JD was incessantly yapping in my ear and waving his arms around like a madman near my head. He was going off about something that excited him, but I had no idea what he was even trying to tell me. I caught approximately every third or fourth word because I was too busy focusing on what was going on with the frustratingly obstinate blond out in the living room who refused to listen to a damn word I said.

Riley's eyes slowly meandered with a lazy shift in my direction. Her mouth dropped open, feigning surprise like she forgot I was still inside the house and waiting on her. She was playing dumb with me right now and I wasn't amused at all.

I stood just inside the doorway glaring at her without blinking, impatiently waiting for her to bring her ass over into the kitchen.

Riley's gaze narrowed at me and she shook her head to let me know she wasn't going to do what I wanted her to do. She motioned a slight nod to Aiden and Brynn like that settled our disagreement and set everything right between us.

My chest constricted in pain and my vision began blurring. The earth started quaking as my body convulsed with rage.

Riley had made her decision.

She would rather be out there yucking it up with Aiden and Brynn than anywhere near me.

It made me fucking sick to stand here and watch.

It was time for me to go out there and drag her upstairs to lock her inside my room for the rest of the night. I didn't care if she cried, screamed, or begged me to let her out. Having her pissed off at me all night would be better than dealing with this.

I started out the door towards her when I was hit in the face with a red plastic cup.

"You look like you need a drink," JD said, shoving a cup of something dark under my nose. I grabbed it out of his hand and poured it down my throat.

"Thanks," I said, handing the empty cup back to him, feeling the burning warmth of the liquid comfort line my insides all the way down.

"You know, we ran into Mia at the liquor store. Like ran, ran into her. Anna mowed her down with a cart after Mia stopped me and gave me a hug." JD chuckled.

"Ok, great." It was the end of the story from my viewpoint. I hadn't even given Mia a second thought since the last time I saw her. Her name or face barely even registered in my head anymore. I didn't care at all about them seeing Mia at the liquor store. As far as I was concerned, she didn't even exist.

"Well, anyway, Mia started complaining that you haven't been answering your phone or texting her back. She asked if you were home tonight so she could come over. I'll text her to come by so she can come help cheer you up." JD began reaching into his pocket for his phone.

"Don't bother. Someone else already has that covered tonight." I mumbled and looked at Riley out of the corner of my eye. She was still red-faced and smiling playfully at Aiden.

"She's here, isn't she?" JD smirked and slapped me on the back.

"Who's here?" I asked and turned my head entirely in Riley's direction when I saw her shift her weight from one foot to another. It looked like she was about to do something and I needed to know exactly what that something was.

Riley lowered her head down to look at her body and Aiden's eyes followed hungrily. It was like she was encouraging him to do it and letting him know she didn't mind if he ogled her dirty little curves more.

"The girl that has you acting crazy. She's here right now, isn't she?" JD started trying to poke his nose around me to look out in the living room. "I don't see anyone out there but Riley and Brynn. Wait..."

He figured it out and I was a dead man. I braced myself for what was coming next.

"Dude, you're sleeping with Brynn too? Damn, she gets around just as much as you do. Aiden is going to be pissed if he finds out. He thinks they are dating now. You probably should tell him before he gets his little heart broken." JD shook his head.

I was both relieved and disgusted at the thought. I decided to just play along instead of denying it. The lie would keep JD off my back a little longer. A little misdirection couldn't hurt and it gave me an excuse to stay close to Riley if she hung out with Brynn tonight.

JD would keep looking the other way if he thought I was chasing Brynn instead of Riley.

"I can't believe you figured it out." I gritted my teeth and turned back around to get another drink.

"Damn. Damn. Damn." JD kept repeating over and over again in shock as he followed me back towards the table.

I began picking up the bottles off the table to see what they bought today. The selection of the bottles sprawled out was less impressive than I had initially thought. The only thing that could come close to quenching and drowning out my irritation was the unopened bottle of Bacardi 151. It was the highest alcohol content out of everything on the table.

It would have to do the trick.

I popped open the bottle and filled a plastic cup up until it was about half full. It wasn't enough to make me completely forget how frustrated I was with Riley, but it would take some of the edge off. I pressed the cup to my lips and turned around towards the living room to check on her again.

This time, she had her hands crossed over her body like she was trying to figure out what to do with herself.

Riley started walking across the room towards the chair in the corner and I lost sight of her. There was no way I would be able to see her from inside the kitchen now. She was doing this to me on purpose so I would lose my mind. She could be sitting in the corner of the room, taking all her clothes off to touch herself, and I wouldn't have the slightest clue.

Fuck, I hated feeling like this.

It was like Riley had blindfolded me and was wrapping a rubber band around my body way too tightly. Every now and then, she would pause long enough for someone else to walk by, pull one of the loops, and snap it against my skin. But Riley just kept going like it wasn't crushing me. She never stopped. The band was pulling tighter and tighter with every minute that passed until I felt like I would pass out. At some point, I was going to die or the band would break.

I didn't know which one was going to be worse.

I drained the rest of my cup and went back for another. JD was watching me from across the room wordlessly, trying to sneak a peek into the black hole that was my life. I couldn't just walk out to Riley to seek the relief only she could provide. JD would follow me and know I was lying as soon as I fell down at her feet.

I was stuck and completely powerless.

There was a cold, bony hand sliding low across my back, just under the hemline of my shirt. I knew instantly who it was without having to look.

It definitely wasn't the touch of the hand I was craving.

"Whatcha drinking?" Brynn asked, pushing her body up against me from behind. She peeked her head around my back and studied the bottles in front of me.

"Horse piss," I said, lifting the cup up to my mouth for another sip.

Brynn snatched the cup out of my hand and I spun around to take it back from her. She smiled and winked at me as she batted her eyelashes. She tapped the cup with her spindly fingers and then raised it to her lips.

"Mmmm...so good." Brynn purred as she over-exaggerated licking the remaining drops off. She scooted closer to me and began rubbing up against my side.

JD was laughing in the corner to himself, thinking he was in on my little secret.

Aiden walked in a few seconds later with some guy I didn't know and three girls trailing behind him. The new arrivals surrounded the table as JD took his attention away from me and started playing host. I was expecting Riley to stroll in right behind Aiden, but she didn't.

Why was she keeping her distance from me?

A few minutes later, two other guys walked into the kitchen. My girl was still not here. Something was wrong.

When I stepped into the opening that led to the living room, I saw her. The alcohol started sloshing around in my stomach and started to rise back up.

Riley was chatting up some guy at the door. She was wearing an innocent yet flirtatious little side smile on her face. To make matters even worse, she was twirling the ends of her hair, which kept bringing his attention down to her large breasts.

I should have never let her come down the stairs in that tiny top.

I stared at the guy for a bit longer. He looked vaguely familiar. It took him giving her chest a dopey smile for it to click.

I knew that guy and he clearly remembered her, even if she didn't remember him.

He gave me the same smile that night at the party when she was on top of the table with that pink-haired douchebag.

The guy standing in front of my girl was the same guy who was getting his phone to record the whole thing. He was looking at her like she was a desperate slut and open for business-- and Riley smiled at him.

She just fucking smiled.