"The First Night of the New Year""Absolutely not," Alex and Isaac simultaneously muttered, instantly pulling Avery and me to their side."We can't possibly let the couples team up," Isaac explained. "Who knows how long it would take you four to clean up if we did?"Now, you might be wondering what exactly was happening at this point in time. Well, to put it briefly, all the parents and kids were still at the Murphy's place even as the clock struck six. When we got the news that they wouldn't be back until midnight, we all quickly agreed to throw a party at our house. That decision, however, turned out to be a colossal mistake. Before we knew it, "midnight" had become "eleven at the latest," leaving us with a mere two hours, at most, to clean up the aftermath of a 200+ person party that had to be cut short.It had been an epic party, no doubt, but we also valued our lives. Consequently, we promptly ushered everyone out, including the rest of our friends. Though they wanted to assist,

"I still vividly recall the night I first laid eyes on you," Max whispers as he takes his time unzipping my dress, causing my body to erupt in goosebumps. "You immediately captured my attention, but I never anticipated how significant you'd become to me." He plants a gentle kiss on my bare shoulder as he gracefully lowers the dress by pulling down the straps until it falls to the floor."And I never thought I'd break my own rules for anyone, but at some point," I confess, turning slowly to meet his gaze, "you flashed that brilliant, infectious smile of yours, and deep down, I knew I was lost." His intense gaze remains locked on me as I begin unbuttoning his dress shirt, never breaking eye contact. In the meantime, Max places his thumb on my lips, parting them with delicate precision. "Could you do me a favor?" His shirt joins the pile on the floor."Anything," he breathes out, just as my fingers brush over his firm arousal when I move to lower his pants. He steps out of them before ge

Considering the circumstances, acknowledging my love for Max came easily to me. However, expressing it to him? Well, that's going to require some time. There are numerous matters we must resolve first, experiences to share, and, especially, his significant undisclosed secret. I need some courage before I can confidently speak those three cherished words to him. Until then, my actions will have to convey my feelings more effectively than words can. Nevertheless, I hope he understands, and I hope he senses just how deeply I care for him."Never mind," Max abruptly decides to dismiss his earlier question. I furrow my eyebrows."It did?""Yup," he says, planting a gentle kiss on my nose. "And for the record, right back at ya."Okay, he's definitely skilled at reading emotions. What's next? Reading my mind?"I'm pretty sure he has every part of your body figured out by now," my inner voice, Buffy, comments with a touch of humor.'Hello darkness, my old friend,' I silently sing to her. "Hav

"So, you haven't told him yet?""Nope, and before you go all relationship guru on me again, I have my reasons.""I know," Avery deadpans, rolling her eyes but still failing to hide her soft, understanding smile. "I was just asking," she raises her hands up in defense."Mhmm, sure," I draw out, playfully pushing my best friend towards the building of her next class while I head towards mine. I only have to take one visual course for my major, so I decided Art History GC was the way to go. According to Max, the professor who teaches it is super laidback and frankly, I'll take as many easy As as I can get this semester."I'm serious," Avery chuckles, opening the door to the Music building before saying, "just remember, girl, we're all in our own time zones. Don't feel pressured by it because, when the time comes, it'll happen all on its own. Life is all about waiting for the right moment to act." I cock an eyebrow at my best friend's words. "What?" She asks, furrowing her eyebrows."Some

Two Days Later"Hey, Terry.""What's going on, Lolita?" Terrence, my coworker, returns my greeting with an equally irritating nickname and an unmistakable scowl. Nonetheless, I can't help but chuckle inwardly as I recall William always using the same moniker. Man, I already miss the gang."Not much, you?" I reply as I head towards the employee lockers."Eh," he shrugs, "my life remains as dull as ever. School and then work, a never-ending cycle of sheer agony.""Bit dramatic, don't you think?" I smirk, and he rolls his eyes, failing to hide a smirk of his own.I stash all my belongings in my designated locker, except for my phone, which I slip into my work apron. Then I return to the front to assist Terrence in setting the chairs back onto the tables.Terrence and I have always been the ones to open on Saturdays, and today is no exception."Any new orders to prepare?" I inquire as I place the last chair in its spot and slide it under the table."Two new ones came in last night. The 10