“So, how’s it going in Seaside? I mean, how is it really going? Are things… hard?” I could tell Alec was trying to ask me about the drugs and my depression in a covert way, but I had no secrets from Alyssa. He shifted in his seat and sighed.

“It hasn’t been easy. Actually it’s been hell, but I’m getting there. I feel better than I’ve ever felt and this one over here…” I nudged Alyssa. “Has magic taffy powers. She provides me with everything I need.”

She blushed profusely, and then I realized what I had just alluded to. I quickly backtracked. “I mean, when it comes to like food, not physical stuff like… shit.”

Alec’s shoulders shook from laughter. “It’s okay, I knew what you meant.”

Nat stared at Alyssa and grinned.

“So magic taffy powers?” Alec winked at Alyssa and leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed behind his head, making his shirt pull up just slightly. The guy was going to give Mrs. Miller a stroke if he didn’t keep it in his pants.

She blushed. “Don’t let him fool you. It’s not near as cool as it sounds.” Alyssa didn’t seem the least bit affected by Alec’s peekaboo six-pack, or the fact that he was flashing her a giant ass smile. She tucked her head into my shoulder. I kissed her on the hair and grinned.

“Yes. It really is,” I confirmed to Alec, fighting the urge to tell him mine really was bigger than his. I knew he wasn’t doing it on purpose, but sometimes I hated how much girls flocked to him.

Couldn’t he just be normal for one day, so the girl would follow me instead of him? Did I need to take off my shirt? Belt out a song? Get down on one knee? Oh shit, I just said knee, which meant proposal, which meant marriage. Why were my hands sweating? I glanced at Alyssa. Okay, it was more of a stare, a stalker stare that had me watching every breath that escaped her perfectly bow-shaped lips.

God, I wanted to taste her again. Would I ever get enough? I adjusted in my seat and cursed the fact that I was a guy.

Mrs. Miller came with our drinks. Alyssa closed her eyes and took a sip. Damn, what I wouldn’t do to be hot chocolate right now. Chocolate ran down the side of the white cup. Her pink tongue darted out and licked the liquid as she moaned to herself. I take everything back. I just want to be a cheap ass cup. That’s what I want to be.

“I can tell taffy flavors by smelling the wrappers,” Alyssa said, interrupting my ceramic daydream.

“No way!” Nat slapped her own leg. “I bet that comes in handy.”

Alyssa rolled her eyes and took another sip of her hot chocolate. She needed to be done with that drink before I threw caution to the wind and mauled her. “Not really. I mean, I was able to guess what type of taffy Demetri was eating, but that’s it.”

“Let me guess.” Alec leaned forward. “He makes you sniff all the wrappers after he eats them to see if you’re right?”

“Every time.” Alyssa winked in my direction. My arousal just jumped into overdrive. Watching her joke with Nat and Alec, the two most important people in my life and then be so easy-going while doing it. I wanted her so bad. I wanted to throw the hot chocolate to the ground, jump onto her lap, and have my way with her.

She sighed and tucked a piece of fallen hair behind her ear, giving me full view of her lips and a tiny drop of hot chocolate that was at the corner of her mouth.

I needed a cold shower stat. Desperate, I looked around for something to distract me. Anything really. My eyes fell on Mrs.

Miller kissing her husband. He swatted her ass. She wiggled in his arms and then did a dance I can only describe as something that should be outlawed in every state. And arousal gone. Good. That was easy. I cleared my throat and tried to relax. This was supposed to be fun. I was supposed to be bonding; instead I was resorting to staring at old people in order to keep my pants on. Hi, my name’s Mighty, and yes. Yes, I have so incredibly fallen.

“So what else is going on? My mom says you’re leading group therapy?” Nat asked, sufficiently changing the subject, which I was thankful for, considering I had just thought of at least seven different ways I could kiss Alyssa’s neck. Apparently watching old people wasn’t as good of a distraction as I thought.

“Yup.” I leaned back in the chair. The smell of steak filled the salty air. “I’ve only led group once. Actually our next meeting is in a few days I don’t know. I mean, at first I kept saying no. I hate to admit, I finally said yes, because I wanted to see Alyssa again, but then… I don’t know. I feel like a chick saying this, but I liked it.

I mean, I liked feeling like I was helping people.”

Nat shrugged. “Demetri, you’ve always been that way, you just never saw that about yourself.”

“Probably because you were high most the time,” Alec interjected.

“Thanks, man.” Always good to know I had his support. He smirked in my direction while I gave him the finger. I glanced back at Nat and took another sip of coffee. “Anyway, it’s been really good.”

Alyssa was silent next to me. Crap, I had totally outed her in front of Nat and Alec. I reached for her hand. She squeezed it and then winked at me. I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath until she did that. Relaxing, I leaned back again and listened to the waves.

“I like it here.” Alyssa sighed. “It’s peaceful.”

“No autographs,” Alec said.

Nat laughed. “Or panty throwing.”

“Or taffy jingles.” I lifted my cup into the air. “Cheers, everyone.”

We all laughed and clinked glasses. After a few minutes of silence, where I’m happy to announce Justin Bieber and One Direction did not make a musical appearance, Mr. Miller came out with a huge platter of food.

My stomach growled on cue.

“Okay, boys, got some steak here for you. Rare, just how you like it. The missus cooked up some potatoes, carrots, and of course, chicken, just in case the girls don’t want red meat.” He set the platter down while Mrs. Miller came around and put the plates on the tables sitting next to each of our chairs.

“Oh.” Mr. Miller held up his finger. “I almost forgot the applesauce, I’ll be right back.”

“Applesauce?” Alyssa asked.

“Yeah, for the steak and potatoes.” Duh, it was a staple! Like ketchup or mustard.

“Not following.” Alyssa laughed and looked at Nat. “Is he being serious?”

Nat shook her head. “Don’t knock it till you try it. I remember the first time Alec introduced me to applesauce at dinner. I thought he was crazy, but it’s pretty good.”

Mr. Miller returned with a huge bowl of applesauce. I threw it onto my plate and gave Alyssa a wink.

She scrunched her nose. “Are you really going to eat that with your meat and potatoes?”

“It’s tradition.” I acted offended, but really I knew it wasn’t that normal for people to put applesauce with dinner. “Actually, I blame our Dutch friends from Canada. They used to always eat like that when we were kids, and it just kinda stuck.”

“Hmm.” Alyssa took a spoonful of applesauce and tossed it onto her plate. “If I hate it, I’m blaming you guys.”

“Fine.” I chuckled and cut up my meat.

“No way!” Alyssa yelled. I dropped my fork.

“What? What’s wrong?”

Her eyes lit up with astonishment. “That’s amazing!”

I took a large bite and shrugged. “So from here on out you should just take my word for it. Demetri is always right.”

“And Demetri shouldn’t refer to himself in the third person.

It’s weird,” Alec interjected.

“Also true.” I thrust my fork into the air. “So what movie are we seeing?”

“Romance,” Nat answered. “And before either one of you argue with me, just know that I had to go to not one, not two, but three movie premiers when I was with Alec, and they were all gory action movies that made me want to bang my head against my own hand.”

“They were pretty rough,” Alec agreed. “But he’s a cool dude, so I wanted to support him.”

“He?” Alyssa asked tentatively.

Alec grinned. “Jamie Jaymeson. He’s from England. Girls love him, but he sports an American accent in all his action movies.

Anyways He’s good people.”

Alyssa nodded. This was the part that made me nervous.

Everyone knew who Jaymeson was. I mean, next to Robert Pattison he was the biggest thing to cross the Atlantic since Twilight. Did it freak her out to know we were all friends? That it was part of our world and would soon be part of hers too? It scared the hell out of me when I thought of merging my life with the one in Seaside. It didn’t fit. I wanted it to, but it was like two puzzle pieces that weren’t cut to go together, and I didn’t know how to fix it. I looked down at my food and sighed.

We ate the rest of our food in silence. I was too hungry to talk, and then when I was finished I couldn’t help but stare at Alyssa. Everything about her was sensual. The way she ate bread was freaking sensual. I really needed to get a hold of myself if I was going to be in the same room with her without dying.

Pretty sure I read somewhere that it could happen to a guy.

It seriously felt like it now. I cleared my throat and looked away, even though all I wanted to do was be the creepy dude that watched her cut her meat.

Yes. I wanted to watch her cut her meat. That was how hard I had fallen. I dug out a piece of taffy from my pocket and popped it into my mouth.

Jack Daniels taffy sure did take the edge off. What I wouldn’t do for a joint.

“Movie?” Alyssa asked once the plates were cleared.

“Let’s do it,” I said, this time watching her as she stood and stretched her little arms above her head, giving me an amazing view of a tight little stomach. God, I was going to die this way.

Chapter Seventeen

Alyssa

The drive to the small movie theatre wasn’t too bad. The closer we got to the narrow roads of Seaside, the easier it was for me to remain calm about the fact that for the first time in years I had traveled outside my tiny little hole of a town.

My chest still hurt, but I swear it was like Demetri could tell when I would start to panic. He’d squeeze my hand, and then it was like by squeezing my hand, he somehow pushed the fear away.

I sighed in relief the minute we rolled back into familiar territory.

The movie theatre wasn’t crowded, which was a double bonus. I didn’t do crowds, and I knew Demetri and Alec would be irritated if there were lots of teen girls running around screaming their names and sobbing their eyes out.

They were normal guys, right? I mean, it wasn’t as if anything about them was any different from any other guy in this world.

I stole a glance at Demetri as he got out of the car and stretched his arms out in front of him. Seriously, how did that sweatshirt even fit him? It hugged every muscle in his arms. I had no idea guys even had that many muscles in their arms, and I used to hang out with football players all the time.

He looked my way. I felt myself blush. Caught. Crap I was totally caught ogling the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. My mouth was even open. Perfect. He sauntered, yes, sauntered, as in slowly walked toward me with his h*ps swaying slightly back and forth. I looked down at the ground. My eyes were screaming at me to look at him, but I swear, in that moment I felt like if I did I would melt into a puddle, efficiently ruining one of the best days I’ve ever had.