Nora followed the other girls into the party, unsure if she was really in the mood for this tonight.

For a rare moment, she thought about getting herself a drink.

Part of her had wanted to stay home and avoid him.

She didn't really know why, it's not like there was anything between them. But it had hurt to watch him with Ines, and it'd inevitably hurt when he hooked up with someone new. Possibly tonight.

She'd been so stupid. For a second, just a second, she'd thought maybe he was changing. Maybe he wasn't the fuckboy she'd originally thought him to be.

But no, he hadn't changed. And he probably never would. He'd have flings, sure, but he'd still dump them and post a picture with another random girl soon after. That's just the way it was.

He was just a flirt. He probably told girls they were beautiful all the time. It was probably nothing to him, just a word to throw around in order to get in a girls' pants.

She'd thought about that moment for an embarrassing amount of time afterwards.

Eva laughed loudly in front of Nora, pulling her out of her own head and into reality. She was standing behind the girls as they poured their drinks, and her eyes lingered on the rum that Eva was pouring into a cup.

No, she wasn't going to do that. She wasn't going to waste a night, lose her memories, over some boy.

"Here." Nora looked up at the sound of Amira's voice. In her outstretched hand she was holding a cup of lemonade out for Nora.

"Thanks" Nora said as she took it.

"You alright?"

Nora nodded, taking a sip of her drink. "Yeah, just in a weird mood. It'll pass."

Amira gave her an appraising look, but let it go.

The girls left the kitchen, claiming the couch in the far corner of the living room, piling onto it even though it was absolutely not designed to hold five people.

Viri leant over across Nora to speak to Cris. "Have you spoken to Joana yet?"

Cris nodded. "Yeah, I asked her if we could meet tomorrow."

Viri leant back to her former position next to Nora, grinning. "Good."

Nora looked over at Viri, a warm feeling in her chest. She'd had her doubts about her at times, but Viri really was a good person.

She would've been so hurt if something had happened between Nora and Alejandro. Nora had known that, but for a brief second she'd considered ignoring that.

Nora was a terrible person, that she was sure of. She wasn't doing anything right lately.

Nora looked down at the cup in her hands, running her finger along the rim.

"Eva, Cristian's here" Viri dragged out the last word, grinning.

Nora's head snapped up, looking over at the group of boys walking into the room.

Yeah, that had been a stupid fantasy. Eva and Cristian, Nora and Alejandro. She couldn't believe she'd let herself be that stupid even for a second.

She didn't even know if Cristian was the better guy for Eva. Jorge was probably the better option, probably the one a good friend would be pushing Eva towards.

There he was. The stupid, tall Pomeranian with his stupid hair and stupid face.

The weight of the four girls on either side of her was suddenly suffocating. She needed some space. She clambered off of the couch, announcing that she was getting herself another lemonade.

"Get me another rum and coke!" Cris called out after her.

Nora thanked the lord for the lack of other people in the kitchen. She filled her empty cup up with water, leaning against the counter as she sculled it. She just needed to breathe.

She turned around, facing the wall, and poured herself another lemonade.

"Hello, small person."

Nora closed her eyes for a second, her whole body stiffening at the sound of his voice. She pressed her lips together, looking briefly over her shoulder at Alejandro. "Hello."

She heard footsteps and could feel him standing behind her, but she tried not to show any reaction. She busied herself making Cris a drink, realising as she picked up the rum that she had no idea how to measure a shot.

"Are you drinking now?"

She shook her head, eyeballing what she thought a good amount of the dark liquid was. "It's for Cris."

"Do you want to see her get her stomach pumped tonight?"

"What?" Nora set the bottle down, forgetting in her confused state that she hadn't wanted to look at him. They locked eyes and she hated him for the stupid smirk on his face.

"Move over, give me that." She hated how amused he sounded.

Without thinking about it, she stepped aside and let him take over. He took the lid off the rum bottle, picking up Cris' cup and pouring some of the rum back into it. He tilted the cup so she could see how much was now in it.

"Now, that's a shot."

Nora shrugged. "Okay."

Alejandro chuckled, reaching for the coke and filling up the rest of Cris' cup. "So how are you?"

She crossed her arms across her chest. "Fine."

"You seem it."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Excuse me?"

He just chuckled again, shaking his head.

Nora turned so her back was against the counter, leaning against it. She hated the way she was acting but she just couldn't seem to stop herself. She didn't want to be here, didn't want to have this interaction.

Alejandro poured himself a drink of his own, and Nora realised too late that she could have probably just picked up her and Cris' drinks and left. But he was turning around, leaning on the counter next to her.

"So, small one-"

Nora interrupted him. "Don't call me that."

He grinned into his cup. The asshole. "So, little one-"

"I'm not even that short."

He laughed, looking down at the floor for a second with that stupid grin on his face before he looked up at her. "If you say so. Tell me, what can I do to cheer you up?"

Nora looked away, picking up her drink and taking a sip. "I don't need cheering up."

He nudged her arm with his elbow. "Come on. Tell me."

"There's nothing to tell."

Alejandro sighed. "You know, I liked it better when we talked more."

Yeah, they used to talk all the time. Then he turned around and suddenly started dating Ines. Ines, who was back to being best friends with Eva. Whatever.

"Yeah, well."

She'd been lying a few weeks ago when she told him she just "didn't dislike him that much". She liked him. She really liked him. So much it was ridiculous. But he was Alejandro, and it would be downright disastrous to let herself fall for him. He'd be done with her within weeks, he'd have gotten the satisfaction of breaking her. She'd have devastated Viri and she wouldn't be able to live with herself. It just couldn't happen.

"Nora, come on. I don't like seeing you upset."

"It's nothing, really. I just wasn't really in the mood for a party tonight."

"Then why'd you come?"

She sighed, figuring that if she gave him a little bit of the story he'd ease up. "I don't know, didn't want to be the only one not here."

He scoffed. "You hardly strike me as someone who gets FOMO."

Nora rolled her eyes.

He leant in, his arm sliding behind her on the counter. "Come on, tell me."

Maybe it was the closeness of his presence making her lose her mind, maybe she was just sick of holding it in, but the words spilled out of her in a wave.

"I don't know, I just feel out of whack lately. Eva's off with Ines all the time, Cris is going through this big thing but everything I tell her is wrong. I just feel useless." She was looking down at her hands, wishing instantly that she hadn't said anything. Not to him. He wasn't the person she should be vulnerable around.

"You're not useless." Warmth jolted through her when she felt him brush a lock of hair behind her ear. His finger lingered on the side of her face, his knuckle gently grazing her cheek.

She looked up at him, staring for a second before coming to her senses. She took a step away from him, shaking her head. "You can't go around saying stuff like that."

He gave her a puzzled look. "Why not?"

"Because...you just can't."

"Good reasoning."

She pressed her lips together, exasperated. There was no way she was going to tell him that it felt like her heart might beat out of her chest when he said things like that. That she thought stupid things, outrageous things. Things that were completely irrational.

A voice being cleared made Nora realise they'd been standing there, staring at each other. She looked over to the doorway, where Lucas was standing.

"Sorry, just grabbing some drinks."

Nora laughed, a ridiculous high-pitched thing that she knew sounded fake. "Don't be silly, nothing to be sorry for."

She sounded like such an idiot.

Lucas nodded, giving her a disbelieving look. He thought she was an idiot too, obviously.

Alejandro hadn't said anything, but Nora couldn't help but notice he hadn't bolted out of the room yet.

"So everyone is here now?" Nora asked. Maybe if she got him talking this would feel less awkward.

"Yeah, we just got here."

"Cool."

Nope, didn't help.

Nora chewed on her bottom lip, watching Lucas make himself and the boys drinks.

She watched him push the four cups together so that he could carry them in one trip, and knew she should probably offer to help. But she also knew she wouldn't have a good excuse to come back into the kitchen afterwards. Well, she could come back for her drinks. But Alejandro might have left by then.

She watched Lucas walk back out to the living room, carefully keeping the cups level.

As Nora turned back to Alejandro, Hugo appeared in the doorway. "Ah, you are here Nora. Cris was wondering what happened to you."

Nora knew this was her cue to go back to the girls, or at least a good excuse to leave. But she just didn't want to. Screw it all. She hadn't spoken to Alejandro like this in weeks, and she hadn't realised just how much she'd missed it until now.

She picked up Cris' drink from the counter, holding it out for Hugo. "Yeah, this is hers. Give it to her for me, will you?"

"Ugh, yeah sure." Hugo took the drink from her outstretched hand, pausing for a second in the middle of the room before turning around and walking out. The room was silent for a second, and Nora pressed her lips together to try and contain the giggle threatening to burst from her. She lasted all of five seconds, Alejandro joining in with her laughter.

After their laughter died he turned to her, his face serious.

"So why can't I say things that are true to you?"

Nora scoffed. "You know that's not what I meant."

He set his now empty cup down on the counter. "Yeah I know what you meant. Tell me why."

She sighed, the most dramatic one she could muster. "Alejandro" she said, dragging his name out in exasperation.

There it was again, that stupid grin.

"You know what, fine. If you don't want to tell me, we can just go dance instead."

"I told you I don't dance."

"No, you said Sweeney Todd doesn't dance. Never said anything about Nora."

She rolled her eyes. Details.

"Come on" he gestured towards the doorway.

"I'm not dancing with you."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

"And you called me lame."

Nora tried her best to look offended.

"I should get back to the girls anyway. I'm sure they think something terrible has happened to me."

"And I'm sure you'll say something did."

She grinned, giving him a nod. "You are a terror."

She expected a snarky remark in response, but he just said "that's my Nora" and gave her a look that she thought might have turned her insides to mush.

She walked towards the doorway, halting in her tracks when she stepped through it. Her sudden stop caused Alejandro to bump into her. His hand rested on her hips to steady himself, lingering a little too long. Nora didn't bother to scold him, too busy looking at the sight before her. Ines sat next to Eva in the spot Nora had previously occupied on the couch.

"Looks like my seat is taken" Nora said to no one in particular. Guess they weren't terribly concerned with whether or not something terrible had happened to her, then.

"Come on, we can go upstairs and sit outside." Alejandro's hand was back on her hip, guiding her towards the stairs.

Without thinking, Nora replied. "Is that code for something?"

Alejandro laughed. "No, you idiot, come on."

She followed him up the stairs and outside into the cool night air. He sat down on some steps out the front, patting the spot next to him.

"So, why don't you like Eva and Ines being friends again?"

She sighed. Oh, please. Surely he knew it was more than that.

"It's not that I don't like them being friends. I just feel like, I don't know, like they have more history and they're better friends. And Amira and Cris have been friends forever. And Viri and I...it's just not the same."

"Eva would be an idiot to ditch you."

Nora rolled her eyes, but she felt her heart flutter in her chest.

"Nah she would, you're a much better singer."

She laughed. "You're an idiot. And you can't say that, you were dating Ines at the time!"

"And that means I'm meant to lie about her singing abilities?"

She just shook her head. "Idiot."

"I don't know, I probably shouldn't have dated her."

She looked over at him, and he was staring straight ahead.

"Why?"

"I don't know, it was just stupid."

Nora gave him a stern look even though he wasn't looking at her. "Come on, you just made me spill my guts. You've gotta give me more than that."

Alejandro shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I thought we had potential but I just couldn't do it."

"Do what?"

He looked over at her, the intensity in his eyes taking her by surprise. "Not wish I was with someone else."

"Oh." What was that supposed to mean?!

"I mean, we had fun together and everything but I just wanted...more." He shrugged again, his eyes still intense.

She rolled her eyes. "Do you mean sex?"

He laughed, and Nora was glad she'd managed to lighten the mood. "Why do you always think the worst of me?"

She shrugged. "History. Logic. Past indiscretions."

He sighed. "I'm not like that."

"Okay."

He was silent, and she looked over to make sure he wasn't too offended. But he was running one hand through his hair and frowning.

"I know I did some shit things. And I'm really sorry about that." He paused, looking over at her with the utmost sincerity in his eyes. "But Nora, I really don't just want to hook up and sleep around. Okay?"

A moment passed, just the two of them staring at each other, before she nodded. "Okay."

"Good."

She felt hot, way too hot. It felt like she was on fire. Or maybe that was just her face. Her heart was beating way too fast, and her palms were all clammy. She was a mess.

Why did she think this conversation was a good idea?

Alejandro nudged her with his shoulder, and she really didn't need physical contact right now. "So now will you stop thinking the worst of me all the time?"

"Whatever, you stupid Pomeranian" she said under her breath, desperate to get this conversation on a lighter level.

He leant forward, holding his face in his hands as he laughed. He managed to pull himself together slightly, looking over at her. "If I'm a Pomeranian, what are you? There's not many smaller options."

Nora rolled her eyes, unable to stop the smile from growing on her face. "No see, that's the thing. I don't have small dog energy like you. I'm much more of a big dog."

He laughed. "Mm, I can see that. All the energy of a big dog in a small body. Is that why you're so fiesty? Not enough room to contain it?"

She shook her head at him. "Sure, something like that."

"What do you reckon you are? Maybe a pitbull?"

Nora scoffed. "You're an idiot."

He just grinned at her, shrugging.

"You're definitely a little pitbull. They look all tough but they're really not."

"Whatever, you Pom."

"Okay, little Pit."