Downpour

I tossed my handful of bags onto the counter and turned to Rain smiling brightly. She looked up at me and a grin snuck up on her angelic face. "Yes...?"

I smiled wider and walked over to her, bringing her into a tight embrace. "I love you oh best friend of mine!" She laughed, and hugged me back before turning her attention to the bags we'd brought in.

There was a banging at the front door and I took off towards it. As I approached I could see Tayden just outside, looking as if his hands were full. I flung the door open quickly and took a bag of alcohol out of his hand. "What are you stupid? We could have made more than just one trip..Or is this just some way of showing me you're muscular?"

Tayden followed me towards the kitchen, still holding three bags full of alcohol. "Muscular, tan, handsome, charming, whitty. What more could a girl ask for?" his eyes twinkled with mischeif before they lingered up and down my body. I just about gawked at him. Did Tayden O'Connel really just check me out? He passed me up, placing his bags on the kitchen table in front of Rain. Turning to me his hand reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. He placed some cash in my hand. "Your change, madam."

I noticed Rain rolling her eyes and she shoved him out the way. "Tayden, do something helpful? Put a bag in the garbage can." He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his nicely sculpted chest. Tayden was fit, not to where he looked like a body builder or a guy off of Jersey Shore, but it was nice. And as much as Rain hated to hear me say it, he was hot.

See that was the thing, I could joke about him being sexy, or hot, or fine with her. But actually admitting to Rain that I might have feelings for Tayden, scared the absolute shit out of me. Which is why I'd decided keeping it to myself until they went away was the best solution.

"Ahh, but dear. As you've pointed out countless times before. I'm a mess, never helpful." he turned around and turned on the sink. His hand reached to the right, and before I could warn Rain of what was about to come her way he'd grasped the spray nozel and turned, soaking Rain then turning to me.

I made a dash for it, but he still managed to get my hair and part of my dress wet. Rain turned off the sink and I ran to him before punching him in the perfectly tan arm. He scrunched up his face. "Rude." he rubbed his arm and I stuck out my tongue.

"I know this was some lovely plot to get Baylin all wet and sexy and whatever." she smirked and I could have swore his face reddened slightly, but maybe it was just my imagination. "But Tayden, seriously. Trash."



I bobbed my head in tune with the music. Feeling it pound through my bones was an amazing feeling. I spotted Tayden and Rain standing together with a group of Tayden's friends. Honestly, they were all gorgeous, but none as gorgeous as him. I filled my glass up with another round of alcohol and walked over to them with as much grace possible.

"Hey you guys!" I said cheerfully popping in between Tayden and one of his friends. I smiled at Rain, before gesturing at the cute guy standing next to her. I'd never seen him before, but he was very easy on the eyes.

"Hey Bay." Tayden threw his arm around my shoulder before taking a sip of his beer. My stomach flipped at the sound of his nickname for me. He'd been calling me that randomly for as long as I could remember, and each time my stomach would errupt with a fit of butterflies. I studied his face, the angle of his jaw. The way his eyes lit up and he honestly looked interested when someone talked. Especially when Rain talked, you could tell he truly cared about his cousin.

I think that's what got me interested in him in the first place. He wasn't a typical douchebag like most guys his age. He actually cared about his family, and wasn't embarassed with their bullshit. He wasn't afraid to go on a merry-go-round with his little cousins at fairs like most guys. Or let his mom wipe something off his face. Or fix his hair. He went with the flow, he was easy going and to me, that was his best quality.

"Hi Tayden." I looked up, placing my hand around his back and on his side. Rain gave me a funny look, glancing at my hand before returning her attention to the cute guy standing next to her.

My arm vibrated as Tayden's body shook with laughter. I looked up again and it was enough for me to just swoon. A fast paced song came on and I smiled as Rain started dancing. She came up to me, pulling me from Tayden and the rest of the guys and into the massive group of people currently occupying our living room.

I danced with my best friend as the songs continued. The more fast paced the beat would get, the more we'd stumbled off to find alcohol as we took a breather. Then we'd find ourselves in the middle of the dance floor again. Allie appeared next to us, her black hair shimmering as if it had glitter in it or something. The three of us danced together for a couple more songs before she whispered something into Rain's ear and wondered off.

"What'd she say?" I asked.

"She wanted to know if Tayden was here. You know how she is with guys. Thinking she'll get lucky. Sick, I wouldn't want to know if she did. What he does....in bed is the farthest thing I want in my mind." I knew my smile faltered, but I hoped Rain hadn't noticed. By the looks of it, she hadn't.

I was suddenly closer to my best friend than before, and laugher and arms surrounded me. I turned around to face one of Tayden's friends and I smiled dancing with him, but when I turned around to face Rain again she wasn't there. I saw the back of her head as she walked out of the crowd of people. That suddenly seemed like a brilliant idea and I headed out the middle of the dancing crowd as well.

As I turned a corner I smacked my face into none other than Tayden's chest. "We have to stop meeting like this Bay, it's becoming quite a problem." his sarcasm was well noted, and the smirk
on his face said he didn't mind.

"I was trying to follow Rain. I guess you can see that didn't work out too well." I leaned against the wall and he leaned on his side next to me.

"Has she been drinking a lot?" I nodded and I could have swore he looked upset.

"Why?" Curiousity got the best of me, and suddenly his smile was back, full force. He shook his head, denying an answer to my question.

"What I want to know, is why you don't have like....twenty guys around you right now?" my eyes shot up to meet his at the sound of him flirting with me. Tayden O'Connel? Flirting with me? Especially when there were girls like Allie Carson around.

"I'm not as beautiful as Rain, that's why." he shook his head, his brown hair falling into his gorgeous eyes. I had a strong urge to run my fingers through it.

"You really don't get how gorgeous you are, do you?" he suddenly seemed closer. A whole lot closer. His face was near mine and his eyes were darting around every inch of my face. I knew there was a light blush on them now. He smiled, and flashed me his pearly whites.

"Thank you..You're pretty good looking yourself." I was shocked at my confidence to say that to him. If Rain could hear me now, heck. Hear us right now, I'm sure she'd have a cow.

His lips were suddenly right against my ear. My whole body went ridgid. "Do I?" I turned toward his face, and his lips crashed into mine. I'd had dreams about kissing him when I was thirteen, and now, merely six years later there they were. His soft lips pressed against mine, his hand slid around my back and pulled me closer in.

I lost myself in him. I tried to tell myself it was the alcohol, and maybe it was. But I had a feeling that if I hadn't had any alcohol at all I still would have felt as far gone as I did now, pressed against the wall. His sweet soft kiss turned into a deeper one. When he came up for air he laced his fingers with mine and drug me through my house and straight to my bedroom.

We slipped in and he closed and locked the door quickly. Suddenly his lips were trailing down my neck. I bit my lip and ran my fingers through his hair, letting myself get completely lost in his entire being. We fell backwards onto my bed, his lips never leaving my skin, and it was as if my wishes were coming true.

I didn't have time to think, to comprehend what was going on. Maybe if I hadn't drank so much I would have. But as of now, my life was left completely in the hands of fate.



I awoke with a horrible pounding in my head. I tried pulling the covers over my head, to block out the sun streaming through my window, directly on my face. But when they stopped suddenly, that's when the cloudy events of last night rushed back to my mind. I put as much of the puzzle together as I could before I turned and looked to my left.

Sure enough, brown hair laid out around his face, his eyes still closed and his mouth slightly open as he slept. His body rose and fell with every breath, my own stuck in my throat. My blanket was tucked around his body, his bare back being shown off from the light of the sun.

And that's when I finally realized I was completely naked.