I wasn’t dancing anymore. Hell, I could barely think with the heat in his eyes, let alone command my body to keep rhythm. “I think its time for another round of shots,” I finally managed to say while unwinding my body from his and pushing my way through the sweaty crowd.

He caught up with me and grabbed my elbow spinning me around. “Why not? I can see it in your eyes. Why hold back?”

I scoffed. “I don’t know what you think you saw, but you were sorely mistaken.”

My body was quite suddenly pressed completely against his, his finger tracing my lips scorching me. “Sorely mistaken?” he asked, his eyebrows so high they were nearly lost in his hair as he watched my body shudder under his light touch. “Edward’s gone, Bella. He wouldn’t want you to live like a nun for the rest of your damn life.”

“Don’t… do not even say his name. You have no fucking idea what you’re talking about.” I could feel the tears burning in my eyes the angrier I got. How dare he use my journal against me?

“Trust me, I know. I’ve lived around the vampires -” he whispered the word against my ear “- all my life. I was raised with them. Do you think I’m immune to their beauty? To the affect they have on humans? I’ve been where you are Bella, and I’ve come out the other side. You will too. I can help you there.”

I tried to swallow but my mouth was so parched nothing happened. I was torn between the desire to remain faithful to Edward, though he didn’t deserve it, and to use Dylan as a distraction, if only for a little while.

I pulled back out of his reach and he straightened up seeing the resolution on my face. “Let me drive you home.”

I nodded and followed him out of the loud club.

The ride home was uncomfortable, especially since I had to wrap my arms tightly around him, my breasts pressed firmly against his back. Edward had nothing to do with me saying no to Dylan, or so I kept telling myself. God only knew how many women Edward had plowed through in more than a half of year. No, I just didn’t want to get that attached to someone. I’d relied on Jacob so thoroughly that when he’d pulled and Edward and abandoned me, I thought I’d curl up in a ball and die. Both men had burrowed their ways into my heart, cutting out small pieces of me and when they left, I was no longer whole and had nothing to fill my crippled heart with. I’d patched it up as best I could, but all it would take was the smallest thing to tear it wide open and send me spiraling back to that dark place. No, I was keeping Dylan at arms length for my sanity. Getting closer to him made no sense whatsoever since he would have to take me to his master eventually.

The bike stopped a block away again. I figured he’d just drop me off, but he turned it off and unfastened my helmet stashing it on his handlebars, shooting me an unfathomable look.

 “Did you really think I was going to make you walk home at three o clock in the morning by yourself?” He took my hand in his. So warm, so not like Edward’s, but not hot enough to remind me of Jacob’s either.

We walked in silence. Me, mostly because I was brainstorming my way back into my room. I finally turned to him. “Any ideas how I’m supposed to get back up there?” I asked, nodding to my room.

He tried to keep the smile off his face, but failed and shook his head sending his hair every which way. “On my shoulders. You should be able to get a hold of the roof and I’ll help push you up.”

I struggled onto his back and felt him trying to balance the odd weight as he maneuvered close to the house while I stretched to reach the roof.

“The heels are fucking hot, but they hurt like a bitch,” he swore under his breath to himself.

Once up there I yelled down a quiet thanks.

“Next time I’m bringing one of those ladders for fire safety,” he said while rubbing his shoulders. He gave me a wave, and walked away.

Next time. Even though I’d turned him down, he still planned on seeing me again. I didn’t even try to pretend that that hadn’t sent a flutter in my stomach.

As I stepped through the window a white hand lashed out and pulled me through.

“I see you’re doing much better.”

I gawked opened mouth at the intruder in my room.

“What…” I spluttered. “What the hell are you doing here?”