Meanwhile in Chicago...

I cannot believe I let her talk me into this. I look like a damn whore.

I look at my best friend sitting beside me as we head to Patrick’s condo for a night out.

Single girl going out with her best friend and boyfriend. Oh what fun.

“Katey, relax. You look fierce, I look fierce. Everything is right in the world.”

I laughed. “You just want laid.”

Lizzie just looked out the window.

I stared at her and made gagging sounds. “Oh god if you two have sex, I swear to go Lizzie Czech it better be where I can’t hear it. Ugh Patrick Kane is gonna sleep with my best friend. This grosses me out.”

“Then don’t think about it?” Lizzie says as she hands the cabbie our fare and we head up to Patrick’s condo.

To say we didn’t turn heads was an understatement, but I was convinced they were all for her. Somehow she sensed what I was thinking and tugged on my arm.

“You look hot, trust me.”

As we got up to Patrick’s, he opened the door and looked us both up and down.

“OH GOD YES!” Patrick said looking up to the ceiling.

As he and Lizzie kissed, I pushed my way in.

“Hey guys, I am still here.”

As they break up I point to Patrick. “I’ll say it to you too Patrick. If you two have sex, I swear to go Patrick Kane it better be where I can’t hear it.”

He crooked his eyebrow and looked at Lizzie. “It all depends if she is screamer.”

I gagged and rolled my eyes and Lizzie hit him.

Then he showed up.

“Hello ladies.” Brent said.

“Oh fuck no.”

Lizzie grabbed my arm as I headed towards the door. “Katey, a word please.”
“You conniving bitch. You have three minutes until I walk out that door.”

“Calm the fuck down. Mess with his brain. You messed with Patrick’s you can mess with Brent’s. You got this. Be fierce. Think what would Lizzie do...”

I sighed and rubbed my temples.

“Lizzie would just tease him and press his buttons.”

She smiled at me. “Exactly.”

Later on at the club, I decided to put my plan into place. I walked up to the bar where Brent was standing.

“So what does a girl like me have to do to get a drink around here?”

He turned around and smiled. “Of course. What is your drink of choice?”

“American Beauty.”

Brent turned to the bartender and ordered our drinks.

As he got our drinks, he handed mine to me and we walked back over to the table.

“So now you have decided to talk to me?” He asked.

I shrugged. “Oh you know me. Simply cannot decide which way I am headed.”

Remember what you and Lizzie talked about, My brain kept saying.

“I see. I have been trying to-“

I grab his hand. “How about a little more dancing and a little less talk?”

I pull him out to the dance floor and start grinding on him as a remix of ‘Rude Boy’ started to play. Halfway through the song, I could tell how excited he really was.

After a few more songs, and a lot more alcohol, I whispered in his ear. “Wanna get out of here?”

He just nodded and took my hand and started leading me out of the club. I shot my best friend a smile and she gave me thumbs up.

As we get out of the club and feel the cool night air on me, he is the first to speak.

“So what do you wanna do?”

I smiled. “Let’s walk.”

Ten minutes into us just wandering aimlessly he asked why I enjoyed walking so much.

“It helps me think.”

“Think about what?”

I sighed. “Everything. Like how badly depressed I have been in the past three days. Why? Cause you got past my freakin boundaries and found your way into my head.”

“Katey-“

“No let me talk. I don’t want to like you, especially now that I know you have a girlfriend and seem to not care what happens. But it happened. It happened when we were playing 20 questions and you told me you still have a teddy bear that you grew up with. When you fed me those bullshit lines-“

“They weren’t bullsh-“

I held my hand up. “Let me finish. At the time, I could have almost believed them, you saying that you would choose me over a girl like Lizzie. You want to know how often that really happens? Never. Girls like her and Hanna always get the guy they want. Me? I am stuck with whatever they decide to throw to the curb.” I felt the tears start flowing down my cheek. “When Lizzie and I went to lunch that day, I was happy, happy that I possibly found a guy that saw passed the looks and saw me for me. But then you walked in with Hanna, and it felt like my world ended, and I don’t even know why. We have spent less than two days together and you had shattered my world in a single second. I am not supposed to feel like this Brent. I am not supposed to be crying over a guy I just met.”

He took my hands. “Katey, there are no words to say how sorry I really am. I should have told you about Hanna, I should of-“

I wiped my cheeks. “No. It’s my fault. I was stupid to kiss you. I was stupid to even think that you would want me.”

“But I do.”

I laugh. “No you don’t. You want the idea of me. Someone on the side that would be there when things were bad between you and Hanna. Brent, I am not that girl. If I was, I would be getting my hopes up for the day you would leave her until it never happened.”

He wiped a fresh tear from my face. “But what if-“

“There is no what ifs with us Brent.”

He sighed. “So what now. We never talk again? Cause honestly, I don’t want that.”

I thought for a minute, took a step back from him, and put my hand out. “Friends?”

He stared at my hand for a minute before taking it. “Friends.”

Why did my heart still feel like it was shattering?

He looked at his watch. “Wow. It’s already after 3.”

“Yeah, I should be getting back to my room. Lizzie is gonna want a full report tomorrow.” I said rolling my eyes.

He laughed. “You two are really like sisters huh?”

I gave a weak smile. “The funny thing is. We met two or three years ago on a spring break trip and have been friends since, it really is weird how close we are.”

We continued to walk for another couple miles before he finally hailed me a cab.

“So I guess I will talk to you tomorrow?” he asked.

I looked up at him. “Sure. Why not.”

As I go to get into the cab, he grabbed my arm and spun me around.

“Katey. I’m sorry for what I am about to do.”

He then pressed his lips to mine. It felt like my body was on fire. I could see fireworks in my head going off.

When he finally pulled away. He gave me a small smile and walked away.

I got into my cab and drove back to my hotel, speechless.

When the cab pulled up to the hotel, I threw money at the cabbie and ran up to my room.

I can’t stay in Chicago another minute. It will only cause more heartbreak and pain.

I threw all my clothes into my suitcase and called the airlines to change my flight to the earliest one I could get.

I sent Lizzie a text apologizing, grabbed my luggage and went to check out of my room.

I was going back to Pittsburgh and not turning back.