I need to hear her moan my name. I need the sheets to be rumpled where she's grasped at them during her o.r.g.a.s.ms. I need her sweat to dampen my bed, so when I lie in it I'm surrounded by her.

I can't take this anymore. It's too much. She's too much.

I've never wanted anything so badly in my life.

A sharp knock at the door sends me spiralling out of my l.u.s.t filled heaven. I curse loudly and climb from my bed, my robe wrapped tightly around myself.

"What do you want?" I snap, irritated at the interruption.

Katherine blinks, shocked at my tone. "I... you avoided me today."

"No I didn't." I wasn't avoiding her; I was avoiding everybody. "Look, I'm in the middle of something."

Her eyes pan down my body before focusing on the tent in my robe. I watch her eyes heat. "So it seems. Are you alone?"

I don't know why, but I nod. I should have said no.

Her hands immediately go to my shoulders and after a quick shove I'm back inside and the door is closing behind her. "Maybe we can pick up where we left off."

"I don't think so." I pry her hands from my robe, where they're gripping the lapels. "Look... last night was a mistake."

"I don't think so." She repeats my own words and swiftly pulls at the rope holding my robe together. Her eyes heat and her hand reaches for me.

"No," I order, slapping her hand away. "You need to go."

Her shocked eyes come to mine. "What? But..."

"I'm not doing this. You need to go." I grab her arm and pull her to the door.

"Stop being such a p.u.s.s.y."

"Stop being such a b.i.t.c.h and get the f.u.c.k out!" I hiss, pulling the door open. "I'll see you at work tomorrow and we'll talk then."

Eloise "What's wrong with you? Still hung-over?" Hayley asks as I pick at the salad on my plate.

I shake my head. "No, I'm just stressed that I no longer have a job."

"Welcome to my world."

"I'm sorry... I just... you know how badly I need to be busy."

"Yeah, I know. Apparently Mr Price Senior is hiring for a TA. You should talk to him."

I roll my eyes. "They never hire students for that role."

"It's worth asking. You are a friend of the family." She has a point.

"I guess it's worth a shot. It'll get me another reference too if I do a good job."

"See? I'm not just a pretty face." Hayley blows a bubble with the chewing gum in her mouth and pats me on the head. "Am I staying at yours tonight?"

"If you want to."

"Wicked, I'll bring the popcorn."

"I'll provide the snacks." I push my plate towards her and watch as she eagerly finishes the strips of chicken.

"You're such a pig."

I laugh when she oinks and curl up further into the corner of the sofa, pulling the blanket up to my shoulder. I'll speak to Mr Price tomorrow and see what he says. Hayley is right; what harm could it do? I doubt I'll be able to give him the hours he needs, but it's definitely worth asking.

My mum and dad come home together, take one look at Hayley and I curled up on the couch and disappear to the other room. The only time my dad comes in is to ask if we want takeout food. He doesn't seem happy when I respond that I'm on a diet, but there's not much he can do about it.

I need to eat nothing but salad for at least eight days to get rid of all of those calories I drank last night.

I can't believe Isaac was up all night looking for me.

Would he have done that for just anybody?

I think on it for a moment before another thought clicks into place. It wasn't just me out last night. Hayley was too, but he didn't shout at Hayley. He didn't say anything to her.

My heart warms and tingles at the thought that maybe Isaac does think more of me than I thought.

"I'm breaking up with Wesley. That relationship has run its course," Hayley says, blowing her fringe from her face as I fill in my application for Boston University.

"You like somebody else, don't you?"

Her mouth drops open with fake insult. "I would never do that to somebody."

I snort and quirk a brow her way. "You did that with your last four flavours."

With indignation she flips her hair over her shoulder and raises her chin. "Well... they should have paid me more attention and maybe I wouldn't have strayed."

Now I'm definitely laughing. "Those guys fawned over you like a little girl fawns over a puppy."

"Whatever, I'm done with him and I'm moving on."

"Fair enough." I rest my head on her shoulder. "You know I love you no matter what."

"I really wish you'd give Garrett a chance."

"Hayley, he dropped out of college."

"For an apprenticeship at that car garage. He didn't drop out he just switched courses."

"We're in different places."

"You're so stuck up." She says this with a lot of love in her tone. "What's wrong with him being a mechanic?"

"There's nothing wrong with that. It's just... I don't want to be tied down for when I go to university. What if I meet my dream guy and we can't live happily ever after because I'm tied to somebody back home?"

Hayley nods slowly. "I see your point."

"I'm not like you. You know how attached I get to people. You can just wake up and suddenly not care about them in that way anymore. I'll still be crying for months after a break up and you know it."

She winces. "Yeah, girl, you need a back bone."

"And you need a heart." I attach my references and stuff the envelope into my bag. "Okay, I'm done. I've applied to five and whichever accepts me is the one I'll go to."

Hayley links her arm with mine as we exit the school library. "I know you have your heart set on Leeds..."

"It's too far away."

"So? The UK isn't that big. There are trains and buses and these amazing things called roads that people drive on."

I know she's right, but I don't know what to do. I really don't want to be that far away from home, especially now I've become so close to Judith whose condition is getting worse daily.

"I have a free period," I tell Hayley, checking my watch. "I'm going to go and speak to Mr Price about that job vacancy."

"Good idea, my tenacious little friend." Hayley hugs me. "Good luck with your applications. Don't forget to post them."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

We hug again before going our separate ways.

Mr Price is in his office, but busy when I arrive. I sit on a seat by the reception desk, helping the receptionist seal envelopes.

"I think he's about done," She says and takes the pile of letters from me. I smile and stand as the door to his office opens.

Isaac steps through the door with a large smile on his face and his father follows behind him, smiling also.

"Hey... Sir." I tuck my hair behind my ear and look at everything but him.

"Eloise." He brushes past, also looking everywhere but at me.

I release the breath I didn't realise I was holding and dart into Mr Price's office.

That was awkward.

Isaac "NO!" My mum yells the second I walk through the door. "I don't... I don't remember how to do this!"

"Judith," I hear Eloise plead and the sound of something smashing on the floor instantly makes me race into the kitchen.

My mum stands by the stove, her hair in a mess with tomato juice all down her front. Eloise stands by the fridge, tomato juice splattered all over her face and torso. My dad looks helpless as he tries to apprehend my mother, who is shrieking and crying and grabbing everything within reach.

"Mum," I yell, as she grabs another plate and throws it. It barely misses Elle's shoulder as I grab the girl and shield her with my body. "Stop it. Dad! Grab her!"

My dad wraps his arms around the distraught woman and slides to the ground, with her writhing and screaming like a mad woman. I feel fingers grip the front of my T-shirt and look down at a trembling Elle, who's tucked into my side.

"I know how to make cookies," my mother sobs, finally calming. "I know how to make cookies. I'm not stupid."

"n.o.body is saying you're stupid, Love," my dad whispers, smoothing her hair down with his hand. "n.o.body is saying that."

"What the h.e.l.l happened?" I ask, my arm around Elle's shoulders.

My dad nods to Elle. "We'll talk later. Take her home." He looks at Elle with concern. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Elle shakes her head and manages to croak out the word 'fine'.

I don't want to leave. I should stay here with them, but my dad insists.

"Come on," I say to the shaking female in my arms. "Let's get you home."

"Okay." She lets me lead her from the house and to my car. I help her get strapped in before climbing into the driver's seat and gripping the steering wheel tightly with both hands. "She just wanted to make cookies."

I look at her, my nerves shot and my body exhausted from the stress. "What happened?"

"I told her she couldn't make cookies with pasta sauce. I tried reminding her how to do it, but... she... well you saw."

"I didn't think this would start yet. I thought we had more time." I blow out a breath and rest my head against the steering wheel. I'm consumed with grief and for some reason I'm not afraid to show it around this woman. "It's getting worse."

Eloise's hand hovers over my shoulder for a few seconds. I don't move. When it finally lands on my shoulder, I hold my breath. It's a small comfort, but it's nice to know that I'm not going through this alone, no matter how selfish that might seem.

"We should go. I should get you home. You look... well..." I sit up reluctantly, hating when her hand falls to the console and her eyes take in the mess of her top.

"Can we... drive?" I'm shocked by her words and how hesitantly she says them. "It's just... I can't go home right now. Not like this."

"You smell like spaghetti," I comment before I can stop myself and her hand slaps at my arm. "Come on, I'll take you to mine. You can get cleaned up while I come back and deal with my mum and dad. Just..." What am I doing? "Don't answer the door or the phone."

"Got it." She grins, s.n.a.t.c.hing the keys to my flat from my hand. "Thanks, Isaac."

"Why can't you go home?" I start to drive, being mindful of the icy roads.

She shrugs and turns to look out of the window. "My parents kicked me out for the night. I'm supposed to be staying at Hayley's, but she's at her little sister's play until six."

I laugh for a second before she shoots me with a look that could kill if it were possible. "Okay, well, don't snoop or anything. I'm not the tidiest man in the world."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

When we pull up outside of my building and she heads inside, I start to wonder if I just made a huge mistake.

Eloise He wasn't wrong. He's definitely not the cleanest guy. I've never seen so many empty takeout cartons and boxes in one room. This place is... well it's a bit of a dump. How the f.u.c.k does he live like this?

He said don't snoop, but he didn't say don't clean. Although, under the pile of clothes littered across the living room and hall and dirty towels... maybe there are some things hidden that he doesn't want me to see.

Seriously though, I can't shower here when it's like this. It's just unthinkable.