The party was amazing. Everyone pulled out all the stops with their outfits, movie characters appeared everywhere. And being thrown at one of the uptown, rich kid's mansions, practically every junior was there. I pulled my mask off but kept my hood on. That way I could see better but not ruin the ensemble.

"Get a load of this party! And there are so... many... boys..." Jules said to me, her eyes sparkling.

"Go, flirt, and have fun!" I said, nudging her. She took a step forward only to be blocked by a slim figure in a white bodysuit.

"Oops, sorry—" Jules began but stopped when she saw who it was.

"Oh my—" I gasped. We were looking at the spitting image of Madonna from her music video 'Sorry'. It was Karen. She had dyed her hair a golden blonde and styled it to match Madonna's. She wore an exact replica of the bodysuit, bare legs and all, and tall white boots. Not to mention heavy red lipstick.

"Watch where you're going!" She snapped. Looking at her and Jules, I realized they both looked somewhat alike in their bodysuits. Karen also seemed to have noticed the fact and scowled.

"Whoa, Karen, you look good," I said to break the tension. Everyone, including Karen, stared at me. She suddenly regained herself and huffed.

"I know. Now out of my way," she said with a toss of her hair and marched passed us. Jules blinked at me.

"Did you just compliment Karen?" She asked, looking like I'd gone bonkers.

"Yeah, I'm surprised too, Thea," Matteo said.

"What? It was just a compliment! I'm not going out of my way to be friends with her or anything," I said defensively. It was the least I could do, being civil to her, especially knowing what she was going through. Matteo lifted his mask and smiled at me.

"You're too nice, you know that?" He said, snuggling his arm around me. I saw Pierce watching us and I got a peculiar feeling he was glaring at me under his mask.

"We should get some drinks," I said, hastily pulling away to the buffet table. I grabbed a tall glass of something and sipped it but found I didn't like the taste.

"Ew, what is this?" I asked with a wince. Matteo grinned.

"Pineapple mojito. And if I remember correctly, you don't like pineapple." He took the glass from my hand and put another one in it.

"Here, try this. You'll like it, it's got your favorite fruit. It's a watermelon margarita," he said, sipping the mojito from the same straw I drank from.

"Don't you want a new drink?" I asked in surprise. He smiled at me.

"You're my girlfriend, Thea. I don't mind sharing a straw with you. In fact, I can think of a few other things I'd like to share with you..." his voice went low as he spoke in my ear. I ducked my head turning red at the thoughts he suggested in my head. From the corner of my eye though, I saw Pierce stalk off, as if disgusted to be around me. My face fell immediately.

"You okay?" Matteo asked, seeing my face.

"Yeah, just—thirsty," I said slowly, sipping the margarita. It was delicious. And Matteo scored a point in my book for remembering my favorite fruit from our chat last night. So why did I feel so low all of a sudden?

"Hey," Jules said joining me after a bit. "So there's beer pong in the living room and people are doing body shots in the bedroom. Oh, and for a real juicy bit—there's a couples' spin-the-bottle marathon with a little twist. The couple who gets picked has to make out in a private bedroom upstairs. You interested?"

"Jules! Seriously?" I asked, scandalized.

"Oh come on! What's the point of having a BF if you don't grab the chance to make out with him?" She asked, pouting. She swayed a little and almost fell in my arms.

"Did you drink beer? You drank beer! You're drunk!" I said guiding her to a chair. She smiled carelessly.

"Go make out with your boyfriend!" She said rather loudly. "I made out with three guys already."

"Shh! Jules! You're gonna regret this later! Here, have a meatball." I said, picking a meatball from a tray of food nearby and stuffing it in her mouth.

"Hey, hey, girls! Great party, huh?" Shane said, bouncing up and joining us. Jules forcefully swallowed the meatball and grinned at him.

"Absolutely! Hey, wanna dance?" She asked him. He smiled widely.

"Been looking for a partner all night! Let's go!" He said pulling her off the chair. I shook my head. Hopefully, Shane would keep her out of trouble.

The dance floor was wild with colorful swaying bodies and the room was stuffy. Plus the music was on full blast so it was a little hard to hear. I needed a quiet minute to myself. Matteo was chatting with some other guys and I didn't want to interrupt him for some alone time. I would have stepped outside but the lawn was just as packed with people as the house. I climbed upstairs. I needed to find a bathroom anyway.

After a bathroom break, I explored the upper floor of the house. Maybe if I found a private spot, I could bring Matteo up for some 'us' time. I saw a balcony at the end of the hallway and went to it. It was quiet and cool outside. I was relieved to catch my breath there.

"Thought you'd be with Matteo," a gruff voice spoke, startling me. I turned and suddenly noticed Pierce in the corner, his mask off. Because of his dark costume, I hadn't seen him earlier.

"Pierce! I didn't know you were here," I said, sounding unnerved. "I could leave if you want—"

"Stay," he whispered less curtly. I hesitated, feeling uncomfortable around him. I turned back to the railing to look at the glimmering swimming pool below.

"So..." he said, walking over and joining me, slumping over the rail. I glanced at him.

"Are you talking to me again?" I asked pointedly.

"It's getting pretty hard to stay mad at you," he said with a ghost of a smile. His azul eyes stared up at me.

"Does that mean we're friends again?" I asked. He frowned a little.

"We were never just friends, Thea, and it's gonna be a damn shame if you think that." I averted my eyes.

"Then what are we, Pierce?" I asked softly. "You were the one who always defended me, who protected me. You were always there for me."

"Nice to see you're not completely ungrateful," Pierce muttered with a faint smirk. I stared at him, exhaling.

"These last couple weeks have been hell for me because you wouldn't say two words to me."

"Didn't look like it. You seemed to be having a pretty good time cozying up with my cousin," he said bitterly. My mouth fell open.

"You're... jealous," I stated in surprise. He stood up straighter.

"What do you think?" He asked sarcastically. "God, Thea, sometimes I wish you'd get a clue! I can't believe how dense you are." I frowned at him, angry.

"You didn't make it easier for me! If you didn't like it, why didn't you just say so?" I retaliated.

"Dammit, Thea, I did! How much more obvious should I have gotten? It's not my fault you couldn't see it," he retorted. We stood there, glaring at each other for a moment.

"You know what the worst part is? It feels like you picked him over me." His voice cracked as he spoke and his eyes were filled with anguish. "You might not have seen my heart but you still cut me deep." Wait... what?

"That isn't fair, Matteo confessed to me long before you did!" I returned hotly, remembering Matteo's first kiss and confession. After all, he had loved me since the fifth grade, he loved me first!

"That what he told you, how he fell for you since fifth grade?" Pierce suddenly asked with narrow eyes, like he had read my mind. "Well, I got news for you, babycakes, I'm the one who spotted you first back then and said you were pretty, just for your information! So don't go fooling yourself thinking Matteo fell you first, that privilege belongs to me!" My breath caught at the end of Pierce's speech. I was shocked. Was that true? Pierce liked me first? No, no, it can't be! But Pierce and Matteo both joined in the same year so... No, he had to be lying to mess with my head!

I turned away, sudden tears filling my eyes.

"You're lying, Pierce," I cried, unable to believe that. Pierce scoffed.

"It's your fault you can't see what's right in front of you, Thea. I made it clear how I feel about you—gave you enough clues. But you refused to see. Either that or you're afraid to see." Pierce's voice went low and aggrieved near the end. No, I couldn't let him get to me like this.

"It's too late to blame me, Pierce," I said, blinking my tears away. "I'm not going to hurt Matteo because of you." He suddenly looked up at me with a dark glint in his eyes.

"I once told you I'd make it easier for you," he said roughly. He suddenly caught me by the shoulders and slammed me back against the balcony wall but cushioned me with his fingers. I gasped.

"Pierce!"

"I take it back," he uttered vociferously. "I'm going to make it harder for you." With that, he swooped down and trapped my lips between his in an all-consuming, overpowering kiss. I tried to push him back, but he caught my wrists and pinned them on either side of me with an inescapable grip. He pressed his body against mine, his lips steamrolling over mine. And even as I wanted to reject him, push him away, I found my body reacting to him. My muscles relaxed, and to my own chagrin, my mouth opened wider. My eyelids fell shut. I was... responding to him. I... wanted more.

"Dammit, Thea..." Pierce said between kisses, "you should have been mine." He kissed me harder, his tongue overpowering as he slipped it between my lips, circling inside my mouth. Our breaths came out ragged, mingled in the cold mist of the chilly night. Hot blood rushed to my cheeks and adrenaline coursed through my veins. I began to moan—from sheer pleasure. I felt weak at the knees. Pierce must've sensed it and let go of my wrists, grabbing my waist instead, steadying my against himself. He pulled me into his chest and I felt myself fusing with him. I was lost to him—my heart betrayed me and burned for him.

"Pierce, stop!" I cried out, suddenly coming to my senses. He pulled back and we both panted for air.

"Admit it, babycakes, you want me as much as I want you," he rasped, wiping his mouth. He looked disheveled but satisfied with a glow in his eyes. I stared at him, clutching my throat.

"No... no..." I panted weakly.

"You're still gonna deny it? Fine. Just keep in mind what I said. I won't make things easier for you. I'll make you choose. It's either him or me," Pierce said. "And I won't make it an easy choice." Tears welled up in my eyes. I turned and fled from the balcony.

"I'm not gonna give up on you, Thea," he called after me. "I won't stop trying to win you till I've tried my best. It's not over till it's over." Eyes full and struggling to get my breath, I ran down the stairs. I collapsed on the way down, sitting on the steps. I put my head in my hands. This was bad. So bad. I was such a terrible person. I couldn't believe what just happened. And yet, deep down, the truth was screaming to get out. I was in love with Pierce.

I pulled my mask over my face. This costume was a life-saver at the moment. The last thing I wanted was to be seen like this—like I'd just had the kiss of a lifetime. What am I going to tell Matteo? How could I even face him now?

I took a long time to compose myself. I closed my eyes. Crap, all I could think of was that wretched kiss with Pierce! That wretched, intoxicating, incredible kiss...

"Stop it, Thea!" I scolded myself. I had to get a grip! Face... the bittersweet truth... and the truth was, I was in love with both Matteo and Pierce. And I couldn't let either one of them go. And I was stuck with a heartbreaking decision to make.

I went down the rest of the stairs, grabbed a glass of iced water to drink, and entered the living room. The party was still in full swing. My eyes sought out one person—there he was in the middle of the crowd, the center of attention, as usual. My Matteo. He turned to me and raised his mask halfway to smile at me. I looked to the other side of the room—and there he stood, casually leaning against the wall, his arms folded. Pierce Hartman. He must've come down after me. I could feel the fiery gaze he was giving me through his mask set me on fire.

My heart constricted. On the right was Peter Parker. On the left was Miles Morales. And I realized I couldn't do it. I couldn't choose between them.

🌹

DUN DUN DUNNNNN!!!🥁😮😨🤯 I know, y'all weren't expecting that, my real life Matteo fangirls are gonna hate me for this 🥺 but pleeease bear with me! Don't give up on Thea yet for being a cheating two-timer, please! This story is one of growth, character development and deep explorations of the heart and love is the most complicated emotion there is. Thea's gonna go through it and discover exactly what it is in the next book, please don't hate her (and me😢) for it! She's young and never taken this road before so she doesn't know how it goes. It's a journey but the destination is worth it, I promise. It'll be an unconventional journey but it's something new I wanted to explore. Hoping with all my heart y'all will make it to the next book, love ya!😘❤ Turn over for a tiny epilogue next!