A/N: Here it is ya'll! I just could not wait to get started on this sequel! I can assure you that all of the loose ends that I left hanging in the first volume will be taken care of! Enjoy and review as always!

To new readers: If you have not read the first volume of this story, I'd suggest you do that. Otherwise you probably will not understand anything in this volume. You can find it through my profile, same title.

Chapter One

Am I a loner? Is that what most people would call me? Hm. Well...regardless of what they might call me, I'm not phased. I'm exponentially better off now than I've been in the past couple of years. Hell...I'm better off than I've been in my entire life. All thanks to the guy who at one point was the salt in my wound. The thorn in my toe. The fly in my soup. The, uh...I can't think of anymore comparisons, but Punk was that for me. For quite a while. I'm not sure exactly when it all changed between us...I just know that I am damn freakin' happy that it did.

Lupe set the frame onto the bedside table. She adjusted it to her liking and smiled as she set the rag in her hand down. The house was now lemony fresh and dust free. She stretched her arms above her head and let out a soft groan. It had taken her hours to clean this entire house on her own, from dusting all surfaces and sweeping all floors.

She smoothed the sheets on her bed as she stood. Punk had given her his guest room. He had even permitted her to decorate it however she wished. It was the first time since she was a teenager that she actually had a room and a bed to call her own. Lupe tugged the chain switch on the table lamp and skipped out of the room into the hallway, her heels clicking on the polished, hardwood floor. Her pink chiffon skirt billowed around her bare thighs as she walked.

Lupe entered the kitchen and went straight for the refrigerator. She opened it and peered inside. She took out a paper-wrapped parcel and set it on the counter. She shut the fridge and took a can of whole tomatoes from a cabinet, along with a box of bowtie pasta. She set them next to the paper parcel and pursed her lips, grabbing a cookbook from the dinner table. She turned to a page that she had dog-eared. A recipe for bowtie pasta with homemade sauce.

Lupe had been planning this dinner all week. Punk had been gone for two weeks, on a European tour. Normally, he was home at least three days every week, so this was the longest he'd been away since she moved in four months earlier. Lupe found herself getting awfully antsy being alone in such a big house for so long. She decided that cooking dinner would be a nice welcome home. Even though...she had never cooked a single thing in her life...Ever.

Okay...here I go!

Lupe took a large pot from underneath the sink and filled it up with water. She set it on the stove and set the burner on high. After consulting the cookbook, she tossed in a handful of salt and dumped in the entire box of pasta. She opened up the can of tomatoes and looked at the cookbook.

"...'Send tomatoes through food processor until smooth'..."

Lupe grimaced and scratched her head.

What the fuck is a food processor...

Lupe gazed around the kitchen. There was a blender sitting on the counter. She contemplated whether it would do the job, but decided against it. With a sigh she gazed down at the can of tomatoes.

Well I'm guessing the point is for the tomatoes to be in small pieces...

Without hesitation she stuck her hand into the red mess and began to mash them up manually. After a few minutes, she was satisfied with the chunky paste she had created. She emptied the can into a smaller pot and brought it over to the stove, setting it on medium heat. She opened up the paper parcel and removed the block of parmesan cheese. She pulled a grater from out of a drawer and gripped it awkwardly. After taking a few moments to appraise the foreign object, she held the cheese block against the grated side and took a deep breath.

You can do this...it doesn't look too complicated when they do this on TV...

Lupe dragged the cheese down the grater and almost immediately let out a loud yelp. She dropped the grater and the block of parmesan tumbled onto the floor. Lupe winced as she gazed down at her bloodied fingertips, the tips of which were now finely grated.

"Son of a bitch!"

She couldn't believe how much it hurt. She held her injured hand out in front of her as she scurried out of the kitchen and into the bathroom. She ran her fingers under cold water until the blood began to thin. She grabbed a rag from a cubby by the sink and wrapped it around her fingers, groaning as the fibers of the cloth made contact with the raw skin. She looked at herself in the mirror and gave her reflection a disapproving look.

"You would manage to hurt yourself." she mumbled.

Lupe sniffled, a peculiar scent tickling her nostrils. She furrowed her eyebrows and sniffed the air. Her eyes popped open as she gasped dramatically.

"THE FOOD!"

Lupe stumbled back into the kitchen, which was now filled with a gray haze. It was emanating from the pot of tomatoes as they burned rapidly. Lupe coughed and swiped at the wisps of smoke as she lurched forward, twisting the knob and shutting off the flame. The burning didn't stop though. She went to the nearest window and wrenched it open, the fresh air leaking into the house. She grabbed a magazine from the mail pile on the table and fanned the smoke towards the window. After a few minutes the air was clearer and she tossed the magazine aside.

Lupe let out a huff, but her moment of relaxation was short lived as the sound of hissing reached her ears. She ran back into the kitchen to the sight of the pasta pot bubbling over, water spurting onto the floor.

"Oh come on!"

She hurried to turn off the heat, barely dodging large splashes off boiling hot water. The bubbling died down quickly after the flame shut off. Lupe threw her arms up and let out a frustrated groan. The once bright red tomato sauce was now brown and crusty. The pasta had begun to fall apart, cooked to the point of disintegration. The only component of the meal that still stood was the block of parmesan. Unless you counted the blood.

Lupe gasped and nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of a chuckle from behind her. She spun around to see Punk leaning against the doorframe, an amused smirk on his face.

"Damn, I'm glad I showed up when I did...Another day away, I might not have had a house to show up to." he laughed.

"...Shut up..."

Lupe crossed her arms and pouted. He smiled and stepped further into the kitchen, surveying the scene before him. He scratched at his chin and shrugged a shoulder, meeting her eyes again.

"So...pizza then?"

Lupe plopped facedown onto her bed. Her stomach was full to bursting with deep dish spinach and green pepper pizza. She cooed into the bedsheets, sleep already taking over her mind. She heard a light knock against the doorframe and rolled over to face Punk as he stepped into the room.

"I don't think I can ever eat anything ever again." she mumbled.

"Really? I could go for a few more slices to be honest."

"You're a mutant."

"You didn't already know that?"

Lupe puffed out her cheeks as he smirked down at her. He reached down and cradled her cheek in his hand. Lupe let her eyes close as she savored the warm contact. She let out a soft, inaudible sigh as his thumb lightly caressed her lips. She opened her eyes and gazed up at him, melting under his steady stare. He cleared his throat and blinked, pulling his hand away and stuffing them both in his jean pockets.

"So, uh...since I've been away, I was thinking we'd go out and do something tomorrow. Just us."

"Oh...wow, that'd be really nice...Thanks..."

"Don't mention it."

Punk half smiled and turned on his heel, walking out of the room.

"Punk?" Lupe called out.

"Hm?" he leaned back into the room.

"...Goodnight..."

Punk chuckled and smiled warmly at her. He scratched at his temple, his tongue prodding at his lip ring.

"Goodnight, Lupe..."

She watched as he retreated into the hall and out of sight. No doubt on his way to the living room to spend the night in front of the TV. He was rarely able to get much sleep.

Lupe kicked off her skirt and pulled off her blouse, content with sleeping in just her underwear. She stretched her leg out and gave the door a light nudge, leaving it cracked open just a bit. She nestled down under the blankets and nuzzled her pillow. She smiled and giggled into the fabric, the thought of spending the day with Punk causing butterflies to hatch in her stomach. She sighed and turned off the light, falling asleep quickly.

"Whoa! I've never seen one that big before! It's enormous!" Lupe exclaimed, her eyes wide as saucers.

"Wanna get on it?" Punk laughed.

"Hell yes! Let's do it!"

Lupe clutched her brand new Build-a-Bear to her chest as she skipped down the pier, her sights set on the carousel. Punk lagged behind her, strolling casually with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his black hoodie. He wore his favorite Cubs baseball cap, with his hood pulled up over it. He wanted to avoid being recognized as much as possible after such a long, exhausting tour.

Lupe made it to the carousel ticket booth and gazed up at the prices. She winced. Punk sidled up next to her, chewing on a piece of gum. She turned to look at him, pursing her lips.

"Its so expensive..."

"You said the same thing about the bear and the churros and the gift shop. Everything here is expensive."

Punk pulled out his wallet and slapped a twenty onto the counter, asking for two tickets. Lupe craned her neck to look up at the giant metal wheel. It was spinning slowly.

"You ready?"

"Hm...oh, yeah! Sorry, it's just so big."

"Are you afraid of heights?"

"Well I don't know...I've never been on a ride that goes that far up..."

"Roller coasters?"

"Never."

Punk looked at her as if she was an alien specimen, to which she rolled her eyes.

"I've never had many opportunities to go to theme parks, okay?"

She slapped his arm as he smirked, taking the tickets from the clerk. They approached the gate and waited for the wheel to stop. The operator allowed them in and guided them into the empty carousel car. Lupe gripped the metal rails, her eyes wide as the carousel began to move. Punk sat across from her, cool as a cucumber as he blew an impressive pink bubble. Lupe poked her head out over the edge and watched as the ground grew farther and farther away, the car swaying back and forth slightly.

"Shit..." she mumbled under her breath.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Just relax."

Punk gave her one of his signature smirks, crossing his arms across his chest. He was the epitome of cool. A picture of him at this exact moment should be plastered next to the word "cool" in the dictionary. Lupe took a deep breath and sat back in her seat, folding her hands in her lap. A shiver shook her body as a gust of wind whipped through the car.

"Cold?"

Lupe rubbed at her bare forearms. She was regretting her decision to go out without a sweater. She had yet to understand the infrequency that is Chicago weather. Eighty degrees one minute, then freezing cold the next. She grinned and shook her head.

"I'm fine."

"Come here."

Lupe couldn't avoid the chill that winded its way down her spine. It had absolutely nothing to do with the cold. She hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly stumbled over next to Punk. His arm reached across her shoulders, pulling her close. Lupe brought her knees in close to him, trying to warm her thighs.

Stupid bermuda shorts...stupid weather...

Lupe's heart skipped a beat as his available hand settled on the thigh of the leg furthest from himself, lightly caressing the skin. The cold wasn't even an issue anymore. Her body was buzzing with heat. She tilted her head up and caught his intense, hazel-green eyes. Her breath hitched in her throat. His lips parted as if he was about to say something, but instead he leaned in and softly pressed them against hers. Her hand immediately slid into the hoodie and clutched the back of his head. His hand gripped the back of her knee tightly, pulling her leg over so it was draped over his legs.

Lupe couldn't help but let out a soft moan as he ravaged her lips. This wasn't the first makeout session they'd had since she moved in, but each time Lupe found herself more and more fired up. She could no longer deny the fact that this intense need for him coursed through her veins. But she still could never quite tell where Punk stood on the issue. He had no problem kissing her brains out and melting her into goop, but...that was it. It never went any further.

Punk pulled away, and Lupe allowed the now routine sense of disappointment to fill her. He gently slid her leg back into place and readjusted his baseball cap. He chewed at his lip briefly, stroking her cheek. She smiled up at him.

"That was nice..." she whispered.

"Yeah..." he replied, smirking slightly and intertwining his fingers in hers.

Lupe turned her gaze away and watched the clouds float along the horizon, the lake rippling in the afternoon sunlight. She let out a sigh.

What were you expecting? For him to screw you on a carousel in broad daylight?

Lupe pouted at the blue sky.

"I'm allowed to dream..." she muttered to herself.

"What was that?"

"Oh...the sky. It looks so dreamy..."

Punk smiled and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. She smiled back. If there was one thing that ring-ratting had taught her, it was how to hide what she was really feeling.

A/N: Reviews! Next chapter shall be up within the next few days, definitely by the end of the week!