It's of normal temperature in the Chiron, thanks to the heater.

I avoided looking at him, so I focused my gaze on the Toyota Camry parked across Leigh's vehicle through the windscreen.

My breathing might be steady, but my hands are slightly trembling.

"After a long silence," he begins, "nothing happened between Sofia and me." For some reason, fresh tears start welling up in my eyes again. "I would never want anyone after experiencing you, Ava. You're the one for me. You should know that."

"I doubt it. You seem to move on pretty quickly," I emphasised without diverting my gaze from the Toyota.

"I have feelings too, Ava."

"I saw you at the pool," I retort.

He swallows and shifts his intense gaze from me to the same car ahead of us. I continue, "You seem so comfortable and settled."

He tilts his face towards me again. "It meant nothing. She was just telling me about her chances for medical school. Sofia and I are just friends."

"You're lying," I quickly respond.

"I might not be the perfect candidate for making the right decisions, but I've never lied to you," he counters. "I love you." Softly, he adds, and those three simple words, carrying the weight of the strongest emotions, send a wave through my entire body, capable of either destroying me or protecting me.

But at this moment, I'm lost.

"No, don't say that," I warn him, fighting back the tears that have welled up in my eyes.

"I love you," he continues, undeterred, and the tears start flowing. "I would never deceive myself about it."

I have to bite down on my inner cheeks to suppress the pain inside. "Look at me. Ava, look at me," he quietly instructs.

"Why? So you can see me cry? So you can witness how pathetic and miserable you've made me?" My voice catches in my throat at the end of the words, and my body trembles from the force of my silent whimper.

His fingers wrap around the back of my neck, just like earlier, and he turns my head to face a thousand emotions on his face. "No, so I can be here for you, just as much as I want you to be here for me."

"You don't mean it."

"What can I do to make you believe that I love you? Tell me, and I'll do it. If you want me to go back to the field and shout it to the audience, I won't hesitate for a second." His intense eyes pierce into my sad ones.

My eyes drop to the centre console, and I sniff as a sob escapes my throat. "I'm sorry, Ava. I never meant to hurt you," he says with pained words, but I still don't know whether to believe him.

His warm hand cups my cheek, and his thumb wipes away some tears. From the holder that serves as a cup holder or whatever, since Bugatti isn't just a simple car like every other, Leigh grabs the black flask I turned back to him earlier.

He hands it over to me and says, "Open it."

"It's been a while. I doubt the tea's still good to drink," I tell him. It's been over six hours or more since I received it; I could bet the tea's gone bad.

"I'd check first to confirm if I were you," his lips curl up into a smirk, and those cute tiny dimples appear on his beautiful face.

I wrap my fingers around the tea flask. Slowly and reluctantly, I twist the cap. To my surprise, an unexpected small note and a rose petal spring out and land on my lap.

My curious eyes lift up and meet his staring back at me.

"Open it," he urges me to proceed.

I lick my dry lips, and my fingers unfold the paper until I can see the ink.

"You are like the stars; without you, the kids would be sad, but then more like the moon, for no one knows what to do without some guidance in the dark. You're similar to sunshine. Even if the clouds decide to shield your glow with their shades, it only lasts for a while because the flowers and trees wouldn't survive without your brightness from the sky. You're life. You're beauty and happiness. Ava, you're the most important person in my life. Anyone who makes you feel useless is the person hiding behind your mirror every day. They watch your purity and beauty and envy you because they can never have that precious gift inside of you. You are rare; you're like Sirius, the only star that shines brighter among billions surrounding it. You're too damn great for this world, and they know it. You should know I can never go anywhere. I never thought I would find you in my life; I must be a fool to let you slip between my fingers. One might say nothing is constant in this world, but I want to assure you that I am here to stay. Aware or not, you have stained and imprinted yourself on me. I shall not want anyone but you. I want to be your heart if you let me, please. I want to know you're mine, for I am yours till the end of time."

I blink my watery eyes and let out a shaky astounded breath.

He wrote me a letter?

Swallowing after rereading it for the second time, Leigh's hand wraps around my neck, directing me to look at him. "I'm sorry for any pain I've caused you. I never meant to hurt you. Sofia and I are strictly friends, that's all, I swear." I inhale deeply, and he wipes away my tears with his thumb. "I can never stop loving you, Ava. Stop doubting me." New tears start rushing from my eyes, and I have to lower my gaze from his. "Don't. Don't do that... don't look away from me," he shakes his head.

"I just..." I trail off.

"Come," he cups my thighs with his hand, and the other comes around my waist, bringing me onto his lap. Both his hands securely enclose my waist. "Look at me," he instructs with his soft raspy voice.

I'm not sure how I feel anymore. Right now, it's more like I'm completely still and utterly defenceless. His claim, his words, his closeness, they have all suddenly immobilised my entire body.

I missed him. I missed us.

His unique scent cannot go unnoticed as long as my body detects it within my system. The familiarity and the power it holds, easily resolving one's feelings, have consumed my senses and invaded my thoughts.

"Look at me," he orders again, and my eyes flicker to his, it's dark, but I can see the glistening in his eyes.

"On my birthday, after you left, I realized you hadn't given me a gift," his hands wipe away my teary cheeks, causing my body to shudder from his tender touch.

"I brought you a cake," I mumble.

"Don't cry," he leans forward and kisses my eyes and forehead. "I ate it all before New Year's Eve. So I know it wasn't you who made it."

My eyes pinched together. "What are you implying?"

He smiles at my frowning face and continues. "Since you didn't give me a birthday present, I want two things now."

"But I gave you a cake," I argue.

"Which Sawyer made, right?" He asks, and I quickly turn red. "Can you give me what I want right now?" My breath catches in my throat, and I watch him cautiously.

"What? We should have sex." I blurt out, surprising both myself and him.

His lip lifts up, and his eyes narrow. It was bloody sexy. "I want another chance, and I want to take you around Las Vegas tonight, please." He asks, ignoring my proposal.

Looking away from him, I ask slowly. "You don't want to have sex with me?"

Shit! Why did I ask that?

"Not yet."

"When? Our parents aren't together anymore." I retort without thinking, and fuck if I don't feel like disappearing from his lap.

Why am I pressing about sex?

An uncomfortable silence falls around us for a few seconds, and I fidget in my position as his eyes bore into me. "Soon. I promise."

Dignity, Ava, dignity.

The feeling of embarrassment floods my senses.

"Whatever, I don't care," I mumble and avoid his intense stare.

"Ava?" His hands stroke my arms over my coat.

"It's fine," I mutter, appearing unconcerned. When actually, I want to know exactly why he's stalling.

Doesn't he want me?

"We need to be..."

"Seriously, I get it. It is fine." Almost loudly, I utter.

"Okay." He quietly responds.

I can feel his eyes on me when I switch back to the passenger seat. "You can take me around Las Vegas tonight," I say and fasten my seatbelt.

***

"Look at you, a rich lady in twilight costume." He praises me as he walks me back home along the quiet street.

"You can call me that." I smile. He twirls me around while I giggle nonstop.

When we finally reach the small gate, we both halt and face each other with our fingers laced together.

He has managed to grab some supplies from his car boot and change his football kit in the quiet park, which I thought was the most insane thing ever. But I ended up secretly checking out his impressive backside through the rearview mirror.

I respond to his infectious smile and quietly ask something that has been bothering me for a while. "I want to ask you something."

"You can ask me anything." His charming smile reflects, and for a moment, I just watch his handsome face.

"Your female teacher... I was thinking... are you still seeing her?" I stammer nervously.

"No."

"Leigh." I retort.

He exhales and looks down at our shoes. "I told her I would report her if she harassed me again."

My eyes widen. "You told her that?"

He nods once. "Yes, I mean the past months, I warned her and ended it. I should've done that sooner." His green eyes meet mine again, filled with strong emotions. "I promise it's over."

The realisation of the consequences hits me, and I panic. "What if she messes with your records?"

"She can't. I would expose her." He quickly responds and cups my cheek with one hand.

"So no more affair?" I ask curiously.

He scrunches his face, expressing disgust. "I'm not having an affair."

"Mmm, student and teacher? That's exactly what they would call it." I roll my eyes, trying not to remember the image of him and her in my head.

"It's not like that."

"Okay, anything you say." I give up and quietly think deeper. One might say shallow because this isn't at all typical of me. "Why can't we... if you and her, you know? Done it all the time?" I swallow and avert my eyes to the car behind him.

Both palms cup my face, and he inches closer. "Ava, I need you to understand, please. There's nothing I want more than that as well, but we have to wait." Says the guy who just listed things he wants to do with my body earlier at the game.

"Understand what?" I ask, avoiding his penetrating gaze.

"You're fifteen. I want you to be ready. You have to be ready."

What?

"It doesn't matter. I will be sixteen in a few months."

"I would wait, okay?" He whispers, his breath tickling my skin.

"But I don't want to. I want you."

Great Ava, just great.

You spend a while with Leigh after everything he's done, and you're already pleading for sex.

My subconscious hit me in the guts.

"Promise that?" He asks.

"I promise," I say just as his lips meet mine, and I swallow his breath.

"I promise we will when it's the right time, okay? I'm yours, and you're mine. We just need a little time."

***

I woke up in the morning with a mild headache from last night. Mom and I had a long argument, which earned me another two weeks of being grounded, as she calls it.

Sometimes I wonder if my mom is a military person rather than a doctor. These days, she's nothing like before. Her level of strictness has escalated to the point where she tucks me into bed, peeks over when I'm texting, and constantly rearranges my bedroom.

It's like she doesn't trust me anymore.

And I can't blame her, for I told her I was at school the whole day when I had forgotten how much civilisation had taken away our privacy.

Last night, after a fancy dinner that I devoured entirely, Leigh used his camera to take countless photos of me at the places we went until we realised it was almost four in the morning. Oh yes, and we even used his laptop to post some on my Instagram account when he drove me back to my neighbourhood. That was enough for Mum to accuse me of lying.

With my mobile phone against my ear, I listen to Sawyer's complaints and accusations about Xavier. These days she seems to be making something out of nothing, and I wish I could tell her how much Xavier isn't cheating on her; I mean, the boy always visits us just to find solace.

When we finally hang up, I take off my clothes and wrap a towel around my naked body before heading to the bathroom to take a warm bath.

I spend an hour without realizing, lost in memories of the time I had with Leigh.

The fun moments. Wandering around the cafes and casinos, where I made five grand apart from the hundred dollars and sixty cents I earned from singing 'Someone Like You' by Adele to a small crowd Leigh had gathered in a pedestrian area. He even played the guitar along, borrowing it from some group of boys who claimed to follow him on Instagram.

"You have the most beautiful voice; everyone needs to hear you sing," he persuaded me to sing last night.

With my eyes closed, I can't stop myself from smiling in the warm bathtub. If Mum were to find me right now, she would probably think I'm going insane.

"Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead." It was the last line I sang when the applause of appreciation took over, and Leigh held my waist, lifting me up. I wrapped my legs around his hips, and he promised we would last till the end of time.

I didn't know how the crowd dispersed, for I was completely captivated by his scintillating green eyes.

My bath was relaxing. I could even say the same about breakfast if it weren't for my mom shooting me suspicious looks from across the table.

I was watching a film on prime video when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," I call from the living room, letting my mom know my intention. I saunter across the room to the entrance door and lazily pull it open.

And look who decided to show up here. Lilith!

"Hey?" She smiles cautiously.

For three seconds, I observe her before I slam the door in her face and walk back to the living room.

She must be kidding me.

After everything she's put me through, she has the audacity to show her face in my house?

Mom glances at me from the kitchen and asks, "Who was there?"

"No one." I reluctantly answer and grab my bowl of chips, sinking back into the couch.

I notice mom heading towards the entrance, but I increase the volume and stuff an unnecessary amount of chips in my mouth.

Fuck Lilith.

"Lilith?" Mom calls from the door, and then I hear murmurs.

"Ava? Ava? Can you please turn off the telly and be gracious enough to welcome your guest?" Mom orders and walks back to the kitchen.

Rolling my eyes, I exhale and count to ten to calm my nerves before I turn to face the girl standing in a white Chanel tracksuit, holding a tray in her hand.

"What do you want?" I rudely ask.

"Look, I baked you some cookies." She holds out the tray while I sit here watching her without any intention of responding or accepting her tray of biscuits. "Ava, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hurt you. At the time, I was angry with you, and I lost control."

"So you make impulsive decisions when you're angry and let me drown in it. Making me the laughingstock in front of everyone, just so you can impress Embry and make her see you as the badass." I raise my eyebrows.

She swallows and shakes her head. "No, that's not true."

"But it is. Just because you want to impress some fancy redhead with your brother, you're blind to see who you're hurting in the process. That's the kind of girl you want your brother with, an aggressive and remorseless girl who uses people's weaknesses to intimidate and humiliate them whenever she pleases. That's what you've turned into as well."

"That's not true, Ava. I... I told her to stay away from him."

Okay, that's some good news, but I can't let her see my inner excitement.

"Well, congratulations for standing up for yourself." I turn around and face the television screen.

"Ava, I said I'm sorry... please."

"Your friends are the crudest people I've ever met in my life. I wouldn't have gone through all that if it weren't for you. And then you gave them permission to ruin me and toy with my emotions when all I did was show kindness to them." I bite my cheek to hold back the tears.

"I promise you, it's never going to happen again. You're my sister, and I won't let anyone get in your way." She walks to the television and switches it off.

"That's the problem. Back in London, I never had anyone protecting me because there were no bullies in my boarding school. But here, you're providing me with your protection service because I'm a victim of your abuse." I am on the verge of tears.

Why do I have to be so emotional?

"No, it's because sisters have each other's backs." She walks over to me. "I'm going to sit, even though you didn't ask me to." She places the tray between us and exhales. "Quinn told me what you did for her." Well, that took me by surprise.

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell someone about it?" She asks.

"I assumed you all knew. Embry stopped me from rescuing Quinn at Tyron's party." I shrug and take a bite of Lilith's biscuit.

Her eyes suddenly widen. "Fucking bitch."

"I know," I reply and continue chewing.

"Are we cool? Or do I have to make you some tea to wash down the cookies?" She suggestively offers.

"Yes, I think that would do." I smile, and she drops her handbag and heads to the kitchen where my mom is.

"Choose a movie before I return, please, something other than a documentary." She calls.

"I don't watch documentaries." I lie.

"Ava, you were watching 'March of the Penguins'."

"It's a movie?" I argue while I search for something in the fantasy genre.

"It's a nature documentary, Ava."

Okay!