The hallway is deserted, while faint music from the gym wafts through as I eagerly make my way to the music studio.

I know I'm a terrible person for leaving my date behind for another guy, but if I'm being honest with myself, I'd rather be with someone who can evoke in me a thousand emotions with just a glance. Someone I've been longing for. So I push open the studio door with all my strength and step into the dimly lit room.

The room is eerily quiet, devoid of any signs of the homecoming dance taking place in the same building. The silence starts to unnerve me as I call out, "Leigh?"

Am I in the right room? Is this even the music studio? But there are various musical instruments present. In the middle of the room sits a shiny black piano.

A rush of fear and anxiety courses through my veins as I repeat, "Leigh, are you there?" This time, much louder, while my heart pounds intensely.

As I turn slightly, I feel a grip around my waist from behind, which startles me and causes me to let out a squeak.

Laughing... that familiar laugh, that familiar scent... those familiar arms... I know it's Leigh. So I twist my body around in his embrace and find him still chuckling at my reaction. The sound is heavenly, and his beautiful features take my breath away. He's no longer wearing his jacket and tie. Right now, he looks even more attractive in a dress shirt with the top two buttons undone.

"You scared me," I whine.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes, trying to stifle his laughter as he plants a gentle kiss on my forehead.

Raising an eyebrow, I ask Leigh in confusion, "What are we doing here?"

"I asked you to come to the dance with me, remember?" He tilts his head back to get a better look at me.

"Yes, you did," I blush.

"So, come, I'll play something for you." He releases my waist and takes my hand in his warm, large one.

Leading me to the shiny piano, we both sit on the bench. He leans over and flashes me a wide mischievous smile.

Sitting beside Leigh, I feel relaxed, at ease. His proximity provides comforting familiarity and warmth that helps me forget my worries. I'm beginning to realize that Leigh is my source of relaxation. No matter how much of him I absorb, it's never enough.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky." As he follows the keys, he sends me a mischievous smile, and I laugh at his rendition of the nursery rhyme.

"Seriously?" I continue to giggle, as the humor in his eyes is contagious.

Suppressing a laugh himself, Leigh continues to play the piano. "As your bright and tiny spark lights the traveler in the dark, though I know not what you are, twinkle, twinkle, little star." He stops at the last key with a small smile playing on his lips.

"Do you like it?" Leigh asks, not looking at me.

"It's... good." I giggle and nibble on my bottom lip.

Just then, Leigh begins playing the keys again, this time not as playful, but with sincerity. It sounds earnest, and his gaze is intense.

"Wise men say that only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you. Should I stay? Would it be a sin if I can't help falling in love with you?"

What am I experiencing right now? If this is reality, then I must be dead. I feel numb as Leigh's words leave me in a daze. I can't function, not just because of the effect he has on me, but also because of the intensity of his sharp words and his deep voice, which send shivers up and down my entire body. The only thought running through my head is, "Leigh is in love with me."

Leigh is in love with me? I try to muster a smile, but I can't. I stand there, staring at the incredible person beside me with glassy eyes.

"Take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can't help falling in love with you." As the words flow from his mouth, they awaken something lively within me, causing my blood to pump rapidly with anticipation.

Leigh closes his eyes and tilts his head while he sings along with the perfect melody he's creating. At first, I was skeptical when I arrived here, but gradually I became confident. Watching and listening to Leigh sing is more than a blessing—it feels like I'm on cloud nine, and all my worries fade away as he serenades me with words I can't believe are meant for me.

I believe we are meant to be, as I've never felt this way for anyone else. And I don't care if it's wrong. I want him, and I'm keeping him.

"For I can't help falling in love with you, for I can't help falling in love with you." His fingers pause on the piano keys, and the room falls silent. A heavy silence envelops us, accompanied by the words Leigh just revealed.

When he turns to face me, I see honesty in his eyes, along with an intensifying desire. The yearning in his eyes matches mine. His lips curl into a small smile as he extends his hand towards me.

I blink rapidly, trying to stay focused on what he's implying, for I can't stop staring into his deep eyes filled with an ocean of longing and need.

"Will you?" His voice is filled with strong emotion as he asks.

I glance down at his hand, waiting for mine to fit into it. I swallow the lump of surprise in my throat and look back into his enticing, pleading eyes. I nod and take his hand and his whole life with me. The smile he gives me lets me know that I'd rather have it every day and have nothing else than not have it and have everything.

He pulls me up with him, confusing me about where we are headed. "Leigh, what are we doing? We can't go out there," I remind him, wriggling out of his grip.

"We are dancing here," he gently replies, emphasizing the last word. "So, Ava Lancelot, will you dance with me?" He playfully bows and offers me his hand.

Smiling at his adorable gesture, I think to myself, he's cute. I take his hand once again and move closer to him until there's no more space between us. I wrap my hands around his perfect neck while his arms secure me in his warm, comfortable embrace. With my head against his chest, we sway back and forth to the rhythm of our breathing and heartbeats.

The silence is comforting and blissful, providing a sense of relief. In this moment, I push aside any concerns and fully embrace the present—the indescribable euphoria I feel.

We dance in silence for a long time, and yet, it's not enough because neither of us wants to let go. I can hear his heart debating, just like mine.

"Are you hungry?" he finally asks.

I look up at Leigh as I respond. "No, but I need something to drink."

He nods slightly, appearing nervous, and says, "Will you come with me then?"

That's when I remember that I left my friends and, more importantly, Arlen behind. What happened to my commitment to stick to the plans I made with my date? I feel guilty for involving Arlen in all of this.

"What about Arlen?" I ask quietly.

"I can text him..." Leigh immediately answers, and my brows involuntarily furrow. "Tell him you had a lot to drink and you're feeling unwell, so I drove you back home," he further explains.

"Okay," I simply respond, and his expression breaks into a smile.

"Come on, let's go." He grabs my hand and leads us out the door.

"Where's your jacket?" I ask him as we make our way outside.

"It's in the truck," he replies simply.

The car park is mostly empty since most of the people are in the gym where the event is taking place.

"So, where are we going?" I ask now that we are inside the car with our seatbelts fastened.

"Where do you want to go?" he asks me.

A sudden idea rushes into my head, and I bite my lip to stop myself from smiling, but I end up blushing instead. "To the movies," I whisper, even though we are alone in the car.

I've always wanted to go to the movies with someone other than Sawyer, someone whose hand I can hold onto and lean on their shoulder.

"That works," he smiles and turns the ignition key before pressing the start button at the bottom corner of the steering wheel.

He pulls out of the park and heads towards the main road, driving away from Summerlin as the radio plays along. We arrive at AMC Rainbow Promenade, where Leigh finds a parking spot.

We step out of the car and walk hand in hand into the building, allowing the excitement to fill us. I choose ice cream while Leigh gets a medium-sized popcorn and an energy drink.

They're playing a horror film as we enter the hall, and the big screen shows a woman holding a chainsaw with blood all over her face. "Okay, let's go somewhere else," I turn around, but Leigh pulls me back, laughing silently.

"No turning back," he whispers and leads us to our seats.

The theatre is relatively empty, with some extra seats unoccupied as we settle down next to each other.

I try my best to avoid watching the screen and focus on my ice cream, but even the thrilling sound from the movie sends shivers down my spine. I end up abandoning my ice cream and holding onto Leigh's hand. His eyes are fixed on the screen as he slowly munches on popcorn.

How does he do it?

Why did I even suggest the movies? This isn't romantic. This is a disaster. Watching a horror movie on a date? What was I thinking?

I didn't know what I was getting myself into until an alien or some creature appears behind a group of young people and slits a man's stomach open.

I don't just cringe—I almost puke at the sight of the young man's bloody organs.

Leigh chuckles at my reaction as I cover my face with his forearm. I stay like that for the entire movie.

...

"Your ice cream has melted," he tells me. Honestly, I didn't expect the ice cream to wait for me while I was hiding.

"I know, right? I'm never going to the movies again," I huff.

Chuckling, he looks at me as we walk back to the food counter. "I was just thinking about different movies I could take you to."

"Well, I'm not going. You need to change the plans," I roll my eyes.

"I don't understand why you're scared. It's just blood and a glimpse of internal organs," he teases, as we reach the lady from whom we bought the ice cream earlier.

"You're gross," I make a disgusted face at the man I desire so much.

"Ah, ah, young lady, you're the one who suggested the movie, so don't blame me," he raises his hands in defense.

"Two cups, please," Leigh tells the lady.

"But I didn't say a horror movie," I argue.

"A movie is a movie," he chuckles.

"That wasn't a movie. It was a horror show," I groan, and he laughs even harder. "I don't know how I'll sleep tonight," I whine as we grab our orders and head towards the exit.

"I can accompany you," Leigh offers with a shy smile on his face. "You know... that's what neighbors do, and we're bedroom neighbors," he says thoughtfully.

Laughing softly at his sudden change of expression, I reply, "I'd be honored."

"To have me accompany you to sleep?" he raises his eyebrows playfully as we get back into the car.

"Yes," I blush.

And once again, we share a moment of comforting silence as we enjoy our ice cream. Eventually, Leigh breaks the silence. "Did I tell you that you look beautiful? More beautiful than any girl on that floor," he says.

I look up at him and study his eyes gently. "I'm not so sure about that," I shake my head and look down at the cup in my hand.

"You have no idea," he murmurs to himself, but I hear it, which is why I say, "On paper... you and Sofia seem like a perfect match." I know it's wrong to bring it up, but the image of him and her dancing together, arm in arm in the middle of the floor, is still fresh in my mind.

He shifts his body and places his and my ice cream on the console before grabbing my hands and pulling them towards him. "There's no one for me but you. You don't need a crown to be my queen. You are my queen on paper, and more importantly, you are my queen in every situation, in the dark or in the brightest light. In the storm or in scorching heat... you are my queen in every season. I will keep saying it until you believe me—I don't want anyone else, I want you." He guides my palm to his chest, above the fabric of his shirt, and I feel the rhythmic sound of his heartbeat.

"This is what you do to me. It seems like it will never stop since the first time I laid eyes on you," he adds as I gaze from our connected hands to his tender eyes.

I'm tired of resisting, so I don't waste a second before I grab his neck for support and pull myself from the passenger side to straddle his lap. I immediately crash my lips against his, this time with a hunger and gentleness combined. His tongue isn't merciful as it explores my mouth, tasting every part of it. My hands run roughly through his hair, while his hands teasingly travel around my hips and backside, exploring places that no one else has touched. But right now, I don't care. I'm consumed by his delicious taste and his intoxicating scent, making it hard to break away until my phone rings.

I don't answer it, but it's enough to break the kiss and leave us both panting, our foreheads pressed together.

"Good to know I'm not the only one feeling this way," I mutter, and he laughs.

"Yes, only I encourage myself to function around you. Will you be able to do the same for me?" he lifts his head to look at me as I contemplate my answer.

Will I be able to gather the courage to respond to Leigh's touch? Can I prevent myself from being paralyzed and stunned by his presence? Well, right now, I seem to be doing a great job. "But you take away the air around me, making it sometimes hard to breathe," I reply, feeling a mix of embarrassment and excitement.

"I'm honored, but from now on, we share it," he smirks.

"The ice cream is melting," I say, and he laughs as we both glance at the two sad cups.

Smiling, I nod in agreement, and he leans forward and kisses me gently and softly.

***

We arrive home late, but the lights are still on as Mom and Christian were waiting up for us.

"Hey, honey, heard you're not feeling well," Mom pulls me towards her and checks my temperature by placing her hand on my forehead. "Wait here, let's get you some treatment," she rushes her words.

"You don't have to worry. I just need some rest," I tell Mom, just as Lilith appears from the kitchen in her pajamas, holding a mug.

With a furrowed brow, Mom exchanges a glance between Leigh and me, which suddenly makes me tense up. Does she suspect something? Oh no, please, not tonight, not ever.

"Where have you been? Arlen says you left over two hours ago," Lilith curiously asks both her brother and me.

In this moment, I freeze. Leigh has no idea how courage often fails me because right now, my knees are about to give in and let me down.

"I took her to her friend, who lives closer to the school, to help her sober up so she wouldn't get sick in my car," Leigh's voice comes from behind me.

Great!
I appreciate his help, but I'm angry because he just put me in another difficult situation.

"What? Seriously? So your car is more important than your sister?" Christian yells at his son.

What hits me the most is Christian's choice of words. Even if he and my mom get married, Leigh and I are supposed to be step-siblings, not siblings. I want to scream and clarify loudly that I'm not Leigh's sister, but I know it won't help the situation right now.

"Sorry, Dad," Leigh mumbles and lets out a heavy sigh. Christian has no idea how completely wrong his statement is. He's wrong to consider us as relatives, wrong about Leigh, for I've been under his watch the whole night.

But how would Christian know? Whatever Leigh and I have, and however strong it is, it's a secret between us. No one knows how Leigh takes care of me, how he looks after me. I take my tea every day, how he ensures I don't get bullied at school, how he defends me when I can't even defend myself.

I close my eyes, as the tension becomes unbearable, and I wait for another blow of stress to hit me, just as Mom asks, "Have you been drinking?"

Here we go.

I swallow and rub my face with my hand. "It was just a little bit of beer. I think I had half a bottle," I explain.

"Half a bottle, and yet you got sick? What's wrong with you? I thought you'd learned right from wrong a long while ago, Ava." Her voice carried clear disappointment, slicing through me and leaving me drowning in guilt.

I have learned the difference between right and wrong. Yet here I am, cheating behind your back with someone I shouldn't.

Struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to fall, I whispered, "I'm sorry I let you down." Swallowing the lump in my throat, I murmured, "I'll go to bed." I made my way upstairs, leaving behind the painful silence.

Upon entering my room, I lay on the bed and unlocked my phone to find a moderately interesting number of unread messages. Arlen Garret had sent six messages, asking where I was, how I felt, if I needed anything, and whether I was back home. Disgust washed over me as I reflected on my own actions, anger at my life, and disappointment in my intentions. In a fit of fury, I hurled the mobile phone against the wall and allowed the tears to flow.

I was a mess. I had entangled myself in something I wouldn't be able to resolve, and what hurt even more was knowing that even if I could, I wouldn't. Right now, all I wanted was for Leigh to hold me close and tell me everything would be okay.

How pathetic had I become? Dependent and yearning for something beyond my reach. What was happening to me?

I continued to cry into my pillow as the door opened and closed. I almost called out his name, but then I heard a deep, mature voice that I instantly recognized as his older version.

So I stayed in my position, hiding my ashamed face from the kindest person, the closest thing to a father that I had at the moment.

"That phone is old anyway," he uttered when I didn't respond.

I continued to sob as the side of the bed shifted and sank beneath me. "Your mum only wants the best for you, you know?" he said. Still, I didn't reply as he continued. "And of course, she's not used to this new life... But trust me, she'll gradually come to understand. But you have to help me make that happen... You're a very good kid, Ava," he sighed softly.

He just didn't get it. This wasn't a new life. It was a whole new level of disappointment. I wasn't a good person; I was absolutely bringing shame to his family. Sooner or later, he would learn how I had tarnished this family.

"I'm not good. I'm a terrible person," I sniffled.

"No one is, not even you, okay? You're a teenager. It's okay. You make mistakes. Everyone does. All you have to do is tell us, and if you can't tell your mum, how about me? I promise to be there for you, always, Ava." Why were his words cutting through every part of my being? How could someone be so kind to the person betraying them?

"Look, I know we've only known each other for a month, but it doesn't matter because I love your mother so much, and you mean the same to me as Lilith and Leigh do. Besides, you're the baby of the house. So how about I make you some tea? And you sleep like a baby. Tomorrow, everything will be alright," he assured me.

What was wrong with him? Couldn't he see how guilty I felt? I had just been straddling his son, kissing him with every ounce of my being, and yet he was being so kind. I deserved to be punished. I didn't deserve the kindness he was offering.

I didn't reply as he left, but strangely, I felt somewhat better than I had minutes ago. So I sat up and stared at my damaged mobile phone screen, lying beside me.

After a while, Christian returned with a mug in his hand. "Here, just the way you like it," he offered.

Instead of taking the cup, I reached out and hugged him tightly, clasping his waist. "Thank you," I murmured, and I felt the tension release from him as he relaxed from the sudden strain caused by my unexpected reaction. Christian patted my back with his free hand.

"Okay, here's your tea." I took it when I pulled away. "You should drink it and go to bed, alright?" He nodded with a warm smile.

"Okay," I muttered.

"Goodnight," he said before he left, leaving me once again in the overwhelming silence.

I sat at the edge of my bed and sipped the tea. Just as promised, it was prepared exactly the way I or my mum would make it. Christian truly was a kind person. He deserved a better stepdaughter.

I had almost finished half of my tea when the door opened again. I thought it might be my mum, but instead, Leigh appeared in his joggers and a white T-shirt.

"Hey," he called out nervously.

"Hey," I smiled slightly at the perfect creature standing before me.

"I'm sorry I used the wrong words. I shouldn't have said that," he sadly sighed. "I didn't know what else to say at the time." His voice was soft and pleading.

I looked up to find him gazing at me. "It's okay. It's not like I didn't drink. I downed half a bottle of beer while you were dancing with Sofia," I confessed weakly.

"No way." His lips curled up into a smirk as he approached me.

"I was quite angry with both of you at the time. Mostly you," I added as he stopped in front of me.

Leigh cupped my face in his palms and directed me to look up at him. "Aww, my jealous babe."

I instantly blushed at the term 'babe.' So I was Leigh's babe. "I wasn't jealous," I protested while fighting off the smile that had spread across my face.

"What was it then? Envious?" He leaned closer to me.

I almost laughed. "I think it has the same meaning as jealousy, Leigh."

He sniffed dramatically, stopping an inch away from my face. "That's what I smell." He smirked and planted a quick kiss on my lips.

"Jealousy?" I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Yes." He kissed my lips again.

I gave up protesting. Let him think whatever he desired; as long as I received kisses like this, I was okay.

When he leaned back, I pouted. "Go get ready. I'll be waiting for you." He snatched the mug from my hand and placed it on the nightstand.

I had no choice but to comply with his request. I left to take a quick shower since my makeup looked disastrous and needed fixing before morning, thanks to the tears I had shed minutes ago.

I emerged from the bathroom, towel wrapped around me, and grabbed my pajamas.

"Do you mind wearing mine?" Leigh held out his plain white T-shirt to me.

Unconcerned about my rosy cheeks, I eagerly rushed over to him and claimed the shirt. I wanted to have his scent on me, just like I had his white napkins by the nightstand.

I returned to the bathroom and dressed in only my panties and Leigh's shirt before heading back to the room and switching off the main lights.

"Come," Leigh held out his hands.

Without hesitation, I complied and settled myself on him, under the comforter. That's when Leigh turned off the nightstand lamps, plunging the room into darkness.

"What if my mum shows up and finds us?" I asked, my voice muffled against his chest.

"Then I suppose we'll have to confess," he answered simply.

"My mum will disown me," I chuckled softly.

"Well, then I'll finally get to adopt you," Leigh playfully replied.

"You're not even seventeen yet. How would you manage that?" I silently giggled.

"I have a fake ID," he murmured, planting a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"Of course you do." Smiling to myself, I lifted my head. "Goodnight," I whispered to the person who held my heart and soul.

His lips tenderly met mine, and he kissed me for a few seconds before pulling away and whispering in a hushed tone, "Goodnight."