"I hate writing assignments." Nicholas groaned.

"Doesn't everyone?" Sherlyn asked as she continued writing her assignment, "Now get to work, we have to submit it in two days." She said as they continued to work on their assignments in Nicholas's study room.

Sherlyn didn't see Ardeth the whole day after he went with his brother. She expected to see him in the parking lot after college but to her disappointment he didn't show up.

Since her father was busy working on a delivery with Preston Jones, and wouldn't be home until night, Nicholas and Sherlyn decided to do their assignments in Nicholas's apartment.

"I am feeling hungry." Nicholas said after a few minutes.

"Me too."

"I have instant noodles, let me go get that." Nicholas said walking to the kitchen.

"This is good." Sherlyn said as she devoured the noodles.

"Yes, it is." Nicholas affirmed as they ate the noodles sitting in the living room watching Netflix.

Sherlyn occasionally looked at the door as she waited for Ardeth to show up. The last time she looked him in the Principal's cabin he looked so broken, and hopeless, something different than his cocky and remiss persona.

"Sherry." Nicholas shouted startling her.

"Why are you shouting?" Sherlyn asked irritated.

"I have been calling you for five minutes now." Nicholas frowned, "Where are you lost?"

"Just thinking some random stuff." Sherlyn answered as she continued to eat the noodles.

"What should we watch on Netflix?" Nicholas questioned.

Sherlyn and Nicholas were debating about what to watch on TV, when the door opened revealing Ardeth. He looked furious with cuts and bruises over his face and body, as he marched straight into his room, and closed the door with a thud.

"Excuse me." Nicholas sighed and walked inside Ardeth's room after knocking the door, as Sherlyn sat in the living room staring at the closed door.

After a few minutes, Nicholas walked out towards Sherlyn from Ardeth's room.

"What happened?" Sherlyn asked.

"I will explain it to you later." Nicholas replied, "We ran out of band aids and gauge, I have to make a quick run to the near by store to buy some, will you be ok?"

"No problem, I will go and complete the assignments." Sherlyn assured, and Nicholas left the apartment closing the door behind him.

Sherlyn walked towards the study room all the while she stared at the closed door of Ardeth's room. Standing in the hallway she contemplated whether to go and do her work or check on Ardeth.

"Come in." Ardeth said as he heard the knock on his door.

"I am sorry." Sherlyn said as she watched Ardeth sitting at the edge of his bed with his shirt unbuttoned exposing his toned abs with cuts and bruises on them. "I just wanted to see if you are ok. Are you okay?" She said looking at her hands.

"I will be." Ardeth nodded as he tried to clean his cuts with cotton.

"Shall I?" Sherlyn asked pointing at the cotton and antiseptic solution.

Ardeth nodded and moved aside making space for Sherlyn.

Sherlyn cautiously dabbed the cotton over the cut on Ardeth's eyebrow as he calmly sat infront of her in deep thoughts.

"Why?" Ardeth asked making Sherlyn halt , "Why did you support me when no one did?"

Sherlyn shook her head with a light smile as she continued to clean the cuts on his face.

"You are not the bad guy that you make the people think of you." Sherlyn said as she carefully dabbed the cotton in the corner of his eye, her other hand holding his jaw for support. "I may not have known you for years but for the few days I spent with you, I know there is more about you than it catches the eye, you built a wall around yourself and projects an image of a bad boy, who doesn't care about anything and anyone, but deep down there is a good heart inside you, that helps people in need, enjoys the little things and wants to live the life to the fullest."

"And as for your question, I trusted that you would never smuggle drugs because the one who is supporting a little boy, who lost his parents because of the drugs, would never commit such mistake, because you know the pain." Sherlyn explained.

"You trust me?" Ardeth asked looking at Sherlyn.

"It may be too soon for me to say this, but Yes, I trust you." Sherlyn said and Ardeth pulled her into a hug wrapping his hands tightly around her, taking Sherlyn by surprise.

"Thank you." Ardeth rasped as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "For trusting me and standing by my side."

Sherlyn hesitantly wrapped her arms around Ardeth as he mumbled his gratitude for her. It was awkward for her at first but as time passed by she began to enjoy the feeling of his arms around her, and the warmth that spread through their bodies.

"Let's cleanse your cuts before they get infected." Sherlyn said as they broke their hug.

Ardeth nodded sat back observing Sherlyn as she cleaned the cut in the corner of his mouth. Sherlyn's cheeks began to heat up as she moved closer to him to cleanse the cut, and his lips were distracting her, and Ardeth looking at her didn't help her anyway. She quickly cleaned his cut and sat back pushing her hair behind her ears.

"I will go now." Sherlyn said as she looked at Ardeth, who looked into her eyes, his gazed travelled to her nose and stopped on her lips. He looked into her eyes again as if he was waiting for the confirmation.

Sherlyn looked at Ardeth through her lashes as she slightly parted her lips. Ardeth dipped his head, their lips brushing against eachother.

"I am home." Nicholas announced from living room making them jump apart.

"Take care." Sherlyn said as she stepped away from him.

"Sherry?" Nicholas asked as he walked inside Ardeth's room.

"I came to check whether he was ok." Sherlyn said as she stood near the door, away from Ardeth.

"Good thing." Nicholas said.

"I will be in the living room." Sherlyn mumbled as she walked out of Ardeth's door.

"What happened to Ardeth?" Sherlyn asked Nicholas as he drove her to her home.

"Nicholas sighed before he spoke, "He fought with someone in the ring."

"Why?" Sherlyn asked shocked.

"It's his way to let out the built up frustration." Nicholas explained, "He has been doing it for years now."

"And you didn't stop him from getting beaten up!"

"No, I didn't." Nicholas said making Sherlyn look at him with a questioning gaze, "I don't want him to live his life with frustration pent up inside him."

"He has been through a lot, Sherry, it's a messed up story, and I am not the right person to tell you that. He goes to ring to fight when he feels frustrated, it doesn't change the situation but he feels light. He is not bad, it's his defense mechanism."

Sherlyn nodded her head even though she had a lot of questions, for which she knew she wouldn't get answers from Nick, taken how much of a loyal friend he is to Ardeth.

"See you at college tomorrow." Sherlyn waved to Nicholas as she walked inside her home.

Sherlyn tossed and turned in her bed as she couldn't forget about how she almost kissed Ardeth. She could still feel the tingles all over her body as her brain played their little moment in a repeated mode inside her head, making Sherlyn groan and smack her head with her pillow.

"Shut up..." Sherlyn groaned as she felt butterflies in her tummy as remembered how Ardeth hugged her and how good she felt being in his arms.

"Pumpkin?" James knocked on her door. "Are you okay?" He asked confused.

"Yes, Pa." Sherlyn answered sitting in her bed.

"Marcie is here to meet you." James informed.

Sherlyn let Marcie inside her room.

"What's the matter between you and Ardeth?" Marcie asked without beating around the bush.

"Nothing." Sherlyn coughed as she choked on her spit.

Marcie crossed her arms looking at Sherlyn with a raised brow.

"He is Nicholas's friend, Marcie and you know Nick and I are good friends. When Nicholas got hurt in Matthew guy's party, he was the one who helped us out before police arrived." Sherlyn explained.

"I know Sherry, but I have also known about Ardeth and his playboy nature. He has slept with almost half of the college girls, I am just being protective so that you don't end up heart broken." Marcie sighed sitting in Sherlyn's bed.

"Thank you, Marcie. But let me assure you that nothing is going between us." Sherlyn said as she felt a pang of guilt as she remembered her moment with Ardeth that evening.

"Okay." Marcie smiled, "I also wanted to thank you for what you did today, Johan expressed his gratitude to you."

Marcie and Sherlyn spent the rest of the evening catching up things and gossiping.