I wanted to ask him why he felt the need to hit me with a tennis ball back in seventh year but before I knew it, the first question already came out off my mouth.

"Do you always keep chocolates inside your pocket?"

Great. What a deep, earth shattering question. He probably thought I was some kind of a bimbo.

But in my defense, I was curious ever since I saw him pulled a Nutella jar out of his pocket, so sue me!

Hunter, to his credit, looked like he was really considering my question.

"Hmmm... Not really." He muttered. "Sometimes I bring sweets. You know, candies, licorices, and other awesome stuff."

"Why?" I asked.

"Why not?" He asked back.

Never mind, then. I didn't want to have an argument with him, especially now that we were right in the middle of nowhere and where-are-we-exactly?

I decided to just accept the Hershey bar he was offering.

"It's not poisoned, is it?" I asked.

He just gave me a "just-eat-it-or-you'll-be-dead" stare.

I unwrapped the chocolate and started munching on it.

"Tell me three things about yourself." Hunter demanded, giving me an eager look as if he was really interested.

I thought about it for a while. I didn't want to sound boring but I also didn't want to reveal much about myself to him. I still didn't trust the guy and he still scared me a bit.

"Uhm, I'm quite boring, really. I'm a book blogger, I review books and post it in my blog during my spare time. I want to take up Journalism in college and study in NYU, and I also play the violin." I said, telling him true but insignificant things about me.

I saw him nodding his head, as if he was memorizing everything I just told him.

"How about you?" I dared ask.

His face stretched into an adorable smile.

"Food is my drug. I'm the only non-artistic member in our family of artists. Hell, I can't even draw a decent stickman to save my life. And lastly, I fucking hate spiders." He said, cringing when he came to the spider part.

I smiled inwardly. That was one thing we had in common. I also hated spiders.

"So tell me, why are you avoiding me like I'm the antichrist when you're the one who ruined my shirt?"

I almost choke on the Hershey bar.

"You noticed that?" I said, wishing the ground would open and just swallow me whole.

God, that was embarrassing.

"Well if you wanted to be inconspicuous, you shouldn't have worn a hoodie when it was 90 degrees outside."

Totally not my smartest idea. Talk about dumb tactics.

"I easily get cold. It has nothing to do with you." I lied.

Unruly ash-blonde hair fell over his forehead as he tilted his head.

"Is that your way of telling me to give you a hug right now?"

I shot him an annoyed look. One corner of his lips curved higher, as if he was secretly laughing and it did wonders to his already perfect face. For a second, I didn't mind him doing exactly what he just suggested.

I shook my head. Ugh, the devil was using his looks to sway me to the dark side.

Resist, I must!

"You wish." I semi-whispered.

Hunter sniggered beside me.

"For all I know, you're probably half-way in-love with me by now."

I couldn't help but scoff at his arrogance.

"Wow, I didn't know you have such a low self esteem. You should work on your confidence." I said sarcastically.

It was hard to feel afraid of him when he was being this aggravating. Was all creatures of the dark side really that obnoxious?

"Come on, I'm pretty sure you have been doodling my name inside an arrow heart ever since I came back."

The nerve even had the guts to draw an imaginary heart in the air. What was that even supposed to mean?

"Whatever keeps you asleep at night, Hunter." I said dryly.

My cheeks flamed as I scooted away from him.

He leaned in, closing my newly gained distance.

"I bet you a fifty bucks you'll be confessing your undying love to me a month from now."

"Keep telling that to yourself."

"You're right, make it one hundred bucks, then."

"You're mental."

"And you have a crush on me. The sexual tension building up inside you is really obvious, you know?"

"Ugh. You and your delusions."

The guy was probably into something. As if I would ever fall in love with him! I still value my peace and sanity, and getting romantically involved with him would just get me in trouble... big, unimaginable trouble.

He straightened his legs and comfortably leaned backwards using his arms for support.

"I'm already listing the things I will buy once you handed your one hundred bucks to me next month." He said wistfully, and he really looked like he was already creating a grocery list inside that obnoxious head of his.

This guy had some screws lose, I guarantee it.

"I will never fall in love with you." I said calmly and confidently. No way would I let him win this argument.

"Resistance is futile, babe."

"And so is your charm."

It happened so fast that I wasn't sure how he did it but the next thing I knew, I was lying on my back and Hunter was hovering on top of me, his arms on either side of my head.

"W-what are you doing?" I asked, heart thumping like I ran fifty miles.

"Hmmm, just testing if you're really telling the truth." He murmured in a husky voice that sent shivers down my spine.

He grinned devilishly as he leaned closer until our faces were just a thread apart.

I did't know what to do, there was something electrifying with the way he was looking at me and my skin tingled from being this close to him. His minty breath was intoxicating, and I made a mistake of looking at his seductive lips.

Dear God, please deliver me from evil, specifically from this one. Amen.

I couldn't move, I just laid there, drowning in the depths of his amethyst eyes, trying to figure out all of the emotions flashing in them. His eyes were so incredible to look at, they almost seemed unreal. Who even had purple coloured eyes in real life?

That was when I realized I was looking at the wrong set of eyes. They weren't the cute, chinky brown eyes of the boy I liked. They were the eyes of Lucifer himself, two orbs of pure seduction and temptation that were made for the sole purpose of testing my will power.

"Lean any closer and I swear, you're going to school on Monday in a full body cast." I said calmly even though I felt like hyperventilating inside.

I couldn't even remember where I got the courage to threaten him like that. It sounded funny coming from me. Maybe that was why his lips suddenly curved to an amused smile.

He was back on his feet in a blink of an eye.

"You passed." He simply said.

I sat up and gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean?" I asked, anger slowly replacing my initial surprise. "You better have a good reason for making me lie down on the dirt, you jerk!"

My outburst only widened the mischievous grin playing on his lips.

"Well, we're going to be buddies now, whether you like it or not." He said, twinkling eyes set on my face. "You shouldn't be harboring any secret feelings for me. It will just complicate a lot of things." He explained in an obnoxious tone that made me doubt the seriousness of his statement.

I was tempted to kick his ass off the cliff but I stopped myself. Serious or not, I got his point.

The reason why Shawn and I remained friends for a long time was because our love was purely based on friendship. Nothing more and nothing less. Friendship and Lust shouldn't be mixed up. Not ever.

I was secretly pleased that Hunter was really considering to include me in his circle of friends. I didn't expect that from him.

"Friends?" He said after awhile, offering me his hand and giving me that puppy dog-eyed look that I swear no one with a uterus could ever resist.

I sighed.

"Fine." I said as I accepted his outstretched hand.

His face instantly brightened as he helped me get back on my feet. I dusted my pants while he stood there just staring at me with a strange expression on his face.

"What?" I asked, feeling self-conscious.

He just smiled and shook his head.

"Nothing. Let's go, I'll take you home."

I nodded in agreement. Somehow, I felt tired, like resisting the temptation that was Hunter Cole took out all of my energy.

I didn't notice I fell asleep on the way home. I woke up to gentle taps on my cheek and to Hunter's face staring carefully at me.

"We're here." He announced.

I looked out the window of his car and saw that we were indeed in front of my house.

"H-how did you know where I live?" I asked suspiciously.

He rolled his eyes.

"You don't have to look at me like I'm some kind of a psycho. We've been in the same neighborhood for years; it's not really that surprising that I know where your house is."

He sounded annoyed and I felt guilty for thinking that he was some sort of an Edward Cullen type of creep.

"Sorry. I just didn't expect you're aware that we're neighbors."

I always thought I was invisible to everyone at school. Hell, I worked so hard to be one! It bothered me that Hunter, of all people, was aware of my existence.

Hunter was quiet for awhile. He looked like he wanted to say something but just decided against it. Instead, he gave me a meaningful stare.

"You're not exactly as inconspicuous as you think you are, Skylar."

He got out of his car and opened the door for me before I could even open my mouth to question him.

"Goodnight, buddy."

He said as I stepped out of the car.

"Goodnight." I said.

I gave him one last look before I stepped towards our gate, feeling a little weird for some reasons.

"Sky..."

I paused when I heard him call my name. I looked back and saw him leaning on the hood of his car, a playful smile back on his face. I decided I liked him better when he was in his goofy self. This one was easy, this one I could handle.

"I'm serious about the bet. One month and you're going to fall hopelessly and irresistibly in-love with me." He said, sounding so sure about it, like falling in love with him was an inevitability, like it was something I didn't have any control of.

This guy was really grating on my nerves.

I would totally prove him wrong. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Want to add another adverb to that?" I said, one of my eyebrows raised in annoyance.

He acted as if he was in deep thought.

"How about irrevocably?"

"I can't believe you actually know what an adverb is." I said, feigning surprise.

He scrunched up his nose.

"Let's just keep that a secret, shall we?"

"Why? Afraid people will discover you have an extensive vocabulary?"

The smug smile on his lips stretched.

"I do have a reputation to maintain."

"And what a lovely reputation you have there." I teased, secretly wondering why I felt comfortable enough to be joking around with him. He was supposed to be my enemy!

"I know, right? Girls dig my adorable airhead act all the time."

"Dream on, Hunter." I said, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably. I couldn't stop myself from smiling. The guy was completely mental, it was actually funny.

"Ahhh... I finally made you smile." He said, looking satisfied. "Careful there, Davies. You might just find yourself falling to my charms."

"Oh, for the love of God..."

He winked.

"It's on."

And just like that, he hopped inside his car and left me there, blushing like an idiot.

***