Holy smokes. FREAKING FRUIT LOOPS. Pierce's lips were on mine. Voluntarily this time. And not just on mine, they were melting and molding with mine with an impassioned dominance.

Shockwaves rippled through me the moment his lips touched mine, his hands sending further white-hot electric shocks through my body as they slipped around me, one around my waist and the other around my neck, gliding along my body in a captivating caress. He gently guided me backward, pinning me to the front door. Staring at him in wide-eyed shock, I was utterly immobilized while his lips had their way on mine. Or should I say between mine, he was already French-kissing me as he slowly and succulently tasted them with a kind of ardent, fiery desire that nearly made me buckle. But even my brain was so jammed that it couldn't even send the signal to my legs to give way.

"Mmmm..." strange sounds hummed in my throat, sounding like I was being glutted with my favorite food. But the only satiating taste that filled my mouth was the addictive flavor of Pierce's sweet lips. I don't know how long had passed before my eyes fluttered shut as I lost myself to Pierce's seduction. My hands possessed a will of their own and dared to slide up his chest, first fondling the lapels of his coat before crawling up behind his neck and interlocking my fingers there as though anchoring myself to him. All while his relentless lips coalesced thirstily with mine. If he'd been starving for love for the last three years, he definitely took his fill of it from my lips now.

When at last after what seemed like hours of kissing me, he withdrew but kept his hands firmly on me. He met my eyes with a fiery glow in his own and a satisfied smirk that told me everything he just did had been intentional—he hadn't simply lost control. His lips were moist and plump from all that heavy kissing and I knew that was my saliva on them... and it made me shiver pleasantly inside. He didn't have to try too hard to get me to respond, I had fallen into the kiss with him just as willingly. I could only imagine the state of my face now—I'd probably pass for Tiger Lily.

"Pierce, I..." I breathed, my heart pounding and my brain practically throwing up dopamine from an overdose. I had a hard time pulling in oxygen and my limbs felt numb; but that didn't stop the goofy smile that broke out on my face, evolving into an elated giggle.

"That was a long time coming," Pierce said, continuing to look irresistible with his hooded blue aquamarines. I giggled more uncontrollably like an idiot. Pierce's hand from behind my neck slid up front to my cheek, caressing my skin. I leaned into his palm, feeling like I was losing my mind all over again at his touch. We stood there for a long moment, just gazing at each other like new lovers would. All too soon, he gently withdrew his hands from me with a content sigh.

"I'll see you tomorrow, alright... babydoll?" He said, slowly backing away as he weaned himself from my grasp. My breath caught in my throat. Sweet marshmallows! Did he just give me a new pet name? Like, one from actual affection?

"Oh, and er, let's keep this to ourselves, shall we?" He added with a playful wink. "It'll be our little secret." Oh my gosh. OH MY GOSH. Did he just suggest... Does he really mean...

He walked to his car with a backward wave, got in and drove away. Slowly, the sensible part of my brain came to life again and guided me back inside my house. I shut the door and leaned on the inside this time, pausing for the breath Pierce had just stolen. A huge smile spread on my face and I let out a thrilled scream at the top of my lungs—PIERCE HARTMAN JUST KISSED ME!

~

"WHAT?!" Cassie and Haruko both screamed too when I told them what happened that night on our group video call. "He did what?!"

"He kissed me, guys, he kissed me!" I couldn't stop laughing, overwhelming joy bubbling out of me as I clutched my pillow. I told them everything about my sorta-date and they were totally stoked for me—but it was only when I got to the kiss-part did they really blow the roof off.

"AHHHH! I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" Cassie repeated with infectious excitement.

"Girl, you know what this means, don't you?" Haruko asked me with gleaming eyes. "He has feelings for you too!" The three of us squealed like little girls all over again, unable to contain our excitement.

"So, what was it like?! We want all the details!" Cassie practically yelled through my phone. I closed my eyes with a dreamy smile on my face.

"It was amazing, guys, he felt like he would never stop! He just went on and on, it felt like he couldn't get enough of me!"

"Whoo-hoo, go Amber!" Haruko pumped her fist in the air. "Did he say anything after he kissed you?" I nodded vigorously.

"I think he implied that this was only the beginning, and he wants to keep it a secret just between us!" More squeals followed.

"Wow, his feelings for you must be stronger than we thought," Haruko said observantly, "he's got a lot at risk here yet he still made the first move! Mm-hmm, he really is the legendary golden boy rebel!"

"If he's not worried about the consequences, neither should you be, Amb," Cassie said with a confident smile. "I think he's got things well under control."

"I do trust him," I admitted bashfully, "I just gotta be careful at school not to get him into trouble with his job. But I don't think he cares about any restrictions outside school." Cassie clapped her hands.

"Yeah, the only thing he cares about is you. You know what, Amb? I think you just got yourself your first boyfriend." I smiled so widely that my cheeks almost hurt. Cassie was right, I just got my very first lover—and it happened to be the guy I had a crush on from the start. And I was fairly sure Pierce had real feelings for me. And from his mind-blowing kiss, I had a feeling he'd soon take things to the next level.

After all, he just called me his 'babydoll'.

~

I was practically skipping on air the next day as I rode into school. And Cassie and Haruko reflected my happiness from the beams on their face as they accompanied me.

"Hey girls, what's with the big smiles?" Juno asked us at our lockers. He and Ronnie stared at us curiously, looking baffled. The three of us giggled secretively.

"Oh, nothing, I'm just having a good week," I replied demurely. Ronnie scoffed.

"At least one of you is," he mumbled. I frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked him. He looked at me with a sigh.

"Look, Amb, Trey's been going through a terrible time. He feels you treated him unfairly when—"

"Excuse me, 'treated him unfairly'?" I asked in disbelief. "Ron, he embarrassed the hell out of me yester—"

"You treated him unfairly when all he ever did was care for you," Ronnie cut me off. "He's miserable, Amb, and he misses you like crazy—"

"That's not my problem!" I flared up. "Look, I never wanted to lose my best friend, but I can't change how I feel! Why can't he take 'no' for an answer?!"

"Because you never even gave him a chance, Amb," Juno said kindly. "That's all he ever wanted with you. You turned him down flat-out."

"Well, pardon me, but I can't change my heart to soothe his wounded feelings," I replied bitingly, feeling irritated with my two best friends for taking Trey's side. "And after yesterday—"

"He admitted his feelings for you," Ronnie interjected. I groaned.

"Urgh, no, he embarrassed me! You don't admit your feelings for someone in front of everyone like that! That's selfishly asking for attention!" I shoved my bag in my locker in anger before turning back to Ronnie and Juno.

"I'm sorry I'm not sorry, guys, but until Trey comes to his senses, I'm not gonna hang out with him anymore."

"Then don't be surprised at whatever happens next, Amb," Ronnie warned me. "Because Trey's not gonna give up." They walked away, leaving me in a fuming rage that made me kick my locker.

"Argh! I wish Trey would move back to India!" I ranted.

"Just one year, one year, Amb, and then you'll be free from him," Haruko pacified me, stroking my arm. "Besides, until then, you've got us to carry out 'Plan Pierce', right, Cass? Cass?" We both turned around to Cassie standing behind us when she didn't answer—she was silently holding a red envelope and staring at it like it was a bomb about to go off.

"Cass, what's that?" I asked in confusion. She raised her tennis ball-sized eyes to me, flipping the envelope around.

"It fell out of your locker—it's for you," she said breathlessly, like we were discussing espionage or something. I saw the envelope was addressed to me—'to Amber' was written on the front in a curly, cursive calligraphy. I sucked in a breath, my heartrate speeding up. That handwriting looked familiar. Haruko grabbed my arm in a deathly grip, bouncing up and down with a beam on her face.

"Open it, open it! Is that what I think it is?!" She asked excitedly. Grabbing the envelope and tearing it open, I read it with my heart in my mouth.

I didn't believe in love at first sight,

A broken heart was my plight,

But then you shone on me like a light,

And brightened up my darkened night.

And so, if I may be so bold,

To you, Miss Gardener, my heart was sold,

My affections your hands now hold,

Amber, my perfect shade of gold.

"AHHHHHHH!" The deafening, ear-splitting screams from both my friends nearly gave me tinnitus. Passing students stared at us like we were a bunch of nutsos. But none of that mattered—because I just received my first love letter. And even though it was not signed, I knew exactly who it was from.

"Oh my gosh, can you believe him?!" Cassie squeaked in a high-pitched voice. "This is the most romantic love letter ever, EEEK!"

"Damn, girl, you got it really going on with the guy," Haruko said, grinning from ear to ear. It was nothing compared to the smile on my face—if I wasn't sure how Pierce felt about me before, I definitely did now. I didn't need to think twice about who wrote the letter—I recognized the running hand from the notes he wrote Thea years ago. His handwriting hadn't changed. And this time, the letter was addressed to me, not Thea! I'd received the kind of love letter I'd only dreamed about getting from the man I always wanted a love letter from.

"His perfect shade of gooold..." Haruko embellished the last word with drawn-out emphasis, tickling my stomach. I laughed, grabbing her hands to make her stop.

"That must've been some kiss last night," Cassie said slyly. I bit my lip to control the overwhelming flurry of emotions I felt. Although my friends saw it simply as a romantic love letter, I saw it as so much more than that. I knew what Pierce really meant, what he wrote between the lines. He revealed his vulnerability in not-so-many words to me, baring his broken heart. The heart my sister once broke, leaving the shattered pieces in a 'darkened night'. Oh, Pierce...

"What are you guys talking about?" A voice suddenly spoke up behind us. I spun around, recognizing Trey's voice. I stared at him, the smile fading from my face. I quickly tucked Pierce's letter inside my coat.

"Nothing you need to know," I said stiffly. Haruko gave me a sharp nudge.

"Oh come on, Amb, why not brag a little about your new man?" She asked me pointedly, waggling her eyebrows with emphasis. Trey frowned.

"New—man?" He asked, looking incredulous. "Amber, are you dating someone?"

"Who I date is none of your business, Trey," I replied curtly. "Just be sure I am never gonna go out with you." I turned and walked away before Trey could ask any more questions. At least now he knew I wasn't available anymore—once that catches on with everybody and Trey comes to the conclusion that he doesn't have a chance, he's bound to give up on me.

But I wasn't gonna wait around for that to happen—I had a perfectly wonderful golden boy to dream about. One who made my heart soar high above the clouds.

Because it looked like I'd just become a golden girl.

"Alright, everyone, I know you're all excited to get your grades back," Mr. Byrd said as we all sat down for another chemistry class. There was a lethargic mumble from everyone, indicating the lack of interest whatsoever. Only I looked like a nerdy student in her favorite class with the broad smile and bright eyes on my face—only, it wasn't because of the grades, it was because of the sexy golden boy standing in front of me. He gave me a faint smile that made me feel like I was sitting on a bunsen burner.

"I'll be honest, I expected better," Mr. Byrd continued, looking sympathetic as Pierce went around handing everyone's graded papers, "but I understand you've all had a long holiday and had trouble keeping everything I taught last year in those brilliant but sleepy brains of yours." That didn't sound good... Oh, crud, please let me have scraped through, please, oh please...

When Pierce came to me, he gave me an apologetic look and even mouthed 'I'm sorry' as he handed me my paper—I gasped in horror at seeing a neat little red 'F' marked on top. I failed?! Worse, that grade came from Pierce?!

"Now, will everyone open to page thirteen and start reading?" Mr. Byrd instructed us. Everyone bent their heads over their textbooks, apparently unconcerned about their grades now that they received them. But not me. I was in inner turmoil!

I told Pierce I'd be his star student, I really wanted to do well and impress him, even try to keep up with his brilliance... and I failed miserably. I stared at him up ahead while he discussed something with Mr. Byrd in a low voice—he caught my eye for a moment and gave me a heartening smile. I pathetically tried to return it but I couldn't. What would he think of me now that I was the worst student in the whole class?!

Mom is gonna roast me when she finds out...

When the bell went for lunch, Mr. Byrd dismissed us, warning us to reread the first twelve pages at least three times for our homework. I whined inside as I put my book away, not daring to lift my eyes of shame to Pierce again.

"And don't forget to go over your mistakes!" Mr. Byrd reminded everyone as they trooped out in a hurry to get to the cafeteria. "Alright, you may all go. Not you, Miss Gardener, please stay behind. I'd like to have a word with you." Panic filled me as I glanced between Mr. Byrd and Pierce. Cassie and Haruko lingered behind watching me, apparently wanting to wait for me but were forced to leave with Mr. Byrd's keen eyes on them indicated they should leave. Oh no, what now?

"I'm sure you understand what your grade means, Miss Gardener," Mr. Byrd began when I was left alone with him and Pierce in the classroom. I swallowed nervously.

"Uh-huh," I said in a shaky voice.

"A 'fail' is quite a serious issue, and this wasn't even a real test," Mr. Byrd said, looking concerned. "I'm afraid with a grade like that, you won't be able to continue in the science field." Wasn't planning to anyway, I was heading for game development... but where was this going?

"But that isn't my concern at the moment. My concern is getting you to pass this class at least so you can graduate. And I fear you need serious help to achieve that." Okay...

"That's where I can offer my services," Pierce intervened, smiling reassuringly at me. My eyes widened. Huh?

"Mr. Hartman here believes that with the right help, you'll do well enough to pass this class and even exceed my expectations. By some miracle..." Mr. Byrd said with evident skepticism in his voice. "Which is why he has graciously agreed to tutor you." I literally bit the inside of my cheeks to keep from smiling too hard. Did my ears just deceive me or did I hear that right? Pierce wants to tutor me?

"I thought we could discuss a schedule over lunch," Pierce said, continuing to smile at me. "Will you join me, Miss Gardener?" I had to squeeze every last ounce of willpower in me to keep from screaming out a huge 'YES!' like I'd just won the lottery. Was this really happening? Did this situation just turn into the best gift ever?

"Yes, yes, yes!" I still couldn't contain the excitement in my voice. Whoops, gotta convince Mr. Byrd it was for a different reason. I turned to him.

"Thank you so much, Mr, Byrd, really! I won't let you down, I promise." My eyes flitted to Pierce as I actually intended that promise for him. The misery I felt from failing earlier turned into utter ecstasy. Private tutoring with the guy I was in love with and more alone time with him?! EEEK! Failing that test was the best thing I ever did.

"Splendid, I'm delighted to see such interest, Miss Gardener," Mr. Byrd said, looking pleased. "Then I won't keep you. Mr. Hartman, if you will escort your new pupil, I'll be on my way." He gathered his things and left the class, leaving me and Pierce alone. He smiled.

"So, join me for lunch—" I cut him off by standing on my toes and throwing myself on him in a tight hug—I couldn't help myself! He gave a soft chuckle and I felt his hands wrap around my hips in a second.

"Eager, are we?" He asked in a voice smoother than butter. I pulled back to look at him with shining eyes.

"Oh, thank you, Pierce, thank you so much! For a moment I thought I'd have to drop the class and explain to my mom why I failed chem—" I was cut off by another heated kiss from Pierce, his lips fluidly smacking between mine. And just like last night, my body felt like live electric currents were passing through it, ignited by his lips. Pierce kissed me again.

💜

KAPOW! The kissing continues!😘👄💋 Romance lovers are gonna love where this goes from here😍😊. But don't let your guard down yet, Trey is still on the loose... Whatdya think though, private tutoring with Pierce?😍🥰 Oooh la la, huh?😏 Huh?😁