Her long golden blond hair was streaked with honey highlights.

Her brown eyes had little makeup surrounding them, and her smile was freakishly bright.

“Hi,” I mumbled, stepping closer to Demetri for protection.

The only experience I had with friends that were girls came from when I was on the cheerleading squad. And every single one of them abandoned me when Brady was out of the picture, and I was kicked off the squad for missing so many practices. It wasn’t long after that, that I quit school and finished my last year and a half through online courses.

She tilted her head. “Alec’s right, you know. You’re way prettier than I could even imagine. And you’re super short!”

“Thank you?” I offered looking between her and Demetri.

Alec walked around me and pulled Nat into a hug, kissing the top of her head. “So…” he began. “You the chick my brother’s been writing songs about?”

“What?” My voice shrieked. I looked at Demetri. A guilty smile plastered across his face, and then I looked back at Alec who seemed pleased to throw his brother under the bus. “Okay, Edward-wannabe, explain.”

Alec laughed. “Demetri, I think your girlfriend just insulted me.”

“I’m not his —”

“She’s good at making men feel small.” Demetri laughed.

Nat clapped her hands. “Then she’s perfect for you.”

Okay. They were all high. Or something! They even finished each other’s sentences. What the heck kind of house did I just walk into? Didn’t help that I felt like I had just stepped into Twilight. I mean, who actually looks this perfect up close? Alec was beautiful.

Nat was I want to scratch your eyes out, but you’re too nice gorgeous, and then there was Demetri. Perfect Demetri.

He cleared his throat.

Nat punched Alec. “We, uh, we were just leaving. We only flew in for the day to grab the rest of my stuff for school, and I sorta begged Demetri to meet you.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know what to do with that. “Well, we can, um, hang out if you guys want to.” I looked at the three of them.

Shock registered on Demetri’s face. He opened his mouth to speak, but Nat began pumping her fist in the air.

“No.” Demetri crossed his arms. “I will not subject her to you guys. Not now, possibly not ever.”

“Why?” everyone asked in unison, totally cornering Demetri.

“You ashamed of me?” I teased.

Alec snickered. “More like he’s afraid we’ll tell you all his secrets, and you’ll realize how lame he is and drop his sorry ass.”

“Thanks, man.” Demetri glared. “But I kind of thought Alyssa and I could…”

“Make out?” This from Nat.

“No.” Demetri groaned. “Go on a real date. We haven’t actually done any of that yet, and I’m still trying to convince her that I’m worthy of at least a dinner and a movie.”

“He’s worth it,” Alec confirmed.

“Yes, because she’s going to blindly take your word for it. A man who, not five minutes ago, she called an ass. Awesome.”

Demetri cursed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Sorry, Lyss.

Really, don’t let them pressure you. They don’t have to stay. In fact, they can leave. Don’t you guys have a plane to catch in like six hours?”

“Seven,” Nat answered.

I touched Demetri’s arm. He was shaking. Odd. He seemed totally in control and at ease. Subconsciously, I wondered if he was angry, but he seemed more alert than anything.

“Here.” I gave him three pieces of taffy and smiled.

His face relaxed. “How’d you know?”

“Maybe my thing is being on taffy patrol?” Oh my gosh, that sounded so lame. I wanted to run out of the house right then, but everyone was grinning at me like I’d just cured world hunger by giving Demetri taffy.

“She cares,” Alec said.

“I like her,” Nat added.

Demetri rolled his eyes and popped a piece of taffy into his mouth. “What the heck kind of flavor is this, it tastes like…”

I shifted nervously. It was a new flavor. One I had my parents make especially for him. I hadn’t meant for it to be a big deal, or for him to discover it in front of his brother and Nat, but oh well. No going back now. Plus, I’d already embarrassed myself thirty times over.

“It’s, um, Jack Daniels taffy.”

The room fell silent.

Oh crap. What did I do?

Without any sort of warning Demetri pulled me into his arms and kissed me firmly across the mouth. He tasted like sugar and whiskey. Like heat and passion. I sucked on his tongue. I couldn’t really help it.

He pulled back and kissed my cheek. “That was really sweet of you. Alec used to buy me the alcohol flavored ones to help me get over the addiction.”

“Oh.” I felt myself blush. “It was nothing. I just thought…” I shrugged lamely.

“You thought,” Nat said. “About him. I say you’re a keeper.

Now can we please put you guys in some freaky disguises, so we can go to dinner and a movie?”

“Wait, I never said yes,” Demetri argued.

“You didn’t really say no either,” I pointed out and then snapped my mouth shut as Nat burst out laughing.

“Girl’s got a point.” She looped her arm with mine and tilted her head toward Alec. “Go get the costumes.”

“Costumes?” I repeated while Demetri stomped up the stairs and cursed, with Alec leading the way.

Nat released my arm and looked at me. “It’s kind of a long story, but usually when the guys go out during the day, there’s so many people around here that they don’t really get bothered that much. But for some reason, whenever they go to restaurants they get hounded. It’s kinda freaky if you aren’t used to it. So I came up with a brilliant plan.”

I really liked Nat. Her enthusiasm was contagious. Honestly, I wish she was the type of girl I could easily hate. Then I could forget the fact that she and Demetri briefly dated. But she was awesome. And I hadn’t had a friend in a long time, which meant her warmth was like food to someone starved.

She clasped her hands together. “I make both boys wear hats, backwards, so they still look like they are in high school. They throw on some old football sweatshirts from Seaside High and take off the skinny jeans.”

I laughed. “Yeah, the skinny jeans are a huge indicator.

Sorry to say.”

Nat rolled her eyes. “Right? I mean what guy in Seaside actually pulls them off that well? It’s basically like wearing a poster that says ‘Rock star Coming Through’.”

I burst out laughing and nodded my head. “Doesn’t help that Demetri’s gorgeous.” Whoops. I felt myself blush as Nat smiled warmly at me.

“He is, and he seems to really like you.”

I shrugged.

“Look, I love this whole humility thing you’ve got going on, but seriously, you’re beautiful, and I don’t know, maybe it sounds weird, but I see this inner strength about you.” She looked away.

“Great, now I’m sounding like my mom.”

I swallowed and bit my lower lip. “Don’t worry. You’re a far cry from sounding like Mrs. Murray.” I wasn’t ready to tell Nat that I saw her mom on a regular basis. “Besides, I’m not really that strong.”

Nat got really quiet. I looked up to see what she was doing, but she was staring at me, as if I was some sort of alien or something. She shook her head back and forth and looked toward the stairway, then back at me. “Any girl who can handle five minutes with Demetri is strong, Alyssa. Believe me, you hold your own, not many girls could.”

“Did you?” Whoa, seriously someone shut me up. Put masking tape over my mouth and send me out the door.

Nat laughed. “No. Honestly, I was terrible with Demetri. It was like mixing water with oil. Believe me, any girl wants it to work when a hot guy comes after her, but with Demetri it was never easy. I love him, don’t get me wrong. I hope that doesn’t make you uncomfortable, but he’s like a brother to me.”

“Pretty sure my feelings don’t cross into familial territory.” I smiled as I heard Alec yell at Demetri and Demetri curse back at Alec. “I, um, I really like him.”

Nat didn’t have a chance to answer as both guys came bounding down the stairs looking like high school football players.

My heart clenched.

There was no way Demetri could know. I mean, how could he? But the vision in front of me was too familiar. It transported me back to a time I wanted to forget yet hold onto. I was so torn with my memories of Brady.

Demetri was hot. I mean, ridiculously hot in that sweatshirt.

It said Seaside High Football, and it fit him tighter than most sweatshirts should fit a person, making his muscles bulge beneath the shirt. His hat was backward, but his long curly blond hair strained beneath it, as if it didn’t want to be hidden, much like Demetri. Always in the spotlight, always joking around. The man was like sunshine. Which kind of sucked, when you wanted nothing more than to live your life in a dark hole of guilt and sadness.

“You okay?” He walked up to me and pulled me in for a quick hug.

A muffled yes escaped my lips as he held my head against his chest. The steady beat of his heart helped me get my breathing under control, and then he kissed the top of my head. “I like you, you know.”

Again, he had no idea that Brady was identical in the way he conveyed his emotions. I wasn’t able to respond. I knew my eyes were getting watery, because I could feel it. But I didn’t want to cry, not in front of everyone. This was supposed to be fun. I mean, I was hanging out with AD2 for crying out loud!

Most girls my age would murder me on the spot for even thinking about tears at this moment.

I took a soothing breath and grabbed Demetri’s hand. “So, where are we going to eat?”

Demetri looked to Alec and back. “Somewhere… special.”

“Why do I get the feeling there’s trickery involved?” I asked as we walked out of the house.

“Always is,” Nat mumbled behind me. “Get used to it.”

Chapter Sixteen

Demetri

Okay, so it’s possible I’m going a little insane. I mean, I went to bed last night thinking of one thing. And it wasn’t getting high, drunk, or even hav**g s*x, though that would have been nice, if you get my meaning.

Nope. It was about a short little girl who had managed to get herself so fully into my consciousness that I stared at the ceiling for like three hours doing nothing but smiling like an idiot and strumming my guitar.

Yeah, I was losing my mind.

I mean, what type of guy sits and stares into space for hours on end? Okay, let me clarify — what kind of sober guy does that? I wrote three songs. They were all about her, and I’m not gonna lie.

It’s probably some of the best stuff I’ve come up with in years.

Alec freaked out and immediately called, saying he and Nat were going to make an impromptu trip back to Seaside to make sure I wasn’t still on drugs.