A few hours after Keon and Aria's encounter at the cemetery, they were invited to go on a weekend getaway with Hunter, Estelle, Devon, and Amy to an Airbnb in Key West. And on the day he was set to depart, Keon's mother hovered over him as if he were going to be away for weeks.

"Are you sure you have everything? Your clothes, extra underwear, shampoo, anything else you may need?"

"Yes, I already told you I have everything."

"Alright. Goodbye, Keon, I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Mom," Keon kissed her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too, son," she waved at him as he left the house.

Keon went to pick up Devon and Amy at their houses, and an hour and fifteen minutes after that, they arrived at the vacation house. Keon and Devon then went directly to their room to settle in.

"Devon, did you seriously bring fifteen pairs of boxers?" Hunter laughed out loud. "It's not like we're gonna stay here for a week, five pairs is more than enough."

"What if I shit my pants every day?" Devon shrugged. "I would certainly need more than five pairs if that happened to me."

"Well how the hell would that happen to you?" Keon looked at him like he was crazy.

"By putting hot sauce on everything savory I eat," Devon replied.

"Only you would do that," Hunter narrowed his eyes and laughed.

"Shut the fuck up, I know you would too," Devon slapped his back.

When they were done settling in, they had lunch with the girls, after which they went to the villa's pool area, where they spent the afternoon horsing around before getting inside the hot tub to relax and talk about random things.

"This gives me huge flashbacks," Estelle giggled. "Do you know how long it's been ever since we last came here?"

"Since the summer before our junior year of high school," Aria replied. "More than three years ago!"

"I'd never been here before," Amy mentioned.

"You haven't?" Hunter widened his eyes.

"Nope."

"Neither have I," Devon admitted.

"I did come here once, but as a baby," Keon explained. "So I barely remember anything about this place."

"Well, I'm sure y'all are gonna love it," Hunter giggled. "I swear, this place is almost like a paradise."

"It is a paradise," Aria grinned.

"Trust me, I already do love it," Devon giggled. That's when Amy stuck her finger into his belly button, giggling maniacally.

"Stop that," he chuckled. Amy didn't listen, and she kept tickling him until the two began cackling like idiots, which made everyone laugh along with them. After they were done, the two shared a kiss.

"Ew, get a room, you two," Keon snickered.

"Gladly!" Amy shot right up as she grabbed Devon's arm and left the hot tub with him.

Keon shook his head and giggled. "These kids are a handful."

"They're an adorable couple," Estelle smiled.

"Devon seems like a goofball, it's no surprise that Amy and him are together," Aria admitted. "Because Amy is also a big clown."

"I heard that!" Amy hollered from where she was at.

"Shut up," Aria hollered back. "Unless you want me to send your ass to the moon."

"Now I like you more than I already did," he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Hoho, that was smooth!" Hunter guffawed. "And cheesy."

"That was smooth indeed," Aria rested her head on Keon's shoulder.

"I ship you two together," Estelle covered her mouth.

"You do?" Keon and Aria shot right up.

"Yes, I do," Estelle giggled.

"I second that," Hunter added. "You two would make a cute couple."

Keon smiled shyly, feeling his cheeks get warmer. I hope we end up being together, he thought to himself.

Around thirty minutes after sunset, everyone showered and changed into their best clothes for dinner at the Buttons diner in Key West, where they all talked and laughed about their favorite memories. After ten thirty, everyone returned to the vacation house. Devon and Hunter went to spend time with their girlfriends, and Keon chose to stay with Aria. His intention was to have a slow dance with her, so he led her out to the balcony, where a small jukebox sat.

"Hey, Aria," Keon told her. "Will you go to the balcony with me? I just wanna talk."

"Sure," she smiled.

Once they arrived, Keon set up the jukebox and made it play 'She' by Harry Styles.

"Wanna have this dance?" he asked Aria, extending his hand.

"Wait, you're telling me we're gonna dance right here, under the stars?" she awed.

"Do you wanna dance with me or not?"

"Yes, of course I do!"

"So, let's dance," he took her hand and helped her stand up with him.

That's when Keon gently held Aria in his arms and began to dance with her slowly. He looked deeply into her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling nervously.

"This is gonna sound cheesy as hell, Aria, but you live in my daydreams. No matter how hard I try not to, I always end up thinking about you," Keon told her.

"Really?" Aria lowered her head shyly.

"Yeah... in fact, you've been on my mind every single day since I first saw you."

"I'm flattered," she flashed a sheepish grin.

"That leads me to ask... do you remember how we met?"

"Of course. I'll never forget the way you stared at me after I gave you your phone, and how startled you looked when I brought you back to your senses. There's also something I need to tell you about that night..."

"Spill it."

"I know you dropped your phone on purpose."

"You do?" Keon widened his eyes. "How did you notice?"

"Because you stared at me right after, Keon. If it had actually been an accident, you would've just grabbed it and left."

"Truth to be told, I would've still stared at you even if it were an accident. You're too beautiful, Aria, I just couldn't help it. I'm not lying when I tell you you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen. I literally didn't know what else to do; I was paralyzed."

"Paralyzed by my beauty," she smirked, giggling softly.

"Exactly," Keon laughed, his gaze locked on her eyes.

"Well... truth to be told, I felt the same way when I saw you. I don't know if you noticed, but I was also staring at you that day."

"I didn't notice... but I did see you blushing when Cash..." Keon looked down. "When Cash told you I had talked a lot about you. Also, when I went to pick you up for our first date, your mother told me that you said I was handsome."

"Wait, really? Did my mom tell you that?"

"Yes, she did."

"I- oh wow," Aria blushed, laughing nervously.

"Don't worry, I was flattered... as a matter of fact, I still am."

"Well, I'm glad. Have you seen yourself? Those beautiful eyes, that perfect smile of yours? Gawd, you truly are handsome."

"Thank you... and you truly are beautiful. I will never get tired of saying it."

And I'll never get tired of hearing it, she almost blurted out.

Keon and Aria smiled at each other, dancing slowly while the song played in the background. Their attention had now turned away from the music, instead hypnotized by the romantic atmosphere that surrounded them.

"I always get lost in those eyes of yours..." he told her.

"I could say the same thing about your eyes, Keon," she stroked his cheek. "They really are stunning."

A few moments later, Keon felt an overpowering urge to kiss her and forget about everything else. He hesitated for a moment, before hearing a voice in his mind say 'this is it, Keon, this is the right moment'.

"I- uhh..." he stammered and pulled himself away from Aria. "I'm about to do something I've wanted to do ever since I first saw you," he gently lifted her chin, glancing at her lips, then at her eyes, and back at her lips again. He felt his stomach sink as he drew closer to her body, close enough to inhale her sweet scent. Seeing Aria glance at his lips as she subtly bit her own lower lip was something that made Keon unable to resist her.

"What is it?" she spoke, slightly lifting her head.

"You'll see," he grinned, licking his lips.

Keon found himself slowly leaning in, his heart thumping with anticipation as he approached her lips and gave her a soft, gentle kiss. As soon as he kissed her, he felt sparks all over his body, still having this effect even after pulling away from the exchange. Aria was visibly stunned, and she stared at him for what seemed like forever, her eyes widened in shock; she couldn't believe he had actually kissed her, as she had long hoped he would in the weeks that they had been talking to each other.

"What?" Keon chuckled.

Aria cupped his face into her hands without saying a word and kissed him, feeling as if she were about to swoon. Keon was taken aback, but he understood what she was doing and embraced her, kissing her passionately. At one point, he could feel her lips curving into a grin as she ran her fingers along the back of his neck, electrifying him and igniting all of his senses.

"You're so fucking beautiful," he caressed her face, smiling lovingly.

"You can say that again," she whispered.

Keon and Aria locked lips once again, only letting go every once in a while to get air. Her sweet strawberry scent was overwhelming; it drove him insane in the best way possible, it was something that made him want to kiss her until the end of time. His strong cologne had the same effect on Aria, making her wonder if she was dreaming. After feeling him kiss her even more intensely, though, she knew it was all real life. Neither of them cared about anything else; at that moment, the world belonged to them and only them.

"I can't stop kissing you," he brushed his thumb across her lips.

"Then don't stop," Aria pulled him back in, which made him feel like his heart would explode in any second.

It had only been their first kiss, but Keon was already getting addicted to Aria's lips. Her lips were like butterfly wings, delicate and soft. Kissing her was like something out of a dream; he knew he was there, but it felt like it was too good to be true. As for Aria, this kiss sent shock waves all over her body, it made her heart beat quickly and slowly at the same time. This truly had been the moment she'd dreamt about ever since she first met him.

"Wow..." Aria sighed softly as she blushed a deep red. "That was..."

"The best kiss I've ever had," Keon completed her sentence.

"Indeed it was," she looked away for a second, and then turned her head back to him. "I'd be lying if I said the opposite... because that was hot."

"I'm glad you think the same way."

"You're an amazing kisser, Keon. I sure hope this ain't the last time you ever kiss me."

"Oh, trust me, it won't," Keon smirked and gave her a small peck, making her giggle.

He laid with her on the chaise lounge, watching the stars together while the cool breeze swished upon them. Within a minute, he could feel her shivering in his embrace.

"I bet you're freezing," he lightly tapped on her back.

"How did you know?"

"I could feel your shivers," he sat back up, removing his sweatshirt and giving it to her. "Here, take this. It's pretty warm and comfy."

"Thanks, cutie," she quickly put it on. "It's warm indeed... and pretty big. But won't you be cold?"

"Don't worry about it. It looks better on you, anyway," he caressed her blushing cheek. And I want it to smell like you, he thought.

Aria then rested her head on Keon's chest, listening to him talk to her about life while he wrapped both his arms around her, stroking her head. Before he knew it, she had fallen asleep. I wish I could hold you in my arms forever, beautiful, he kissed her forehead and closed his eyes.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Hunter appeared in front of them the next morning, making them bolt right up in confusion.

"Seems like you two had fun last night, didn't you?" Devon appeared from behind him and winked.

"Shut up, Devon, it was just a kiss," Keon giggled.

"It was an amazing one, let me tell you," Aria wrapped her arms around his body.

"That's adorable," Hunter smiled. "Anyway, get up. We made y'all some breakfast."

The breakfast table was filled with smiles when Keon and Aria told their friends about their first kiss. It was evident that everyone truly was pleased about the situation.

"I just knew you guys felt something for each other!" Amy gushed.

"Really?" Keon asked. "How did you know?"

"I mean..." Amy scoffed. "Have y'all even seen yourselves when you're together? In one way or another you two always end up looking at each other's eyes."

"See? I'm telling y'all, I'm not the only one who says you two have feelings for each other," Estelle mentioned.

"You're not wrong," Keon admitted. "I like her."

"And I like him too," Aria added. Once again, they ended up looking at each other, giggling while the others laughed. That's when Keon noticed that she was blushing.

"Ohhh, she's blushing!" Hunter pointed at Aria, which made her blush more intensely.

"And he's blushing too!" Devon pointed at Keon and laughed.

"Shut up," Keon flashed a sheepish grin and looked at the ground.

"You guys are gonna end up dating sooner or later, just you wait," Estelle told them.

They all spent the entire morning chilling outside and talking about anything and everything that came to their minds until around one in the afternoon, an hour before they were supposed to return the keys to the Airbnb. Before leaving, Keon went to talk to Aria.

"I just want you to know... this is a weekend I'll always remember. I loved every minute of it," he told her while he held her hands.

"I will always cherish the memories we made here," she smiled. "This vacation made me realize that I like you a lot, Keon. I hope we can make more memories like this."

"I like you too, Aria, and I feel the same way," he stroked her cheek. "Will I see you again next Saturday?"

"Of course."

"Perfect," he told her before kissing her. "See you soon, precious."

"I'll see you soon," she winked and left.

All Keon could think about on his way home was one of the last things Cash said to him before he died. "Chances are," he told him. "Aria likes you too, but is much better at hiding it than you are." And evidently, Cash was right; Aria liked Keon too, and they even shared their first kiss. You were right, Cash, she likes me too... gawd, I wish you were here to see it, he thought, tears falling from his eyes while he drove back home.

The first thing Keon did when he arrived at his house was tell his mother every single detail about his weekend; with an extra focus on what happened between him and Aria.

"I kissed her, Mom. I kissed her, it was the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I felt like I was on top of the moon."

"What was it like?"

"It was glorious. At first I was nervous because I was scared of her rejecting me, but she kissed me back. I have to be honest, it was the best kiss I've ever had. I like her a lot, because not only is she beautiful on the outside; she's also beautiful inside. She has a heart of gold."

"Does she like you back, Keon?"

"She does... before we left, she told me that she liked me."

"I want to meet that girl."

"Wait, what?" he raised his eyebrows.

"I said I want to meet her," she repeated. "Look, Keon, even if you don't wanna admit it, I know you're crazy about her."

"I am, Mom. She truly is wonderful."

"Well, then, I want to meet her. Go on, call her and ask her if she wants to come over for brunch next Friday."

"Alright, let me call her."

As soon as that happened, Keon went to his room to call Aria.

"Hey, Aria, I'm sorry for calling you again so suddenly."

"Don't worry about it, you can call me anytime you want. What happened?"

"It's just... I told my mother about everything that happened during the weekend... including what happened between us; and she told me that she wanted to meet you. This leads me to ask, would you like to have brunch at my house next Friday?"

"I'd love to! At what time will it be?"

"Probably at noon. Either way, I'll pick you up at your house that day."

"Alright, I can't wait! Thanks for inviting me, Keon, I'll see you then! Take care, I'll talk to you later. God bless you."

"God bless you too, Aria."

When Keon went back to the kitchen, he overheard his parents talking in the living room.

"Keon's bringing a girl home this Friday for brunch," Fatima told Ray.

"Oh really?" Ray looked up from staring at his phone, fixing his glasses. "What's her name?"

"Shit, I forgot," Fatima replied. "Keon, honey, what was the girl's name again?"

"It's Aria," Keon chipped in.

"Is she pretty?" Ray smiled.

"Ray, if your son's bringing her home to have brunch with us, she's definitely got to be very pretty," Fatima rolled her eyes.

"So he's bringing her just because she's pretty?" Ray crossed his arms.

"You get my point," Fatima sighed.

"No, Dad, I'm not bringing her here just because of that," Keon giggled. "But to answer your question... yes, she's easily the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, both inside and out. I really like her, and I know you will like her too. She's a sweetheart."

"I'm glad, bud," Ray chuckled and playfully smacked Keon's arm.

"I can't wait for you guys to meet her."

"We can't wait either."

A/N: What do you think will happen at brunch with Keon's parents? Do you think they will get along with Aria?

Also, thank you so much for 200+ reads on this story! The fact that you all enjoy reading it means a lot to me 🥰✨

Don't forget to vote if you enjoyed the chapter! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 💗