We park by a skyscraper. A valet took the keys to the car and we proceeded into the building. All the time, I was barely in control of my emotions. I might look stunning, but I wasn't feeling it. So I didn't act like it.

A dismal frown dwelled on my countenance as we walked into an elevator.

When Jake pushed the rooftop option, I became curious.
"Rooftop?"

He looked back at me and promised there was a view of New York I could only see from this skyscraper.

He was trying to cheer me up, but there was no remedy for my pain. I was supposed to be there, and I lost track of time, getting stupid makeup that had no benefit.

The rest of the elevator ride was spent in grave silence. I was anxious to get out of the confined space. And when we did, I still couldn't get to exhale. I held back the air in my windpipe.

Myles was there. He was wearing a tux in real life, not on TV.

I was stationary when I murmured his name and looked over at a smiling Jake, who was retreating towards the door we had just come through.

"Hey," Myles replied. He was walking over to me since my legs had forgotten how to function.

"You lose? I thought... He said..." I was faltering before I completely ceased trying to make sense at the time he came before me, and brushed the back of his fingers around my cheek.

"We won," he asserted.

"Why are you here then? Aren't your friends celebrating the victory?"

"I suppose I promised you dinner, didn't I?" At that question, the frown on my face smoothened to elation.

"You remember?"

"Of course I do." He returned a smile and grabbed my hand gently. His eyes amusedly took in the sight of me, working from my shoes to my hair. My body felt heavy from his flattery stare.

"You look beautiful. I had been meaning to say it at first." He said slowly and meant it.

Heat surged into my cheeks, I looked down and whispered "Thank you."

Then he came beside me, placing a hand on the small of my back, revealing a festive two-person table, romantically set in the middle of nowhere.

Swallow the tears. Breathe. My inner voice encouraged.

We all know this, right there is where I've never thought I would live. I've never convinced myself of deserving such a romance when it was only supposed to happen on TV and to people like Scarlett.

"Myles... Oh my goodness..."

My eyes flickered at him. He was looking over at me. His eyes blazed with tenderness and devotion.

"Come..." He supported me forward, toward the table ornamented with candles, champagne, roses, and lights.

"You are something you know? When did you get to arrange this?" I exhaled a small laugh after he pulled back a seat for me.

"Honestly, I didn't do it myself. But I called people."

Of course.

Smiling, as he sat across me, I leaned forward in my seat.
"It's amazing, Myles. Thank you."

"Anything for you."

I thought my dress-up was going to be wasted. I had almost given up on the day. But here I was. Seen.

"You knew all of this? You planned it?" My hand waved around my body while I asked.

He exhaled and nodded.
"I am sorry, I should have told you."

"I wanted to go to the game so badly."

"There is a lot at stake. I can't risk getting you seen. Brayden wouldn't..." He halted, swallowed, and blinked a couple of times.

"I understand. I was just worried you would be disappointed I wasn't there for you."

He reached over to my hand on the table and unfolded it with his.
"I would never be disappointed in you. Yes, I would've loved you cheering for me with that cute placard you've composed. But I would choose here overall."

It was soothing. I smiled.

"You want to know a secret?" I asked him.

"Finally, I had been waiting for more." His smile was winsome, sparkling in his luculent leafy eyes.

"Waiting for what?" I laughed unexpectedly at his reaction.

"For you to tell me more about yourself."

Oh.

"So, tell me a secret no one knows about you."

I slipped my hand from under his and laced it with my free hand under the table.

"This is my first dinner date." This was something my parents thought had happened since tenth grade. I had managed to fool everyone, including Chloe, that a redhead boy who moved out of our neighborhood had taken me out after the school dance.

Well, that redhead called Clayton, thought my choice of dressing was embarrassing, he dropped me by the side of the road and left me to walk over an hour back home.

"I am sure all the boys out there can't afford you." Myles tried to convince me of what my brother had said often.

"When you kissed me in the changing room. It was my first kiss." I confessed without looking at him.

He was quiet. He didn't say anything. I was ashamed to lock eyes with him.

"I told you. I wasn't very famous back home." I grumbled, watching my thumbs twitch around each other.

"Look at me, Calista," Myles demanded and I did instantly.

"It wasn't fame. What I see is fate. No one out there deserves you. I believe we are meant for each other. Do you have any idea how this news flatters me? To be not just one or two firsts for you? It's more than winning the league championship."

"You think?"

His eyes turned inward. His lips slightly parted at my question.

"I know how I feel, ma'am." He exclaimed and I couldn't help giggling.

He smiled then and held out his hand on the table. I loosened my fingers and reached into his open palm.

"So tell me, about your fangirling over me." He raised that embarrassing question. My eyes bug out. "I know, Cali. And I am interested," he added.

Bashful, I gnawed on my lip, striving to hold the smile that was already appearing on my face.

"There is no better fan than a man's true love. You know." Myles taunted. Well, that was kind of motivating.

"Don't laugh. You are on every piece of everything I owned. My friend and I always compete in quizzes and contests to win a trip to meet you. But we barely succeeded even after we won. There are a lot of fans out there." I embarrassingly conceded at the pleading in his eyes, I couldn't say no to him.

"That's unfair. Tell me more."

The topic was intriguing to Myles. I told him my side of the story and left Chloe out of it. I still wasn't ready to travel down memory lane, so I left that side in the shelved memories in my head. And he didn't bring her up the whole time.

We had a good meal, brought by some uniformed server. Then we had dessert of my preferred choice. Myles told me how the game went. That was how I learned he had scored throughout most of the game. When I asked him how, given he was the point guard. He told him his team mostly relied on his shooting. Then I asked; wasn't that supposed to be my brother's job? And he answered, just claiming, "Brayden is good."

That was all we talked about on the topic. I only smiled and took a sip of the good champagne in the cup.

Around midnight, we ambled to the fence and leaned over the parapet, watching the enthusiastic city and listening to its noise.

"Brayden had offered me to stay in the condo with him. He said there are nice schools around, I could graduate in Venice." I started when a comforting silence settled between us.

He blinked in surprise when I peeked over at him.

"I mean there is everything you need there."

He sounded excited but was trying to maintain his reaction. I mentally happy dance.

"Sure..." He is all I need, and he will be there. "I think I will take him up on his offer."

"So we are going to have all the time in the world." He said, attracting me to look over at him again.

There was hope in his stare as he observed me while I held his glowing eyes.

"There is college after high school, so Uhm, I will be studying some of the time." I quipped.

"I can travel once or twice every week." He blurted. He was smiling. He was serious.

I didn't even mention going somewhere for college.

With a smile on my face, I watched him quietly with admiration. He was willing to go to any level for me.

"I could study in California," I spoke out tenderly.

He stood up straight and faced me.
"You don't have to if you have somewhere else in your mind. I won't let our relationship be a chain around your ankles. I will still support you every step of the way. You don't have to worry about me."

His stare, his words, his honesty, and his love were everything anyone would want.

I stopped leaning and closed the distance between us.
"I love you," I whispered when we hugged.

He rested his chin on my head and squeezed me into him.
"I love you." He whispered back.

God knows I can't tell how long we hung around in that position. In his embrace, I find my best place.

He was a solace I didn't know existed until this summer. He brought brightness to every angle that had been unlit and dimmed my whole life. He provided what should truly be given in a relationship. Time, even when he barely had it. Commitment, even though we were secretive. And happiness, at times I have entirely lost hope. Not to mention, he ended his engagement with Autumn for me.

~

It was very late when Jake drove us back to the hotel. Myles should have been in another hotel with the rest of the team but he was there with me instead. It was another goal that bubbled me with pride.

As soon as we arrived at our room, I took a long shower, reminiscing about my whole day as I washed away the makeup on my skin. When I was entirely clean and dry, I warmed up in one of Myles's shirts I had grabbed from his things. And when it was his turn to take a shower, I took out my diary from the box and folded the placard that was still sitting on the armchair back into my box. I didn't get to write anything in my diary, though. Myles was quick with his shower, he was barely in there for five minutes.

So we just nuzzled on the bed, me on top of him, and started the first season of stranger things until he fell asleep. It was then I wrote down everything to Chloe while watching him sleep peacefully next to me in the dim room.