Aden Arrington is quite simply the most beautiful sight I've beholden in many, many months. His eyes crinkle with joy as he opens his arms to me. I don't hesitate to run and throw myself into them.

Wow, his touch is so warm. I don't care that my boobs are practically in his face; I have been dreaming of this moment for what seems like forever.

My feet are no longer on the ground and I've been pushed straight into his semi-wet hair. It smells amazing - of cedar or sandalwood. It's not his cologne - but whatever it is, has become one of my favourite scents in the world.

As I thread my fingers through his tresses, I feel his grip loosening. I clutch him harder, begging to remain on top of him. Danatha steps into view, giggling.

"I'll just let myself in then."

That prompts me to slide off Aden. I watch his face as he studies mine, memorising it all over again. I sigh. These green eyes call me in a way that the ones on the wall of my bedroom never will.

Right now, I know I love him. It's done. I love everything about him: the way his eyes move about my face, the way his nose moves slightly when his lips do and those lips - heaven, have mercy. I hold his face and smooth his barely-there stubble.

I have to kiss him. I need to. I inhale and move my face closer, searching his eyes then moving mine to their primary target. He wants me; his heavy breathing tells me so. His arms go around my waist, pulling me to him.

I go press my lips to his as his strain to mine. He grazes my lips slowly, biting the bottom one playfully. I don't know how much time we spend waiting for one of us to make a move, but it must have been too long because we hear a voice calling out.

"Come on you two!" yells Callisto. "You'd think they're paying him to kiss that girl."

"Uh..." Jude laughs.

I let go and look behind Aden. Jude, Callisto and Danatha are standing by the door, sniggering.

"Don't worry about that." Aden swivels. "Callisto fancies himself a comedian from time to time."

I smile and wave at the guys who wave back before turning and heading off.

"We have to go rehearse. You two can hang out in the tour bus until our break, alright?"

"Don't miss me too much." I play coy, prompting Aden to step back and kiss my cheek.

"Now, now Princess. Continue tempting me like that, and you'll have the Qutees to deal with when I don't show up to sing tonight."

He marches off in a hurry. Fuck, his ass is gorgeous.

"McKenzie Da Silva, stop staring at that man's behind." sneers Danatha.

"I happen to own that ass so don't even try to restrict my viewing rights..."

I trail off, trying my hardest not to laugh as Aden jogs back towards us.

"Yves will take you there. Thanks mate."

He calls to his friend who's coming up behind him as he rushes back in, water bottle in hand. Yves explains to us that we can't exactly sit in the tour bus without the boys during the day, but we can hang out backstage in a spare. I giggle when he leads us to the red room.

It looks very different now that it's fully decorated as if for a conference or something. Yves tells us we can sit wherever, to go get him in the sound room next door if we need anything and to mention to security that we're with Quicksilver if they ask what we're doing here.

An hour or so later, more people start moving around which means the boys are probably about to change activities and hopefully have a break in between them. I need to fix my lip gloss, make sure my perfume is still soaking through my hoodie and pop a mint on the way back.

I tell Danatha I'm going to the bathroom and follow the personnel ahead of me. Wherever they're going surely has a restroom nearby. I walk straight past the crowd. Phew, there's Yves. I'll follow him and ask him where I can go.

I'm so distracted by thoughts of how accustomed I've become to Yves's punk hairstyle that it's too late when I realise I've turned the corner and walked straight into what seems to be the guys' exercise session.

Nathan is squatting with a huge kettlebell, Jude is on the ground doing push-ups, Callisto is lifting, alternating between two weights and Aden is skipping rope. Yves is with his back to me and the person who seems to be their trainer is watching them closely.

I need to get out of here and fast.

I take two quick steps backward, bump into the apex of the wall and jerk forward, wheezing at the force of impact. In seconds, everyone is looking my way in confusion. Shit, I groaned, didn't I?

"Hi. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." Aden assures me, tossing his rope to the side and coming to me.

"Aden!" The coach calls him.

"It's just this time. There's only five minutes left anyway."

Aden doesn't even turn; he grabs my hand and pulls me onwards in the opposite direction.

"I'm sorry."

He doesn't respond. He's intent on getting me away from the prying eyes of his band members and coach - oh, yeah - and Yves. Once we turn the corner of the next building, he stops and passes his hands down my face. They're so warm. His forehead is still slicked with sweat and his shirt is soaked.

"Don't apologize." He says, hugging me to his sweating frame.

"No?"

I'm still terrified. I never meant to interrupt his workout. It's clearly important for their performative stamina.

"It's not a big deal, Princess. Relax. I have a surprise for you. Come on."

He slings me to his front and hobbles behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist, making me grin like an idiot. It feels amazing to be in his arms, and even more amazing to know that millions of girls would kill to be in my place.

In no time, he has me laughing at his light teasing. We take a shortcut and wind up below the stage area.

It's mostly empty since everyone is taking a break. There is someone though. The man is leaning against one of the enormous pickup trucks mounted with a massive crane on it. Aden leads me straight to him.

"Princess meet Brandon, my new buddy."

Brandon shakes my hand firmly.

"Is this the lady?"

Aden's head bobs next to mine as I feel myself heat with delight.

Brandon opens his truck doors and pulls two neon green safety vests with two yellow helmets for us. We put them on, then Aden asks me to step into the man basket. I already know where this is going.

He joins me, and Brandon fastens the metal door. I go to hug him, but Aden has other plans. He lowers himself and spreads his legs, so they stick out the sides of the basket and tells me to sit in front of him. I pull my knees to my chest and feel much safer when his arms grip my waist. He shouts for Brandon to lift us as butterflies swarm my stomach.

"Try to relax."

I nod, but don't even try. Instead, I screw my eyes shut.

"Hey, I've got you."

He presses his lips to the base of my neck. I don't know why, but it oddly reassures me. I open my eyes slowly and my stomach drops. Holy shit! We're so high up. My hand flies to Aden's arm prompting him to grip me harder.

"Look around."

I do as he says. What the hell? I can see most of downtown Cleveland from here. I recognise some places I've been to. I lean over a bit to check the altitude. The stage itself looks like a Lego block from here. Oh my God. I don't think I've ever been this high up in anything in my life.

"But how the hell did you even come up with this?" I grin at him.

"I signed a shirt for his daughter. When he offered me a joyride this morning, I asked him if I could bring along my girl."

"I love it."

It's exhilarating to be up here. I take off my helmet for a minute to lean back to offer a kiss to my phenomenal boyfriend and tell him I love him, because never have I wanted to be more in love than right now. But as I go for his cheek and kiss it, I think better of my declaration. I'm not ready to tell him that - not yet.

"Penny?"

"Huh?"

"For your thoughts."

"It's a lot. Everything... I mean, I can't believe I met you and-"

"Do you ever get the feeling that we were meant to meet?" he interrupts.

Come to think of it, I think I do. I really think I do. Because whether one caused the other or not, Aden and that object are forever linked in my mind. I can't think of anything that could describe the nature of our meeting, or my feelings, better. And that's something that Aden needs to know.