"What are you doing here?" I said.
He continued to stare at me, his face close to expressionless.
"Are you looking for your pal?" I snapped. I was trying to get a reaction out of him, I guess, any reaction. "...Because he already did the creepy stalker thing tonight. Did he pass the mantle to you for the rest of the evening?"
The man's eyes narrowed, growing wary.
I was about to walk away, when he caught hold of my wrist.
"Where?" he said. The German accent surprised me again, audible even when he spoke over the sound of the band. "Where did he go?"
I jerked my arm out of his fingers. "How the hell would I know? He's your friend, isn't he? Now keep your hands to yourself..."
I was about to walk away, when someone else grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to turn around. That time, it was the absolute last person I wanted to see.
Jaden scanned my face and eyes, and for the second time, I saw fear in his expression. That fear turned rapidly to anger while I watched, maybe in self-defense.
But what he said was about the last thing I would have expected.
"Trust you to walk in at just the wrong time!" he snapped.
For a moment I could only look at him.
The I burst out in a humorless laugh. "You are fucking unbelievable. The wrong time?" I shoved his hand off my shoulder. "What, did I ruin the mood? I'm sure it would have been much better if I'd walked in ten minutes later, when her mouth was on your dick..."
"Jesus! Exaggerate much? It was one kiss! I was mad at you...it didn't mean anything!"
"Don't," I said, furious now. "Don't you dare pretend I'm just some girl you've been dating for a few months who's overreacting...like this kind of thing had ever been okay for either of us! You're the one who said if you ever caught me out like that, it was over for us..."
He looked about to say something, then didn't, shutting his mouth.
"Fine," he said. "But it still didn't mean anything, Allie. I'm sorry I did it, and I'm sorry you saw it...but it was nothing. I'm sorry, okay?"
I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood. "Well, then. I guess we're cool."
When I tried to walk away, he stopped me, grabbing my shoulder again.
"Allie!" he said. The anger leached out of his voice. "I'm sorry! I really am...but it was nothing. You just walked in at a really bad time...that's all it was."