Clothes Off!

Evie could hear Brendon banging on her apartment door. She wasn't sure how he'd found out which apartment was hers - she was inside the elevator before he'd even skidded through the sliding doors. But, he was banging and Evie was hiding her head in a sofa cushion.

She didn't want Brendon to win because that meant she lost. It meant that she was weak. It meant that she had lost her edge, the very thing that made her who she was.

She flicked on the stereo, smiling softly when her Costello Music album began to play through the speakers.

"Evie!"

She turned her head towards the door, where she could only just make out Brendon's voice, though she could still hear the banging. "Come on, Vie! I don't understand what I've done!"

Evie turned up the music a little louder before she stepped away from the living room and into the bathroom to start a shower.

By the time she was done, lowering the music to check if Brendon was still outside, she felt more refreshed and a lot more guilty for running. But, what could she do?

Brendon was becoming committed. Not like he wasn't before, but this time he was voicing it. Admitting that she was worth wasting his time. She swallowed thickly and wandered into the kitchen to grab a bottle of Southern Comfort.

Her phone was shaking out of control on her kitchen counter, the name Brendon flashing across the screen.

She filled up her glass with SoCo and lemonade before switching off her phone.

"Sorry, Brendon," she mumbled. "But, I'm just not worth it."

She took a swig of her drink as she settled herself back down on her sofa.

A soft knock at her door made her turn her head, and she almost groaned until she heard Izzy's voice on the other side. "Iz?"

"Evie Dale, if you don't open the door this fucking second-!"

Evie jumped to her feet and rushed to the doorway, throwing her door back. She was so desperate for someone to confide in, she never thought that Izzy would conspire to a trap. But she was caught off guard when Brendon stomped into her apartment, Izzy on his heels.

He looked at her sadly. "What did I do to you, Vie?"

Izzy crossed her arms over her chest, but walked out of the apartment none-the-less under Evie's stare.

"It's just, I don't understand-"

Evie glared at Brendon. "You made me fall for you! You made me throw away everything that I was because you were so fucking charming, Brendon. You know how much that scares me?"

"You think I'm not scared?" he snapped back. "I'd rather not be feeling this for you and every time I think about stopping, I can't because you drag me right back in!"

"Just go, Brendon."

"No! I've been standing outside for the past hour trying to get you to listen. I'm not giving up now."

"Speak, then go," Evie compromised, moving away from him and grabbing her glass from the side. She sipped.

Brendon stared. He didn't know what to say. So, he did the only thing he could think of and knocked her glass to the floor whilst kissing her passionately.

And Evie almost hated that she couldn't push him away.

Almost.