I sit on the balcony of my one-bedroom apartment just staring out at the beautiful sunset sky. The soft breeze feels amazing in this Las Vegas heat. Before long, it's dark out and the lights from the High Roller are brighter than ever.

The Las Vegas strip is coming to life once again. I'm not into the whole gambling or party scene. I prefer staying in and reading a good book or watching Netflix. Call me boring but I'd much rather be safe than sorry especially when it comes to alcohol, drugs, and whatever else goes down here in "sin city". I've always been what most might perceive as a "good girl." I've never done anything bad in my life.

It may seem weird for someone like me to be living in such a party city but I have my reasons for living here. Well, two reasons actually. The first one is my best friend, Mel. She and I are as thick as thieves. We have known each other since freshman year of high school. I remember the first time I saw her. I was sitting in the cafeteria with my friends talking about our first day when in walks this gorgeous blonde with black cowboy boots.

Everyone was whispering all around about what she was wearing. This girl didn't have a care in the world about looking different. Clearly, she was not from Los Angeles. She had a brown bag lunch and was looking around for a place to sit. I got up from our table to introduce myself. I know what being the new girl is like and I wanted to make her feel welcomed.

From that day forward, we were inseparable. Amelia Benson, or Mel as she likes to be called, became my closest confidant. We are total opposites but somehow we just click. She has bleach blonde hair, blue eyes, fair-skinned and is about 5'8. I'm dark-haired with hazel eyes, tanned skin and is very petite at only 5'2. She loves to have fun and let loose while I'm more conservative and prefer the quiet.

She has been trying for years to get me out of my shell and has successfully done that once by making me get a tattoo when we first moved out. One week here and I now sport a heart and flower tattoo on my right shoulder. However, she has failed in getting me to go to clubs.

"Cmon, Nia! We're 21 now! It's like a right of passage to go out and get drunk now that we're legal!" she had told me on a few days after my birthday.

"No way! You know I hate that type of stuff."

"I don't get why. You're so pretty and you could honestly pull off any hot outfit and we could totally have fun on the strip."

I roll my eyes at her. She just doesn't understand that I have no interest in drinking and partying. It has nothing to do with how I look. I know I'm pretty and that guys check me out all of the time but I just don't care to flaunt that around.

My other reason for being here is my boyfriend Carter Montgomery. We've been together since jr high after so many years of being just friends. We grew up together and have been friends since practically birth. Weirdly enough, we're only 2 days apart. To this day, we still believe our mothers somehow planned it out that way.

Carter is the quarterback at UNLV. He got a full ride to go here and so I applied along with Mel and now Las Vegas has been our home for the past two years. We're currently juniors, Carter majoring in kinesiology, Mel in art history, and me in Psychology.

Since being out here, Carter and Mel have become closer since they both have the party streak. I don't mind when they hang out on the strip and at parties because I at least know they're safe. I know most people wouldn't be that trusting especially with a guy like Carter.

Carter is the big man on campus. Practically the whole school knows who he is. There is always a girl wanted to get with him but he shuts that down real quick. I don't blame other girls for throwing themselves at him. He's pretty hot with his brown, boyish hair, grey eyes, 6'2 frame, tan and toned body and a smile that could melt anyone's heart.

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Carter can act like a douche, I mean what guy doesn't have that side to them? But I truly know him and I know the softer side he has. He's absolutely sweet, understanding and I know I can trust him. It also helps that after a night out, he always comes back to stay the night with me.

I may be a nice girl but even I have needs. I love Carter and I know he loves me so having sex felt like a normal thing. He has never pressured me into doing anything I don't want to do and that just makes me fall for him even more.

Just like clockwork, at around 1 AM, I hear someone at the door. I laugh as I hear Carter's voice as he cusses and fumbles with the lock. Eventually, he gets the door open and smiles as soon as he sees me.

I get up from the couch and hug him tightly.

"Mmm, I missed you," he says into my hair.

I smile, "I missed you too."

He lifts me up with ease and makes our way to the couch. He sits down and places me in his lap. I have my legs on either side of his and straddle him.

"How was your night?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Not bad, we all just hit a frat party so it was just pretty much the usual drunk people hanging out."

"And Mel?"

"She was there too. I made sure to walk her back to her apartment to make sure she got home safe."

I smile. Carter is such a gentleman.

He closes his eyes and I run my hands through his hair. I lean down and kiss his lips softly then make my way down to his neck. I bite down softly, sucking on his skin. He lets out a soft moan letting me know he's enjoying this.

We make out for a little while before Carter lifts me up yet again and walks us to the bedroom. He lays me down on the bed and hovers over me as he kisses me hard. Soon our clothes are off and he's inside me.

The only thing I hate about his drunk nights is how quick the sex is. I'm not saying the sex is bad but I usually feel a little frustrated after because it doesn't last as long as when he's sober. Within a few minutes, Carter is lying next to me asleep. I go to the bathroom and take a quick shower before getting back into bed and cuddling up to my snoring boyfriend.

The next day, I'm sitting at a frozen yogurt shop with Mel, listening to her talk about the party last night. I sit there eating my yogurt and pretending to listen. After a while, it gets boring when Mel talks about her partying but I've learned to block out most and listen just enough to make it look like I'm paying attention. It's a gift really.

We get interrupted by a few guys who ask us for our numbers. Mel gives them hers and makes them leave before they even have a chance to ask for mine again.

"So, you're going to the game on Saturday, right?"

"Well, my boyfriend is the quarterback so I kind of have to be there."

She nods her head. "Right. What about after? You should come out with us."

I sigh. "Not this again. You already know my answer to that."

"Stop being such a party pooper!" she says a little too loud. A few heads turn and look at us. She looks around silently apologizing to them and gets up.

"I'll be right back but this conversation isn't over."

I roll my eyes and go back to eating my fro-yo. As she walks to the bathroom, her phone goes off. Taylor Swift's "Shake it off" starts blaring. I reach for her phone to silent it surprised it's not on vibrate since she usually has it on that setting. I don't mean to look at the message on the screen but when I do, I'm in shock.

It's her old roommate Rachel, who I've never gotten along with, asking why Mel didn't call her earlier. She ends the text with "You better not be too busy making out with Carter!"

What the hell? As I'm about to silent the phone and put it back down, it goes off again. This time "Stay" by Sugarland starts playing. It's the chorus and the next verse that I know so well that catches my eye.

"Why don't you stay?

I'm down on my knees

I'm so tired of bein' lonely

Don't I give you what you need?

When she calls you to go

There is one thing you should know

We don't have to live this way

Baby, why don't you stay?You keep tellin' me, baby

There will come a time

When you will leave her arms

And forever be in mine

But I don't think that's the truth

And I don't like bein' used, and I'm tired of waitin'It's too much pain to have to bear

To love a man you have to share..."

I finally look at the name of who is texting her and almost drop the phone. Carter? What the fuck is going on? Why does she have that song set as his ringtone? I read his message and my heart stops.

"Hey baby, sorry I couldn't stay last night. I'll see you tonight though. Wear that outfit that I like so much."

Baby? Baby?!?! Oh. My. God.

My best friends are sneaking around behind my back.