* Lora Croffard's POV *

"Hey." he said when I opened the door.

"Come in."

"So, what are we going to do?"

"I'm just going to feed the children before they starve and the we can do something."

"Okay." Damn, he looks good. Stop it, Lora!

I made the kids some sandwiches. "Would you like one?"

"Sure, thanks." I made two extra for Liam and me and we went sit on the couch on the deck, neither of us saying a word, only eating in silence.

The sun was pretty high by now and the wind was dancing through the trees, whistling.

"Lora?" he asked after a while.

"Yeah?"

"Amber's betrothed."

"What?! Really? I knew she was dating someone, but I didn't know they were that serious."

"They've been dating for seven years now."

"Wow, okay."

"Yeah... The wedding's in two months."

"Wow, they aren't wasting any time, are they?"

"No, but I wanted to ask if..."

"If what?"

"If you want to be my date for the wedding. It's just that you're my only friend who I actually want to be seen with in public."

"Me?" I'm shocked to say the least. "Why not Windy, she's actually into you. Or that other girl from your class."

"Stacy? Ew, no! She's so far up my ass that it hurts!"

"I did not need a picture."

"No! Not literally! Sis man, Lora! I'm actually still innocent!"

"What?! You're so not a virgin anymore!"

"Is it that hard to believe?"

"You're serious?" He only pulled up his shoulders.

"Oh my gosh! You're a virgin!"

"I'm not going to answer that. Aren't you?"

"Liam."

"What? I've told you, how hard can it be? It's either yes or no."

"I was raped." His race went blank and he staired at me. "Yeah, I know."

"Wha- when? Who? How?"

Yeah... So there's alot of things people don't know about me. "After my parents died when I was three I was adopted. When I was about six my adopted mother got cancer and my dad started freaking out. He always stood up to me and then started to drink, alot. Five months later my mother died and my dad lost it completely. He started to hit me and one night he caught me when I came out of the bath. Luckily the housemaid walked in on us. After that I was sent to my aunt. So I sorta don't have my virginity anymore."

"Lora, I'm so sorry." Memories came back and I can felt the water filing up in my eyes. I flinched when Liam touched my arm. I felt so dirty. "Hey, it's okay." He wouldn't hurt me, I knew that. I buried my face into his chest and he folded me in his arms. Sobs racked my entire body. Liam rested his head onto mine, no saying a word.

That's just it. I felt safe in his arms.

* Liam Lockwood's POV *

We walked trough the garden. The beautiful garden of my family. This yard holds so many memories of our past. Yet my childhood was amazing, fun and normal. Lora on the other hand, she went through hell. And through all of that she stood strong.

She's just amazing. I can't find anything bad about her. Okay, yes, she holds a pretty bad history, but that doesn't change the fact that she's the most interesting, funny, beautiful, venerable, loyal and just perfect.

I took her hand in mine and she, surprisingly, took it. She looked over at me and gave me a smile.

A sprinkler went off  in front of us and we gasped as the cold water came in contact with our bodies. We stood there, still hand in hand, until Lora started to laugh.

Soon we were both filled with laughter. She left my hand and started running even deeper into the sprinkler.

"Come on, Liam!"

"No ways!"

"Fine. You asked for it!" She came running over to me and jumped into my arms. Her dripping body was pressing agains mine. Her giggles come up in my ears and sent shivers through my body. "Please, Liam. Come into the sprinklers with me?"

I walked with her in my arms into the freezing water, my hands supporting her upper legs. We were both soaked by now.

"See, it isn't that bad," she said softly. I smiled and my eyes landed on her lips. So firm and starting to get a blue colour of cold. Is it weird of me to want to want to kiss those lips warm?

Our faces moved closer to each other. Her eyes also on my lips. Her cheeks were starting to get a pink gloss. The second our lips locked, a dagger went through my heart.

Sparks flew all over. The sun was brighter and the grass greener than ever. Our lips moved in sync. It's not rough, it's passionate and tender.

Does this means that she might feel the same way about me than I do? Does her heart beat quicken everytime we touch?

She pulled away quickly and pushed me away so that I had to put her down. She took a step back and put her hand to her lips.

"What was that?" she asked softly.

"Whatever it was, it was magical."

"Magical? How was that magical?"

"Are you telling me you didn't feel anything? Not a slight part that you wanted more?"

"Maybe, yyeah, but it doesn't makes anything right."

"In what way was that not right?"

"Liam we're different. To different. We can't do this."

"Lora. I like you, since the beginning you grabbed my attention. And maybe I can't ignore that feeling anymore."

"No, Liam. You can't be doing this. We... Our worlds are too different. You have you high and mighty life and I have my working boring life."

"I'm not in love with your circumstances, Lora. I'm in love with you." she stared at me, shocked, her eyes not blinking and her mouth slightly open.

I took a step closer and took her hands in mine, her eyes not moving from mine. "I'm sorry, I didnt want to mess up our friendship or anything but I couldn't hide it anymore."

"Why? Why, Liam?"

"Are you seriously asking me why? Because you're not like any other girl I've ever met. I actually don't know why, I just can't get you out of my mind since the day at the café."

"Liam, um. Chris asked me to be his girlfriend last night."

My heart stops. "What?"

"I'm sorry, Liam."

"You said yes?"

"Well, yeah." She took her hands out of mine and broke our eye contact. "He's been a great friend since the beginning. I couldn't say no."

"But you don't like like him, do you?"

"Liam, please don't -"

"Do you?" Heat was boiling up to my head. I'm not upset, I'm furious.  He knows! He knows I like her. He knows I've liked her since ever! I told him two weeks ago how I really feel about her and yet he goes and rubs it back at my face all over again. Everything after he told me he would drop the act. So much for bro's before hoes.

"I don't know."

"Do you like me?"

"Liam."

"That's all I need to know."