It was now the next morning and Alex and I were cuddling on the couch when a door slammed open and shut. It sounded like there was a stampede going on. 

Hayley came into the kitchen, grabbing a coffee mug and slamming it down on the table with a huff. 

"Jesus," Alex sighed under his breath, only loud enough for me to hear. 

She pretty much punched the switch, turning the kettle on and stood there, waiting for the water to boil. 

"I'll get you your coffee," I began standing up. 

"Babe, no," he whined. "She will kill you," he whispered. 

"Alex," I smacked his shoulder. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a mug, standing with her, waiting for the water to boil. "Do you wanna tell me yet or not?" I asked without turning to her. 

"Everything's awkward," she huffed, caving in. 

"After confessing? Even though he's the one who confessed?" I questioned. 

"Yes, I know right?!" she exclaimed. 

"I was just trying to understand the situation but..." I trailed off. "In his defense, he was drunk and so were you," I turned to glance at her. "Give him a minute Hayley," I suggested. 

"If he didn't mean then he shouldn't have said it!" she stomped. 

"Oh, he meant it, he talks about you all the time," Alex came in, eating a gummy bear. 

"Really? In the morning?" I looked up at him. 

"If he talks about me and he means it then why won't he even look at me now?!" 

I took the mug from her before she smashed it. Well not literally but... I began making Alex his coffee while she made her own. 

She likes making her coffee but doesn't like the taste of it. That's my best friend right there. 

"Why don't you just ask him about it?" I asked in confusion. "Will you put a shirt on?" I glared at Alex. 

He chuckled, "Nope." I rolled my eyes before turning to face Hayley. "If it comes down to it, just kiss him," Alex shrugged. 

"What?" we asked in sync. 

"Is your hangover talking like hers is?" I asked him. 

"I can't just kiss him!" Hayley argued. 

"Sure you can, he kissed you last night," Alex shrugged. 

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to understand his logic. 

"You can't just kiss people out of the blue," Hayley huffed. 

"Yes, you can. See," he said before kissing me. 

I stumbled, taken by surprise and grabbed the counter. 

"If that's just you wanting to show your PDA then you can kiss my ass, Ryder," she glared at him while drinking her coffee as I handed Alex his. 

"Seriously though, try her way and try my way. See what brings you victory," he sipped his coffee. 

"He's not just gonna start talking to her because she kisses him," I scoffed. 

"Well, he's not gonna do it if she doesn't either," he looked at me smugly. 

Hayley slipped out of the kitchen and into her room while we stayed in the staring contest. 

"Let's test you then," he smirked. I arched an eyebrow at him. "You think it's easy to go without kissing someone?" he asked. 

"It could be," I shrugged. 

"Let's test you, see how long you can go without kissing me." He walked away with a smirk before I could say anything. 

I think I just shot myself in the foot. 

No, Faith. You got this. 

"Fine by me," I sat beside him on the couch. 

"Fine by me," he whispered while leaning, his lips intentionally brushing my ear. 

I rolled my eyes before throwing my legs in his lap. "Fine by me," I smirked while scrolling through my phone. 

"No seducing," he threw my legs off of him. 

"Oh, but you can?" I scoffed. "If I have to see how far I can go without kissing you, then you have to do the same. Tough luck, too bad the idea was yours," I shrugged, putting my legs on top of his again. 

"Alright, alright," he nodded. "We'll play that way." His fingers traced my skin, going up and down my leg. 

I looked at him expectantly. "Oh, you're gonna keep going? Okay," I shrugged. My insides are not so casual, just so you know. 

"You can keep acting like I don't affect you," he moved closer to me. He hovered over me, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me in. Our lips brushed against each other's but he still didn't kiss me, and at the last second, he pulled away. 

"Trust me, you are not gonna like it when I do that." I lifted an eyebrow at him warningly. 

"Really?" he looked at me daringly. 

"Really," I nodded before getting up and going upstairs to change out of his hoodie and my pajama shorts, into something more appropriate for the day. Not that we're going anywhere but it's nice to get out of pajamas, it makes you feel like you did something productive. 

I grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top to throw on. I locked the bedroom door and took my pajama shorts off before throwing on my black denim ones. I threw the hoodie off but before I could throw my shirt on, the door swung open. 

How the hell? 

"You forget I come here a lot, hence, I have the key," Alex spun the key around his finger before turning to face me. 

I stood there with my arms by my side, giving him a 'are you serious?' look. 

"That wasn't intentional," he shook his head. 

"I bet," I nodded sarcastically. 

"I swear," he chuckled while checking me out. 

"Look at you!" I threw a pillow at his face. 

He caught it and walked up to me, placing the pillow on the bed before placing his hands on my waist and backing me up against the wall. 

"Wasn't intentional, huh?" I arched a brow. 

"Nope, but I don't regret it," he smirked. "Nice bra, by the way," he teased. 

"Red is my color, huh?" I looked up at him. I pushed him off and threw my top on. 

He looped his finger through a belt loop in my shorts and pulled me flush against his chest. "I kind of like this, we flirt a lot more this way," he smirked. 

"Do you? Hmm, that's interesting since you suggested it," I nodded while reaching for the dresser behind him and grabbing my hairbrush. I brushed my hair thoroughly in the mirror while he stood behind me with his arms around my waist. I pulled my hair up in a high ponytail and turned to face him, leaning my back against the dresser. 

"You look stunning," he checked me out. The tank top was a skin fit leopard print one. 

"Why don't you go change so you can look stunning too?" I raised an eyebrow at him. 

He sighed before grabbing his clothes and throwing his shirt on. I left the room to grab some food and came back to see him dressed. "Let's go to the deck, we can hang out there," he suggested. 

I took my fruit bowl with me and we went to the deck. We were walking through the living room when voices loud enough to bounce off the walls interrupted us. "So you were just drunk?" Hayley exclaimed while storming out of the room. Alex and I stood still in the corner. 

"You were drunk too!" Daniel came after her. 

"At least I meant what I said, I wasn't drunk enough to talk shit," Hayley huffed while stampeding around. 

"Maybe we should-" I began to whisper to Alex but Hayley screamed. 

"You two!" She marched over to us. 

"Your advice didn't help. At all!" she exclaimed. 

"Did you even try mine?" Alex questioned. 

"You think you're so smart, Ryder," she huffed before walking back to Daniel and just kissing him. 

Alex and I left and gave them their privacy. "It'll work," he looked at me smugly. We were sitting on the edge, dipping our feet into the water when we heard footsteps behind us. I turned around to see Hayley. 

"It worked," she admitted. 

"And what are you two doing now?" I looked at her accusingly. 

"Going for a walk. We'll be back, bye!" she announced before leaving with Daniel. 

"Told you," he bumped my shoulder with his. 

"Yeah, yeah," I waved him off. 

"I don't get a kiss for being right?" he asked in shock. 

"If I were to give you a kiss for being right, that would mean I lose and you win," I explained as if I was talking to a child. "So, if you want that kiss, why don't you take it?" I suggested. 

"You want me to lose, huh?" he leaned in. 

I just shrugged while leaning back, making this harder than it has to be for him. I leaned in before pulling back right as our lips almost touched. He groaned under his breath. "Told you, you wouldn't like it when I do it," I looked ahead at the water smugly, only for him to grab the back of my neck and pull my lips down to his. 

Ha, he lost. 

"I'd lose this every single time," he mumbled after pulling away. 

"Every single time," I nodded with a grin.

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