It was freezing out but I had to go out in it anyway for a class. You would think they wouldn't hold classes when it was so cold, making us go out in the frigid weather chancing us getting sick. Shouldn't there be a law against it or something?

I headed into the small coffee shop and opted on a hot chocolate this time. I wanted something warm, and my taste buds were craving sweet. Then I made my way to the building for my noon class.

Leaned against the building was some girl taking in every word that flew from Grayson's lips to her ears. I rolled my eyes and turned my head slightly hoping he wouldn't notice me.

"Are you trying to avoid me?" he asked coming up beside me.

"If I said yes would you go away?"

"No."

"I would ask what you're doing just hanging out here in the cold, but I assume it doesn't bother you," I told him.

"Oh, because of my cold heart?" He opened the door allowing me to enter.

Just when I thought that would be the end of it there he was walking beside me once again. "Are you following me?" I asked him.

"Don't flatter yourself, babe," he said opening a classroom door.

"Don't call me that."

He walked in and I let the door shut, then realization hit me. It was the classroom I needed to be in, too. I swung open the door. He was sitting in the back row and looked up when he noticed me standing there. "Following me, now?" He smirked.

"How is it possible that you're in this class, too, and I've never noticed before."

"Maybe you need to get your eyes checked. They don't seem to be drawn to the good things."

"Maybe that just means we have differing opinions of what's good," I told him before heading a few rows down to my normal seat.

I could feel his stare on me but I didn't look back. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of thinking he's good enough to have another glance at. Instead I focused on the lecture.

When class ended I made my way out of the room following slowly behind the others taking their time out the door. I didn't think I would have to worry about seeing Grayson again, but there he was leaned against the wall, and when he saw me he came walking towards me as if he had been waiting for me.

"What do you want, now?" I asked him.

"I just thought you might like a gentleman to walk you back to your dorm."

"That would be nice." I pulled my purse handle back on my shoulder as it slid down. "When you find one let me know."

"What do you have against me, Ellie?"

"I'm surprised you remember my name, what with all the girls you talk to."

"Is that what this is?" He stepped in front of me stopping me. "Are you jealous?" One side of his mouth curved up into a cocky little smile.

I rolled my eyes. "Now look who's flattering themselves." I stepped around him and continued walking.

The rest of the walk was quiet yet he still tagged along. "Well, thanks for the company," I said pushing open the door to my building. "But next time an actual gentleman would be nice."

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly as if he found my words funny, yet his eyes bore into mine as though he was drawn to me.

* * *

"We're going to a party," Lana sang dancing around my dorm.

"No," I told her staring up at her blankly.

She stopped dancing and her shoulders slumped. "Oh, c'mon!"

"I already went with you to a party not long ago."

"Yeah, but this time Derek asked me to go," she said as she sat down on the ouch beside me staring off with some love sick smile.

"Then go with him."

"But I want you to go, too!" She grabbed my hands with a pleading look. "Please!"

"But if he asked you to go then wouldn't it be weird if I tagged along?"

"No! Grayson is going, too, so it's like a group thing, and I don't want to be the only girl."

"Absolutely not." I stood up and attempted to walk away from the conversation.

"Please, for your best friend?"

So there I was standing off alone away from the crowd at a party I didn't want to be at. I was three drinks in, not only hoping the alcohol would warm me up some, but hoping it would help get me through the night.

"Thought you didn't do parties," Grayson said when he appeared at my side.

"Yeah, well when your best friend begs you eventually give in."

"I see."

"Shouldn't you be off flirting with some girls by now?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to upset you."

"I think I'll be fine." I finished off the last of my drink. "I'm going to go get another." I left before he could say anything else.

As I made myself a new drink I watched him from the kitchen. It didn't take long for girls to come up to him, at first it was like he didn't mind, but then it was as though something changed and he walked away from the last group of girls that came to him.

"What's your name?" A guy asked me.

It felt like the other night all over again. "Ellie."

"Tyler. It's nice to meet you." He gave a warm smile.

"You too." This felt so different than when I first met Grayson. Just the vibe Tyler gave off; he seemed warm and charming.

"You don't look like you're having very much fun," he said.

"Is it that obvious?"

He laughed. "It is, but I won't take offense to it."

I looked up at him confused. "Why would you?"

He took a sip of his beer. "It's my house and my party."

"Oh." I felt bad. "it's not that it's a boring party or anything, I'm just not much into the whole party scene." I tried to explain myself to him.

"No need to explain. It's not for everyone." He grabbed my hand. "C'mon, I'll show you somewhere a little quieter." I was hesitant to follow him and he noticed. "Don't worry."

And just like that I let him lead me. Something in the tone of his voice let me know that I didn't have anything to worry about.

We went outside and down a small path just a few yards away into a pool house. He turned on the lights and I could finally see inside. It was pretty large considering it was just supposed to be a pool house, but there was a little kitchenette and a couch with some chairs and even a television hung up on the wall, with a shuffleboard table near the back. "Wow, this is nice," I said admiring the room.

"You can sit," he said as he sat down on the couch.

I sat down beside him. There were large windows allowing for a perfect view to the outside. You could still see all the people inside the house. "You don't have to stay. It is your party, after all."

"I don't mind." He smiled. "So, what are you doing here if you don't like parties?"

"My best friend begged me to come with her."

"Ah, I see. So where was she then? You seemed alone."

"With her new boyfriend, or whatever they are." I rolled my eyes. "I don't know why she wanted me to come if she was going to ditch me."

"Maybe someone to run to in case things went bad?"

"Maybe." I never thought of it that way. He could be right. It did seem like a logical explanation for wanting me here just to leave me alone.

He ran his fingers through his dark hair leaving it a tousled mess atop his head, but it was a cute mess. His light brown eyes stared into mine. They were such a warm color. "So, I saw you talking to Grayson earlier."

"You know him?"

"Who doesn't?" He laughed. "We're friends."

"How is it that someone like him has such nice friends?"

This caused him to laugh even harder. "He's not that bad when you get to know him."

"I'll just have to take your word for it."

He ran his hand over his 5 o'clock shadow then back through his hair once again. He turned to me. I hoped it wasn't because he noticed me staring at him. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said and quickly turned away from him. He did notice me staring at him. I could feel the nerves running through me.

"You know you don't have to stay. I'm sure your friend would understand," he said.

"I don't know. I would feel bad." I stared out the window into the house. Grayson was in full view standing by Lana and Derek, the two guys talking while Lana made conversation with some girl I didn't know. "I mean, Derek seems like a nice guy. I don't know what she's worried about."

"Derek?" he asked bringing my attention back to him. "Oh, he's a great guy."

"Let me guess, your friends?"

He smiled. "Of course."

My phone buzzed and I pulled it out to check. "Well, I should probably get back in there," I said pushing myself to stand. "Lana is wondering where I am."

"Okay." He stood and we left the pool house heading back into the party.

"Where have you been?" Lana asked when I walked up to her.

"I was in the pool house. It's really cool, you should check it out."

"What were you doing in there?" she asked.

"I was getting away from the party."

"Alone?" she questioned me with a curious smile.

"No, I was with Tyler," I told her causing Derek and Grayson to turn to our conversation.

Her eyes lit up. "Who's Tyler?"

"He said he lives here and it's his party." I shrugged. "That's pretty much all I know about him."

"Yeah, but is he cute?" she continued with the questions the big smile never leaving her face.

"No he's not cute. He's fucking hot," I told her. Then I felt eyes on me and turned to see Grayson staring down at me, his lips in a thin line before he parted them to take a drink. I tried to ignore his stare though it was hard. "He says you guys are all friends?" I asked them.

Derek nodded. "He's a really cool guy."

"I guess," Grayson chimed in.

Derek shoved him a little with his arm. "Shut up, dude," he said and then let out a small chuckle. "He really is," he told me.

"You should totally go for him, El," Lana beamed.

My nose wrinkled. "I don't know."

I headed back to my dorm shortly after. All I could think about was what Lana said about going after Tyler, but then the way Grayson stared at me while talking about it kept creeping its way into my thoughts.

***

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