-July 22, 2010; Very early morning-

"I think I'm drunk! And I smell like alcohol!" I exclaimed with a loud giggle as I fell against Alex.

"Rum, to be exact. That's Barbie's fault for spilling it all over you." I nodded and thought back to the moment of the night when Barbie tripped in her heels and sent daiquiri flying through the air and all over me. "You still look good though."

"Thank you Mr Kiley!"

I felt his left hand grip my left shoulder tightly as he kept me standing upright. I leant into him because I really couldn't be bothered walking by myself. He asked me if I would like to sit down but I didn't even get the chance to say no before he had sat us down on a bench.

It was well past midnight and creeping into the early hours of Thursday morning. There was absolutely no traffic on the normally busy main street and everyone in the city had long gone to bed.

"This place is scary."

"That's why I'm here." He dropped his arm over my shoulder and pulled me closer to him, "So nothing happens to you." He tapped my nose and I couldn't stop the giggle that escaped from my mouth.

"I broke up with Mike! How funny is that? I've been in love with him for years but I broke up with him! I'm so silly!" I giggled as I let my head flop onto Alex's shoulder. "You smell nice."

"Yeah? Well, you still smell like rum."

"I think you should kiss me." I breathed as he slowly moved closer towards me. I could smell his breath – I don't even know why, but whiskey had always turned me on – and he smelt like Jack Daniel's.

"I don't know if that's a good idea." He clearly thought of Mike and my lack of emotion on the topic. I hadn't cried yet and he probably thought I was in denial.

"You don't want to?" I asked with a small hiccup as the alcohol began to sink into my blood stream, "That sucks."

"I want you," he said bluntly, "I just don't think it's a good idea." I held my breath in an attempt to combat my hiccups. And then proceeded to hold it for a lot longer as Alex caught me by surprise.

The kiss was so much different to all the ones I had shared with Mike. Mike's were rough and full of passion, where as Alex's was soft and very hesitant. It only lasted seconds before I realised what was going on and my mind flashed to Mike and I pulled back.

"I can't." I sobbed.

With a scowl and groan, I looked at the person who had just entered the room.

"What did I say?" Cody's words put him on the receiving end of a death stare before I hid my eyes behind a pair of black sunglasses. "Do you not listen? I said this was going to happen."

"So what? For that small amount of time I was happy and I didn't get a chance to think about how I ruined the best thing that ever happened to me."

"But now you're back in reality and not only do you have those stupid memories but you have a hangover." I had begun to ignore him childishly because I knew just how right he was. "Claire, I was trying to look out for you. Why don't you trust me?"

"I don't trust anyone right now, to be honest." I told him quietly as Alex joined us in the room. I looked up at him fleetingly, swallowed sharply and stood up to leave. "I have to go speak to Michelle."

"Claire..." Alex saw right through my lie but I brushed past him. "Seriously?"

The first person I saw when I walked out the door and into the hallways was Mike. Naturellement. He looked up at the sound of the door opening and closing and I had to try my hardest not to walk up to him, throw my arms around his neck and kiss him. He was the love of my life if I want to get all mushy about it. As quickly as he had looked up he looked away, turning back to his conversation with his best friend – John. What would he do if he found out I'd kissed Alex?

"Claire, seriously, can we talk?" I pursed my lips tightly as Alex came out of the room.

"No, not right now." I told him, looking at Mike once more before I walked away from the people in the hall.

"Claire!" he shouted after me and I quickly put my hands over my ears, not because I was trying to ignore him but because his already loud voice was made louder by the acoustics of the hall and it also echoed. Not something that helps a hangover at all.

I remember moving my hands from my ears to cover my eyes as I started thinking of Mike again and beginning to cry. I wasn't okay, I couldn't even lie to myself about it.