Monday started like a normal day. Ethan made no reference to what happened between him and Juliet at the picnic. Mikki went to her next class leaving them together since they were done with their only Monday class.

"How was the weekend?" He asked as they made their way out of the room.

"Not bad," Juliet said. She'd gone to her hometown on Saturday to see her family and a few friends especially Judith who was a throat cancer patient. She had a good time with her loved ones and travelled back on Sunday afternoon to spend the remaining hours with Tania. "I went home to see my family. I've never been away from them for so long."

"Alright I hope everything's good," He stood at the top of the landing, looking down at the stairs.

"Yeah," she said. "About fri-"

"I have to go," He cut her off, descending the stairs. "We'll talk later. Have a good day, Juliet."

Juliet tried to ignore the pain of rejection tearing her apart as she saw him go. Why was he acting like nothing had happened between them? Why was he being so insensitive?

"Sorry Jules," Hunter appeared next to her, placing his hands on the railings. "That's what you get when you fall for soulless jerks. He's not good for you."

"As if you were any better," she remarked.

"Maybe I am," he winked at her before walking down the stairs. Juliet laughed and shook her head. As soon as he went past the door, a very familiar face appeared. He hiked up glaring at her.

"Hi Michael," Juliet adjusted her cross bag when he reached the top.

"Still with the nice girl act?" He asked. "I don't need your fake smile. I don't how you do it."

"You'll never believe there are genuinely good people in the world. Will you?"

"I haven't had the chance to meet them," He shrugged as he passed by. Juliet left the building, going to the college library. Michael, a boy who'd gone to the same high school as Juliet always had trust issues. Juliet didn't know why he always thought everyone had a hidden agenda when they were nice to him.

Two hours later, she opened her room door. She narrowed eyes when she saw Ethan seated on her bed. She froze, holding the door ajar as he picked up a bundle of flowers from the table, standing up and heading to her. She pushed the door closed when he stopped right before her.

"Hey," she smiled, not trying to contain her happiness.

"Juliet," he smiled back, gazing into her eyes. "I came to say I'm sorry for taking advantage of you when you were sad. These are for you. Will you accept my apology?"

Juliet managed a weak smile to hide the disappointment evident in her eyes. She wished he wasn't sorry for kissing her but for ignoring her. She nodded and accepted the flowers handed to her. She took in their amazing scent and fished out a card.

"I'm sorry for what I did but not sorry for what I'm about to do," She read out loud, a smile playing on her lips. She looked up. "What are-"

He cut her off by drawing her closer to him. He framed her face with his hands and tilted it before kissing her. His lips teasing at first, then gaining momentum as she slightly parted her lips. One of his hands slid to her lower back, pressing her to his groin so she could feel him. He pushed her against the closed door, imprisoning her. His desire matched her needs as their tongues moved against each other. They pulled back before they got to a point they wouldn't want to stop, breathing ruggedly and staring into each other's desire fogged eyes. After sharing a knowing smile, Ethan broke the silence.

"I know this is going to sound crazy but I think I like you so much, Julie."

She didn't say anything for a while, wondering whether he was being truthful or no. The intensity in his eyes was a sign that he meant it. She believed him easily because she knew who he was. He couldn't lie to her.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" His eyes bore into hers. "Will you let me love you?"

Juliet had known him for a short time but she was sure she wanted to be his. She felt more than just physical attraction to him. It was like she was connected to him in some way. She had never wanted anyone like she wanted him and being in a relationship was a way to find out whether it was real or not.

"Yes!" A part of her former self appeared and she threw her arms around him.

And in that moment, she felt perfectly fine. He made her feel so much. All she could think about was how her body responded to his, how her insides burned cause of his touch, how her heart pulsed due to his closeness, how her midsection throbbed with longing and how she wanted the feeling to last forever.

They spent the evening together, Juliet telling Ethan everything, only omitting the fact that the man Kylie was dating was her father. That was something she'd never tell anyone, not even if she was held at gunpoint.

"I saw the sadness in your eyes the day we met but I knew you were strong. You smiled, a smile that could make anyone believe you were really happy but I noticed it never reached your eyes. Ever since then, the only thing I wanted was to be able to take away the sadness and I promise to always be there for you. You can trust me, Juliet. I believe in you. I know you can overcome this. Do you trust me?"

"Yes, " Juliet smiled. "Thank you so much."

She didn't feel alone anymore. She caressed his hard lean arms and buried her head in his chest. He put his arms around her making her feel safe in a way she'd never felt before.