"And for once you let go,
of your fears and your ghosts..."

***************

Max's POV

My night got ruined before it even got the chance to start.

My ex-best friend Cole, and Valerie's friend managed to do that without lifting a damn finger.

I just wanted tonight to be about me and Valerie only, our first night out as a couple, was it too much to ask for?

My gaze was on Cole, watching as he managed to pry the girl away from him before abruptly rising to his feet. With evident annoyance etched across his face, he looked down at her, exhaling a relieved breath as if satisfied to have escaped, "Man, hot chicks are crazy," He mumbled. My glare only hardened, the urge to beat him up accelerating by the second.

His eyes flickered to me, confusion evident in the furrow between his eyebrows, "Uh, why are you looking at me like you want to kill me?" he asked, taking a cautious step backward.

My jaw clenched. "Because I want to," I retorted sharply.

I shifted my focus away from him and allowed my gaze to scan the surrounding crowd, searching for Valerie. "Stay with her," I motioned for Cole to keep an eye on the passed-out girl before pushing my way through the crowd. I heard Cole whine behind me, "Oh, come on, dude!"

Navigating through, I searched for any glimpse of ginger hair, the idea of whisking her away from here started to seem more rational than anything else. Finally spotting her amidst a group of girls, engaged in a conversation, I headed in her direction.

Just as I reached her side, she was turning around. Startled by my sudden appearance, she paused. "Max," she said, her eyes widening slightly, "Where is Tanya?"

"I left her with Cole," I said.

Valerie's eyes narrowed at me, internally scolding me for doing so. Her hand reached for mine, pulling me along as we returned to them. I tried to suppress a groan of frustration. Why couldn't we just leave them here and go somewhere else?

We came to a stop by their side. Cole was engrossed in his phone, seemingly undisturbed, while Tanya lay passed out on the couch, the effects of alcohol rendering her unconscious. Valerie surveyed the scene, worry etching lines onto her forehead. She glanced around before exhaling softly, "We should take her home. I can't leave her here alone in this state."

"Yeah, I am also getting bored, let's leave, I don't like it here," Cole mumbled, his lips curling up in annoyance as his gaze flickered around.

Oh god, it was taking everything in me not to plant his face into the nearest wall...

His eyes fell back on mine and my murderous look had him gulp down. He pushed the phone into his pocket and straightened up, "Uhm, so," He scratched the back of his head, his gaze falling back on Tanya, "Should we drop her at her house?"

Valerie nodded, "Yeah, but here is the thing, I don't know where she lives."

His eyebrows pulled closer, "Isn't she your friend?"

She turned to him and nodded, "Yeah, but we have never been to each other's houses before."

Exhaling a low sigh, she bent down and reached for Tanya's dress pocket, retrieving her phone. Valerie pressed the emergency contact, and the name "Lara" flashed across the screen. "Who is Lara?" I asked, and Valerie shook her head. "I have no idea. I guess I'll figure it out," she mumbled as she held the phone to her ear.

"Uh, hey," Valerie spoke into the phone, addressing whoever answered on the other end. "Um, I'm not Tanya. I'm her friend...oh no, no, Tanya is fine. Just, uh, who am I talking to?"

Valerie glanced at me, pushing the phone away as she whispered, "She's the housekeeper."

I nodded in understanding. "The thing is, she's just passed out. She drank a lot, I guess. Should we bring her home?" Valerie asked, nervously biting at her lower lip as she listened, then, she nodded her head at whatever the woman was saying.

"Yeah, yeah sure, okay," Valerie said, hurriedly motioning for Cole to open his phone. Entering the navigation app, she typed in the address the woman provided. "Okay, thank you so much. We'll be there in a bit."

She hung up and looked at us, "Her parents aren't home," She said, handing Cole back his phone. Her eyes were on me now, "It's a half an hour's drive from here, can we take her there please?" She requested from me and of course, I wasn't going to refuse her a thing.

I nodded my head, "Yeah, of course."

I turned to Cole and pointed ahead, "Pick the girl up," I ordered. He can at least try to be beneficial in something.

Cole's eyes widened and he pushed himself away, "Uh, no, no thanks," He said in horror, "She might throw up on me and I can't handle that, so no, thank you."

My jaw ticked and he noticed that if he didn't do as told, vomit would be the least of his problems tonight. He swallowed hard and shot me a glare, "When did you become so damn mean," he grumbled in annoyance before carefully lifting the girl from the couch, one arm went under her legs, the other around her back and he picked her up.

"Quickly, let's go," He said in a hurry as he started to make his way out.

Valerie and I followed closely behind, and Cole's discomfort was palpable. "Oh god, if she throws up, I am dropping her on the floor, no kidding," he muttered under his breath.

Ignoring his complaints, I made my way to my car, unlocked it, and opened the back seat. Cole gently settled her inside before joining her in the back. As I moved to take my seat, Valerie's hand gripped my arm, drawing my attention. "I'm sorry," she whispered, worry evident in her voice as her teeth nervously bit into her lower lip.

Furrowing her brow, she continued, "None of the other girls wanted to take care of her. I couldn't just leave her there like that. She could have gotten hurt or something, I just—"

I shook my head, "Hey, you don't have to apologize for anything. Of course, we weren't going to leave her there passed out," I reassured her, and Valerie nodded.

"Not to interrupt or anything," Cole interjected from the back seat, poking his head out of the window. "Can we get moving? I don't have all night."

Without hesitation, I reached over and pushed his head back inside the car, prompting a groan from him. "I swear I am gonna kill him tonight," I muttered, a hint of seriousness in my tone. Valerie's lips twitched with amusement before she climbed into the car, and we set off.

I followed the directions of the navigation system while Cole leaned forward, turning on the radio and connecting his phone to play a song. He started vibing to the music in the backseat, but I reached over and promptly turned it off, silencing him and the distraction.

Cole let out a groan of protest, "Hey, we already had to leave the party before it even started. Let us have some fun, dammit," he complained, casting a frustrated glance my way. "Also, I'm trying to distract myself from the fact she might throw up on me," he added, his face contouring in disgust as he glanced down at Tanya, her head resting on his lap, oblivious to everything.

Valerie turned around to check on Tanya, reaching for the girl and brushing her hair away from her face, who in return remained completely unaware of her surroundings.

"So, when are you two breaking up?" Cole interjected suddenly, directing the question at Valerie. She stared back at him in bafflement.

Shaking his head with annoyance, Cole continued, "I don't like being the third wheel. Or... or you could set me and Aubrey up, and I can bless this union," he suggested with an eager giddy smile.

Valerie shook her head incredulously, "She's older than you!"

Cole shrugged casually, "Yeah, so?" he replied nonchalantly.

"Just ignore him," I muttered to Valerie, who reluctantly shifted her attention away from Cole and back to me, sighing in agreement.

Around twenty minutes later, I started to slow down as we seemed to reach the intended location. My gaze flickered to the right, falling on the house's number, the same one given by the woman. But it was no normal house, the place was massive, resembling a castle of centuries-old with its exterior antique design.

I guided the car toward the main gate, extending my hand out of the window to press the button on the panel. Although no sound emanated from it, the camera affixed to the gate likely captured our image, prompting the metal door to smoothly slide open, and granting us entry.

Driving forward, we headed down the long road leading to the estate, flanked on either side by lush trees and vibrant flowers.

"Someone is filthy rich," Cole mumbled with a low whistle. His gaze went from the grandeur of the estate to Tanya's unconscious form. He nodded in amusement, "I probably judged you too fast."

I kept ignoring him and parked the car in one of the empty spaces amidst the sprawling landscape. Valerie's confused gaze swept across the expansive, unfamiliar surroundings before we both went down. Opening the back door, I assisted Cole outside, with the girl carefully tucked in his arms.

Approaching the opened door, we were met by a middle-aged woman, likely the one Valerie had spoken to on the phone. Her eyes filled with concern as they scanned over Tanya's unconscious form, "Oh, sweetie, what have you done to yourself?" she murmured softly.

Her gaze shifted to us with utter gratitude, "Thank you so much," she said, mainly to Valerie, and offering her a warm smile.

Before the woman could say more, Cole interjected, "You'd be very much welcomed if you led me to her room so I can drop her before she throws up on me," he quipped, capturing the woman's attention. A furrow formed between her brows, but she gestured for Cole to follow her inside and up the stairs.

We followed suit, my gaze flickering in awe as we stepped inside the grand foyer. The interior of the house was nothing short of magnificent, it resembled a castle fit for royalty. Ornate chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a warm, golden glow over the polished marble floors below.

The walls were adorned with portraits of stern-faced ancestors, my gaze flickered over each one, and a sense of unease settled on me, one that I couldn't quite shake or comprehend its origin.

As we ascended the staircase, the hallway stretched out before us, lined with intricately carved furnishings and antique decorations. I felt Valerie's hand reach for mine, tightening over it, feeling out of sorts in a place like this. She glanced up at me and I offered her a small smile, keeping her so close as we followed the woman.

She opened the door of what I supposed was Tanya's room and gestured for Cole to drop her on the bed. He rushed there and let go of her so fast, "Phew," He mumbled, a relieved sigh pushed out of his chest that he got the mission done without her throwing up on him.

The woman fixed the girl's pillow and covered her with the duvet, brushing her hair before she looked at us, smiling, "Thank you again," She said, "Tanya is lucky to have such good friends."

"Oh, she is not my friend, I don't even know her name," Cole said, his expression twisting in annoyance as he eyed the girl before he backed away, coming to our side, "Can we leave?" He asked with a low voice, his wary eyes flickering around, "This place feels like a haunted house."

I punched his arm, silencing him for once. I turned to the woman, "If it's okay, we should head out," I explained and she nodded, "Yeah sure, sure, thanks again," She said and Valerie cast one last look on Tanya, "I will call her in the morning to check up," She said and the maid nodded with a small smile before the three of us left the room and made our way out of the house.

Cole could not help but curiously look all around us, "Man, I mean my parents are rich, but this is some royal type of rich shit over here," He mumbled in astonishment and I punched his shoulder again. Groaning in pain, he held his shoulder and decided to keep shut as we made our way back to my car.

Valerie kept silent, probably realizing that she knew nothing about her friend. We settled in our seats and Cole moved forward, "So, where are we going now?" He asked, ever so excitedly.

"Home," I said neutrally, "To sleep and forget that tonight ever happened," I added and Cole shot me a glare, "Okay, just drop me at my place, I'd rather hang with my baby brother over you," He grumbled and I pulled the car forward.

Cole sank into his seat and busied himself with his phone. Valerie was looking out of the window, silent as well, and deep in her own thoughts. Not feeling like starting a conversation, I turned on the radio, letting a soft melody fill the car as we made our way to Cole's house.

Upon reaching his place, I parked the car by the roadside, "See ya guys on Monday," Cole said, giving my shoulder a friendly tap before bidding farewell to Valerie, who reciprocated the gesture by waving her hand. As he left, my attention shifted from his retreating figure to the silent girl beside me.

My hand reached forward, gently wrapping over her own, grabbing her attention as I softly caressed her skin. Her eyes met mine and she smiled, "So," She sighed, "Tonight was a failure."

I nodded my head, disappointed too, "Yeah."

"Is this the universe telling us not to be together?"

My eyes widened slightly, "What, no!" I shot out and she chuckled softly, "I am kidding," She mumbled, resting her other hand on the top of mine.

"I am sorry," She mumbled and I shook my head, "Gingy, it's not your fault," I said, "It's just this makes me question our taste in friends," I added, trying to turn the conversation playful to ease her seemingly disturbed mood.

Her smile widened and she nodded, "Agreed."

I let out a low sigh, my shoulders easing downward, "The thing is we rarely find time to hang out, so I was hoping I could steal you from the world for just this night," I spoke honestly.

Valerie's smile softened, her gaze roaming my face with a raw intensity, "I mean, the night is not over yet," She mumbled, giving me an innocent shrug, "You can steal me for a bit longer if you want."

"You're sure?" I asked, my heart leaping at her invitation.

She nodded, "If you know a place we can go to, I am all in," She suggested.

Bringing her hand to my lips, I planted a tender kiss on it, "I know just the place."

"It's not a hospital's rooftop, is it?" Valerie asked, cutely scrunching her nose.

I chuckled and shook my head at her silliness, "No, it's not."

With her hand wrapped in mine, I drove us toward our next destination, heading for the spot I liked near the campus, the one I had previously taken Nathan to. Valerie eyed our surroundings curiously, trying to figure out our destination.

"It's close to the campus," She commented as I drove us up the hill.

I nodded, "Yeah, ever been here before?"

She shook her head, "No, never, it looks so cool though."

A few minutes later, I parked the car nearby and moved to Valerie's side. She was already stepping out before I could open her door. The air was crisp up here as we made our way forward, and Valerie's eyes widened in awe as she glanced toward the overlook, taking in the expanse of the cityscape sprawled beneath us.

A small smile graced her lips as she tucked her hands into her jacket's pockets, her nose slightly reddened by the breeze. She turned to me, her expression filled with awe, "It's so pretty."

I nodded with a smile of my own, "If you feel cold, we can—"

She shook her head, interrupting me, "No, no, it's perfect," With that, she walked closer to the edge, fully immersing herself in the breathtaking scenery. Meanwhile, I opened the trunk of my car and retrieved the small blanket I had stashed there for us to sit on.

I placed the blanket close to the edge but not so close and gestured for Valerie to sit down. She dropped to the spot beside me, her gaze flickering from the overlook and to me, her eyebrow quirking, "So, you really do like to hang by the edge, huh?"

Playfully, I nodded my head, "Well, life's more exciting on the edge, don't you think?"

She shook her head at me with a small smile, a soft peacefulness taking over her features, making my heart do crazy unfamiliar things; like it was ready to jump and fall into her palms, or maybe just fall for her, and never go back up again.

She scooted closer, leaving little to no space beside our bodies. Her arm pressed into my own, her strawberry scent engulfed my insides and I felt all out of sorts. My heart sped, my stomach tumbled, and my lungs failed to inhale and exhale like they were supposed to. Anxiously, I lifted my arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, gently pulling her closer to me.

Without much of a noise, she accepted the gesture, leaning into my hold, her gaze focused on the beauty sprawled ahead of us.

"You know something," I said, my gaze flickering to the secluded surroundings, "Having sex over here was always on my to-do-list—"

Valerie pulled away from my arm, her eyes flickering up and glaring at me, "Seriously?"

I gave her an innocent shrug and she sighed loudly, "And here I was wondering why you were being extra polite and charming today," She grumbled, shaking her head at my antics, "Is that what goes in that little head of yours all the time," She asked as she harshly tapped her finger over my temple.

I pushed her hand away, and mirrored her glare, "I mean yeah, fantasies of having sex with you are always on my mind, why lie about it," I honestly spoke.

She covered her face with her hand, facepalming at me, "Oh dear god—"

"What," I mumbled, "Did you not see yourself in the mirror," I explained the obvious as I pointed at her from head to toe, "I am a young guy and you are a very beautiful girl, of course I will think of that," I said, "What else do you think goes on my mind, fantasies of us going to church on Sunday?" I remarked incredulously.

Her eyes narrowed at me, disliking all of my words, "I am currently wishing I didn't save you that day on that rooftop," She grumbled.

"You didn't save me," I pointed out again, "I wasn't going to jump!"

"You so were," She added, challenging me still before she pointed ahead at the overlook, "Although, if you wanna jump from here, I am not gonna stop you, go ahead," She added ever so carelessly and I shot her a glare.

"I can have fantasies about my girlfriend, you know, nothing is wrong with that," I pointed out.

My words had her wincing, "God, it feels weird when you say that word," She mumbled.

"What word?"

"Girlfriend," She answered, her expression twisting into horror and annoyance.

"Good type of weird, I hope," I pointed out, my eyebrow raised, ready to push her off the cliff myself.

She shrugged, "I mean..." She hummed, her lips curling up in annoyance, "You see, the thing is..."

She noticed my frown deepening and she broke into a smile, "I am kidding, just kidding, good type of weird, don't go jumping now," She joked and god she was going to drive me insane.

"You are so mean," I mumbled, turning my head back to the scenery ahead of us.

She chuckled, "And you are such a baby," She said, edging closer to me again, "A baby who has weird sex fantasies but yeah, still a baby," She added, her arm going around my back and leaning into my body.

Glaring down at her, she flashed me those beautiful puppy eyes and I was rendered defenseless. Sighing, I brought my arm around her and kept her close. A calm moment of silence enveloped us, one I interrupted as I asked, fishing for any conversation, "So, about your friend, Tanya, what do you think is up with her?"

Sighing, she shook her head, "I have no idea," She mumbled, "I just realized that I don't really know her."

She let out a low breath, her gaze got lost somewhere as she kept on talking, "Like I told you, when we moved here, I tried to keep my distance from everyone new I met," She added, "And Tanya, she was just the nicest from the start, she was the only one I actually spoke to about Reneé. I mean her uncle is a great doctor and I even consulted him about her condition," She explained, "But other than that, I've kept a safe distance, scared to get too close."

"She basically knows nothing else about me and apparently, I know nothing about her either," She mumbled, sighing sadly.

"You didn't keep a safe distance from me, though," I couldn't help but comment.

She lifted her eyes to look at me, and they narrowed slightly, "Yeah, I keep wondering why," She said, "You've got some kind of spell on me," She added, dissatisfied with the fact, "You made me break most of my rules."

I smiled, "Rules are boring anyway."

She rolled her eyes, her lips twitching into a smile before she turned her attention back to the view, "To be honest, I am kind of glad that I've met you," She whispered and my heart soured again, its heartbeats retching higher and higher —I was scared she'd hear them, "With my life, I feel so tired at times, but you kind of make me feel..." She looked at me, her lips forming a small genuine smile, "Less tired...if that makes sense."

I brought my hand to her face, brushing the loosened strand of her hair away as I gazed at her, my heart unable to get a grip, feeling things foreign and unknown, "It's the only thing that makes sense because you make feel the same," I said, my thumb tracing the curve of her cheek, "I think maybe we came into each other's lives when we both were just so tired."

We were both battling different wars on the inside, hers bigger than mine, but somehow, in some twisted way, that made us fit together even better.

Valerie nodded, a playful glint in her eyes, "Yeah, so tired that you were ready to jump off the rooftop, so—"

My calm demeanor quickly shifted to a glare, which only made her laugh softly. "I'm sorry, I can't help it," she apologized amidst her laughter, "I'm sorry."

She brought her hand to my face and rubbed at the area between my eyebrows, "Loose the frown, kidney boy," She said, "You're prettier when you smile."

Her words softened my expression, and she grinned even wider. "Also, don't forget, if it wasn't for that rooftop, we probably would've never met," She said.

I shook my head, disagreeing, "We attend the same college, I would've found you one way or another."

She shook her head, "I don't think you would've, we attended the same lecture last semester. Twice a week, we sat in the same class and you never noticed me," She pointed out, her words drawing lines between my eyebrows, "Hold on, does this mean that you noticed me?"

She shrugged, casually, "I mean you're pretty noticeable, that's all."

My eyebrow raised, and tease fluttered over my lips, "Gingy," I said, my teasing tone having her roll her eyes, "Did you have a crush on me?"

She let out a low groan, "I knew this would inflate your ego, gosh," She grumbled, trying to pull away from me.

I pulled her right back, "Admit it."

"It wasn't a crush, it's just when I looked at your face," She tried to explain it, a bit of redness creeping up her neck, coating her cheeks and nose, "When I looked at your face, I didn't feel like punching it, that's all," She stuttered, a bit nervous as I caught her redhanded.

I chuckled, "What did you feel like, then?"

She shrugged, trying to act casual but her adorable blush sold her out, "I mean...I thought that it wouldn't be too bad to...you know, to kiss you or something."

A low laugh vibrated off my chest, it had me throwing my head backward, enjoying this more than I should, which made her lightly punch my arm, "Shut up," She grumbled.

I licked my lips, "Oh, you totally had the hots for me," I said.

She glared at me, "And you made me change my mind so easily."

"You just admitted it though," I pointed it out.

She let out a loud sigh, "Yeah, so?" She grumbled, "It's not like you don't know that you're kind of handsome."

"I do, I mean, of course I do," My eyebrows raised, "But I didn't know that you think that too."

"Anyway, when I realized you were just a playboy like the rest of the guys, it was the biggest turn-off," She said, trying to bring me down after she had praised me.

"So, I still turn you off?" I asked, my lips twitching teasingly.

"Right now, you are pushing all of my buttons, Max, and not the good ones I might add," She shot back, too annoyed at my teasing tone.

"That wasn't my question," I said.

"Yeah, you still turn me off," She shot out in defense.

"So, if I lean down and kiss you, won't you kiss me back," I murmured, my voice lowering as my gaze lingered on her lips, all red and plump and inviting, begging for a connection we had briefly tasted before.

My hand, which rested on her cheek, trailed down slowly, my fingers caressing the delicate skin of her neck. They ventured beneath the fabric of her shirt, tracing the contours of her collarbone, teasing the skin above it. I felt her shiver, and I knew it wasn't because of the cold breeze.

My eyes settled back into hers, so soft, so vulnerable, and I tried so badly to quell the urge to just push her back into the blanket and consume her whole, to lose myself in her completely, risking everything in the process. My jaw clenched, a futile attempt to rein in the desire she effortlessly stirs within me.

Drawing in a deep breath, I whispered, "Can I kiss you?"

Her chest rose and fell with the same rapid rhythm as mine, struggling to find air amidst the intensity of our shared desire. "Are you going to ask me every time?" she breathed out, her voice barely audible.

"Until you feel comfortable with me doing it without asking," I nodded, "Till then, yeah, I will keep asking."

If possible, my words tightened the frown between her eyebrows, they quenched in something resembling sadness, and fuck I never wanted her to be sad ever again. I felt so weak against her, doubting everything about myself because...would I ever be able to make her forget?

She weakly nodded her head, "Yeah."

"Yeah, what?"

"Just kiss me, dammit," She said, annoyed at how I made her say it out loud.

Before she could suck into her next breath, I leaned down and slammed my lips into the softness of hers. The sensation of her mouth moving against mine, the way her hands reached abd roamed over my shoulders, how they tangled in my hair, elicited a low growl of longing from deep within me.

I pressed closer, my palms cradling her face as I savored every little bit of her mouth.

Despite the chill in the air, I felt like I was burning, my veins coursing with an insatiable hunger, a longing I thought I understood but realized was entirely new and intoxicating.

With her fingers entwined in my hair and mine tracing the contours of her face and neck, our mouths moved in sync, our tongues exploring, igniting a fire within me that I couldn't contain.

Unconsciously, I found myself urging her backward, my hand cradling the back of her head as I guided her onto the blanket. My body pressed against hers, a fervent desire consuming me, and with each attempt to pull back, she pulled me closer.

Her touch traveled from my hair, down my neck, and beneath my jacket and shirt, sending shivers down my spine. Meanwhile, my hand trailed down her neck, tracing the curve of her waist before resting on her skirt, exploring the softness of her thigh. Even with clothes on, every touch burned, churning within me an animal, an untamed beast ready to devour.

I absorbed every soft sound that escaped her lips, driven by an instinct that seemed to override any rational thought. My hand, almost on autopilot, explored the curves of her thigh, venturing beneath the fabric of her skirt. Right then, every muscle in her body tensed, I felt it, the closeness between us palpable, almost heart to heart.

The movement of her lips against mine paused. Sensing her reaction, I immediately withdrew my hand, breaking the kiss, severing the intimate connection, and pushing myself away.

I backed away and Valerie pushed herself upward. I cast a glance at her, noticing how her skin flushed, redness crept into every exposed part of her body and her fingers twitched as she attempted to regain composure, rubbing her neck to dispel the lingering tension.

Her eyes met mine, her chest rising up and down, "I am sorry," She mumbled and I shook my head. Clearing my throat, "You've got nothing to apologize for," I reassured her, nervously scratching my neck, "I'm sorry, I got carried away," I admitted.

She looked away, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear before inhaling deeply, "I think it's best if we head home," she suggested, already rising to her feet, seeking escape from the intensity of the moment.

"Yeah, sure," I said, feeling like a fucking jerk for pushing her too hard.

I pulled out my keys and unlocked the car, "Get in," I gestured for her to go ahead before me, "I will get the blanket."

Without a word, she silently complied, slipping into the car and closing the door behind her. I carelessly gathered the blanket and moved to the car's trunk, pushing and tossing it aside. My palms fell into the edge, my head hung low and I pressed my eyes shut, internally berating myself for being a damned fool.

Closing the trunk with a bit more force than usual, I slid into my seat and started the engine.

We drove in silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavy between us. From the corner of my eye, I stole glances at her, noting the tension in her posture, the way her hands anxiously fidgeted in her lap as she stared out the window, avoiding my gaze.

I struggled to find the right words, they eluded me, so I remained silent, the hum of the engine filling the void.

As we reached her house, I parked by the driveway and stepped out, moving to open her door. She emerged from the car, her gaze fixed on the ground until finally, she looked up, meeting my eyes, "Max," She whispered my name with a vulnerability that pierced through me, that made me want to set the whole fucking world on fire so I won't ever see her hurt again.

"Yeah," I responded softly, unsure of what to say.

Lines etched between her eyebrows, "Do you think we are making a mistake by doing this," She asked, hesitant as she pointed between us, addressing our newfound relationship.

Her words struck me like a sudden jolt, and I instinctively moved closer to her, seeking to reassure her, "What, no, no, it's not a mistake, Valerie."

She shook her head, "I told you, it's not going to be easy with me."

I shook my head, "Yeah and I don't care," I said with determination, "I want you, easy or not, it doesn't matter," I wanted to reach forward and hold her, but I was unsure which of my touches hurt her and which made her feel okay...

"We will take it as slow as you want," I assured her again, "We will do it whichever way makes you comfortable," I added, "But Valerie, I've never felt anything remotely similar to this," My voice dropped lower, the emotions surging within me drew lines over my forehead, "I know that you feel something too, we owe it to ourself to give this a chance, don't you think so?"

She gazed at my face for a long moment and so many emotions pushed and pulsed in her gaze before she finally nodded her head, agreeing with me too, feeling this uncontrollable connection surging between us.

I tried to calm myself down, I rushed a hand over my face, "Valerie," I said, "I just...if you ever..." I didn't know what to say or how to phrase it, "If you ever feel uncomfortable with anything I do, please just tell me, stop me, I...I never want to hurt you in any way."

She softly shook her head, "That's the thing," She murmured, "You never make me feel uncomfortable and that scares me more."

"I don't want you to be scared with me," My lips formed a small smile, trying to ease her stressed nerves as well, "I would never hurt you, Valerie, never, I promise."

Her lips twitched, forming a small smile too. She took me by surprise when she edged closer, tiptoed, and softly pecked my lips, "Goodnight, Max," She whispered.

She edged back and I felt that hotness creeping beneath my skin, I felt all out of sorts again. God, what's happening to me? I rushed a hand over my neck, "Good night, Gingy," I mumbled.

She left me there, a fucking gooey mess and she headed for her house, unlocking the door and walking inside. Forcing myself to move, I got back inside the car. My phone buzzed and I pulled it from my pocket, reading the text message I just received.

Gingy: You're cute when you blush, kidney boy.

The fuck-

Max: Shut up 😒

Gingy: haha, see ya on Monday morning before class? Coffee will be on me.

Max: Deal. One gingerbread latte since you owe me so many.

Gingy: Sure, with extra whipped cream?

I felt myself smiling for some reason.

Max: yeah, with extra whipped cream.

*******************

Two weeks later...

Valerie's POV

I walked out of class, my excitement bubbling beneath the surface. The final week was finally over and semester break was within reach, and not to mention that—

I halted to a stop when my eyes fell on Max, standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall not too far away from the class I just stepped out from. His eyes left his phone screen and flickered to me. An immediate smile curved his lips and he scurried forward, pausing when he was close, "So?"

I gave him a fake confused look, "So?"

His eyebrow raised, "How much did you get? Did he tell you your grade?" He asked, more eager than me to learn if I passed the course or not.

My lips pressed into a thin line and I shook my head, "He didn't say," I mumbled, adding a tinge of sadness to my words, my gaze flickering to the ground, my hands fiddling with the straps of my bag as I shifted on my feet, "He said that the makeup exam will be next week and I should attend it—"

"What—" Max mumbled breathlessly, the color leaving his face, "But...but you said you did really good, and your project's grade was good, how...how did this happen?"

I shrugged sadly, my lips forming a small pout, "I don't know, and if I don't pass the makeup exam, I will lose my scholarship, and—" I sucked into a deep breath and looked away from him, sniffling and shaking my head in defeat.

"What, no, no, don't say that, we will work really hard all over this next week," He edged closer, gently resting his hands over my arms, "We will go through every chapter again, you will pass it this time, I am sure, we—"

His words paused when I lifted my head up, my pout breaking into a big giddy smile. The worry left his face and was replaced with a glare, "You're so damn mean," He grumbled out.

I chuckled, my excitement taking the best of me as I jumped on him, my arms wrapping around his neck ever so tightly. The force of my hug pushed him backward and his back pressed into the wall, chuckling too as he wrapped his arms around me, "I got an A minus, can you believe that!" I mumbled into his shoulder, tightening my grip over him.

I edged backward to watch his beautiful smile, his stressed expression relaxing down at the happy news, "I do," He said, "I knew this evil brain of yours is capable of being smart sometimes," He added, still salty that I pulled a little act on him.

Laughing softly, I edged backward, my happiness palpable into the air, "I would've not done it without you," I admitted honestly.

"Not all the credit goes to me," He said, shaking his head, "You worked really hard."

"Still, you gave me your time and effort," I said, beyond grateful, "And you asked for nothing in return, so really, thank you, this means whole a lot to me, thanks."

He shrugged ever so casually, "Well, I did win you in return, so I ain't complaining."

I rolled my eyes at him and straightened myself, "Still," I said, opening my backpack and pulling the small little cartoon bag I stuffed in there, "I got you something," I added, nervously, "It's nothing big, just a small little thank you."

I extended the bag forward and Max's eyebrows pulled closer, his eyes flickered to me and he shook his head, "But you didn't have to," he mumbled softly as he took the bag from me.

I shrugged, "As I said, it's nothing big, I don't know if you will even like it," I said, "I mean I...I kind of did it myself, it's just a small little thing."

He opened the bag as I rambled on nervously and pulled out the beanie I had knitted from scratch. To be honest, I didn't know what to get him in return. He seemed like he had everything, and my small tiny budget wouldn't fit to buy him something extravagant even though I wanted to...

So, I opted for this instead. My grandma had taught me how to knit back in the day and it took me a couple of days, well around two weeks to be honest, to finally get it done as I worked really hard on my rusty skills.

Max pulled out the dark-green colored beanie and his wide eyes shot up to me, "You knit this?" He asked in shock.

Biting my lip anxiously, I nodded my head, stuttering, "Yeah, uhm, I know it's nothing big, I am not sure if you like it, it's just...I uh-" Why couldn't I fucking speak!

"If...if you don't like it, you don't have to use it-"

"Are you kidding," he said, a big happy smile breaking into his face as he placed over his hair and fixed it on the side, "It's perfect, I love it," he said, ever so genuinely and my heart knocked it up a notch.

"Really?"

He nodded, "Yeah, of course," He said, running his hand over its fabric, "If not that, just the fact that you spent time just doing this for me...it's...I am speechless," He gazed at me in a way that broke and fixed my heart all at once, "You didn't have to, I helped you because I wanted to, Valerie, not because I wanted anything in return."

"Yeah, I know, it's a little thank you, nothing more," I mumbled, pointing at the beanie as I said, "It brings out the color of your eyes," Just like I expected it would.

He looked at himself in the phone's front camera and nodded, "Yeah, I look extra handsome," He pushed the phone back into his pocket, "You should lock me up before I go breaking hearts left and right."

My eyebrow raised and my lips twitched, smiling at this silly boy.

His arms sneaked around my waist, pulling me closer to his body, "Now, let's go back to our original deal," He said, tease fluttering all over his lips, "I mean I lost count of how many hours you owe me by now," He said, "If you don't have any work to do, spend the rest of the day with me?"

Unable to say no, I found myself nodding, "Yeah."

"Cool," he said, smiling softly as he gazed at me.

I nodded, licking my lips, "Cool."

I pointed at the beanie, "Now, take it off."

He shook his head, "Never."

I shook my head at him with a small smile, "I will go to the restroom first and then we can leave, okay?"

He nodded his head, "Sure, I will be waiting for you here."

Breaking apart from his touch, I scurried to the restroom. I rested my bag on the handle and edged closer to the sink, opening the faucet and washing my hands before I splashed some water into my flushed face, hoping to calm my erratic stupid heart down.

It felt like I was on cloud nine.

Everything seemed to be going on smoothly. The exam I thought I'd fail in, I aced it. This sucky semester is finally over and a much-needed break is waiting for me. And then, there is Max and his silly ways of making me smile every day...

My thoughts got interrupted by the buzzing of my phone. I dried my hands and face before I pulled it out of my pants pocket, unlocked it, and stared at the screen. Reading the words there were enough to shatter my hope, push me off that cloud and make me crash head-first into the unforgiving ground.

Unknown Number: 'I thought you learned your lesson sweet Val, but sending your new fuckboy after me? That wasn't very smart. Don't go blaming me when I bury him and you ten feet underground. This time I am not messing around, you've been warned.'

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Like I said before, this book won't be as long as my other books, it will end in a couple of more chapters.

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