I'm always running late to parties.

Half of it is intentional, I'm never in too big of a hurry to go to one of Aaron's house parties. Some of his friends are cool, but then others are borderline intolerable and immature. The last time I went, after he begged relentlessly, both of Hunter's old girl pals Jen and Chloe were there. It had been one of the most awkward nights of my life and Chloe had stared daggers at me the whole time.

Tonight though was not so much my fault as it was Jessica's.

I'd been very clear when I called what time I was going to be picking her up, yet still, when I arrived and texted to tell her to come out, she responded for me to come in. When I got to her room, after exchanging pleasantries with her parents, I found her still trying to pick out what to wear.

"Oh come on, Jess." I sighed. "Really?"

She smiled, swatting her hand my way. "Hush." She scolded, turning back to her giant walk-in closet. "I need the perfect dress tonight."

"What's so special about tonight?" I asked, typing out a quick text to Aaron to let him know we were running late.

"It's Ben's birthday, duh." She replied. "I've got to look hot."

"You always look hot, dummy." I shook my head.

I scrolled mindlessly through Facebook, getting caught up a few times in reading the comments under funny memes while I waited. After finally settling on a red and black block strapped dress and combat boots Jess joined me on her bed, her lips turned up at the edges.

"You know what?" She asked and I put my phone down to look at her, raising an eyebrow. "It's so crazy, you know?" She bit her lip. "Like a year and a half ago I was so into that guy in the army, and now I can't imagine being happier with anyone other than Ben." I had to admire the way her eyes always lit up when she mentioned him.

"I love that you two are so happy." I told her honestly. "You guys are perfect and he is so good to you, Jess. I totally approve."

Whenever they're together, it's like they have got to be touching at all times and I've seen the way that Ben looks down at Jess when she isn't paying attention and the love in his eyes is so obvious and moving. One of the best feelings in the world is seeing your best friend finally end up with a person who deserves them.

Jess turned towards me, putting her hand on my leg. "Can I ask you something and you promise not to get mad?"

My face got hot as I nodded, then shrugged. "I guess it depends on what it is, but I'll try."

She narrowed her eyes a little, like she was nervous, but she took a breath and plowed through anyway. "I know you and Aaron have been together for a while, but are you happy, Tayler?"

"What do you mean?" I asked a little more defensively than I meant to.

"It's just that...and please don't get mad, but I just feel like you two are so strange together." She said then shook her head quickly and help up her hands. "I don't mean strange, more like just oddly paired." She rephrased. "I know you guys hang out a lot, but sometimes I forget that you're even a couple."

I pursed my lips, thinking over what she'd said, trying to keep my reaction neutral. I could honestly see where she'd be coming from since a couple like her and Ben are way different than me and Aaron. She and Ben are touchy and cuddly and romantic, whereas me and Aaron are just more relaxed. "He's a really good guy." I said quietly. "We get along great, he's handsome, and..."

Jessica waited for me to go on, but when I couldn't think of anything else she frowned. "You know that isn't what builds a relationship, right?" She asked carefully. "I mean, are you even all that into him?"

"I like him a lot." I said quickly, crossing my arms.

"Don't get mad." She reminded me and I reluctantly unfolded my arms. "I know you like him, and you're good friends, but there is more to it than that when you're in a relationship with someone. You guys have been technically dating for almost a year now...shouldn't you be at the 'I love you' stage, or even having sex by now?"

"I don't have to have sex with someone to show I love them." I snapped defensively.

"So you love him then?"

I opened and closed my mouth a few times, but I couldn't find the words. "I-I...I just...things are fine the way they are."

"Are you waiting for sex until marriage or something? I don't care if you are."

I shook my head. "No, I just..."

"You don't feel like he's the one?" She asked.

I hated how perceptive she could be sometimes. For the majority of the time, Jessica is pretty absorbed in other things or with what's going on with her own life, but whenever she takes a second to study someone else, she's quick to see through things. It was one of the main reasons that she and I had ever become friends in the first place. She saw my heart without even trying.

"I don't know, Jess." I finally admitted. "Things are easy, and they're good." I shrugged. "I don't want to mess it all up just because I'm not feeling it yet."

"It's been a year, Tayler." She sighed. "Don't you think if you were ever going to feel it, you'd be doing it by now?"

I groaned, pulling my hair down from the bun I had it pinned in. I shook it out and let it fall in waves around my shoulders while I avoided looking at her. "I don't know, Jess." I sighed. "Can we just get to this party so we can get it over with?"

Jess rolled her eyes and jumped up from the bed. "Whatever, miss party pooper." She laughed, then she reached over and pushed my hair behind my ear on one side. "I like your hair like this." She smiled. "You look so pretty."

I blushed a little at the praise and instinctively smoothed out the fabric of my flowy red skirt that fell to my knees and straightened my white blouse. "Thanks."

The house was already crawling with people when we pulled up. The street was lined on either side with a ton of vehicles and we had to circle twice before I finally found a place to the side of the yard.

My phone went off as I was getting out and I read the message in confusion.

Aaron: You don't have to come tonight if you don't want to.

That's weird. He'd been so pushy about him wanting me to come to this party to meet some of his new friends he'd made at his new job that were only on this side of town for the weekend. It was odd that he'd change his mind at the literal last minute, unless it was some kind of test to see if I'd back out if I had the chance.

In all honesty, if I'd gotten the message before I was already here, I would have jumped at the opportunity to not come. Plus, I have an exam I could be studying for and I promised my parents that I'd call them one day this weekend. I shook my head at myself when I realized I'd rather be at home talking to my parents than be at one of Aaron's parties. However, I was already here, so no point in turning around now.

I followed Jess up the front steps, both of us having to push and nudge through people to get to the door. When we got inside we were hit with the sound of music and the smell of too many people in one room and booze. I half contemplating bailing before Aaron knew I was here, but then Jess squealed in front of me, shoving by this huge muscly guy.

"Oh my god, you're home?" She gushed loudly. "I was just talking about you." She laughed. My heart was already stopping when the guy in front of me stepped out of my way and I locked eyes on a tall man with dark sandy blonde hair and deep indigo eyes that seemed to be staring straight through me to my very soul. "You remember my friend, Tayler?" She said, pointing at me from where she stood between the two of us.

He glanced at her at the same time I did, then our eyes were together again.

"I do." He nodded slowly. He was watching me carefully, like I was a scared deer in the woods that he didn't want to spook. "Hi there, Kit." His voice was like tiny painful pinpricks all over my body, but just as quick as the pain appeared, it disappeared just as easily as a warmness spread over me when he smiled.

"You-You're home." I muttered, my voice higher than normal.

Jess nodded. "Yeah, you remember he deployed to Iraq a while back." She informed me, then turned back to him. "How was it? I bet you're so happy to be home."

He looked like he didn't want to look away, but he pulled his eyes away slowly to look down at her. "I, um, yeah." He nodded, gathering his thoughts for a minute. "It wasn't too bad." He shrugged it off and I didn't miss the fact that his shoulders and chest both were even broader than when he'd left. Clearly he'd gotten stronger, plus his hair was cut back shorter and he sported a dark purple scar on the side of his forehead that extended over into his hairline. "I'm definitely glad to be home though." He said, turning back to me.

I jumped hard when an arm fell around my shoulders and Aaron planted a fat kiss on my cheek. "There you are, baby." He said a little louder than needed. "I was looking for you, come meet my friends." He pulled me away and I couldn't stop myself from looking back over my shoulder to see Hunter watch me as I went, totally ignoring whatever it was that Jessica was prattling on about.

"Did you know he would be here?" I asked breathlessly as Aaron pulled me into the kitchen.

Aaron spun around to face me, his cheeks red. "Of course not." He shook his head. "I would have told you he was home if I'd known he was."

"When did he get back?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Today I guess." He told me. "I only got to talk to him for a few minutes."

I nodded, but then stopped suddenly. "Wait, is that why you told me not to come?" I asked. "So I wouldn't know that Hunter was here?"

Aaron rolled his eyes and leaned back against the counter. "Why do you care, Tayler?" He snapped. "You're supposed to be here for me."

"I am here for you!" I snapped back. "Don't you see me standing here? I didn't know he was going to be here."

We both stopped arguing when Hunter walked into the kitchen, practically sucking all of the air out of the room. "Everything ok in here?" He asked, only looking at me.

"We're fine." Aaron yelled, grabbing my arm to pull me back out.

"I wasn't talking to you," Hunter said quietly, but menacingly. "And if you don't let go of her arm I will snap yours."

I was in shock that he would threaten his friend like that. "I'm fine." I told him, pushing at Aaron to just go before the two got in a fight.

"Remember whose fucking house you're in." Aaron snarled over his shoulder as we left the room.

"Just forget about him and introduce me to your friends please." I tried to get his mind focused elsewhere even though my own mind was nowhere but on Hunter and what he is doing here.

I glanced back once and Hunter waved me over but I shook my head. He mouthed something that looked like 'I need to talk to you', but I positioned myself in a spot where my back was to him so I wasn't as tempted to stare at him from across the room.

Aaron introduced me to his two friends who gave me the creeps the way they looked me over and were practically sneering at me as I shook their hands. The whole thing was horridly uncomfortable as I just stood by and listened to them talk about work and their other plans for while they were in town. I couldn't pay attention to any of it, and Aaron must have noticed because right in the middle of one of his sentences he stopped talking and leaned into my ear.

"Why don't you just go home if you don't want to be here, Tayler?" He whispered.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, turning towards him. When I discreetly scanned the room I didn't see Hunter anywhere. "I haven't had anything to eat tonight and I'm starving."

Aaron sighed, excusing us from his friends and he went with me back into the kitchen to fix a plate of the chips and party dip. I sipped on my beer as I hopped up on the counter and ate slowly while Aaron leaned against the opposite counter, looking out the door into the main room a few times.

"You don't have to sit with me." I told him. "Go enjoy your party."

"Nah." He shook his head. "I want to spend time with you."

I tried my best to give him a good smile then went back to eating.

When I couldn't stall in the kitchen any longer I grabbed another drink and followed Aaron back out into the party. I laid eyes on Hunter again, his back to me where he was talking to the two guys we'd talked to earlier.

"I've got to pee." I blurted out, turning back to the hallway. "I'll find you." I told Aaron before locking myself in.

Had he had half a chance I'm not sure he would have let me even go to the bathroom alone if I hadn't been quick about it. He's clearly going to be attached to me all night so that Hunter can't talk to me, which I should be happy about.

I can't believe he'd just show up here and act like everything was cool. Like every cell in my body wasn't going crazy from his very presence. A year and half he's been gone, only writing me once to say sorry, and now here he is. That sorry was too little too late. He broke my heart, yet when I walked in and saw him, I didn't feel broken, but instead...whole.

He was alive, and ok, and here.

Everything that I'd been praying for.

I knew the way I couldn't keep my eyes away from him was dangerous, so I swung the door open, ready to bolt from here and just go home. Aaron would be happy if I'd go so he didn't have to keep marking his territory, and who knows how Hunter would feel. Maybe he wouldn't care at all.

I came up the hallway, leaning in to Jess to tell her I was leaving when all of a sudden there was a blur of movement on the other side of the room and I looked over just in time to see Hunter literally propel himself over the coffee table to tackle Aaron to the ground and start pounding him in the face.