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Staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, I run a brush through my hair, loosening the tight curls into beachy waves with every stroke. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this excited about going out.

Once my hair is done, I slip into my outfit—a black, long-sleeved bodysuit with a deep V cutout on the back. Since it shows plenty of skin, I keep the rest of my outfit simple: distressed boyfriend jeans and my favorite sneakers.

Next, I start on my makeup. I’ve done this routine so often that I don’t even have to think about it, so my mind drifts to the one person who has occupied it most this past week: Levi.

The thought of seeing him tonight leaves my stomach in a mix of nervous anticipation and excitement. And if I bump into him, what do I do?

Run away?

Talk to him like a normal person?

He might not even think I’m normal after running out on him.

Oh God, I blame Pia for my confusing thoughts. After the courtyard incident, I was convinced that avoidance was the way forward. That is until Pia and I had a long-overdue phone call this morning, and now her words are pushing against my resolve.

“You’re kidding,” Pia says, sounding equally amused and shocked after I tell her about the Levi and Finn situation.

“Nope,” I reply, popping the ‘p.’ “Oh, and then, as Finn walks away, Levi tells him to delete my number off his phone.” I cringe, knowing exactly how bad this sounds.

“Bear, that’s…that’s so...”

“I know,” I groan, at the exact moment she says, “So hot!”

“Wait, what?” I gape.

“Yes, hot as in H.O.T.” The glee in Pia’s voice filters through the phone. “People write books about stuff like that, and you get to live it.” She sighs like it’s the dreamiest thing.

“It wasn’t hot. It was humiliating, and I feel bad that Finn was in the middle of it.” I mumble.

“You would have felt bad regardless because you never liked Finn like that.” She says matter-of-factly.

And there it is. See, the problem with taking advice from people who know you so well is that they never tell you what you want to hear.

“You're right, but still…” I trail off, knowing I can’t argue. I felt bad even before Levi showed up, and I would have felt worse if he hadn’t intervened.

“I am, but that’s beside the point. Finn will get over it, I promise. He sounds sweet, but Daddy Levi might be just who you need.” She giggles.

“Pia,” I gasp, heat creeping up my face. Thank goodness we aren’t on Facetime, or she would have called me out on it, too. “You can’t go around saying stuff like that.”

“Why? Because it’s true?” She teases.

“That’s not the point.” I say, then quickly add, “And no, that’s not me saying it is true in some weird, twisty way.”

“Tell me his Instagram handle. I need to see what we’re working with.”

“Do I have to?” I’m hesitant because I know exactly what she’ll see when she looks at it. Let’s just say Levi Marino is stupidly photogenic.

And yes, I’ve stalked him myself. After some online snooping, I found his Instagram page.

“Yessss,” she says, dragging out the word. “Now, hand it over. I have the app open.”

I mumble his handle. He only has three pictures; based on her reactions, I can tell exactly which one she’s looking at.

The “aw” she lets out is probably for the post of Levi with a dog.

The soft sigh is for the photo of him with a friend I recognize from the night at Static.

Mack is the tagged name in the post. His tattooed arm is draped around Levi's shoulder, and both of them are smiling wide for the camera. The audible gasp from her is for the picture that has since lived rent-free in my head: Levi, shirtless, on top of a mountain with the sunrise behind him. Evidently, eight-packs aren’t a myth.

“Bear, I’m going to be honest here. I don’t see what the problem is,” Pia says once she’s done ogling him.

“Don’t get distracted by his pretty face,” I practically whine.

“I’m not. But it is very pretty.” She giggles. “All I’m saying is don’t shut him down without giving him a chance.”

“What if we have it wrong, and he’s some weirdo who’s purposely popping up everywhere I am?” I say, even though I know it’s not true.

“Then you kick him in the balls and get the hell out of Dodge.” I let out a snort that quickly dies when Pia’s voice turns more serious.“Promise you’ll do me a favor.”

“What would I be promising?”

“That you’ll let yourself have fun where Levi is concerned. Not everything has to mean something.”

I understand the sentiment, but what worries me is how intense everything between us already feels. A touch isn’t just a touch. It’s a burning desire to have it go further. Which makes no sense at all, considering I hardly know him.

I don’t share any of that with Pia because I don’t fully understand it myself. Instead, I say that I’ll try my hardest.

“Good. You deserve it!”

The buzzing of my phone on the bathroom counter brings me back to the present, and I drop the mascara tube in my hands. It’s Macy, letting me know she’s on her way. We’re grabbing an Uber from my place and picking up Elsie on the way.

I’ll take Pia’s advice tonight and try to have fun—because she’s right about one thing. I do deserve that much.

***

“Whoa, this is insane,” I mumble, staring up at the three-story brick house that’s currently overflowing with people and loud music spilling out from inside.

“I can’t believe you guys talked me into this,” Macy grumbles beside me.

“It’s going to be so much fun,” Elsie grins, tapping her fingers together mischievously. “Let’s see what the night has in store for us.”

Her excitement is infectious, and we follow her through the front door, where we’re immediately hit with even more chaos.

People are everywhere, and the flashing strobe lights make it difficult to see. Music pounds from the speakers in the living room, which has been transformed into a makeshift dance floor. The crowd is going wild, stomping and jumping to the beat.

“Let’s go get a drink,” Macy shouts over the noise.

Elsie and I nod, following her lead. She guides us to the kitchen, where the music is fainter, and we can hold a conversation without yelling.

“Shots or ciders?” Macy asks, looking between Elsie and me.

“Let’s start with a shot. What do you say, Bear?”

“A round of shots sounds good to me.”

We gather around a small two-seater table pushed against the wall. Three bottles of tequila are already lined up. Macy grabs one and fills three glasses with scary precision.

“To Bear’s first of many Huska parties,” Elsie grins, raising her glass.

We clink our glasses together, and I tip my head back, downing the bitter liquid.

“Damn, I always forget how nasty that stuff is,” Elsie says, making a face.

“Ugh, that wasn’t the good tequila,” I groan, shuddering as the alcohol settles in my stomach.

“Gets the job done, though,” Macy chuckles.

After another round of shots, we head back to the dance floor, quickly losing ourselves in the crowd of writhing bodies. Occasionally, I feel someone move up behind me, their body swaying against mine, and as much as I try not to, my mind immediately goes to Levi.

Every time I turn around, and it’s not him, a twinge of disappointment settles over me.

Not wanting to dwell on the feeling, I lean into the stranger behind me and push those thoughts aside. On the car ride, I promised myself that tonight, I’d pretend my problems weren’t problems until the morning.

A few songs later, I start feeling the effects of all the dancing and sweaty bodies around me. Spotting Elsie dancing with someone, I catch Macy’s attention.

“I’m going to grab a water,” I shout over the music, hoping she can hear me or is at least able to read my lips.

She nods, grabbing my arm before I can leave. “Text me if you can’t find us.”

I give her a thumbs up and weave my way through the crowd, which has doubled in size since we arrived.

I’m standing at the entrance to the kitchen when I spot Finn leaning against the counter. Taking the coward’s way out, I’m about to turn and leave, but he chooses that moment to look up.

Shoot. Leaving now would make it obvious that I’m avoiding him, and dammit, I am thirsty.

Besides, I was planning on smoothing things over with him anyway, seeing as we share a class and would have to face each other eventually.

Still feeling the lingering effects of the tequila, I walk into the kitchen with a smidge of confidence, grab a water, and make my way over to him.

“Hey,” I say tentatively, twisting the bottle cap in my hand back and forth.

I take it as a good sign when he tips his head in greeting.

“Hey, yourself.”

“Look, Finn, I wanted to say I’m sorry for what happened yesterday.”

He tilts the glass bottle in his hand toward me. “You’re not the one who needs to apologize.”

“Maybe,” I shrug. “But I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”

“You could have told me you were with someone.”

“I’m not with anyone. Nothing’s going on between Levi and me.” The words rush out of me, and I hope they sound more convincing to him than they do to me.

“Does he know that?”

“What? Yeah, of course, he—”

Finn’s narrowed gaze lingers over my shoulder, and I turn instinctively to see what’s got his attention.

Levi.

He’s standing where I was minutes ago, staring back at us. Our eyes lock. He’s the first to look away, but not before I catch the pissed look on his face. Watching him disappear into the crowd causes the tequila in my stomach to turn sour.

“We’re good, Bear. See you around,” Finn mutters before walking away.

I linger in the kitchen, taking longer than necessary to finish my water. I hate that my mood has taken a dip after seeing the look on Levi’s face. I don’t even know why I feel bad. It’s not like I owe him an explanation for talking to Finn.

When my phone vibrates in my purse, I quickly grab it, welcoming the distraction. I assume it’s Macy wondering where I am, but my brows pull together when I check the screen.

Levi: Meet me on the fourth floor.

Bear: How did you get my number??

And why the hell was he already programmed into my phone?

Levi: Come up and find out.

Nibbling my bottom lip, I debate what I should do next. Tell him to lose my number and carry on with my night? No, that doesn’t feel right.

I think about what Pia said this morning. Not everything has to mean something.

She’s right. I need to stop overthinking. Maybe it’s time I adopt a new perspective on the Levi situation. He’s hot, and I’m single. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of fun. I text Macy quickly, letting her know I bumped into a friend.

It takes me about five minutes to reach the third floor, where I come to an abrupt halt. Unlike the first and second floors, there isn’t a visible staircase leading up to the next floor.

Every door I try is either locked or an empty bathroom. The second-to-last door doesn’t budge either. A faint giggle comes from the other side, followed by a male voice shouting, “Go away, we’re busy.” Muffled whispers give way to low moans, and I step back quickly.

Yeah, no, that’s definitely not what I’m looking for.

The only other door left has yellow caution tape across the front, no doubt to keep people out. Ignoring the warning, I push it open and let out a breath of relief when I see a set of carpeted stairs. Ducking beneath the tape, I close the door behind me and make my way up.

The stairs open to a spacious room that can only be described as a man cave. A large TV is mounted on the wall with a game console set up beneath it. An air hockey and ping-pong table take up most of the space. And sitting on an oversized sofa that’s seen better days is Levi.

My heart does the stupid little flippy-floppy thing that’s becoming a worrisome habit whenever I see him.

He hasn’t noticed me yet, so I take the opportunity to study him as he fiddles with a controller. I don’t know what’s better— his side or front profile. Both are spectacular.

“Planning on staring at me all night?” He says without looking up.

Great. Awesome.

So much for going unnoticed.