[Amara's P.O.V]

I couldn't believe it.

I kissed him, surely I wasn't thinking when I did it but it was what I wanted in that very moment. To feel his lips pressed up against mine, feeling every lick, every suck.

Oh dear lord.

I was staring at my reflection on the bathroom mirror. My face was flushed, my lips were extra pink and a little swollen. I touched them, almost feeling the fire of his mouth again.

Justin was asleep now, I can't believe he told me. For a long time I wished that he would just do it, but today out of all days, he did.

I wonder what drove him to tell me, was it because of the unexpected visit from Daisy that brought back everything to him? I remember he did mention something about Daisy and her daughter that he said was his ex-girlfriend but...

He never got to talk about it because he started telling me about the gang.

Ugh that stupid gang! That stupid man what was his shit name again? Kioka what?

But now that Justin has told me about it, what was he planning to do? Is he just going to continue in it or try to come out? Because to me, it looks like he hated it, like he hated being in there.

I left the bathroom in deep thought. I was walking past Justin's room to mine when I heard his light snores. He was still sleeping.

I entered my bedroom and closed the door behind me, waltzing over to my bed and threw myself on it, staring at the plain ceiling.

I looked to my side and noticed the picture I had placed on the bedside counter when I moved here.

I picked up the beautiful picture of my parents and I a few years ago. I smiled when I placed it on my chest, close to my heart.

I was having a lot of memories of my parents lately, probably because I missed them. It was hurting but it felt better than it would a few months back...because now I had Justin in my life.

I felt my eyes begin to shut and I closed them, beginning to fall asleep.

***

Something was hitting against the roof and windows so hard that I woke up. The room was filled with darkness and when I got my focus back, I noticed it was raining, hard.

I made a move to get up but I noticed that a blanket was now on top of my body, my shoes were also taken off and the picture I had was now placed back on the bedside counter. That's when I realized that Justin has been in here, or at least I hoped it was him.

I walked around the dim room and switched the lights on, clearing the darkness and I was welcomed by bright light. I walked over to the window and looked around. The surroundings were beautiful. It was pretty dark now and the streetlights were turned on. The surrounding apartments looked even more beautiful tonight for some odd reason. Probably because of the rain.

I looked down and noticed the garden. I never really went out to the backyard of this apartment but it looked pretty nice. There were different flowers and looked really lovely being irradiated by light. I now felt fully awake.

I closed the curtain, walked to the closet and changed into some warm clothes. I picked my cellphone up and noticed it was eight pm.

I had slept for over five hours!

I put my hair into a messy bun on top of my head and then opened the text messages I had. Two were from Kate and Leah asking if I was okay and how Justin was doing.

Yeah I kind of told them that Justin was ill. I replied saying I was about to check on him now and that I was okay and I will see them tomorrow at school.

I had another message but it was from an unknown number, I opened the text feeling little uneasy. My eyes widened as they ran over the words again and again.

Unknown : Hey there Amara. It's Bianca, you still remember me right? I know you never really liked me I don't know why but I actually just wanted to be your friend. I had actually asked for my schedule to be changed so that I wouldn't be in class with you anymore, which is why you haven't been seeing me around lately. And I've been hanging out on the other side of the school because I knew you couldn't stand me.

But I'm done hiding! You are gonna start seeing more of me really soon. Kate and Leah are also my friends even though you'll probably never be. I actually sent this text just to let you know that if you swiftly stay out of my way, I'll stay out of yours. Simple. Thank you bye!

What!? How did she even get hold of my number? I hope that she didn't get it from Kate or Leah but I would ask them about it tomorrow.

She was actually right. She was free to go anywhere she wanted and if SHE stays out of MY way, I'll not even bother to look at her. That's just it.

I didn't even bother myself to reply as I just placed my phone on the bed and walked out of the room.

I went towards Justin's room and knocked. I didn't get an answer a few minutes later so I decided to open. I stretched my neck to look inside but he was nowhere to be seen. I went downstairs and he wasn't in the tv room nor was he in the kitchen. I went to the door that led to the garage and but his car and motorbike were still there, so he had not driven anywhere.

Where was he?

I walked back into the kitchen and through the front door, that's where I noticed a dark silhouette on the far side of the porch. The figure was leaning against a sile, his back towards me. I walked closer and noticed that Justin was still shirtless. He was staring at at the rain, seeming to be in deep thought. My hand went to his shoulder, that's when he quickly turned around.

His eyes landed on me when he looked down. His eyes were so clear and so raw of emotion tonight. I noticed his chest rise and fall as he breathed. There was something about him... ever since he told me everything, something about him changed. Or maybe the way I looked at him changed.

It was almost like when you first meet someone, they have two sides. The side that they are forcing everyone to see and the side that is hidden, the secret side, the real side. But it was still there and if you looked closely and differently, you would see it.

But I failed to. When I met Justin, I judged him like everyone did, I let people's opinions about him become my opinions about him. I let myself see what he wanted everyone to see, I failed to look closely enough. I failed to be different and give him unjudgemental eyes. Because something tells me that, it was all he wanted. For someone to see something different in him, something beyond the façade. Because when I was being abused and had to pretend to be okay, I wished that someone would see something different in me even though I was highly terrified of it.

Now that I knew something about him, the truth about him, I saw a completely different Justin. I don't know what it was but he changed. The way I viewed him changed.

"What're you thinking about cakes?"

His voice, it was raspy and deep...weirdly I liked it.

I grinned and thought of all I was thinking about. Okay that's a lot of thinking going on but..."nothing"

"Really?" He smirked, coming closer to me.

"Well..." why was I so furiously blushing? His face was like the one of a...a what? Nothing I can think of would match the way he looked right now.

"Tell me love" he kept walking closer to me, I'm gonna faint.

"Why'd you look so attractive tonight?" The words flew out of my lips like mouth diarrhoea.

Diarrhoea? Ew.

Justin's cheeks hinted a crimson color but in a shade that was almost invincible as I was awaiting his next reply.

"Probably because it's my middle name." He said, his ego rising as high as it's wings could take it.

I rolled my eyes before he spoke again "The real question is that, why do you look so attractive right now?"

Attractive? I didn't find that as a kind of word to describe me. Yes I agree that I had my own sense of beauty but...

Justin walked closer and took my hand in his, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it before walking into the apartment still with my hand in his.

"I made you dinner, you must be hungry." He cooed, walking towards the microwave and taking out a plate of food. My heart instantly flattered at the mere thought that he has made me food.

"This is to kind of thank you for staying away from school to take care of me today. Although it can't even amount to that." He said as he placed the cooked meal in front of me.

I smiled "You cooked? You never cook."

"I know but for you love, I would everyday"

I wanted to die from so much warm and tingling feelings.

"Is that a promise?" Justin sat opposite me on the kitchen island and reached out to grab my hands.

"It's a compromise."

I smiled up at him... "thank you."

"For what?" He asked.

I took a first bite of the food, "it tastes nice...so thank you."

He laughed causing me to chuckle "You said thank you before tasting the food?"

"Stupid, I know. But I'm glad I didn't have to take back my words."

The food was actually quite delicious. And I couldn't believe that he made it for me. Suddenly he turned serious, brushing my smile away.

"I actually...uhm I wanted to ask you something." He said and I sat up straight. "I'd actually like it if we went somewhere...like out of the house one night and-"

Was he really asking me this?

"You're asking me out on a date?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind."

"So you don't have a jet black heart after all now do you?" I teased and he looked at me, his eyes making me feel whole and warm. I had a feeling everything was about to get much much better, there was nothing I would trade this feeling of happiness with.

It was all I ever wanted. Ever.

******