I threw water on my face. And I looked in the mirror. The women's bathroom at the sports field was empty. And it was the best. I needed a few minutes alone to see if I could clear my thoughts.
   "What happened to you out there, Emma?" I thought as I looked at my pale reflection.
   What had all that been? Was I really having feelings for Adam? It couldn't be! And why couldn't it be? After all, Adam had managed to earn his place. He was there from the first moment. Wasn't it like that?
   I growled. I was angry. With myself, of course. I had a great confusion of feelings. I was thinking I felt things I didn't really feel. I had gotten up that day, prepared to have a gray, dull day. And to my surprise it had been turning out to be more bearable than I thought. But it had been the loneliness - and the frustration of knowing that I wouldn't see Damien the next day - that had put me in a bad mood. And it was because of that - only because of that - that when I saw Adam, waving at me and smiling at me, I felt better.
   Clear! That was! Adam had the power to lift my spirits. But nothing else.
   "So why did your heart start beating a mile an hour when he looked at you?" my reflection in the mirror asked me.
   I sighed.
   "It was simply the emotion of seeing it. To know that someone is happy to see me," I responded in a low voice. "But I feel nothing more than friendship for him," I said to my reflection. "It is Damien who really interests me."
   "But Damien is not here and Adam is. "If you were important to Damien, he would be here with you."
   That devastated me. I didn't know how to defend myself. I had no defense. Although, of course, if Damien was not there, it was because perhaps something really important was keeping him where he was. Something more important than me.
   Without a doubt, it was loneliness that spoke to me through the mirror. And I didn't want to hear it anymore, so I left the bathroom - I ran away, rather - and sat down next to Maggie again.
   "And Adam...?" the question escaped me before I could stop it. I looked for him on the playing field but I didn't see him.
   "Here I am!" Adam approached us walking in a zigzag between the stands full of fans. "Hello!"
   "Hello!" we greet him in chorus.
   "You came!" Adam celebrated. He seemed really happy. "Today I'm going to try hard."
   Maggie smiled goofily. It was amazing how in love she was with him.
   "You'll dedicate a goal to me, okay?" Maggie's voice vibrated with emotion.
   "Of course," Adam said, smiling. "The first goal I score is for you."
   Maggie took a few steps away and sat down. She had a smile from ear to ear. Adam wasted no time. He approached me and whispered very close to me - so close that he made me vibrate too:
   "My other goals are for you."
   He turned around and walked away. And I thanked him silently. Because I didn't know if he would have been able to break that spell that he had caused in me with his words.
   What was happening to me?!
   I tried to concentrate on the game I had just started. But no matter how hard I tried, my eyes were not following the trajectory of the ball, but had settled on Adam permanently. What was happening to me? I felt my heart race. And I couldn't believe it. Suddenly, it seemed as if the whole world had vanished. Like it was just me and Adam. Everything else was gone. Everything but Maggie. I was fully aware that she was sitting next to me. And I felt guilty. I was sure of the love she had for him. Although he was also almost certain that Adam didn't love her back. Still I couldn't help but feel bad. Unrequited love is a very difficult pain to bear.
   I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. What if I was rushing? I was thinking about not betraying Maggie, but at the end of the day, I wasn't at all sure that Adam Alexander had any feelings for me. He was very kind to me. And sometimes he would look at me in a very sweet way. But…was that enough to make me think he wanted something with me?
   I looked at him again. He ran down the field, fast as lightning, leaving behind several players from the opposing team. He advanced a little further, approaching the rival goal from the side. Maggie stood up, along with several others. The goal was imminent. However, he did something unexpected. She raised her head, looked back and gave a perfect pass to Anthony who was standing at the gate of the six-yard box. Anthony lowered the ball with his chest and hit it with his left foot, with such force that the ball went straight into the goal - without the goalkeeper being able to even react - and broke the net, coming out the other side.
   I bit my lip to keep from sighing. He had the bow to himself. The goal was inevitable. His goal. But still, Adam had preferred to play as a team. While all of his teammates hugged Anthony, Adam looked toward the stands. He looked at us and smiled.
   "Oh! Why did he do that?!” said Maggie. She was clearly disappointed. "He could have done it."
   I didn't answer. I just smiled. When the game ended, we walked with Maggie to the locker room. The team trotted in, celebrating the victory. Five to zero. With four goals from Adam. When he saw us, he smiled.
   "Adam! You were excellent!” Maggie told him.
   “Thank you,” he said. “And did you like the game?”
   I nodded smiling.
   "Could you waiting for us? We will shower and will go out to celebrate,” Adam told us.
   "Of course!" Maggie's face lit up.
   Adam entered the locker room and we started walking to the exit of the field. People were already leaving.
   "What time is it?" I asked Maggie.
   She looked at its cell phone.
   "Almost five. Why?"
   "It's just…I have to review for tomorrow's exam. Believe it or not, I have forgotten almost everything we studied yesterday."
   Of course I didn't feel like locking myself in my house to study. But I remembered Alice's words, warning me. I knew I had to pass that exam, even if it was with the minimum grade.
   "Well, no problem,"  Maggie suddenly seemed happier. "Go easy and I'll tell Adam and Anthony."
   Maybe Maggie thought it was her lucky day. She would be with Adam on some sort of date. I even imagined her looking for an excuse to get rid of her brother, too. And her following words confirmed it to me:
   "Why don't we ask Anthony to take you home?"
   I saw her so excited that I was about to accept. But Adam's eyes suddenly appeared in my mind.
Now it turned out that Adam was also getting into my head without permission!
   "No, calm down. I'm going alone. My house is not too far away,” I said.
   Since I had to sacrifice my afternoon and spend it away from Adam, then let Maggie find a way to get rid of Anthony herself.
   "See you tomorrow," I said. "Goodbye."
   I noticed Maggie's ear-to-ear smile and couldn't help but be bothered. I walked along the side of the road. It was really close to my house. It was the same route that reached the fork. I estimated I had about twenty minutes of walking. And I prepared to enjoy them. The day was clear and the air was fresh. I had a lot to think about. However, I knew that as soon as I arrived I had to put my full attention on the notes that Adam had left me for the exam.
   Adam…
   Thinking about him made me feel like a fool. A very fickle fool. How could it be that one day I thought I was attracted to Damien and the next Damien seemed to not exist? Adam had completely taken over my thoughts. A couple of cars drove by me and I barely noticed. Otherwise, everything seemed deserted. There were no houses in sight; just an immense forest that stretched as far as I could see.
   But after five minutes of walking, I already regretted leaving. I didn't want to go home! I didn't want to read any notes! I just wanted to be with Adam. And I would have turned away if Maggie's ecstatic smile hadn't suddenly appeared on me. Who was I to get in her way? Of course, in case Adam had feelings for me.
   I laughed. He was acting stupid again. He was confusing camaraderie with something else. Adam Alexander was nice to me. Nothing else. If only he gave me a sign that he had feelings for me.
   Stop! I shouldn't have wanted that. I didn't want to hurt Maggie. I didn't want to get hurt either. Because nothing could happen between Adam and me. I would have to leave Crescent City soon. And Adam didn't deserve that. A shiver suddenly ran through me.
   I made an effort to keep walking. I quickened my pace to avoid regretting it. I only relaxed a little when I reached the forked road. Five minutes later, I entered my house and slammed the door. He was in a bad mood. But luckily I was alone. So I didn't have to explain. I decided it was best to lock myself in my bedroom and see if I could study even a little. But as soon as I stepped foot on the stairs, the ringing of the telephone startled me.
   I didn't doubt it. I ran to the device and answered:
   "Adam?!" I bit my lip as soon as I spoke. I was surprised by the way I had let myself go. What if it wasn't him?
   "Emma…," I heard from the other side.
   It was Adam. I smiled in relief.
   "Why you left?"
   "Because…, I was going to use the excuse of the exam, but I stopped myself. "Because… I'm a fool,"  I finally said.
   "Are you angry with me?"
   His voice pierced me like lightning. How much sweetness that young man exuded!
   "No!!!" I said right away. "I thought…," I was going to explain about Maggie but I stopped. And for the first time in my life I deliberately acted with a bit of selfishness. "I want to see you, Adam…," I uttered almost as a plea.
   “I'm going there,” he responded with an urgent voice and hung up.
   It was already done! Having him face to face would give me the opportunity to know what was happening to me with him. I looked for the nearest mirror as the image of a disappointed Maggie tried to follow me. But I didn't pay attention to him. I looked at my reflection. I smoothed out my shirt - always two sizes bigger than mine - and smiled. I didn't feel satisfied: deep circles under my eyes, red cheeks, acne spread across my chin and forehead, hair disheveled, dull... but none of that mattered to me. The sweetness in Adam's voice still enveloped me. I didn't care about anything else.
   I couldn't handle my nerves, so I sat on the porch, hugging my legs. He looked at the road as if Adam was going to appear at any moment. After ten minutes I started to get impatient. But I remembered that the sports field was a little far away. Plus I imagined him talking to Maggie and Anthony, canceling the celebration. I didn't want to think about what he was saying to Maggie or what face she was making at that moment. Before the guilt overcame me, I shook my head. The decision to continue being selfish was still with me. But deep inside, I wished Adam would hurry up. I didn't know how long I could stop the feeling of guilt that was creeping up on me.
   And then I saw it. Adam was coming down the road, on his bike, at full speed. I jumped to my feet. In less than a minute he was close to me and skidded just a meter away from where I was, like a crazy braking mode. He left the bike lying around and walked towards me. He looked lovely, with his hair down, cascading to his shoulders, shiny and wet. I felt my heart race suddenly.
   Adam took my face in his hands. He looked at me for a few seconds in a way that seemed to be debating something important in his mind. I could feel his breathing coming heavily from him. Then he looked down at my mouth. And then I knew it. I knew what he was going to do. And I gave up. I closed my eyes and felt his lips sweet and hot on mine.
   It was the first time a young man kissed me. And it was exactly as I had imagined so many times. It was true: when they kiss you, everything else disappears.
   After that kiss, it seemed to me that he made an effort to remove his mouth from mine. He didn't want to stop and I didn't want him to either. But to my disappointment he did it. Without letting go of my face, he looked at me. The shine in his eyes was something dazzling. With an extremely sweet voice he said:
   " I wanted to kiss you…since the first time I saw you."
    I smiled. I no longer worried that my lack of kissing experience had ruined the moment. Adam let go of my face and put his hands on my waist, pulling me towards him. And I reciprocated, putting my arms around his neck. We were a couple of centimeters away from each other. And it seemed like a dream to me.
   What beautiful eyes he had! And what a beautiful mouth!
   And his breath on my face was so sweet and warm that it made me feel enchanted.
   "Emma…"
   " Yes…?" my voice was barely audible. My heart was thundering wildly in my chest. And she was sure Adam could feel it.
   "Why did you leave?" He asked me seriously, but in a low voice. "When I didn't see you there, I felt very bad…"
   "For Maggie," I said suddenly.
   I wanted to clarify that issue once and for all. Adam was staring at me. But I couldn't guess what he was thinking.
   “Maggie is in love with you,” I said.
   Adam bit his lip.
   Don't do that! I thought. Seeing him like that made me want to kiss him again.
   "I'm sorry for her..., but... it's not Maggie who interests me."
   I felt his legs go weak. Adam held me in his strong arms and pulled me a little closer to him. I felt his torso on my chest and that made my heart beat faster. I knew he could lose control at any moment so I put my hands on his chest trying to put distance.
   "Adam…, we have to talk."
   His expression suddenly hardened and he let go of me.
   "You like Damien, don't you?"
   "No!" I answered resolutely.
   I was surprised that my answer was so sincere. Now I knew it. Damien had no place in my heart. I put my arms around Adam's neck again and looked into his eyes.
   " It's not Damien who interests me."
   Adam wrapped me in his arms again. I stood on tiptoe, looking for his mouth. He realized. And he kissed me again. And this time that kiss made me vibrate from head to toe. It was a more passionate kiss than the first. More intense. Their breathing quickened. But even so our mouths did not take off, until several minutes later.
   “Adam…,” I stammered. My face was still pressed against him. "we need to talk."
   He made an effort to pull away a little.
   "I'm listening to you," he told me without letting go.
   "Better let's go into the house," I suggested.
   "Let's better walk," he whispered.
   I nodded. He took me by the hand and led me towards the clearing where the previous afternoon we had witnessed that strange ritual. We slowly approach the deserted beach. There were still vestiges of the campfire: some blackened logs inside a stone circle. Adam's hand gently squeezed mine, catching my attention and we looked at each other. How wonderful it was to observe those dark, enigmatic and life-filled eyes! What eyelashes! What lips! I looked down. I couldn't allow myself to lose myself again in all that sweetness that was Adam.
   I needed to talk to him, before it was too late. But as soon as I opened my mouth to speak, Adam pulled me towards him, gently pulling my hand and kissed me. Feeling his lips on mine again made me forget everything. My body couldn't stop shaking in his arms, which now wrapped around me. I hugged him almost violently. I didn't want to lose him. I couldn't lose it. When he let me go, I could barely breathe.
   "Is that what you wanted to tell me?" He asked me mischievously, playing with his lips on mine.
   I took a deep breath and walked away, making an enormous effort.
   "There is something you don't know about me," I said, fixing my gaze on the sea that was moving near my feet. I didn't want to look at Adam but I was sure his eyes were on me.
   "It's okay," He told me with a considerably sweet voice. Come…
   He took me by the hand and led me to a leafy tree that was nearby. It had large roots that stuck out almost a meter from the ground and were covered in pebbles and sand. He sat there crosswise and pulled me towards him, sitting me next to him. I leaned on his muscular chest and wrapped his arms around me. I looked at the sea again, trying to gather courage. I didn't know where to start. I felt his breath on my cheek, warm and even. Being like this, in his arms, seemed like a dream to me.
   " Adam…," I said and I detached myself a little from his body.
   I looked at him. He smiled at me and leaned in to kiss me again. But I didn't allow it. I brought my hand to his mouth and while he caressed his lips, I began to speak:
   "My mother and I…we don't have a normal life, like other people. We move a lot. I have lived in more than ten states in the last five years. And as you know, we just moved here, to Crescent City."
   Adam moved his lips over my fingers and looked at me with such intensity that I had to make an effort to continue speaking coherently:
   "Adam…, we never stay more than a full semester anywhere. And Crescent City will be no exception."
   Adam blinked several times and took a deep breath. He removed my hand from his mouth. I felt his gaze, scrutinizing me. He was frowning. And before my voice finished breaking, I told him about Albert and his obsession with chasing us and hurting us.
   My body was shaking from head to toe. But this time it was out of fear. An almost irrational fear that cruelly invaded me every time I thought about my father.
   "Emma…, you're shaking!" His voice seemed angelic to me.
   And without thinking I snuggled into his chest while he hugged me. He kissed my forehead very sweetly and said almost in a whisper:
   "Don't worry, Emma. Nobody will hurt you. And you won't have to keep running away. You are no longer alone. Now you have me."
   I made an effort to hang on to his words. Adam gently pushed me away from his body. He took off the blue sports jacket he was wearing - which was part of the club uniform - and he put it over my shoulders. He put his arms around me again and kissed me.
   It was a sweet and tender kiss. The warmth of his lips completely enveloped me and brought me back to life.
   "Don't worry, Emma. No one will ever hurt you. I'll take care of that."
   "He has the police from I don't know how many states looking for him. And even so…"
   "I am more effective than all the police officers in the country combined."
   I smiled.
   " I'm being serious. I belong... to a family... very powerful. And I will put all that power at your service."
   I looked at him intently and I could see in his eyes that he was serious about me.
   "Adam…"
   "Yes my angel?"
   I completely melted.
   "I do not want to lose you."
   "You won't…," he whispered to me, getting closer. His lips touched mine and a small electric shock shook us both.
We laugh.
   “It's becoming everyday,” I whispered, still laughing.
   "And you don't know how I like it…!" Adam told me, approaching again.
   And he kissed me, softly, barely touching my lips. And there were no more sparks.
   "I wanted…to be honest with you," I said, getting lost in his black eyes. "I didn't want you to think that I was hiding things from you. I wanted you to know because, if one day you come looking for me and you don't find me, I don't want you to think that... I have abandoned you."
   I couldn't believe I was telling him all that. I felt my cheeks turning red.
   "Do you want to stay with me?" Adam asked me almost in a whisper.
    "Yes…," I answered caressing his lips.
   "Forever?"
   "Yes…," my voice was barely heard.
   "So be it…"
   Adam kissed me again. A passionate kiss that made me forget everything and everyone. And for the first time in my life I stopped feeling afraid. Suddenly, life seemed beautiful, luminous to me. I wondered how she had survived so long alone. I felt the urge to continue kissing him but I didn't dare. I was very ashamed. And I was trying to gather courage when a strange sound startled me.
   “It's my cell phone,” Adam said, still hugging me.
   "Answer," I tried to move away a little but Adam held me tighter against his body.
   That mouth was my downfall. He approached me but I made an effort and moved away again.
   "Answer it… It may be important."
   "You… are the most important thing in my life. Since I saw you, the first time, I knew that nothing was going to be the same."
   The phone stopped ringing.
   "You saw me the day that…"
   "…you saved the puppy. I was close. I was shocked when I saw you crossing the street, in the middle of the rain. And when you grabbed the dog and stayed stuck there, I almost died of fright. I ran away but…Damien got there first," Adam frowned. "It was only when the truck finished passing and I could see that you were okay, that I felt like…I could continue breathing."
   I shuddered. I had to make an effort not to pinch myself. That seemed like a dream. A really beautiful dream.
   "Adam…, are you real or am I dreaming? You do exist, right?"
   Adam smiled mischievously and moved closer to me. I felt his breath on my face and I couldn't help it. I grabbed his face with both hands and gave him a kiss. I kissed him as passionately as shyness would allow. When I tried to remove my lips from his and let go of his face, Adam pulled me towards him and continued the kiss.
   I was completely enthralled when a minute later he gently pulled me away from him, but only an centimeter.
   "How will I sleep tonight?" It escaped from me. I felt embarrassed as soon as I said it.
   Adam looked at me with eyes so sweet and bright that I shivered again.
   "I can visit you again…as I have done all these nights…"
   I was frozen. I couldn't take my eyes off him. His words bounced around in my brain. He had impressed me. And then I ended up realizing it.
   "My cup…," I whispered.
   Adam smiled pleased.
   "After the… incident with the puppy, I followed you with my eyes and saw when you threw the ceramic pieces into a trash can," he confessed to me. "And you cried. And seeing you cry..., he broke my heart. When you left in the car, I picked up the pieces and..."
   "How did you do it? How did you fix it?"
   Adam bit his lip.
   "Don't do that!" I sighed without being able to help it.
   Adam smiled and kissed me again, making me forget our conversation for a moment. Several minutes later, I managed to put my thoughts back in order. It was very difficult for me to think clearly again after each of his kisses.
   "Won't you tell me how you did it…?"
" How did I do what…?" And he approached again.
   But I was faster and dodged it.
   "Adam…"
   "What?!" he laughed amused.
   "Tell me…"
   "It was…magic."
   "Magic?!"
   "Yes…," he told me sweetly. "You have told me that you do believe in… those things, right?"
   I smiled. I had no way to refute his words. And I was already losing me in his eyes again when his phone rang again. I looked at him determined. And he saw that I was not going to give in. So he freed one arm - while with the other he pulled me closer to him - and took his cell phone out of the pocket of his sports pants. He looked at the illuminated screen and frowned.
   "What's happening? Who is it?"
   I watched as Adam turned off the phone and put it back.
   "You… you have been honest with me," he told me seriously.
   I was struck by the way he spoke to me. His expression had hardened a little. But he hugged me again and added:
   "Now it's my turn. You should know me...better, if you want..."
   "Of course I want to," I didn't hesitate.
   Adam smiled but he still looked confused.
   "I want you… to accompany me to a place."
   "Wherever you want."
   He looked at me for a second and kissed me again. And his sweetness completely enveloped us. We forgot for several minutes where we were, the cold that was getting worse and the first drops of rain that had begun to fall. But when the downpour became stronger, we stood up and ran to the house.
   "Who called you?" I couldn't help but ask him. "Why didn't you answer? So that I wouldn't listen? If you want privacy, I…"
   " Shut up," Adam whispered to me as he hugged me on the front porch. "I don't want to have secrets from you. I don't need privacy. My father was the one who called me. I have to go."
   I tried not to let him see my disappointment. He didn't want him to leave but he didn't encourage me to ask him to stay either. And once again, he surprised me:
   "Emma La Rue, you are invited to dinner with the Alexander family tonight. After all, it's time for you to really know who I am...," Adam said, with a strange sparkle in his voice...