Anna found herself in the back of the bookshop. The past months had been a great deal for business. Jess and herself cooperated to instal a small coffee shop into the bookshop, on the upper level of the local. Had it been expensive? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. This doubled the customers that walked in. They'd buy a coffee, perhaps a panini, maybe even a book, and sit down to read as they enjoyed breakfast, brunch or lunch, sometimes even dinner.

Now, they had to hire more people and that would also cut a bit shorter the money everyone took home. But still, everyone was happy and that made Lise happy. What didn't make her happy in the slightest was the numbers part. Normally, Jess would take care of it, but she was attending a few customers when Lise decided to help her friend out and do them herself.

Her head ached. She hated this. She hated math, even if it was just basic maths. And she didn't like to be disturbed, for she doesn't trust her brain much as to remember what the last digits were. But, destiny can't make everyone happy.

"Hey." Said Jess. "I really hate to disturb you whilst you're cooking the books, but uh, there's delivery for you." Lise frowned.

"I haven't asked for anything new." Anna checked the calendar. "And the new stock of Schwab's books should be here until Thursday next week."

"I know, but it's there."

"Jess, can't you receive it? Please? I'm in the middle of something."

"They're asking for your signature." Lise sighed. "I'll finish up and you cover me on the front."

"Deal. I'm so done with this." She stood up and both of them laughed as Lise made her way to the front. But her laugh stopped echoing when her eyes met the tall guy in front of her.

"Hi." He said. And thank goodness the place was empty now, otherwise, it would be a mess.

"Hi." She moved a loose lock of blonde hair behind her ear as she approached said brunette with curly hair.

"You disappeared the other day."

"Yeah, yeah." She stopped walking and crossed her arms. "I had to come here and didn't want tu disturb you."

"How have you been?"

"Fine. Fine." That's a bit of a lie, she was a bit down again, but not like months ago. "I don't have much to say to be honest. I've been working here, got my job back." Tim frowned. "I wasn't fired, no, I was asked if I'd like to take a break and I took it."

"Oh, great." They chuckled. "I thought that since the last time—"

"Nah. Nothing like that. Everything's been quiet over here. Unlike you, with awards, traveling around the world, filming project after project..."

"Oh, no. It's all nonsense, believe me." He moved his hands, that were into his pockets. "I had no idea how much nonsense it was, but, nonsense after all." There was a short silence that Tim used to take a deep breath, take his hands out of the pockets and clap them together. He was nervous, so nervous. He hadn't sleep all night, thinking about what he'd say in this moment and looking for something all around town. "Well, um, yesterday was our last day of re-shooting, so, I'm leaving to continue with another project...but...I brought this for you. I looked for it all night and now I'm here to give it to you." He grabbed a rectangular object wrapped in biodegradable maroon paper, then, he placed it on the counter.

"Thank you." He smiled and nodded at her. "Should I ?"

"Oh, no. Not now, I'd be embarrassed." He smiled and she nodded.

"Well, thanks. I don't know what it is, but thanks."

"My sister helped me in the chase to find it and around midnight she called me to say she had it in her apartment." He explained, getting even more nervous with every word he spoke. He spoke quickly. "It's funny, I was walking down the street the other day, past a store and saw it. Thought of you immediately. And I wanted to call you to meet up so I could give it to you more...privately." He added looking around. "But I didn't know how to, not after I behaved like an asshole...twice." He looked at his feet for a second. "And yesterday you came and I figured..." Lise blinked at the confession. "The thing is...the thing is..." She frowned.

"What?" She smiled. Anna found Tim extremely lovely when nervous. "What is the thing?" Someone walked in and Tim looked at Lise quickly, but she's a fast thinker. She took a book of the nearest shelf and handed it over. "Yes, you can read this over there and pay for it later, just don't damage it."

"Right. Thanks." He looked at the book's cover.

She approached the new costumer. "Hi, how can I help you?"

"The Midnight Library?" Lise looked at Tim.

"Another personal favourite." They smiled at each other and Tim took the plastic off of the book to start reading it, covering his face with it while Lise helped the young girl find a book she needed for her Literature class. Tim was actually captivated by the way it started, from the dedicatory, to the quote by Sylvia Plath, etcetera. About ten minutes in, she returned. "Done, sorry." She sat across from him. "So, you were saying?"

"Yes. Um...well, I have to go away today later on, but I wanted to know...if I didn't, would you let me see you a little? Or...a lot, maybe?" Lise frowned. "See if you could...like me again." She frowned sadly. She wanted to, she really, really, wanted to.

"I could never not like you, Timmy." A shine of hope went through the window of his heart. "But yesterday, when Selena Gomez, who's so cool, by the way, asked who I was...you just dismissed me out of hand. I heard it...Tim." His heart sank and broke as he frowned. "You had a microphone and I had earphones on."

"No. No, no, no, Lise. I didn't...that's not what I meant. I wanted to keep it a secret. She recognised you...kind of. I didn't-"

  "Sorry to interrupt." Jess popped from the back. "Lise, Your mom's on the phone."

"Tell her I'll call her back, please." Said Lewis.

"Already did, but she said you already told her that a day before and that marks twenty four hours since that happened. She also says that her foot has been hurting, if you could send Naomi over or something." Lise closed her eyes for a second, breathing in.

"Right. Great. Perfect timing. Take care of this for a second, would you?" She stood up and walked quickly to the back to answer the phone. Meanwhile, Jess and Tim talked for four, very long and awkward, minutes until Lise came back. "Sorry about that." She said and he stood up, turning around to face her. He shook his head.

"It's fine. There's always a pause when the jury goes out to consider its verdict." He smiled. Waiting for an answer. Lise returned the smile, barely.

"Look, Tim. I..." She laced her fingers together. "I am a fairly, level-headed gal who doesn't fall in and out of love easily or quickly. Only when she really means it, but..." She tried to explain herself, but truth is, she was having a bit of a hard time to do so. She was still in love with him, but she was hurt, angry, sad...a rollercoaster of emotions, really. Tim blinked a few times, he knew that he had hurt her and it hurt him like hell but her words, or what she may say was aiming for the heart and he didn't want it to break. Even if he head broken hers. She closed her eyes with sadness. A voice inside her heart repeated the same word: yes, yes, yes, yes...But her mind was a faster speaker. "Can I say 'no' to your kind request and...leave it like that?" He was silent for a moment. His smile dropping even further before reappearing over his lips.

"Yes." He said. "Fine, of course, I...of course." He smiled again to hide the way he just wanted to break into tears. He looked at his hands, he still had the book in hand. "Before I go, I'd like to...uh, take this."

"Sure." She said after a short pause.

"It's captivating. You, uh...you have great taste in books." Lise smiled.

"Thanks." He nodded.

  She nodded back and they slowly made their way to the counter for her to get his purchase registered. Once the book was wrapped and placed inside the tote bag, and Tim had payed, they looked at each other again.

"I'll be going now. It was lovely seeing you." Said he. Lise offered the bag and he took it, only that none of them let go.

"I'm sorry." He shook his head. "No, listen. I..." She breathed in and out through her nose. "I am in real danger with you. It seems like a perfect situation, but my stupid and still unexperienced heart, that has gone through very shitty breakups, won't recover from this one. Specially if you cast me away again." He frowned sadly. "You are an international superstar who goes away for months to shoot projects and I'm incredibly happy for you and so proud of you, but I...I'm just a girl who opened this place and happened to bump into you. And if, at some point you leave...I would be, well, devastated, basically. And I don't want to go through that again." He nodded and offered another smile as he acknowledged that the wave may have hit her this time. The word 'again' gave that away.

"That really is a real 'no', isn't it?"

"Our problem right now is that we're from the opposite side of the tracks. We live in the same city, yes, but everyone in the world knows who you are." She smiled and a line of tears started forming in her eyes, those tears matched Tim's. "My mother has trouble remembering my name." She scoffed. "It's funny how she remembers Naomi's so well, rather than my own."

"It's fine." He smiled at her again. He sighed. "Fine. Good decision." He nodded. "Good decision." A short silence fell upon them. "The fame thing isn't really real, you know? And don't forget...I'm also just a boy, standing in front of a girl...asking her to love him." They were silent for a moment before he moved over the counter to approach her. "Bye." He whispered as he pressed his lips close to her ear, right on top of a mole she has there, and stepped away. Lise let go of the bag slowly for him to take a step back.

  Timothée smiled at Lise as he pointed at the present he had brought before he put his sunglasses on and walked out of the store.

Anna looked at the object and sighed. That's when her clock chirped, indicating lunchtime had arrived. She grabbed the package and walked out of the bookshop to make her way towards Nick's restaurant, where the group had agreed on meeting, for it was the last day it would be open, only for them though.

When she arrived, the rest did the same. Naomi was the first one to ask what was that she's carrying, that's when she shared what had happened only minutes ago. When she was done telling the story, she opened the present, revealing 'La Mairée' but not a picture of it, it was the actual painting. Everyone was looking at it.

"So, what do you think? Good move?" Lise asked the group, who had been awfully quiet for straight three minutes.

"Yeah, good move." Said Lennon. "Well, all is said and done. He's nothing special."

"Good decision." Said Noah, backing up his girlfriend. "All people in the film industry are mad as snakes." He nodded and Naomi did too.

"Nick, what do you think?" Lise asked the other Brit.

"Never met him, never want to."

"Right. Nom?"

"Absolutely." She said. "Never trust French men."

"Of men in general." Lennon added, gaining confused looks from the boys in the room. They were frowning when they all exchanged looks. "Fine. Except for these ones. And Tommy."

"Great. Thanks. Brilliant." They saw and heard Tom's car parking right outside, a minute later, he walked in quickly.

  "I was called and I came, what's up?" He asked.

"Annie just turned down Timothée Chalamet." Tom looked at her after hearing what Naomi told him. He loved his best friend and he hadn't seen has as happy as whenever she was sitting next to him, or spoke about the actor. Not to mention, he wanted the best for her and from the moment he had met Chalamet on his birthday, he knew the guy was a keeper, even if he didn't have the best temper. How? Tommy also knew when Annalise's social energy started to go down. When he noticed how Tim picked on it immediately, offered to take her home and to hang out some another time, he knew the boy would do anything for Lise. For the people that understand when you feel like taking a nap from the world, are important. Very important. Yes, he thought he was a prick after what happened the day Lise ate ice-cream in her room and the day he crashed at her place with all the press outside, but still, he knew Tim loved her.

"Please, say something." Lise begged her best mate. Tommy placed his hands on his hips as he looked at her. The fact that he was wearing his formal suit made him look like a rather angry English teacher.

"Lissie, you...are a fucking idiot." Lise frowned, a bit offended. The only time she recalls being called like that from him was when she forgot to edit the final paragraph of an essay they had to hand in in college, making them lose five points over the final grade. A long while ago.

"No, no. It was quite reasonable." Said Lennon. Tom looked angrily at her again and Lise looked down. Thinking that maybe it wasn't the right choice after all...but it was right? Or...was it? This shit started to get confusing.

"That's not the original...painting, is it?" Asked Naomi, her eyes glued to the painting.

"Um..." Lise's hand found the golden frame. When she looked at the traces closely, she removed her hand to cover her mouth. "I think it might be. Yeah." She but her lip.

"But he said that he wanted to go out with you?" Asked Noah. Anna nodded. "Well, that's nice." Noah breathed in and looked away for a second.

"What?"

"Well, you know, anyone saying that they want to go out with you is pretty great, isn't it?" That made something click inside Lise's mind. As if heart and mind were connected again, not thinking separately.

"It was. Very sweet, actually." She said, smiling to herself. "I mean, I know he's an actor and all that, so, he can deliver a line. But he basically said that he might be very famous, as famous as he can be, but also that he's...just a boy....standing in front of a girl...asking her to love him." She was looking at her hands, playing with her rings as she spoke. When she was done, she looked up to find Nick looking down, Naomi looking at her with a frown, Lennon biting her lip as she had a thin line of tears in her eyes, and Noah frowning as well. Lise looked at the void for a hot second before frowning and closing her eyes as the palms of her hands found her face. "I'm a fucking idiot." She sighed through her nose, loudly.

"Now you're catching up!" Said Tom as he let his hands fall to his sides. Loudly as well.

"You said your car was fast, right?"

"Well, I did arrive in ten minutes, didn't I?" They nodded. She stood up and grabbed the painting.

"Meet me outside of my house in ten minutes." She walked out running and her girlfriends ran behind her.

"What are you going to do?" Asked Naomi as they crossed the first block.

"Tell him I was wrong, even if I have no clue where he is right now." Lise answered.

"And why are we going home?" Asked Lennon.

"I need to get changed."

"What for?"

"I think there's a lil press thing going on about his new film. I saw Daisy posting about it in her media."

"Who's Daisy?"

"Co-worker. That's not important now!" They ran all the way to their house. When they arrived, Anna placed the painting beside the bookshelf and ran to her bedroom. Once there, she took off the white shirt with cherries all over it, kicked away her Converse as she unbuttoned her jeans and threw everything away. "Someone look for Daisy Rogers on Instagram and go through her stories!" She commanded as she rushed through the bedroom. "There must be a location sticker somewhere."

"On it!" Yelled Lenn.

Annalise opened the door of her closet and took out a satin pastel pink coloured blouse and put it on, then, she grabbed a black skirt and zipped it quickly over her lower back. When she was done, she grabbed a pair of red bottoms, the most expensive pair of shoes she owns, and grabbed a black bag and placed her phone inside. She rushed to clip her hair up, splash perfume over her skin and fix her makeup. Then, she ran downstairs.

"Found her. The Ritz." Said Lennon and Lise nodded as the horn of Tommy's car echoed outside. Lise grabbed her keys and wallet from the other bag and threw them into the black one as the three of them ran out of the house and hopped into Tom's fancy car. "It's the one by Central Park."

"Where to?" Asked Tommy. Everyone looked at Anna.

"The Ritz." Tom nodded and started driving. Fifteen minutes were almost five or six. They parked the car by the park in no time.

"Get out and run!" And they all did. They ran like crazy down the streets.

  And it was an amusing scene, picture this: A girl with freshly dyed pink and blue hair running hand in hand with a guy double her size, wearing all black clothes; another girl in hospital uniform who had just gone out of her shift an hour ago running right beside a guy wearing a fancy blazer and matching dressing pants, holding his glasses and a girl barefoot wearing fancy clothes too, holding her shoes in hand. A large group of idiots.

They ran and, because it was a press thing, only reporters and journalists would be there, so, Lise ran in with Tommy's company into the building while the rest waited outside. It was a chaos walking through those spinning doors. When they finally did, they ran towards the counter.

"Hi." Said Lise a bit out of breath as she put on her shoes. Thankfully she wasn't as exhausted, running every now and then in the mornings did help. "Is mister Chalamet here?" She asked the receptionist.

"No, miss." Said the man.

"How about, Mister Flintstone?"

"No, miss."

"Uh...Woody? I don't even know if it was Woody." She frowned as she tried to remember.

"No, miss." The man on the opposite side smiled at her sadly.

"Uh...is anyone named after a cartoon here?"

"No, miss." The two friends groaned in annoyance and because their lungs hurt too, as well as the right side of their stomaches. Tom placed a hand over Lise's shoulder.

"Well...thanks." They started to walk away.

"There was a mister Timmy Turner, though." Lise stopped on her tracks. "But he checked out about an hour ago." The amount of time they spent talking and eating at Nick's ex place.

"Wait, isn't the press conference here?" Asked Tommy.

"The first one, yes. The next one is at the Savoy, before flying to Europe." Lise smiled and chuckled.

"Thank you." She impulsed herself with the counter to lean over and leave a kiss on the cheek of that kind man. "Thank you!" She started running away. Tommy was grateful too, so, he kissed the other guy's cheek.

"We have lift off!" He yelled as they ran outside and the rest followed behind. Unfortunately, the blonde girl wasn't that fast with heels on, and when adrenaline was flooding their bodies, Tommy was annoyed. "You're so slow."

"I don't want to run with these and my feet hurt for running barefoot." It took a second for Tom to throw Lise's arm over his shoulder and wrap his around her waist to carry her, like that time she sprained her ankle on that race the NYU had all those years go. They both laughed their asses off when he almost fell down as they arrived the rest and they ran towards the car. "Thanks." She said when he left her foot on the ground and they hopped into the vehicle again. "Drive, drive, drive!" And he did.

Tommy felt like Dominic Toretto as he drove down Manhattan to get to the Savoy. It took them fifteen minutes to arrive. When they entered the hotel's parking lot, Tom stopped the car abruptly.

"Go!" He said and Lise stepped out of the car to walk in quickly before rushing up to the main desk.

"Excuse me, where's the press conference?" She asked.

"Are you an accredited member of the press?" Asked the man as he arched an eyebrow.

"Yes." She answered as she grabbed her Entertainment ID, Tommy flashed his Times one and when Noah tried to get in too, he only had a Metro card. The other two looked at their curly haired mate, he shrugged at them. That's when Lennon and Naomi walked in. Lenn was sitting on a wheelchair.

"That's a subway card, sir." Said the receptionist.

"Uh..." He struggled to talk and come up with something.

"He's with me." Said Lennon.

"And you are?"

"Writing an article about how hotels treat people in wheelchairs." She answered. "My personal Doctor has to come too."

"Of course, madam. It's in the Lancaster room. I'm afraid you're very late." Said the guy.

"Yeah, we know." Said Tom. "Run!" They all ran through the hallways, looking for the room. Except for Lenn, who was being pushed by Nom. Both of them laughing like little kids.

They went upstairs, downstairs, tried to open locked doors and when they managed to push a door open, they finally found it. They walked in slowly and quietly. It was a huge room and it was full of press. Lise didn't remember that well the last time she was one of the journalists at the front row, or her last press conference like this one, for it shocked her to see the amount of people, the cameras —of both picture and T.V.—, etcetera.

She saw Tim at the front, sitting in between sweet Karen and grumpy but kind James. He was smiling, the smile wasn't genuine though. After everything that happened earlier, who could blame him? No one. James was the one controlling the flow of the questions.

  "Does this mean that Mister Chalamet will not publicise this film of his? The following one, I mean." Asked a man.

"No, this absolutely does not mean that. It means that he'll attend everything he has to attend, but, after he's done filming, he won't be taking part of any other projects for the following year." Tim nodded at Jame's answer.

"When will the film be released? The one he just wrapped." Asked a lady on the opposite side of the room.

"Here in America towards the end of summer and in the UK in Christmas or early in the New Year." A short pause. "Yes, you. Dominic, what's your question?" He asked and Dominic stood up.

"My question is divided in two." James nodded. "Alright. Timothée, your sister, Pauline, she lives in France. And rumour has it that you were planning to move to the city of love too." The tone he used as he spoke 'the city of love' made the room chuckle. Tim smiled. "Would you?" He nodded sadly. "Then, how much longer are you staying in the US, then?"

"Not much. I fly out tonight towards the UK, when I finish filming I'd probably check on that." He sighed. "I...no longer have a strong reason to stay here for that long, only my parents." The reporters chuckled. Tim was melancholic and therefore honest. Very honest. Lise's heart sank and she started to squeeze her way through the reporters as Dominic thanked them.

"Which is why we have to round it up now." Said James. "Final questions." The hands raised. "Yes, lady over here." He pointed at a woman that's by the front row. A couple away from Lise.

"Is your decision to take a year off anything to do with the rumours about Lily-Rose and and her current boyfriend?" Karen looked at him sadly, and so did Anna.

"Absolutely not." Answered Tim.

"Do you believe the rumours?" Asked the lady again.

"Well, it's really none of my business anymore. Although I will say, from my experience, that rumours about Lily tend to be true." The crowd smiled and chuckled afterwards, they loved that answer. Tim barely smiled as the journalists took notes. The hands raised again and James pointed at someone right next to Lise.

"One of the last times you've been spotted here, there were some rather scandalous pictures of you and a young New Yorker girl. What happened there?"

"She was just a friend. We're still friends, I think." He blinked, raised his eyebrows and took a deep breath before exhaling. "Truth is the media took everything out of proportion. I was just crashing at her place, she shouldn't have had to be in the middle of anything. The bell of her house rang and she opened the door, that is all." He shrugged. "I mean, who would expect the press on their doorstep on a Saturday morning, right?" Everyone chuckled as he looked down. Lise smiled a bit and frowned as she but the inner part of her cheek before raising her hand. Finally.

"Yes, lady in the pink blouse." James was the only one that could see her from his angle. His eyes brightened when he recognised her, just like Karen's. Only that Tim never looked up and the people around her didn't move an inch. Even if Timmy tried to meet her eyes, he wouldn't be able to see who was speaking.

"Do you think that said girl was an absolute idiot?" Tim's eyes shoot up, frowning. Lise faked an accent that made her voice deeper than usual. Karen's jaw dropped a bit and James raised his eyebrows while the crowd broke into whispers.

"Excuse me?" Asked Tim, offended. He was certainly not going to let a random reporter talk shit about Lise right now.

"Yes. Would you say she's an idiot? A complete dumbass?" Tim's frown intensified.

"I don't like the way you're referring to her and I believe you're being unnecessarily rude. Why would you say that?"

"Well, because I do think she was. An absolute asshole." Well, now he was angry. He leaned forward, trying to spot the face of the reporter, look at her in the eye and call her the same names back.

"I'm gonna ask you a couple things. First: don't call her names, be respectful. Second: I find it cowardly that you insult that kind girl without even showing your face. And third: I'd like you to look at me in the eye and tell me why you're so sure of all that.

"Because she lied to you, and herself." She answered, stepping forward. Tim's face enlightened the second their eyes met. He blinked.

"When?"

"When she talked to you."

"How would you know?"

"I keep my sources a secret, sir." He scoffed.

"Right." She smiled and shrugged.

"Well, to answer your question, I don't think she's any of that."

"Then, are there any-"

"I'm sorry, but it's just one question per person." James interrupted.

"No, it's alright." Said Tim looking at him before looking at her. "You were saying?"

"Yes. I was going to ask if you know if there were any circumstances in which you two might be more than 'just friends'?" Tim licked his lips.

"I hoped there might be...but no. I'm assured there aren't." Lise breathed in.

"And if...if this...person..."

"Her name is Lewis." A reporter told her. She smiled at him.

"Right. Thanks." She looked back at Tim, who had a smile on his lips. Very small, she was the only one in the room to spot it. "I was wondering if Miss Lewis realised she'd been a daft prick..." The crowd whispered again and Tim raised his eyebrows this time. "Maybe, dramatically, got down to her knees and begged you to reconsider-"

"She wouldn't do that though." Timmy assured. She chuckled.

"I know, but if she did...would you? Reconsider?" There was a short pause in which Lise chewed her red lip, worried about what he would say. And she wasn't the only one. Around them, the reporters were expectant and attentive for that answer, just like Tommy, Naomi, Noah and Lennon, who were in the back.

  Noah was playing with his rings, Lennon was covering her mouth and the future married couple were holding hands tightly. Tim breathed in and out before smiling tenderly at her and answering.

"Yes. I believe I would." Lise smiled at him as the room was flooded with multiple and loud mumbles.

"That's very good news." She nodded as she wrote something down on her note pad, to pretend. "The readers of Entertainment will be absolutely delighted." The journalists laughed, just like the actor and Karen, James just flashed a smile. Tim then leaned over to whisper something to James, who nodded immediately.

"Dominic, would you please, ask your question again?" Asked he.

"Yes." Dominic answered as Lise looked at him and back at Tim, asking what was happening with her expressive gaze, but Tim limited himself to smile at her. "Timothée, how much longer are you staying in the US?" Lise understood that now, he had a new reason not to move to Europe. Tim was in silence, getting lost into the blonde girl's eyes.

"Indefinitely." He finally answered and Lise smiled brightly. The reporters murmured inaudible things for our main characters. They just were surprised about the sudden change of plans, but it didn't take long for them to tie up the loose ends. In within seconds, they realised that he had a new reason too. That the reason was her. The reporter in a pink blouse.

  The cameras turned at her as well and the flashes but they didn't blind her this time, yes, they surprised her but she didn't feel overwhelmed.

People gathered around her to ask questions, to snap pictures, to talk to her. The frame of one of the T.V. cameras was focused on her and the others remained on Tim. People watching this from home could see them smiling at each other, their eyes not breaking the eye contact at all.

Timothée stood up and made his way through the crowd to find Annalise. They smiled at each other and he took her hand into his to drag her out of the ocean of people and to the back room.

  While they walked to the back, James and Karen talked to the press and Lewis' friends celebrated the cinematic reunion. When the two of them were in the room, alone, they looked at each other for a hot minute as he closed the door behind him, making the world go quiet. None of them believing that had just happened.

"Well, you know how to make an entrance." He said and she chuckled. "And how to get my attention better than most."

"I had to speak the truth." She said and he chuckled too. "It's my job, after all."

"I would've liked us to be private though."

"I know. I would've liked that too." She shrugged. "Sorry about that. I saw a window and went through it." He nodded and she frowned. "I couldn't let you go and stay in Europe, forever." He smiled tenderly at her.

"I thought I had lost you."

"Yeah, me too." She sighed. "I do mean what I said. Of me being an idiot."

"Why? You were hurt. It was valid to say no." He sat down on the couch's arm, still holding her hand, dragging her with him. Lise was now standing before him, hands around his neck, playing with the curls on the back of his neck, while his were around her hips.

"Because I didn't entirely meant it. That 'no'. A part of me wanted to say yes but the other one didn't. It hit me later on." She scoffed. "You won't believe everything I did to get here." He chuckled. "I didn't even know you were here."

"I can only imagine." They smiled at each other. He closed his eyes under her gentle touch just to open them a second later. "Is this still a dream?" She shrugged. "I wouldn't like to wake up from it."

"I don't think we've even woken up from it."

"You know? A while ago, we had a similar conversation."

"We did?"

"Yes. At the Ritz."

"Oh, yeah...we did." He nodded and chuckled. "I think you asked what would the boy and the girl do next."

"Yeah. You said that they could perhaps go for a drink and have a great time."

"And then I asked what did you think would happen next."

"And I said that the boy would lean over and kiss the girl."

"He didn't do it back then."

"Now he might."

"Is that so?" He stood up as he nodded. His hands found her collarbone and crawled up towards her neck. Just like he wanted them to do a while ago. She started to melt under his touch. His hands cupped her cheeks in a second.

"It is so." He whispered as he pulled her closer gently, making their lips collide in a tender kiss that the two of them have missed so fucking much. She broke the kiss a second later though.

"I'm gonna leave a red lipstick stain over your lips." He smiled at her, against her mouth.

"I don't give a shit." He made their lips collide again. And that kiss lasted a couple seconds before it ended. "Let's get out of here." He whispered as they recovered from the slight lack of air. She laughed as their foreheads collided and her fingertips found his lips to try to fade away the red stain. "Let's get the hell out of here." Both of them laughed.

"They would see us."

"The good thing is that there's a backdoor here." He pointed at the back. I'll ask Dave to pick us up and drive towards my place. If you're okay with that, of course."

"That would be nice." She said after a couple seconds.

"Bet." He let go of her to send said text. And they waited as they talked to figure things out for that moment on for ten minutes. Time in which James and Karen walked in and talked about what had happened and Dave informed that he was outside. The press chief and the agent agreed on handling things here while thy got their escape.

Both adults walked out of the room, hand in hand, and made their way to the back. When they opened the door, the black car was there. They hopped in and Timmy introduced Lise to his all time getaway driver. As Dave kindly drove towards Tim's apartment, Anna texted her peers, telling them they could go home and where she'd be.

About ten minutes later, they arrived at Timothée's apartment. Small and fancy. Glass walls, a lot of wood that gave a cozy feeling and a very familiar scent welcomed them when he opened the door.

"Make yourself feel at home." He said and she smiled. Something stirred inside of her too. She loved how that sound. Those words. She walked around and smiled as she did took in the soft scent to make herself feel like so.