*Rose*

"I shouldn't have said a thing, I've completely messed things up now." Elle says to me and I take her hand to try and comfort her.

"If he is a guy worth having and if he really likes you then he will deal with everything that comes with being with you, won't he?" She looks at me sadly and nods. "The things you told him about are things that need to be dealt with, I know, but you don't need someone around you who is going to judge you for them while you're trying to recover."

"I'm trying really hard to recover, but it's so difficult."

"I know. I can help you if you'd just let me, Elle." I tell her truthfully. The thing is, she is trying to recover, but she isn't trying hard enough. I know that I will be able to help her, but she won't let me. And with everything that I had to go through, it was hard for me to help her because I got into some of the same stuff as her.

"I know you can, but you already have enough to deal with. Especially with those stupid letters coming through your damn door every day. You don't need me making things harder to cope with-"

"Stop, Elle. I don't care if I have enough to deal with, I'm still here for you. And I haven't opened one of those letters for two weeks now, and nothing has happened to me yet, has it?" I say and she smiles at me, looking at me for what feels like longer than necessary.

"You should stay with Vic." She says to me and I tilt my head slightly, confused. "He's good for you, I can tell."

"Okay, what makes you think that? And anyway, we're not even together. We're just friends." I say, but even just talking about him makes my stomach flutter (in a good way). And even from saying the word 'friends', I know that it isn't true. There is definitely something more than friendship there.

"You used to be so afraid of what would happen to you if you didn't open even one of those letters, and now you finally understand that Charlie can't hurt you." She says and I smile at her reassuringly. "And as for you and Vic just being friends..." She says and shakes her head.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"Not in the slightest." She laughs.

"Elle!"

"I'm sorry, but there is no way you two haven't slept together yet. I think you forget that I can read you like a book, Rose. I can tell when you like someone and when you only want to stay friends with them, and you definitely want something more out of you and Vic. Even if you haven't realised it yourself yet, it's true."

"I, uh... Okay, yes. We slept together. But it doesn't even count." I mumble quietly, feeling slightly ashamed of the fact that I had sex with Vic on the first night of meeting him.

"What? You mean... No, Rose!" She looks at me, wide-eyed, and she raises her eyebrows at me. "The first day... Wow, okay, that's cool. I guess."

"It's not as if I thought things would end up the way they have! I didn't expect myself to end up actually having feelings for him, Jesus."

"Ah, I get it. You expected a one night stand." She states and I nod. She really can read me like a book. "Let me guess... He woke up when you was trying to leave and he was so sweet that you just simply couldn't go." She laughs and pretends to swoon.

I laugh too and shake my head. "Not exactly. I mean, he woke up when I was trying to leave, but I didn't stay because he was being super sweet or anything like that. I felt bad for leaving, he seemed so upset..."

"Makes sense. He obviously really likes you. So... Was he any good?" She asks and I laugh, batting her in the arm with my hand.

"Elle!"

"What?! I won't tell him what you said, and it's only me. You can tell me anything, you know that." She pleads and sticks out her bottom lip at me.

I shake my head at her. "Fine. Yes. He was good."

"Is that all? Just 'good'?" She says and huffs, looking at me from the corner of her eye slyly to see my reaction.

"Okay, jeez, if you must know, he was the best I've had." I say and look down, embarassed, toying with the frayed end of my shorts.

"Really?! Wow, Mr Fuentes, who would have thought..."

"You can't say a word, okay?"

"I wouldn't."

"Good. Thank you."

"So you guys haven't done it since that day?" Elle asks me curiously.

"Nope. We haven't even kissed since then."

"Aw, that's so sweet!" She squeals and I tut at her, shaking my head and folding my arms across my chest. "I bet you want to kiss him though, don't you?" She giggles suggestively and nudges me.

"Yes. I do, I really do." I sigh. Elle giggles, but I am being 100% serious. I would love to feel that connection we felt when I first kissed him outside the bar again...

---

"Are you sure you don't want to go to a restaurant or something?" Vic asks me, obviously confused about my choice of place to go on our little date.

"I'm sure. Trust me, once you see it you will love it." I reassure him and he smiles affirmatively and squeezes my hand.

We are almost at the clearing and I can feel the anticipation building in my stomach. I haven't been here since my dad killed himself, it's going to bring back so many memories that could trigger me. But I'm with Vic, so I feel safe.

I gasp and tears start to sting my eyes when I see the branches of the willow tree that block the view and the entrance of the tiny field in the middle of the meadow. "Are you okay?" Vic asks me.

"Yes, I'm fine. We're here." I breathe and step forward to gently pull open the drape of willow branches that are the only things stopping me from seeing what I am afraid is going to break me down. But all that happens is that a huge smile spreads across my face and Vic gasps in awe at the beauty that lies ahead.

"Wow..." Is all he can say.

"Isn't it lovely?" I say, the smile on my face almost reaching from ear to ear. I have tears brimming on the edges of my eyes, threatening to fall down my face, but they are good tears - happy tears - and they are 100% real.

"It's beautiful. How did you find this place?" He asks me, still staring at his surroundings as we step further into the clearing and on to the patch of daisies that are settled beneath the small apple tree.

"My dad used to take me here when I was younger, I would look forward to it every spring and winter." I tell him softly and reach a hand out to touch the bark on the familiar tree that we used to have our picnics under. "He would take me in spring because the apples would always be ready to harvest, and he would take me in winter because the pond behind that willow would always be frozen over - even the water lilies would have turned to ice..."

"What about your mom?" Vic asks me gently.

"She never came. It was mine and my dad's little getaway when she was in rehab. She was there for a year and he took me for a walk and we ended up here. He started taking me ever since then..." I get slightly choked up talking about my father and I feel Vic's hand slide into mine comfortingly, fitting perfectly. "I haven't been here since he died."

"Why not?" Vic asks me and walks around me to face me, stroking my cheek softly.

"Too many memories that I would rather not think about alone."

"I understand."

"Thank you." I tell him honestly.

"For what?" He asks me, slightly perplexed but pleased all the same.

"For being you." Is the only way I can think of explaining how much he means to me in this moment. He smiles at me sympathetically and I look down at my shoes then back up at Vic's face. "My dad would like you."

He grins. "Oh, really? I'm sure I would like him too from what I've heard."

"You would. Everyone did..." I smile at the thought of him but I feel a pang of sadness hit me right in the chest. I miss him so much...

"I'm sorry you've lost him." Vic says kindly as if he just read my mind, and my heart breaks into a million pieces. In what universe do I deserve someone as caring as him? "Hey, what's wrong?" He asks me.

I can feel my throat tightening with sadness and I look down at my feet to cover my face and hide the evidence of my tears that are so close to falling. I can't answer him without choking up and I sniff up, giving myself away. He takes his hand away from mine and lifts my head up gently, looking me in the eyes deeply. I try my hardest to avoid eye contact with him but he catches my attention, his beautiful brown eyes locking with mine.

I can feel the connection between us, the prickling tension causing a strong magnetism between our lips. He leans forward slightly, and I move my head, signalling that I am thinking what he is thinking. He wipes away the tear that trails down my cheek and looks at my mouth, parting his slightly and taking a small breath. We both move in at the same time and our lips touch, a gentle, loving connection that causes a fire in my heart.

I close my eyes as he deepens the kiss and my sadness evaporates, dissolves into thin air, getting replaced with nothing but sweet tenderness. I feel his tongue flicker lightly against my lips in a silent request and I open my mouth, letting it glide over mine in a tempting way. But this kiss is innocent, pure. And to think something could come out of this would be wrong.

We both pull away from the gentle connection we shared and the air between us is warm and inviting, not cold like the earth around us. He feels it too, and pulls me in again for another quick kiss, his lips barely touching mine. I shiver when I feel them brush across my mouth. He notices and I can feel his smile against my lips.

We open our eyes and I almost melt into his chocolate brown irises. He takes my hand once again and pulls me down with him gently when he sits against the base of the apple tree. I sit myself next to him and lean my head into his shoulder, not feeling awkward from the silence but feeling content just from being beside him as he strokes my hair and puts an arm around my shoulder.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asks me considerately. "The good stuff, of course."

I contemplate what he said and smile to myself. "That ditch over there." I point at the deep dip in the ground a little more ahead. "That was my hiding spot when we used to play hide and seek. I hid there every single time. Of course, he knew where I was, but he pretended that he didn't. He'd pretend to fall in on top of me, and I'd scream, thinking he was actually going to fall, and then he'd tell me that he found me because I was too noisy."

"Where did he hide?" Vic asks me and I look at him and then smile.

"Behind this tree." I say and Vic looks at me. "He'd do the thing where he'd walk around the tree when I did so I couldn't see him. And I'd fall for it every time."

Vic chuckles and so do I, the memories making me sad and happy all at the same time. "Thank you for bringing me here." He says and I smile.

"Why are you thanking me?"

"Because you're sharing your memories with me. No one should be expected to do that for anyone, so thank you."

"I trust you with my memories." I say truthfully and look down at his hand resting in his lap. I lift it up gently and intertwine my fingers with his, liking the feeling of them twisted together. He gives my hand a light squeeze and I look up at him, letting him kiss me tenderly on the end of my nose.

"I wish I could bring him back for you." He sighs absentmindedly and I inhale sharply, emotion triggering deep inside of me. "I can see how happy the memories make you, I can only imagine how happy he makes you in real life."

"He was my best friend."

"I can tell. I'm sorry about your mom too."

"Don't be. It's not as if she cared about me."

"Maybe she did care about you, she just didn't show it. Or you just didn't realise it." He says, trying to make me feel better but only causing more internal pain. I don't say anything for a while, not particularly wanting to talk about my mother or the way she treated me when I was younger.

"Do you mind if we make a move now? It's getting pretty cold." I say and rub my arms to get rid of my goosebumps.

"No, that's cool. Here, take my jacket." Vic says and we both stand up. He takes his coat off and slides it on for me kindly, leaving him in just his vest and checked shirt.

"Thank you." I tell him and he smiles at me. "Aren't you going to be cold now?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry about it." He shrugs and takes my hand, swinging it back and forth between us. "You wanna hail a cab?"

"Uh, can we walk?" I ask him.

"Of course."

"Unless you'll be too cold..."

"Not at all."

We walk in peaceful silence together until we reach my apartment. He walks with me up the steps and waits outside the door. I look down at the floor nervously and laugh a little at the situation.

"This is so clichè." I say and we both laugh.

"It is pretty clichè." He replies and stops laughing, looking me in the eyes and leaning forwards to kiss me on the lips. My stomach explodes into a frenzy of butterflies and I pull away, looking at him coyly.

"Do you want to come inside?" I whisper and he nods.

I take my key out of my purse and we head up to my apartment, kissing each other passionately when we close the front door behind us. My mind flickers momentarily to Summer and whether she can hear us or not, but I realise she mustn't be home because she would have shouted me when I came through the door.
I let my mind drift again and I wrap my arms around the back of Vic's neck and his arms tighten around my waist, holding my body close to his. I pull away to catch my breath, pressing our foreheads together so we are ready to reconnect our mouths once again.

I regain my composure and kiss him again, and he presses me up against the wall. I stand on my tiptoes and his hands work their way down to my thighs, holding them up and wrapping them around his waist so that he is lifting me up whilst still holding me against the wall. I kick my shoes off and he does the same.
He pulls me away from the wall and carries me effortlessly into my bedroom, still kissing me the whole time and using my back to gently push open the door.

We break away from the kiss and I take Vic's coat and my shirt off, leaving myself in just my skirt and bra, and kiss him once again as he fights to unzip his jeans and remove them. I take a brief moment to take off my skirt and he takes off his shirt and vest, and we both stand there looking at each other, studying our bodies properly for the first time as we didn't get to do that the last time.

"You're so beautiful." Vic whispers.

I step closer to him and kiss him once again as I let his hands explore my body, sliding around my waist and my back and then up to my chest. I do the same, working my hands over his torso and running my nails gently down his back, causing a quiet moan to escape from his lips.

I feel his fingers working to undo my bra at the clasp and then I feel it snap open. I take it off the rest of the way and throw it on the floor, letting him explore my chest in the most satisfying way.

He lifts me up again and carries me to the bed this time, laying me down gently and carefully, moving his mouth from my lips and down to my neck, suckling gently and nipping lightly, giving me a lovebite. He positions himself so he is in between my legs, only two layers of fabric separating us from each other, and he works his way down my body with his mouth until he reaches in between my hips.

He stops and looks up at me to silently ask my permission before he goes any further. I nod and try and steady my breathing as he uses his teeth to take off my panties. Once he gets them all the way off, he takes off his boxers and gets back into the same position as earlier.

I wait for him to enter me but instead I feel his fingers working on me skilfully. I groan in pleasure and can feel myself almost there already due to his clever fingers. He can tell and he takes his hand away, leaving me lying there breathless and waiting. He leans up and kisses me again, his tongue delving into my mouth. He pulls away soon after.

"Are you ready?" He asks me quietly.

"Yes." I tell him and gasp when he enters me properly.

We carry on for a while longer until we are both tired and our bodies are used up, and we collapse into the sheets and wrap our bodies around each others, exhausted. We both fall asleep quickly, me content in his warm embrace and him breathing softly into the crook of my neck, steady and peaceful.

Notes

Bit of smut there for ya ;) and it only took me 3 days to update this time!! mock exam week is over now (praise the lord) so I should be updating a lot more often for you all!

Also, drama starts to reveal itself in the next chapter so get ready ;)