"Are we going to talk?"

I look at Sarah sitting on the bed, "About what?"

"About earlier, about last night, about anything?"

"Sarah, you are literally my best friend, but can we just watch a movie or something. I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, let just watch-"

"No, it's my fault."

I put my phone down, "What?"

"It's my fault," Sarah took a long deep breath with her eyes closed, "Emilie, please know that I had no idea what was going to happen..."

"Spit it out, Sarah."

Her bottom lip began to quiver and her eyes formed puddles in the bottom lids, "When you went to the kitchen to get us drinks, I introduced myself to AJ and Benjamin and a few of their friends. I told them that you were here with me and that you thought they were cute..."

I felt my throat begin to go dry.

"I told AJ that you went to go get some beers and that you might could use some assistance...I was just trying to snag a moment of Benjamin's attention. I didn't know he was going to-"

"Stop." My eyes slammed close with force.

She grabbed my hand, "Emilie, I had no way of knowing-"

"What? That a guy might try to take advantage of a girl knowing that her friend was no where around and didn't care where she was?"

Her puddles ran down her cheeks, and the tears were slowly turning to waterfalls. She apologized over and over again.

"I need a minute, please. I am going to go outside," I turn to see her stand, "And do not follow me."

Their front porch was stunning, and clean. The flowers and plants lining the edge were perfectly trimmed and taken care of. I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders as I sat on the top step. Closing my eyes, the gentle wind grazed my face with a refreshing tingle of chill.

"Mind if I sit?"

I pulled my blanket closer to my leg, revealing a spacious place to sit.

"Sarah told me what she did," he rubbed his hand around the back of his neck, "Are you okay?"

I sigh, "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his chest, "Because everyone cares about you, but none as much as I do."

With his right arm across my shoulders, his left hand reached for my right, and intertwines our fingers.

"Can I ask you something?"

I nod my head.

"Why did you go back to him? I thought you had moved on... I thought you had feelings for me.."

The fingers of my free hand rub my eye until I start to see Kaleidoscope images, "I did it because I had feelings for you."

He looked at me with confusion, "I don't understand?"

"I thought you look at me as a joke, after Heath. I just tried to find a way to draw out the truth.. if you cared about me, I guess I just thought jealousy would be enough proof."

"You don't love him?"

I shook my head, "Not anymore."

"Thank God." He pulled his arm from my shoulders, cupping my face in both of his hands. He stared into my eyes, moving back and forth from each eye, then he kissed me. I mean really kissed me. The kind of kiss that you see in the movies, or read about in the books. One that felt so unreal that you expected to open your eyes and realize it was all a dream. Except when I opened my eyes, it was real. Very real.

"You are all I think about, Emilie Jones."

"I think about you a lot... and then I think about Sarah."

His head slowly dropped, "She will understand, we can make this work."

"Make this work? What do you mean?"

He stood up slowly, holding his ribs, then held his hand out to help me to my feet as well. We stood nose to nose, and I could feel his breath.

"Go out with me, like really go out with me."

I smile, "Like a date?"

"A real date. I can pick you up, we can go eat some food, go play at the arcade, or drive around town looking at the lights and the views around town."

He had a smile spread across his face, still holding my hands.

"Liam, what about Sarah?"

His smile faded, "I'm going to talk to her."

"No, let me do it."

His eyes softened, "We can do it together."

I shook my head, "No, I have to be the one."

He sighed, and held me in his arms on their front porch steps. We just stood in each other's embrace as minutes passed in the silence and peace of the night.

The next morning I walked into my house and sat on the couch. I didn't have the heart to tell Sarah last night. I knew I needed to do it today, before we went back to school tomorrow. I just don't know how.

There was a knock at the front door, but my mother wasn't home. I open the door to see Jackson Brooks.

"Hey."

I bit my lip, "Hey."

"Can we talk?"

"Everyone wants to talk... but I don't really want to."

He looked down at his feet, "Emilie, can I please come in?"

I chewed the inside of my lip until it was raw, "Fine, but you can't stay."

Jackson walked in and sat on a bar stool beside our kitchen island, "Are you with him now?"

I shook my head, "No, but even if I was, it's none of your business."

"It might not be my business, but it is Sarah's."

I stood by the cabinets, leaning against the countertop, "False. It is no ones business but mine and his. Why are you here?"

"Well, I had originally came to check on you and to apologize, but if you want to be a bitch, then fine."

I cross my arms across my chest, "I'm fine."

"Why did you have to break up with me, again, in front of your friend? Why couldn't you have been decent enough to talk to me in private. We could have worked things out, Em."

"No, Jackson. There is no working things out, and that's exactly why I did it in front of her. You are so delusional when it comes to our relationship!"

I could tell I had hit a nerve, his face turned from disappointment to anger, "Delusional? Why? Because I actually loved you, and you just used me?"

"I used you?" I laugh, "That's real comical."

He stood, "I didn't use you, Emilie. I tried to win you back."

"Well you didn't. You never will."

He shook his head, "I don't know what happened to the Emilie I used to know. She was happy, generous, selfless, but most importantly... she was true to herself. You, are none of those things."

It was my turn to feel like a knife was in my chest. I didn't have the words to say. My life here was different than it was in North Carolina.

"I loved you. Past tense. If we can't be friends, then we can't be friends- but I do not love you anymore, and I need you to understand that."

He nodded his head slowly, "Crystal Clear, Em."

He started walking towards the door, but turned before leaving, "I hope you find yourself again."

And then he left, closing the door behind him.