Slowly and reluctantly, my eyelashes gently flutter against my eyelids as I greet the glowing and radiant sun peeking above the horizon, streaming through my window. I become aware of my favourite fragrance in the coolness of my bedroom, the scent that lingers on the soft sheets and pillow beneath me. Lazily, I bask in the warmth of my covers, for every breath I inhale carries his scent. It relaxes me. I would give anything to wake up to Leigh Boyce's aroma enveloping my room forever, no! Actually, to have him wrap me in his strong arms.

My blurry eyes focus on a rose petal beside the nightstand clock, which reads nine-twenty. Now I am fully awake, perhaps more awake than ever before, as I quickly pick up the rose petal and find three words.

"Good morning, baby."

I giggle in the silent room at the endearing gesture that lifts my spirits in the morning. What did I do to be rewarded with such an angelic stepbrother...

That's when reality sets in... believe it or not, Leigh and I are an impossible pair. But the only motivation I have is Lilith's advice. "Enjoy your teenage days."

Knowing that sooner or later things won't be the same, we both have to come to a decision to conclude whatever this is. I embrace the moment and push away the negative energy behind me.

I am going to enjoy my teenage days, and it doesn't matter with whom, as long as they make me feel alive... provide me with a thrilling life. I'm content.

I push myself to get out of bed and get ready for the day before someone catches me wearing the shirt that doesn't belong to me. A shirt that clearly belongs to the boy opposite door.

Once I'm dressed and ready—I head to the ground floor, where I find everyone except Leigh.

"You should go eat," Lilith exclaims as she excitedly stands from the living room couch with a delightful grin plastered on her face. "Your breakfast is in the dining room."

What's with this sudden concern for my empty morning stomach that Lilith has never shown until today?

She begins to push me forward when I remain still, studying her carefully. What is she up to? "You must be hungry, kiddo," she adds with a shrug.

Okay, now I'm suspicious. Lilith isn't usually this kind to me when she knows I'm perfectly fine. Besides, the dining room? I don't think we've ever eaten there. So why is my breakfast there today?

Christian appears with Mum by his side, hand in hand and excitedly announces, "Look who's up." However, Mum doesn't look as gleeful as the other two, as we seem to be on a no-talking stage.

"Your breakfast is in the dining room," Christian confirms.

Lilith cheerfully squeaks and pulls me along with her, bemusing me further.

When we arrive at the room that Christian and his daughter are obsessed with, I find a stainless cloche covering a plate on the table.

"Get ready to fill your stomach," Lilith applauds and nimbly removes the cloche.

Suspiciously, I approach the plate and sit before it. "Yay, I'm so excited to eat something I don't know," I say monotonously.

"Stop being sarcastic and annoyingly lackadaisical. Just open it and dig in," she replies with a perpetual grin.

I roll my eyes before following her instructions, only to be greeted by a box of the latest iPhone. "No way," I murmur in surprise.

"I know, right? Give me credit for setting up the drama. It was all my idea after Dad got you the phone this morning," Lilith begins to narrate, even though I'm not interested in hearing the detailed account of this morning's events. I already know it was her doing.

"Like last year when Leigh got his Bugatti, he has no idea Dad got him a car and, more importantly, the exact model of his dream. So I teased him, and he almost wet his pants, literally," she laughs. Although I find this intriguing in the heat of the moment.

"I didn't capture it on camera because if it went viral at school, he would've been embarrassed... he knows how to put on a show," she adds, laughing.

My curiosity gets the better of me, and I can't help but ask, "What happened?"

Lilith pulls out a seat beside me and starts, "I told him Dad found an old sex tape of him and Hailey. That panicked Leigh, for he was fifteen at the time, and I claimed Dad found a video a year older. You should've seen his face when Dad called him from outside. He thought he was going to be disowned that evening." Lilith laughs at the memories, but I can't share her amusement because my curiosity has led me into trouble, and now I can't shake off the thought of Leigh and Hailey together, even though I don't know what she looks like.

"Oh..." is all I manage to say.

"You should activate your phone. You have time before you realize it's Monday morning and you have classes to attend, or you'll be marked absent," my stepsister suggests.

Since I can't smile, I nod at her before she leaves.

The day passes quickly. I spend most of it with Lilith since Christian and Mum went out together, and Leigh is nowhere to be found. My phone, on the other hand, is still being activated because the WiFi signal is very poor today.

Although Arlen stops by to check on me in the evening, bringing along some junk food for some reason. It's not like I invited him to come, and it's not like I can send him away, so I welcome him in.

The three of us spend the evening together, eating and cheering on a live MMA fight without noticing the door opening and closing.

Until a sudden voice interrupts us. "Great to see you're enjoying yourselves." That's when I sigh and absentmindedly scratch the angle between my left eye and nose for no reason. I'm quite sure there's a reason, as I literally want to sink into the tile floor.

"Hey, man," Arlen greets his friend.

"Weren't you supposed to be at the gym?" Leigh seems irritated, actively avoiding my gaze.

"I came to check on Ava, and she's looking better," Arlen states, mirroring me with a warm smile. Disappointed in myself for not being able to return him an earnest smile.

How can I be so ungrateful?

"Yes, of course, she's better, but you? No, you're not, you fucking bailed," Leigh growls with each word that escapes his lips.

"What's wrong with you?" Arlen calls him out.

Leigh's eyes widen and his eyebrows rise. "What's wrong with me? I'm not the fucking one who fucking skips practice to go hang out with... girls." It takes him a few seconds to find the right word to finish the sentence.

I know where this is going, I understand why Leigh is throwing this tantrum, but the truth is, I didn't ask Arlen to come, nor could I ask him to leave for caring enough to stop by and check on me.

"Stop cussing at me; it's not like you and I do not skip practice. What's so different about now that it wasn't before?" Arlen throws a direct question at an irate Leigh, who's standing by the glass door.

The question takes Leigh by surprise, just as it catches me off guard, and nervousness overtakes my breathing. "Good night. You probably have something better to do." This time Leigh's voice is low as he avoids his best friend's question.

"I told you I'm checking on Ava." Arlen stubbornly emphasizes.

"You found out she's alright. Now, go and stop insisting."

"Leigh, leave him alone. Cut him some slack. He's been worried about Ava, and look what he brought for us." Lilith groans at her brother. "You guys better hope he doesn't become your captain, or you're all in trouble," Lilith tells Arlen, who looks moderately annoyed at the unexpected outburst from his friend.

Leigh's eyes flash towards mine, and he doesn't protest further. He begins to turn and walk away.

That's when I force my paralyzed system to function. "Thank you, Arlen, for coming over. I think I should get some sleep before morning." I announce.

His eyes narrow slightly, but he doesn't push when he says, "Alright then, I should get going. I'll see you at school."

"Drive safely." I force a friendly smile onto the innocent boy trying to impress me.

Leigh sits by the staircase as I walk Arlen to the door, and we bid our farewells. He doesn't say anything, even though I can feel myself burning under his intense stare.

"What was that? Didn't you, for a second, think that you embarrassingly acted like a jerk?" I hear Lilith mutter to her brother. "Besides, when you were dancing with the most well-known whore, who among Ava and I stopped you? People do what they desire, don't they? So let them be." She spits out at Leigh. Although her words aren't enough to make him respond, she angrily follows the stairs to the first floor.

Lilith must be mad at him for shunning Embry, which I'm grateful for, but right now, I'm not happy with how he's acting—in a way that's unfamiliar to me. It makes me swallow and ignore him. I follow Lilith behind.

"Don't worry; he won't interfere in your life again. I'll make sure of it," she assures me when we both turn the doorknob to our bedroom.

Sadly, she has no idea how much I'm letting him interfere in my life.

I literally don't know how to feel, but I do know that if Leigh starts treating people who care for me with this attitude, we might get exposed, and that's the last thing I want.

My phone is ready when I return from the shower and change into my nightwear.

Snuggling beneath the covers, I grab the new phone and start going through it. It's been a while since I talked to Sawyer, and I saw her messages last night before I threw the phone against the wall. So I dial her number.

"Hey, stranger," Sawyer says as soon as she picks up.

"I'm sorry, I had a lot of things to deal with, and I threw my phone against the wall last night, so I had to activate a new one today," I tell my cousin.

"Whoa... that takes some guts." Sawyer laughs from the other end, making me blush instantly.

"Sawyer," I whine.

"Okay, okay..." She laughs even harder. "But why? Wasn't yesterday the dance? Or did I miss something?" She asks, confused.

"Actually, it was my immature side that reacted before I could stop it," I explain.

"Aww, baby."

"Shut up. How's it going over there?" I try to change the subject, but of course, Sawyer is smart enough to figure it out.

"Young lady, we're not done here. You have to tell me everything in detail."

How do I even start? Okay, so my soon-to-be stepbrother and I made a bet that he won, so now I'm his "property." That led to me having two dates for the dance. I ended up canceling on the other person and left the venue with my mom's fiancé's son to make out in the cinema parking lot. Now, Leigh is being difficult because he's trying to expose us to his best friend and sister. Well, that's a long explanation, so I go with, "It was fun. I spent time with my friends and Arlen."

Although Sawyer doesn't seem satisfied as she asks, "So, who were crowned king and queen?"

"Oh! Sofia Halt, the captain of Hills High cheerleaders, and Leigh." I sadly say.

"Oh, I don't know her, but I'm sure she must be a goddess because anyone standing next to that hot piece of cake, your brother, must be of a great standard."

I promptly feel exasperated beyond endurance and snap, "He's not my brother. How many times do I have to tell you?"

"Calm down, girl. I'm sorry."

"I should go," I say to the receiver and hang up while she starts calling after me.

This is so stressful. Everything is so stressful. I incline my head and run my fingers through my hair, as if I want to pull them out from my scarf. When will everyone stop referring to Leigh as my brother? Honestly, right now, I have every right to be with him, as our parents are only engaged.

Annoyed with everything, I stand up and stop by my open window to get some fresh air when my bedroom door opens.

I turn around to find Leigh hastily heading towards me, and before I can process everything, he has his mouth on mine and his arms tightly wrapped around my back, pulling me closer to him even though there's no more room for that.

The sudden attack helps me escape from my present issues... from all my issues, actually, as I lift myself up on my toes, trying to extend my height.

The kiss is almost aggressive, as he claims me with every fiber of his being, and I get to taste his enticing flavor and warmth.

When our lips pull apart, leaving our foreheads touching as always, Leigh's voice is strained yet low as he asks with his eyes closed, "Why do you have to see him?"

"I didn't call him. He showed up," I answer quietly.

Leigh opens his eyes and pulls his head back, leaving me feeling slightly lonely even with his arms around me. I guess I want all of him.

"You're never going close to him again. Whatever's going on between the two of you, you're ending it tomorrow. Tell him to stay away from you," Leigh's jaw clenches as he speaks the words like it's a simple matter.

"You can't, Leigh. This isn't something I can just do without consequences. You just acted that way towards him, and what will he think if I do that? He's going to suspect something. I can't start avoiding him just like that... not now, not after we disappeared together last night. Leigh, we have to pretend, you said it yourself. Please," I gently remind him, even though he looks like he's about to explode. "Think about Lilith. She's smart. She will easily put everything together. And God knows I can deal with anything, but losing her? I don't want that. She's the closest thing I have to a sister right now."

Leigh swallows and exhales as he looks away from me. "I hate seeing him close to you," Leigh mutters, only this time his voice isn't filled with anger. It's wounded, and I can feel the ache in every word.

I bring my hand to his chest and the other to his jaw, leading his gaze back to mine. "It's never going to change the way I feel about you. Nothing will." It pains me to be the source of the pain in his eyes, so I hook my hand around his neck and bring him closer to my lips.

At least, if words aren't enough, maybe he can feel the emotions and promises in the deep, sincere kiss I'm giving him.

***

"You have to taste IHOP coffee, girl. You're missing out," Lilith says after grabbing her morning coffee at her favorite coffee place.

"You know I don't drink coffee," I remind her, something she's well aware of.

"Duhhh, you're just gonna keep sipping on everything in that flask until the end of school," she smirks playfully.

"No, but I might finish it before lunch," I tell her. "Besides, I think I'll need a bigger flask," I add with a playful tone.

"No way, or I'll burn it," Lilith and I laugh in unison as she parks in her spot in the car park.

My eyes find the girls through the glass, waiting for us to arrive in their cars. "How is she?"

"Who? Embry?" Lilith smirks.

"Yes." I beam at the redheaded girl in what is probably a Kardashian dress.

"She's angry, furious... word of advice, you better avoid her at all costs," Lilith warns me. Actually, I didn't get a chance to go through the girls' group messages after my phone was ready, but the hundreds of notifications clearly indicate that something's not right.

Of course, how could it be? Things didn't go the way Embry expected.

"Let's get going."

To avoid their dramatic expressions, I only wave to the girls and hurry into the school building, hoping to avoid any rude comments from an apoplectic Embry.

"Hey," I peck Evie's hair before making my way to my desk and hanging my backpack on the back of my seat.

"You're unbelievable. You just disappeared without taking a picture with us. Who does that to their friend at the dance?" Evie rushes her words as she gives me a steaming glare.

Leaving me with no option but to lie, which is now my only shield. "I got sick, and Leigh had to drive me back home."

Immediately, Evie's anger dissolves. "What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to ruin your evening." I flash her a smile just as Mrs. Murphy enters the classroom.

"I'm so sorry for not being there for you, but I promise never to leave your side at next year's homecoming dance," Evie murmurs, and I smile at her before Mrs. Murphy's gaze turns back to the class.

It's the second period, and instead of having PE, we're having human geography. A similar deja vu occurs; Leigh walks through the door in his number three jacket, holding a black flask in his hand.

The class goes wild as everyone starts chanting his name, leaving our teachers with no other option but to join in with the students. No one can get over the points Leigh scored last Friday, not even me, as I'm reaping the fruits of his labor.

"Thank you," Leigh chuckles politely.

"Alright, alright, everyone, let's give our champion some air," Mr. Franco says to the class.

"Can I please—" Leigh starts, but Mr. Franco cuts him off. "Go ahead, Ava," he permits.

Well, it's good to know everyone's getting used to my mother's usual message every morning.

So I follow Leigh as if we're innocent soon-to-be step-siblings, holding hands as we walk down to our secret hideout.

As soon as the janitor's door thuds closed, Leigh crashes his lips onto mine, kissing me tenderly and slowly. It's such a good feeling that I almost melt in his affection.

When we pull back, he's smiling. "I missed you."

"We slept together," I blush, reminding him.

"Not enough. I want to spend every second with you," he tells me.

"In the janitor's room?" I joke.

Laughing, Leigh shakes his head and bites his bottom lip seductively. I want to kiss him over and over for hours, forever. "No, we need a routine, but first, here's your tea." He hands me the new flask.

"Mmm, you seem to know how to get me one of these," I beam at the cute black flask.

Cool, I have plenty of tea to finish today.

Leigh doesn't reply. He just pulls me closer and kisses me again, just like before. "I needed something to cover me up to get you here. A flask was the only option I had."

I giggle with our lips touching, then I give him a quick kiss and say, "Then don't miss a day without delivering it."

"Oh, I won't," he laughs along.

When I return to class, we finish up and head for lunch, during which I'm forced to listen to the girls, including Lilith, badmouthing Leigh and Sofia.

Why can't they just let it be? He can be with whoever he wants to be. They shouldn't think they're in a position to make decisions for him. But I can't say that out loud, so I stay quiet and act naive to avoid getting blasted by Embry.

I pick up the black flask and decide to take a sip. Opening the lid, I spot something red—a rose petal. I can't help but blush as I slowly slip it open under the table and find three words written on it. Three special words.
"I love you."

I bite my lip to stop my eyes from welling up with happiness as the girls chat amongst themselves.

Despite my efforts to avoid Embry since the morning, it doesn't work. She throws a question at me that I don't know how to answer.

"Why didn't you let Arlen drive you back home?" she curiously asks, while chewing on a red apple, just like the evil witch would.

I take a sharp breath and look away from her intense gaze. "You should be grateful Leigh drove me back, or else he could've ended up leaving with that person," Lilith disgustingly gestures towards Sofia at the senior's table.

Embry's eyes don't leave me as Quinn says, "I know, right? Somehow I'm grateful for Ava's sudden illness... sorry, Embry."

"See! We all have your back, so you don't have to worry," Suri assures Embry.

"I hope so because we don't betray each other... right, everyone?" Embry states firmly. "Right, Ava?" She emphasizes my name so boldly that I nearly choke on my breath.

I look up at her and muster all the willpower in my body to give her a reassuring smile, even though I know it looks terrified.

Even though I feel guilty about my relationship with Leigh, it has nothing to do with Embry. I don't believe I'm betraying her because she and Leigh were never a thing. Leigh doesn't want her—she's just a desperate junior obsessed with the popular guy in school, and that's all. Just like every other girl.

After school ends, I say goodbye to Evie since I'm riding home with Leigh today. I'm so excited, I might not tell him, but every passing second, I miss him dangerously.

Unable to contain the grin on my face, I pull open the door to the car and climb in, finding Leigh in a plain black T-shirt and jeans. His mood matches mine as our eyes lock, and we both smile at each other before buckling up. He pulls out of the car park, away from Hills High.

As soon as we take the first corner, Leigh pulls over to the side of the road and unbuckles my seatbelt. Knowing his intentions, I help myself up from my seat onto his lap. Cupping his jaw in my palms, I kiss him, his extremely scrumptious and pleasing lips. I suck on them slowly and gently while I run my fingers through his perfect, soft chestnut hair. I find security and solace in his arms as everything around me dissolves into serenity. I really did miss him.

"Now I'm ready to take my beautiful girl to get some ice cream," he whispers against my mouth as his fingers caress my cheeks.

"I'd love that." I giggle and nibble on my lip.

He rewards me with a precious smile and brings the three words on the rose petal to life. "I love you."

And in this moment, I know that it's not just that I want Leigh. I love Leigh.