The beautiful ring of the doorbell does not fascinate only me, but Justin as well. He presses it a second time, and then again. It sounds like singing, like a beautiful song put on replay when pressed more than once.

"It's unlocked!"

That voice... Something about the voice gives me butterflies. Both the nervous and excited kind. Or, rather, it's not the voice alone, but the person it belongs to. Chase. He has this amazing and rare ability to rob me of words and sane thoughts, to cause these foreign emotions to rise within my heart, to change my mind about him completely. I once saw him as a foe, but that has changed. It's been changing for longer than I've realized. I've just been trying to fight it... Just as he has, apparently.

When Justin pushes the door open, the wonderful scent of something sweet wafts out of the house. Cookies? I take a deep breath while waiting for my turn to enter. It also smells slightly of chocolate.

It's quiet in this house. Unusually quiet. When I make it to the kitchen, I don't find anyone at the table. Something else must have the attention of the kids.

"Hey."

An instant smile spreads across my face, even before I turn to face him. "Hey. Where is everyone?"

"Watching a movie upstairs."

"Oh, cool. Which movie?"

After the question has been voiced, something completely unpredictable happens. Chase's cheeks change in color; a light shade of red coats them. In addition to this, an unusual, embarrassed smile comes to his face. Due to all of this, I'm a little surprised when he says, "Beauty and the Beast." At first I'm puzzled as to why that particular children's movie would have him react this way, but then my tired brain somehow manages to understand. That's when I blush, too.

"And you chose to make cookies instead of watching it?"

Chase shrugs. "I'd rather spend time with the real beauty, anyway." I blush harder, and I'm almost sure this is what causes his smile to widen. "Care for a chocolate chip or sugar cookie? I know how much you love them. You would sacrifice a whole table of flowers for a single cookie. Shame." Clicking his tongue in disapproval, he shakes his head.

I decide to ignore this reminder of that day. "Have any milk to go with it?"

"Why, of course," he says, gesturing toward the fridge. "Be our guest."

A few minutes later, we are seated beside each other at the long table in the dining area. The cookies are heavenly, and so is the milk. But when paired together, they are even better. I have a chocolate chip cookie first, and then a sugar cookie. The problem is that I can't seem to stop at one each. They are irresistibly delicious, and I end up eating five. I almost choke on my last one when I turn in time to see one of the most disarming sights.

I point to my upper lip, trying to contain my laughter. "You have a little... um... something... right there."

Chase places his glass of milk on the table, squinting his eyes at me. "Are you teasing me?" The slight smile on his face is my only way of knowing he is playing.

Then I just can't hold it anymore. For some reason I find this to be one of the most giggle-worthy moments. Probably because I'm still not used to seeing Chase's playful side. At least not with me. "I'm sorry. I can't take you seriously with the mustache." To this, he simply laughs sarcastically. I bring my glass to my mouth and take a long drink, purposely tilting it just so in order to create a mustache of my own... for teasing purposes.

Chase laughs at this. It is a laugh that seems to come from his heart. "I look that silly, don't I? Okay." He runs his tongue along the mustache, causing it to disappear. But I keep mine. Chase rolls his eyes. "All right, I get it. You can quit teasing now." He sighs when I shake my head, the humor gradually leaving his eyes. Have I really offended him? He reaches for the roll of paper towel in the center of the table, rips a sheet off, and then hands it to me. "Here." All signs of playfulness have left his face; his eyes suddenly seem to darken, and the corners of his lips have dropped into a frown. I believe I see him come a little closer, but I can't be sure. My mind is beginning to feel foggy.

"Nah." I shake my head again, unaware of my own intentions until he leans toward me even closer. This time I'm positive; I saw him do it. Each movement is discreet, but I don't miss them. And still, even though I see it coming, I'm unable to react.

"You're only embarrassing yourself," he says quietly. A hint of a smirk crosses his face - there one second and gone before the next arrives.

"Excuse me?" My voice comes out in a whisper. To raise the volume even a bar would require too much thought. My thoughts feel jumbled, misplaced, consumed by the intense stare of the portals to the stormy meadow. My thoughts have been caught up in the wind and returned to me confused as to what they were originally. The portals are calling to me, daring me to step closer... daring me to copy his movements as he leans in further, just a hair closer than before. Chase's hand reaches toward my face, but I don't resist. I can't. His gaze has me paralyzed, unable to concentrate on anything other than his eyes and the anticipation of his hand on my face. The only thing I am able to do is tighten my grip on the napkin, unsure of what to do with this overwhelming feeling that I don't even have a name for. It is both emotional and physical. I recognize the latter. Butterflies, but they have grown in size.

What I didn't expect for some reason was his intention. But I'm still unable to move, to react in any way, to tell him to stop. I'm not even sure if I mind this. His right hand cups my cheek as he slowly slides his thumb across my upper lip, clearly to wipe away the milk, but the look in his eyes tells me that isn't the sole purpose of this action. I find my eyes closing slowly. But my lips do the opposite; they part slightly, as if in expectancy of something I shouldn't be wishing for.

What are you doing to me?

"I could ask you the same question," he says softly. My eyes flutter open, and our proximity only half-registers in my mind. Was he somehow reading my mind? Did I say that out loud? "I simply don't understand..." he adds. "How are you so... so skilled at this?"

I'm more than confused now. "At what?"

"This... Whatever you're doing to me, Abigail." He breathes in deeply, then releases the air. It is cool against my lips and only strengthens the desire I've been unsuccessfully attempting to squash in my hazy mind. "I knew this would happen from the moment I first laid eyes on you. There's something about you... You have this charming way, this ability to abolish wills, to tear down walls no matter how strong they are. Your eyes... your inner beauty... everything. I never stood a chance." Soft wrinkles appear at the corner of his eyes. My gaze lowers to his lips, and I find that he is, in fact, smiling. His smile is breathtakingly beautiful.

I release an accidental groan. I fear losing my ability to resist. What would he think of me then? Would it be a total mistake? Of course it would. My thumb begins to move back and forth on the hand that cups my left cheek, bringing my attention to the fact that I'm practically holding his hand. "But... I still don't understand."

Chase suddenly appears sad; his brows furrow and the smile immediately disappears... vanishes, leaving no evidence behind that it was ever there. "Abigail..." His voice is gentle... soft, like an afternoon breeze, a welcomed break from the scorching summer sun.

Chase, now cupping my face with both hands, rests his forehead against mine. My eyes close again, causing my other senses to awaken more fully. His warm breath continually brushing against my lips is torturous; the teasing is almost unbearable as the heaviness of his breathing increases, pressing gentle, whispered kisses on my parted lips. My own breathing seems to come to a halt.

He lets out a groan, just as I did a mere moment ago. His is longer, though, and filled with a greater amount of frustration. His voice is firm, though weak, as he says, "No."

My shoulders sag and, when he moves away, I lower my head. "I knew it..."

"Huh?" Chase places a hand under my chin, lifting my head until my eyes meet his sorrowful gaze.

"I knew you would change your mind," I continue. "Or did you ever truly mean your words when you said... You know what? Never mind. It doesn't even matter. Not after everything else... I don't understand your reason behind that 'everything else'. Please, explain. I'm all ears." In exasperation, I look toward the ceiling. I notice its window for the first time. "But... you know what? There isn't really a good enough explanation for-" A noise of surprise escapes me and, simultaneously, my eyes widen when something happens that I, for some unknown reason, did not see coming.

Chase's kiss is gentle, and I find myself unwittingly responding without a second thought. I'm unable to imagine anything sweeter than the slow, gentle way in which he pours out his feelings. And I believe him... I trust him, and his reasons no longer matter to me. Not in this moment.

My first kiss has been claimed by none other than my former bully, Chase Alexander Jones, and I'm allowing this! Not only am I allowing it, but I'm returning this display of affection as if nothing else matters. Not the past, nor the opinions of the others.

The kiss suddenly changes. It is almost as if, from the moment it began to this point in time, something has changed. Whether it is for better or for worse remains to be seen. All I know is that whatever this is feels incredible. It seems as if the world is tilting, causing our hearts to slide closer to each other. It seems as if the sun has been released from the cover of clouds, and the stars have finally aligned.

"Abigail?"

"Hey, Abby, I-"

Chase and I pull away from each other simultaneously at the sound of the two voices. Why didn't I hear them coming? Chase's breathing is heavy, and so is mine. He has this dazed look in his eyes as he stares into mine. I'm left to wonder what's on his mind, as he is without so much as a smile's trace, nor a frown's. Apart from his eyes, his face holds a blank expression. Just as usual, I have difficulty reading him from his eyes alone.

Even when I turn to look at Sierra and Devon, who stand in the hallway with expressions on the opposite end of the spectrum, I avoid their gazes. For the first time in forever, I have an experience in which I feel as I've literally been yanked out of my body.

"Uh... We just... uh..." Sierra slowly backs away, but Devon stays behind. I risk a glance into his eyes and instantly wish I didn't.

"I'm sorry," he says suddenly, his facial expression changing drastically in that one second. "I'm being rude. Excuse me." I don't miss the look he throws Chase, as discreet as it may be. "I'll give you two some privacy."

"Devon..."

He leaves anyway. I sigh.

Biting my lip hard, I turn back to Chase, still struggling to read him. But he remains unreadable. That is, until his gaze travels downward, his tempting lips parting just slightly. The butterflies dance inside me at the silent suggestion he may not even know he's making.

"I'm sorry."

Chase tilts his head. "Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who... well, you know." He blushes again, his eyes glancing from mine, to the floor, and then back to mine.

"That's right." I nod, unable to prevent a few giggles from slipping out. "Where's the apology, then?"

He smiles. "My sincerest apologies, Abigail. But if I remember correctly, it seemed as if you enjoyed that almost as much as I did. Not quite, however."

"Nice try. But I'm sure you've enjoyed others way more." It stuns me when this comes out of my mouth, but I'm obviously not the only one surprised.

"Others?" he asks with a certain tone of secrecy. "What others?"

I raise a brow. "You know..."

"You have my first, Abigail." His smile is infectious; I can't help returning it.

"Chase! Chase! Cha-" Emily comes to a halt after skipping into the dining room. Her eyes widen and brighten as she gasps. "Ooh! Cookies!" She resumes skipping to the table before stopping once again to grab a chocolate chip cookie. "Yum! It's still warm and soft."

"Please tell everyone that the cookies are ready," Chase says.

Emily replies, "Okay," as she wraps her arms around Chase's neck, accidentally brushing the cookie against his hair unknowingly. "Thank you, Chase."

"It's my pleasure, Em."

"Guys!" she yells, causing Chase to wince. "The cookies are done!"

All of a sudden, the sound of a thousand feet racing down the stairs fills the house. Three by two and four by one, the Jones children hurry into the dining room. It's quite clearly every child for him or herself. Then come the volunteers. The cookies disappear in an instant, but Chase announces that there are more in the oven.

"Chase?" Elijah says with a mouthful. Chocolate stains cover his teeth, so I assume he's eating one of the triple chocolate chip cookies. "Can we play outside on the trampoline?"

Chase frowns, and Elijah does the same. He has no doubt guessed the answer. "Not today, Elijah. I'm sorry. How about we play inside games until the storm passes?"

"Aw..." Elijah sticks out his lower lip, leaning forward as he attempts to change his brother's mind. "Please? Please, please, please? We'll be okay." But then a sudden earsplitting, bravery shattering crack of thunder causes half of the kids to scream. Elijah is one of them. "Uh... What kind of inside game?"

♥ • ❤ • ♥

I enjoy watching the Jones kids - and even a few of the volunteers - dance to the songs on Chase's iTunes playlist entitled, 'Favorites'. I'm surprised to find that a majority of these songs are from the fifties all the way to the eighties. I stare at Chase, amazed once again by his unpredictability.

The music has changed, and so has the game. Now, in addition to dancing, they are to lip sync the best they can. This time they win prizes, which are cookies, for their participation.

"I think Abigail's volunteering herself as the next victim." Chase grins, stretching a hand out toward me. I don't budge. Tilting his head, he raises a brow challengingly. "Oh... I mean contestant, of course. My mistake."

I shake my head, pleading with my eyes and pout to be excused from the torture of everyone watching my attempt at dancing. "Not gonna happen."

"Oh, I forgot..." Chase leans forward and says quietly, so only I can hear, "Church Girls don't dance."

I'm offended by his words and, even though I know he only meant it in his twisted form of an encouraging way, his mission has been accomplished. I'm out of the sofa before he has a chance to say anything else.

The song Chase chooses for me is, thankfully, one that I've known for a long time. It is The Cha Cha Slide by DJ Casper. I imagined he was going to be cruel and choose one that he was sure I wouldn't have known.

"Ready... Set..." Chase begins. Along with a few of his siblings, he finishes, "Go!" But a few seconds into the song, Chase says, "Next!" as he signals for me to clear the floor for the next person.

My jaw drops at his rudeness. It takes a while for me to recover. "Excuse me? Why don't you try?"

Chase shakes his head, a hint of a smile curving his lips. In just a few strides, he has reached me. "I've got a better idea," he says near my ear. "Follow me in a minute."

"Um..."

"Trust me."

I check my watch every few seconds until it reads '5:47 pm'. After leaving the living room and passing through the kitchen, I find Chase in the hallway. The way his eyes are smiling excites me. His silence is a little unnerving, but I find my legs responding instantly to his gesture for me to follow him. He leads me through the hallway, where I can't help seeking out the photograph of his mother, then into a room at the very end. Or... I imagined it was a room. In reality, it's another hallway. This one is shorter and, as we approach another door, I become nervous again. It's when he opens the door that all doubts fly out the window of my mind as astonishment takes over.

The room is cozy, spacious and very well-lit, but the first thing that grabbed my attention was the fact that it extends into the backyard and into a cute little garden - a rose garden, complete with two streetlamps and a bench between them. The room is also round, and the majority of the side to my left, Chase's side, consists of large windows - hardly any wall. Between two of the windows is a French door.

The second thing that I notice is a beautiful, black grand piano that resides in the center of this room.

My eyes widen and I gasp. It's beautiful!

Chase takes a seat on its bench before patting the space beside him. He laughs a little, and I wonder if it's at my tendency to be overly expressive. He's said it before. "Come, take a seat."

For some reason I fear breaking something, but I obey anyway. "This room is beautiful," I say, directing my attention to the right side of the room in an attempt to avoid his eyes. Our proximity and how we're nearly shoulder to shoulder, arm against arm, creates a strange and foreign feeling. However, there is a pleasantness about our closeness that I never would have imagined, especially not while sitting beside him when we went to school together. All I wanted then was to be away from him once and for all. It's a completely different story now.

I scan the room once more, checking out the tiniest details about it as I attempt to distract myself and fight a blush. The wooden floor has been polished to perfection; I can almost see myself in it. It stretches across the entire room, which is as large as the living room at my house! The-

In what seems like an attempt to get my attention, Chase says softly, "Abigail." He almost sounds unsure of himself.

"Yes?" I answer. I refuse to look into those eyes!

Chase's gentle fingers brush against the side of my face as he pushes my hair back, exposing the cheek closest to him. I have no doubt that he can read me by the color it must be. "You're so beautiful," he says in a half-whisper. This comment only makes me blush harder. I hear the smile in his voice as he continues, "You always have been. Part of my problem might have been that I just couldn't handle it... I suppose you can say I was intimidated."

"I find that hard to believe," I reply. "You? Intimidated by me?"

"Abigail..." Chase's fingers move to my chin. They turn my head slowly until my eyes meet his, which seem to be searching... But for what? "Abigail, you have so much more power than you know... more power than you may ever understand."

The moment soon ends but is replaced by one just as wonderful. Chase's fingers, the same loving fingers that were on my face just moments ago, dance up and down the grand piano, creating music sweeter than I've ever heard before. The love songs he sings as he plays are equally beautiful, and his voice is angelic, while at the same time it seems sinful to have such talent. Everything - the music, the words - are so beautiful that I'm sure I could sit beside him and listen forever.

"The songs... They're all so beautiful," I say. "What are their names? How can I find them?"

"Um..." Chase chews on his bottom lip, appearing to be deep in thought for a moment. "I actually haven't had a chance to name them yet."

Slowly, my mouth opens until my jaw can't lower any further. My eyes are probably just as wide. "You mean... You mean you wrote them? All of them? What?"

Chase nudges me in the arm with his. "Hey! You're either doubting me, or you're doubting yourself... Which one is it, ABC?" He pretends to be hurt by my words but the smile on his face gives him away.

"Huh? I'm confused..."

"What I mean is... You know how doing things you love and are really passionate about usually come easily, compared to the things you dislike? 'You' meaning anyone."

I nod. "Yeah."

"Well, it's the same thing when you talk about something - or in this case, someone - that you care about... that you love. All it is, really, is just my talking about someone I love. The only difference is that it's in the form of a song. Abigail, I wrote these songs for you."