I'm currently engaged in a physical encounter with my friend, Ryder Knowles, after unsuccessful experiences with seventeen other men who failed to arouse me. This situation is unprecedented between Ryder and me, as he's usually highly skilled in satisfying me quickly. However, this time, I find myself almost as unresponsive as I was during my last encounter with Jake before removing him from my list.Ryder abruptly stops and lies down beside me, propping his head on his hand. He remarks, "Alright, who is he?" I sit up, puzzled, and inquire, "What do you mean?"He checks his watch and continues, "Our encounters typically last no longer than seven or eight minutes. It's been fifteen minutes now, and you haven't shown any signs of enjoyment." He presses further, "So, spill the beans. Who's the lucky guy that my favorite casual partner," playfully nudging me, "has developed feelings for?"There goes my attempt to convince myself that I don't harbor emotions for Max Blackwell.But I can't

"Yup, after everything you've just told me, my dear inexperienced friend, you're definitely in love, no doubt about it.""I am?" I ask, hoping that my sense of relief isn't short-lived."Nope, you've already fallen head over heels," Avery concludes instead. "And you've fallen hard, my dear." So much for being relieved."Wow. You're resorting to Italian, so it must be pretty serious," I groan, letting my head drop until my forehead hits the counter that separates Avery and me."Sorry, girl, I'm just being honest with you," she says, but the look on her face when I look up at her tells me she's anything but sorry. She might even be planning my wedding to Max in her head right now."But are you absolutely sure?" I ask, hoping I still have a way out before I have to face the supposed truth. "Maybe it just seemed that way in the heat of the moment. I mean, he is a good kisser. Maybe I was just imagining things.""Nope," Avery disagrees firmly. "This has nothing to do with your imagination

Later that Evening"So, wait a minute. You're telling me that Ethan had a lake house out in the Santa Ynez Mountains all along, and we're just hearing about it now?" Avery raises an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by the revelation."That's what I heard," she replies. "Kalix mentioned that Ethan and his buddies throw a huge party on the weekend before Thanksgiving break. They're having it on a Monday this year because Ethan had to wait until this morning to get the keys from his parents, or something like that. Anyway, they're picking us up in about half an hour, so you better get ready."I consider the idea for a moment. "Actually, I think I'll just text Ethan and have him send me the address. I'll drive up there on my own." Avery fixes me with an incredulous look."Seriously, Isabella?""What?" I sigh as I sit down on my bed."How long are you planning to keep up this 'avoiding Max' act? I get it, he said some things he shouldn't have, but you yourself admitted that he didn't mean it.

Max had initially seemed willing to cut the guys some slack, even smirking during their banter. However, at the mention of a name I had learned Max despised, his demeanor transformed into one of complete fury, his jaw clenching tightly."What?" Mason mumbled, lowering his head to look at his laced fingers. "Better him than us.""Get off the jet skis and get the hell home, all four of you," Max ordered in a low, dangerously strict tone, leaving no room for further discussion.The guys wasted no time, jumping into the water and swimming back to the dock as quickly as possible, leaving the jet skis behind."I'm going to tear him apart," were Max's final words before he started swimming back to the dock. I did my best to keep up with his rapid pace.Max effortlessly hoisted himself up from the water, his back muscles contracting and loosening within a single glance. He swiftly dressed himself and headed back to the party with his fists clenched, clearly intent on confronting Ryan. As I dr

"Did you make sure to handle all your last-minute assignments?" Avery inquires as we approach the final ATO party of the semester.Today is Tuesday, November 22nd, also known as the eve of the notorious five-day Thanksgiving break. Following tradition, ATO is throwing their last extravagant party of the semester since when classes resume, all students—including myself—will be engrossed in studying, either to maintain their current grades or perform academic miracles to reach their desired grade thresholds. Since we'll sorely miss the ATO parties, Avery and I easily agreed there's no way we could skip this one."Yes, ma'am, even that torturous analysis of Wright's Sonnet 106," I reply, recalling the painstaking task."Tell me about it," Avery sighs. "Between that and submitting the final draft of my Winter Showcase composition for approval before the big event, this half-week has been brutal.""Yeah, in more ways than one," I add, fully agreeing."Hey," Avery says, nudging my arm as we