Stella's P.O.V

The blinding rays of sunlight ripped through my curtains, naturally causing me to bury my face deeper in my pillow. I'd been sleeping in for a couple hours and decided to finally get up since it was probably lunch time already.

It had been almost two weeks here in Miami, and a majority of it was spent being cooped up in the house, ordering takeout and watching reality TV with Brandon and my dad. We did a little bit of sightseeing last week, per my dad's request for us to make the most of our stay, but after all the touristy stuff we were tired out.

Climbing out of bed, I walked towards the window and peeked out, before aggressively tugging the curtains shut. My dad's car was gone so he was probably out grocery shopping or something.

After brushing my teeth, I jogged downstairs to get some breakfast.

"Brandon?" I called out, as I head to the kitchen.

... No reply. He must be out too.

Maybe he went to the gym? He usually does that in the morning.

Yup.. I know, he's a total fitness freak, he couldn't even stay away on vacation.

Skipping to the fridge, I proceeded to make myself a sandwich before sitting at the counter, and opening Netflix up on my phone. I pressed play on the show I was currently watching, continuing where I left off. After a little while, I got up to get some juice, but suddenly froze when I heard a loud noise.

I peeked my head out, looking around me as I slowly shut the fridge door. There was no one there, so I just went back to what I was doing.

It was probably nothing, I'm just hearing things.

Suddenly, I heard another noise, but much closer this time.

Okay.. there's definitely someone in the house. But I hadn't heard the front door open so it couldn't possibly be Brandon or my dad..?

Maybe it's just an animal? Like.. maybe, a raccoon got in somehow?

My breath hitched at a heavy clattering sound, which I instantly recognised to be footsteps.

Okay, that is definitely no raccoon.

I felt my heart racing as a million paranoid thoughts invaded my head, and surpassing any logical explanation, my mind went straight to panic mode.

How the hell did someone manage break in without my knowledge?

As the noise and shuffling continued, my eyes desperately searched the kitchen for something sufficient to defend myself, that would actually give me a fighting chance in a potential to the death fight against a deadly intruder.

Unlike the horror movies where they grab a lamp as a weapon... I mean, that's the reason they always die!

My eyes landed on the knife discarded near my plate, and I quickly grabbed it, tip toeing across the room.

I approached the door as I clutched the knife tighter in fear. Upon hearing the footsteps get closer, I pushed the door open. Suddenly, I felt my back collide with the wall, and felt someone trapping me up against it with considerable force.

Instinctively, I let out a screech of sheer terror which was abruptly muffled by a hand pressing up to my mouth tightly, constricting my screams from escaping. My eyes were clenched shut, too horrified to face whatever - or whoever, was about to hurt me. My mind couldn't even comprehend the horrid things that were about to possibly about to happen to me.

I felt a pair of arms cage around my body, pinning me against the wall as a much larger body towered over mine. I squirmed in desperation, but it was useless.

"Stop, hey, it's me, Brandon! Open your eyes!"

My eyes flew open at the sudden command, widening in surprise as they met with a pair of familiar brown ones. My body continued to shake under his in an adrenaline-fuelled rush, and I was still screaming into his palm as my fear refused to subside. The knife in my trembling hands slipped, making me flinch at loud clang of metal hitting the floor.

"Shhh.. it's just me, Sunshine. Calm down" he hushed. My body was frozen, I wasn't struggling anymore knowing I wasn't in any imminent danger, but was still in complete shock.

"I'm gonna let go.. promise not to scream?"

I mumbled inaudibly against his hand, nodding my head. Hesitantly, his warm palm lifted off my face. But even after several moments I still found my self lost for words, my breath still coming out in heavy puffs.

"What the hell was that, Stella?" he asked, his eyes searching my face for answers.

"I-I thought you were someone else.." I stammered, "I jus-...just, I'm so confused-"

"It's okay, it's only me. You're fine" he assured.

"No no no, you don't understand.. I-I thought someone was here.. and.. and-" I squeaked, unable to form a coherent sentence as my thoughts went haywire. "Why didn't you answer me when I called out your name?! You scared the shit out of me!"

"I was in the shower, I didn't hear you" he said.

In the midst of all my hysteria, I failed to notice that he was standing in front of me in a towel-clad form. My eyes left his and started to follow the droplets of water that trickled down his bare chest, following the muscular contours of his perfectly chiseled abdomen before disappearing into the cotton towel hung dangerously low on his hips. I could feel the cold moisture transferring onto my clothes due to our proximity, which was only causing the pace of my breath to quicken again.

"You really thought someone broke in?" he asked, making me silently nod in response.

"I want you to wait in the kitchen, let me go get changed and I'll be back in two seconds" he whispered, his arms leaving the walls beside me as he took a step back. I was probably standing there for longer than I thought because I felt him tug on my hand, finally peeling me off the wall. After ushering me into the kitchen and making me sit atop the counter alone for a few minutes, he came back with a fresh set of clothes on and took the seat in front of me.

"Stel, you wanna tell me what just happened?" he asked, sliding the knife that I left discarded in the hallway back into the drawer.

"I told you, I thought I was home alone and you were someone-"

"Someone else, I know. But why were you so sure someone was in the house?" he asked, raising a suspicious brow.

"Because I heard footsteps, duh!" I stated obviously. "What else was I supposed to think?"

"That maybe it was one of the other two people currently living here? I mean, you jumped to that conclusion so fast, you didn't even have time to consider a more rational explanation." he said.

"Look, I get it. I made a mistake.. anyway, aren't you supposed to be laughing at me for being an idiot?"

"Stel, this isn't a joke" he sighed, lips pursing into a thin line as a serious expression took over his face. "You do understand that you almost tried to stab me, right? If I hadn't seen you coming, we'd be in the emergency room right now"

"I know.. I'm sorry" I sighed apologetically, dropping my chin into my hands.

"Has someone tried to break in before?" he suddenly asked, concern lacing his voice as I looked up at him.

"What? N-No, of course not, why would you ask that?" I scoffed incredulously.

"Because.. you're paranoid and jumpy. Why were you so sure that someone broke in?" he questioned. "You immediately assumed someone was trying to hurt you, and the fact that you felt the need to defend yourself with something like that just makes me think.."

My mind cursed at how annoyingly accurate he was.

Just because no one had broken in before, didn't mean there weren't people out there with the intent to. People I'd aggravated a long time ago, who probably could easily find out where I lived. Not that I was special enough to deserve an ambush or anything, but it was always in the back of my mind, whenever I was home alone in this house. The fear that my past would come back to haunt me, the knowledge there were people out there who may or may not have petty vendettas against me, and uncertainty of whether or not they'd act on them.

"Think what?" I asked boldly, meeting his gaze.

"That you don't feel safe here" He stated. "Don't think I don't notice the way you flinch whenever you hear the door slam a little too hard, or the way you get startled when you're home alone and you see me, momentarily forgetting I'm here, or the way you lock every single door and window at night-"

He notices all that stuff? I had no idea he was watching me that closely...

"Is it a crime to make sure my windows are locked now?" I asked.

"Stel, in California, you're alone at your mom's house all the time, and I could - screw that, I have gotten in with even out having to bust a window open. You clearly feel safe enough there, but.. here? You're like security-obsessed and you have these knee-jerk reactions to everything, like you're used to constantly watching your back"

Wow, he's good. He should be a shrink.. like he's totally psycho-analysing me right now. Should I be paying for this?

"I'm gonna ask you one more time, and you better answer me" he warned, inching closer as his eyes darkening with unwavering severity. "Do you not feel safe here?"

Sucking in a nervous breath, I felt my muscles tense up again. "N-No. I mean yes. But I shouldn't. I can't be all naïve, living like I'm innocent or something because I'm anything but, I mean, someone like me would be an idiot not be paranoid and-"

"You're not making sense, Sunshine." he interjected.

"I- I don't know how to explain it" I groaned, averting my gaze to avoid his eyes.

After that, there was long moment of silence between us.

"Did someone try to attack you? Or break in here?" he suddenly questioned.

I looked up from my lap, shaking my head.

"Then, who- or what is it you're so scared of?" he asked earnestly, a hint of desperation in his voice, almost begging me to answer him.

"You know that night of Liam's party, I briefly mentioned all that bad stuff I got into after Luke's death.." I said.

"Wait.. does it have anything to do with how you got that scar, Stel?" he asked hesitantly.

"Kinda. I never really told you the whole story because I didn't want you to think I was any more of an idiot than you probably did at the time. It was basically my fault, I was threatening some douchebag because he got a little too grabby. And then he got mad and pulled a switchblade on me. It sounded more badass to say I survived a fight, but in reality it was my punishment for standing up to a guy who wouldn't take no for an answer"

"Stella.." he started, his jaw clenching as a sudden look of anger clouded his face. "This guy, or any guy for that matter, didn't try to.. hurt you, right?"

I knitted my brows together in confusion for a second.

Was he not listening? Obviously this guy hurt me, he freaking stabbed in me in the-

Oh.

My mind clicked at what he was trying to insinuate, and my eyes instantly widened.

"No. God no, nothing like that, don't worry" I assured, as he let out a breath of relief. "He was just being a bit handsy and his intent was pretty clear judging by the things he was saying but no.. I got away, luckily"

"Either way he's still a fucking asshole for ever touching you" he retorted. "And it wasn't your fault, so don't you dare think that"

I nodded, giving him a small smile of appreciation for being as concerned as he was.

"It's not to do with that guy in particular... he wasn't exactly the first person I'd pissed off. I was hanging around with the wrong crowd, a bunch of delinquents who had ties to gangs and crime, juvy, all that stuff. I didn't actually do anything illegal, I just loitered around with them because I didn't want to feel weak anymore, and I was so angry and lonely, I pushed away any friends I had left and decided that hanging with those punks would be fun. Anyway, during the short time I did roll with them, I managed to make a lot of enemies - my innocent little 16 year old self thought it was harmless and had no idea how dangerous it was. I didn't do anything too bad, nothing to make me fear for my life. No one actually bothered me, but I was always scared that the people I'd pissed off would somehow find out where I lived. I mean, Brandon, my brother was shot for god's sake, by someone his age! People are capable of some really scary things, and after I left all that shit for good I was terrified of something happening again" I explained.

He looked at me for a second before opening his mouth to speak, but I interrupted him.

"And I already know what you're gonna say. It's all in my head, I didn't actually do anything bad enough to make someone wanna come after me, but-"

"I wasn't gonna say that Stel" he insisted, cutting me off. "I was gonna say you have every right to feel like that. Not that you should feel cautious, I guarantee no one's after you.."

I shot him a glare, tilting my head to the side, as an amused scoff left my throat at the fact that he just proved my point.

"..But, on the odd chance that someone were, wouldn't you think they'd forget it about after all this time?" he suggested. "Plus, I know you, so I know there's not a chance in hell you'd let your dad live here alone if you truly thought he was in any danger. So, do you think you're somehow.. I don't know, punishing yourself? Like letting the guilt get the best of you and making yourself feel like you deserve to constantly be watching over your shoulder, even if you have no real reason to be scared?"

I stared at him, almost bewildered at how he managed to do that so effortlessly.

Just read me so well based on something so little as simple observations. It felt like he could just see right through me.

"How do you do that?" I asked. "You.. tell me things about myself that I don't even know, that I don't understand"

"Um.. perks of an outsider's perspective, I guess?" he offered. "Look, Stel. I can't begin to imagine the things you've gone through and how they must've warped your perception of the world but I can promise you, you're safe here"

I sighed, bringing my eyes back onto my hands which were fiddling with my shirt.

If only I could convince myself that.

I watched as he rested his hand hand over mine, his fingers gingerly wrapping themselves around my wrist. I blinked up to meet his gaze.

"I won't let anyone hurt you, Sunshine. I promise" he said in a faint whisper, scarcely audible.

His eyes held so much sincerity and affection in them, I couldn't help but ask myself...

"Why?"

Shit, I did not mean to blurt that out!

Of all things to reply to that, I ask 'why'?! Great going Stel, reeeaaal smooth.

His brows creased together in slight confusion for a second. "Why?" he repeated, letting out an anxious chuckle.

Regretting my presumptuous command for him to explain himself, realising how I'd basically put him on blast, I opened my mouth to apologise but stopped when I saw he was about to speak.

"Because.. first of all I promised your mom I'd look out for you" he reminded. "But.. also, well- you know I.. care about you, right? And your general wellbeing and health, so I can't have you going batshit crazy and lunging at people with knives"

"Okay, I deserved that" I shrugged, a laugh escaping my throat. "I didn't mean to- what I wanted to say was.. thank you"

He lightly squeezed my hand in response, instilling a sense of comfort in me that I practically depended on like oxygen these days.

"You wanna get out of here?"

"...And go where?" I asked, turning to face him. We had spent most of the day on the couch watching TV, and it was getting kinda repetitive. But there wasn't really a place in town we hadn't visited so we were running short of things to do.

"I may have an idea" He said, switching off the TV.

"Well?" I prompted.

"It's.. a surprise" he said, with a mischievous smirk on his face. "Go get ready"

Uh oh, that can only mean trouble. I should be scared, right?

"How can I get ready if I don't know where we're going?" I challenged, crossing my arms.

"Just dress casual and bring something warm" he said, getting up. "Actually you know what, it doesn't even matter, you're probably gonna end up wearing my clothes by the end of the night"

"Hey!" I gasped, throwing a nearby cushion at his face at the insinuation.

"I meant you'd steal my jacket, relax you dirty minded freak" he said, throwing it back. "Now go. God knows it takes forever for you to get changed, especially with that mountain of clothes you brought along"

"What if I end up being totally under-dressed?" I asked, lifting myself off the couch as I trailed behind him out of the living room. "Tell me what we're doing!"

"I can't tell you, that kinda takes away the whole 'surprise' element" he stated obviously.

"At least give me a clue about where we're going!" I pleaded, following him up the stairs. "Like, will it include physical activity? Because you know I loathe any form of exercise, so I swear to god if you're taking me on a hike or something-"

"Stel, you really think I have a death wish?" he chuckled, turning to face me. "We're not going on a hike, don't worry. Wear whatever you want, as long as it's comfortable"

"Fine.. you won't even give me a hint, though? A teensy weensy little detail?" I asked, stepping into my room.

"Nope" he shook his head, closing my bedroom door in my face.

"C'mon, not even a location?" I called out.

"20 minutes max, Sunshine. You better be ready!"

Rolling my eyes, I made my way over to the closet and picked out a pair of high-waited denim shorts and a yellow cropped tank, then put on a light layer of makeup. Once I was done, I jogged back down the stairs and followed Brandon who was waiting at the door.

After a pretty short drive full of me pestering him with questions, we finally got to this mystery place. I still had no idea where we were, I didn't really recognise the area and we were in a giant parking lot. As I got out of the car and we started walking, a huge Ferris wheel came into view, along with a couple other rides, tents and stands in the distance.

"The state fair?!" I squealed, turning to Brandon as I lit up with excitement. "I had no idea it was even in town! How did you even-"

"I saw a flyer the other day" he shrugged, a playful smile creeping up on his face. I was rooted on the spot, gazing at the view in awe until I felt Brandon grab my hand and tug me along.

"Well are you gonna stand there and stare, or are we gonna go have fun?" he asked. "Because I, for one, am so ready to kick your ass in every single game"

I let out a laugh at his childish competitiveness, matching him with the same ambitious attitude. "I'd love to see you try"

"You sneaky little-"

"AH! Excuse me, sorry!" I giggled, pushing through the swarms of people as I was.. well, running from Brandon. I glanced back to see him hot on my heels, and was ducking and swerving my way through the crowd.

"Finally" I panted to myself, seeing no sight of him as I reached a food cart which was further away from the commotion.

Suddenly, I was tackled from behind by two muscular arms, making me shriek out in surprise, which then turned into more breathless laughter. I turned around to face a pretty pissed off Brandon, which only made me laugh more.

"Yeah, laugh it off. You won't be laughing when I do the same thing to you next time!"

"I was helping you!" I defended.

FYI, we were playing one of those shooting games and I may have given him a little nudge, he was totally just being a baby about it.

"Helping me? How did shoving me in the middle of the game, making me drop the rifle and letting you win - which was mighty convenient, by the way - help me?!" he asked.

Okay, so maybe I did do a little more that nudge him, but he won every single game before this and I was getting fed up of it! It was inevitable, right?

"There was a bee on you! I didn't want you to get stung" I shrugged innocently.

"Nice try, Sunshine. We both know you're deadly afraid of insects, and wouldn't come within a foot of one, let alone touch it." he said.

"I am not!" I scoffed, crossing my arms.

"Really? So you're not at all bothered by the spider in your hair?" he asked, making me scream in terror and frantically ruffle through my hair, only to see him laughing.

How did I fall for that?!

"You-! That is so not funny!" I whined, shuddering from the feeling of one creeping around on my head.

"Revenge is sweet" he laughed. "Okay, what next?"

"Hm.. how about that?" I asked, pointing to the high striker.

"Oh, I bet you your pretzel that I can win that easily" he said confidently. "But not against you, that wouldn't be fair to your little 5'3 self-"

"Hey!" I grumbled.

"-So, it'll be whoever's in front of us." he said, as we approached the short line. "Psh, yeah I'm definitely getting that pretzel"

As he continued to brag about his physical strength, I glanced at the guy a couple steps ahead of us and got hit with a weird sense of nostalgia, like I knew him. He looked oddly familiar, I swear I'd seen him before?

He turned his head to the side and I suddenly gasped in realisation.

Holy shit.. no way!

"Carter Sinclair!?"

He instantly spun around at the unintentionally very loud call of his name, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"..Stella Solaria in the flesh? My eyes must be deceiving me" he chuckled, stepping towards us.

"Oh my god, it's really you!" I squealed, throwing my arms around his neck in a quick hug, before pulling back. "It's been way too long"

"Yeah, last I knew you moved to California?" he asked.

I nodded, still slightly taken aback by the sight in front of me. "Yeah, I'm just here for the summer. Uh- this is my friend, Brandon"

"So this is the famous Carter" Brandon smirked, as the two brunets stared at each other in.. fascination, as if they were almost intrigued by one another.

Shit.

Brandon knows him... he knows about that stupid diary entry I wrote.. I didn't think it'd ever matter since Carter lived on the other side of the country, but it totally slipped my mind that there was a chance of bumping into him here.

"So I'm famous, huh?" Carter asked curiously, bringing his eyes back to me.

"Oh yeah dude.." Brandon said, clearly enjoying this, "Stella here has talked all about you in her- ow!"

I sharply elbowed him in the ribs, hoping he'd shut up just this once and not jump on the chance to embarrass me in every given situation.

"He just means- um, you've been mentioned... you know, briefly in a story or two" I stammered, clearing my throat. "Honestly, I don't even know how he remembered-"

"By the way, I'm sorry about her kicking you on the playground" Brandon cut in, totally ignoring my glare. "I feel that.. she punched me in the nose her first month at school too"

My jaw flung open at in surprise at the two casually exchanging shared experiences.

They're really making me out to be some type of crazy assailant!

"Do you want a redo? My fist is more than happy to comply" I threatened, narrowing my eyes at Brandon.

"Maybe you should be doing this, Sunshine. Take care of some of that rage you're misdirecting at our poor bodies" he said, as the line moved along.

"You can go first" Carter said, prompting Brandon to move in front of him.

"You sure you don't wanna go, Stel?" Brandon teased.

"Shut up and hit the thing before I take that sledgehammer and use you as target!"

"Hey, we all go through it man, it's her love language!" Carter called out, as Brandon went ahead of us.

"Jerk!" I grumbled, lightly shoving him on the chest.

"See.. point proven" he shrugged. "Your boyfriend seems nice"

"What boyfr-... Brandon?" I scoffed. "Oh, no he's-"

"He's the guy who got punched in the face by Stella and lived to tell the tale. Trust me, the measly 'kick in the leg guy'.." he said, referring to himself. "..doesn't stand a chance against that. He's a keeper"

"Whatever. I missed you, idiot" I smiled, as I took in his appearance. He hadn't changed too much, but then again I wasn't that close with him after junior high so last I saw him, he was like 15.

"Well, it seems like you've already replaced me with your new boytoy over there" he joked, making me roll my eyes.

"I'm teasing, Stellie. I missed you too" enveloping me in a side hug.

"So why are you here?" I asked. "I wouldn't have expected to see you at a funfair, of all places. You always called them dumb, and practically bullied me for dragging you along back then"

"Oh, I've got a hot date" he boasted.

"Figures. Who's the lucky girl? Anyone I know?" I asked.

"Actually, lucky guy" he clarified.

"..Wait, you're-"

"Bisexual. Don't worry, your third grade self still has a fighting chance" he winked playfully.

"I can't believe I never knew - I really have been gone too long" I said. "How come you never told me?"

"I didn't really accept it till high school, but by then we didn't talk much"

"Well I'm happy you're happy, Cart. And I'm proud of you" I smiled. "But I pity the whole population because no one is safe from you now"

"Hey! My date happens to be very satisfied, okay?" he said.

"Hmm, then where is he? You ditch all your dates like this?" I laughed.

"He's getting food, now shut up so we can watch how strong your boyfriend is" he said, motioning to to the lever that was rising up, after Brandon slammed the sledgehammer against the bell.

"Ugh, he's not my-"

"Ooh, so close" Carter interjected, totally ignoring me as Brandon handed him the hammer.

"That thing is tougher than it looks." Brandon commented. "There's no way he's gonna-"

Suddenly, the loud ringing of a bell cut him off.

"Wha- but.. how did he.. I-.. what?" he stammered, looking completely mystified.

"Better luck next time, bud" Carter smirked, leaving Brandon practically dumbstruck at how effortlessly he just destroyed that little bell, and more importantly, his ego.

"I need to get going, but Stel we should catch up" he said, "Gimme your phone, I'll put in my digits"

"Lunch sometime?" he asked, as he gave it back.

"Yeah, definitely" I nodded. "It was great seeing you Carter"

"You too. Missed you around here, Solaria" he smiled. "I'll see you around"

I waved goodbye, watching him disappear into the crowd before turning back to Brandon who was still pouting like a pissed-off toddler.

"Aw, is someone mad?" I giggled.

"How did he do that? Is he on steroids or something?" he asked, in genuine wonder. "He didn't look that much buffer than me"

"He used to do boxing when we were younger so he's always been freakishly strong. Honestly, he was probably just showing off" I said.

"Geez, I really need to step up my game. You know, it's because I stopped football for a year. Spending time in the gym alone isn't enough to build endurance like that and-"

Here he goes, with the fitness talk that I don't understand.

"-Stel?" he asked, stopping in front of me for a second. "Do I look scrawny? Like in comparison to say, four months ago?"

Scrawny? Has this idiot looked in a mirror lately? His biceps are literally the size of my head.

"You're asking me, a clueless girl who hasn't stepped inside a gym like.. ever, to rate how you look?" I scoffed. He nodded, dead serious.

"Adorable how you think I remember what your body looked like four months ago" I laughed, continuing to walk.

"Well I figured since you're always staring at it, you probably have it memorised" he joked, earning a glare from me as I pushed past him. "Okay okay I'm sorry, just tell me please!"

"Seriously? You look exactly the same, Brandon" I assured.

"But I didn't hit the bell, there must be something wrong" he whined, crossing his arms.

"Aww come on, cheer up. You're still the strongest guy I know... well, apart from Carter, of course" I trailed off. "Just stop sulking and have my pretzel, okay?"

He eagerly took it, instantly lighting up after he took a bite. "So what's the deal with him anyway?"

"Who, Carter?" I asked. "No deal, just an childhood crush turned friendship, but you know that part already since your evil little cousin decided to read my diary to our entire friend group."

"Where is he from?" he randomly asked.

"Uh.. why?" I questioned.

"Because I think we might be related. Like distant cousins, or something?" he wondered. I looked at him in confusion, picking off a bit of my- well, my former pretzel, and chucking it in my mouth.

"Stel, you seriously didn't notice? It was like looking in a mirror.. the guy looks a lot like me" he commented. "I didn't know what I was expecting, but damn, you really have a type.."

"What are you taking about? You're delusional, he looks nothing like you!" I scoffed.

"I mean seriously, just because you two share the same eye colour, hair colour and well, maybe complexion, height, probably build too-" I started, pausing as he raised his eyebrow at me incredulously, clearly unconvinced.

"F-Fine, you look a little tiny bit alike, so what? Ever heard of coincidences?" I asked.

"Ya know.." he started, in that devilish tone that I absolutely dreaded because it meant I was about to endure some relentless teasing. "I once recall you said he was the hottest guy you ever met-"

"I was nine, Brandon!"

"...So that obviously means, I either look like hottest guy you've ever met, or surpass him." he finished, with a smug grin. "Which is it, Sunshine?"

"Does your narcissism ever take a day off?" I asked, looking around to see what else we could do.

"Ah.. So I'm the hottest guy you've ever met"

"I never said that!"

"then.. I'm not the hottest guy you've ever met?"

"No, I didn't say-"

"You're really hurting my self esteem here, Stel" he huffed, clutching his chest. "Especially after losing to Carter, you're gonna crush my self confidence too?"

"Jesus, you're so annoying, FINE you're the hottest guy I've ever encountered, you happy?" I sighed, watching as he practically glowed with satisfaction. "Now shut up and eat your damn pretzel already!"

"Now how hard was that?" he teased, taking a bite. "Okay, is there anything else you wanna do? It's gonna get dark soon"

I looked around, trying to find something we hadn't already done, and then it came into view. Quite literally, in this case..

"Oh, we have to go on the Ferris wheel!" I squealed, pointing to the giant rotating wheel in the near distance. "The line's finally gone down, come on!"

"Brandon! Stop rocking the thing!"

"I'm not even doing anything!"

We were currently getting higher and higher up.. and um, lets just say I don't do that well with heights.

And yes, the irony of me forcing him to come with me on this thing when I'm totally terrified of being suspended hundreds of feet in the air is just hilarious.

But it was that good type of fear, like that adrenaline rush you feel on rollercoasters. The thrill you get, being able to enjoy something so dangerous. Of course, ferris wheels were the opposite of dangerous, they were probably the safest rides in existence since they move at the speed of a snail. But still, being on a tiny little seat and feeling the air surround you as you propel higher and higher was kinda scary.

Especially since I kept looking down every two seconds.. that didn't help at all.

But as soon as we reached the top and I caught sight of that gorgeous skyline, all that fear just vanished.

"Hey, take some pictures" I said to Brandon, handing him my phone.

"Why can't you do it?" he asked.

"Because I don't wanna drop my phone" I shrugged. "And you better not, I'm trusting you"

Suddenly, an arm hooked around my shoulder, and I looked beside me only to see Brandon taking the most ridiculous selfies, whilst he basically had me in a headlock.

"I meant pictures of the view, idiot! Not us!" I groaned, trying to turn my face to hide from the camera as he started snapping pictures. "Hey! Post that and you're so dead"

"Brandon, stopppp" I complained, trying to squirm away from him, as I cringed at the screen. "Ew, that is such an unflattering angle, I look terrible-"

"Shut up, you always look beautiful" he muttered casually. "Now smile, Sunshine"

Doing as he said, I shuffled a little closer. I felt a blush burn up my neck and knew that I was probably beet red, but was too giddy at the fact that he just complimented me so nonchalantly to even care.

He was probably too distracted with what he was doing to notice the fact that my gaze was transfixed on him. I couldn't suppress the silent laugh escaped my lips at the faces he was making. His face was twisted into this adorable grin that I really couldn't get enough of these days...

These past few weeks have been nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster, and we were barely two weeks in. I didn't expect a visit home to affect me this much, but he's been so understanding, patient and.. empathetic with me. It was unfathomable to me that just a short couple months ago, we weren't this close.

I felt like I knew a different side to him, this definitely was not the same Brandon I had first encountered all those months ago. Obviously he's changed a lot, but I never anticipated for my feelings towards him to change this drastically. I was going back and fourth, doubting whether my feelings towards him were ever romantic or if I was just convincing myself they were, if I was just getting caught up in the moment. Because we were so good as friends, and I never envisioned myself liking him of all people.

But looking at him now, I knew I wanted more. It wasn't enough for me, just to get to call him my friend. I'd gotten so accustomed to this closeness we had lately, that I didn't even know where our relationship stood and I didn't dare ask, it would only make things awkward. I didn't want to let it go, or go back to the way things were - he was almost like my rock, making me feel grounded when things felt too heavy, assuring me in full confidence that he'd always be there.

Before I knew it, we were at the bottom again and the bar holding us down had lifted up. We got off, and I convinced him to play one last game before we left, which of course I won.. but fair and square, this time.

"He's SO cute!" I cooed, as I was handed a fluffy little plushie. It was shaped like a hamburger and had an adorable little face, and I'd obviously picked it out specifically because it was a food shaped stuffed toy.

"Here! Take him" I beamed, handing it to Brandon.

"Why?" he asked.

"I won him for you, silly. You have to carry him around now" I smiled. "Plus, I already have Stella Junior, remember?"

"Righttt, your pizza slice pillow thingy that's allegedly fathered by Dave Franco" he recalled.

"That's the one" I laughed. "Oh, before we go, we have to get cotton candy. It's like funfair tradition"

"Our teeth are gonna fall out after today, but fine. As you wish, Sunshine" he said.

After waiting in line for a bit, we decided not to leave just yet, and somehow ended up sitting on the hood of my car in a nearly empty parking lot, eating cotton candy as we watched the sun set. The once lively commotion and chatter was now distant and faded out into the night, and it was just the two of us again.

"So.. why the abrupt trip?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the horizon, which actually resembled the sugary pink treats we were eating. "Not that I'm complaining. I had a lot of fun.. just, why today? We could've planned it and gone later in the week, like preferably not a day where I'd reenacted a scene from Scream"

He chuckled, staying silent for a moment before speaking again.

"My parents used to take me to carnivals like these in Sacramento when I was younger. It was like a yearly thing and I always looked forward to it, and I don't know.. I guess they always made me really happy and I wanted to make you feel that too." he said.

Turning slightly, my gaze landed on him once again, and I lowered the half eaten stick of cotton candy in my hand so that my view was unobstructed.

"I know it's been hard on you.. in ways that I couldn't even apprehend or imagine." he said, his tone genuine. "I just wanted to make you smile, Stel"

Well, you certainly succeeded at that..

I fixated my eyes on his, a grin tugging at my lips that was so wide my jaw was beginning to ache. Bathing in the coral rays, I felt a wave of bliss encompass me, and I wanted to hold on to that feeling forever.

"You're a total softie. Who would've thought" I giggled, picking at the fluffy, pink confection in my hands.

"Yeah well, only when it comes to you, Sunshine" he chuckled, shaking his head as a soft smile twitched at his lips. His usually cool demeanour was replaced with a much more gentle expression, and I don't know if it was just the cherry beams of the dusking sky reflecting on us, but for a moment.. I swear I saw his perfectly tanned face glow with a subtle red.

Imagine that.. I made Brandon Shields blush!

"Thank you for today.. " I said, settling into bed. "I had fun"

The both of us were in my room, and it was pretty late into the night. After we got back, my dad still wasn't home and it totally slipped my mind that he had a night shift tonight, so it was just to two of us.

Which.. taking into account the previous events of today, kinda scared me and I didn't think I'd be able to handle being on my own.

"You're welcome, that was the aim" he chuckled. "You okay here?"

I simply nodded, flashing a small smile.

Although my answer seemed convincing enough, I was the opposite of okay. I didn't want him to leave just yet, even if he was just one room away.

But there was no way I could tell him that without seeming needy..

"Okay then. Night" he said, heading towards the door.

Damn it Stel, just ask him!

"Wait!" I suddenly exclaimed, coming off a little too desperate than I'd anticipated.

He turned around, giving me a inquisitive glance as he waited for me to speak.

I'm totally gonna regret it and embarrass myself if I say what I'm about to say..

But then again, I've been doing that the entirety of this trip and he seems unbothered by it.. so one little request wouldn't be too much to ask, right?

"Do you think you could.. um.. s-stay with me tonight?" I asked hopefully, as I fiddled with the bedsheets under my fingers. "You don't have to, of course. It's just.. I don't really wanna be alone, especially with my dad gone and-"

"Scoot over" he said, needing no further explanation as he approached the bed. I shuffled to the side, pulling the covers up as the mattress beside me shifted under his weight.

"That easy to get you in my bed, huh?" I joked, instantly regretting it the second it left my lips after hearing how dirty it sounded.

Shit, I was expecting a crude comment like that, I mean it was inevitable, but I thought it would come from him!

"You're getting bold, Sunshine. At least take me out first"

"Already did that, remember?" I whispered, finding myself actually enjoying this ridiculous banter.

"Oh, right well in that case you're all good" he chuckled, leaning over to switch off the lamp.

I felt the warmth his body radiated almost instantly. He was closer than expected, but that had more to do with the size of my childhood bed than him. I just figured it would be like all the previous times we'd shared a bed and it was no big deal, but that was probably because those times were on his bed, which was huge compared to my old one - barely equipped for two grown ass teenagers. I seriously wasn't conscious of how small it was until now.

But considering how comfortable I'd grown to be with his presence, I really couldn't care less and was getting too tired to worry about us bumping shoulders.

I mumbled a quick goodnight before closing my eyes, and letting sleep take over my body.

No one's P.O.V.

"How can you live with yourself, Stella?"

She frantically searched for the source of that voice reverberating around the dark room, deriding her.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Stella swiftly turned around, seeing a figure emerge out of the shadows, and coming face to face with him.

The man who'd occasionally haunt her, and was doing so much more regularly these past weeks. The face she promised herself she'd never forget, the face who'd ripped her whole world apart.

The face of the man who took her brother's life.

She'll always remember it.. the sadistic smirk on his lips as lowered the gun, leaving Luke bleeding out on the cold hard ground. How his features twisted with a sick sense of accomplishment, and his sinister eyes were completely void of emotion - it was like a stubborn stain in her memory that never wiped clean.

"You don't scare me" she hissed, her blood boiling at the sight of him.

"Oh, sweetheart" he chuckled darkly, inching closer as he gripped her arm. "I clearly do, if you're dreaming about me"

"Let me go!" she demanded, which only seemed to provoke him. She winced as her she was suddenly flung across the room, her back slamming against a wall.

"You're no better than me" he murmured against her neck, as cold as ice. She squirmed in his hold, but every struggle only evoked him to get rougher.

"You and I.. we're the same. And you know it" he laughed.

"I'm nothing like you, you're a fucking psychopath" she spat.

"Past tense, I was a fucking psychopath - reminder, I'm dead. You wanna take a guess at who's responsible for that?" he whispered.

Her face fell, features marred with pain. "No! I-"

"Oh yeah - you..." he taunted. "You're a murderer. Face it Stella"

"I-I didn't have a choice!" she cried desperately.

"You always have a choice. You're just like me.. actually, you're worse." he said. "You wanna know why?"

She shook her head frantically, begging for him to let her go.

"I've killed before, I was a criminal and there was no hope for me. But you.. you were innocent and pure, and the second you pulled that trigger, you killed a part of yourself too. Justified or not, you took someone's life, and that will never ever leave you. See, I'm dead and gone, but you.." he scoffed, "You have to live with it, Stella"

"Imagine if you had stopped him from leaving, instead of just standing there and watching like the useless little bitch you are. You could've saved his life.. you let him die. Hell, you might as well have been the one to shoot him, you're equally to blame if not more"

"Stop.. p-please stop" she wailed, clenching her eyes shut as she desperately tried to tune it all out.

"You have two deaths on your hands. Mine and his. You really think you can keep up this facade? We both know, deep down, you're tarnished. Most people wouldn't have had the guts to do what you did.. does it ever strike you how easily you watched the light go out in my eyes?"

"Leave me alone!" she pleaded.

"Look at me!" he commanded, forcibly turning her face to meet his as his fingers dug into her neck. She watched as a bullet hole formed on his forehead, and scarlet coloured blood started oozing from it in thick droplets. His eyes turned white, and his face rapidly began decomposing.

"This is what you did to me" he whispered. Stella screamed at the gory sight unfolding in front of her, practically watching the life drain out of him. She glanced down at her shaking hands which now appeared to be covered in the same crimson liquid. Looking back up, he was gone, and instead a reflection of herself replaced him - as if it was a version of her subconscious all along, choosing different faces to hide behind.

"You're a killer, Stella. How can anyone love you?" she snarled, followed by wicked laughter. "You didn't tell your friends because deep down inside, you know what you did was unforgivable and they'd never look at you the same. And Brandon.. you really think he's ever gonna want to be with someone like you? The only reason he's nice to you is because he pities you, darling. You're pathetic, thinking he'll ever love you.."

"Shut up!" she cried, as the voices only got louder, ringing through her skull at an excruciatingly unbearable volume. "Get out of my head!"

And then - with a piercing scream, she abruptly jolted awake in a cold sweat, jerking up with a sharp gasp as her eyes snapped open in shock.

She frantically searched her pitch black surroundings, and didn't register that she was even awake until the bright glare of the beside lamp suddenly turned on, illuminating the familiar room.

Brandon, who had awoken the second he heard her petrified screams, was calling her name out in concern, trying to snap her out this trance. But his faint voice beside her was muffled by the deafening sound of her own heart pounding, as well as the lingering ringing noise her ears.

She felt like she was still trapped in a nightmare. Her vision was blurred with hot tears, and she could barely make out the figure sitting in front of her.

His hand reached out, brushing against her arm but she quickly flinched and squirmed back until her shoulders slammed against the headboard.

"L-Leave me alone!" she sobbed, barely able to get the words out. Her lungs felt heavy, like they'd been sucked dry of oxygen, and she was sure she was suffocating.

Unsure whether Stella knew she was even awake, he made sure to back off a bit not touching her again until she calmed down.

"Stella.. hey, it's me, I'm not gonna hurt you" he assured.

She soon registered that it was Brandon and recognised his voice, but feared that this was all still a dream, and he was simply a figment of her imagination.

"You-... y-you're not real.." She mumbled out of uncertainty, not knowing whether to trust the sight before her.

"You're awake, Sunshine. This is real, I promise.. I'm real. Look at me" he whispered, his eyes boring into hers with such an intensity she knew her subconscious could never fabricate.

Blinking rapidly, she let the tears stream down her cheeks, and her vision became clearer. Extremely hesitant, Brandon softly clasped his hands on either side of her face, pushing back the wayward strands of hair that were stuck to her cheeks. He half expected her to yank herself out of his touch again, but instead she remained, finally convinced that he was tangible and not something concocted by her mind.

But even the relief of being awake didn't quiet the voices in her head, and didn't suppress the plethora of incoherent thoughts flooding her mind, remnants that her nightmare had left behind.

She began to hyperventilate and her chest rose and fell with hasty desperation, like there wasn't enough oxygen in the world to fuel her.

Brandon noticed her frantic gasps, watching as it became harder and harder for her to breathe by the second. He grew with concern, guessing that whatever horrific nightmare that plagued her mind had caused her to wake up in shock, and she was still in a state of hysteria, unable to distinguish reality from her dreams.

He also knew that if she were to continue at this rate she'd likely fall into a panic attack.

"You need to breathe, okay? Just focus on my voice" he instructed, his face inching closer as he tightened his grip on her face, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Can you that for me, Stel?"

She weakly nodded, her rapid pants beginning to slow into a steady pattern as he continued to speak. She didn't concentrate so much on the content of what he was saying, but rather how he said it. His gentle voice, barely above a soothing whisper, assuring her that she was going to be okay.

"Breathe, Sunshine. That's it.." he cooed, his eyes never leaving hers, fingers caressing her cheeks.

Finally catching her breath after what felt like centuries, she stared at the troubled face just inches away from her own. His hair was a tousled mess - probably from being awoken so abruptly by her screams, she thought. But his eyes didn't hold a trace of resentment or impatience.

Here was this perfect, perfect guy, tending to her every need, having to put up with all her bullshit and erratic behaviour and not a single time had he uttered a complaint.

'I didn't deserve this.. I didn't deserve him' she thought.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked, the tenderness in his voice never wavering.

She felt so guilty for constantly making him deal with this.. he didn't ask for any of it, he shouldn't have to be swooping in and patching her back together after every nightmare and nervous breakdown she had.

She gripped his hands, pulling them off her tear-stained face.

"Why don't you hate me?" she said in a broken whisper.

His brows furrowed together in worry.. what was she talking about?

"You didn't sign up for this-... this version of me" she sniffed, referring to her current state as her frustration intensified. "This fragile, weak, emotionally unstable, mentally-draining Stella"

He let out an afflicted sigh, "Sunshine-"

"Screw that, how can you even look at me?" she croaked, her chest aching as a sob threatened to escape her throat. "I-I'm a murderer, Brandon. I.. killed someone, I took someone's life.. I mean, how the hell can you possibly be okay with that?!"

His breath hitched at her sudden outburst, grasping that this ran far deeper than just a night terror. It was more than her paranoia.

It was her survivors guilt.

How didn't he see it earlier? It's the other side of the coin, the part of the story she never dares to talk about, the part she keeps buried beneath her.. it surfaces itself as grief but the guilt of what she did - what she HAD to do in a moment of life and death.. that's what was eating her up.

Not knowing what to say immediately, and being scared to say the wrong thing, he reached out for the girl before him - who was crawled up with her knees on her chin, shaking uncontrollably with the deep fear of letting anyone in.

He drew her into his lap, encasing his arms around her small frame as he pressed her tightly against him, not daring to even think about letting her go. His hand ruffled through her dishevelled blond locks, letting her bury her head into his shoulder. Her fists were balled up against his chest and she had stopped fighting him, but she was frozen in his embrace.

She didn't think she even deserved to be hugged by him.. to be the recipient of his affection or sympathy.

"It didn't matter to me when you told me the night of Liam's party, I didn't look at you any differently then, or now. You didn't have a choice, if you didn't do what you did, then your parents would've lost both of their children that day. In that moment you weren't malicious or evil, you were just a scared teenager, who had just suffered the worst loss imaginable and was about to lose their own life too - you can't blame yourself for living"

"I need you to hear me when I say this. You're not weak or fragile, or broken, Stel.. you're holding it together better than most people would, and you're so strong" he whispered, pulling back slightly to meet her eyes.

"..And when you can't be, I'm here. I'm here for you through everything, despite all of that, okay? I want you to feel like I can be your... you know, your.. person." he faltered, hesitation lacing his voice in fear that he was being too transparent, letting his feelings engulf him as his words were completely uncensored.

But if it was what she needed to hear, then so be it.

She ached to melt into his hold, to let herself be consoled by his sweet words and warmth, but her body remained tense.

"Stop pushing me away, Sunshine. Please" he implored, meaning it both physically and emotionally.

Catching her breath, she finally mustered up the courage to speak.

"I-.. I just feel like-.. I'm such a hypocrite, being afraid of what's lurking in the shadows, when the only thing I should be scared of is myself" she hiccuped. "And I'm scared.. I'm terrified that one day you.. you-"

She paused, pondering whether she was going to regret the next words to come out her mouth.

"I'll what?" he asked, searching her anguished eyes. "Talk to me, Stel.."

She felt naked, exposing her most vulnerable thoughts to him like this, but couldn't keep it in for a second longer.

"That you'll leave!" she blurted out, swallowing the lump in her throat as venom laced her words. "There, okay?!"

He was startled, so taken aback by her bitter tone.

But her anger wasn't directed at him.. and he knew it.

"Y-You'll wake up and realise how awful of a person I am... and you'll leave too" she admitted.

He shook his head lightly, pulling her close once again. "I won't." he stated firmly. "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

"But.. but I don't deserve-"

"Hey. You asked how I can look at you, knowing all the things you've done?" he interjected, unable to tolerate another second of her self-deprecation.

"It's because I know those things don't define you. I know you're a good person, and one action - as life altering as it was, isn't gonna change that. Because I know the real you.." he spoke, his tone dripping with complete and utter sincerity, which only triggered her honey-coloured eyes to well with more tears. "Because, whether you believe it or not, you're still the same effervescent, kind-hearted, radiant Stella you've always been"

Finally, she allowed herself to relax, nestling her face into his shoulder as the stiffness slowly alleviated from her muscles. Her fists unclenched, and her trembling arms snaked around his torso, ridding herself of the only barrier left between their bodies.

"..You're still my Sunshine" he murmured against her hair, cradling her like she was the most precious thing in the world. "And you're stuck with me, so deal with it"

She chuckled against his shirt, the sound of her charming laughter eliciting a content smile from him.

Soon enough, the two of them were back under the covers, faces dimly lit up by the warm gleam of the lamp as they talked deep into the night.

"Have you been getting them everyday?" Brandon asked.

"No.. just a couple times this week" She replied, tucking her arm beneath her head. "They weren't as bad as this one though, I don't usually wake up screaming like that. In fact, I don't think I have since Liam's party.."

"What's so funny?" he asked curiously, as an grin broke out on her face.

"You're bad luck! You were there both times, oh, you're like the opposite of a dreamcatcher, like an omen or something" she whispered.

"So you're suggesting I'm to blame for your nightmares?" he scoffed, knitting his brows together. "If that's so then I'll gladly go back to my own bed-"

"No! I'm kidding" she giggled, "Just an interesting coincidence, that's all"

"Stel, you should really get some sleep" he whispered, eyes scanning over her exhausted face.

Her eyes were fluttering closed and she would yawn every now and then, but she refused to let herself give into the fatigue that racked her body. He could tell she really didn't want to, but he'd stayed up talking with her for what felt like hours and at some point she had to go back to sleep.

"But.. what if I-.. you know, if-" she struggled.

"If you have another nightmare, I'll be here" he assured, edging closer.

His lips brushed against the shell of her ear with a teasing smile. "Just try to dream about me, that way you'll definitely be satisfied"

"God, you are unbelievable" She snorted incredulously, scrunching up her nose in detest which he found all the more adorable.

"Seriously, Stel. It'll be okay.. come here" he murmured, encircling an arm around her waist to gently draw her close. She shifted her body a bit, laying her head upon his chest.

She snuggled up into his secure hold, relishing in the sheer warmth and comfort he provided. It seemed to be the only antidote to ease the unbearable torment that tugged at her heartstrings. He made her feel lighter - as if nothing or no one could ever harm her, and all those agonising thoughts that surfaced when she closed her eyes seemed to dissipate at his gentle touch.

"You're gonna be fine" he promised, his fingertips lightly tracing circles onto her on her midriff, just under the hem of her shirt. The simple skin to skin contact was enough to ignite her entire being, sending jolts of electricity racing through her veins.

And finally, submerged in each other's embrace, the two drifted into a deep slumber. Limbs entwined together, heartbeats synchronised in perfect harmony, in a state of undisturbed peace.

Brandon's P.O.V.

The early beams of sunlight pierced through the blinds, casting an golden glow on the room. I peered down at the limp blonde perched on my shoulder, who was engulfed in a tranquil sleep, her arms resting lazily across my chest.

I brought my free hand up to her face, tucking aside the delicate strands that brushed over her forehead to get a better look at her. The frown that marred her face last night had finally ceased, and her expression seemed unperturbed.

"Stel.." I whispered, gently trying to ease her off my shoulder. "I gotta go"

She groaned, stirring for a second before tightening her hold.

"Mmm.. stay" she murmured, her fists clutching onto my shirt.

I wanted to.. more than anything, I just wanted to hold her in my arms and never let go.

"You know I can't" I sighed reluctantly.

"But, you.. you make a really comfy pillow" she mumbled adorably, nuzzling her face in the crook of my neck as her hair tickled my cheek.

I smiled down at her, a chuckle escaping my throat at her persistence, "I really need you to let me go, Sunshine"

"Why?" she mumbled, her voice drowned in sleep. Her hot breath fanned against my neck, soft lips grazing against my skin with every incoherent word she muttered, which was evoking my thoughts to go astray.

Inhaling sharply, I felt my throat go dry at the idea of her lips dragging about on my neck in all sorts of context, much less innocent than the current one.

God, if she only knew the things she did to me...

"...Because your dad's gonna be back soon" I started, clearing my throat as I jerked back slightly, snapping out of my daze. "And I can't imagine he'd be too happy finding me in his daughter's bed"

I'm just lucky he can't read my thoughts... he'd crucify me, that's for sure.

She giggled, her eyes squinting open slightly to meet mine as she finally gave in, loosening her grip. "Fine, fine.."

"Go back to sleep, Stel" I hushed, sliding my arm out from under her before slipping out of the covers. I halted at the door, glancing back at the snoozing blonde tangled in the sheets before heading back to the guest room, and slumping into bed.

But it so felt empty and cold without her.

Resting my hands beneath my head, I stared up at the ceiling, deep in thought.

Did I say too much? Did I say too little?

Everything I said to her was completely genuine and honest... and I was afraid that, come morning, I'd regret being so unreserved about my feelings with her.

But I didn't, I couldn't.

I couldn't bear to see her like that.. the girl who was usually so fierce in the face of adversity, who appeared so fearless at first glance, was completely falling apart. It always seemed like she was the one keeping me afloat, so I just felt this overwhelming obligation to protect her, like it was my responsibility to keep her safe.

I came on this trip for her, after all. I obviously had no anticipation it was going to be as.. intense as it has been, but looking back on everything she's been through, it's not a surprise. I mean, if anything I think she's acting pretty normal considering the great ordeal of trauma she'd been through - I'm astonished at how she hasn't gone completely insane after all this time. I know for sure if it were me in her position, I wouldn't be able to hold it together nearly as well as she does.

She never lets herself get that upset in front of me, or anyone for that matter. I've only seen her cry a handful of times and it broke my heart to see her suffering in such immense pain alone.

And when she told me she was scared I'd leave... shit, that struck a chord in me, knowing that my presence in her life meant that much to her.

Which is why I had to make it clear to her that I'd be there with her, regardless of what happens. I had no intention of breaking that promise, but a part of me feared that when we got back to California, everything would go back to normal.

That all of this.. whatever was budding between us, was fleeting and temporary. Something told me not to get too attached to our closeness, and her constant reliance on me, because it might all go away when we got back home. I've been so apprehensive about allowing myself to feel anything for her beyond friendship, because admittedly I was hesitant to open my heart to someone in that way. I didn't think I'd be this drawn to her, to the point where I felt I couldn't live without her.

Or, I didn't want to, at least.

And the fact that she reciprocated those feelings scared me.. because I didn't want to let her down.

Truth be told, the last time I gave my heart to someone, it was completely demolished and I didn't think I'd ever recover from that.. until Stella came along, of course. It's not that I thought Stella would break it or anything, in fact it had nothing to do with her, more to do with myself.

I so desperately wanted to be the guy that was worthy of her, the guy she could trust and confide in. But I didn't know if I could trust myself to be that guy for her.

What if I wasn't ready to be vulnerable again? What if I could never let her in all the way?

What if I'm not careful enough and I end up getting hurt.. or even worse, hurting her?

My mind was bombarded with questions, but none of them even seemed relevant right now. I mean, all I can focus on now is trying to be there for her.

- A couple days later -

As I entered the kitchen, the sound of quiet humming filled the air, and my eyes met with a energetic blonde cleaning the countertops with her headphones in. Completely oblivious of my presence, she started to get more and more consumed with the music as her singing got louder, accompanied by some pretty ridiculous dance moves.

"You say that I'm messing with your head, boy, I like messing in your bed.. Yeah, I am messing with your head when, I'm messing with you in bed"

A silent chuckle left my throat as I leaned against the doorframe, watching her in amusement.

"All my life, I've been good, but now.." she sang passionately, throwing her head side to side as her hair flailed around, "I'm thinking what the hell?"

She was utterly immersed in her own little world, blissfully unaware that she had an audience as she twirled around as she belted out the lyrics, using her dishcloth as a makeshift microphone.

"All I want is to mess.. around... And I don't really care about"

A wide grin tugged at my lip at the sight of her so vibrant, enjoying herself like nothing else in the world mattered.

Not that it was a rare sight or anything, Stella was definitely one to make light of any situation and managed to have fun wherever she was. But still, after seeing her so miserable the past few days, it was without a doubt, a sight to be savoured and appreciated.

"If you love me.. if you hate me.." she sang, spinning around before her eyes locked with mine "you can't save me baby, ba- OH!"

She suddenly gasped, finally noticing me as she jumped back and gripped the counter behind her in shock.

"What the fuck, Brandon?!" she shrieked, ripping out her headphones as she glared at me.

"I believe the lyrics go 'what the hell', Sunshine" I corrected, making her roll her eyes. She raked a hand through her messy locks, gaining back her composure before tossing the dishcloth at me in irritation.

"You scared me! How much did you.. I mean, how long have you been standing there, anyway?" she asked, crossing her arms as her face burned with self-consciousness.

She looked adorable - hair dishevelled, cheeks flushed, completely carefree.

"If you wanted to mess in my bed, all you needed to do was ask" I teased, eliciting a scoff from her. "No need for the theatrics"

"Very funny. You know, your teasing only has an effect on me so long as I'm embarrassed, which I am certainly not" she huffed, tilting her chin up. "So continue cracking jokes, but just so you know, I'm completely unfazed"

"Hm, I'm sure you are. By the way, while you were clearly very productive in cleaning the kitchen, you missed a spot" I said.

"Where?" she asked, looking around.

"Right here.." I whispered, rubbing her cheek with my thumb. "Oh wait.. I'm sorry I thought that furious blush on your face was ketchup"

"Ugh! You are just hilarious, aren't you Shields?" she snapped sarcastically, swatting my hand away as I burst into laughter.

"Why are you cleaning, anyway? It's just gonna get messy again" I stated.

"What do you mean?" she asked, hopping onto a barstool.

"Isn't your dad making dinner tonight?" I questioned.

"Oh.. shit, I totally spaced - you're telling me I did all this for nothing?!" she groaned.

"Well, at least you had fun, right?" I shrugged, joining her. "Up for an encore?"

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm never gonna live this down, am I?"

The faint aroma of garlic filled the air as several pots were scattered on the stove. Radius was making dinner and I was assisting him - in the little ways I could, keeping in mind that my culinary skills were.. limited, at best. Stella was absentmindedly setting the dinner table while watching the TV that hung across the room, and since the kitchen overlooked the dining room, I could steal a glance at her every now and then.

"You know, I never got the chance to thank you" Radius said out of the blue, chucking various herbs into the pot.

"Thank me? For what?" I questioned.

"For the way you look after my Stella.. you mean a lot to her" he said. "I'm glad she has someone like you"

I just nodded in response, hearing the underlying concern in his voice.

"And in case you're as blind as she is, she feels the same way"

I looked up from the pan I was told to keep watch over, blinking in confusion. "Uh, I- I don't.. I'm not really following-"

"Let's skip the part where you act all oblivious, okay?" he chuckled, giving me a knowing look. "You don't need to say anything. I can tell by the way you look at her, son"

He was reading me like an open book, and I had no idea I was that.. obvious

"..You- You're not mad?" I asked, fearing his reaction for a second as I scratched the back of my neck.

He shook his head, looking back at the food he was making. "I see the way you are around her... you're a good guy, and you're really good for her, Brandon. Sending her to Gardenia wasn't an easy decision - she definitely fought me on it for weeks, but I can tell she's much happier there than she ever was here"

"I hope so.. I'm kinda worried about her. She's different here, compared to Gardenia. She too brave to show it most of the time, but she's been pretty overwhelmed the past few weeks. I think she's struggling more than she's letting on.. I'm not trying to tell on her or anything, but I'm just concerned and I didn't really know what else to do about it"

"I know what you mean" he sighed, glancing up with a slightly frown creasing his face as he watched his daughter. "She's too determined for her own good sometimes and she'll bottle it all up if it means everyone else is happy"

"I just wish there was something I could do - to like, give her a break from everything" I admitted.

"Maybe there is.." Radius wondered, bringing his attention back to his cooking.

"And.. about the other thing. Just give her a little time" he advised. "Sooner or later she'll let you in"

I gazed intently at the blonde who was neatly placing down cutlery, whilst distractedly looking at the TV every couple seconds, so indulged in whatever was playing that she could barely focus on the job given to her, and would drop a fork or bump into a chair on occasion.

Typical Stel..

She peered up from what she was doing for a second, flashing a sweet smile as her eyes met mine.

"Either way.. she's worth the wait" I whispered to myself, feeling a smile creep up on own my face at the sight of her cheerful demeanour.

"Stel! Come here for a sec" Radius called out, ushering her to join us. She did so, entering the kitchen as she looked into the pots with curiosity, dipping in a finger.

"What do you need?" she asked, eyes drifting back the TV momentarily, unable to miss a single second of her show.

"How you would you two like to spend some time at the beach house?"

Her head whipped back around so quickly I swear she almost broke her damn neck. "W-What?" she questioned, brows knitting together in confusion.

"You should get out here, have some fun. Go the beach house, spend a week there" he suggested.

He'd mentioned briefly that they owned a little beach house by the coast, but I'd assumed that if we went there it wouldn't be alone..

"But- you'd let us go stay there? Just the two of us.. alone?" she asked suspiciously, practically reading my thoughts into existence.

"Should I have a reason to be worried?" he challenged.

"No! No, of course not- but.. I'm just surprised that's all." she said, before looking at me "It's up to you, do you feel like spending a week at the beach?"

"I think it's a great idea" I agreed, understanding that this was his idea of giving her a break. "If you're really okay with it, that is"

"Please, you guys have spent enough time cooped up here" Radius said. "We live so close to the beach yet you haven't taken a single trip there. Go.. be young, have fun"

"Yay! This is gonna be awesome, I totally need to go pack" Stella squealed, excitement filling up her face as she quickly turned her heel, zooming out of the kitchen.

"Not too much fun" Radius warned, giving me a stern look. "I'm doing this for Stella, remember that"

I nodded in compliance, "Yeah, I'll take care of her, I promise"

"I know you will. But I mean it.. I know you guys are responsible so I'm trusting you"

Before I could crumble under his extremely protective and quite threatening gaze, Stella came bursting in the kitchen, panting out of breath.

"I have an emergency!" she announced. "I have no sun tan lotion, and my sunscreen is running out! We absolutely cannot go, not under these circumstances - I can't risk skin cancer, or an uneven tan-"

"You're not leaving right this second" Radius reminded, dismissing her frantic behaviour as she continued to rant about how she was seriously unprepared. "You can leave this weekend, now- Stella, what happened to all the plates I gave you?"

"Oh- um.. I was holding them" she shrugged, looking down in her arms which were now replaced with empty sunscreen bottles. "Aaaand I think now they're in my room..? I'll- uh yeah, I'll go get them"

"See.. she's back to normal already" I laughed, as her dad shook his head at the very loud series of crashes that followed Stella, who somehow dropped all those bottles before she reached the top of the stairs

"Sorry! I'll clean that up later!" she yelled, before beaming with another high pitched squeal.. followed by another crash which I assume was a plate.

"On second thought.." he sighed "Please get her out the house before the girl destroys my entire china collection"

This update took so much longer than anticipated sorryyy, honestly it was probably the most difficult chapter I've had to write so far lmao but I hope it's worth it! Also, ik back then I used to write religiously in 1st person, but every single fic or drabble I wrote in the last couple years after this one was in 3rd person, and so when I started writing this again I had to suddenly get back into the flow of writing in 1st, which was a little weird at first but I got used to it. Anyways, I was unsure about writing 3rd in this fic but there's a lot of parts in the story where I'll have to use it bc it's kinda impossible to get both their POVs without switching consistently, so yeah whatever POV fits best for the situation is the one I'll write in.

FYI, next chapter is about to be.. eventful, so I hope you guys are ready so some major drama, fluff and tension bc things are going to get spiced up. ;)

Tysm for the overwhelming support and kind reviews/messages, I love you all! Hope you guys liked this one, I'm aware that chapters are getting longer and I hope that's not an issue bc I personally enjoy giving you guys all this content lol. Remember to review, I adore hearing you guys' thoughts. Stay safe, take care of yourselves, ily guys! ❤︎