AUTHOR NOTE: I will slowly start posting the rest of the chapters today ❤

Ace's p.o.v.

I let out a long and restless sigh. The ends of my shoes met every time I clicked my crossed legs, over the desk.

I rubbed the red apple with my palm and took a bite out of it while still staring up at the painting.

It was hung right above my computer where I knew I'd look at it every day. Every morning. Every night..

I had become so occupied with it, I started dreaming of it.

Why was I torturing myself like this?

The apple was sour in my mouth as I chewed another bite.

Was I the romantic type? I don't think I ever was.. Yet here I was staring at this artwork like it was my means for life. Like it was my reason for breathing.

I felt restless when I was looking at it, yet I felt just as anxious when it wasn't in my sight.

I knew damn well, it wasn't the painting that haunted me.

Was it weird to think I missed her. I had met her only once. Only one day, one kiss was enough to make me feel like I knew her for eternity.

I was lonely when I thought of her, yet those moments when I didn't think of her, felt just as empty.

My thoughts drifted back to that intoxicating night. The taste of red wine, the smell of paint and the feel of her silk dress.

She was so cool, so far away, so unyielding in her ways. I've never met someone who could look at me with such empty cold eyes and then say words that filled me up with warmth so fast. Only to later say such cold words, but look at me with such desire.

How do you forget a woman like that? Everything about her was romance.. She was a night of tousled sheets, warm touch on a cold winter morning, the woman you'd try to forget when you're old and addicted to scotch and cigars.

She was a whole lifetime and a single night.

The kiss was a bait she served unknowingly, and I willingly got hooked on it.

I dropped the eaten apple in the trash next to the desk and got up. Why was I even thinking about this? Forgetting that night was my only choice.

I had made my bed. Now I have to lay in it.

Francy's p.o.v.

2nd of July

 It was done.

I can't believe this.  The house was actually done. 

We had managed to make fix up everything in the house within a month or so. All the sweat time and effort we had put had paid off. Remi and I had shared a vision for this place and now it was finally a reality.

The kitchen

The bathrooms

bathroom 2

Bedroom 1 (FRANCY'S WORK)

Bedroom 2 (REMI'S WORK)

THE HALL

The living room and dining room

The porch

It was more than a dream come true. The house we had imagined, our ideas, sketches were all here in front of us.

Remi walked overtaking the last picture of the house for our journal.

"Only the greenhouse left and we're done. And we have a whole month to focus on it." She pressed her hand to her lips. "It feels nostalgic now."

I nodded tears welling up in my eyes.

She put an arm around me. "That's right. We did this. We're awesome."

I sniffled pushing the tears back. "We're really awesome."

This project has been our pleasure, pride and joy. I learned so many things about myself this summer, that I never knew I could be. I learned I was passionate and ready to raise the standard in my creative outbursts. I was meticulous and dedicated to this, even if that meant spending hours pushing furniture around, after finishing an early shift at work. There were a million things that I had to endure and sacrifice, like missing my family, my cats, my cozy room, comfort, sleepless nights, working every day on different things and ... leaving Elric.

Spending time with someone, you can never imagine what's it like to wish to see them and not being able to. It made it all the more agonizing when doubt started creeping in and suddenly my relationship needed more than just love and cute dates. It needed trust, and willingness to find a solution to the problems.

We had to do better at communicating our feelings and working together to be able to meet each other halfway.

Being here this summer on my own I learned about many tiny details about living alone than I would have, living at home.

I made friends that live completely different lives than me. I learned balance and appreciating the tiny steps in progress.

It gave me a sense of purpose, just to be able to do something. And it made me strengthened the friendship bonds I had with Remi.

And now we were sharing the same drive for success. To win the competition.

It might have started as a fun project, but the more effort we had put in, the more hungry we were for recognition. We wanted this win and we were ready to go for it.

The door opened and Sole walked in casually, putting her hat on the armchair. She carried a large bag that she dropped carefully on the ground.

"What's in the bag?" Remi asked curiously leaning over the couch.

"A projector," Sole answered. "I was thinking of doing movie night with you since you don't have a TV."

I gasped so hard my I started choking on my own spit. Remi hit my back until I air reached my lungs again.

"I'm fine." I cleared my throat and focused on the most important thing. "I love the idea. Where are we going to put the projector? What movie are we watching? Do we have enough snacks in the house?"

Remi instantly ran over to the kitchen to check. "WE'RE COVERED!" She yelled out and ran back. "Soo? What are we watching?"

Sole put the hand over her mouth. "Oh."

She paused and then spoke slowly. "I forgot the movie."

***

After fixing the projector to point at the wall, we made a cozy little atmosphere outside, on the porch.

We sat down on the swing and waited for Sole to come back with the USB.

It was getting darker and somehow wind was blowing. Last time the weather remained hot even when it rained, but today it started getting chilly. I wonder if there is another storm coming?

"I'm here." Sole pushed the bike over the hill taking in deep breaths. She must have been in a hurry, seeing she was barely walking towards us like she was dying.

"You did so well. Good job." I took the bike from her and parking it so she can go and rest.

She staggered to the stairs on the porch and Remi lured her few more steps with a cookie.

She sunk in the swing sighing and holding the cookie in her hand. "I can't move."

"There there." Remi guided Sole's hand to her mouth. "You don't have to do anything. We're going to take it over from here."

"Thanks.." Sole munched on the cookie in silence.

We played the movie, and all snuggled on the swing. The breeze had now become a colder wind, blowing from the north. I took out some blankets from the house and brought them to Sole and Remi.

"Do you think it's going to rain tonight?" I asked Remi.

"They said nothing about a storm in town," Remi answered.

"The sky is dark."  Sole said and took the last cookie in the box.

We tried to focus on the movie, but it was getting colder and colder.

Suddenly we heard the wind howling like it was ready to bring out some terrible storm. Not even seconds and my hair is whipping so violently about my face I couldn't even see.

"Let's go inside," I yelled hoping Remi and Sole heard me over the wind.

Then the rain starts, not slowly, but so thick and loud that I thought it will bring the cover of the porch down.

We ran inside bringing the stuff inside before the rain gets to them. It was bouncing from the stairs onto the porch and every time a drop would touch me it felt like an ice prickle.

Remi was struggling with carrying all the snacks at once, while I was running inside carrying the projector and the laptop.

The phone started ringing in the living room, and it was either my parents or Elric, but I couldn't answer. They usually rang around this time to check on me and Elric said he might call once he wakes up. But god damn it, this timing was bad.

Sole who just walked in carrying the blankets was closest to the phone.

"Can you answer it, please." I told her and ran back outside.

***

Ace's p.o.v

"Hello?"

I stayed silent, stunned by the calm sweet voice I knew was neither Francy's nor Remi's. And there was only one other person who could answer the phone in the house.

"Hello?" She repeated in the same tone.

"Um hi." I finally answered.

I didn't think she would recognize me so I cleared my voice. "It's Ace."

"I know." She answered.

I gripped my phone tighter. Shiiiit. I was not ready for this. I didn't have the slightest clue what to say.

There was a long agonizing silence on the line. I found myself thinking about how she looks. Was her hair up today? Was she wearing it down, tossed over one shoulder revealing her neck. Was she looking around nervously or just staring at her feet trying to come up with something to say?

Did she want to know how I was doing as much as I did?

"How have you been?" I found myself asking.

"Good." She answered. "We just watched a movie."

I laughed a bit louder than I was going for. "That's great. um great."

I was chuckling awkwardly. Why were there no words coming to my head?

She suddenly spoke. "How..um..how have you been?"

In a spurt of happiness, I rushed. "Good. Good."

"Good." She repeated.

There was silence again. A silence where neither side could say anything without being so obvious and awkward about it. I searched for words, but my head drew blank.

"Do you need to talk to Francy?" She asked.

"Yes.But um.. I'll just call later. I guess she's busy."

"Yes. Okay." Sole spoke in almost a whispering tone. I guess she was as nervous as me.

I mustered the courage and the last bit of my sanity to end the conversation.

"Bye Sole. It was nice hearing your voice again."

She paused for a second. "Yours too."

Without a second longer, she slammed the line shut.

That hurt more than I anticipated.. How the hell am I ever going to erase her from my head?