//I swore I'd never fall again, but this don't even feel like falling. Gravity can't forget to pull back to the ground again// Beyoncé Knowles.

"What do you think?" Bella asked Daniel beside her. They stood, hands folded on their chest comically and stared down at the flower arrangement on their living room centre table like it was an alien head that didn't belong there.

Daniel was in a faded blue denim and a black wife beater while Bella wore a knee length shapeless cream coloured dress with 'you can seat with us' written on the front.

"It's tulips," Daniel started, crooking his head to one side in further examination. "It's a cherry blossom pink, it's beautiful,"

"Wow genius, what else am I missing? The cute little bowtie on it?" She asked sarcastically. "I mean, who would send me flowers without their name?" Or who would send her flowers at all, period.

She and Daniel had been playing scrabbles when the delivery came and she had told the guy he probably had the wrong address but he insisted the flowers were for 'Ms Isabella Wright' and well, she was the only one with that name on the block.

"Iverson obviously," Daniel said and the butterflies in her stomach soared higher, she'd thought so too. She can't deny how things had shifted between them since Claire's birthday and her drunken escapade exactly a week ago. Seriously, just the day before, they had a really nasty water and flour fight, it took them three hours to get the kitchen back in order before Daniel returned from Cynthia's.

She still found it hard to control the heat that washes over her whenever she remembered how close they got to kissing the other day before his burger and chips order arrived and ruined the moment. Though they've had many opportunities to get right back to it, Iverson didn't seem so keen anymore and it wasn't for lack of encouragement on her side, it was all she could do before kiss-attacking him herself.

Earlier that morning also, he'd asked if she would be free to come with him somewhere later in the day. Though he didn't say where, the flowers were surely pointing the direction of a date and she began to wonder if she should break his heart easily or go the humiliating way he did hers in highschool.

But there was also the question of if she genuinely want to break his heart at all.

"Or," she snapped out of her thought and turned to Daniel at his hesitant tone.

"Is there someone else you've been sleeping with that I should know off?"

"Daniel!" She gasped, instantly turning a deeper shade of pink.

"What? You don't think I know he's been sneaking out of our room into yours every night in the past week?"

"Crap." She twirled around on the spot in absolute embarrassment. "That's not what is going on. I'm not having séx with him!"

"Woah, I didn't mention séx, did I?" Daniel replied with a mischievous smile. "I mean it's cool if you're having séx, I do too and I'm not gonna be a hypocrite about it. Séx is good as long as you're protected and having it at the right time and with the right person.."

"Nooo." She groaned, covering her heated face. "We just sleep together because we discovered this theory, that I sleep better with someone by my side and..."

"What else have you discovered? That he has masters in bedmatic?" Daniel teased, wrinkling his brows and she smacked his shoulder.

He grabbed her hand before she could make a run for it, twisted it around playfully and pulled her back into his chest. He lifted her clear in the air by the waist and she shrieked, kicking her legs in her air, she laughed and tried breaking free.

"What's going on here?" Iverson voice cut their whirling around short and Daniel instantly let go of her, their laughter dying down awkwardly. Bella smoothen her dress, hoping she didn't flash him when he entered, and why does he look so irritated?

"We were just talking about you and the flowers." Daniel said to fill the silence.

"What flowers? Where did those came from?" There was an ice to his tone that made Daniel raised a brow at him and Bella looked everywhere but at the guy who made her heart flutter so.

"You didn't send them?" Daniel asked and the confusion and anger on Iverson's face only deepened. If not Iverson then who sent the flowers?

He looked at Bella and saw the disappointment in her eyes before she suddenly perked up.

"Whoever sent them just won my heart. They're so beautiful." She cooed and picked it up tenderly. "Classic, they came in a glass vase, with this beautiful bowtie on it, they are also cherry blossom pink." She added, caressing the petals.

Daniel snorted, he didn't know what she was playing at but because he could sense Iverson's stress level mounting by the second and the scowl on his face was amusing to watch, he decided to play along with Bella.

"I agree." Daniel said. "Whoever sent that have a good head on their shoulder, tulips are your favourite and the cool colour suits you perfectly."

"Right!?" She beamed at him. "Take my picture with it Daniel," she made a kissing face at the flowers. "I want to remember this moment forever and I want Claire and Jenna to see." She said and Daniel started looking around for his phone or hers.

"Oh please," Iverson finally took the bait. "They are just flowers, nothing special about them. They grow in people's backyard and on the side walks, it might look pretty now but in a day or two it will wither and die, if you refuse to throw it away then, it will smell and it will only get worse, then you'll hate it."

They both stared dumbfounded at him, Daniel more surprised because he had never heard Iverson being so negative and bitter before.

"What?" He snapped at them before practically stomping out of the room.

Daniel exchanged a look with Bella and they both giggled quietly behind him. "What did you do that for?" Daniel asked later. "How much of these are you faking Bella?" He added.

"I don't know what you are talking about." She said astutely, placing the flower on the television and then stepped back to examine it.

Daniel sighed and folded his arms again. "Be careful Bella, revenge is like fighting fire with a two edged sword, if the fire doesn't burn you, your own sword could hurt you too."

"Being there, done that." She replied monotonously, picked the flower off the television and set it back on the centre table.

"Let the past go love, Iverson is not faking you know? He clearly didn't send the flowers but he already asked me if I was okay with him dating you and it doesn't take a genius to see how jealous he was right now. He really cares for you."

"He's in for a shock then, isn't he?" She quickly turned on her heels and walked away from Daniel. As ecstatic as she would have been with the knowledge that he wanted to date her, she knew at the back of her mind that it was simply because Jasmine was no longer in his life. She wasn't worth dating in highschool when she had freely gave him her heart and he had told her so explicitly.

Jasmine was good and you weren't worth shít.

And now suddenly, he has seen the light?

**

"I'm in the car with you, just tell me where we are going already." Bella complained again, a while after she left the house with Iverson to their unknown destination.

"I won't say I'm underdress as you are not fancily dressed yourself." She eyed his black Ralph Lauren polo shirt and khaki trouser while she had opted for the same trouser she wore to Claire's birthday but paired it with a black round neck.

"I hope we are not going to eat, because I'm not hungry."

"We are not going to eat, just relax, we are almost there." He said calmly, with a smile.

Bella sighed into her seat and looked out the window. She became so irritated after her talk with Daniel that she didn't even know how to feel, a part of her was trilled with going out with Iverson while the other part was just too upset to enjoy it.

"Blue." Iverson called quietly and she looked back into the car but not at him. "Give me your hand." He requested, opening his on the console.

Bella shook her head. "No thanks, I like them were they are." She said, pressing them further between her thighs before they'll go against her will.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Iverson sighed in resignation. "The flowers are lovely and I feel like an àss for going off like that."

"You are an àss." She mumbled. "But it's okay, your opinion doesn't matter to me, especially when I know you are just being jealous."

Iverson laughed and stopped at a red light. "Am I?" He asked, reaching across to tickle her. "How can you tell?"

She glared at him and tried not to laugh as she wriggled around in the seat and he kept tickling her, repeating "how can you tell." She caved in and bursted into laughs, freeing her hands to fend him off but that was exactly what he wanted, he caught one of her hands and interlock their fingers before joining the road again.

A giddy feeling overpowered her irritation and she did nothing to fight the goofy smile that splitted her face to match his.

"We are here." He announced a moment later and slowly brought the car to a stop.

Bella looked to her side, where Iverson's eyes was glued and then looked around her surroundings with a frown.

"I don't understand." She said.

He turned slightly and grab her hand in both of his. "Blue, Dan told me why you cut your hair and I..."

"So you brought me shopping?" She cut him off, looking even more surprised after the words left her mouth.

He doesn't make hating him easy, that guy and even her plans aside, she couldn't simply just let him buy her things? Destroying her clothes had been a major stupidity on her part.

"I didn't quite bring you shopping, we are just going to pick a few things to replace some of the ones you tore that's all. I know I can't give you your hair back but you don't look any less stunning with the bob." He smiled.

She blushed at the compliment and tried to withdraw her hand but he held on tight. "Iverson, I can't possibly let you buy me clothes..."

"Why not? Would you rather I ask Claire for help, and we would just buy any and everything she thinks you'll like?"

She couldn't help but smiled with him, Claire will surely have a field day with that and she'd also get another reason to pledge allegiance to Iverson.

But truth be told, most of the things Bella destroyed were old anyway and were also from fleets, where he brought her was posh and out of her league.

She looked at the boutique again and both the 'American dream' and 'Ivy clothing' on the glass door scared the shít out of her.

"How can you even afford anything here? You are supposed to be a broke guy."

"I'm not broke." Iverson laughed and got out of the car. "There's a difference between being poor and being broke." He said when he opened her door and offered her a hand to step down but she shrink back from him. "I have no problem carrying you inside, if that's what you want?" His breathe fanned her face as he leaned down to undo her seatbelt.

"Iverson, you really don't have to do this. This place look hella expensive."

"Would it make you feel better if I tell you I have a discount voucher?"

"How did you get it?"

"Come on, I'll tell you inside." He offered her a hand again and she reluctantly accepted it. The glass door slid open at their approach and Iverson placed a gentle hand on the small of her back to guide her in first.

She felt giddy again, maybe it was his touch or the clearly expensive air in the shop.

"Hey girls." Iverson greeted.

"Hey Ivers." Three voices chorused back from different angles. Bella looked around at their pretty faces in surprise before turning to face Iverson behind her.

"Let me guess, you and some friends founded here too."

He chuckled and let go of her. "No actually, I work here."

"You work here." Bella repeated, the doubt clear on her face and voice.

He smiled and steered her towards a rack. "Pick anything you'll like to try on, the changing room is over there and I can get one of the girls to help you if you like."

"Is this a joke? Or a prank perhaps?" Bella asked sceptically, looking around at all the sophisticated clothes. "How do you work here?"

"My sister owns the place. Remember Ivory? I uhm, sort of work for her." He looked away from her, with a telltale pink on his cheeks. Was Iverson blushing?

Bella's frown deepened, there wasn't much she remembered of 'Ivory' aside the fact that it was his sister's name and he'd mentioned it a lot in the past. She didn't even know what the Ivory looked like because she was three years older than Iverson and had left Kadeville for Los Angeles since she was like fourteen.

She tentatively browsed through the rack of clothes. "Where is your sister now? And how will she feel about you bringing random girls to raid her shop?"

"You are only one I've brought here and you're not random." He said and took a step closer to her. "Like I said, I work for her so I have a pretty good discount on her shíts, which I've never used before. Believe me she'd be annoyingly ecstatic."

"What exactly do you do for her?" Bella asked, picking a sea blue chiffon-like dress from the rack, smiling at the sensual texture of it to the touch. So soft, smooth and silky, she placed it on her chest and examined the length that dropped just above her knees. It'll be impossible to wear that and not feel darn sexy.

She discreetly put it back and moved forward when she saw the prize tag on it. Her phone and dead laptop combined cost less.

"She's in LA, so I check in and supervise the staffs for her. I also model for her occasionally, although to her chagrin I don't like to have my face shown." Iverson said, casually taking the dress back out, he could already picture her in it.

"Model!" Bella awed and he slightly blushed again. "Your sister have her own clothing line?"

"Yes, maybe you've heard of her? Marie Ivy, she owns Ivy clothing. Apparently Ivory Benson isn't catchy a name enough for the industry."

"Holy shít!" Bella exclaimed loudly, drawing the attention of the staffs and some other shoppers but she hardly noticed.

"Get out of here! Your sister is Marie Ivy, one of Victoria secrets best top models with roughly 50 million Instagram followers, part time actress and face of hundreds of hair and facial products, started her own clothing line three years ago after she broke off her engagement with that wrestler, she got herself a black and white Labrador and named it 'Nivera' because her brother used to call her that when they were growing up?"

Iverson stared perplexed at her as she rambled on, even he didn't know half of the things she just mentioned, except for the dog.

"Wait." Bella gasped, her eyes widening incredulously and Iverson stopped breathing. "Marie Ivy is also one of Taylor Swift's best friend and if Taylor and Harry Styles have dated before that means your sister have seen, spoken and touched him. Oh my God, Iverson, you are family with someone who have touched Harry! Oh my God." Her anxiety kicked in and she started full on sobbing, Iverson took a terrified step back and looked around at the surprise and equally confused eyes staring at them.

"She probably just," Bella choked on her tears. "casually, unappreciatively have his number on her phone and she won't even call him because she has nothing to say to him..."

"Blue," Iverson gently placed a hand on her shoulder, at a real lost of words for the first time in his life. He looked around the shop helplessly again and spoke with the first staff he met eyes with. "Is the changing room free?"

"A is free." The girl nodded. "Can I get you anything?"

"A bottle of water please." He replied and picked Bella off of her feet, everyone watched on as he carried her to the changing room.

"Breathe through it baby, you are fine." He cajoled, gently setting her down on the lone bean bag in the room and threw the dress in his arm on the bench across. "Don't hold back but keep breathing." He kissed her temple before going for the bottled water he requested and came back to squat beside her with a box of Kleenex.

"I'm not always like this." Bella gasped for air and pulled out several tissues. "It just that, you have the phone number of someone who have the phone number of Harry Styles and it's probably the closest I'll ever get to him, I just need a moment to get over that." She wiped her eyes and obnoxiously blew her nose.

"Take all the time you need babe, I understand you." He assured her, uncapping the bottled water for her.

No, he didn't really understand but it sounded like a big deal so he just went with it. "Do you want to leave and come back some other time? We can take that today," he pointed at the dress he threw on the bench. "I think it would be a perfect fit and if not, we'll just return it later."

She nodded and blew her nose again. If he felt gross out, he didn't show it. "Is Marie Ivy following you on Instagram?"

"I'm not on Instagram." He replied and she broke into fresh sobs.

They waited until she was relatively calmed enough to leave the shop, she felt too embarrassed to look any of the staffs in the face that she walked close by Iverson and hid her face with his arm. He had laughed and hugged her to his chest as he said his goodbyes.

From there, he took her to play giant beer pong, only instead of the beer, they stuffed their faces with cone ice creams. The idea was to get one of them really sick until they can't walk and so far, Iverson was the victim.

"I see you mean business." He said after her third win and his third cone ice cream. He bounced the ball all around himself, familiarising with it after such a long time he'd touch any type of balls. Pun not intended.

"I miss you too baby, don't let me down. We can't let her win now can we? Let's show her what it took to be a captain." He rolled the ball up his thigh, then used his stomach to passed it to his head.

"Show off." Bella rolled her eyes as he nodded the ball a few times before bouncing it on the floor again, he went in circled around her and threw the ball over her head from behind. They both watched it travelled smoothly into the very last bucket.

"Yasss!" Iverson shouted in excitement, then started the 'hotline bling' dance move in jubilation. Bella bit half of her ice cream and smashed the rest on his head to end his smugness.

"You didn't just do that! This is war." Iverson declared, picking two cones, he smashed one on her head and the other on the side of her cheek.

She screamed at the coldness, quickly wiping off as much as she could from her cheek. "I'm going to destroy you." She threatened and picked another cone.

"Bring it on." Iverson laughed, using her as shield against herself. She turned around in endless circle trying to hit him but he was like a blur moving around her. Eventually he seized both of her hands in one of his, pried the cone out of her fingers and smashed it on the other cheek.

"You are so not sleeping in my bed tonight." She glared at him and he laughed gleefully in her face before darting his tonge out to lick the sweet off of her face.

"Eww!" Bella shrieked but he held her up firmly. "Get away from me." She shouted through laughs and shrieks. Iverson ignored her and licked her face clean in spite of people watching.

He released her and stepped back when he was satisfy and she instantly grabbed a fistfull of his shirt to wipe her face. "You are the grossest person I've ever met." She told him.

"You started it."

"I didn't lick your face dry like an excited puppy." She said and pulled him closer by the shirt, ignoring the uproar of her hormones at having him practically meshed up against her.

"Don't do that." Iverson warned but she already pulled his shirt up to reach the sticking liquid on her hair, not realising she had exposed his stomach in the process until she bended her head and came eye levelled with his V line.
Sweet Jesus, it was the longest five seconds of her life. She had a battled of will: stand back up and pretend she didn't just had a glimpse of pleasure land or do a quick tongue swipe across that sweetness and hope he won't notice.

A line from Demi Lovato's 'cool for the summer' popped into her head. 'Got a taste for the cherry, I just need to take a bite'

But then a vibration started in her pocket and he tickled her at the same time, she yelped away before she made any decision.

If you like pina colada's and getting caught in the rain. If you're not into yoga, if you have half a brain. If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape. Then I'm the love that you've looked for, write to me and escape.

Bella frown at the strange but familiar song her phone was singing as she forced two fingers into her tight pocket to retrieve it, remembering where she heard the song from just as she saw the incoming call from 'Derrick'.

He must have sent the flowers. She thought with a smile, holding out a finger to Iverson before picking the call. "Hey," she breathed out.

"You have my jacket." Came the gruffly voice on the other end. She laughed, for a lot of reasons, mostly because she didn't even know he saved his number on her phone and even went as far as assigning the song he sang for her when they first met.

"If you like pina colada? Really?" She asked and heard him laughing too.

"It was either that or a selfie." Derrick said. "I'm very original and you very well owe me dinner and a jacket. You free tonight?" He asked.

She bit her lips and turned to look at Iverson who had started gathering the mess they made yet again, leave it to the both of them to always make a mess wherever they were.

"Did you send the flowers?" She asked and Iverson tensed at her words.

"The tulips, yes I did. Hope you like them?"

"I love them." She replied, watching Iverson crush a cone in his hand.

"I'll pick you up at eight then." Derrick said.

"I'll be ready." She replied.

"Who was that?" Iverson asked coolly the moment she ended the call.

"Derrick, he sent the flowers and he just asked me on a date. Isn't that wonderful?" She flashed him a mega watt smile.

If I can get my hands on that swine's neck, now that will be wonderful. Iverson thought darkly. "You are not going out with him, please tell me you are not going on a DATE with him?" The pleading, vulnerable and yet hopeful look he suddenly wore could make her do anything just to see him smile again.

But still she said. "Why not? I am single, he is cute and I've got a perfect dress I can't wait to show off."

His broken look would probably haunt her for the rest of the day but she smiled in spite of him.

Revenge is a dish best served cold.