"Hi." I heard his silky voice faltering, but I was deeply intimidated by his familiar jade orbs.

"Hi." I replied shortly, I was filled with anxiety and excitement at the sane time.

It was a moment lost in time. The various colours of the sweets became a blur, the soft music was tuned down, and I could only see him. We both gazed at each other, seconds turned to hours. We were both lost in time.

I felt the familiar warmth seeping through my skin, it tingled me.

I noticed his disheveled brunette hair, but it was effortlessly dapper. There were dark bags under his jade orbs, but they camouflaged well with his complexion. He looked chic, he was wearing a orange polo shirt and blue jeans.

"How are you?" He asked me a little too stiffly, we were already awkward.

I paused for a moment, distracted by his jade orbs. I answered him, "Fine, you?"

"I'm grand." He replied with a small smirk, but it was mixed with a genuine smile.

I didn't know how he had gotten here, but I certainly knew it was because of Damien. I sneaked a glance over my shoulders, catching him ogling at us with a goofy grin before pretending not to notice.

I bit back a sigh and asked him, "Damien told you, didn't he?"

He let out a small chuckle and said, "Oh, don't blame your best friend. I was the one who asked him to set us up."

"What-" I retorted before he interfered, "This is a blind date."

I widened my eyes in disbelief and whined, "How is this a blind date when we already know each other?"

He let out a small sigh and said, "Okay, let me rephrase it. This is a date, you can classify this date into whatever you like."

I thought I maintained my composure, but I saw a reflection of my flustered self on the window. I squeaked, "Okay-no, no."

"Why?" He asked me. "You've been avoiding me these days."

I shoved my hand away from his, I couldn't do this. He was slightly startled by my movements, but I remained still and firm. "We're not meant to be, this is a pointless relationship."

"What?" He asked me, I noticed the tempered tone in his voice.

"Your family dislikes me, it's not a good thing for you to like me back." I reasoned, but I received a blank look from him.

He said, "You've already heard me. They may control me, but my heart is under my control."

I found myself silent in response to his words, I didn't know why I felt guilty when I was trying to make things good and well for the both of our lives. I said, "It's for your own good, Asher."

He let out a sigh of disbelief, shooting his daggers at me. He scoffed, "You're wrong, it's only for your own good."

I winced in response, was I the one at fault? I was just merely trying to help us both, so we both could keep our relationship stably. I could see his muscles tensing up and his veins popping out. I knew I angered him, but did he have to be this way?

"You're just too much of a coward, how could you give me up like this?" He said in utter disappointment, sadness flashed in his jade orbs. "I've even refused the wedding vows and we're this way again?"

I blinked back my tears welling up in my grey eyes, I didn't know what to do. He said, "Why can't you be with me?"

That's when I heard the door swung open, quite furiously. It startled the both of us, managing to avert our attention to that door. A willowy figure walked into the candy shop, I had never expected his arrival at all.

He walked over to us with his flared-up blue orbs, I remembered his chocolate brown hair tousled messily. He said, "This is seriously pissing me off."

"Peter?" I murmured out in confusion, I didn't know why he was here—I meant even here.

He nodded slightly in response, but his stern gaze remained at both of us. He said, "I didn't give up on you, because you didn't like me back. I gave you up because you like him and he likes you."

Asher nodded firmly along to his words, which bedazzled me. He knew that Peter liked me? Peter continued, "Knowing that you're trying to give up this relationship hurts my feelings, I didn't give you up so that you can end the relationship."

He was right, I was being a coward. I gave up on this relationship without a fight, I wasn't a girl worth fighting for because I didn't even try to fight.

This time, his stern gaze focused on only me. I lowered my head down, feeling ashamed. I turned towards Asher, making him look at me with a pair of raised eyebrows. I said, "I'm sorry, Asher. I'm sorry that I've even considered breaking up this relationship."

I felt a tear escape my cloudy eyes, trickling down my right cheek. Asher let out his arms and pulled me into his embrace, letting me sob—probably wetting his shirt now.

"They turned out happily after all." A very familiar female voice chimed in, a voice that belonged to someone whom I was annoyed with.

I revealed my face from the safety of his chest and looked at where the voice came from. I spotted Kylie with a devious smirk plastered on her face. Despite of my sobbing, I managed to give her a glare.

But, wasn't Damien here?

I ignored her smirking face and looked around the shop, I didn't see Damien at all. I said, "Where's Damien?"

"He's somewhere out there, Peter helped me." Kylie answered bemusedly, but a wicked grin was formed.

"I thought you're supposed to be back in New York." Asher said his opinion, probably confused by her presence.

Kylie rolled her eyes and answered him, "Long story, you're welcome to find out from crying Taylor here."

Peter cleared his throat and said, "Um...Kylie, I think you need to go see Damien."

We were all startled by his words, why would he say that? Kylie stared back at him wide-eyed, exchanging glances at the same time. Peter answered her, "I might've used you as a reason to hurry to the ice skating rink nearby."

Kylie choked on air, I bit back a smirk of victory. Peter knew what's up, he did what I couldn't do. She had to meet him now, because Damien would be filled with hatred if she didn't.

She gibbered, "I gotta go."

She bolted out of the candy shop in a hurry and I gave Peter a thumbs up. I said, "Well done, Peter."

"Thank you, it's a pleasure to be Cupid for once." He told me, we all three bursted into laughters.

It was an awkward silence again, but I was filled with anxiety and shame. I could probably look crimson and swollen after the sobbing, but I couldn't control my shaking fingers.

Peter forced a cough and said, "I believe you two have plans together, I'll be going now."

I exclaimed grabbing his wrist, "Wait!"

He stopped almost instantly and turned around to stare at me with a startled expression on his face. I gave him a faint smile and said, "Thank you."

I let go his wrist and he returned a faint smile. He took far steps and left the candy shop deserted.

That's when Asher groaned in pain, I whirled around instantly with a worried expression on my face. He said, "I'm hurt."

He couldn't possibly hurt himself physically, he was standing there the whole time. I asked him, "Mentally?"

He nodded and whined, "I can't believe you would actually give up on me. It's fortunate to have Peter barge in here, you could've broken up with me."

I rolled my eyes and intertwined my fingers around his. I said, "I miss you."

"I miss you too, princess."

***

"How did you find this place?" I asked Asher, but he was too distracted to respond. He was eyeing the sky with wonder in his jade orbs, but he answered me, "Exploration, I found this place by fate."

I hummed in response, understanding his words. He sat on the white snow with me following him as well. I felt the cold seeping in, but I felt warm by his side. He said, "Would you like to go to a New Year Eve's party with me?"

I was crimson red like a potato—I meant a tomato. I couldn't decipher his words, even though it may be common between couples.

It was a sweet evening, we were away from mingling crowds of people. I could spot a few stars up the sky, but it was mostly cloudy. I was surrounded with trees, sitting on white fluffs. I could've thought it was a scary atmosphere, considering there weren't any people, but it was peaceful and romantic.

"New Year's party?" I murmured out, still flustered red.

He gave me a small nod and said, "Well, do you have any other plans for New Year's Eve?"

I was entranced by his jade orbs, but I could still think. I didn't think I had any other plans, but I didn't exactly like the crowded atmosphere.

I forced a smile and answered him, "I'll go."

***

"Home, I'm home." I muttered on my own, releasing a deep sigh of relief.

It was unusually quiet again, silent. It was a Friday today, so Nana must've been in her 'Bingo Club'. She wasn't here, that's for certain. I shrugged my shoulders and headed to the kitchen, looking for midnight snacks. I opened the fridge, but I could only see empty racks. I groaned out of exasperation and walked away. I went to the living room, collapsing on the couch. I turned on the television, switching channels. But, there wasn't anything interesting on. I threw the remote control to the other side of the couch and groaned out of boredom.

It was boring as hell, there wasn't even anyone to share this boredom with me.

I subconsciously took out my phone and texted Damien.

Hey, where are you? I'm bored over here, up for a Netflix night? ~ Taylor

I waited for a reply, chewing fingernails. But, it never came. It aroused my suspicion, I didn't know where he was. Wait, he could probably be with Kylie now. I smirked and set my phone aside.

"He should be with Kylie now." I told myself, heading into my bedroom.

I collapsed instantly into a deep slumber, surrounded with the peace of the night.

Then, my phone rang loudly in my ears.

I shot my eyes open as I sat abruptly, I probably looked like a monster from Monster Inc.

I took the phone and placed it next to my ear, saying, "Hello?"

"Tayyyloor." A slurred voice moaned, it sounded like Damien's voice.

"Damien?" I said, just to reassure my guess.

He continued in a slurred speech, "Wheeere's K-Kylie? Whyyy didn't s-shee come?"

Did he not meet her? I thought for sure they met each other, especially that way. I could hear glasses clinking and a soft jazz music playing, was he in a luxurious bar?

"Where are you?" I attempted to ask him, I wasn't sure he's sober.

I encountered a long pause, but it was filled with heavy breaths. He said, "I don't k-know."

What do I do?

He's certainly drunk, I didn't know where he was and how he was. I couldn't track down his phone, I wasn't an FBI agent. I knew that he needed help from me, but I couldn't do it alone.

I asked him, "Can you see any letters, any sorts of things?"

I heard a hum from him and he said, "A...R....IS...TOC...A..T"

"Aristocrat Bar." I said, I knew where he was. I wasn't planning to go there, but I had to.

I just didn't want to meet my stepmother.

I told Damien, "Stay there, I'll come for you."

I hung up the phone and called Asher for help, which he answered almost instantly. He said, "Miss me?"

I scrunched my eyebrows in disgust and said, "Nope, I need your help."

"I'm in, for what?" He said so freely, only if he knew.

"A heist to bring a friend back home." I told him. "It isn't hard enough up to this point, the problem is...he's an emotional football player."

I know it's getting boring, but it's the calm part before a storm. Maybe? Anyway, I have a new story published "The Harper Hayley Switch"

If you're interested in bad boys, check out that story!

See you!