At the beginning of this summer, I believed I would be sitting in my new place, alone and heartbroken over my past, but it seems fate had other plans. Spending time with Gage these past few weeks has given me a whole new perspective on life. I enjoy our moments together.

In this heat, he stands there, kissing on me. As we stand in line at the dairy queen, he slips his hand in my back pocket. As I look into his eyes, they sparkle, showing an affection I've never seen before. The line quickly moves, and we finally make our way inside.

"Do you want to eat here or take it to leave?" Gage asks me.

I press my lips together and think for a moment, "Well, if we take it to leave, where do you plan on taking me?"

"Somewhere special," he says without skipping a beat. I can't help but feel a flutter in my stomach at his words. "Let's take it to leave," I finally decide with a smile.

He orders our food, and we argue over who is paying, but he beats me to it. I grab the bags of food as he grabs our drinks, and we head back to the truck. I lean my head against the window and watch as the sun begins to set. The day has gone by extremely fast, and it feels like there are not enough hours in the day to spend with him.

My hand flows through the window as he drives. I have no idea where we are going, and I don't care because I like him. He turns down a dirt road, leading to the middle of the woods. The darkness starts to creep on us, and I begin to feel a little nervous. He parks the truck and grabs a blanket from the back seat.

"Wait here," he says as he jumps out and takes the food with him. Within seconds, he opens the door for me, helping me out. I start to question myself about how fast he had set up what he did.

He helps me into the bed of the truck, and I notice the blanket laid out with all our food placed on top. I smile at his romantic gesture and take a seat. After we are done eating, he collects all our trash and moves it to the side.

"Come here," He pulls me to him as he wraps his arm around me. I look up at the sky, and I'm amazed at the amount of stars I can see. "What are you thinking about?" He asks me.

"We're sitting here in the bed of your truck, staring up at the stars, and I barely know who you are." I look at him and say, "I feel like it's all a dream. I just want to close my eyes and have you kiss me tonight."

He sits his back against the truck and pulls me onto his lap. He cups my face, "I don't know what it is about you, but I think I'm falling for you." He tells me. With my eyes on his, I can sense he is telling me the truth. I have the same feeling. A feeling I have never felt before. It's as if our souls are connected, and we understand each other without words. I can't explain it, but I know that he is someone special in my life.

His lips brush against mine as his grip on my waist tightens. I feel a shiver run down my spine as I melt into his embrace, lost in the moment of pure bliss. His tongue parts our mouths, and I can taste the sweetness of his breath as our kiss deepens, igniting a fire within me that I never knew existed. The world around us fades away, and all that remains is the intoxicating sensation of his touch.

We lay in each other's arms as we look up into the night sky. The stars twinkle above us, and the cool breeze brushes against our skin. It was a moment of peace and contentment that I wished would never end. I glance over at him; he is a case that I need to solve. There's more to him than he lets on. As I continued to observe him, I couldn't help but wonder what secrets he is hiding. His mysterious aura intrigues me, and I know that unravelling his story will be a challenge worth pursuing.

In the peace of the night, silence is broken as my phone rings. I sigh as I look at the screen. Levi calls once more. I decline and apologise. "Don't be. But what's his deal?" He asks me.

"Long story short, we dated in high school, but he cheated on me over and over again. Stupid me would believe his lies, and I would jump every time he called." I put my head down, "Just like that night you found me stranded."

"So you were going to meet him that night?" He looks at me, questions filling his eyes, wondering if what we have right now is the real deal.

"Yeah, but something in me changed. I stepped on the gas and just kept driving. Almost as if driving away was the only way to escape the situation." I look at him and say, "And I'm glad I did because I wouldn't have met you that night." I finally confess.

He looks at me with a smile and takes my hand. "I'm glad you did too," he says, "because I've been waiting for someone like you my whole life."

My heart skips a beat as he says those words, and I can't help but smile back at him, feeling grateful that our paths have crossed. As we stare into each other's eyes, I can't help but smile when he looks at me. "Alright, pretty boy. What's next?" I smirk.

"Well, this for one," he says, kissing me, and I melt. "Two, I want to spend the rest of the night with just you in my arms."

"That sounds like an amazing plan." I kiss his cheek. He helps me off the truck and into the passenger seat. He cleans up and quickly jumps in. Starting the engine, he drives down the dirt road back to civilization.

☾

He takes my hand into his and kisses my palm. A simple gesture that makes me swoon. As we drive, the moon lights up the night sky. The sound of the engine fills the air as we make our way through the winding path, leaving behind the peacefulness of the forest. The town lights grow brighter in the distance, beckoning us back to reality.

We pull onto our street and see the road lined with cars. Gage shakes his head as he pulls up to his house. Noticing people parked in his spot in the driveway, I offer up the spot behind my car.

"Are you sure?" I nod, and he reverses, backing up behind my car. His arm reaches my headrest, and I bite my lower lip. Something about him doing that makes him even hotter. As we step out of the truck, Gage thanks me for the gesture, and I tell him it's no problem, adding that I know how frustrating it can be to not have a spot in your own driveway.

"Let's see what's going on, shall we?" He holds out his hand for mine, and I intertwine my fingers with his.

He leads me to the back of his house, and I watch as people talk and dance as a fire blazes in the middle. The music that plays is odd at best. Not something I would have imagined these boys playing at their own house party. Gage shouts, and everyone turns to face him.

"Okay, cut the Disney crap. We've gotta sex this party up. It's boring. What the hell does that say about us?"

'Who are we?" Ace yells.

"Silver Creek Wolves!" The crowd shouts.

My suspicions arise as they shout. I look at Gage, who has a smile on his face. Laughter catches my attention, and I see Laura, who looks drunk, dancing around with other guys. I guess she moved on from Ace. A petite redhead walks toward Gage and me. Gage tenses up, and realisation kicks in when she speaks.

Lisa.

"So, this is who you're sleeping with now?" Her eyes narrow in my direction. "Listen, miss one night stand," she says as she steps toward me, "trust me when I say, you're not the one he needs. The pack will stop whatever you think is happening between you two."

"What? The pack?" I say, confused about what she is talking about.

"Lisa!" Gage barks. She rolls her eyes and says, "Yeah, the team." She fixes her words. "Just because you have the star player of our school on your arm doesn't make you a star."

Anger pools within me as she says those words. Whether or not what Gage and I have is real, no one will stop me from having fun during my time here. My eyes lock on hers, "You're right." I say, and she begins to smile as if she made her point valid, but I stop her in her tracks and continue. "I may have the star player on my arms, but I'm the one who has made myself a star since I was born one. Star Brooks, nice to meet you." I smile.

This night between us has been ruined, and I'm ready to call it a night. I turn to Gage and tell him I'm leaving. Gage looks at me with a puzzled expression and asks if everything is okay. I nod and assure him that it's nothing personal. He leans in to kiss me goodbye, but I hesitate.

"Goodnight." I walk away, and the feeling of loneliness sinks in. I make my way home and lock the door behind me. I head to my room and strip off my clothes. I look around, grab my oversized t-shirt, and slip it on. Gage's scent radiates from it, and I'm reminded of the night we had together in this very room. I look out the window as the midnight breeze swirls through my room. I watch as the girls surround him. One girl wraps her arms around his neck, her eyes locking on his, and I find myself talking to myself.

"If what you said tonight is true, you won't do it." His head slowly turns, looking in my direction. "Shit!" I whisper and duck. "Great, Star. This is exactly what you need. To look like a stalker." I say to myself.

I rise up slowly, hoping he isn't looking in my direction. As I look around, he is nowhere in sight. I start to feel relieved and turn around to walk away, but suddenly I hear the doorbell ring, and my heart starts racing again.

I walk to the door and see Gage standing outside. I open the door, and my jaw drops. Questions fill my mind, like, how the hell did he get to my door so fast when it was no more than a second that I ducked at the window?

He steps inside and closes the door behind him, locking it. He backs me up against the wall, one hand on either side of me. His eyes lock on mine. "I want you, and only you. That's the truth." His lips press against mine. I feel a rush of excitement and passion as his kiss deepens. He places his hands on my waistline, and all I want from him right now is for him to take all of me. My arms wrap around his neck. He guides me to my room and lays me on my bed. The music from outside fills the room as we have our own private party. He hits the spot just right. I feel alive and free; every touch from him ignites a fire in me. Our chemistry is tangible and cannot be denied, and I can't get enough of him. I know this might not last forever, but I'm going to enjoy every moment we have. Being with him is like a breath of fresh air in my otherwise mundane life.