“Tell me what happened, maybe I can help.”

So Tate did. He told Phillip, how he had knocked down Audrey’s walls, how they were together, how she admitted to wanting him. He told Phillip everything in the middle of a bar while the girl he wanted sat not even fifty feet away. “So tell me, is it worth it? Do I stand here and wait, or do I go on? We have something, something great, but she won’t let go of all the shit this dick did to her.”

“I am the wrong person to ask, I f**k ‘em and leave ‘em. That’s how I roll, but I agree there is something between you guys and if I can see it, you know it’s real. So I mean, shit, Tate. Do you…what do you want to do?”

“I want her to love me.”

Phillip nodded a shocked expression on his face, “Okay, what does she want?”

“She wants me to be there for her as a friend. She said she needs a friend.”

Phillip nodded, “And now you are both are acting weird?”

“Yeah.”

“So, stop, act like nothing changed. Until she says ‘Tate, I don’t want you’, keep on the way you’ve been. Be persistent. Don’t give up.”

Tate glanced across the bar and saw that Audrey was sitting by herself. Glancing out to the dance floor, he saw that Piper and Erik were dancing close, and intimately. He had been so excited about getting her on the floor again, about being close. Phillip was right. Sitting his beer down, he cupped Phillip’s shoulder in thanks, before making his way across the bar. Audrey looked up just as he reached her.

“I thought you were going to show me these mad dance moves,” he teased.

Audrey smiled, shrugging her shoulders, “I didn’t think you wanted to see them.”

“Get up, love, let’s go dance,” he said pulling her up and onto the dance floor. Once they made it to the floor, Tate took her hands and made her dance with him. When she wouldn’t move, he asked, “What’s going on!?”

Audrey shook her head, pointing to the door, “Tate, let’s go talk.”

Tate smiled as he shook his head and brought her in close with his arms, “I don’t want to talk. I want to dance with the most beautiful girl in the room. So come on, show me these mad moves.”

Audrey moved her hands up his arms, and shook her head, “You’re not gonna give up are you?”

Tate smiled leaning his head against hers, “Never.”

After that, the night went great. Tate and Audrey danced, and enjoyed their friends. Neither of them talked about being friends, or even more, they just did what they did best, and that was being together.

Phillip had decided to go home with some girl, leaving them without a ride. Phillip was good for some things but when a girl was involved, he was hopeless. Erik and Piper decided to share a taxi, leaving Tate and Audrey to get one of their own.

Standing in the driveway of their condos, Tate paid for the taxi as Audrey stood beside him, his jacket tightly wrapped around her. Thanking the driver, Tate turned, wrapping an arm around Audrey.

“It is freezing out!” she declared, snuggling closer to him.

“It is, come on, let’s get you inside,” he said walking with her to her door.

“So, thanks for a great night,” Audrey said turning to face him, “You really know how to show a girl a good time.”

Tate smiled, “You are welcome, I am just glad I got to see these mad moves of yours.”

“Told you they were killer,” she joked as she smiled brightly at him.

Silenced stretched between them as they stood staring at each other. Tate pushed his tongue against his teeth before taking her hand in his. “Are you going to let me kiss you goodnight?”

Audrey looked long and hard at him, and when she shook her head no, he felt like she had kicked him again. “I don’t want to lead you on, Tate. I know I keep saying that, but I really don’t want to hurt you.”

Tate nodded, “Okay.”

“Are you mad?”

Tate shook his head, “No, I’m frustrated, because we have something.”

“I agree.”

“Then kiss me, Audrey,” he said pleading her with his eyes. “Give me the green light, love.”

Audrey shook her head as she moved away from him, opening her door, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Tate nodded and watched as she gave him one last look before shutting the door. Lacing his fingers behind his head, he let out the breath he was holding. She was going to drive him insane, and he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t have anyone to call to help him figure it out. No family, no friends who could help. He was on his own, and what he wanted to do was not necessarily right. In his mind, he would have kissed her and worried about the repercussions later. He needed her, and he could see in her eyes that she needed and wanted him.

Oh well, there was always tomorrow.

Digging his keys out of his pocket, he went to open the door, when Audrey’s opened again. Audrey peeked out, and Tate looked over at her, heat filling his body at the sight of her. She had changed into a t-shirt, and from where he was standing, it looked like she only wore panties. She held out his coat with a small shy smile on her face, “Here.”

He looked down at the coat and then her. Was this his sign? She could have given him the jacket tomorrow, how did she know he was still out there? This had to be a sign, and he had to kiss her.

Now.

Without warning, he pulled her by her outstretch arm and gathered her into his arms, kissing her hard against her parted mouth. Since her mouth was already opened he moved his tongue inside her mouth before pushing her against the wall between their doors. Her hands moved up his arms, taking hold of his shoulders as he continued to drink from her mouth. When they parted, her sparkling brown eyes were full of the same heat that filled his.