I stretched in the bed I was currently laying in and felt soreness in every inch of my body. Maybe feeling Tony's anti-eyebrow piercing last night was just a dream. I knew the sheets I was staring at though, baby blue with little black patterns. He moved beside me and I felt his arm go around my waist, causing me to tense up.

"Relax" He whispered.

"Yeah let me relax after sleeping with my friends boyfriend" I said throwing the blanket off of me and collecting my clothes from the floor.

"She's not my girlfriend" he followed me into the bathroom that was attached to his room after slipping on a pair of boxers.

"Oh really? That changes everything!" I said turning on the shower and stepping in.

"I feel like it does actually" The anger was apparent in his voice as he spoke "It changed everything when you were fucking Mike while we were 'dating'. I wasn't your boyfriend, so it didn't matter."

"Oh please! And did it bother you?"

"Of course it bothered me! I lo-" He cut himself off "I really liked you Ni, I still do..." My heart sank as he spoke, I always knew it bothered him, he just wouldn't say it. "Ni, you don't know how much I regret doing all the things I've done to you. You're the only girl that makes me smile constantly, even when we're fighting. I'll never be able to make it up to you and I understand that, it's too late. But holy shit do I want to try. I see the sadness in your eyes everytime you come over because of what I've taken away from you. I want you so much Antonia, but I don't know how to do it"

I don't know why, but as soon as he finished speaking tears came pouring from my eyes and I leaned my body against the wall of the shower and slid down to the ground. He opened the glass door quickly and got in with me, wrapping his arms around sobbing body as soon as he could.

"I'm so sorry Nia, I'm so so sorry" was all he kept saying while he rocked me back and forth, wiping my water-mixed tears from my eyes. He cupped my face in his hands and pressed his warm lips to mine before whispering, "I love you Ni".

"No" I sobbed "Steph-Stephanie is my friend. We can't do this. Not again. Tony we can't" I shook my head. Our bodies were tangled together at the bottom of the shower.

"We can figure this out. We will figure this out Nia"

"But what about Stephanie" I dragged out her name as it passed my lips.

"Stephanie's just-"

"Tony? I made breakfast for everyone if you want some" A womans voice came from the other side of the bathroom door.

"Who is that?" I questioned.

"Vic's girlfriend, she stayed over last night too. We'll finish showering, go eat, then we can talk?" He suggested.

"Tone?" She said again.

"I'm in the shower! We'll be out in a minute!" He yelled back and reached for the shampoo before sitting behind me.
His chest pressed against my back and he massaged the shampoo onto my scalp. Everything felt like when we were together. We were taking a shower together, something we had always done. I leaned back into him and thought about what we had been through.


"Nia! Get in the water!" Jaime screamed to me as another wave crashed over his head. I just stood in the sand laughing at the four boys in the water.

"No! It's too cold!" I shouted back at him. I watched as Tony made his way out of the ocean and ran towards me. "Tony no!"

I screamed running in the opposite direction of him, unfortunately my feet couldn't carry me fast enough and I was held in his wet grasp.

"We told you to come in the water" He mumbled, rubbing his wet hair all over my body.

"Tony stop it!" I giggled and pushed away from him. His grip around my waist just got tighter and he kissed my neck a bunch of times, making me scream with laughter "You know I'm ticklish there! Stop!"

"Only if you get in the water" He stated.

"But what if my bathing suit comes off from the waves?" I frowned. Tony's eyes went wide and he threw me over his shoulder, marching towards the waves.

"Cesar Antonio Soto Perry! That's not a good thing!" I screamed as he lowered me into the freezing water. "It's so cold"

"Aw Ni, you know we just want to spend time with you"

He smiled down at me and his arms snaked around my waist, the waves crashing around us. His face grew incredibly close to mine and our foreheads pressed together. My heart started racing and the only thought I had was how wonderful it would be to feel Tony's lips against mine. He closed the small gap between us and and covered my lips with his own. I didn't want this feeling to ever leave me. It felt like fireworks were going off in my brain and my stomach was tied in knots. I wrapped my arms around his neck, afraid that if I let go of him he would disappear. That was the first time I had ever kissed Tony Perry.



"Nia? Helloooo?" Tony moved a piece of soaked hair from my face.

"Huh?" my head snapped up and I stared into Tony's chocolate brown eyes.

"Come on, we're done" he reached up and turned the water off.

"How did you wash the both of us without me even noticing?" I questioned while I pulled one of his Love Before Glory tanks on over my head.

"You're oblivious to the world when you think, you always have been" he threw me a pair of Pierce the Veil booty shorts from a box on the floor and I put them on.

"Tone?"

"Yes Nia?"

"What are we gonna do?"

He ran a hand through his wet hair and looked up at me.

"Well, right now we're going to eat the pancakes that Rae made us, then we'll watch Big Fish, then I'll take you home. Deal?" he cupped my face in his hands.

"Deal" I sighed. He took my hand and led me downstairs to the kitchen.

"Good morning" Mike eyed both of us suspiciously.

"Mornin' Mikey" I smiled and kissed the cheek he held out for me.

"Finally! Nia, this is my girlfriend Rae. Rae this is Nia." Vic motioned back and forth between the two of us.

"It's wonderful to meet you, I've heard so many stories from the boys." Rae was tall. Really tall. She had to be at least 5' 7". Okay it's not that tall but still. Rae was gorgeous, her clearly Filipino features accented her tanned skin perfectly. A septum ring stuck out from her small nose.

"Oh really? Well they better be good ones!" I smiled as we all sat down to eat. We spent the next half hour eating, laughing, and telling stories about high school and the years we spent together after that. We all froze when we heard a knock at the door.

"Who the hell-" Mike began.

"Antonia? Tony?" We heard Stephanie's voice rang loud and clear.

"I thought she was sick!" Tony was scrambling to get as far from me as he could.

"She was! I don't know what happened!"

"Act like you hate each other!" Jaime whispered to the both of us before swinging the door open to meet Stephanie's smiling face.
‹ Chapter 3 Chapter 5 ›