Blaire's POV

Waking up, wrapped in someone's arms under the adoration of a pair of beautiful sapphire blue eyes waa magical. His golden-brown hairs completely messed up and his lips held his signature smile. His scent was messing up me, it made me so fucking crazy all the time. The warmth of his body was wrapped around me like a blanket. He lowered his lips to crook of my neck and pressed it for a moment and snatched my breathe away. I tilted my neck and he trailed down to kiss every inch of my skin on my shoulder blade. I turned around and pressed my lips to his. Just as always, my body melted in his grip and the world didn't even exist for me. Thousand of butterflies went in a whirlwind in the pit of my stomach and I deepened the kiss, only to pull away when I was short of breath.

"Come on, cupcake! Get up." Christian's sizzling voice broke into my trance.

"Photoshoot day 1, you've to get ready." He geared me up.

"Yeah," I replied, stretching out my arms.

I got ready, like, super fast. As directed, I wore a denim dress then went down to my mid-calves and set my hair down.

"Sunshine," Chris nudged.

"Yeah, "

"Nervous?"

"Not really, just thinking about stuff."

"All right, I understand."

"So how do I look?" I asked.

"Perfect as always, except...," his eyes narrowed and scrutinized, "the shoes don't match, "

He rushed to the shoe case and brought a pair of casual canvas out.

"Here," he said as he kneeled down in front of me.

I stared at him in amazement.

Is it the same Christian, whom I met on the first day of school?

The same guy with whom you need guts to speak.

"Hello? What are you staring at, my lady? Slip it on."

I continued to stare at him, the whole time as I slipped on the shoes and he tied the laces neatly.

"Perfect," he muttered patting my foot.

"Thanks."

"Umm-hmm, it's banned," he said, shaking his head and crisscrossing his hands in front of his face.

"Aye, captain," I laughed out loud.

For a couple of moments, we just stood there facing each other, the silence was so beautiful as if we spoke thousands of words. Chris stepped forward and hugged me as his arms wrapped around my waist. I stood on my toes as I returned the hug, draping my arms around his neck. We stood still, like holding the moment forever, it was peaceful.

"I'm going home tonight," I said out of the blue.

"Oh!"

"Sure, I'll drop you home and will also meet your dad," he smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.

I nodded.

"Sunshine, take care of yourself. Zach is a good guy but not a reliable one. And you never know...,"

"Yeah," I smiled.

"You'll be there right? At the tryouts today."

"Sure thing, Scooby-Doo."

"I love you," he whispered.

"and I do too."

"Take care and yeah keep this, I almost forgot," he said as he handed me a small round thing, looking like a pocket watch.

"What's this?"

"This is a tracking device. For safety purposes you know, I mean if anything goes wrong and your phone is also down then you have to just click this once, it'll send me notifications and I'll be there for my cupcake," he grinned.

"All right, captain," I said, slipping the device in my purse and leaving the room.

I and Jasmine paired up together and planned to be the angel and the devil. Of course, I was the angel. To be honest, the photoshoot was quite exciting and Zach was a really good guy. That day, we had funny and happy summer shots. The next day we would go to the shore for lonely and depressed snaps and the last two days were booked for winter shots.

I walked to my dorm making my way in a corridor packed with students, chattering and bantering. It was already evening by then. Everyone would be in the ground soon, the bonfire would start in an hour. To my surprise, Christian wasn't in the room but I didn't wonder much though. I got prepared in my outfit and climbed down the stairs, waiting for my devil to arrive. Finally, Duncan, Sophia and Jasmine came into sight and we made our way towards the field together. It was lit. The bonfire was set in the centre, teachers were scattered here and there, dressed up. The atmosphere was ghostly and totally themed as decorated by whoever decorated it. Several pillars were set up on different sides and bowls filled with toffees and candies were put on those. Dim- pumpkin-shaped lights were hanged and set up.

Duncan went ahead and waited in the common room as per the plan. I insisted Soph that I have to go to my room and she should accompany me. When we entered the third floor, a huge banner said to follow the candles, we noticed that there were candles all the way and up to the common room. We did as directed but after a few steps, I stepped aside and took the other way to the common room but she continued to follow, out of curiosity maybe.

Finally, the door opened and Sophia entered the room. Her heels clicked on the empty hallway tiles as she entered. She stumbled on the leather couch and fell on it, that moment Duncan switched on the lights and I pulled the strings. It rained rose petals on her. She was amazed, she looked all around her for any clue what was happening when the big screen in front of her came into life.

'Will you be my girlfriend?' shone brightly on the display.

She was staring at it in awe, maybe still with no idea who's behind it. Duncan slowly stood up from his hiding position and walked to the front, Sophia turned back noticing the footsteps but didn't get up. He walked right up to her and kneeled down, so they would be facing each other. His hands laid open on her lap.

Sophia, still with a shadow of doubt on her face, finally slipped her palm in his.

"I can't believe I'm doing this for real. Maybe I would have always stayed a one-sided lover if not for someone. Sophia, I know you have some feelings for certain someone else, but am I that bad to be loved? Does 'not being a jock' makes everyone less attractive? Being aware of your feelings, I'm disclosing mine because I think you have the right to know how I feel about you. From the day we started mingling, I liked you. Your looks, personality, attitude, voice and last but not the least you as a person, a human being. I didn't even realise when and how this liking turned into love. I'm so in love with you Sophia Taylor. I'm head over heels," Duncan declared.

Everything was quiet for a moment, absolute stillness. Then she stood up. Duncan stood up too as he faced her. I thought something wrong would happen now but after a second, she stepped forward and hugged Duncan. There was a smile of amazement on his lips.

"I like you too Duncan, I have always liked you since the freshmen year but maybe never looked at you from that point of view. Maybe I just have had the feeling for the wrong person. Blaire was right, she was so very right. I was waiting for my true love while ignoring the person who loves me truly. I promise Duncan, I'll try my best to turn things around. I just need a little time," Sophia said.

"You can even have forever and I'll still be there for you, waiting for you, standing by you," He said and wrapped his arms around her.

"That's my girl," I yelled as I jumped out of my hideout.

Duncan laughed and Sophia scowled.

"You," she pointed a finger at me, "were here the whole time?" she scowled.

"Yep," I nodded.

"And you witnessed this all?" She arched one eyebrow.

"Oh! Come on! Enough of your melodrama. We prepared it together, all right? Now that everything is set, let's go," I declared as I fist-bumped with him.

Noticing the marks of tears on her cheeks, I rubbed it away and we all giggled together. We made it back to the ground soon and it was like a new start, for them, for the gang. Duncan brought us beverages while we were busy gossiping when I saw James leaving.

I drove out and tracked him down. I drove down the lanes and the dark alleys until the car finally came to a stop. I got out of the car as soon as James did and walked behind him. He looked behind once or twice and then disappeared in the darkness. Holding my life in my fist, I took a deep breath and walked in the same direction. It was a dirty old collapsed building and I was walking through a dead, clumsy and dark corridor. I came to a standstill when I saw lights.

"Christian," I called out loud in astonishment.