24

Jace and I didn't speak for the remaining few weeks of the program. It wasn't as if we needed to. The whole point of this was to meet new people and he had met plenty of the people. The revolving door of girls was plenty for me. It felt as though every morning it was a new girl.

When Hayley found out that Noah and I were back together, she was overjoyed. She kept talking about all the double dates we could go on when we got back to school.

Noah and I had seen a lot of each other over the last few weeks. We hadn't spoken about what was going to happen when we go back to school. I know he wanted to though. Tonight was the last night of the program. Tomorrow afternoon everyone was to be packed up and ready to be picked up. Tonight everyone was going to be partying together. In our place, we would be hosting. Kyler had gotten a hook up for alcohol and he was prepared to go out with a bang.

Before partying tonight, Noah wanted to talk about where we stood when we go back. If we were going to stay together or not. The conversation about being official hadn't come up since the night Jace asked me if we were together. Honestly, I hadn't really thought about it much either. I mean I know Hayley really wants us to be together so that her and Kyler could have someone to double with but I am sure she would be just as happy if I were with Jace too. Why wouldn't she be? Jace and Kyler were best friends.

I started to get ready for the party, early in the evening because I had to head over to Noah's to have the talk. The talk about us being girlfriend and boyfriend officially. As confused as I had been this summer, I know Noah is the right choice. Sure I've made some really bad decisions while dating him like sleeping with his brother but since meeting Jace it made me realize that maybe I should try harder at being a better girlfriend. As I finished putting the last coat of mascara on my eyelashes there was a knock on my door.

Did we get our signals crossed? Was Noah coming here? But to my surprise, Jace was standing at my door.

"Hey," he said. His hair was tossed like he just got out of bed but in a sexy way. The way that it only ever looks in movies.

"Hi," I said. I could feel the tension between us and no it was not sexual tension but instead awkward tension. Was I making the right choice being with Noah? I know, I know I was just thinking how I had made the right choice but now I am second guessing myself. Every time I see Jace, I second guess my decisions.

"Umm..." he began. "So I know we haven't spoken for a couple weeks and tonight we're throwing this huge party. I just wanted to make sure we're good. We're good, right?" He shifted on his feet, looking at me longingly. Looking hopeful.

"Totally, why wouldn't we be?" I asked. I forced a smile. I mean just cause I'm dating Noah and I blew you off? Yeah, no. We are totally cool. Plus you only have an open door for any female in a five mile radius. Yeah, yeah we're great.

"Cool," he said looking around. "Oh and Ali, you look beautiful." He walked out the door before I could even blush. And I knew I was red, it looked as if I had overloaded my face with blush. For as much drama and chaos there is between us, he is still such a charmer.

I headed to Noah's place after that short talk with Jace. I wondered what would happen if Jace and I were a thing. What would have happened if Noah and I were together, together.

As I knocked on the door, I prepared myself. From this point on, I was going to be the perfect girlfriend. No cheating, no thinking about other boys. No Jace. After what felt like 20 minutes but probably was only one minute, I knocked again. No answer. Noah wouldn't have forgotten about this. I was too important to him. We were too important to just forget about.

"Noah?" I yelled, hoping that maybe he could hear me. I rang the doorbell and waited.

Still no answer. What could be so important, that he would forget about our talk? I tried the door, it was unlocked. Is it technically breaking in if the door was unlocked? Am I crazy for walking in?

I could hear voices from the kitchen. Seriously, did no one hear the knocking or doorbell?

As I got closer to the kitchen I could hear a girl's voice. The same voice called me a skank many times now.

"You know it's so great that you can look past her sleeping with your brother, because if someone did that to me, I don't think I could ever forgive them," the girl's voice said. And as I heard those words, my world came crashing down. She did it, she was getting even. Abigail Archuleta was ruining my relationship. The only chance at Noah and I getting back together just went up in smoke. I couldn't believe it. The room was spinning. The words that followed were muffled.

Why would she do something like this? Why would she choose to hurt Noah?

I felt as though I couldn't breathe. My chest clenched, I wanted to throw up. This was it for us. I ran out of his place as fast as I could. I could feel my eyes fill up with tears and I burst through our front door, practically taking it off of its hinges.

I knew Hayley was trying to say something to me but I couldn't make out what it was. I pushed past her and ran up to my room. I slammed the door shut and made sure to lock it before running to my bed.

My life was over. Sure I knew I was a slut and Noah knew it just the same but he hadn't known who with. I knew it would break his heart to know that his brother would do that to him. Betray him also.

When Noah I got back together this summer, it felt right. I didn't need to think about anything else. I loved him, I think. And just like that, before we became anything more, we were done.

There was knocking on my bedroom door and Hayley was begging for me to let her in. I could barely hear her though, over my sobs.

"Noah, knows. He knows everything I've done," I said. "Just go away, Hayley, Abigail ruined any shot at Noah and me being in a relationship."

I continued to cry in my room. Locking myself away as the night continued and music grew louder. I came to my senses. Why hide myself away? Sure I didn't have Noah or Jace but there are plenty of guys out there.

I cleaned myself up, fixed my makeup, and headed downstairs. Before I reached the kitchen, I spotted Abigail and right behind her Jace. They were dancing to the music, their bodies pushed up against each other. He whispered something in her ear, which made her laugh. How could she be so content knowing that she ruined someone's life? I'm not speaking about my own, but Noah's.

I ignored what they were doing, disgusted by her. Someone that could be so cruel to someone so sweet, so innocent. I left the room and proceeded to move to the kitchen. I needed a drink to survive this one last, horrific night.

In the kitchen there was Noah, making out with some random girl. They were pushed up against the kitchen and he lifted her onto the counter. Just as Jace and I had once been.

Noah, the sweet naive boy who was once in love with me, not six hours earlier, was now making out with some other girl. Was I driving him to act like this? He would never be so crazy to kiss a stranger at a party. Before me he would have also never cheated on his girlfriend but he did to Abigail. Was I truly a rotten person?

"Oh," a surprised Hayley walked into the kitchen. "Lex, I didn't think you would be coming. Uh... Noah showed up." She gestured to the boy making out with the girl in our kitchen.

"I noticed," I said. "He seems to have gotten over me quickly."

"He showed up drunk and hour ago and hasn't been without a drink since," she said. It seems as though he's without one now, but then again his hands are pretty full with that girl's ass in them. Even drunk I didn't think he could be like this. "Are you okay?" Hayley asked me while handing me a drink.

"I'm staring at my almost boyfriend, make out with a stranger on my kitchen counter. How do you think I am doing?" I chugged the drink. Which was terrible by the way. She had just had straight tequila in the cup. As I reached for the bottle of tequila she pulled it away.

"I don't think getting drunk is the answer," she said. She gave me a look of pity. I am not a child and I do not need to babied.

"Getting drunk is just the answer I need, I am going to find someone to dance with. Go find your boyfriend who by the way thinks I am a terrible person also," I told her before grabbing the bottle out of her hand and walking back to the living room. The same living room that had Jace and Abigail all over each other in it. When I walked back though, Abigail was no where to be found and Jace was standing talking to some guys.

Without thinking, I walked up to the same group of guys Jace was with, grabbed one of their hands and led them upstairs to my room.