A/N: Content Warning - a nonconsensual sexual situation occurs in this chapter. Skip the last half of the second part of Katara's POV at the end of this chapter if you need to.

That old familiar body ache.

The snaps from the same little breaks in your soul.

You know when it's time to go.

"Time to Go" by Taylor Swift

Katara

The next four days pass by uneventfully. Jet shows up on Monday morning and it's as if the previous night has never happened.

In fact, it's almost as if the last year has never happened. He's holding my hand and stealing kisses when my dad isn't looking, and for the first time since my mom died, he doesn't hold me like I'm about to shatter in his hands.

It's nice. I can't help but wonder what brought on this sudden change. I don't want to think it has anything to do with Zuko, but I can't help but feel like it does.

Sokka, Suki, Jet, and I go hiking on Monday. We don't take a beginner's trail like the one I led Zuko on. It's long and arduous, and takes us up one of the mountains that fill Nehalem State Park. It takes us four hours to reach the peak, and another three hours to get back down.

When we reach the summit, the view is breathtaking. I would be lying to myself if I said I wasn't sad Aang wasn't there to see it. He was supposed to be there too. But he made his choice, and I try not to let it get me down.

By the time we're back home, we're exhausted and starving so we order pizza from Miyuki's in Nehalem and spend the evening massaging our blistered feet and watching That 70s Show on Netflix.

Tuesday morning dawns cold and rainy, and Suki surprises us all by making breakfast. With the bad weather, we spend the day in Sokka's room. He brought his PlayStation, because of course he did, and we play video games until I can still see the flash of gunfire behind my eyelids when we break for dinner. Dad comes home early, and he and I make dinner while everyone else watches TV. If Dad and Sokka seem to be extra cold toward Jet, no one comments on it.

By Wednesday, I'm missing Zuko. I'm longing for the familiar comfort of the Jasmine Dragon. I'm drained from entertaining Jet, Suki, and Sokka, and I long for the quiet contentment I feel when I'm with Zuko. I rub at the calluses on my palms left by hours spent with a paint roller in my hand. With Zuko, everything is so effortless. It's as easy as breathing.

Thursday is sunny and almost warm, and we head down to the beach. We collect seashells and agates and build sandcastles above the tideline, and for a little while everything is fine. It reminds me of when Sokka and I were little. We show Suki the tide pools and she loves them just as much as I do, and we spend some time watching the sea life that fills them: hermit crabs, small fish, starfish that cling to the moss-covered rocks, and even a jellyfish who managed to get caught there.

As the day is drawing to a close, Sokka suggests a bonfire on the beach. We readily agree. Bonfires are a spring break tradition. Sokka and Suki head into town to buy hotdogs and the ingredients for s'mores at the grocery store, and Jet and I are left to gather driftwood for our fire. We walk along the sand in the early sunset. I load Jet's arms with driftwood, conversation passing quietly between us, and then we make our way back to the spot we have chosen, near the jetty to keep some of the wind off of us.

Jet and I are just finishing up building the bonfire when Sokka and Suki come back, their arms loaded down with more than just hotdogs and marshmallows.

"What's a bonfire without beer?" Sokka exclaims as he hefts two impressive cases of beer into the air.

"Amen to that," Jet says with a grin.

Sokka winks at me. "I won't tell Dad if you won't."

I grin fiercely. "It's a deal."

Sokka and Suki set the groceries down and he digs through the bag for a bottle of lighter fluid. Sokka pats his pockets for a lighter. Finally, he finds one, and within a few minutes the fire is crackling.

Jet opens the case of beer and passes me a can. I crack it open and take a drink, making a sour face at the flavor. I've never cared for beer, but this week has been...eventful...and I don't mind the stress relief.

Then Sokka settles on the sand and pops the tab on his own beer. After he takes several swallows, he looks at me.

"Hey, Katara, why don't you see if Zuko wants to come join us?" Sokka poses the question nonchalantly, as if we do this all the time, but all I can think about is our conversation in my room the other night.

I almost say no, but then I realize that might sound suspicious to Jet, and we're finally doing okay, and I don't want to mess that up. I'm still standing on the edge of the cliff and I haven't decided if I'm going to jump or not.

Waiting in the wings, I think before I shove that thought into a trunk in the back of my mind and lock it.

"Yeah," I say. "Okay." I look at Jet. "If that's okay."

I can tell by the slightly-downturned set of his mouth that it's absolutely not okay, but then he smiles and nods. "Yeah, sure."

I pull out my phone and send Zuko a text. There's a chance he'll say no, and even though I'm craving his presence like a smoker craves a cigarette, part of me hopes he doesn't.

K: Hey we're having a bonfire down on the beach. There's beer and s'mores. Wanna come? Bring your friend.

I lock my phone and set it face-down on my thigh before I take another drink of my beer. I'm pointedly avoiding looking at Jet. I want to enjoy this and I'm afraid that the look on his face will ruin it.

A moment later my phone buzzes. I force myself to grab it casually and check my notifications bar before I unlock it. Zuko texted me back.

Z: You sure? I don't want to intrude.

It's so sweet, so Zuko, that I have to fight the smile that threatens to crest my face. I keep my expression neutral as I text him back.

K: You won't be. You should come.

I want to add I miss you. But I don't. I can't. Not with Jet sitting beside me with his arm around my waist. Not when Zuko is a cigarette and I'm jonesing for a fix.

Z: Ok. I'll be there in a few.

When I glance up from my phone screen, Sokka is looking at me expectantly.

"Well?"

"Yeah, he's coming." I swallow hard and glance at Jet from the corner of my eye. "He'll be here in a few minutes."

Jet takes another drink of his beer and says nothing.

I turn my eyes to the bonfire and pray I didn't make a mistake.

Zuko

I'm washing the dishes when I feel my phone vibrate in my back pocket. I shut off the water and dry my hands on a towel before I check it. To my surprise, it's from Katara.

I haven't heard from her all week. Not that I've exactly been expecting to, but I've missed her. And my heart definitely does not do an excited little jump in my chest when I see her name on my phone screen.

I'm even more surprised by the contents of the text.

K: Hey we're having a bonfire down on the beach. There's beer and s'mores. Wanna come? Bring your friend.

I try not to feel too excited. Jet is still in town. And I know his dark, dirty secret. And I'm going to tell his girlfriend at some point in the near future.

I'm assuming we means her brother, his girlfriend, and Jet. That's good at least. I don't think Katara would invite me to hang out with just her and her boyfriend, making me the awkward third wheel. I don't think I'll be able to contain myself if it was just the three of us.

I wonder what has brought this on. I know she had said before that she didn't want to flake on me over spring break, but she understandably has, and this just seems sudden.

I want to know what this is about, so I quickly send her a text back.

Z: You sure? I don't want to intrude.

I anxiously drum my fingers across the countertop. Do I stay? Do I go? I don't know. I can't confront Jet, not if her brother and his girlfriend are there. And if I can't, I only hope that I can contain myself and put on a friendly facade. I want to kill him.

My phone goes off again.

K: You won't be. You should come.

My mind conjures up images of her ocean eyes, of her hand on my scar, of the way she smells like vanilla and cherry blossoms. I think about how soft and warm she felt under my hands.

Spirits, I miss her. Rhett is right. I have it bad for this girl.

I've made up my mind. I'm going. I send her another text.

Z: Ok. I'll be there in a few.

I stalk out of the kitchen before my resolve wavers. I told her I would go and it's too late to back out now. I disappear into my room and grab my hoodie. Uncle looks up from his puzzle when I go back into the living room.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asks.

"Katara invited me to a bonfire on the beach."

"Will her boyfriend be there?"

I head for the door. "Probably."

"What are you going to do about that?"

I glance back over at him with my hand on the door knob. "Nothing, for now. But I'm going to do something soon."

Uncle nods and returns his focus to his puzzle. "Be careful, Zuko."

"I will."

I step outside. It was a nice day, and although it's cooling off now as the sun sets, I can still feel the warmth of the sun on the bricks. I jog down the stairs and onto the sidewalk before I start for the beach.

Anxiety pools in my belly. I don't want to cause a scene. I want to tell Katara about this when we're alone, and I haven't decided if I want to wait for Jet to leave first or not before I tell her. I think that might be for the best if he's gone, because if Jet confronts me about it, I probably won't be able to keep my temper in check.

So I just have to keep my cool for a few more days. After tonight I'll probably only have to see Jet one more time, at Hakoda's barbecue. It'll be easier to control myself there, surrounded by people.

I reach the beach. They're easy to spot. I can see the flames by the jetty, and I can even make out the shapes of people sitting around it in the failing light. I know Katara's form immediately, even with Jet's arm around her.

The sight makes me bristle angrily, and I take several breaths to calm myself as I walk toward them.

Sokka and his girlfriend are facing me, and they see me first. When Katara and Jet notice, they turn around to look at me.

For one brief moment, I see the unbridled happiness on her face. That look warms my heart and eases my anxiety, and I can't stop myself from smiling back at her. Then I catch the way Jet is looking at me, like I'm some intruder, and I remember what is going on.

I skirt around the piece of driftwood Jet and Katara are sitting on and settle on the sand between Katara and Sokka.

"Hey, man, good to see you again," Sokka says as he leans toward me to shake my hand.

"Yeah, you too."

Sokka hands me a beer. "Where's your friend at?"

"Oh, he went back to Seattle."

"That's a shame." Sokka cracks a grin. "He missed out on the opportunity to experience a small-town ritual: getting sloshed on the beach by a bonfire."

I chuckle as I crack open my beer and take a drink. Then I look over at Katara. In the orange glow of the flames, she looks stunning. The fire catches her eyes and they almost seem to glow.

The corner of my lips pulls up; I can't help it. "Hey."

Her returning smile seems just as involuntary as mine. "Hey."

And I can hear it in that one word, the things she feels but doesn't say: I missed you.

"So, who wants a hot dog?" Sokka holds up a package of meat. "Personally, I'm starving."

Katara laughs and rolls her eyes. "You're always starving, Sokka."

Suki points at her. "Facts. I swear, this dude can eat for three people."

"What can I say?" Sokka shrugs. "It's a talent."

"I've always told him that his true calling is competitive eating," Katara jokes, and we all laugh.

Sokka tears the package open while Suki hands him some metal skewers. A few moments later, the smell of roasting hot dogs is added to the briny scent of the ocean and Suki is reaching into her bag and pulling out a speaker. I don't recognize the music she plays, but I find myself nodding along to it as I sip my beer.

For a moment, I forget what Jet has done and I allow myself to enjoy this moment.

But then he says something to Suki about the song, and it comes back to the forefront of my mind, and I take another drink of my beer to swallow down my anger. When I lower the can, I see Katara looking at me from the corner of her eye. Jet is engrossed in whatever he's saying about the guitar notes, and we share this moment.

But then Jet says something to her and Katara looks away, and I take another drink of my beer.

"So you're from Seattle, huh?" It takes me a moment to realize Suki is talking to me.

I look up. "Uh, yeah."

She gives me a friendly smile. "That's kind of my stomping ground. I'm from Olympia."

"Oh, okay." I clear my throat. "I've been there a few times."

"Yeah, I've been to Seattle once or twice. It's so huge!" Suki chuckles. "Do you miss it?"

I shrug. "Sometimes."

I glance over at Katara and Jet. They're both looking at me. Katara is watching me with a small smile on her lips. Jet is glaring daggers at me again. He definitely remembers me. I shift uncomfortably on the sand.

"I don't really miss Washington," Suki goes on, oblivious. "It's so much dirtier than it is here, you know? And the sales tax is practically robbery."

"We pride ourselves on our greeness here," Katara laughs. "Even the rednecks."

The bonfire continues. Soon we're all eating hotdogs and drinking beer. Then Suki announces that it's time for s'mores and we all get skewers for the marshmallows. The sun is down, and we're bathed in the glow and smoke of the bonfire.

I'm trying not to stare at Katara and Jet, but the more I drink, the harder it is. It doesn't help that he's all over her, and it's getting under my skin, and slowly but surely I'm getting ticked off about it.

He's got his hand up the back of her jacket and I can see the smallest sliver of bare skin on the small of her back, and he's whispering in her ear. It's hard to see exactly what he's doing from where I sit, with Katara between us, but I can imagine. It's making my blood boil because he's a punk and I know what he did and I can't do a damn thing about it right now.

But I also don't miss the glances Katara keeps throwing my way, or the way she's slightly pulled back from Jet, her folded legs pointing just slightly in my direction. She doesn't look comfortable at all, and that bothers me more.

Four beers in, I stand up suddenly, unable to sit still for another moment longer. Everyone looks up at me, and my alcohol-flushed cheeks burn brighter.

"I'm gonna take a walk," I mutter before I stalk off. My hands are shaking.

I start off across the sand with my legs wobbling a bit beneath me. It's not just the beer though. It's the adrenaline rush I'm feeling. Maybe coming to this bonfire was a bad idea.

I cut across the beach, unsure of where I'm going. I just know I need to get away. I need to breathe air that isn't full of woodsmoke and vanilla and cherry blossoms. I need to get my emotions in check before I do something I shouldn't.

Sand fills my shoes as I slog along, so I make for the high tide line where the sand will be damp and compact. I can see the bonfire behind me, and the figures sitting around it. I take several deep breaths to calm myself down and turn my eyes out to the sea.

The waves lap gently against the shore. The ocean is calm and it's such a polarity to what I'm feeling inside. It's a new moon, so the water is dark. It's a deception. It looks so safe and peaceful but I know that there's an undercurrent ready to drag me to the depths.

I hate the beach.

Her voice startles me as it emerges from the darkness on my left side. "Hey, is everything okay?"

I look up, and Katara is standing there. It's so dark where we are, but I can still see her eyes.

"Yeah." I huff out a breath. "I just needed some air."

Katara crosses the remaining space between us and stuffs her hands in her pockets as she comes to stand by me, close but not too close. Close enough I can smell vanilla and cherry blossoms, though.

"I'm sorry we haven't talked all week," she says.

I shrug. "I get it. You've been busy."

"I know, but I said I wouldn't be a flake." She turns her face slightly toward me. "How is the painting coming along?"

"A lot slower without you," I answer before I can stop myself. I quickly add, "But we're getting there. I think I'll be done with the kitchen tomorrow. Then it's just the bathroom left."

Katara nods slowly and doesn't say anything else for a minute. Then she takes a breath. "I'm sorry, about Jet. I don't know what's gotten into him."

I stiffen at the sound of his name on her tongue. Apparently she notices, because she turns her face fully to me now. I can feel the heat of her gaze on my face even in the dark.

"I've never seen him act like that before," she murmurs. "How he was, at Nan's."

A chill runs through me. So she noticed it too. She already suspects something is wrong. Maybe she'll be more open to what I have to say to her. I can only hope.

I don't know what to say. I don't want to assure her that everything is fine because it's not, but I can't tell her anything remotely like the truth even though the words are right there, behind my teeth and on the tip of my tongue.

"Yeah," I say lamely.

"And tonight?" Katara shakes her head. "He's all over me and I don't know why."

"He's marking his territory." Damn it. I didn't mean to say that out loud.

Katara plants her hands on her hips. "I'm not territory!"

I better hope I can get through the rest of this conversation without screwing it up anymore than I already have.

"I know that," I say placatingly. "It's stupid guy stuff."

She snorts out a laugh. "Yeah, clearly. And Jet can knock it off."

I can hear something in her voice, something I haven't heard before. She almost sounds angry. I think back over the last few weeks. Her hesitancy at Nan's. The way she spoke of her boyfriend. Fleeting, distant, like he's some abstract concept or someone she used to know but fell out of touch with. And now there's a heat in her tone where there wasn't before, and I can't help but wonder what it means.

"I didn't mean to cause any problems between you and your boyfriend." Yes, yes I did.

Katara snorts again. "I don't think it's you. It's just…" She trails off. "I don't know."

"I can go, if you want." I peer over at her in the dark.

"I don't want you to go." Her words are a quiet murmur in the dark and they settle directly in my heart. Those words make up my mind for me.

"Okay," I say. "I'll stay."

Katara

Zuko and I make our way back to the bonfire. Suki and Sokka are passionately discussing the various forms of martial arts while Jet sits there broodingly.

I know he's not happy I went after Zuko, but what else could I do? He's my friend, and Sokka practically forced me to go after him. And Jet is just being stupid.

I don't know for sure what Zuko's problem is, but I can guess. I'm not blind or stupid, and I would have to be both to not see the way he looks at me. And I know that I look at him the same way.

Toph's words eat at me. I'm starting to think there is a grain of truth to what she said. Somehow, even though it was never my intention, I've left Zuko waiting in the wings. But did he not put himself there, too? I've never kept Jet's existence a secret. I can't be held responsible for Zuko's feelings.

But I hold myself responsible for Jet's feelings.

Zuko's words have stuck with me. He's marking his territory. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Jet has never been one to be possessive or jealous. I don't know what's gotten into him. But for some reason, he views Zuko as a threat.

We make it back to the bonfire. Zuko drops into the sand next to me and I return to my seat on the driftwood log beside Jet. Immediately he snakes his arm around my waist.

His breath is warm against my ear and it smells like beer. "Everything good?"

"Yeah," I murmur back. "Everything is fine."

I shift myself so my legs are pointing away from Jet, hoping he'll take the hint. He doesn't.

"Zuko, man, you look like you know a little something about martial arts." Sokka's voice is boisterous and slightly-drunk. "Tell me, what's superior: jujitsu or tai-chi?"

I look over at Zuko. He's never mentioned an interest in martial arts, and I'm sure it's just my brother's drunkenness (and the fact that he's losing whatever it is he's debating with Suki) that has him asking this question. But to my surprise, Zuko answers.

"They both have their own strengths, just like any form of martial arts." Zuko shrugs. "Taekwondo, karate, kung-fu. It's more about why you're using them."

Sokka rolls his eyes. "Pfft! Whatever. Jiu Jitsu is clearly superior."

"Do you want to test that hypothesis?" Suki inquires with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Sokka pales. "No, I think I'm good."

I think I'd like to see that match sometime.

Hours pass, and I'm counting the drunken whispers and not-so-sly touches Jet is giving me. I try to converse with Zuko, but Jet always somehow redirects my attention. I quit drinking after three beers but Jet keeps going. I lose count somewhere after the sixth beer. The drunker he gets, the more handsy he gets, and I'm getting irritated. My buzz, which had been pleasant, is wearing off and I'm starting to get a headache behind my eye.

I watch Zuko from the corner of my eye. He's nursing his fifth beer and is engaged in a conversation with Sokka about hockey. I'm surprised. I had no idea Zuko was even interested in that sort of thing.

"Katara!"

I look up and see Suki is standing up and looking at me.

"What's up?" I ask.

She gives me a sheepish smile. "Can you come with me? I've got to pee."

It's a universal thing, no matter where we are: girls pee in packs. And honestly, I don't mind the opportunity to slip away from Jet. I need to catch my breath.

"Sure." I beam a smile up at her and disengage myself from Jet's sloppy hold on my waist before I stand up.

I step past Zuko, and when I do I catch the smell of bamboo and teak wood on the breeze. Apparently I'm still a little tipsy because the world seems to spin and I lean precariously toward Zuko.

He catches me with one hand on my hip; I can feel the heat of his palm through my jeans.

"Whoa," Zuko says, a half-smile curving his lips.

"Sorry," I say as I lean to the other side and regain my balance. "Guess I'm a little drunker than I thought."

"It's okay." His eyes meet mine, and in the orange glow of the bonfire, it's like his eyes are embers, burning hot and bright. "Are you okay?"

I swallow. "Yeah."

I walk away from the bonfire without looking back at Jet or Zuko. I can still feel the impression of his hand on my hip.

Suki meets me on the other side and she loops her arm through mine. I haven't been paying attention to how much she's been drinking, but she's clearly more intoxicated than I am.

"Man, I gotta pee so bad!" she titters, a girly, drunken sound. "And you've got to make sure I don't fall on my butt in the sand, okay?"

I laugh. "Okay."

I guide her away from the bonfire and the boys. When we're safely in the dark and have found a large piece of driftwood on which to balance on so that she can pee, we stop walking.

Suki slides her yoga pants down around her ankles and squats down. A moment later she sighs in relief. When she's done, I take her hand and help her stand back upright, and then I realize that I need to pee too. I walk around to the other side and drop my pants so I can relieve myself.

Suki chooses that moment to blurt out, "So, your friend is pretty sweet. And cute. Sokka seems to like him."

I'm so startled that I'm the one who almost falls into the sand.

"Oh yeah, um, I guess." My cheeks are burning, and I'm grateful that it's dark.

"Even with the scar. In fact, I think it makes him look mysterious and handsome. I wonder how he got it."

He got it the night his mom died, I think darkly.

"And his eyes! Oh my spirits, they're such a pretty color." I see her teeth flash in a drunken smile. "Like suns. No! Like honey."

I stand up and yank my jeans up over my hips and manage not to fall down. I know Suki is just drunk and rambling, but the paranoid part of me wonders if Sokka somehow put her up to this.

Suki links her arm back through mine and we make our way back to the bonfire. She slips out of my hold and dances back to Sokka. I sit back down beside Jet, and his heavy arm lands around my waist as he presses a damp kiss to my cheek.

"Did you boys talk about anything fun while we were gone?" Suki asks.

"No, not really," Sokka replies with a shrug. "Just that Zuko hates football as much as I do. I think he's my best friend now."

Suki throws her head back and laughs, and I can't help my own chuckle. I glance over at Zuko and see that he's watching me out of the corner of his eye. I can see that his lips are quirked up in a lopsided smirk.

"How unfortunate that your best friend lives so far away," Suki teases. "Will your friendship survive?"

"With a budding bromance as strong as ours, not even oceans will keep us apart," Sokka says as he throws his arms wide dramatically. "Will it, buddy?"

Zuko chuckles and takes another pull off his beer. "Nope, I don't think so."

"Hell yes!" Sokka holds his hand up for a fist-bump, which Zuko reciprocates.

Suki grins at me. "Looks like you've got some competition, Katara."

I snort and roll my eyes and try to play off the fact that I'm blushing. "I wouldn't dream of getting in the way of a bromance as pure as theirs." I nudge Zuko with my foot. "But that means I'm no longer unpaid labor. I did that on the principle of friendship. You now have to pay me minimum wage."

"Hey, I'd rather work with you than my uncle. I'd happily pay you twice that." Zuko turns his crooked smirk on me.

Jet's arm tightens around me and suddenly I remember that he's there. I look over at him and see that he has watched the exchange with an intensity that defies his drunken state. I shift uncomfortably against him. What has gotten into him?

He leans into my ear. "Are you almost ready to go?"

I check the time on my phone and see that it's half past midnight. I'm not really ready to go, but it's obvious that Jet is, and I think he might take it the wrong way if I tell him no. I've got enough going on without adding any more problems.

"Sure," I say quietly.

Because I am nothing if not a people-pleaser, and Jet has been so nice this week, and I'm afraid to ruin it. In a few days he'll be going back to college, and it'll be just Zuko and I again, and maybe then I can figure out what is going on with my life.

I stand up, and Jet does too. His possessive hand never leaves my waist.

"We're going to take off. I'm pretty tired," I say lamely.

"Aww!" Suki pouts. "But what if I have to pee again? Who will be my valiant chauffeur?"

"I'm sure Sokka can handle that," I say.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's nothing he hasn't seen before."

I backhand Jet in the chest and scowl at him. "You're gross."

He rolls his eyes dramatically, but he smirks lopsidedly. "Whatever."

Suki stands up and comes around the fire to give me a bone-crushing hug that defies her slender frame. When she pulls back, Jet takes my hand. I can't help but think he did that on purpose, so I wouldn't be able to hug Zuko.

I turn toward Zuko and smile at him. "Thanks for coming to hang out. It was fun."

"Yeah, no problem." The corner of his lips tug up.

"I'll see you at the barbecue then," I say.

He nods. "Yeah. See you then. Text me what time."

"I will."

And then Jet and I leave. He's drunk and his steps are haphazard, and I practically have to hold him up to keep him on his feet. Jet and I zigzag across the sand until our shoes find the pavement.

"Do you want me to take you back to your uncle's?" I ask him.

"No, no, no, I'm gonna walk you home."

I side-eye him. "Jet, you're drunk. Are you even going to be able to get home?"

He snorts. "Pfft, yeah. I'm not that drunk."

But given the fact that it takes us a half an hour to teeter our way home when it should have taken no more than twenty minutes, I'm getting a little worried that Jet won't be able to make it home.

I almost ask him to stay.

But then when we get to the porch steps, he pins me against the railing with a sloppy kiss that's all teeth and tongue and his hands are bruising on my hips as he drags me into his pelvis while he grinds against me.

I pull my mouth away from him and turn my face, startled and out of breath. "Jet, what are you doing?"

He plants damp kisses down my neck. "Want you," he mumbles into my skin.

"You're drunk," I hiss. "And my dad is home!"

His teeth graze my neck roughly. "We can be quiet."

"I don't think that's a good idea—"

His hands cup my bottom and he squeezes hard. His mouth is harsh on my skin and I've never been so not turned on in my life. Jet has never handled me like this, and I don't like it at all.

"Come on," he practically whines at me. "I'm only here for a few more days and then I'm gonna be gone for months—"

"You'll be back in June—"

"—no." He stops talking to suck on my neck. He's too rough and I wince. "We got booked for shows in Cali. Be gone almost all summer."

"What?" I put my hands on his shoulders and push him back. Jet looks up at me. "You're going to be gone all summer?" I'm gaping at him. "When were you going to tell me?"

Jet huffs out a breath. The smell of beer washes over me and it's nauseating. "Soon. We just found out like, a week ago." He leans in to kiss me but I turn away. His mouth lands on the corner of my jaw with enough force that my teeth clack together.

I'm claustrophobic. He has me pinned between his body and the porch rail and I feel like I can't breathe. And I'm angry. How could he spend the whole week with me and not say anything? How can he be mad that I made a friend and he's going to be gone for the whole summer?

And I don't like the way he's been acting, like a possessive jerk, like I'm a piece of property he has to protect. He's never been one for PDA, and he's been hanging off of me all night. I know it has everything to do with Zuko and little to do with me, but I don't like it.

It's just stupid guy stuff, Zuko had said. But Jet has never played into that stuff, and it's unsettling after the way he has been treating me for months. He's cold, then he's hot, and I'm going to catch a cold if he doesn't stop.

And what he's doing now? I really don't like it. Jet has never acted this way toward me. He's being aggressive, and it's unnerving. I'm not afraid of him, not exactly, but I certainly don't want to be alone with him right now.

Then it occurs to me that I shouldn't feel this way around my own boyfriend, and that unsettles me even more.

Jet is too drunk to notice the signals I'm sending. His teeth scrape the skin of my neck while one hand continues to knead my rear. The other slips up my shirt. His skin is cold and I shy away.

I find my voice. "Jet—"

"What?" His voice is muffled against my skin. It burns where he touches me.

"Stop—"

"C'mon, Katara, you're not seriously mad, are you?"

"Yeah, I am!" I push back against him but Jet is too heavy. "And I don't like the way you're acting right now!"

"I think I can fix that." His hands come up and reach for the zipper on my windbreaker.

"Jet, get off of me!" I shove him, hard enough that the force reverberates down my arms and I'm pushed further into the rails until it hurts.

He staggers back, shock registering on his slack-jawed face. His mouth twists into a scowl and he narrows his eyes at me. "What the hell is your problem, Katara?"

Angry tears well up in my eyes and I ball my hands into fists. "You are my problem!" I yell at him.

His eyes widen and he steps toward me. I recoil from him and Jet pulls up short.

"Shut up, Katara," he hisses at me. "You're going to wake your dad up."

He's right; if I keep yelling, Dad will wake up and he'll come outside to find out what's going on, and this is the last situation I want him to walk in on. But I put as much force into my words as I can.

"I think you should go," I say quietly. I wrap my arms around myself. I'm suddenly cold.

Jet barks out a laugh. The sound is grating in my ears against the quiet night. He rakes a hand through his hair. "Wow, okay, Katara. If that's how you're going to be."

I don't want to engage. I'm too frazzled right now. My skin is hot and tingling where he touched me, in a way that makes me feel gross and violated. My mind is churning as I try to process everything that has happened in the last five minutes, and I just want him to go.

"Good night, Jet," I grit out.

Then, before he can say anymore, I turn and stalk inside. I don't stop moving until I reach my bedroom. I throw myself onto my bed and scream into my pillow.