APOV

After working our way through the book, I finish reading the last page and close the book. I look over at the clock and see that it is already 9pm. I glance towards Christian who is now flopped across the rug that is in between mine and Kate's bed, on his phone. I can't help but stare and take in how handsome he truly is, he has a slight stubble on his face that leads into his defined jawline. As my eyes begin to descend lower down his face towards his chest, my stomach lets out a loud grumble and I remember that I haven't eaten today.

After the grumbling has stopped, Christian slowly looks up from his phone towards me with an expression I can't read.

I can feel my cheeks beginning to heat up from the embarrassment.

"Ana, was that your stomach?" Christian asks with a neutral tone.

"Um… yeah, I haven't had a chance to eat today." I mumble with my eyes cast down, hoping he doesn't see how red my face is.

He begins to get up and for a second I think he is leaving until he puts his hand out towards me.

"Let me fix that then." he simply says.

Before I even give myself a second to think about this, I place my hand into his and with that we begin heading out of the dorm.

As we are walking down the same street we walked down earlier for the party I begin to wonder if he is taking me back to the party, even after everything I told him earlier.

"Hey Christian… I don't really want to go back to the party. I don't think that's my scene." I begin to say, hoping he understands that I really don't want to go back.

"Ana, I may have only met you today but I think I know you well enough to know not to bring you to another party. That is not where we are heading anyways though. I happen to know of someplace that you might enjoy slightly more than the party." He says as we continue walking down the street with our hands still connected.

We walk past the party, which appears to be even more crazy than it was earlier, until we make it to a run down building at the end of the dimly lit street. I begin to tense up with the thought of what could happen on this poorly lit street with no other pedestrians around.

As he might sense, my body begins to tense up, Christian gives my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Ana, relax. I'm not going to hurt you. This is a small little mom and pop shop that I discovered last year. They have the best comfort food." He tells me, which does help me begin to relax.

As we make our way into the restaurant the atmosphere is completely different than it was on the outside. I start looking around and I get an overwhelming sense of home. The interior is what one might imagine if they were in a cabin in the woods. There is a fireplace that is producing enough heat that I can feel it from the opposite side of the room. The lighting has a warm dim that one might say creates a romantic ambiance.

As we travel further into the restaurant, Christian leads me to a booth in the corner closest to the fire place.

Before we even have time to get settled into the booth, we hear a high pitched shriek coming from where the kitchen is located. When I look over I see the most adorable elderly lady making her way towards our booth.

"Ah! My Christian, he comes back just for me. I thought I would never see you again." She starts saying while cupping Christians face in her frail hands. I can't help but smile at this adorable reunion between the two.

"Nonna, I could never forget about you." Christian sweely says while taking her hands into his and places gentle kisses along the tops of them.

"Down boy, that's my woman." says a large gentleman who places his arm around the elderly woman's waist, while setting a bowl of delicious looking pasta onto the table.

"Vic, like I have told you before, one day Nonna will leave you and come searching for me and you can bet I will take her in with open arms." Christian says with a big smile on his face.

All three of them begin to break out in laughter until the elderly woman looks over towards me and lets out a loud gasp.

"Of course. Nonna, Vic, let me introduce you to the beautiful Ana. It is her first year here at WSU. Ana, this is Nonna and Vic, they own this place." Christian says while gesturing around him.

"Dear, Christian is finally introducing us to a girlfriend!" Nonna says to Vic with a wide smile plaster on her face.

"Oh.. uh Christian and I aren't, you know, together". I say to her.

"All in due time then, my dear. I have a sixth sense for these things." Nonna says while cupping my burning red cheek in her hand.

Vic and Christian both let out big laughs as she says that.

"Alright darling, let's get you out of here and let these two have some time alone. Christian, as usual, it's on the house so eat to your heart's delight. Ana, please pick anything you want. Christian is family in our hearts and if he is bringing you here then you must be pretty special. Enjoy" Vic says while directing Nonna back into the kitchen.

"Sorry about that Ana. I came here at the beginning of last year when Elliot was off doing God knows what and my other friends were all busy. Nonna and Vic are good people, they took me in so to speak and made sure I was always fed." Christian says while he begins to dig into the bowl of pasta that Vic brought over.

I smile at his explanation because he looks so carefree and it was obvious that he cares a great deal about Nonna and Vic.

Without saying anything more, we both dig into the pasta that Vic brought over and after a while, we have ordered 3 more bowls of pasta to share.

I honestly can't remember the last time that I have had this much fun with someone. After we had finished the first bowl and my stomach was no longer grumbling, Christian and I started swapping stories about our childhood.

Christian is the middle child with Elliot being two years older and Mia being just a year younger than I am and a senior in High School. He also mentions that he has two loving parents, his mother is an accomplished doctor and his father is a prestigious lawyer.

Christian told me all about the trouble he and Elliot would get into growing up and each story is funnier than the last.

When Christian asked me about my home life, at first I was unsure of how much I should share but I figured since he was so open with me, that I should do the same.

I started by telling him all about Ray and how he raised me all by himself while growing his company. Growing up with Ray had its challenges because he doesn't show too many emotions due to his own background but we did it together and I must say that Ray did an amazing job raising me.

After I told Christian about my childhood with Ray, he just stared at me.

"Ana, is your dad Ray Steele, owner of Steele Inc.?" he asks

"Yeah…. Why? Have you met my dad before?" I ask him

"No, but in all honesty, I have looked up to your father for years. The way that he grew his business and all the success that he has acquired. It's truly inspiring. I didn't know that he had a daughter." Christian says

"Yeah, daddy would let me go to the events but would never let me get photographed. He also has a stake in all major publications to ensure that I was never written about. He didn't want me to get wrapped up with all of that drama and honestly I am so thankful he did all that for me, it has allowed me to have a normal childhood." I tell him.

"Of course he would do that for you, see this is exactly why I look up to him, he is simply a remarkable man." Christian says.

"Yeah, he is the best." I say with a proud smile.

Seeing Christian basically fangirl over my father gives me an idea. "You know, since you introduced me to Nonna and Vic, people you consider extremely important in your life, maybe you can accompany me to the Coping Together Gala my father attends every year, he told me this year that I can finally go. It's in two weeks and I know that he is going to be there, you can finally meet your role model." I suggest to him.

Christian begins breaking into a huge grin then starts laughing. Before my mind starts to wonder why he is laughing at my suggestion he speaks up.

"Ana, the Coping Together Gala is actually put on by my family and no, I don't want to accompany you." he says.

My head immediately drops and as a tear slowly begins to form, Christian gently lifts my chin and looks into my eyes.

"Because I would love for you to accompany me to the Coping Together Gala." He whispers to me.