I let out a laugh and gave the signal to Alec, the same one I used to give him at clubs that meant watch out I’m about to get down.

Music filtered through the sound system in the room. “Party like it’s the end of the world…” I started singing. “Turn it up, turn it up, it ain’t the end of the world.”

“Demetri, what are you doing?” Alyssa stepped back, her face slightly blushing. I just yelled. “Turn it up!”

The music was loud enough to disturb the peace in the entire neighborhood, but I didn’t care. I pulled Alyssa against me and began to dance like it really was the end of the world, which in my mind if she kept looking at me like that, it sure as hell felt like it.

A guy can only take so much teasing before he dies for lust or want, or whatever the hell I was feeling right then.

She wasn’t a bad dancer, then again she had been a cheerleader, and then she busted out. Yes, busted out. I really didn’t know how else to explain it, but I was kind of shocked into submission as my eyes watched her hips sway. Her arms went above her head and then she was doing some crazy thing with her leg where she wrapped it around me flipped around.

People cheered. I barely heard them — all I saw was her, and the smile on her face. The smile that I knew was completely genuine, not hidden, not fake, and not for show. It was all for me.

I joined in dancing. And then Alec and Nat joined us.

Soon every single one of the friends invited to the friends’ party were in the middle of the floor jumping up and down.

“You guys suck!” I heard a male voice yell from the door. I glanced up. Evan walked in with Alesha. We’d met this last school year. They were both super good friends of Nat and consequently were accepted into our tight-knit group almost immediately. It helped that Evan was hilarious. Alesha finally stopped fainting in our presence, and now I think I irritated her as much as she irritated me.

They didn’t even pause. They just jumped into the middle of the dance floor and began going to town.

The song ended and I was already sweaty. I pulled Alyssa against me, she pushed back and laughed. “Was that your party trick? Oh, look at me! I’m Demetri Daniels and I can dance!” I knew she was teasing, but I’m competitive. I think I proved my point back when we did bumper cars, I mean seriously.

“Set it up!” I yelled at Alec.

“No, dude. Remember what happened last time?”

“Do it!” I yelled back.

Alec smirked and began hooking in a new game and game station.

“What’s going on?” Alyssa asked peering around me.

“Dancing competition, no big deal.”

“I’ll win,” she said confidently.

“If you win, you get one favor. If I win…” I licked my lips and allowed my eyes to graze her from head to toe. “I get you… all night.”

“Deal.” She held out her hand. I took it and then yanked her into my arms sealing our deal with a hungry kiss.

“It’s ready!” Alec called. He’d turned the music down, so now the game system was getting filtered through the speakers.

Everyone gathered around.

The first song was one of ours, which Evan said was cheating. Bastard. Of course, the song landed on One Direction. I mean, really? Do these guys know how much they haunt my everyday life? Seriously, someone should tell them. I would vote for Nat, but she’d probably pass out if she met them. I mean, the girl didn’t even care when we moved into her small town. We were even more famous at the time, but did she throw her panties? No.

Did she ask for autographs? No. But the minute anyone mentioned One Direction, she got all flustered and what not.

Dumb.

“Ready?” Alyssa glanced at me.

“I’m always ready, sweetheart.”

The music started and we began to dance in front of the Kinect.

I destroyed her. I felt kind of bad. I mean, she was getting all sweaty in her sexy dress, and then my eyes fell on a bead of sweat as it ran down her back, and I’m pretty sure I just stopped breathing.

“One more!” she shouted. Everyone cheered.

The song that popped on was Justin Bieber. Of course it was, because you couldn’t have One Direction without Justin Bieber. I was cursed. I was freaking cursed.

We started dancing, and then all of a sudden Alyssa froze. I tried to encourage her to keep going. I slightly punched her in the arm as if to get her back into it, but instead of dancing, she shook her head a few times and then ran out the door to the upstairs balcony.

“Uhh…” I scratched my head. “Keep playing, guys. I’ll be right back.”

I chased after her.

She was leaning over the side of the railing as if she was going to throw up. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I just freaked, sorry.”

“Brady?” I asked trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.

“It was our song.” She shrugged. “No big deal, honest. I’m fine. I think I was getting a little hot too.”

“You weren’t getting hot, you were already on fire.” I cupped her face and kissed her lightly on the mouth.

“I want to forget him,” she said against my lips. “When I’m with you. I don’t feel him anymore.”

“Is that what you want?” I asked feeling more excited about our relationship than I had in days.

“Yeah.” Alyssa looked down. “Demetri, you said you weren’t going to ask me to choose, but you need to know…” Her lower lip trembled. Bright blue eyes looked back at me. Tears welled at the bottom of her thick black eyelashes. “I choose you.”