Hi guys :) I am so so so sorry for making you wait so long for an update! I've been suffering from major writer's block for all of my stories and i'm currently ill, so it's taken me a while to get around to writing. I'll try not to leave it quite so long next time but I have tests coming up and I'm moving back home in a few weeks.

Anyway, a very big thank you to Guest, Tvdlover87654, alwaysnnever, okgurl87 and sweetdreams705 for reviewing on the last chapter xxx

PS sorry if there are any mistakes and I apologise for a short chapter xx

That night was forgotten about. The instant both Klaus and Lacey woke the next morning they acted as if it had never happened and went back to their usual teasing ways. Klaus did not ask again whose texts and calls his friend was avoiding, despite them occurring every day until the day of Rebekah's birthday party three days later.

Lacey, on the other hand, had found herself becoming increasingly frustrated both by Klaus's choice to ignore what had happened between them and by the constant attention she was receiving from her mystery caller.

Of course, she knew exactly who was paying her so much attention and she did not fail to notice the look of curiosity and annoyance that would cross Klaus's face every time she rejected a call from the guy.

It confused her to no end why Klaus acted so negatively. She assumed it was due to her keeping a secret from him but she knew, without a single doubt, that it was for the best. She was adamant in her belief that her best-friend would severely disapprove of her bed partner if he were to discover the man's identity, and her friendship with Klaus wasn't something she was willing to risk by letting the truth be known.

So, taking Klaus's hand in hers, she pushed her thoughts to one side and smiled supportively at him as they entered The Mikaelson Mansion and prepared themselves for the celebration that was taking place inside.

"Hey, Rebekah, have you seen Nik?" Lacey asked the youngest Mikaelson hours later.

She and Klaus had arrived at the party two hours earlier and promptly congratulated Rebekah on turning twenty-one, handing over their individual gifts as they did so. Lacey held great affection for Rebekah, viewing her as the sister she never had, despite the small age difference between the two. In her many years of knowing the Mikaelson family, she and Rebekah had been close friends and it gave Lacey great pleasure to spend time with the blonde beauty on her birthday.

Rebekah turned to Lacey and smiled, half-drunk; the strong arms of her boyfriend, Matt, being the only reason she was able to stand fully and address her friend.

"No." Rebekah replied, watching Lacey begin to walk away before shouting after the brunette girl. "Hey! Kol's looking for you though!"

Thanking Rebekah, Lacey sighed in frustration and wandered through the crowds of party-goers as she continued her search for Klaus. She gave no care to the fact that Kol was apparently searching for her, until she inadvertently crashed into him whilst paying no attention to where she was going.

"Easy there, love. No need to fling yourself at me."

An 'umph' sound escaped Lacey's mouth as the impact winded her slightly. It took her only a few seconds to realise whose arms were wrapped so tightly around her waist and she let out a small groan. Kol was without a doubt the very last person she had wanted to see all night.

"Hello, Kol." replied Lacey, looking up into Kol's chocolate brown eyes and noticing how he was gifting her a dazzling smile.
"I think we need to talk, don't you?"

Another groan and Lacey forcibly removed Kol's hands from her waist, slightly surprised that it had not taken much effort at all to do so. She had not been met with any resistance from the youngest Mikaelson brother, but from the glint in his eye as he looked her up and down, she knew he would not be giving up on her so easily.

Kol followed the brunette eagerly as she barged through the throngs of people in a bid to put as much distance between the two of them as possible. He would not be deterred though. Grabbing at her, just as she reached the French doors that led to the gardens, Kol felt his fingers grip Lacey's slender wrist and he pulled her back and turned her so she had no choice but to face him.

"You've been avoiding me." he whispered into Lacey's ear.
"I've been busy."
"Yes… with Nik, no doubt."

Jealousy tinged Kol's usually playful voice and surprise threatened to overspill from Lacey's eyes.

"What we did… it was a mistake."
"You said that last time and the time before and the time before that." Kol listed off casually.
"Well, it was."
"And yet, you still keep coming back to me."

Lacey could not argue with Kol's logic. He was correct in every way. No matter what, she always went back to him. It had started out as a drunken one-night stand months before, one she had instantly regretted the morning after, and had quickly turned into a relationship based on regular sex that left Lacey feeling ashamed and Kol yearning for more than just a physical connection.

Words had abandoned her. She tried with all her might but her brain would not get into gear and allow her mouth to form a sentence. A large part of her wanted to be free of Kol's grip but another part of her wanted more. Her feelings regarding Kol were a jumbled mix.

Being the same age, Lacey and Kol had known each other their whole lives and, although not as close to him as she was with Klaus and Rebekah, she still considered him a friend. A friend who was all too aware of her romantic feelings for Klaus and helped her to forget, if only for a short while, that her feelings were unrequited.

"Nobody's perfect." Lacey stated, finally able to speak.
"You are." replied Kol, truthfully.

He spoke the truth. To him, Lacey was perfect in every single way. Her soft, chocolate coloured locks felt like silk in his hands; her sparkling blue eyes haunted him and the sheer sight of her slender, slightly curvy body was enough to send him into a frenzy. Physically speaking, Lacey was perfection but it was more than that to Kol. He loved her for her mind; for her teasing, playful attitude; for her stubborn nature; for her loyalty and for the way she loved others so unconditionally.

Envy. That's what he felt each and every single time he witnesses Lacey and Klaus together. He had lusted after her for years and watched on as the girl he loved fell in love with his older brother. In Kol's opinion, Klaus was a first-class idiot and, although he did love his brother, he believed that the man's troubled nature and habit of always screwing up made him unworthy for someone as special and magnificent as Lacey.

All Kol wanted was one chance. One opportunity to show Lacey how good he could be to her, for her.

"Kol…"
"Ah, there you are, love."

Klaus's voice rang out like a beacon of hope to Lacey and she immediately felt Kol remove his hand from her wrist. She frowned slightly when she noticed a look of sadness fleet, momentarily, across Kol's face but chose to ignore it when she realised that Klaus was by her side.

"Are you okay?" Klaus asked Lacey, trying desperately to remain.

It had not escaped his notice that his younger brother had been touching his best-friend and it angered him immensely. For years, Klaus had been privy to the knowledge that Kol had been harbouring a crush for Lacey and there had been a number of occasions in which he had made it extremely clear that Lacey was off-limits.

"I'm fine, Nik."
"You had better not have been bothering her, Kol." Klaus directed towards his brother.
"I wasn't."

The expression of doubt on Klaus's face made it clear to Lacey that the man did not believe Kol's words one bit, and a small pang of pity ignited inside of her.

"Nik, honestly, Kol wasn't bothering me. Be nice."
"Hm…"
"Nik."
"Are you ready to go?" Klaus asked, turning his face away from Kol and towards Lacey who nodded in response.

Not caring enough to bid his brother farewell, Klaus snaked his fingers between Lacey's and pulled her along after him, as he manoeuvred his way through the rooms and people and towards the front door.

"Niklaus Mikaelson! Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Klaus and Lacey turned to find Rebekah stumbling towards them with Matt chasing after her; an apologetic smile on his baby face as he ran his hands through his dishevelled short, blonde hair.

"Bekah…"
"Where are you going?! You can't leave yet!" the blonde girl whined.
"I'm sorry." Matt mumbled, grabbing Rebekah by the waist. "She's had too much to drink."

A half smile played on Klaus's lips and he softly pecked his sister on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Rebekah."

With his parting words, Klaus smiled at his sister and her boyfriend before leaving, sighing with relief when his black SUV came into sight. The further away he got from the house he lived in as a child, the more relaxed he became. He had seen his parents only once, and had somehow managed to avoid making small talk with them, but just the mere act of being in a house that held such horrible memories for him was more than enough to make him feel tense.

Climbing into the car, Klaus started the engine and sat in silence with Lacey as he started the journey back to their shared home. A few minutes passed before Lacey broke the silence.

"Are you okay? I know being around your father must have been hard for you."
"I'm perfectly fine, love. Nothing to worry about."
"Where did you get to? I was looking for you."
"I was with Elijah. We had some business to discuss. Anyway, what did Kol want with you?"

Klaus hoped that the jealousy he was feeling as he spoke had not seeped into his words and made it obvious to Lacey just how he was feeling.

"Oh. Nothing."
"It didn't look like nothing."
"Stop being so paranoid, Nik. We were just talking. Friends do that sometimes."
"Huh, whatever."

Shaking her head lightly in frustration, Lacey remained silent for the rest of the journey; her mind caught between thoughts of Klaus and thoughts of Kol.