I've always found myself completely attuned to all five of my senses, but that night, I was attuned to all but one. My sight was blurred by the tears I was trying to hold back. I couldn't appreciate the exotic scene around me. All I could think about was the disappointed expression on my best friend's handsome face.

Benjamin Hudson was the only person in the world who could make me feel the way I did that night.

Perhaps the sadness I felt was mostly due to the fact that I still held expectations - expectations I knew would only ever cause me pain.

I reasoned to myself that I had the right to be hurt. It was my birthday. He was my best friend. He shouldn't have forgotten.

But he did. Again.

I realized that he was inspecting me just as closely as I was him. His eyes on me suddenly made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. I gave my father's advice a second thought, but quickly canceled out all notions of heeding to his counsel when I reminded myself that he stopped caring a long time ago. I straightened to my full height and mustered all the courage I had to keep myself from running away from this stranger.

Big mistake.

The confident smirk didn't leave his face for even a moment. "Like what you see?"

I frowned, annoyed by his audacity. "A bit full of yourself, aren't you?"

He stepped forward, closer to me, and leaned his head toward mine. "Don't I have the right to be?"

He knew he looked good and wasn't about to act like he didn't.

"Whatever," was my oh-so-brilliant comeback.