Over the next week I found myself avoiding Will as much as I could. I was still guilty and angry every time I saw his face, and I couldn't forget what he said about me. If he didn't want to help me or be there for me, I wasn't about to make him.

Of course, for some reason he was being stubborn and wouldn't let me avoid him. He kept showing up every time I turned around. I could understand him being around when Becca was home, but he was there even when she was in class. He kept trying to do things for me, but I refused his help every time, even when it resulted in pain.

During this time, I kept texting Jaime. We talked about my recovery, his job at a local bar as a bartender, and our hobbies. Every time I spoke with him I grew to like him more. At first I wasn't sure if the timing was good but I quickly realized I liked him and he seemed to like me and that was all that mattered.

Finally, one week after I texted him for the first time, he asked me out. My recovery had been going really well and I could walk and breathe with only slight discomfort. I didn't want to go anywhere yet, but luckily he was very willing to accommodate me. We decided to have a date in my apartment the next night. It was a Saturday and he didn't work the next day so we decided we'd play some board games and hang out.

Thankfully, Will wasn't sticking around at night anymore, so he wouldn't see Jaime coming for our date. I didn't feel like I was hiding it from him, but at the same time, I really didn't want to talk about it with him. And I knew if he found out, he would have a lot to say. He really hated Jaime for some reason.

The night of the date finally came and l felt anticipation building. Becca knew this was happening, and she said she wouldn't tell Will.

"You must be excited. You're all dressed up for a 'casual hangout'." She teased, throwing my words back at me.

I glanced up, taking stock of how perfect her model-esque figure was despite her doing nothing to get dressed up. Her long auburn hair was up in a messy bun, but it was the kind of messy that looked intentional. She didn't have any makeup on that I knew, yet her skin glowed. I knew I could never compare.

"Yeah, well, I still don't look like you." I said, keeping my tone light while dying a bit inside.

She smiled, flashing her perfect teeth. "Annalee, I think you are far prettier than you give yourself credit for."

I scoffed, but let the issue drop. I glanced at myself in the mirror as I was straightening my hair. I had fairly light skin spattered with freckles, a small nose, and full lips. My naturally highlighted brown hair was curly, and at times I considered it pretty. Other times it was simply a nuisance. All in all, I was no model.

Regardless, I was happy with how I looked. She was right, I was awfully excited for this date. It was the first one in a long time. I had a boyfriend in high school, but that didn't last very long when he came to pick me up for a date and my cop father threatened to throw him in jail if he brought me back late. Luckily this time my father wasn't around. I never thought I would be grateful that he hated me, but it served my purpose right now in a bitter tasting way.

I was shaken out of my thoughts by a firm knock at the door. Becca ran that direction while I stood shakily and slowly shuffled to the living room at the only speed that didn't cause me pain.

When I finally arrived down the hall I saw Jaime standing by the door looking better than I remembered him. He was wearing a black button down shirt and dark, tight-fitting jeans. His dark hair was combed back and he flashed a brilliant smile at me, dimples showing.

"Hi. You look great." He said, stepping forward and giving me a kiss on the cheek.

I blushed and took in the earthy smell of whatever cologne he was wearing.

"You do too. I'm so glad we could do this. Here, sit down."

I gestured at our ratty, ripped brown couch with a degree of embarrassment. It was the only place to sit unfortunately, and on a student's budget I could never hope to afford a new one, even at a thrift store.

He didn't seem to mind the state of the couch, however. He sat gracefully and waited patiently as I walked over and eventually sank down beside him with far less grace than he had.

"It's really good to see you walking around. I have to admit, I was extremely worried about you after what happened. How has your recovery gone?" He asked, lightly grabbing my hand as he watched me earnestly.

"Oh, it's actually going very well. Everything is healing ahead of schedule, thanks to Becca and Will. They have taken such good care of me." Despite Will being a jerk.

He flashed a half-hearted smile before turning to Becca, who was still in the room watching us unashamedly.

"I don't believe we have truly met. I'm Jaime, and you are Becca, correct?"

She smiled at him. "That's right. I'm Annalee's roommate. If I remember right, you were the one who found her after the attack and called the ambulance right?"

He nodded, a serious look donning his face. "Yes. Luckily I was around. I don't even want to think about what might have happened if I wasn't."

Becca looked thoughtful. "It was very lucky. What were you doing there anyway?"

I decided this line of inquiry was starting to sound too much like interrogation. "Thanks for your help Becca. I think we've got it covered now." I sent her a stern look and she just gave me a smirk in return before smiling at Jaime again.

"It looks like Annalee wants me gone. It was nice meeting you Jaime. Have a good night." She gave a little wave and walked off toward her room.

I turned back to Jaime and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry about her. She's just being curious."

He shook his head in disregard. "It's no problem. I know she just wants to make sure you're safe with me," He raised my hand and lightly kissed it, keeping his eyes on me as he did so. A strong blush crept up my cheeks at his actions. I'd never had someone act like that towards me before. "So, what did you plan for us to do tonight?"

I told him about my plan to play some board games and card games and just talk tonight. His response was enthusiastic to my delight. We spent our time that night just talking about our experiences in New York and a tiny bit about our families. It was obviously a topic I was hesitant to discuss, what with my mother's death and my father's situation, but he was open about his family. I learned he had two older brothers in addition to a father who raised them alone. He didn't talk about why, or say anything about his mother. I didn't push the matter, especially since he let me skirt around my own mother.

We played games all night until I found myself drifting off. I felt him moving the Monopoly board and lightly grab me, pulling me delicately against him. I snuggled in, which is something I probably wouldn't have done if I'd had my full senses. He placed a kiss on my head before darkness overtook my senses completely.

&&&&&&&&

I was woken up the next morning by the sound of the front door slamming shut. My eyes blinked open to see Will standing in front of our door, arms folded and a cross expression on his face. At first I didn't understand why he could possibly be so upset, then I felt a warm body stirring beside me.

I realized I was sleeping against Jaime, his arm wrapped around me. I shot up, throwing his arm off and effectively waking him up. Will kept staring at me, brown eyes smoldering angrily.

"Annalee? Oh I'm sorry, I can't believe I fell asleep last night like this." Jaime said, obviously not seeing Will yet.

I turned to him, putting the Will issue aside for a moment. "It's alright. If I remember correctly, I fell asleep on you first. It was really great seeing you and we should definitely do this again, but you should probably go now."

I pushed, hoping to get him out of here before Will started speaking his mind. Jaime looked at me in confusion before finally seeing Will, his expression turning to surprise and finally settling in a guarded smile.

"Oh, hello. It was Will, right? I believe we met the other day. You're Annalee's friend right?"

I felt like Jaime was fishing for something but I wasn't sure what. Maybe he was just making sure we weren't dating.

"Yes, that's right. He's my friend and my roommate's boyfriend. He's probably here to see her." I blurted quickly, hoping to keep Jaime from getting the wrong idea about us.

As I expected, after hearing my word vomit Jaime looked relieved. He must have been worried about our being involved after all.

"Oh, I see. Well, as much as I'd love to stay longer Annalee, I actually do have to be going. I'm opening the bar today so I have to get ready." He stood, his height impressive even when compared to Will. Nobody I knew was quite as tall as Will, but Jaime was close.

Jaime helped me to my feet before giving me a gentle hug and kissing my hand again like he did last night. I blushed and smiled as he said goodbye, promising to text him later. As he left, I felt a huge sense of relief until I turned to Will, who was still standing stoic against the wall.

I took a deep breath and prepared for his rant. I had no idea what objections he could possibly have. And I was most confused by my feelings of guilt. I had no reason to be guilty yet I was.

"I know nothing I say will make a difference. I just don't think you should be with him."

He unfolded his arms and moved to the couch, sitting down while grabbing the remote and turning on the TV. I felt my jaw drop at his words. He really wasn't going to talk about it other than that? I almost couldn't believe my ears. As glad as I was for that, I couldn't leave that statement alone. Why shouldn't I be with him? It's not like Will cared about me at all. He said so himself just the other day.

Before I could think of anything to say in response, he spoke up again. "I know you've been avoiding me Annie. And I get it, with you overhearing what you did, but..." he indicated for me to sit down next to him. I hesitantly moved to sit, not sure if I should be listening to his excuses or not. He turned to face me completely, expression earnest and sorry. "Becca was asking me if I felt any romantic attraction to you. She was feeling jealous because of how much attention I'd been paying you, so I told her you didn't mean anything to me romantically. By now you ought to know just how much I care about you as a friend. You are my best friend in the world Annie, and I hate knowing you think I don't care about you."

His gaze was fixated on my face, and I could see how honest he was being. His eyes were glimmering with emotion, his whole body leaning toward me like he was begging me to believe him. And, to my dismay, I did.

"You're my best friend too. I guess I understand why you said what you did. Just please, don't hurt me like that again."

For the first time all week, he flashed me a full smile, showing off his dimples that I rarely saw. I couldn't help but smile back at that. He grabbed me, hugging me the way I'd missed. His hugs were so full of warmth and comfort, but there was something missing inside of me this time. The sadness was lingering for an unknown reason. I couldn't let him see that hurt coiling around me, so I covered it with a smile.

I'd do anything to protect our friendship, even if it hurt me.