He felt a unique kind of relaxation spread through his body as the alcohol settled in his system. Exams were finally over, and the weight lifting off his shoulders tasted almost as good as the burn of whiskey on his tongue. Knowing he could sleep until three in the afternoon tomorrow without giving a shit about a 500-page book waiting on his desk? That was freedom.

Summer was here. And Kaidan fucking loved summer.

The club pulsed around him—neon red lights flickering across sweat-slicked skin, bass so heavy it rattled in his chest, and walls drenched in smoke and heat. Bodies pressed too close, grinding against one another to the pounding rhythm. The air smelled of weed, alcohol, and cigarettes—decadent, dirty, alive. The kind of place that burned out fast but hit hard while it lasted.

He and his best friend's sister were supposed to go together. She'd been complaining about how her brother never lets her go to places like this so Kaidan offered to keep an eye on her for the night.

Kaidan hadn't really planned on fucking tonight. At least, that's what he told himself.

But then that random girl walked in.

Some hot chick with legs that went on forever and eyes that begged to be looked at twice. She leaned in with her little backstory, something he barely listened to. Because truth was, he didn't care. He wasn't interested in her words.

She was already ten minutes late, so... might as well keep himself busy until she gets here.

So when her mouth crashed into his, he didn't hold back. His hand slid into her hair, tugging just enough to make her gasp against him, while his other hand gripped her waist, pulling her flush against his body. He kissed her like he owned the moment—slow at first, teasing, then rougher, hungrier, until she melted into him completely.

He already knew how this was gonna go. They'd fuck, she'd wake up in the morning and try to make it deeper than it was. And if he so much as gave her the slightest bit of attention (like sitting down for breakfast) she'd immediately think she had the bad boy locked down.

Newsflash: she didn't.

Because yeah, he would let her stay for breakfast. Hell, he'd let her lounge until noon if she wanted. None of that changed the reality. He didn't give a single shit about her. It was almost hilarious how predictable it was. As if he'd ever end up with some girl he'd taken against the wall of a bathroom in a club. Please.

Kaidan might be an asshole, but in his own way, he was a gentleman. If he ever actually loved a woman (and he doubted he was even capable of it) his first thought wouldn't be bending her over a sticky sink. But hey, each to their own.

In twenty-one years, not a single girl had managed to hold his attention longer than a week. Maybe love wasn't in his wiring. Maybe he just wasn't built for that shit.

The kiss broke for a second, her lips still swollen against his. And that's when he saw it—from the corner of his eye.

Her.

Shit. He kinda forgot she was coming.

But then Kaidan caught it. The glassy shine at the corner of her eyes.

Tears.

And just like that, she was gone. Lost in the crowd before he could even push the girl off his lap.

Kaidan rolled his eyes, sighing as he pushed the girl off his lap.

Stupid VIP lounge. Supposed to mean privacy, but in reality it was just people coming in and out like it was a revolving door.

But that wasn't the issue. The issue was her. And that little crush she'd carried around for years. Ever since that one time she scraped her knee riding her bike and he'd carried her home on his back.

From that moment on, he'd noticed it. The shine in her eyes whenever he spoke to her. The way she never missed one of his basketball games. How she'd sit quietly, watching while he and Calan played billiards in the basement. Or how her hugs lingered a second too long.

He never minded. Sometimes, when he was bored, he even entertained it.

But she wasn't a little kid anymore. She'd grown up. She was a big girl now. And by now, he figured she should see him for what he was.

He scanned the club, eyes skimming over the crowd until it clicked. She probably slipped out the back.

And he was right.

Outside, the night air cut sharper than expected, a cool breeze brushing over his bare arms. He lit up a cigarette, the flame briefly illuminating his face before the smoke curled into the darkness.

He tilted the pack toward her with one hand, leaning back like he owned the street.

"You smoke?" he asked, his voice low, casual, like nothing had just happened inside.

His eyes slid over her, taking in her side profile, the deliberate way she was dressed tonight. Yeah.

He took a drag of his cigarette. Then another. The smoke curled lazily from his lips, caught in the cool night breeze.

"Your eyes are teary," he said with a laugh, low and sharp. "Are you really gonna do this right now?"

He leaned back against the wall, tilting his head toward the sky. The stars were spread out above them, bright and cruelly beautiful, like the night didn't give a damn about what was happening beneath it. There was something almost sad about it.

"You need to move on." His tone softened for a second, but only in the way a blade smooths before it cuts deeper. "That little crush you've been holding onto? It was cute when we were kids."

He turned his head toward her then, exhaling smoke in her direction, his eyes scanning her like he was stripping her down to nothing.

"I know you think that because I'm Calan's best friend, we're supposed to belong together." Another cloud of smoke between them. "But we don't. I didn't settle for girls far better than you."

He crushed the cigarette against the brick wall, sparks dying with a hiss.

"Let's go back inside," he said.