Kayla stormed out of the restaurant, deciding to go for a walk.  Maybe she’d bump into that grandson again or a businessman and they’d buy her a drink.  She needed a drink.  Since they had been on the run, Kayla had only managed a drink on a rare occasion.  Usually, she got some dumb sucker to buy it for her.  Kay wasn’t an alcoholic or anything, but when she was upset it helped.  A lot of things helped when she was mad, but, stuck in this Deity forsaken town, her options were limited.  Damn Alessandra.  It was all her fault. 

If Kayla had just known better than to go to Aless’s house that night, she’d be safe in bed.  Her parents always fought, why she had gone to pieces and run to Alessandra.  Why did she always run to Aless? Aless couldn’t help her and eventually, the fighting stopped, but, oh no, she had to run to Aless again and again. And look where it got her.  Being hunted by a pack of thugs with no class.   It would be different if they were interested in hunting her for a wife.  They were all rich enough that she could stomach the sex as she had with all her exes. But, no, they wanted her as a slave.  As if.  She wasn’t going to sleep with or be forced to sleep with some guy for nothing.  And they’d probably set her to work in a field or something.  Screw that.

It’s all Aless’s fault.  It was just like Aless to get caught up in some crazy crap. Look at her ex, Danny.  Danny was hot, sure, Kayla would admit to that, but he had no class.  He was poor, and he thought he was better than Kayla.  Well, that part made sense about why Aless and he were together.  They both thought that. Danny had always been stealing Aless away from Kay too, encouraging Aless’s belief that she was better than Kay, that she didn’t need Kay. 

Not to mention they thought their love was so special, that their love would make it through anything.  It made Kay want to puke.  Luckily, Aless learned quickly that it didn’t work that way.  That Danny was just like all other guys thanks to that older guy…what had been his name?...it didn’t matter.  He had shown Aless Danny’s ugly side and Danny got to see that Aless wasn’t as sweet and innocent as she seemed. Only Kay knew the real Aless.

Kayla walked and grinned vindictively.  Her mind drifted back to the night they had been taken. She had been dancing that night with some loser when the older guy had approached her.  He was sexy, but a little old for her taste.  Kay was going to ditch the guy she was dancing with for him when he asked if she knew Alessandra.

“Uh, excuse me,” he had asked so politely that it made Kayla smile. “Do you know that girl you came in with?”

“Oh, you mean Aless?” she had replied startled.

“It is Aless.  That’s what I thought.”

“How do you know Aless?”

“We met a few times.”

Instantly Kayla could read his face and the way his gaze tore through the crowd to rest on Alessandra.  Sighing, Kayla had thought there’s another one fallen for Aless. 

“You want to dance with her?” Kayla had pushed.

“Yeah, but she’s here with that guy.”

“Danny.  Yeah, that’s her boyfriend, but I can get her out here and you can dance with us.”

“Really?  You’d do that?”

“Sure.  You seem nice enough.  And Aless is my best friend.  I know she’d love to dance with a good-looking guy like you.  Her and Danny aren’t that serious.”

“Wow.  Thanks.”

The guy had grinned so splendidly that Kayla again thought he was such a waste on Alessandra.  Kayla had then proceeded to pull her friend out on the dance floor under the pretense of not wanting to dance with any more losers.  Aless had followed, of course, the good friend that she was.  As they danced, Kayla watched the guy watch Aless.  His eyes shone with nervous joy at the sight of Aless being so close.  For a moment, Kay felt a protective wave engulf her. She didn’t like Aless with Danny, if she was being honest, but she wasn’t sure she liked the idea of Aless with that guy either.

The guy kept looking to the table though to see if Danny was back.  Shaking her head, Kayla had started slowly moving them towards him by dancing around a lot.  Once they were close enough, she grinned and winked at the guy.  Blushing he didn’t make his move until a handsome guy who reeked of expensive cologne approached Kay. 

Eventually, he had made his move with gentle visual prodding from Kayla. The look that had been on Aless’s face had been priceless.  She had an odd mix of surprise, horror, and sinful pleasure.  If Alessandra had been terrified or angry about the guy, Kayla would have intervened but since she didn’t see any signs that the guy was someone that Aless viewed as a threat, Kayla let things be.  Despite her silent resentment to Aless, Kayla loved and cherished Alessandra.  She would never purposefully try to hurt or allow Aless to be hurt.   

The night, which had been quite boring up till then, suddenly became very interesting.  The guy had quickly secluded Aless, though Kayla was always within reach, but neither he nor Aless noticed her, too wrapped up in their own argument.  Danny had finally noticed when he returned from the bathroom.  At first, he hadn’t seemed to mind until he took a good look at the guy.  The anger on his face had been palpable even from where Kay had been observing.   Danny had made his way through the crowd in a fashion that told Kayla there was going to be a fight.  She couldn’t help but giggle a little bit.  Aless would see what men were really like.   

Yet the guy had surprised Kayla. Not only did he kiss Aless in front of Danny, but he didn’t fight back when Danny struck him.  Instead, the man had laughed.  That had creeped Kayla out.  It had been like watching a soap opera until she saw the pain in Alessandra’s face.  Aless was almost in tears when she slapped the guy.  It made Kay’s stomach tie in knots.  She hated seeing Aless cry more than she hated seeing Aless with Danny or any guy really. After that everything went a little crazy.  Danny had rushed them out of the club and Danny and Aless had fought.  It wasn’t really Aless’s fault that another guy had made a move on her, but Danny had been livid. 

The ride back home had been awkward with Alessandra angry at the world.  Kay didn’t understand.  Danny was just a guy, and he didn’t even have that much to offer.  Even knowing this and how Aless felt about Danny, Kay still had done something she knew was wrong. Ever since she first saw Danny with Aless, she had wanted him, but she didn’t know why.  She just knew if she had him, then he wouldn’t be with Aless. And, despite her gut telling her that he was just like all the other guys she knew, Kay couldn’t believe how sweet and kind he acted. Not to mention the fact that he had appeared to make Aless so happy.  Maybe that was what Kayla had really wanted.  She didn’t know. 

So that night after Alessandra had dropped her off, Kayla borrowed her parents’ car and had called DJ to find out where Danny and he were.  Once she had found them, she had made some excuse to send DJ off to get her something to drink.  When it was just Danny and her, Kayla had watched his face.  He had been looking into the long neck of a beer bottle, totally depressed.  He had been so sweetly pathetic.

“Danny, it’s not your fault,” Kayla had whispered.

Putting her hand on his shoulder, Kay had established body contact.  Not looking up Danny shook his head.  How miserable he had been!

“Danny, come on.  It’s okay.  I’m your friend.  You can talk about it if you want.”

“There is nothing to talk about.  She cheated on me.”

“I wouldn’t go that far but it was wrong of her to even dance with another guy.  She’s my best friend and I know she feels awful.  I know she doesn’t want to lose you, but…”

“But what?”

Danny’s eyes had risen to hers and Kayla had wanted nothing more than to kiss him.

“I just think you deserve better.  She was very inconsiderate to you.  That guy was a creep too.    He did that just to upset you.  You can’t let them win. Okay?”

“I guess, you’re right,”

“Of course, I am. You’re an amazing guy, Danny. Any girl would be lucky to be with you.”

“Thanks, Kay.  You’re a good friend.”

Danny had hugged Kayla and she just couldn’t help it.  When he had pulled away a little to look at her, Kayla had closed her eyes and kissed him.  His body instantly tensed but he didn’t pull away. It was a pleasant enough kiss, just like the kisses she had with all her exes, but it didn’t really make Kayla feel anything. Taking a breath, Kayla had kissed him again, hoping that this time her body would react.  Yet when she had gone to wrap her around his neck, Danny had stood up and took a step back.  Kayla had expected to see him confused, sad, or excited, but he had appeared livid.  His eyes were sharp and his mouth a thin line.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he had snarled.

“What do you mean?”

“You are Alessandra’s best friend!  My best friend is crazy about you and yet you’re here kissing me?  What the hell is wrong with you?  Are you that desperate?  That jealous of Aless that you would try to take advantage of a fight between us?”

“Deity, Danny, what is your issue?  I just did what I felt.  I thought you liked me and, let’s be honest, we are way better together than you and Aless.  I mean I’m prettier and more fun.  I’d never mistreat you like she did.  And who cares about DJ.  He isn’t my type. As for you two fighting, you and she are breaking up anyways.  You should feel flattered that someone is interested in you.”

“I don’t like you that way and how can you say that about Aless and DJ?  They are our friends…our best friends.  And I didn’t want to kiss you! And Aless and I aren’t breaking up!  I’m angry and I’m going to be angry for a while.  Yes, we had a fight, but I won’t let you or that jackass break us apart. I can owe that to you.  You made me realize how it must be with Alessandra.  So, thanks for that but go the hell away.”

Kayla had been stunned.  No one had ever rejected her, especially in such an explicit way. It hadn’t been the first time Kay had kissed one of the guys pursuing Aless, but they had all given up and picked Kayla when she had. Of course, Kayla hadn’t wanted them; she had just been testing them to see if they deserved Aless, which none did. And that's what a good friend did. Projected her best friend from crappy guys. Yet now that Danny had rejected her, Kayla didn’t know what to think. Danny didn’t want her.  He never would.  It had been a waste of her time.  Leaving quickly, Kayla had felt as if her heart was racing a million times a minute.  Her eyes had stung, and she knew at that moment she was about to cry.  Why did everyone just want Aless? 

Home had been even worse.  As soon as she was in the door, Kayla had heard glass breaking, a sure sign of her parents fighting.  For a while, Kayla had tried to manage at home but between Danny and her parents, life sucked.  That was when Kayla had broken down and called Aless.  She needed Aless.  She hated how much she always needed Aless.  It was only with Aless that Kay felt anything other than bad or sad.

All that bull poop had led her to being here in the small town with Aless getting her way again. No amount of guilt that Kayla felt about the past made up for the resentment that Alessandra always got her way.  Everyone always liked her.  It was like she was the golden child.

Kayla looked up and realized that she had been walking in circles.  Sighing she turned around, ready to go back.  Running headlong into a mass of material, Kayla stepped back, worried for a moment.  Who had been so close behind her?  That was weird.  Yet when she looked into the face she sighed in recognition. 

“Oh, it’s you,” she said.

Staring that the person in front of her, Kay felt neither happy nor sad to see them. All she thought about was Aless.