I stare at him, dunfounded, unable to say or do anything.


    “You love smelling good, and you lean more on scents with berries in them. As long as a perfume or


    body wash has some kind of berry, you’ll buy it. You don’t really have a favorite food because you’ll eat


    anything as long as it’s delicious. You love taking really long and hot showers because it rxes you.


    You hate heights, you hate beingte, and you also hate flying. You hate cockroaches; you always say


    you’d rather your house be infested with spiders than those disgusting brown things… Shall I


    continue?”


    He doesn’t give me a chance to answer.


    “You prefer styling your hair in ponytails and buns. You don’t like makeup that much and only put it on


    when you have to or are in the mood for it. You hate sleeping on your back because it reminds you of a


    dead person in a casket. You hate being disorganized and also the color yellow


    I raise my hand to stop him because I ampletely speechless. Everything he said was the damn


    truth. I can’tprehend how he knew all of this since we’ve never been close. The Sharp’s wouldn’t


    have told him because they barely even knew me.


    “How?” I stammer, unable to wrap my head around everything.


    “I told you,”


    “Wow” says with a smile. “I paid attention even when you thought I didn’t.”


    Despite the warm air, I shiver. He takes out his jacket and ces it around my shoulders.


    “I also know that you love nature. ording to you, it rejuvenates you. That’s why I brought you here,”


    he says gently, and I can’t stop a smile from forming on my lips.


    “Well, it looks like I dressed up for nothing. If I’d thought you were bringing me here, I would have worn


    something casual.”


    “Nah, it’s okay. I’m so fucking d you dressed up; that way my eyes can feast on you,” he winks at


    me, and my heart flutters.


    We remain in silence just basking in each other’s presence that is until his voice cuts through the


    silence.


    “Is there something you would like to know about me or do you know everything there is?” he pulls me


    close to him, tucking me safely under his arm.


    I lean my head against his chest, feeling the beating of his heart. “There is one thing I’d love to know”


    He mock gasps and stares at. “So there is actually something you don’t know about me, I’m shocked”


    “Stop it.” I pinch his rock–hard abs, but it does nothing. He simply chuckles.


    “Go ahead”


    “Is it true that you slept with a teacher back when you were in high school?” I’ve always wanted to


    know.


    Everyone knew of the twin brothers and their good looks. I was three years younger than them, and yet


    even in junior high, they still had girls fawning over them. Gabe was a yboy, pure and simple. Rowan


    was too, but that was before he and Emma started dating.


    The twins had gone through most of the female poption in school. It was even rumored that Rowan


    had banged a teacher. He’d been in detention and the principal had caught them with the teacher bent


    over a desk and Rowan ramming into her like a bull.


    I found it funny when I heard some girls talking about it in the cafeteria. They said that he didn’t even


    look apologetic or scared of the principal. In fact he had asked him if he would like to join them. After


    that, Rowan had been a legend among the boys at school. Then he had shocked everyone when he


    decided to leave the y boy persona and start dating. The lucky girl had been Emma.


    He simplyughs, his voice, deep, husky and rich. It was the manly kind ofugh that I could listen to


    all day long.


    “Yeah, it’s true,” he finally answers.


    I’m shocked. I always just thought it was a stupid rumor.


    “How the hell did that happen, and how old were you? Not that I’m judging or anything like that.”


    “I was seventeen and she was twenty–six, I think… I was a hormonal boy, and Mandy was fucking hot.


    I’d always wanted to fuck someone older than me and she made it fucking easy to draw her in when


    she would literally push her boobs towards my face or widening her legs while in a tiny skirt every time


    she called me to her desk.” 1


    I’m impressed, but at the same time disgusted at Mandy. I mean, she was a teacher for heaven’s sake,


    yet she tried seducing one of her students. I’m a teacher, and I would never cross that line. 1


    “You’re the one that asked,” Rowan says, noticing my scrunched–up face.


    “I know, but I find it disturbing that a teacher would intentionally seduce her seventeen–year- old pupil.”


    He just shrugs, like it’s not a big deal. After that, the conversation is moreid–back. I totally enjoyed


    myself. It was a dream, and I didn’t want the date to end. We talked for hours about everything under


    the moon.


    It was like we were really good friends. The conversation flowed easily; we talked,ughed, and yed


    silly high school games. Everything was perfect, and I felt like I was where and with whom I was meant


    to be.


    When we packed our things and left, it was alreadyte at night. I smiled all the way home, feeling like I


    finally had the chance to have the life I’ve always dreamed of.


    “Thank you for tonight; I really had fun,” I tell Rowan as we step out of the car.


    He takes my hand and walks me to the door. “Me too; I can’t believe I never took you out on a date. I


    n to do it more often now.


    We enter the house. The lights were still on, but Teresa was nowhere to be seen. She was probably in


    either Iris’s room or the guest room across from it.


    I stop and just look at the ce. I always thought that Rowan built it and designed it with Emma in


    mind. I didn’t mind how the house looked; I just hated the interior because it was something Emma


    liked, not me.


    “What is it?” he asks when he notices that I’ve stopped.


    “Nothing”


    “Ava, please, if something is bothering you, tell me,” he all but pleads.


    Sighing tiredly, I face him. “I just never loved the interior of the house. This was supposed to be our


    home, yet I always felt like I didn’t belong because everything, down to the color scheme, was Emma’s


    favorite. I always felt like I was leaving in her shadow. Like I was living in a house meant to be hers”


    He crosses a few steps andes to where I was standing. I watch him as he cups my cheeks.


    “I’m sorry you felt that way.” He breathes, his forehead touching mine. “Tomorrow I’ll call an interior


    designer to change everything, or if you want, you can do it yourself. We can move to my condo while


    they repaint the house, and then after we’ll get rid of everything else that you don’t want and buy new


    ones that fit your taste.”


    I stare at him, stunned. “Really? You’re okay with that?”


    “Abso–fucking–lutely. I’ll do anything to make you happy including tearing the whole god- damn house


    down if that’s what you want”


    Damn, how the hell am I supposed to react to that?