It had begun to drizzle when the plane touched down at Reagan National Airport.

Ominous, gray storm clouds loomed in the distance, promising a downpour. The small screen on the headrest in front of Taliana proclaimed the current temperature outside was a sweltering ninety degrees, an average number for DC in August, and also what turned a little rain into a massive thunderstorm. Those summer storms were one of the things she'd missed after moving to LA, since the rolling thunder and bright cracks of lightning had always lulled her to sleep at night.

It was comforting to see the first strike splash across the sky as she strolled through the terminal, though she was glad she hadn't been stuck in the air during the storm. However, when she turned away from the windows and began her trek toward the baggage claim where her father was supposed to be waiting, any sense of calm disappeared as reality set in.

Gone was the dry heat and drama of LA. Gone was her mother and the home Taliana had lived in for the past seven years. And gone was Lia Colton-Avilla, the name Taliana had taken and the girl she had become upon moving there.

This was her chance for a fresh start, to be Talia Avilla again, just as she had been so many years ago. She'd been wanting that back for so long, but now that she was there, she wasn't so sure anymore.

Taliana didn't linger on the subject for fear she would turn around and get on the next flight back to LA, but she wasn't a wimp. She could do this.

At least, she hoped she could.

With a heavy sigh, Taliana adjusted the strap of her carry-on bag on her shoulder and trudged forward, scanning the crowd for the familiar face of her father.

Charles Avilla wasn't hard to miss. He still sported the same meticulously combed dark hair, a jaw that could have cut steel, and calculating ice-blue eyes that Taliana had snagged from the gene pool. Her pace quickened, gently nudging people out of her way, and it wasn't until she was a few feet from him that she caught his eye. The look was fleeting, but he immediately did a double take.

"Talia?"

The laugh she'd been holding back finally surfaced when she reached him. "It's me, Dad."

A smile finally broke out across his face, the corners of his eyes crinkling, the only indication of his age. Before Taliana could even comprehend what was happening, he pulled her to him in a bone crushingly tight hug, and the familiar scent of his cologne flooded her nose.

Taliana hesitated briefly before bringing her arms up as well and hugging him back, her own shock slowly fading. It felt like an eternity before he pulled away, his grin wider than before.

"My firstborn is all grown up," he teased, his hands locked firmly on Taliana's upper arms as he looked her over. Charles let out a soft, disbelieving chuckle before shaking his head and letting Taliana go.

She couldn't help grinning back at him. "And you've gotten old, Dad."

A booming laugh came from him, causing a few people to look over in surprise. But Taliana's father paid them no mind. He simply draped an arm over her shoulders and continued to grin. "Still got your charming sense of humor, I see."

"Mom always tells me I got it from you," Taliana chuckled as he guided her toward the baggage carrousel.

After grabbing her oversized suitcases-she still couldn't believe she'd packed practically her entire life away in them-her father nodded toward the exit, a silent command for her to follow him.

A hot breeze brushed over her cheeks, gently stirring the dark hairs that had slipped out of her ponytail as they stepped outside into the rain. While she'd been half expecting to see her mother's black Mercedes idling in front of the terminal, she wasn't surprised to see a massive SUV instead, especially when a petite blonde woman hopped out and bounded up onto the sidewalk.

"Talia, sweetheart!" Katherine greeted, rushing toward her with arms spread wide. "It's so good to see you!"

That time Taliana was semi-prepared for the impending hug, but she hadn't anticipated the sheer force of it. Her stepmother may have been tiny, but what Katherine lacked in height she certainly made up for in affection. She practically threw herself at Taliana, arms wrapping tightly around her waist. It was a slightly uncomfortable position, seeing as her cheek was pressed firmly against Taliana's not-so-ample chest, thanks to the fact that she stood a good ten inches taller than Katherine. The last time Taliana had seen her, they'd been practically the same height, although she'd had an inch or two on Katherine's five-foot frame even back then. Apparently, Taliana had grown more than she thought.

Katherine leaned back a moment later and beamed up at Taliana, brown eyes sparkling with joy. "We missed you so much."

And then Taliana was pulled into yet another one of those motherly hugs as she awkwardly patted Katherine's back.

There was no denying that Katherine was the complete opposite of Taliana's mother. While Andrea was constantly calm, cool, and collected, Katherine was bubbly and unafraid to show what she felt. Taliana had always enjoyed the weekends she got to spend with her father and stepmother when she was younger, just because it was nice to be with someone who wasn't afraid to have fun. She and Katherine had gone to the zoo and made funny faces at the monkeys, splashed around in the ocean on their annual trip to the beach, and ordered every type of flavor available at Thomas Sweet Ice Cream. For a stepmother, she was the best anyone could have ever asked for. Taliana certainly knew she had lucked out in that department.

After a few more uncomfortable seconds, she released Taliana and ushered her toward the car, opening the back door for her and shutting it once Taliana had clambered inside. A flash of white-blonde hair caught Taliana's attention as she settled in, causing her to turn and look at the two girls sitting in the third row.

Had it been under any other circumstances, she probably wouldn't have recognized the twins. They'd been towheaded kids the last time she'd seen them, and while their platinum-blonde hair hadn't darkened a single shade, they certainly didn't look like the tomboys she remembered. No, the sixteen-year-olds looked more like the fashionistas Taliana's mother wished she could've been.

Vanessa was the first to notice Taliana's presence, momentarily glancing up from the phone she'd been furiously messaging away on. She flashed Taliana a quick smile before elbowing her sister gently, causing her to look up from her own phone as well.

"Hey, Talia," Marissa said before returning her attention to her phone. "Glad to have you back."

And that was the only greeting Taliana got from them. Fine with her. Despite being relatively close in age, she and the twins had never really had much in common or run in the same circles. And after she'd left for LA, they hadn't done much but share a few "happy birthday" messages via social media for the ensuing years. They may have been half siblings, but they certainly hadn't bonded. Though Taliana had to admit, she hoped that would change.

Her gaze returned to the front of the car where her soaked father had just slid into the driver's seat. "It's a monsoon out there," he complained, hair plastered against his forehead. "I can't wait for summer to end."

Taliana glanced out the window, enjoying the sudden onslaught of water. "It's been a while since I've seen rain like this." She was almost tempted to stick her hand out the window, but she held back.

"I suppose you don't get much rain in LA," Katherine conceded, swiping her damp forehead with the back of her hand.

Taliana kept her eyes on the window as the car pulled away from the curb. "We're lucky to get an inch this time of year. It's usually just hot and dry."

"I think I'd take that any day over this humidity," Charles said, glancing in his mirror before changing lanes and entering the highway. "Are you glad to be back?"

Taliana hesitated before answering, not sure if she really was or not. Sure, she was glad to be away from the drama of LA and glad for the current thunderstorm, but she'd only been in DC for less than twenty minutes. That definitely wasn't enough time to decide if she was happy to be back in a city she hadn't visited in several years.

"Yeah," Taliana lied, flashing them a small smile. "It's good to be back."

Soon the conversation turned to things that were going on in their everyday lives. Taliana tuned in for a while, but her attention diverted once they crossed over one of the many bridges and finally entered the city she could call home again.

Though she'd been exposed to the sights of DC since the day she was born, she couldn't help but admire how beautiful it truly was. The Potomac River was probably even more polluted than it had been years ago, but it still seemed to sparkle. And while the Washington Monument was barely visible through the thick sheet of rain, it seemed whiter and brighter than Taliana remembered.

Her eyes were practically glued to the window as they slowly made their way through the evening traffic, and before long, they entered familiar territory. Georgetown was a section of DC that had always been synonymous with money and power, seeing as it was one of the oldest and most expensive areas in town. Plenty of influential people from the government and society lived in the Italianate row houses that lined the narrow streets, and while the homes may have looked diminutive from the outside, the insides tended to be huge. Well, the Avilla household was at least.

"Home, sweet home!" Katherine sang as the car came to a halt in front of the house.

The five of them climbed out of the SUV and grabbed whatever they could before making a mad dash to the front door. They all took a moment to shake off the rain in the foyer before Charles nodded toward the staircase.

"Come on, Talia," he said. "Let's get your bags upstairs."

Katherine flashed her a warm smile before Taliana turned away and followed her father upstairs, struggling slightly under the weight of the massive bags. Eventually, she made it up to the second-floor landing and dragged herself down the hallway until she caught up with her father, who was standing in front of Taliana's old room.

"Everything should be the same," he told her, glancing inside as she approached. "I couldn't bring myself to pack up your stuff when you moved away with your mother."

One step inside revealed he wasn't lying. Posters of old boy bands adorned the walls, stuffed animals sat on top of the dresser, and she could swear there were glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. It was practically a shrine to her childhood in there, which was slightly embarrassing. Taliana quickly decided that everything would have to go soon. Very soon.

"Thanks, Dad." She chuckled, scanning the room one more time. "It's just the way I remember it."

"Should be." He reached out to ruffle her hair like he'd always done when she was younger. His hand drifted down to her cheek momentarily before he let it drop completely and glanced at his watch. "Go ahead and relax for a bit; I know you've had a long trip. Dinner will be at seven."

Taliana nodded and waited until he left the room to change out of her wet clothes and collapse on the bed, exhausted from the flight and worrying about how her new life was going to be.

But so far, she couldn't complain. Things were looking good, and all she could do was hope they'd stay that way.

***

Sebastian was unsure of how many times he'd sneaked out of the hotel rooms of random girls, but the number was now one higher than it had been yesterday.

As he stood under the promenade that led to the entrance of The Ritz-Carlton in Georgetown, he questioned what the hell he was doing. He knew he'd become a bit of a womanizer, but when had it gone this far? It certainly hadn't always been like this.

For a while, he'd been into relationships with meaning, not one-night stands-or two-hour stands in this case-with random girls. But since he'd had his heart served to him on a silver platter, this had become his new normal.

The thought of his most recent heartbreak was enough to make his stomach churn with misery, and no number of new girls had been able to soothe that feeling either. Luckily, he was spared from thinking about what had happened and what he had become when a sleek, red Ferrari pulled to the curb in front of him. Sebastian only knew of one person in the city who drove such a flashy car, and any doubt as to who was in the driver's seat disappeared when the window rolled down.

"Need a ride?" Michael drawled as he stared at Sebastian with a half-disdainful, half-amused expression.

"I'd love one," he grumbled, yanking open the door and quickly sliding inside to avoid getting drenched by the torrential downpour. "You owe me fifty bucks, by the way."

"Well, damn." Michael playfully slapped the steering wheel as he navigated the car down the narrow street. "I was convinced there was no way that shade could have been natural."

Sebastian let his eyes shut as he leaned his head against the cool window, though part of him was vaguely amused. Leave it to this guy to cheer him up. "We're not having this conversation."

He could sense Michael's sparkling hazel gaze on him. "Since when do you kiss and not tell?"

"Since I realized you don't need a play-by-play of my sex life." His eyes drifted back open when the car took a sharp left turn. "Where are we going?"

"Cool Beans," Michael replied, referencing the coffee shop that had been their hangout since they'd been freshmen almost three years ago.

Sebastian's heavy eyes scanned the streets, watching women in high heels avoid puddles while men in khaki shorts and colorful polos ducked into stores to avoid the menacing bolts of lightning. "Are Jacob and Marcus going to be there?"

"Marcus was the one who wanted to meet," Michael responded, shifting gears with ease as traffic slowed. "He didn't sound too happy about something."

Sebastian snorted softly. "That's nothing new."

The conversation lapsed into an amicable silence until the car came to a halt in front of the quaint coffee shop five minutes later. Sebastian entered the dimly lit space first, letting his eyes adjust for a moment before searching the room for the familiar faces of his other two best friends.

It took no time at all to pick out a gloomy Marcus Patterson and an utterly stoned Jacob Weston sitting at their normal table in the back corner of Cool Beans. After a quick nod to Michael to follow him, Sebastian slid past the other tables and dropped into the oversized armchair between his friends.

Jacob was the first to glance up from his coffee cup, though it looked like he had just been gazing into its murky depths as if it held the answers of the universe. His red-rimmed eyes only confirmed Sebastian's suspicion that he'd partaken in a certain substance recently, and the relaxed smile on his lips made Sebastian wish he'd had some as well.

Jacob raised his coffee cup in greeting before bringing it to his lips and taking a sip. Sebastian took this time to focus on Marcus, who was frowning as if someone had just taken away his favorite teddy bear.

"Why the long face, sweetheart?" Michael questioned, beating Sebastian to the punch. "Mommy tell you Santa isn't real?"

Marcus scowled and pushed a chocolate curl out of his eyes of the same color. "No," he mumbled, playing with the pack of cigarettes in his hand. Marcus may have been a good boy when it came to school, dating, and responsibilities, but his one vice was smoking. "It's worse than that."

"What happened?" Sebastian prompted, signaling to their usual barista to bring him a latte.

Marcus heaved a sigh and settled his hands in his lap. "You remember Zak, right?"

Sebastian had to rack his brain for a moment, but a face finally came to the name. "Zak? Your cousin from California with all the tattoos and so many piercings he could pass for Swiss cheese?"

The curly-haired boy grimaced, his fingers tightening around the pack of smokes. "Yeah. Him."

Sebastian paused when the barista brought his drink, and he slipped her a generous tip as always, causing her to blush. He waited until she was gone before speaking again. "What about him?"

"He's coming to live with us," Marcus revealed. "Apparently his parents couldn't handle him anymore and thought my mother could knock some sense into him."

Jacob let out a bark of laughter, throwing his head back so his long, auburn hair fell away from his forehead. "Yeah, good luck with that. That guy is batshit nuts."

"I don't know," Michael mused. "Victoria could probably handle him. She can instill fear in even the bravest hearts."

Sebastian shuddered at the thought of Marcus's mother. Senator Victoria Patterson ruled her home and represented her state with an iron fist. She was the main reason Marcus had turned out as a practically perfect child, seeing as her only son was too afraid to ever go against her wishes. Sebastian didn't really blame him either. With her power suits and steely glare, even he knew not to get on Senator Patterson's bad side.

"When is he going to be here?" Sebastian questioned, cupping the warm mug in his hands.

"Saturday afternoon." Marcus's look of dissatisfaction remained. "And my mother wants me to bring him to your party so he can make friends."

Sebastian paused before his cup reached his lips, his eyes swinging up sharply. "Who is she to invite someone to my party?"

"The devil," Michael answered, rolling his eyes as he kicked his feet up on the table. "But it doesn't seem like there's anything you can do about this, unless you really want to take it up with Victoria."

Sebastian shut his mouth.

"My thoughts exactly."

Sebastian slouched farther down in his seat. "I swear, if he even considers making a scene, I'm going to-"

The obnoxiously loud chirp of a phone interrupted his threat, and Sebastian shot a glare at its owner. Michael paid the look no mind as he slipped a hand into the pocket of his jeans and produced it a moment later, a loud laugh escaping his lips once he read the text on the screen.

"Oh, that's a good one," he snickered, looking up at Sebastian a few seconds later. "You won't believe who's back."

"Please don't tell me it's some dumb celebrity here to see the president," Marcus groaned. "All those Hollywood assholes just need to stay on the west coast where they belong."

"Nope," Michael replied, fingers flying over the screen. "Guess again."

It was Jacob's turn. "The son of that ambassador who incessantly hit on Sebastian that time at the zoo?"

There was no missing Michael's amusement this time, which was punctuated with a loud snort. "I wish. But no."

Sebastian lazily flipped his friend the finger. "Who is it, Michael?"

Breakfast in the Avilla household was a little more hectic than Taliana remembered. By the time she was up and dressed back in the day, Katherine would have had breakfast made, Charles would be happily sipping his morning coffee, and the twins would either be sitting at the table playing a game or still at a friend's house from the sleepover they'd gone to the night before.

This summer morning, however, was much different.

"Come on, Vanessa! You drank all the orange juice!"

"Charles! Go upstairs and change your pants, they've got syrup on them!"

"Ugh! Mom, this milk went bad days ago!"

"Katherine! You're burning the eggs!"

The sheer volume of the back-and-forth banter coming from the kitchen was what had woken Taliana in the first place, but now that she was standing right outside the doorway, she was convinced her eardrums would burst if she got any closer.

Deciding to risk life and limb, she stepped into the kitchen and took a seat at the kitchen table. In the background she heard Katherine shout good morning over the sound of the television, which was spewing the latest news about the stock market, causing her father to let out a distressed groan every time the Dow dipped further. While Taliana was unsure what all those numbers meant, watching her father's reaction to them was immensely entertaining.

However, her attention quickly shifted when a towering plate of pancakes appeared in front of her.

"Eat!" Katherine mouthed as she ushered the twins into their seats around the table.

Taliana didn't need to be told twice.

A wave of calm washed over the kitchen when the television shut off and her father dropped into the chair on her left.

"Morning," he greeted, reaching out to ruffle Taliana's hair. He then turned his attention to the twins, who were glaring venomously at each other. "Girls? What's the problem?"

Marissa's eyes narrowed a fraction more, but she didn't turn away from her sister as she answered the question. "She's wearing the same outfit as me and refuses to change."

Taliana glanced at them, taking in their matching blue tank tops, miniskirts, and sandals. It looked great on both of them, but it was an outfit Taliana wouldn't have worn in a million years.

"Why should I have to be the one to change?" Vanessa huffed. "I was wearing this first."

"No, you weren't."

"Yes, I was."

"Were not."

"Was, too."

"Were not!"

"Was-"

"Girls!" Charles cut in, putting an end to an argument that was bound to end with hair pulling and screeching. At least that was how it used to end when they were kids. Hopefully they had moved on from that kind of problem solving. "How about you both go change?"

"I shouldn't have to change," Marissa whined, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she finally swung her brown eyes away from her twin. "She's the one who insists on copying me."

"Oh, please. Like I would ever want to copy you."

Marissa opened her mouth to counter the insult, but their father beat her to it. "Both of you change or you're not getting the credit card to go shopping today."

The girls were out of their seats before Taliana could even blink.

"Gets 'em every time," Katherine chuckled. "Think they'll ever learn?"

"Let's hope not," he said, digging into his food. "We won't have anything else to threaten them with if they grow out of it."

She took a seat next to him. "I doubt they ever will. I just hope they don't go overboard like last time."

Her father cringed, remembering a previous disaster. "They were lucky I'd just sealed that deal at work or else they'd be getting jobs to pay off that ten-thousand-dollar credit card bill."

Though Taliana's dad, Katherine, and her mother all came from money and had raised her and the twins with the comfortable lifestyle, Taliana still couldn't comprehend how two sixteen-year-olds could spend that much money in one sitting. She had a hard time paying five bucks for a cup of coffee or over forty for a new pair of jeans.

"Maybe you should go with them, Talia," Katherine suggested. "You could help keep those two in check. Plus, I'm sure you'd like to get out of the house for a little while."

Taliana almost choked on her orange juice. "Yeah, sorry, I'll pass," she answered once she recovered. "Not really my thing."

"Oh, come on. It'll give you a chance to bond with the twins. Plus, it should be fun."

Shopping was not synonymous with fun in Taliana's vocabulary, but the look on Katherine's face was making her feel guilty. "Okay, sure," she agreed hesitantly. "Are they looking for anything in particular?"

"Dresses for some boy's party tomorrow night, I think."

Taliana hadn't even looked at a dress since she'd been zipped up in one of her mother's awful creations a few months ago. Memories of that event made her cling to her comfy athletic shorts and t-shirts for dear life.

"He's not just some guy, Mom," Marissa cut in from the entrance of the kitchen, now sporting a yellow sundress. "He's Sebastian Phillips, the most gorgeous guy, like, ever."

It took a moment for the name to register, but Taliana's eyes widened when it finally did. "Sebastian Phillips?" she asked, having practically forgotten about his existence. "As in the kid who got me expelled from Georgetown Trinity?"

"That's the one!" Vanessa chirped as she breezed in, her outfit modified with a white button-down shirt.

Taliana couldn't help but stare at the girls in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Talia, it's going to be amazing," Marissa went on. "He always goes all out for his parties, but this one is supposed to be the best of the best. I mean, it's Sebastian. What else would you expect?"

She continued to watch them carefully. "I would expect it to be stupid like his birthday party back in fourth grade when he had to invite the entire class, just because his mommy insisted."

Marissa giggled and took her seat again, Vanessa joining her a few seconds later. "I forgot you haven't seen him since you guys were, like, eleven. He's changed."

"A lot," Vanessa added, reaching for a piece of toast. "He's not that scrawny little boy anymore."

"He's hot as hell now."

Taliana didn't believe a word of what they were saying. "Is he still a raging asshole?"

Marissa looked to her twin for help, but Vanessa merely shrugged

"We wouldn't say that," Vanessa murmured, treading carefully. "He's just a little...standoff-ish."

Taliana snorted. A little standoff-ish, her pasty white ass. It had to be ten times worse than that. "Sounds like the same Sebastian to me. You two have fun at the party, though."

Before the girls could get in another word, their father cut in. "Why don't you go too, Talia? There's bound to be people you know there. Go socialize a little."

She shook her head as she took a sip of her juice. "I wasn't invited. I wouldn't want to crash it."

Charles waved it off. "I'm sure it'll be no problem. I know the owner of the club hosting the party. You won't have any issue getting in."

"I don't know..."

"You're going," Vanessa said, an air of finality in her words. "People already know you're back anyway."

Taliana's brow knit together in confusion. "How did they find out?"

Marissa shot her a look. "How do you think?" Suddenly, a sparkly pink phone was being waved in Taliana's face. "News travels fast."

That wasn't surprising. Word of her countless scandals back in California had spread faster than wildfire, causing her to go from practically invisible one day to the top ring of the social echelon at school the next. But that was a whole different story.

"Do you have something to wear to the party?" Vanessa asked, tapping her manicured nails against the table top.

Taliana shrugged. "I'll just wear jeans or something."

The horrified looks on their faces told her she'd just said something wrong.

"Jeans?" Marissa spluttered, obviously repulsed by the choice. "No, no, no. You need to be going all out. Don't half-ass it."

"Give the girl a break," their father cut in, reaching out to pat Taliana's shoulder comfortingly. "She doesn't have to be a fashionista like you two."

"I just don't get it, though!" Marissa exclaimed. "I mean, her mother is the Andrea Colton, aka the hottest designer at the moment. How can you not be into fashion when you come from that kind of greatness?"

Charles shrugged, obviously at a loss as to why Taliana didn't dress as fabulously as her mother. It sort of made her wonder if she was even related to either one of them.

"Whatever." Marissa shook her head, brushing it off. "We'll help you out. Because you can't go to Sebastian's party looking anything like that."

Her eyes disdainfully took in Taliana's outfit of athletic shorts, an oversized white t-shirt, and flip-flops that she'd had forever. Her face was makeup free and her hair was thrown haphazardly into a bun, telling of the fact that she had just rolled out of bed. But obviously, her appearance wasn't up to Marissa's standards.

"Agreed," Vanessa said, taking Taliana in as well. "I think we'll have something good when we're done."

Taliana wasn't sure whether to be excited or scared for her life, but she was leaning more toward the latter for the time being.

The twins glanced at each other before getting up from their seats and motioning for Taliana to join them.

"Let's go," Marissa instructed.

The next thing Taliana knew, she was being shoved into the backseat of Vanessa's car, and before she could even figure out how to get her seatbelt on, they shot away from the curb. Her white-knuckle grip on the seat didn't ease until ten minutes later, when Vanessa swung the car into a parking spot on M Street, the heart of the shopping district in Georgetown. Soon Taliana was being yanked out onto the crowded sidewalk and into a little boutique full of dresses.

"Ooh! That is so cute!"

"Talia, you have to try this one."

"This would look amazing on you!"

"Oh, and this one, too!"

"Go on! What are you waiting for?"

Taliana took a deep breath and let the twins pile things into her arms, heading for the dressing room. So much for a relaxing day.

***

There were numerous anger management techniques out there, many of which had a proven effect on people, but all hope was lost whenever Sebastian Phillips hit that crucial boiling point.

With his jaw set, Sebastian shot a glare across the room at his cousin, whose phone had been buzzing incessantly for what seemed like ages. "Jude, if you don't turn that thing off or answer it in the next two seconds, I'm going to hang you with your stupid tie."

The boy in question merely rolled his eyes, practically immune to Sebastian's threats after so many years. "Touch my tie and you'll get a pair of cement shoes and a bath in the river," Jude calmly shot back, eyes locked on the mirror he was preening in front of.

Clearly, a love of threats ran in the family.

His hand darted out to grab his phone. With a quick glance at the screen, Jude hit a button to silence the noise before tossing it onto the couch where Sebastian sat.

"I wish that girl would stop calling me," he complained, obviously annoyed by her persistence. "Did she not get the message when I told her I wasn't interested in going on a date?"

"Did you tell her why you weren't interested?"

Jude shot him a you must be kidding me look. "Is it wishful thinking that I thought it would have been obvious? I mean, I was literally in the middle of flirting with at least three guys when we met. I even asked her which one she thought was the cutest so I could narrow down my options."

Sebastian snorted, definitely able to imagine his cousin doing that. "Maybe you should have flat out told her you were in the market for a boyfriend," Sebastian suggested dryly, his gaze drifting to the young woman who'd just entered the private room with another pile of clothes for the boys to try on. Well, mainly for Jude.

"You know I'm not looking for commitment right now," Jude said, following Sebastian's gaze to the now blushing girl who dropped the clothes and scurried out of the room. "Just like you, apparently."

A smile tugged on the corners of Sebastian's mouth as he rose from his seat, looking through what the salesgirl had brought in. "No harm in having some fun. So if you can't get that girl off your back, feel free to pass her number on to me."

"You really are the whore of the family."

Shaking his head in amusement, Sebastian glanced at his watch and cursed softly when he realized there was somewhere he needed to be. "I've got to go," he called over his shoulder, snagging his keys off the table before moving toward the exit. "See you at dinner."

"I'll be there," Jude said, continuing to check himself out. "Where are you going anyway?"

"I'm meeting the guys for lunch." He checked his watch one more time, calculating how long it would take to get there. "Then I'm going car shopping with my parents."

Jude managed to look away from the mirror, glancing at Sebastian. "Another car?"

"It's a tradition now. I've been getting cars for my birthday since I turned sixteen."

Jude went back to arranging his shirt once again, unbuttoning a few more buttons to expose his tan chest. "Well, have fun. And please don't buy anything red."

Sebastian shot him a slightly disbelieving look, amused he would even consider that. "Only guys who have to compensate for something drive red cars."

"Last I heard, you needed to do some serious compensating."

"You've been chatting up the wrong girls, Jude," he laughed, moving toward the door. "Pick me something to wear for the party, would you? I don't have enough time to do it myself. After I escape my parents, I have to go down to the club and finalize some things for tomorrow."

"Fine, fine." He turned toward Sebastian again and shooed him with one hand. "Now, get out of here, you spoiled brat."

Sebastian lazily lifted a hand in goodbye. "I owe you one, Jude."

Turning once more, he left the private room and started toward the front of the store, but not before hearing Jude mutter, "More like a thousand."

Finally stepping outside, Sebastian dodged the hordes as he made the two-block trek to Café Tehran. Most tourists stayed away from its grungy looking exterior and painted windows, which made it the perfect hideaway. The comforting scent of spices greeted him as he entered and made his way up the spiral staircase to the second floor of the restaurant, quickly finding his friends at one of the tables and sliding onto the bench next to Michael.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized, but no one seemed to have noticed, seeing as Marcus had slid so far down in his seat that he almost disappeared under the table. Sebastian glanced at his friend, slightly concerned about his wellbeing. "You all right? You look like shit."

"I had a rough night," Marcus mumbled.

Michael's eyebrows shot up, suddenly interested. "Oh? Care to spare any details?"

Marcus rolled his eyes. "It's nothing good, trust me. Zak got in early and my mother was obviously unprepared for another teenager to enter her home. Especially one like him."

A grunt came from Jacob's direction. "Where is he now?"

"At home." Marcus sighed in relief, sitting up some. "I somehow managed to get out of taking him around with me today, though we'll see for how long."

As if on cue, his phone rang.

Marcus let out a loud groan, and Sebastian knew it had to be Senator Patterson. "Hello?" Marcus answered hesitantly, pausing momentarily as the woman spoke. "Are you serious? Come on, why can't someone else show him around?"

Michael and Sebastian exchanged amused glances, both knowing their friend's good luck never lasted long.

"I know you have to go to work, but-Mommy, please." He paused again, brown eyes widening in shock. "He did what? What is he, a fucking pyromaniac or something?" A sudden blush consumed his face as he ducked his head. "I know, I know, I'm sorry... It's not like I have much of a choice, do I?"

Struggling to contain his laughter, Sebastian continued to watch as Marcus pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Fine. We're at Café Tehran. Drop him off on your way back to the Capitol." Without a goodbye, Marcus hung up and grimaced. "My mom is making us look after Zak for the afternoon."

"Look after him?" Michael questioned. "Isn't he our age?"

"Yeah, but he gets into trouble-a lot of it," Marcus explained. "He 'accidentally' lit a houseplant on fire today. Apparently, he thought it would make a good hiding spot for a joint. My mother is livid."

"Considering Senator Patterson's political track record on drugs, that's not surprising," Michael snickered. "Can't have her looking like a hypocrite."

Marcus shot him a venomous look. "Go to hell."

In typical Michael fashion, he blew a kiss to his offended friend and grinned as if he'd done nothing wrong.Marcus, however, was having none of it. "I'll be back," he announced, getting up and stalking out of the room.Sebastian glanced at his best friend, a silent now look what you've done look, before sliding off the bench and following Marcus downstairs. Sebastian caught up with him outside, where he was attempting to light a cigarette."Those'll kill you eventually, you know," Sebastian pointed out as he approached, though his words had no true warning in them.The shorter boy didn't respond until he'd taken a long drag. "Thanks for the concern." He sighed, tilting his head back and letting a curl of smoke escape his lips. "But Zak will probably kill me before these do."Together, they sat on a nearby bench, watching the bumper-to-bumper traffic slowly inch down the street. Though his posture was relaxed, Sebastian could tell his friend was seething, something he didn't see too often from Marcus. Clearly Zak had rubbed him the wrong way, but Marcus wasn't alone in that.Zak was Sebastian's polar opposite. Sure, they both had attitude problems, Sebastian wouldn't deny that, but that was where the similarities ended. Zak was an edgy little shitlord who dressed in all black and was covered in tattoos, while Sebastian looked like a walking Brooks Brothers ad from the moment he rolled out of bed in the morning. Zak had the appeal of any trashy rock star in the making, but Sebastian reeked of old money. Anyone could have seen they were born to butt heads.

Marcus groaned a few minutes later, flicking his cigarette onto the ground and snubbing it out with the heel of his shoe. "Crap, here he comes."In a town like this, it wasn't hard to pick Zak Huntington out of a crowd. He looked no different from the last time Sebastian had seen him a few years ago, except his hair was a little longer and hid those soulless eyes.Sebastian slowly rose to his feet as Zak approached, listening to the curses Marcus was muttering under his breath. "Huntington," he greeted with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's been a while."Zak had the decency to at least give him a curt nod. "Phillips," he murmured. "It hasn't been long enough.""I could say the same." Without another glance in Zak's direction, Sebastian turned to Marcus and fished his car keys out of his pocket, not wanting to suffer through any more time with Zak. "I've gotta go. You two have fun."Though there was no missing the glare from Marcus, Sebastian smiled as he walked away, silently thanking the universe for blessing him with a well-dressed, flamboyant narcissist for a cousin instead of a demon like Zak. But he had a feeling said demon was about to bring more drama to their lives than Jude ever could. Sebastian just hoped they were all ready for it.

"Hold still, Taliana! You're gonna make me mess this up!"Taliana bit back a scream and slapped Marissa's hand away from her face. The tweezers that had been grasped in her fingers a moment earlier went flying across the room, landing softly on the bed where Taliana hoped they'd stay. When she'd agreed to let the twins help her get ready for Sebastian's party, she never thought it would involve this kind of torture.Vanessa, who'd moved quickly to avoid losing an eye to said tweezers, threw up her hands. "Stop being such a baby," she chided, shooting Taliana a glare as she snatched them up again. "Plucking your eyebrows doesn't hurt.""It does when she's doing it," Taliana whined, rubbing one of her throbbing brows."Oh, just hold still."Taliana winced but obeyed, inhaling sharply as Vanessa ripped out another hair. If it hadn't been for the fact that the twins didn't want her showing up to the party with them looking like a slob, they probably wouldn't have bothered with any of this. Part of her wished she had just refused to go, but it was too late now.She'd already gone through the pain of having her hair combed and straightened; her nails clipped, filed, and painted blood-red; and her skin exfoliated and buffed so many times that she wondered if she actually had any left. Taliana would be damned if she didn't go to this party, even if was in honor of her sworn enemy's birthday.Plus, if she had anything to do with it, he wouldn't be celebrating many more.What seemed like an eternity later, Vanessa put down the tweezers, and Marissa held up a mirror so Taliana could see what they'd done."Thanks," she grudgingly admitted as she took in her reflection. "You did a good job.""Don't thank us yet," Vanessa said. "We're not anywhere close to being done."Taliana's eyes made their way to the clock on the dresser, the display flashing the current time of eight fifty-five. "You do know we're going to be late, right?""We know," Marissa said patiently as she grabbed a tube of lipstick and proceeded to assault Taliana with it. "We'll be fashionably late."Taliana waited until she moved the dangerous red substance away from her face before speaking again. "Yeah, well, it's kind of seeming like we're going to fashionably miss the party.""Oh, relax." Vanessa glanced at Taliana before handing her twin something that looked suspiciously like a pencil. "For a girl who supposedly doesn't want to go to this party, you seem pretty eager to get there.""I'm just ready to get out of this dress," Taliana grumbled, tugging at the indecently high hemline of her tight black dress as Marissa came close to stabbing her eye with that pencil. "And don't get me started on these shoes."Taliana tried to glance down at the pumps, but she was slapped not-so-gently before she could do it. "Look up," Marissa snapped. "Don't make me mess this up or you're going to look like a raccoon."That was enough to get Taliana to comply.Another twenty minutes and a bit of squirming later, Taliana was looking a lot like that girl in the Colton Couture ad, though she still refused to admit it was her."Wow," she mumbled, at a loss for words as she stared at herself in the mirror. "This is...wow.""I know, right?" Vanessa grinned and reached up to brush a stray lock of hair out of Taliana's eyes. "You look amazing."She tried hard not to blush but failed miserably. Honestly, she wouldn't have minded looking like this all the time if it didn't take so much effort."Oh, I almost forgot!" Marissa snatched something off the dresser. "Put this on."Taliana's eyes dropped to her outstretched hand, newly tamed brows shooting up when she saw her mother's diamond ring in Marissa's palm."Where'd you find that?" Taliana questioned, frowning as she slid it onto the middle finger of her right hand. The stone was so big it almost felt like she was wearing a weapon."I saw it when you were unpacking earlier," she answered, picking up her peachy pink lip gloss and applying a coat. "Where'd you get it from?""It's a Colton family heirloom," Taliana explained as she ran her fingers over its many facets. "The women in my family have been passing this thing down for generations. Now it's my turn to have it.""I love that," Vanessa said. "And it's the perfect finishing touch for your outfit."She was right. The massive diamond glittered under the lights, and Taliana couldn't deny she felt glamorous as hell wearing it. If the twins wanted her to go all out, this was certainly the way to do it.There was a flurry of action after Taliana slipped on the diamond, and somehow, she ended up downstairs with the twins ushering her toward the front door."Mom! Dad! We're leaving!" Marissa shouted over her shoulder as she wrenched open the door."See you later, girls!" Katherine called from the living room. "Have fun!""Be home by midnight!" Charles added.They shouted their goodbyes and stepped out of the house, once again piling into Vanessa's car. The drive to the club was short, but the line to get in went down the block and wrapped around the corner. The twins didn't even seem to notice though, and if they had, they were choosing to ignore it. Taliana followed like a lost puppy as they went up to the velvet ropes, flashed a smile at the bouncers, and strolled right inside. There were a few cries of protest as they entered since they'd skipped the line completely, but Taliana put her head down and hustled in behind them.The club was packed, and flashing, colorful strobe lights illuminated the space. Most people were pressed up against each other on the dance floor, and nearly every seat at the large bar off to the left was taken. As far as Taliana could tell, the lounge to the right was at capacity as well. She had to grudgingly admit that Sebastian had to be pretty damn popular to invite this many people.Taliana glanced up briefly to the glass-enclosed second floor, which was host to the VIP room and overlooked the dance floor. Though she could barely see inside, she assumed Sebastian and his close friends were up there, and she hoped that was where they were going to stay. The crush of people made her relax slightly, since that made the chances of her running into the birthday boy about a thousand to one.Taliana looked to her left to say something to Vanessa, but to her surprise, neither she nor her twin were anywhere to be found. Damn it. Had they seriously abandoned her five seconds into being there?Taliana began searching for them, growing more and more desperate by the minute, but she couldn't seem to find the platinum-haired girls anywhere. After ten minutes of weaving her way through the packed club, she gave up and plopped down at the bar. If she hadn't found them by now, she probably wasn't going to see them for the rest of the night.Part of her considered leaving-what was the point of being here if she didn't know anyone? It wasn't like she was going to have fun just sitting alone. But another part was determined to stay and make the best of it. She wasn't about to let the twins' efforts to make her look halfway decent go to waste.So with a huff, she turned to the bartender and shouted her drink order over the music. The man set it down in front of her shortly after, and she was surprised-and a little impressed-that they were actually serving alcohol to what looked to be mostly minors. Sebastian had, apparently, done something right for once.She downed the rum and coke in a few sips and ordered another as soon as she could snag the bartender's attention again. She sipped that one a little slower, knowing she'd be drunk off her ass in no time. Her friends back in LA had always called her a lightweight, but hey, why not enjoy the free booze? It was all on her enemy's dime, after all.Drink in hand, she turned away from the bar and surveyed the crowd, trying to see if she could spot any familiar faces. She wasn't really expecting to considering she'd been gone for years, but she figured it was worth a shot.And then she saw him.Either Taliana was hallucinating or she was already drunker than she thought, but standing less than fifteen feet away with his arm around some random brunette and his eyes locked on Taliana was the last person she wanted to see.Surprisingly, it wasn't Sebastian Phillips.She sat frozen in her seat as she watched Zak Huntington shove the girl away, not noticing the dirty look she gave him in response. Even if he had noticed, he probably wouldn't have cared.It wasn't like he had a heart.Zak had been the driving force behind her sudden departure from LA, the reason she'd decided she needed to start fresh. Taliana's unfortunate one year of involvement with him had resulted in her being arrested for various crimes, nearly being expelled from yet another private school, losing her virginity in the backseat of his Bentley, and ultimately getting her heart shattered when she found him sleeping with her supposed best friend.To put it lightly, Zak had kind of ruined her life, and now there he was, prepared to ruin it again.There was no way in hell Taliana was going to let that happen. He had put her under his spell once, but she wasn't naïve enough to fall for it this time. Even though he'd used her in every way possible, he'd still taught her a few life lessons. But as valuable as those lessons had been, she wasn't up for being taught any more.Shooting out of her seat, Taliana pushed her way through the crowd until she could no longer see him. With a heavy sigh, she leaned against the wall, letting her head fall back against it.This party suddenly didn't seem like much fun anymore.***"Want to dance, birthday boy?"Sebastian's gaze drifted up to the girl standing in front of him, her sultry voice sounding more like desperation to his ears."I'll pass," he murmured, lazily shooing her away.Shrugging, she straightened back up and wiggled off to find her next victim in the spacious VIP lounge.Sebastian grabbed a flute of champagne off the table next to his oversized velvet armchair, already bored. In a few seconds he'd downed its contents and was attempting to find a server to bring him another."You trying to get blackout?" someone teased from beside him.Sebastian slowly shifted his gaze to where Michael was sitting. In his hands were two more glasses of champagne, and Sebastian wasted no time taking one."You encouraging it?" He laughed and brought the glass to his lips. When it was gone, he motioned to a passing server for a refill."Maybe. You're a lot more fun that way." Michael slowly sipped from his own drink as he gave Sebastian a looking over. "Come on, you're acting like a high-strung little shit. This party is for you! You need to stop sitting around looking miserable." He tipped his glass toward his friend before downing its contents and rising from his seat. "But you know what? Follow me."He then turned away and started down the stairs leading to the main club, leaving Sebastian to decide if he wanted to follow, but soon he was on his feet as well. He caught up with Michael at the bottom of the staircase, taking in the boy's devilish grin as he spread his arms wide, motioning to the mass of people in front of them.Sebastian had to admit, things were a hell of a lot more interesting down here, and he couldn't help but smile. He had avoided coming down into the chaos earlier, not wanting to get swept up in it, but maybe that was exactly what he needed.Michael clapped a hand on Sebastian's back before leading him over to the bar. They settled into seats and took in the club, and as Sebastian waited for his drink, he had to admit, it looked like he had pulled everything off.He took a moment to admire the girls all around them, smirking as his eyes drifted over their bare limbs and glistening skin, but Michael seemed too preoccupied with staring at a set of blonde twins to even notice the other girls Sebastian pointed out.Sebastian laughed. "Having fantasies about the Avilla twins again, Michael?""How could I not? Doesn't every guy fantasize about a set of gorgeous twins?""Not really my thing." Still, he gave Michael a hard slap on the back. "But if it's yours..."Michael's grin was brilliant in the darkness. "Hell yes, it is." Soon he was shoving his half-full drink into Sebastian's hand and pushing away from the bar. "Don't expect to see me for the rest of the night."Considering the challenge Michael was about to take on, Sebastian expected to see his friend back there in no time. Still, he wasn't about to sit at the bar alone all night. Michael was right, he should be out there enjoying himself.Sebastian made his way into the crowd, greeting people as he went, but it didn't take long before he was bored again. With a sigh, he made his way back to the stairs that led to the VIP lounge, the only haven in the loud club. The shock of the strobe lights was giving him a headache, but judging from the fact that he was the only one sulking on the outskirts of the dance floor, everyone else was having the time of their lives. Too bad he couldn't say the same.And then he saw her.