I refused to look up at her because I knew that if I did, if I saw her beautiful face, the walls I built up for so long would crumble around me. She had that affect on me, and I couldn't control it no matter how hard I tried to.

"Remember that boy I painted a wall with? All he saw was grey in the world and I told him that beyond the wall we paint together, there's a whole other side. The other side had colors and perspective and freedom. And he's missing out." Her smooth voice danced in my ears. I instantly felt vulnerable beside her and afraid.

I nodded and continued to stare at the floor beneath us, taking the place of a statue, staying completely still.

"You're like that, you know." She continued. "Happiness is right in front of you, but you're too busy choosing misery that you can't even see it."

There is no such thing as happiness when the stakes in front of you are too high.

I finally looked up and realized that her face was a lot closer to mine than I originally thought. Her beauty captivated me, warmed me, made me completely melt in front of her. Every detail in her face, freed me.

"I want to be happy..." I whispered. "I want to make you happy. Making you happy and being with you, makes me happy. You're my other side of the wall, Aria. And you're right in front of me."

Sharing emotions with another person was the hardest thing that I thought I could ever do. More terrifying than having a gun pulled on me, or being stabbed, or having any form of my life threatened. More terrifying than my past and all the bullshit that I've been through.

This could get me into trouble.

Aria smiled soft and faint. "Then what do you choose?"

I leaned in closer to her face, craving nothing more than to be with her. "I choose what's in front of me. Every. Single. Time."