he moment we enter the house, it feels like I can't breathe. The air is thick with smoke and sweat, and sweaty bodies brush against my arms as Max pulls me through the crowd. I'm suddenly nervous, but having him here, his fingers tightly wrapped around mine, makes any doubt or reservations fade away.

He drops his voice so that only I can hear. "Do me a favor. Don't tell anyone you're from the Palisades, all right?"

"I won't."

We barely make it to the living room before several people walk up to Max and jovially hit him on the back. He laughs along with them, briefly catching up and introducing me before someone else comes along and we repeat the whole process. I don't know why, but I've always imagined Max as somewhat of a loner, someone who keeps to himself, but obviously I was wrong; Max is more popular than I am.

"Sorry," Max says when we're finally alone, "I didn't realize tonight would be so busy."

"It's fine," I say. "It's kind of nice to see you out in the wild."

He laughs a little and pulls me in closer. "Out in the wild?"

"Yeah," I say. "I never really see you around other people. Who knew you were so popular?"

He rolls his eyes, but I can see all over his face that he's nervous about me being here, nervous that I'll hate it or won't have a good time. I squeeze his hand tighter as he pulls me toward the kitchen, where several people are crowded around a table filled with alcohol.

"You came," Khalil shouts across the table. He smiles when he notices me. "Max said you were coming, too, but I still can't believe it. You probably don't remember me, but I'm–"

"Khalil," I say. "Of course I remember you. Why wouldn't I?"

The way his face lights up is so adorably cute. "Lemmie go get you a drink," he says. "You like beer, right?" He grabs a can of beer from the fridge and hands it over. Even though I hate beer, I pop open the lid and take a sip, trying not to wince.

Max smiles slightly at the way my nose wrinkles; clearly, I am not a good actress.

"Seriously," Khalil says, looking between us. "Can someone explain what's going on here? Are you guys friends? Dating? It's like I'm looking at a weird version of Beauty and the Beast."

I frown. There is no country, continent, or planet where Max O'Connor could be considered a beast. I glance over at him now and see that he's slightly uncomfortable, but not because of the Beauty and the Beast comment. He's uncomfortable because we've never really talked about what we're doing, or even what we are, and now isn't the time nor the place.

"You ask too many questions," Max says coolly.

"Agreed," I reply. I take another sip of beer, hook my arm through Max's, and lead him into the living room to dance. He seems relieved, but the room is so packed with grinding bodies that there's not much room to do anything but stand opposite one another, closer than humanly possible. I wrap my arms around his neck and he does the same around my waist. After a hesitant pause, I pull him in closer and slowly move against him.

It's not exactly the first time I've danced with a boy, but something about doing it with Max makes me nervous. My stomach is filled with fluttering butterflies, all twisting and turning in different directions. My skin feels hot, and every time he lowers his head, the warm tingle of his breath sets my body on fire. I used to wonder if the chemistry between people in romance movies was deeply exaggerated, but now I'm certain it's not. Just the touch of him feels like a current through my body, an electrically charged energy that blocks out everything else.

He feels it, too, because he does the little thing where his jaw clenches, and the muscles on either side contract. It's so unbelievably sexy that I'm wishing the rest of the room would fade away so I can have him completely to myself. Tonight is the first time we've hung out properly around other people, but it doesn't feel strange or awkward, it feels like despite belonging to entirely different worlds, right here, right now, we fit perfectly.

We dance for a little while longer, two bodies lost in a sea of other bodies, all moving to the same beat. I let my eyes wander, first to his lips, which look pink and full and then to his arms, which are tanned and muscled under the overhead light.

I should stop thinking about this. Should stop thinking about how much I want to undress him, because it's not exactly helping. If anything, taking things to that level would make things more complicated, and between our social status clashes and Kino's crush on me, things are complicated enough. So why can't I stop thinking about it?

Outside, the sound of two guys fighting filters in through the window. Someone turns the music up, and their voices fade away to nothing. Max's hold on my waist tightens, and something dark flickers across his expression. "This probably isn't what you're used to." He says it in this low, even voice that sends shivers across my skin. "Say the word and we'll leave."

It seems like the strangest moment, but my heart skips a beat. I love that he's so concerned about whether or not I'm having a good time. Looking back, Justin was never this way. He'd be too busy thinking about his own good time to check if I was all right. But then the warmth fades away, and it hits me. I've always been so self-centered, when did I ever check in on Justin? Or anyone for that matter? Maybe I ended up with someone like Justin because that's exactly what I deserved. And as Max looks down at me, eyes concerned, hand protectively pulling me in, it's clear as day: I don't deserve him.

"I don't want to leave," I say. "I like it here."

He laughs a little, positioning his mouth near my ear. "You like being squashed into a tiny room filled with smoke?"

"I like being with you."

He freezes as though he hadn't been expecting that. But from the way the corner of his mouth curls upward, it's a good surprise. In the quietest whisper, he says, "I like being with you, too."

The tension between us is electric. Every inch of my body screams to touch him, embrace him. His body is like a magnet, drawing me into his chest. Around Max, it's like I've never felt so alive.

"Oh shit, I thought it was you," someone says. We both jerk apart and glance to the left, where a tall, handsome boy is grinning at us. "How's it going, Max? Haven't seen you around here in a while."

Max grins back and wraps a hand around my waist, protectively pulling me into his side. "Yeah, I've been working a lot lately. How's it going with you?"

He shrugs. "Same as always. Working, trying to stay out of trouble." As soon as he says trouble, his eyes flit to mine. "I'm Ax, by the way. Haven't seen you around here before. Where you from?"

Max's grip tightens around me like he thinks he might lose me in the crowd. "Here," I say. "I just don't get out much."

Ax smiles. "That makes two of us these days. Listen, I'll see you around, Max. Give me a call when you're free, all right?"

Max nods and pulls me in again, brushing his lips across my jaw. My whole body shivers and the heat that rips through my stomach is enough to make me feel dizzy.

"You ever think about how crazy it is that we're here?" he says. "I mean you and me. Together."

"You think it's crazy?"

He laughs and nuzzles my neck. "Ever since I met you, things have been crazy. You know, my life was pretty peaceful before you came along."

"Well, maybe peaceful is boring," I say. "Sometimes a little chaos is good."

"You've always got an answer for everything, don't you?"

I smile. "You secretly like it."

He reaches down now, tenderly pushing a strand of my hair back. "It's not a secret."

Hearing this sends my butterflies into overdrive. If we weren't still sandwiched in a room filled with people, I'd already be kissing him right now. Instead, I tilt my head back, positioning my mouth close to his. It's almost sweeter, being this close to tasting him but not being able to. It makes me want him all the more.

He lowers his head, and I'm certain he's just going to do it, kiss me in the middle of this hot and crowded room, but then a familiar voice says, "What the hell," and we break apart to see Kino before us, arms folded, the hurt on his face unmistakable.

❤️