So, there will be drug use in this chapter. As well as some, er, sexual themes. I apologize for both. Actually I kind of don't. It's my story so I can write what I want. If you don't like it, don't read it. :D

Aiden
October 8, 2006
1:45 a.m.
Tempo parking lot

I pushed my sweaty hair out of my face as the group and I filtered out of the club. Once outside, I closed my eyes and lifted my face to the breeze, savoring the feeling on the cool air on my sweaty skin. Feeling chilly all of a sudden, I shrugged into the jacket I'd previously shed.

"Oh my God, my feet are killing me," Kate groaned as she reached for Pogue.

"Mine feel like they're about to secede from my body," Mahoney grumbled. Tyler laughed and swung her up into his arms. She shrieked aloud and then erupted into giggles before sighing contentedly.

Sarah sidled up to Caleb, putting an arm around his waist. "We're all staying at Caleb's tonight," she said to me. "Want to join us?"

I looked over to Reid to see if it was cool with him since I had driven. He shrugged, letting me know it was my choice. I turned back to Sarah and grinned. "Sure. I just have to stop by the dorms."

"Okay, call me if you need directions," Sarah said brightly.

"I'll be riding with her, so I can navigate," Reid told her. He turned to me hopefully. "Unless, you want me to drive?"

I snorted as I walked to my car. "No such luck."

He grumbled something as he waited for me to unlock his door.

2:35 a.m.
Spenser parking lot

I pulled into a parking spot and cut the engine and lights. Clearing my throat to break the silence, I turned to Reid. "Are you also coming in or staying out here?"

"I've got something to take care of. I'll meet you back out here," he said, getting out and swiftly walking towards the dorms.

I got out and locked my door. I pocketed my keys and walked at a brisk pace towards the dorms. I lucked out in that parking spot, I thought. There are a ton of streetlights around it. After unlocking the front door, I made sure to gently shut it so the loud click wouldn't echo throughout the empty hallways.

I took the stairs two at a time and reached the second floor in no time. I crept up to the door to my dorm and saw no tie on the doorknob. I didn't know if Cass was there or not, so I quietly opened the door. I tiptoed into the room and turned on the lamp on my nightstand. Seeing no sign of Cass, I quickly packed an overnight bag. As an afterthought, I grabbed my laptop.

A few minutes later, I was walking across the field to the parking lot. I squeezed between two cars and grabbed the keys out of my pocket. "Hey!" I heard someone call out.

I froze momentarily, fumbling my keys. Panic clouded my brain and my body decided on whether or not it wanted to run or fight. Adrenaline pumped through my system and my brain raced.

"Hey!" this time it was louder. Closer. I chanced a peek over my shoulder and saw that it was my unknown friend. A huge sigh of relief escaped my lungs.

"Hey," I said once he got close enough. "How are you?"

He stopped in front of me. "I'm pretty good. What about you?"

"Pretty okay. I'm a little tired. We went to that club in Gloucester. I swear, I danced for what seems like centuries. Now we're having a movie night."

He eyed my overnight bag. "'We'? Who's 'we'?"

I listed off the group, and to my surprise, his mouth tightened into a hard line. He was angry. Something about him set me off. I don't know why, but I should fear him. He's not a good guy. But why? Why do I know that? How do I know that?

"I don't like you spending time with them," he said.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Why's that?"

"They're not a good group," he said simply.

Before I could respond, he clapped me on the shoulder, a wide smile on his face. "Well, I hope you have a good night."

Totally bewildered, I watched him turn and disappear in the shadows. A moment later, Reid came up to me.

"Hey, what's up? You look like you've seen a ghost," he said, concern creeping into his voice.

I shook my head. "Oh, nothing. I thought I heard something and got spooked."

We turned and walked the rest of the way to my car. After we got in, I started her up again and pulled out of the lot. As soon as Reid directed me onto the main road, I somehow knew the way to Caleb's house. I knew what streets to turn onto before he told me to. Though, so as not to give anything away, I acted like I had no clue where I was going. I missed turns, I made fast stops, took sharp turns. Finally, we pulled into the familiar driveway of Caleb's mansion.

Reid helped me get my bag out of the backseat of my car and walked up to the front door, letting himself in. I automatically knew that the 'rec room' was down in the west wing, last door on the right. I also knew the kitchen was in the east wing, the library was accessed only by going through the set of double doors that lay straight ahead of the foyer. Caleb's room was on the second floor, his mother's on the third. My mind raced at this new information. How did I know this? my mind screamed.

When we entered the rec room, we found the group already assembled. All the windows were open wide, letting the cold air in. I was about to comment on the fact that it was freezing when I saw the reason behind it. Mahoney, Tyler, Pogue, Kate and Sarah were seated in a circle, next to the biggest window. Tyler was holding a bong up to his mouth, a deer in the headlights look on his face.

I grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. He grinned and lit the bowl, taking a huge hit. Still holding the smoke in, he gestured to me with the bong. I grinned even wider and swiftly walked over, accepting the proffered piece. I lit the bowl and inhaled the skunky smoke. Damn, I thought. They get good shit.

"Do this much?" Pogue teased. Still holding the smoke in, I held up my thumb and pointer finger, only a centimeter separated them. He laughed as I passed him the bong.

I sat down between Tyler and Pogue and exhaled a great plume of smoke. "So this is what the Sons of Ipswich do," I said, clucking my tongue at them. "For shame, I thought you were better than this."

"Pot calling the kettle black, much?" Kate asked.

I shrugged. "Hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Pogue passed the bong to Kate next. I swear she took the biggest hit I've ever seen. Everyone laughed at the expression on my face. "Can you guess who introduced this to us?" Sarah asked.

We all laughed again as Kate made a face without letting the smoke out while she playfully slapped Sarah's shoulder. "Oh yeah? And what, pray tell, did you introduce us to, little Miss Perfect?" she teased, letting the smoke out of her nose.

Sarah reddened and mumbled something. Mahoney answered for her, "Sarah introduced us to X. And it was great."

"Ah, yes. I remember," Reid commented as he sat down between Sarah and Mahoney. "The skinny dipping incident."

All the girls colored as the guys laughed. "That sounds more interesting than my first time with X. I colored in a 'My Little Pony' coloring book. For eight hours." This time Caleb joined in on the laughing.

Mahoney was laughing so hard that tears were coming out of her eyes. "I can totally see you doing that," she managed to gasp.

The bong kept making rotations, everyone taking turns packing the bowl when it got cashed out. We were all talking, laughing and sharing stories. Caleb surprised me by walking over and grabbing the piece when Sarah passed it to Mahoney. We all looked at him expectantly. I raised my eyebrows as he held the bong up to his mouth, lit the bowl with someone's pink Playboy lighter (I suspected that it was Kate's) and inhaled deeply.

"What?" he asked, noticing our dumbfounded looks. "Can't a guy enjoy some illegal narcotics every once in a while?"

"That's my bitch!" Reid called out amongst the laughter.

Once we were all adequately baked, we migrated over to the couches, kicking our shoes off in the process. The couples were cuddled up together, facing the TV. Reid and I sat next to each other on the couch we shared with Tyler and Mahoney. "I know the perfect movie to watch," Sarah declared, getting up and walking to the gigantic case of DVDs. She grabbed the correct one after a moment of searching, and popped it in. She waltzed back to the couch, sat down and grabbed the remotes from Caleb. We soon found ourselves watching Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie. Which, by the way, is so much better when you're an adult. And higher than giraffe balls.

4:57 a.m.
Danvers's estate

We were about halfway through The Science of Sleep when voices complained about munchies. Caleb paused the movie and he and Sarah left to go scrounge up some goodies. Pogue, Kate, Tyler and Mahoney all got up to help them, chatting about what they were in the mood for.

Reid turned to look at me. "I'm not 100% sure I know what's going on."

I laughed. "Watch it while you're frying your face off, then talk to me."

Reid looked like Christmas had come early. "You are the woman of my dreams. Make me the happiest man on earth and marry me."

I laughed again. "Well, what impropriety is this?" I asked, putting on a Southern belle accent. "You know you must ask my daddy for my hand in marriage. And after he saw you creepin' out of my bedroom window, I am not so sure that he will allow it."

"My dear," he replied, playing along. "He will have to. Otherwise people will believe that your reputation is tarnished. No man will marry you then."

I dramatically threw my arm over my eyes. "I am a ruined woman! What will the ladies say at my debutante ball? Oh, why did I ever listen to you?"

Reid couldn't control himself any longer and burst into raucous laughter. I started to laugh as well, falling into his side. His arm immediately went around me and we held each other and laughed until we were breathless.

Once we calmed down, I looked up and saw that his face was really close to mine. Close enough that I could see the fair stubble on his chin and smell the scent of weed on him. Our gazes locked on each other and my breath hitched. I felt the arm around me tighten, pressing my body harder against his. Yet another butterfly explosion erupted in my stomach as I saw his eyes glaze over with what looked like lust. The hand that wasn't resting on my waist came up to gently cup my chin. His eyes flickered between my eyes and lips as he ever so slowly brought his face closer to mine.

Our lips had just met in the briefest of touches when we heard the group coming back. I quickly ducked my head, letting my long hair hide my face. I felt my cheeks burn as the loud group entered the room, laden with a plethora of goodies. If they saw my flaming cheeks and the closeness of my and Reid's bodies, they showed no sign of it.

7:26 a.m.
Danvers' estate

As the movie ended, eight bodies stretched in unison and eight different groans escaped the tired bodies. Everyone slowly sat up and gathered the remnants of our munchfest. Sarah yawned widely, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "That movie was good, but I have no clue what happened," she said.

I grinned. "I know, that's why I love it. I love those movies that make you wonder what in the world you just watched."

Once everything was gathered and the TV was turned off, we all trudged into the kitchen. Once we entered, I saw a beautiful, dark-haired middle aged lady sipping coffee and reading the morning paper. When she heard us enter, she set the paper down and took off her glasses. "You kids have fun last night?" she asked, a small smile on her kind face. Her eyes were kind as well, but looked like she was harboring a hardship, but there was a smile in them.

"Yes, mom. We went to Tempo and came back here for some movies," Caleb said, bending down to kiss her on her cheek. He straightened and caught sight of me. "Oh, mom, this is Aiden Eberheart. She just transferred from Montreal. Aiden, this is my mother, Evelyn Danvers."

I lightly shook her proffered hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Danvers."

"Please, dear, call me Evelyn," she smiled. She looked over my shoulder and her smile warmed as she looked fondly at…whatever it was she was staring at. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too. We must chat some more once you all have gone to sleep," she said kindly. "Don't mind cleaning up, kids, Lucretia will be coming in to clean today."

Before we left the kitchen, I looked over my shoulder, curious to see what Evelyn had been looking at. All I saw was Reid standing behind me. Slightly bewildered, a feeling I was getting used to, I turned around and followed the others out of the kitchen.

We walked up the stairs to the second floor. Kate and Pogue entered the first room we came upon, wishing everyone a mumbled good night. Mahoney and Tyler entered the next room, Sarah and Caleb stopped in front of the third.

"Um, Aiden? Unfortunately you and Reid are going to have to share a room. We normally have others available, but lately my mother has gotten in the mood to redecorate. I'm really sorry," he said, looking really uncomfortable.

I laid a hand on his arm. "Don't worry, Caleb. It's fine."

He smiled, obviously relieved. After bidding us both good night, he and Sarah entered their room. I turned to Reid. "You had better behave yourself, Mr. Garwin," I warned, a teasing edge in my voice.

"Yes, ma'am," he saluted. Reid turned and opened the door to the next room, stepping aside to let me in first.

The room was huge and absolutely beautiful. Rich creams and dark reds, satins and velvets, textures. The wallpaper was a textured cream color; the carpet was a deep, dark red; the chairs that sat next to the large bookcase were upholstered in a cream cloth that looked absolutely soft. All the woods were dark: the bed frame, the chairs, the shelves, the wardrobe, the exposed wood beams on the ceiling. A delicate crystal chandelier bathed the room in a soft light. And the bed. Oh, the bed. It was a huge four poster, a cream colored bedspread covered the incredibly comfortable looking mattress. There was an assortment of cream and red pillows and red velvet hangings were pushed aside.

Reid took one look at my face and smiled. "Yeah, it's my favorite room, too."

"It's beautiful," I murmured.

"You think this is beautiful? Look out the window."

I walked over to the window and pushed aside the heavy red drapes. It wasn't just a window though; it was a beautiful bay window with a window seat. I crawled up onto the red, satin cushion and gasped. The window overlooked the woods that surrounded the backside of the property. There was a fine mist surrounding the edge of the trees and skimmed the top of the lake. The sun was just coming up over the trees and the sky was still an explosion of purples, pinks and oranges from the sunrise.

"Oh," I breathed. I quickly scrambled off the window seat, ran to my bag, dug out my camera and ran back to the window. I turned it on and focused the view before snapping a few photos, mentally telling myself to send them to my mother. "It's absolutely gorgeous," I whispered. I felt Reid come up behind me.

I felt him sit behind me. He put his hands on my shoulders and gently pulled me back so I was leaning against his chest. His arms gently encircled my waist and I settled my head back on his shoulder. "Yes, yes it is. I love this view. You don't know how many hours I've spent just sitting here, staring out at the woods," he said quietly.

"Doing what?" I asked.

"Just thinking," he replied.

I turned my head slightly to look at him. "About what?" I asked quietly.

He shrugged lightly, still gazing at the beautiful view outside our warm embrace. "Just life. You know, just everything that goes on. What I'll do with my life, the places I'll go, the people I'll meet." He turned his head to meet my gaze and I was surprised to see the emotion in them.

I gently grabbed one of his hands and linked our fingers together. With his other hand, he gently cupped my face, his thumb caressing my bottom lip. I felt my lips part as my nerve endings sizzled. What is it about this guy that causes butterflies to constantly flutter in my stomach? I thought. His hand moved around to cup the back of my head as his eyes searched mine. He tilted my face up and slowly brought his face down to mine. Just before our lips meet, he pauses and grins. "Third time's a charm," he whispered. I smile as his lips gently touch mine.

At first his lips were soft and gentle. The kiss warmed my whole body. It was the slow, soul searching kind of kiss I'd never before experienced but had always read about. The hand in my hair tightened as my free hand reached up to gently touch his face. His tongue darted out and gently caressed my bottom lip and my lips parted to grant him access. As the kiss deepened, he disentangled his hand from my hair and let go of my other hand. I felt his hands on my waist and he moved me around so I was straddling his lap. My arms automatically wound around his neck as his hands gently rubbed my back.

A thought broke through my lust induced delirium and I pulled away. Reid gave me a long, searching look. "Wait. What about Ronnie?"

"What about her?" he asked.

"Aren't you two…?"

He shook his head. "Not anymore. I broke up with her yesterday."

I must have looked shocked because he chuckled. "Actually, we broke up when we stopped by the dorms before we headed here."

"Oh," was all I said before his lips crashed onto mine. This time the kiss was hot and passion filled. His hands moved to my hips and gripped them tightly, pressing me closer to him. I could feel how this was affecting him and I felt a jolt of arousal. One of his hands moved up to grab a handful of my hair and I damn near moaned. His mouth left mine and latched onto my neck and gently nibbled. A shudder raced up my spine as a moan escaped my mouth and my eyes shut. His mouth moved from my neck to my collarbone, to the spot where my neck and shoulder meet, back up my neck and to my ear. My hands moved to grip his shoulders as his mouth met mine again in a fiery frenzy.

The next thing I know, I'm lying on my back on the bed with Reid hovering over me. Damn, I thought, this guy's good. His hands crept to the hem of my shirt and played with the strip of exposed skin between my shirt and pants. I broke away again.

"Wait, wait," I breathed. "I don't think we should go any further. It's too soon. I don't think—"

His mouth quieted mine with a soft kiss. He pulled back and smiled. "I know. I wasn't going to push the issue."

I swear my heart melted a little bit. What happened to the womanizing Reid? I thought. He must've guessed what was going through my head because he traced a path down my face with his pointer finger and smiled. "I'm not like what everyone says, I promise. I hope you'll come to see that for yourself."

I smiled back and gently touched his face. "I'll forget everything that anyone's ever said about you and let you paint yourself."

"Good," he said. "Now, why don't we get you out of these clothes and into your pajamas?" he asked innocently, a slightly lecherous grin on his face.

I grinned and rolled my eyes. "Hey," he protested. "I never said I was a perfect angel."

I laughed and leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Okay."

As I leaned back he kissed me deeply. His hands crept back to the hem of my shirt and gently lifted it up over my stomach. Once he reached the bottom of my bra, he pulled back and gave me a searching look. I gave him a reassuring smile and nodded.

He pulled the shirt over my bra and up over my head and looked down at my black bra with pink lace over the cups. He sucked in a breath as he continued to look. One of his hands gently moved towards my breast and the tips of his fingers gently traced the swell of my breast as another jolt of arousal coursed through my body. My fingers dove into his hair as I arched my back, pressing my breasts against his chest. He brought his attention back to my mouth as he delved into it, his tongue caressing mine in a fevered dance of dominance.

His hands, which were surprisingly soft, moved to unhook my bra. He fumbled a bit with the hooks and I smiled into the kiss. He grabbed the bra and tossed it onto the floor. Now there was nothing between our chests but his shirt. My hands moved to remove the offending article of clothing. He chuckled at my urgency. His hands trembled slightly as the caressed my bare breasts, one palm skimming my nipple. A gasp escaped my mouth and that seemed to give him confidence. His hands grew bolder and a little rougher in the exploration.

My legs wrapped around his waist and he groaned as I pressed myself into him. I rolled him over, so that I was now on top. "Oh, God," he muttered. I leaned down to kiss him and almost told him I'd changed my mind. I broke away and scooted down his body, lightly tracing my hands down his solid chest and stomach. I heard his moan of pleasure and felt another thrill as I met his heated gaze. My fingers were steady and I undid his belt and pants. I slowly and tantalizingly pulled his jeans down over his boxers and along his legs, our gazes never straying. The jeans landed somewhere on the floor and I slowly crawled up his body on my hands and knees.

Once Reid could reach me, he grabbed my hips and flipped me over so he was on top again. I barely caught my breath before his lips crashed down on mine again. He gently bit my lower lip and a mewling sound of desire sounded from my lips. He grinned and slid down my body, placing light kisses on my heated skin along the way. He paused to pay special attention to my breasts and my back arched into him, offering myself to him. He broke away and lightly skimmed his hands along my stomach, stopping when he reached the top of my pants. His eyes met mine as his confident fingers undid the button and pulled the zipper down. He looked down as he pulled my pants down over my lacey black boyshort panties. He yanked my pants off and flung them behind him before moving up and crushing his lips to mine.

Reid rolled me over so I again was straddling him. I moaned at the feeling of him pressed against me through the thin fabrics of our undergarments. His hands skimmed over the skin of my back and down around to my hips. As his hands ran over the back of my underwear, he toyed with the ribbon at the back. He sat up and leaned around so he could see. "What's this?" he asked lightly, the husky sound of desire deepening his voice. His fingers traced the pink ribbon that laced up the back of my panties. "Nice. Very nice," he murmured.

His deft fingers traced the top of my underwear before settling his hands on my hips. He leaned back down and gripped me tighter. I placed my hands on his chest as he rocked my hips against him. I thought of nothing except how there seemed to be too many clothes on the both of us, how we weren't close enough. I let my head fall back as I bit back another moan. "Oh, God."

My hips moved back and forth, matching his pace. My breaths were coming in faster bursts and I could feel his chest rise and fall, his breathing matching mine. He rolled me back over and my legs wrapped around his waist again. He stared into my eyes and dropped his forehead to mine. I wrapped my arms around him, lightly running my hands over his back. He groaned at the feeling. He kissed me deeply again, running one of his hands up and down my side. He broke away and searched my eyes. "We should stop, before I get too carried away."

I made a sound of protest and he chuckled. "It's not that I don't want to," he reassured me, thrusting his hips. I moaned aloud. "I definitely want to. But you're right, it's too soon. We should wait. I didn't mean to go as far as we did tonight. And I definitely didn't mean for it to go as far as it did the other day in my dorm. It wasn't fair to you or anyone else. I'm sorry."

I cupped his face in both of my hands, my thumbs tracing his cheekbones. His eyes closed briefly at the touch before they opened again. I saw a flash of some other emotion, one I haven't yet seen. I don't know what it was; I just know that it was strong. "It's fine. I'm not mad. I was furious though when I found out that you had…someone. But I wasn't mad for long. I could tell by the look in your eyes that you were sorry. So, I forgave you."

He kissed me hard and pulled away. "We should get dressed and catch some sleep, though," he said.

I nodded in agreement and leaned up to kiss him again. We broke away and he rolled off the bed as I sat up and scooted off the edge. When I went to stand, I found that my legs were weak and sat down hard on the edge of the bed. Reid laughed. "You okay, there?"

I smiled. "Yep. Just peachy. A little sexually frustrated, but I'm good," I joked.

He laughed again. "I know the feeling." He offered me his hands and helped me stand. When I stumbled again, he pulled me into a hug, burying his face in my hair.

I buried my face in the warm skin of his neck and took a deep breath. The smell of him comforted me and seemed reassuring. I lightly kissed his neck and at the small groan of pleasure that escaped him, I smiled. I stood on tiptoe so I could reach more. I kissed his neck and gently nipped it. When I reached the skin just below his ear, he inhaled sharply and tightened his grip on me. "Not fair," he murmured.

I pulled back and grinned up at him. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that life isn't fair?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Very funny."

"Thanks, but I swear, it's unintentional," I said as I pulled away and walked to the bag that I dumped by the door after entering the room. When I bent over to pick it up, Reid came up behind me and smacked my ass. I yelped as I straightened. "Hey," I cautioned. "That's mine."

He laughed and collected his bag. After changing into our pajamas, we walked around and collected our discarded clothing in silence. Once we climbed into bed, Reid laughed and got back out. "I forgot to turn the lights off," he explained.

Once he turned the lights off, he walked over to the bay window and pulled the drapes closed. To help him out in his journey back to the bed, I turned the lamp on one of the bedside tables on. He smiled gratefully at me once he climbed back into bed. I leaned over and switched the lamp back off. As soon as I settled myself back in bed, he pulled me closer to him and wrapped his arms around me.

"Good night," he murmured, lightly kissing the back of my neck.

"Good morning," I corrected in a sleepy mumble. I felt his body shake in silent laughter.

So, what did you think? I'm open to any and all feedback. :)