"Where are you taking me?" I scream and I want to tear my wrist free but he holds my wrist tightly.Standing in the alley makes me nervous. What the hell is he up to with me in this creepy alley?"W-what are we doing here?" I ask in a trembling voice as he lets go of my wrist. He ignores my question and gives me a piercing look. Now I'm even more nervous. His gaze softens as he begins to speak. 'Did you mean that seriously, Esmee? I just thought you didn't want anything with me. You gave me so many mixed signals.' I look at him open-mouthed. 'What do you mean?' Is he claiming that I'm sending mixed signals? Does it mean he has feelings for me too?'Yeah, I thought you didn't want to tutor me at all and when you finally tutored me at my house, I got closer and closer to you but you were too busy with the 4 P's. When you finally hugged me when I handed you the shampoo bottle, I got a glimmer of hope. I really wanted to kiss you right away but I wasn't sure if it was the right time because you had just vented your heart about your past. I didn't mean to take advantage of you, but I wanted to kiss you so badly.' He laughs but then looks away. I can barely utter a word. Is this a sick joke?'Are you serious? Or are you really making fun of me now?' I look at him with one eyebrow raised but I'm nodding my knees from the tension. Excited about what he's going to say next. I expect him to burst out laughing but his face remains serious. I stare at his mouth and when he opens it to talk, a nervous twinge runs through my stomach."Esmee, I'm really serious." He suddenly grabs my chin between his coarse fingers forcing me to look at him. My legs seem to be turning into pudding now from the combination of his fingers on my skin and his confession. It's a miracle I can still stand on my feet. "From the first moment I saw you on the subway, you fumbled with your earplugs and you looked at me gratefully with those light blue eyes of yours." He slowly lets go of my chin but now comes closer to me. I instinctively walk backwards. With every step he takes in my direction, I take a step back. I can't believe what he's saying. I walk backwards until I feel the bricks of the wall in my back and can't walk back any further. He's so close now that I feel his breath on my lips and I shudder. He rests his hand on the wall next to me at the height of my head and continues with his semi-declaration of love."And when you suddenly came into the bathroom, I couldn't take my eyes off you. I tried to avoid you after that because I didn't know what to do with my feelings and I thought it wasn't mutual. And that avoidance worked well because of the study trip. Only I tried to ignore my feelings but that only made my feelings for you worse.' He says.So this happened to me too! The more I wanted to forget him, the more he haunted my head. I look at him again as he continues his story.'When you were obliged to sit next to me, I knew for sure, fate is by my side and there is no such thing as coincidence. I couldn't forget you and I had to get to know you better and make you like me too. I saw my chance when you offered me the tutoring, but didn't want to take advantage of the moment.' All the words and letters pass his lips with a breath. "But I liked you already, right away." I look at him to see what his reaction is. He smiles. "So you like me Ethan?"I want to, no I have to know for sure, hence my desperate question. Now he grabs my face with his hands and it feels wonderful. I gently rub my cheek against his hand. I want to feel his fingers. I can hardly contain myself anymore.