Chapter 1

Hailey’s POV

“Tonight, you’re going to tell Derek your feelings. You can’t be stuck in the friend zone forever,” I whispered to myself, my reflection staring back at me. “No backing down. Don’t be a coward.”

From the first day I saw Derek in college, I hadn’t been able to think about much else. With his easy smile encased by that perfectly chiseled jaw and his piercing eyes that almost looked right through me, how could I not?

Derek was the campus star athlete, admired by every boy and desired by every girl, but somehow, he always seemed to make me feel important. Like I mattered.

Now that Derek and I had been friends for a while, I knew he had a girlfriend in high school, but they broke up before college, and he had not dated anyone yet after that.

So when he asked me to join his party tonight, I figured it would be my chance to jump out of the friend zone before it was too late.

I had to tell him my feelings tonight.

Now, standing in the restroom of the bar where the party was being held, I studied my reflection in the mirror. The low fluorescent lighting was still too bright. I was suddenly very aware of every flaw on my face, from my freckled nose to the zit on my forehead that seemed to show up out of nowhere.

My fingers fumbled through my purse until I felt the smooth plastic tube of blush. I pulled it out and ran it across each side of my face. The subtle shade of pink made me look shy, I thought. Maybe even a little innocent?

Pushing myself away from the mirror, I stood back and gave myself one last look. Makeup, okay. Chest, decent. Bum, pretty nice, if I say so myself.

“Well. Here goes nothing,” I muttered to my reflection.

My heart felt like it might jump right out of my chest as I pushed the bathroom door open. The echo of my pulse thudded in my ears louder than the music that shook the walls through the hallway.

Thankfully, the second I entered the hallway, I spotted what I was looking for.

Derek.

There he was, leaning casually against the wall like he owned it. Drink in his hand - probably whisky - and his golden-brown hair caught the light from the amber bulbs hanging from the tiled ceiling.

Even in the crowded bar, Derek stood out like a flame in the dark.

His eyes looked up at me, brightening the moment they met mine.

For a second, I swore his gaze actually glowed. Not just the sparkle of amusement he gave me with his usual smile, no, it was a blazing silver glow I had never seen before.

I blinked, and the glow was gone.

I shook my head. Maybe I’d had one too many drinks?

“Wow,” Derek said as he walked over to me, his eyes moving from mine down to my little black dress. He smiled slowly. “Hailey, you look… beautiful.”

His voice was gruff, sending tingles through my stomach and lower. That deep tone got me every time.

My cheeks felt hot. “Oh, uh, thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.”

I inwardly cringed. God, I’m an idiot.

He huffed out a laugh and took a step closer, leaving very little space between us. “Not so bad? Ouch.”

He was a world-class tease, leaning into me, allowing the smell of his burly cologne to wrap around me, warm and woodsy. The intimate moment almost made me forget we were surrounded by people, music pulsing through the walls.

I gave myself a quick reminder to play it cool. “Don’t worry.” I murmured with eyes cutting up at him, smiling. “You clean up nice.”

A grin stretched across his face.

This is it, I thought, my heart pounding in my chest. Now is the right time to spill everything.

“Derek, I…” Just as the words started to slip out of my mouth, the front door swung open, and almost all eyes dashed in its direction.

In she came. A tall brunette with a kind of effortless beauty that made heads turn without her even trying. Her dark curls bounced with every annoyingly confident step, heels tapping out a rhythm against the hardwood that seemed to own the room.

And just like that, the air shifted. People noticed. He noticed.

“Jessica!” Derek lit up like the sun breaking through clouds. His voice was warm and excited.

Too excited. I frowned.

Before I could even start my confession, the girl neared, and he was already moving toward her like a magnet, wrapping his arms around her like he’d been waiting for her.

My throat went so dry I could barely swallow, words sticking on my tongue, heart pounding in my chest.

But the weirdest part was, I couldn’t look away.

Oh, I wished I could.

Frozen like a wax statue, I watched him press a kiss to her cheek, lingering for longer than necessary.

Who was this Jessica, anyway?

“Hailey,” Derek shouted over the music in a gravely tone, glancing at my awe-stricken face. “This is Jessica. My girlfriend.”

My stomach plummeted. Girlfriend?

Grinning like the universe had gifted her to him, he said, “She just transferred here.” He looked back to the tall beauty. “We grew up in the same town, over in Huntsville. We dated for two years in high school before…” he hesitated. “Anyway, now we’re back together.”

My stomach crumbled and churned all at once. Jessica was that high school ex of Derek, the one who hurt him so badly that he hadn’t dated anyone after her.

Was he waiting for her the whole time?

Jessica tilted her head to the side, almost with sympathy for me, but her smile was edged like glass. “Oh, you’re Hailey.” She smiled, but there was no warmth or kindness in it.

The way she said my name made me want to vomit. My skin began to prickle as I forced my lips into something that could maybe be mistaken for a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

I lied. It was far from nice. It was the most horrible thing, at the worst possible time.

Derek was oblivious to what was happening before him. “Drinks are on me,” he said cooly, turning back toward her as his hand settled on her hip like it knew that spot well. He glanced at me almost as an afterthought. “What would you like, Hailey?”

“Anything’s fine,” I managed to say, trying to mask how hurt I felt. “Just make it strong.”

Jessica’s eyes shimmered as she swept them over me, up then down like she was counting my flaws. “Bold choice.” Her voice dripped with sweetness, but underneath it, I caught the sharp mockery.

An awkward silence fell between us.

“So…” I said, not able to stand it any longer. “You and Derek, together again, huh?” I said lamely.

“That is what ‘girlfriend’ means,” she said cooly, looking at her fingernails. Then she looked up at me. “Oh, I bet you’ve never been a girlfriend before, that’s why you don’t know what it means.” She gave me a fake pout, then an evil smirk.

My cheeks burned and I decided maybe awkward silence wasn’t so bad after all.

As soon as Derek returned with our drinks, Jessica walked up to him, her eyes staring into mine. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a long passionate kiss, glancing at me every so often.

“I missed you baby,” she said, before jamming her entire tongue in his mouth.

After that Derek seemed to forget I was there. I sat awkwardly next to them, Jessica in his lap, and prayed to God that the floor would open up and take me away from here.

I tossed back drink after drink, but it didn’t stop my pain. Not when every ridiculous smile between them was another knife sliding deeper into my heart.

I downed my last bit of vodka and decided I couldn’t stand another second of this. I shoved my chair back, the room spinning, and I stumbled my way to the door.

Staggering into the darkness, the night air slapped my flushed skin. The music still pulsed behind me, a dull reminder I tried to escape.

And then, through the haze of my drunken sight, I saw him again. Derek.

Or at least, it appeared to be him.

It was the shape of him. It had his stride. But the clothes seemed a bit different from how they were inside the bar.

It has to be Derek. Who else could it be?

“Make up your mind,” I slurred aloud, partly to him, partly to myself.

The ground tilted, my knees buckling forward. Strong hands caught me before I hit the pavement, steadying me against a solid chest that felt both foreign and familiar all at once.

“Whoa.” His voice sounded even a bit deeper than usual. Probably because Derek was a bit drunk too. “Easy there.”

I blinked up. Derek’s face stared back. The same hair, the same perfect jawline. But his eyes weren’t brown. They glowed faintly gold, like embers over a fire.

The alcohol must really be messing with me tonight. He seems different. And yet the same. Typical Derek coming to my rescue.

I couldn’t control my words that followed, they just flew out of my drunk mouth. “You have no idea how much I love you,” my voice cracked. “I’ve loved you since I saw you for the first time.”

His grip on my shoulders tightened.

I buried my face against him, my voice hoarse and trembling. “Why don’t you see me like that?”

The silence was heavy between us. I had to force myself to look up, expecting rejection, maybe pity. Instead, his eyes got that silver glow again.

So I didn’t see that wrong earlier tonight?

But before I could say anything about his eyes, he pulled me into him with his hands roaming softly over the thin cotton of my dress, as I could feel his manhood growing under his pants.

My breath hitched.

Before I realized what I was doing, I grabbed his face and pressed my lips hard against his.