bedroom and turn on the television in there, I finally set it on an episode of Criminal Minds. After what seems like eternity, she finally steps out of the bathroom and as soon as I lay my eyes on her, I gulp with my pupils wide.

Her body is wrapped around in a tiny towel, and I'm not sure whether she's doing this on purpose to tease me. Her hair are sticking to her skin as the water drops from them and I just cannot force myself to look away.

"Sorry for ruining your carpet." She apologises as the drops from her wet hair fall down.

I have to force the words out of myself to respond to her, "It's alright." I say, almost stuttering which makes her meet my eyes and she immediately smirks, noticing my expressions.

Alright, she's definitely doing it on purpose. She walks over to the bed and I sit up straight as she closes the distance between us and hovers over me with a smug look.

"Hey." She whispers and I look into her eyes.

"If you really want to get ready on time, get as much distance between us as possible." I say and she laughs.

"Okay, just after this." She mumbles and presses her lips against mine.

Just when I'm about to deepen the kiss, she backs off with a playful look in her eyes and I sigh. She loves making a mess out of me. She pretends to almost drop the towel and I get up from the bed.

"Alright, that's enough. I'm not coming in here until you're dressed." I say and walk out in the living room.

I can hear her laugh behind me as she follows me out and I turn around to give her a look to which she gives me an innocent expression, "My dress is out here." She says in defence and I nod.

She collects her bag and disappears back in the bedroom while I make some coffee for myself. After I fill my cup, I knock on the door.

"Is it safe to step in there?"

"Do you really think I'll give you the correct answer?" She shouts back and I shake my head before stepping in.

She's standing against the dressing mirror with her stuff spread on the bed. Well, she was correct about making a mess. Her hair are blown dry as they fall over her shoulder but it's her dress that gets my attention. It's black in colour but almost backless, reaching just the middle of her thighs, and also exposing her cleavage line.

"You're wearing that?" I ask, arching an eyebrow and she frowns at me through the reflection of her mirror.

"Does it look bad?"

"No, it actually looks really good but-" I have to practically stop myself from sounding like a jealous and controlling boyfriend.

I'm not that guy, I've never been that guy. She looks breathtaking in the dress, it fits her curves perfectly till the middle waist and the flares spread out after that. She can wear whatever she likes, because I know for a fact that I wouldn't want anyone telling me what and what not to wear.

"But?" She says, waiting for me to continue.

I shake my head, "Nothing, you look beautiful." I smile and place a kiss on her shoulder and she grins back at me.

After fifteen minutes, her phone buzzes and she steps into her heels before putting her phone in her clutch.

"You do know that I'm staying the night here, right?" She says as she steps in the living room and I follow her.

"I didn't until now, but that's okay with me." I shrug and she smiles as she turns around to face me as we reach the door.

"Do you have any plans for tonight?" She asks.

"Need to finish a presentation."

"I wish you could come." She pouts and I give her a small smile.

"Alright, listen. I don't want to sound like a controlling rude ass boyfriend, but be careful, don't flirt and well, just enjoy and get drunk."

She laughs as she leans forward to kiss me and I immediately respond back. She parts away after few seconds and I open the door for her before handing her the overcoat and she puts it on.

"Call me if you need me, okay?" I say and she nods before disappearing down the hallway to the elevator.

I close the door behind myself and sigh loudly. I should have gone with her, this is the first party where she'll be around her drunk ass friends after we've officially been together and I should be there to make sure she does nothing to ruin whatever we have.

But, I put my trust in her tonight. That also counts as something. If I keep doubting her, this will never work. I shake my thoughts as I get back in the bedroom and decide to lie down for a while before starting with the presentation.

The buzzing of my phone jolts me awake and I rub my eyes as I look for it underneath the pillows. When I find it, I answer without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?" I say in the speaker as I sit up. I must've dozed off while just lying down.

"Aaron?" A familiar voice greets and I almost smile.

"Hey Liz, how are you?"

She hasn't talked to me ever since we got into the fight and I'm glad that she called me. I've missed her. I frown when I realise that there's a lot of noise on her end.

"I'm good, where are you?"

"Home." I say.

"I'm at your house, and you're not here." She sounds confused.

"Well, I moved out."

"Oh."

"What are you doing there?"

She doesn't reply for a second and the noise dies down a little in the background. She must've separated herself from the loud crowd. "Well, Derek invited me to this party and I came because I thought you'll be here and we can make up after the fight we had." She informs and I sigh.

"I didn't know he would invite you." I tell her honestly.

"He invited me, and Josh, Kevin. Basically everyone." She says.

Her words make me frown, "What? Why would he do that?"

"I have no idea. But Josh and Ashley are here, I don't know about Kevin."

"Oh."

"Are you and Diana still-"

"Yes, yeah. We're still together."

"Are you sure she's on the same track as you?"

"Pretty much yes, why? What's wrong?" I scowl.

"She's here at the party."

I let out a breath, "I know about that."

"And she's with that guy, Shane. Not a pretty site, must I add." She says and I feel a knot forming in my throat. "Anyway, you should come to the party, Aaron. We can hang out or you can give me the address to your apartment and I can come there." She suggests.

"Yeah, listen. I gotta go. See you." I say before hanging up.

Damn you, Diana! I run a hand through my hair as I put on the first tshirt and jeans I get my hands on, pushing my phone and wallet in it. I don't even care to set my hair as I just splash water on my face and grab a jacket on my way out.

It takes me a little more than half an hour to reach my parent's place, credits to the traffic filled roads of New York. When I reach there, I can hear the music buzzing inside the house. As I stand on the porch of the house, I realise what a dumb move I made tonight by coming here. I'm supposed to trust her, that's what I settled on but one wrong word from Liz, and here I am, moving back and forth outside my old house.

Well, now that I'm here, I might as well go in. I take a deep breath before stepping inside and as soon as I do, some drunk girl bumps into me but I ignore her and make my way to the living room. My eyes roam around to spot her black dress on the couch when I hear someone calling my name.

"Aaron."

I look to my right and Lizzy's standing there with a red cup in her hand while every other familiar face in the room is plopped around on the couch.

"You came." She smiles before moving forward to hug and I return it before stepping away.

When I do, my eyes land on Diana. She has a bottle of vodka in her hand and shots glasses right in front of her at the table. Derek's arm is hanging loosely behind her on the couch while he's leaning down and whispering something awfully close in her ear which makes her laugh.

Just a second later her eyes shoot up and they meet mine. I can't tell whether she looks shocked or surprised, but she definitely wasn't expecting me here tonight. Hell, neither was I until I got the call from my dearest best friend.

"Come, sit with us." Lizzy's voice distracts me, forcing me to look away from my supposed to be girlfriend.

She takes ahold of my hand, leading me to the couch opposite to where Diana is sitting with Derek and Shane. Ella, Connor and the girl who's name I cannot recall are occupying the carpeted floor.

I notice the way Diana burns hole through her eyes to my interlinked hands with Lizzy. As soon as I realise that, I snatch my hand away and give her a look. She's staring at me with cold eyes, and yet she hasn't even acknowledged my presence once.

"Brother!" Derek starts as he sees me. "I wasn't expecting you, you didn't RSVP."

"I wasn't aware that this was the kind of party which needed a RSVP."

He laughs, "You're right. Here, have some booze. This is all a way to thank you for stepping out of here."

I take the red cup from his hand and give a tight lipped smile before sipping on the beer, "Pleasure's all mine."

"We thought you weren't coming tonight either." Connor says and I shrug.

"Change of plans."

Diana scoffs loudly at my words and glares at Lizzy. What the hell is her problem? She's the one who has my brother wrapped all around her and is now acting like a stranger. She wanted me to be here at this party, and now that I am here, she refuses to even meet my eye, let alone acknowledge me.

This is going to be a long night.