"What are you doing here? This place is so well hidden, I didn't think anyone knew about it," Erik said.

"My point exactly. But I had stumbled upon this place about a year ago when I had first joined the University. I had found Brian abandoned here and after that, this place became his home and I visited him often, bringing him food and sometimes toys to play with. Now my turn. Answer my question".

"I came to lake Mendota a few days ago and I saw Brian emerge from a tangle of bushes with a stick in his mouth. He seemed lonely and he had no collar or tag so it was obvious that he was a stray dog. So I befriended him and we were playing when he suddenly turned and disappeared among the bushes. So I followed him and that's how I ended up here. Judging by how healthy Brian is, I had guessed that someone took care of him and brought him food and stuff, but I didn't know that it was you. Is this the secret place you didn't want to tell me about the other day?" Erik asked, his eyes shining with curiosity.

Nicole looked at Erik closely. He seemed to be telling the truth but she wasn't completely convinced. However Brian seemed to have no objections with him as he was already licking Erik's palm, who had now bent down to scratch him behind the ear.

Nicole folded her arms and looked at the two of them closely. Erik could have been the silhouette she saw here the other day, but she wasn't able to get a good look at the silhouette, although she was sure their physique seemed quite similar.

"Nicole?" Erik asked as he paused scratching Brian and looked up at her.

"Yeah, this is the place I was hesitant to tell you about. No one knew about this place except me and Brian, and now you. Even Maddy and Ryder don't know about this place, and I would appreciate it if you kept it that way." Nicole said, her voice quite tight.

"Of course, my lips are sealed. Are you sure you don't mind me knowing about this place." Erik asked as he got up and stared into her eyes. He could tell that this place held some sentimental value to her. Why wouldn't it? This place was beautiful. It was secluded and peaceful and an ideal secret spot.

"No, it's fine. I guess it's our secret spot now. I don't mind as long as it stays a secret," Nicole said, sighing in defeat. There was no way Erik could be associated with Him. The mere idea of Erik having to do anything with a murder seemed absurd. He was too kind and polite. But then again, not too long ago, a certain friendly librarian had said almost the same thing about her and she had told her not to judge a book by its cover. she should listen to her own advice, but it's easy to give advice than to actually follow it yourself.

"I promise that I will not tell anyone about it," Erik said in the most serious tone he could muster.

Nicole smiled a bit to herself and the two of them sat down under a tree and started their lesson while drinking the coffee and eating the eclairs that Nicole had brought for them.

Since it was a full moon, they had enough light to study. Nicole watched as Erik scrunched up his eyebrows in concentration while trying to write an essay that Mr. Miller had assigned to them the previous day.

Erik really was handsome , Nicole thought as she chewed on her pencil and tried to subtly stare at him. He had improved greatly and he wasn't as behind anymore. Erik was smart and cute and funny and Nicole felt something flutter in her stomach everytime their eyes met or their skin brushed. She hadn't felt like this about a boy in a really long time. She hadn't felt like this since Nathan.

Erik suddenly looked up from his essay and their eyes met once again. "What is it?" He asked.

Nicole blushed and looked down. "Nothing," she said in a small voice.

"Are you sure? You've been staring at me for the last thirty minutes," Erik said with a smug smile. He couldn't help it. He loved the way Nicole's cheeks turned red when she was embarrassed or shy. It was very appealing.

"Yes I'm sure".

"You have some chocolate on your lips, from the eclairs". Erik reached out and lightly brushed the corner of Nicole's lips with his thumb, erasing the chocolate.

Nicole froze as his thumb came in contact. They were so close. She could see the dimples on his cheeks as he smiled slightly, his eyes glued to her lips and her eyes glued to his. Erik moved his thumb and traced small circles on her warm, rosy cheeks. His eyes flicked up to hers. Their intensity caught her off guard and she found herself falling in that mesmerizing blue. She sucked in a breath as his thumb returned to her lips and he slightly applied pressure. She could taste the salt in his skin. Her heart hammered away loudly in her ribcage. She was sure he could hear it.

Suddenly Brian made a noise beside them and the spell broke. Nicole jerked back at the noise and looked at Brian, who was sitting on his hind legs, observing them closely with his head cocked to the side. He looked very cute.

Nicole looked back at Erik, who was still staring at her. Her cheeks were burning.

Nicole cleared her throat. "We should get back to studying." Her voice came out uneven and raspy.

"Do we have to?" Erik asked. His voice sounded almost like a whine. "We're done with the essay and most of the other assignments. Why don't we take a break today and do something else?"

"Okay, what do you want to do?" Nicole asked, closing her books. Honestly, she was relieved that Erik suggested that they stopped studying. She couldn't concentrate at all today. She kept getting distracted by him. She almost wished that Brian hadn't made that noise and broken that spell.

"Come on," Erik said as he got up and offered her his hand.

Nicole took it and he pulled her up with ease. His hands were warm, despite the cold.

"Where are we going?" She asked as Erik took the trail back to the main path. He was still holding her hand as they walked back. She felt oddly safe with her hand in his, even though a more sensible part of her brain told her not to trust him.

They reached the main path and Erik led them towards the bank of the lake. The moon was shining on the water, making it sparkle and glitter like powdered diamond. Nicole gasped at the beautiful sight. It was pretty late by now and there was no one around except them and Brian.

"The moon's beautiful, isn't it?" Erik asked, reading her thoughts.

"Yes, it really is".

"You know there's a term for it, the moon shining on water I mean. It's called gumusservi".

"Really? I didn't know that."

Erik looked at Nicole once and then he started untying his shoes.

"What are you doing?" Nicole asked mortified as Erik opened his shoes and socks and took of his shirt.

Erik grinned wickedly. "Going for a swim," he said. He stripped down do his boxers and stepped into the water.

Nicole stood there with her mouth slightly agape at his actions. She knew Erik was well built, but she had never seen him shirtless. And god was he handsome. His muscles rippled as he swam some distance into the water.

"Aren't you gonna join me?" Erik called out to her.

"What! No! There is no way I'm getting into that freezing cold water. Besides, I don't have any spare clothes or my swimsuit".

"Come on, live a little. Besides, it isn't that cold. Please?"

Oh god, why is Erik so cute, Nicole thought, as she found herself taking of her jacket. She took of her clothes until she was only standing in her undergarments. She shivered slightly as the breeze blew, making goosebumps erupt all over her skin.

She touched the edge of the water lightly with her toe. It was cold, but she was suddenly feeling wild and reckless, so she took a leap of faith and dove right in. She swam until she reached Erik.

His platinum-blonde hair was now dark and flat with water, but the moonlight still reflected off it, making him look almost angelic.

Erik splashed some water on Nicole as soon as she reached him, and they fooled around for a while, laughing and teasing each other. Finally Erik disappeared under the surface and he grabbed Nicole's legs from underneath and pulled her down with him.

When they resurfaced, Nicole's legs were wrapped around his hips, and he held her in place with his arms, which were in turn wrapped around her small waist. His face was so close to hers. She could smell his minty breath, as it crashed against her lips. It was too tempting. She closed the little space between them and fitted her mouth to his. He tasted like mint and water and something else that she couldn't quite place, but the combination was intoxicating.

Erik kept one arm wrapped around Nicole's waist and fisted the other hand into her hair, tugging gently. A small sound escaped her lips. Their kiss wasn't slow anymore, it was becoming faster and reckless by the second.

Suddenly a furry body brushed Nicole's legs and she cried out, severing the kiss.

It was Brian.

They laughed as Brian wiggled his way between them, splashing water on them in the process.

"He really has the worst timings," Erik said. His chest was heaving up and down and his eyes were dark.

"Yes, he does," Nicole said, chuckling lightly.

They soaked in the water some more and then they returned to the bank. They didn't have any choice but to put on their clothes over their wet undergarments. After they were done dressing, they went back to their secret place and gathered up their books and bade Brian goodnight, who licked their faces as a sign of his affection.

Erik wrapped his arm around Nicole's waist as he led her back to his car. She didn't know that he owned one. She wasn't sure what model it was, but it looked pretty expensive.

They kissed once more in the car before Nicole got off and returned back to her dorms. Nicole couldn't fight the grin that kept creeping back across her face as she climbed the stairs to her room. Maddy would freak out at the news. She smiled and opened the door to find a very irritated blonde waiting for her on her bed. Now Maddy knew how it felt to return late without a warning, that too soaking wet. Nicole's grin widened.