Andrew offered to walk me up to my door, but I insisted that he stay with the Uber and head home. We'd wandered around Williamsburg stuffing ourselves with desserts from the bakery while we walked through the streets, laughing and talking about everything and nothing. Even as the hours stretched on, with the night turning chilly, I didn't notice that it was past eleven until my phone buzzed in my pocket.

"Oh, sorry," I said, checking the screen before hitting the button to send the call to voicemail. "It's just Val. Probably wondering why I'm not home yet."

"Do you need to get back soon?" He asked, threading his fingers through mine again.

The motion was so natural, even though it had been ages since I'd held anyone's hand like this. Normally it felt weird, like adjusting to a new glove that was a little bit different than you were used to, but not this time. This time, it felt comfortable and safe. His hand was warm, and I loved how his fingers engulfed mine.

"As much as I hate to say it," I hesitated. "Probably."

Andrew nodded, quickly calling an Uber to our location, and we were picked up in less than five minutes. His hand found mine again in the backseat of the car, and both of us stared out the window without saying anything, perfectly content in the silence, as we watched the city roll past us.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see that Val was calling again. Normally she didn't call twice in a row unless it was an emergency, but I figured she was just trying to make sure I was still alive after my date. Reluctantly pulling my hand from Andrew's, I typed a quick text to her to let her know that I'd be home in twenty minutes.

When the car stopped in front of my building, Andrew slipped out of his seat and skirted the car to open the door for me. I smiled at him, thanking the Uber driver for making a stop to drop me off, and exited the car as gracefully as possible.

"Are you sure I can't walk you up?" He asked me again, tucking his hands in the pocket of his jeans.

I shook my head, "Val's home, and...well...I maybe didn't tell her that I was going out with you tonight."

"No?" Andrew lifted an eyebrow, a hint of disappointment shadowing his green eyes. "Was there a reason for that?'

"No, it's nothing like that," I explained hastily. "She knew I was going on a date, it's just..."

He sighed, and I could tell I'd hurt him as he said, "Not with me."

"Not with Lincoln," I clarified. "With Andrew. I just haven't told her that, well, you're the same person. After I met you in the park, I told her about Andrew because I didn't think I'd see you again. Now..."

"Do you want to see me again?"

His voice was hopeful, and I took a step forward. Placing my hands lightly on his chest, I stood on my toes to press a soft kiss on his cheek. I wanted to do more, to kiss him properly, but my heart was pounding from this proximity alone and I didn't want to rush anything. I wanted to savor each feeling, each sensation, and - for now - this was enough. It was sweet and innocent and completely new, and I loved it.

"Absolutely," I whispered.

"So."

Val's voice had an uncomfortable edge to it when it greeted me the moment I stepped through the front door, a dreamy smile painted across my face. I leaned back against the door, resting my head for a moment, and allowed my eyes to drift shut.

After I kissed him on the cheek, Andrew smiled - that blindingly bright, charming smile that took my breath away - and pulled me into a hug. His lips pressed against my forehead, the stubble on his chin tickling my skin, and I sank into his warmth. He whispered goodnight to me, the words rumbling in his chest, before releasing me into the chilly night air and watching me walk into my building. I could still feel the absence of his warmth, even though I was back inside, and I already missed it.

"You want to tell me what the hell this is about?" Val snapped, the unexpectedly sharp tone in her voice shooting through me like a knife.

I opened my eyes and stared at her, confused at what she was talking about. She held her phone out to me, a photo of me and Andrew standing close to each other in a place that looked very familiar. Stepping toward her, I grabbed the phone and studied the picture, swiping to the next one, and saw a photo of him pressing his lips against my temple.

Oh shit.

This is a photo of me and Lincoln according to Val.

"Val," I said, meeting her royally pissed off expression with one of regret. "I can explain, I swear."

She snorted, "Oh, you bet you can explain. You told me you were going on a date with Andrew, and I find out on the fricking Internet that my best friend and roommate is out with Lincoln fucking Shepherd. I'm sure there's a wonderful explanation for that."

"There is," I insisted as she snatched her phone out of my hands. "Val, I wanted to tell you about Lincoln, bu--"

"I'm not even pissed about him," she interrupted me, throwing her hands into the air. "You lied to me. After you moved here, you talked a big game about how you couldn't stand lying. You wouldn't tell me anything else. Nothing about your life back in Texas, your family, nada. No, all you say is that 'they lied to me' like it was some big fucking deal, and look at you? Guess it runs in the family."

Her words hit me like a sucker punch to the stomach, and I sucked in a breath. Anger boiled beneath my skin, but I knew she was lashing out at me due to frustration meaning getting pissed at her wasn't going to help.

"I'm sorry," I told her honestly. "I was going to--"

"Tell me? When?!" She ranted, still fuming. "That doesn't mean--"

My temper got the best of me, and I couldn't stop myself from exploding at her. The idea that there were already photos of me and Andrew on the internet was eating at me. I didn't need Val riding my case, pissed that I hadn't told her something like this when she wasn't giving me the chance to explain what happened. The comparison to my family only made it worse.

"I know, okay?!" I shouted. "I should've told you. I should've said it from the very beginning, but Andrew and Lincoln are the same damn person, got it? Are you happy now?"

She stared at me, stunned, "Wait...what?"

"He told me his name was Andrew when I met him outside the park, and I found out who he was after he stood me up," I explained, taking a deep breath as I lowered my voice to a more acceptable decibel. "I was embarrassed and I didn't think I'd ever see him again, so I didn't tell you who he was because I was scared you'd make a big deal out of it. I knew how much you liked him, and...I dunno, Val," I shrugged out of my leather jacket and tossed it onto my bed. "After I saw him at Gran Eléctrica, I panicked. He was sweet and charming and...I like him. If it didn't work out, I figured it would be easier if he was Andrew the random guy instead of Lincoln the celebrity."

"You like him?" Val asked, her eyes wide.

I groaned, "That's what you picked up from that?"

"It's the most important part," she clapped her hands excitedly, all traces of anger evaporating in an instant. "You like him!"

Laughing, I looked around the room until my eyes landed on the tiny bouquet of peonies he had brought me before our date. The blossoms were huge, the petals exploding into soft pink, and I smiled. Everything that happened on the date flashed through my head in rapid succession, from start to finish, and a fresh wave of butterflies erupted in my chest.

"I like him," I admitted to Val, kicking off my shoes and collapsing into the sofa. "I really really like him."

She squealed, "Are you going to see him again? Did he kiss you? What was it like?"

"Whoa there, tiger," I lifted a hand to slow her down. "You're not mad at me? I really am sorry. I was going to tell you after tonight's date. I was just...scared."

Val sighed, crossing the room and sitting on the tiny sofa next to me, "I'm not mad at you. I get it. You're not used to opening up to someone like this, and - well - it's kind of a big deal. I'm happy for you."

"Really?" I asked her. "I was worried you'd be jealous or something."

She wrinkled her nose, "Nah. I told you before, he's like drool-worthy gorgeous, but he's not my idea of boyfriend material. Dylan O'Brien though, abso-freaking-lutely."

"Thank you," I told her. "This whole situation is..."

Val laughed, "Intense?"

"More like insane," I said with a shake of my head. "I mean, you had seen photos of my date before the date was even over. How weird is that? How did they even spread that fast?!"

"Honestly? Lincoln Shepherd fan Twitter accounts," she replied, blushing pink at the admission. "I think the photos might be the least of your worries though."

I frowned, not liking the sound of that, "Why?"

"Because..." Val hesitated, taking a deep breath. "Some fan account basically put out an internet APB on you. Everyone is trying to find out who you are."

I shrugged, "They already know who I am though. They saw my Instagram account."

"Yeah, but this account is notoriously vicious," Val explained. "She, um...she maybe tweeted out where we work after getting pissed that 'Lincoln Shepherd's girlfriend' was trending on Twitter. She's trying to get people to track you down."

My eyes practically bugged out of my face, choosing to ignore the fact that something like that was trending on Twitter as I asked, "What?! Why? How did she even know where we work?!"

"There are probably photos of us tagged at that location on Instagram," Val said with a shrug. "I never thought anything of it before this, but now I'm thinking you might want to take a couple of days off work until it dies down."

"Hell no," I shook my head. "I need the money, and I'm not letting some obsessed fangirl with three hundred followers tell me what to do."

Val grimaced, "Thirty thousand. She has thirty thousand followers."