A Little Too Close

I've spent a week in Kade's home. Despite the fact we live in the same house, we barely run into each other. And when we do, he always makes a hasty exit, avoiding me like I've got some infectious disease. He hasn't had any raging parties. Of course I'm sure that has something to do with the fact he'd have to ask for my permission - due to his punishment - and he won't do that.

Just as I reach the main building, I see him. I never see him at school.

He takes a drag off a cigarette while getting flogged by the numerous eager followers who seem to worship his every word. I hear gushing about a new party as people beg for some excitement.

This college was supposed to be different. It's Ivy League, but it's newer, and even though it's not far from the beach, this area is rather dull. I expected all the rich brats to be at Harvard or Yale, where their alumni parents went. They weren't supposed to be here.

This is the whole reason I chose this place. Out of all the scholarship offers I had, this was the most promising, and it's close to my father. I expected more people like

me - people who value education over pedigree and partying rights. I was wrong.

This is just as bad as any other preppy choice I could have made. Most of them want to start their own legacy, and there are a lot of rebels who feel like coming here was a way to stand up to their parents. Just what I need.

"Nice clothes, Princess," a guy says as he sidles up beside me. "I take it Kade's daddy is making you his project or his toy. Which is it?"

My cheeks flame. This isn't the first time I've endured these remarks this week. I've been accused of screwing Kade's father so many times that I don't ever think I can face the man again. The ones not referring to me as a mistress are calling me a charity case.

Kade glances up just as I start in, and he flicks his cigarette to the ground before casting his eyes toward the guy heckling me.

"Joseph," Kade calls, seeming bored as he walks over to my harasser. Figures he knows him. He's probably the one feeding them this bullshit.

The guy chuckles and jogs toward Kade, leaving me to the next attacker, whenever they come. I'm sure it won't take long.

My head is still reeling from calculus when I step out of class, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. During class, several snickering fools called me a few choice names. The professor finally had to put a stop to it. I need to call Mr. Colton and tell him this arrangement won't work. I also need to go buy cheap clothes.

Tears have been on the edge of my lids all day, but I've been refusing to let them fall. I won't let these assholes see me cry. They might be rich and cruel, but I was raised too stubborn to crumble. I'd already acquired a few extra layers of skin back home, where the trailer park girl wasn't exactly popular at school. This isn't anything new. There are just more people here to torture me.

"Hey," a velvety voice says as feet thud behind me.

I ignore the familiar sound. I can't let him see the glistening specks in my eyes. The tears aren't falling, but they're there.

"Raya," he says, making me cringe. Why does my name sound so foreign yet so warm when it slides through his lips?

"What?" I ask, grimacing when the word comes out in a choked form.

"Shit. What happened?" His mock concern forces me to roll my eyes. The tears slink back enough for me to face him.

"Nothing. You'll be pleased to know I'm calling your father today to apologize for going back on the deal I made with him. You win. I give up. Call off the hellhounds. I'm waving the fucking white flag."

My voice starts cracking too much, and I take a steadying breath before deciding I can't face any more school today. I almost break into a run in an effort to escape him, but he grabs my arm and pulls me back.

"I didn't do this, and you can't call my father. He'll come to the school and raise hell if he finds out this is happening, and you'll have an even bigger target it on your back. What did you expect to happen? You'd move in and no one would say anything? That's not the way it works."

"So it's my fault they want to call me a slut and a charity case? Nice. Real fucking nice," I say in a deadly calm tone before walking away again, ripping free from his grip.

"Damn it, Raya! Stop. If you have me chasing you across campus they'll talk even more."

"Then stop chasing me. I'll just move out without calling your father."

I don't turn around to see if he stops, but I never hear him arguing anymore, so I assume he has. I cross the road without even looking, and a horn blows loudly as tires screech. I never even bother lifting my head. I hate this. It's high school all over again. This was supposed to be a new beginning, a new life - a life where I wasn't the trailer-park girl.

I sling my backpack across the room the second I reach the upstairs suite. I don't care about the small crack I just made in the sheetrock. It's as though I'm not allowed to catch a break. I'm not supposed to just have one frigging thing go my way.

It's not like I can call my mom and gripe. She feels so guilty about so many things already, even though she shouldn't. I can't call my Dad's family, they'd do something incredibly illegal, like hack the files of everyone hassling me and give them failing grades. I can't call my best friend, considering she and my ex-boyfriend got together the second I moved out here. I have no one, and now I barely have myself. This is not how everything was supposed to go.

I start shoving different things into my bag, bypassing the new fancy clothes I should have never agreed to accept, when the door slams.

"Raya!" Kade blares, making me jump.

How dare he yell at me.

I hear quick strides bringing him up the staircase, and I rush over to shut the door before he can see the tears that have started to fall. Before it can seal, I'm being thrown back as he barges into the room.

"You can't let them win. If you do, you'll be their doormat for the rest of the year. Possibly the rest of your college existence. You're a freshman, so that's not going to work out so well for you."

The hard edge to his tone isn't fair. He doesn't have the right to be mad at me or to speak to me like this is my fault.

"Go to hell, Kade. Maybe you shouldn't have told them to ridicule me if you didn't want your daddy to be pissed."

I sniffle and wipe my nose as more of my traitorous tears fall. He grinds his teeth before walking over to my bed and dumping out the bag I just finished packing with all my insulation-laced clothing. I'll itch to death before I wear that fancy shit again.

"Get your ass up and grow the hell up. Get over it, Raya. You're a poor girl who landed herself a spot in a rich house. People are going to talk. The only thing you can do is show them they're wrong. I've already spread the word that there will be a party Saturday. They'll start easing off you. Show up, drink, have fun... be a normal teenage girl."

I let out an incredulous laugh while dropping my head. "You're such an idiot. I won't be here in five minutes, let alone on Saturday. I'll live in the laundromat before I stay here for one more second."

He cracks his neck to the side before jerking me by the arm and dragging me out of the room. I stumble as I fight against him, calling him a string of names - none of which really make any sense.

"What the hell are you doing?" I bark.

"Keeping you from being a dumbass."

When I plant my feet and force my body to the ground, he leans over and scoops me over his shoulder. I squeal and scream as I beat his back ineffectively, probably hurting my fists more than his hard body.

I feel the air, the breeze, and the pool in one gust. I gasp for air, only to find a choking amount of water as I scramble to the surface, swatting my arms through the thick chlorine-filled beast that is burning my open eyes. That son of a bitch!

I choke and spit in a heaving fit when I finally find air again.

"Cool off," he says with a smirk. "When you get out, go grab a shower, eat something, and get some rest. Things will be different tomorrow."

If I wasn't still coughing up all the intrusive water in my lungs, I'd scream at him. He walks away before I can manage to recover, and I lose my opportunity.

I know I look like a fool trying to haul myself over the edge of the pool, but I do it. I lie there for a minute, trying to catch my breath, but I finally manage to stand up and stalk through the house, ready to unleash hell. He's gone. That coward has run off after throwing me in the pool.

One of his cars is gone, his backpack is still tossed against the wall of the foyer, and there's no chance of me berating him before I leave.

Reality slowly creeps in. I have nowhere to go. I have no money to get another place right now. One of my scholarships comes in monthly installments, but I won't get it for another two weeks, and it'll only be three-hundred dollars. What the hell am I supposed to do if I leave?

Without another thought, I walk outside, step to the edge of the pool, and let myself fall back in.

Kade has done well to avoid me since our confrontation yesterday. Since I really had no other option, I decided to stay. Once the fury had worn off and the dire reality of my circumstances set in, I begrudgingly accepted my one and only option - live with Kade and endure the mockery.

Maybe I'll get lucky and some scandal will sweep the school and steal the spotlight from me. Tomorrow he's having a party. I never agreed to that, but I'm not calling Mr. Colton to tattle. I doubt I'll ever speak to the man again.

As soon as I leave my last class, I see the guy who harassed me in front of Kade yesterday. His hat is drawn so low I can't see his eyes, but you never forget those who love to torture you. Their image is always burned into your brain.

He runs all over me before I can sidestep his path, and my backpack falls from my shoulder. I curse when the zipper strips and all my shit spills out onto the ground. So now he's resorted to physical contact to humiliate me as well. Perfect. I almost made it through a whole day without anyone spewing their lies or taunts.

"S-sorry," he stammers out, sounding a little panicked as he rushes to jerk me to my feet. In his haste, he almost jerks my arm out of socket.

Sorry? Really?

He scrambles to start scooping all my stuff up and push it back into my bag, while I stand there stupefied. What's going on?

When he finishes the task of reassembling my backpack, he frantically starts trying to fix my destroyed zipper.

"Fuck," he growls when he's unable to make it work. "I'll buy you a new one," he says while standing up and carefully handing it to me without letting the sides fall open.

I warily accept it, still waiting on some major blow up. Should I look around to see if this is the distraction before the ambush?

It's then I notice his black and swollen eye - the reason he's hiding under a hat. An involuntary smile tugs at my lips. This asshole has apparently tried bullying the wrong person at some point and time. Serves him right.

"I'll get my own backpack," I mutter as his trembling hands release the bag. "I'd hate to end up with a backpack full of snakes or something."

He doesn't say anything else before almost sprinting away from me. I'll add that to the list of bizarre things that have happened today. Most people have gawked

at me, but no one has really taunted me. The group of girls who've been calling me "Daddy's dirty little secret" for several days have all but disappeared today.

Either they've resorted to hushed whispers, or my prayers for a bigger scandal have been answered. I'll gladly let them talk behind my back. There's no one here I'm trying to impress. As long as they leave me alone, they can ruin my name in this state.

"What happened?" Kade growls when he walks up beside me, his eyes on my bag.

I jump a little from the unexpected suddenness of his presence. "Nothing. Joseph ran over me, my bag fell and broke open."

I shrug, trying not to seem rattled. I'm still humiliated for letting him see me fall apart yesterday. I should be seething over the fact he threw me in the pool, but sadly, I'm almost glad he did. I would have probably left and been homeless if he hadn't.

He lets a snort of disbelief free, and then his eyes scour the grounds for something. I tilt my head, curious as to what he's searching for.

"Looking for someone?"

"Yeah. I'll catch up with you later."

He's gone before I can say anything more than that. It's not like it matters. He's so... confusing. He tosses me in a pool and then avoids me. Then he shows up at random to ask about my broken backpack before disappearing again. I wish he'd make up his mind about whether he hated me or tolerated me.

"Hey," a voice says, startling me.

I turn to see a girl with braided pigtails and a secretive grin. Here it comes. I should have knocked on wood or something. I jinxed myself by thinking they'd moved on from torturing me.

"Go ahead. Say whatever you want. I've heard it all," I mumble while turning away.

She jogs up beside me, and I chance glancing at her to see a frown instead of her earlier smirk.

"I wasn't going to say anything. Believe me, I know what it's like to be the brunt of a joke."

That stops me. I give her my full attention, while trying to keep from dropping my gaping backpack.

"Then what do you want?" I ask, unable to keep the disbelieving suspicion out of my tone.

She fidgets awkwardly and twirls one of her pigtails for a second.

"I was going to see if I could maybe come to the party tomorrow? I don't usually get invited, and I know you don't have a lot of friends, so... I don't know. I thought we could possibly help each other out."

I study her, waiting for this pretty girl with perfect hair and crisp blue eyes to lead me into a trap.

"Why don't you usually get invited?"

"Because I'm not a rich brat with big connections. That's all Kade invites."

Of course he does. He's a snob.

"It's not my party. I don't exactly have the right to invite anyone."

I turn to walk away, but she jogs up beside me again. "No, but since you're dating Kade now, I thought-"

"Whoa. Wait. What?" I interrupt, feeling my shock fall out with the words.

She tilts her head, suddenly seeming uncertain about whether or not she should continue.

"You're dating Kade, right? Not his father? It's all over campus. The rumor is that you and Kade got together before the bulldozer incident and that's why his father moved you in with Kade. Then Kade bought you a bunch of clothes because all of yours were ruined in the wreckage and he felt responsible. You didn't want to accept them, but he forced you to. I thought... You're not dating?"

A harsh breath falls out in the form of laughter. I don't know why I'm laughing. I suppose it's because it's so ridiculous.

"Kade Colton? You seriously think I'm dating Kade? He hates me most of the time, and he barely speaks to me the rest. Why on earth would you think I'm dating him?"

She looks over her shoulder before tugging me at my elbow and leading me away from any prying ears.

"You need to let people believe it. It's the only reason they've backed off. If you go around proclaiming the truth, then they'll start back up. It's not as scandalous for a rich guy to be taking care of his girlfriend after a bunch of jerks wrecked her house. It is scandalous to be the mistress of his father. And you're nothing more than a punch-line if they think Kade and his father simply feel sorry for the poor girl without another option."

I swallow hard. Shit. That's why today has been less brutal. For some reason, these idiots think I'm dating Kade.

"I'm not a damn mistress," I hiss.

I don't bother denying the charity case accusation, because in all actuality, that's basically what I am. My pride can't compete with reality. I'd have to leave school and return to Utah if I moved out.

"Well, I'm sure Kade will quickly refute that rumor soon enough. As in the second he hears it," I add, groaning inwardly.

I grip my head. My day was nice, and now I learn it was a mere misunderstanding. Damn it!

"Surely he's already heard it by now," she says in a low whisper.

I start to walk off, but I stop myself. This party tomorrow will surely tip everyone off to the truth when they see how very much we're not in a relationship. It might not be a bad idea to have at least one ally.

"Come tomorrow night," I say to the only person who's been nice to me since I've been here.

She squeals in delight before grabbing my phone from my back pocket. I jerk a little from the unexpected touch as she starts pounding away on my keys. One thing I've learned... my small town respected personal space, but this place has no boundaries.

I've had my ass grabbed, groped, and mauled numerous times by men and women. Most of it has been innocent, but for Christ's sake, couldn't someone simply warn me before they touch me?

"My name is Ember, and now you have my number," she says while handing me back my phone. My hands are full, so she simply slides it back into my back pocket. At least I had warning this time.

She runs off before asking my name. Who am I kidding? Everyone here apparently knows my name.

A warm arm wraps around my shoulders as a body sidles up close to me, forcing my head to snap to the right to see who's touching me this time. Kade?

"I'm back. Let's go grab some coffee. I'm bored."

I look around, somewhat curious if he's mistaken me for someone else. The only things I notice are the numerous pairs of eyes on us.

"Why would you want to get coffee? With me?"

He chuckles at my question while steering me toward his flashy Mercedes that is parked at the curb. Another one of his vehicles. His four-car garage hosts his nice selection.

"It's coffee, Raya. We live together, so we might as well get to know each other. It'll make it less awkward. Coffee is a start."

As we near his vehicle, I decide to capitalize on this rare moment of civility.

"I invited someone to your party. Is that okay?"

He tenses beside me, and his steps catch small lulls, as if I just caught him off guard.

"Care if I ask who?" It's like he's trying to sound casual, but it's forced. Have I just ruined the chance for us to try and get along by inviting someone who is poor like me? Well screw him.

"Her name is Ember. She's not exactly one of your socialite elites, but she was nice-"

"That's fine," he interrupts, sounding truly relaxed now.

Damn, he's moody.

He holds the door for me, and I climb in, refusing to entertain all the eyes on us with a glance. Kade's going to flip the hell out when he finds out that my rumors have now bled onto him. This small window of civility will be slammed shut, and he'll probably even join in on the next heckle-Raya session.

"Don't you work at the coffee place?" he asks, drawing me out of my miserable thoughts.

"I did," I mutter with a scowl.

I cross my arms over my chest and glare at the road ahead.

"O...kay. Anything you'd like to share?"

Should I tell the rich brat I was fired when I could barely reach above my head for three days? The bruises were so severe that it hurt when I tried to stock the cabinets. After two days, Mr. Grady, the owner, decided he didn't have the time to wait

on me to heal. He fired me, using the excuse he needed a full-time employ instead.

"Not really," I mumble, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing I lost my job because of his stupid partiers.

"Do you need a job? My granddad has a-"

"I don't need one right now. I have my monthly scholarship money. It's from my town church. They always pick a senior every year with good grades to give a scholarship, and they pay it in installments. I'll be fine until I can find something." Since I'm not paying rent.

He doesn't say anything. I'm sure he doesn't even know how hard someone has to work to earn a scholarship. I wrote essays, sent test scores, and filled out countless forms while submitting for all the scholarship money I could.

My mom would never have been able to afford college for me, I won't take Dad's money for fear of where he got it, and I didn't qualify for a student loan. My only option was a scholarship. So I spent night after night doing all the legwork while working at the local diner and saving up every penny I could. It wasn't until I got here that I realized how much more the cost of living is. For a smart girl, I made one hell of a stupid mistake.

We turn into the coffee shop, and I sigh in relief when I don't see the owner's car. I'm happy to not have to deal with Mr. Grady.

"You cool?" he asks, stepping out of the car as my eyes scour the lot.

"Yeah."

I hop out, trying not to seem affected, and he waits for me to pass in front of him before he places his hand at the small of my back. What is with people here and touching? Is it so much to ask for everyone to keep their hands to themselves if they don't know me.

I start to comment on it, when he removes his hand and opens the door for me. The second I see a couple sliding out of a booth, I make quick strides to snatch it up. I hate tables. I love the booths.

I expect Kade to slide in across from me, but instead, he slides in right next to me, forcing me to scoot over more.

"TV's up there," he says by way of explanation.

"Then I'll sit over there," I murmur, nudging him to move.

"You're already sitting down. We came to talk, and you'll have to talk louder if you sit over there. Just stay where you're at. I don't bite."

Cynthia, a waitress, walks up to take our order, interrupting whatever argument I might have had. We both order, and Cynthia offers her wink of approval when she misconstrues the situation. Now even more people are going to think we're dating. I try to think of how to broach the topic of our gossip issues.

"Um... Kade?"

"Yeah," he says distractedly, keeping his eyes focused on the TV and the game. "You ready to spill?"

Spill? Spill what? I tense up. Surely he doesn't think I started these rumors. Is that what he means?

"What do you mean?"

"I mean about you. How'd you end up here?"

I almost feel my body visibly relaxing. He doesn't know yet. Wait. He's asking about me?

"I've lived beside you since the semester started, and you're just now curious?"

"You lived beside me, now you're living with me. Yes, now I'm curious."

Fair enough.

His smartass remark is followed by a daring grin that is too charming to stare at for too long. I refuse to dissolve like an idiot for the guy who has more money than manners.

"I grew up in Utah, wanted a good education and a fresh start, made good grades, got great scholarships, and came here. End of story."

His grin only grows as he turns to face me, finally peeling his eyes away from the TV sportscast.

"I doubt that. There's no way that's the whole story. Why did you need a fresh start?"

Because Ray Capperton was really Ray Drivel - conman extraordinaire. I was trash that no one would take seriously all because my father went to prison for swindling millions of dollars we never knew he had. I went from a decent home to a dilapidating trailer in less than a week after the FBI stormed our small town and caused a hellacious scene. Yeah... Probably shouldn't tell him that.

"I just wanted to branch out... spread my wings. How about you?"

Definitely a better answer.

"Simple," he says, shrugging. "My family lives nearby. I didn't want to branch out. My Granddad doesn't have a lot of time left. I wanted to be near to him."

Crap. Now I'm dissolving. He's not supposed to have any redeeming qualities.

His arm slips to be on top of the booth's back, just behind my shoulders. I only pray he doesn't notice that movement made me shiver and tense in one breath.

Cynthia brings our coffees over to the table, smiling and winking at me once again. Kade doesn't notice, thank God. This is so bad. He's going to freak out when he finds out.

"So, do you have a boyfriend? I'd like to know when to make myself scarce. I definitely don't want to hear crazy sounds in the middle of the night."

His teasing grin makes me blush, but I roll my eyes instead of shying away the way he most likely expects me to. A bitter snort sneaks out unbidden, but I straighten up and try to recover, hoping he didn't notice.

"No. No crazy sex sounds will be waking you in the middle of the night."

He smiles bigger, drawing me into a mesmerized trance when my eyes fixate on his damned perfect lips. A sliver of silver inside his mouth catches my eye when he draws his cup up to his lips, but I don't study it for fear I look like a fool staring at his frigging mouth... again.

I start sipping my coffee when I manage to rip my eyes away from him and his dangerously perfect mouth that makes all the wrong things heat up.

"So, you're a virgin?" he asks, making me spew and sputter my coffee all over the table.

Several people stop what they're doing to turn their attention to me. I can't believe he just asked that.

I expect him to laugh, but an amused grin plays on his lips as he studies me, watching me intently, waiting on me to answer. I don't have to answer that. It's far too personal.

"No," I manage to blurt out while coughing, drawing a little more unwanted attention my way.

His amusement never falters. His gaze burns through me, as if he expects me to elaborate. Boundaries. These damn people need boundaries.

"So no boyfriend, but you're not a virgin?" he prods, seeming to delight in this terribly awkward conversation.

I take a calm, steadying breath. I'm eighteen - almost nineteen. I can have a mature conversation about this, even if it is incredibly inappropriate. I'm not giving this jerk another excuse to look down on me.

"I had a boyfriend, but we broke up."

Simple, explanatory, but not graphically detailed. See? Mature.

I don't have to tell him that all three times we had sex were terrible. Personally, I learned sex is highly overrated. I see no point in reliving the worst six minutes of my life... total. I don't get the appeal. Maybe I'm broken, but I think people are weird for loving it. It's more exciting to do everything leading up to sex. The actual finale is less than climatic. It's a letdown.

"Why'd you break up?"

I really don't like this conversation. Too many memories are attached to the questions he's asking.

"Because things didn't work out. That's why most people break up." I'm hoping my clipped tone is enough to halt his inquiry. No such luck. The gleam in his eyes lets me know it's not over.

"So you left him after he took your virginity?"

"No, I left him after he took my best friend's virginity."

That snarky comment flies out of my mouth before I can stop it. I almost want to look around for the filter that had to have fallen off my usually tight lips.

"Oh," he mouths, letting his amusement fall from his eyes. "Sorry."

I shrug, trying not to act as though I care. "It happens. It's not like you knew, so don't apologize for that. If you feel a need to be remorseful, then apologize for keeping me up so many nights when I had a test the next day."

His eyebrows shoot up and he strangles on his coffee for no real apparent reason. What'd I miss?

A rumbling laughter falls through his lips when he finally manages to free his lungs of the intrusive liquid, and he brings his arm out from behind me while shaking his head.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"Just how exactly did I keep you up, Raya?" he asks, seeming teasing, but I don't know why.

Yep. I'm stupid. I get books, but I'm slow when it comes to jokes. My cheeks flare up with heat, and I shake my head when I finally find the meaning behind his mockery.

"Not what I meant. I meant your parties kept me up."

"You've never been to a party," he says, shifting from humorous to serious. "Why?"

"Well, I wasn't invited for one, but also because I'm on scholarship. I'm not here to play. I'm here to change my life."

"You lived next door. An invite wasn't necessary, and I like to believe you can do both. Partying in moderation is good for the clogged mind. I drink, I play, and then I work just as hard. I think tomorrow will be damn good for you."

I dread it with everything in me.

"What're your plans for tonight?" he asks while tilting his coffee to his lips, drawing my attention to the silver again. Is that a... tongue ring? Mr. Ritzy has a tongue ring? No. Surely not.

Look away, Raya. Look. Away.

"Um... study?" I ask, rather than state. Now I'm nervous. How did he turn me into a pitiful nervous fool? I hate him. Hate. Him.

Telling myself I hate him isn't helping.

"Change your mind and go with me to Silk tonight. It's a club that's only open to the public once a month. Tonight's the 'once a month.' It'll be packed, and it'll be fun. No offense, but you need fun."

No offense? I'm very offended... I think.

"I need a scholarship to stay in school, so if I go to the club and the party tomorrow, I won't have very much study time this weekend. I need to maintain my GPA. Maybe some other time."

He frowns, which is just as confusing as he's been all day.

"Fine. Rain-check. You ready?" he asks, standing up with his coffee in tow.

Cynthia runs over to take his card as I fish out my money from my pocket.

"I've got it," he says. "I invited you."

I want to object, but even though I ordered the che

apest coffee they have - plain with a touch of cream - I still don't have five dollars to spend on that single cup. If he's offering to pay, I really need to let him. Gah, I feel like a mooch now. I need a new job.

I notice a few eyes on us. There's a group of people who've been bashing me waving at him. I look away, but his arm comes to rest over my shoulders again as he nods in acknowledgment and offers them a smile.

Why does he keep touching me? It's-

"Kade!" one guy yells, chuckling. "You shittin' me?"

Oh no. The color drains from my face. He's about to say something. The moment I've been dreading is here.

"Huh?" Kade asks, seeming confused.

The guy grunts when he takes a hard elbow to the ribs by another guy, and Kade looks to me and shrugs before leading me through the doors with his arm still draped around me.

He has no idea what he's just done. He shouldn't have touched me in front of them. Now more people will think he and I are together, and when it blows up, something tells me I'll be humiliated.