Eliana's P.O.V.

I was laying on my bed watching Toby workout in his room when mom called for me to go get the door. I groaned and pulled my eyes away from the shirtless hottie next door to go down stairs. I rushed to the front door in hopes of getting back upstairs before Toby finished. I opened the door to reveal the one person I didn't want to see. So I slammed it in his face. Unfortunately he caught it.

"Eliana please. I just want to talk." Connor begged.

I swung the door open again. "Talk? You want to talk?!" I exclaimed.

He looked down. "I'm really sorry. Please just let me explain."

I scrutinized him. His face is still covered in bruises from the beating Toby gave him and he looks genuinely upset. "Fine." I relented. "I'll give you ten minutes."

I walked outside and sat on the porch swing as far away from him as I could get.

"I know you don't want to talk to me." He started. "I mean, you made it pretty clear when you didn't answer my calls and I understand why. What I tried to do was unforgivable." He said ashamedly. "I just want you to know that I really did like you when we were dating. I mean, at first you were just someone new, but then I got to know you and your so amazing. When you dumped me I was upset and hurt. Then that night at the party you were so beautiful and I got drunk and did things I will regret for the rest of my life. When I took you upstairs it really was to help you sober up, but then thoughts of you dumping me came to mind and I got angry. So I kissed you. When you resisted me it made me angrier and I tried to do what I did." His voice was full of shame and sadness. "I swear I never intended to hurt you. It just happened and I would do anything to fix it. Also I understand if your family wants to press charges. I am technically an adult and your a minor so I should have to face the police." He said.

"Connor." I said to stop him from continuing. "We aren't pressing charges." I told him.

"What?" He said in surprise.

"Well, despite your history with girls, several people have said that that was very out of character of you and that you have never tried to hurt a girl before, so my parents and I have decided not to press charges." I said.

"Thank you." He said huskily. "I hope you and Toby are happy together." He said sincerely.

I blushed. "We aren't together."

"Oh, but you will be." He responded leaving.

I sighed and rocked the swing slowly as I enjoyed the warm summer air. I closed my eyes as the wind caressed my skin.

"Hey. Mind if I join you?" A voice asked making me jump. I opened my eyes and smiled at Toby. "Of course not." He smiled in response and sat down beside me. I rested my head on his shoulder as we continued to rock.

"Was that Connor?" Toby asked hesitantly.

I nodded. "Yeah. He came to apologize." I sighed.

"Seriously?" He exclaimed angrily. "Does he honesty think that's going to fix anything?" He asked turning to face me.

"No. He actually said that we should press charges, but we aren't." I told him.

"Oh." He leaned back against the swing again.

"So," I said starting a new conversation. "Tell me about this sister of yours."

"You mean Ariella?" He asked. I nodded. "Well Ariella is ten years older than me, so we aren't that close. She moved to America when I was eight for college. She met Blake's brother at Yale and they started dating. They got married two year ago and she had the twins nine months later."

"Wait. So Blake's brother is married to your sister? Does that make y'all related some how?" I asked curiously.

"Kinda. He says he's my brother." He said smiling fondly.

"Oh. What about the twins?"

"The twins are adorable. They named them Lila and Yosef. Which Yosef is the Hebrew version of Joseph and Lila is the Hebrew word for night. Usually they just call Yosef Joseph. They're a mess the two of them. Sadly, they live in Israel so I don't get to see them very often." He said sadly.

I smiled. "They sound really amazing."

"Yeah." He replied.

I leaned over and kissed his cheek. He smiled adorably at me. "What was that for?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I just felt like it." Seriously, I did that because my feelings for him are growing everyday and I felt like I needed to show him some how without telling him to see if he feels the same way.

"Well, if that's the case then I can do this because I feel like it." He responded mischievously. Before I had time to ask what it was he wanted to do, his lips descended upon mine. I gasped in surprise and responded to his kiss. His arms snaked around my waist and held me tightly. Just as the kiss was getting more passionate, a steam of water hit us in the face. We sprang apart to see Blake and Bethany loaded down with water guns.

"Surrender or die!" Bethany shouted dramatically.

"Or just die." Blake smirked.

I squealed as more cold water hit me and grabbed Toby's hand to pull him inside. We ran upstairs to my room and I began to search for some water balloons and water guns.

"What are you doing?" Toby asked confusion displayed on his features.

"Looking for water balloons." I replied. I finally found them in a box under my bed along with water guns and other water toys. "Aha! Fill these up in the bathroom." I said tossing him the water balloons. I grabbed a bucket from the closet and began placing the full balloons in it. Once we are done filling them and the water guns we carry everything out to the back yard.

Our backyard is big and grassy, with a trampoline, swing set, and little pool for the kids. We also have a soccer field and basket ball court set up. On the other side of the yard away from the kids stuff, we have a small vegetable garden and a patio with a place set up for grilling.

Me and Toby headed for the trampoline to set up our base. We hopped on it and Toby hung our bucket of water balloons on one of the poles that hold up the net. We lay down and wait for Bethany and Blake to come around to the back. A few minutes pass until we see them walk around the side of the house.

"Now!" Toby yelled. We aimed our water guns threw the opening in the net and fired at the unsuspecting duo. Both Blake and Bethany immediately start screaming profanities and trying to fire back at us but they miss. When their guns run out of water they head for the water hose but stop when Hezekiah and Sanako point it at them threateningly.

"Now," Blake said holding his hands up in surrender. "Let's not do anything rash. Just put the hose down and I will give you a dollar." He bargains.

Me and Toby stifle our laughs as Sanako rolls her eyes.

"What kind of idiot do you think I am?" She asked her words coming out funny due to her missing front teeth. "Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean you can rip me off!" She crossed her skinny little arms across her chest. "Fifty or nothing."

Blake's eyes widened. "Fifty freaking dollars? What kind of fool do you thing I am?"

"The kind how made the wrong choice." She stated flatly. "Ice them Hezzi!" She yelled. Dad seriously needed to stop letting her watch the godfather movies with him. Hezekiah turned the water hose on full blast as Blake and Bethany ran for cover. Me and Toby were laughing loudly by this point. "Hey! Toby and Eliana are on the trampoline! Ice them too!" Sanako shouted.

"Toby! The water balloons!" I shouted. We hopped up and started pelting my siblings and Blake with the balloons. Sanako shrieked as one hit her soaking her with cold water.

"You'll regret that!" She yelled.

She shot water at us from the water hose, soaking us completely. Toby, who had been jumping up and down at this point, slipped on the wet trampoline and fell. I laughed like a lunatic at his plight as he had difficulty getting back up, until he pulled me down beside him. In that moment, as my eyes connected with his, I knew that he was genuinely happy and I didn't want that to ever change.