It kept replaying in Chloe's head. "I think I may be falling in love with you." She had been locked up in her room for hours. Her mom tried consoling her, but to no avail. Her phone had 8 missed calls from Amy, 3 from Paul, two texts from Amy, one from Paul, and finally, to her surprise, one missed call from Alek. She hadn't checked her phone since when she got home at nine, and it was nearly midnight.

Chloe felt like she had cried her heart out. Brian was the only thing left that made her feel remotely normal. Now he was gone. The look on his face when she left. . . . The hopeful blonde wished it was just a dream. A horrible, horrible dream. Chloe tossed and turned, trying to get comfy, but she felt like she was lying in on a bed of rocks. She decided to call Jasmine, since she had expirence with falling in love with someone you can't have, when someone knocked on her window. Alek.

In the midst of her mourning, Chloe had forgotten Alek was there at all. She couldn't even hear his heartbeat because she was crying so loudly. Suddenly, Chloe was ashamed of her tears. Alek must have heard her heartbroken sobs. She did not want to talk to him right now. "Just go away," she said hoarsely, and quietly, so her mother couldn't hear. She laid down in bed and pulled the comforter over her head.

"You shouldn't be alone," She heard Alek say surprisingly, free of sarcasm. Realizing she wasn't going to open up, Alek opened Chloe's window somehow.

_Alek's POV_

He couldn't believe what a wreck she was. He just didn't. . . understand. How could Chloe love someone so much, even though it was wrong to be with him? Alek felt horrible seeing her in so much pain. About his break in, Chloe said nothing. He peeled the covers off of her and slid an arm under her back. He pulled her up gently and held her. Chloe seemed to understand. Her heartbeat relaxed, and so did her crying. Soon she was soundly asleep in his arms.

Alek sighed. She was beautiful. She was beautiful, funny, witty, and he loved her. No, he thought. I don't love her. Loving Chloe was dangerous. Her safety was his first priority.

Who was Alek kidding? He was undeniably in love with Chloe King, the Uniter, the savior of the Mai. There was no one else he would rather be with, but Chloe hardly noticed him. That bastard Brian was the only guy Chloe ever looked at. He was too old for her! At least Alek was still in high school. . .and Chloe could kiss him. They were perfect for each other. Even Jasmine and Valentina saw it. But no. Chloe was set on 'Kitty hat'.

Alek's anger subsided as he stared at her angelic face. She looked tired as hell. He shouldn't stay; he knew he would fall asleep here. Gingerly he laid her down, kissing her forehead as he did. Why wouldn't he love her?

The next morning—Chloe's POV

Beep beep beep. Chloe's alarm clock sounded. It was all a blur. A really painful, heart wrenching blur. As she sat up and felt her mane of curly blonde hair, she remembered. She ran away from Brian when he tried to kiss her. She came home and cried for hours, until her fellow blond Mai showed up. He sat with her, and rocked her, till she fell asleep. Amy would die. Amy. Chloe never called Amy back! Amy was going to murder her. School was not an option, she thought. She went downstairs to tell her mom.

"Chlo! Oh what happened! You look terrible honey!" Meredith King hugged her daughter. "No school," She added, seeing her daughter's misery. "Honey, I really gotta go to work," she said hesitantly.

"It's ok. I'll be fine. I just need ice cream and movies," Chloe said, half-joking. Her mom didn't smile.

"Honey. . .we need to talk when I get home. You know the rules. And please, try to have a little fun today," said Meredith, hugging her heartbroken teen again.

"I know Mom. Have a good day," Chloe said, and broke out of her mother's hug. She walked up the stairs slowly and weakly. "Bye." Meredith shut the door unsurely.

Chloe climbed back in bed, the same position she had been in the day before. She laid there, just thinking. How could things have gotten so serious? She told Brian she wanted to be friends; this shouldn't have happened. She wanted to be angry with him, because it would make things easier, but she couldn't. She felt the same deep down. There was no way for she and Brian to just be friends. Chloe ended up crying herself to sleep.

Chloe was on a date with Brian, but she didn't want to be. He wasn't himself. He tried to kiss her again and again. "Brian! STOP! I CAN'T!" she screamed. "I know," Brian said maliciously. "I know who you are Chloe King. The Uniter. I knew it was you all along. Did you think I actually loved you?" Brian laughed. "it was my plan all along," he said, and pulled out a knife. Just as he went to stab Chloe, Alek came out from nowhere. Chloe watched, horrified, as the dagger sunk itself into Alek's skin. "NO!" Chloe screamed out. There was a loud noise, and suddenly Chloe was awake with Alek by her side.

"Chloe! What's wrong!" Alek said, surveying her room. Seeing no signs of danger, he relaxed a little. Chloe's face was wet from crying in her sleep.

"I had a bad dream," she answered rather vaguely, wiping tears away. Alek sat down on the side of her bed.

"Chloe, that was not just a bad dream! You were screaming and crying! Please tell me what happened." Alek's look of desperation and seriousness scared Chloe, so she obliged.

"I was on a date with Brian—" she started, but was interrupted.

"Seriously? You even dream about him?" Alek said disbelievingly. Chloe just ignored him and went on; she had to tell someone about this.

"He said he knew I was the Uniter, and he had been lying all along. He pulled out a knife and he. . .tried to kill me." Alek scooted closer to her.

"You know that I would never let that happen," Alek said seriously. He had a mildly horrified expression on his face; he didn't even want to think about Chloe dying again.

"No, that's not what scared me," Chloe said honestly. She wasn't really sure if she should tell Alek about him getting stabbed. What if he read into this wrongly? She didn't dream about him because she liked him. Did she? In the midst of her confusion with her feelings, it slipped out. "He stabbed you instead." Chloe was surprised at herself. She didn't mean to say that. She swore she saw shock flicker across Alek's face, but it was replaced by smugness in an in instant.

"You dreamt about me?" He said with a smirk. Chloe slid back down under her covers.

"You can leave now," she said through the covers. "I'm not in any danger. And you should really be at school anyway." Alek yanked the covers off of her.

"You aren't getting rid of me that easily. Besides," he added, "as your protector, I have decided that your current state is harmful to you. We can't have a depressed Uniter, now can we?" Alek said with his signature smirk. God his accent was sexy. Wait, what? Chloe you did not just think that, she thought to herself.

"What exactly do you plan to do about it?" Chloe said angrily. Why couldn't she just lay in bed and be depressed? It was her right. And at least there was no danger of her losing lives there. . .

"I plan to take you out," Alek said. Chloe thought that sounded like a date, and was looking uncomfortable, when Alek added, "You know. Hang out. Like friends. . .because that's what we are. . ." Chloe noted Alek was looking quite uncomfortable himself.

"Since when are we friends?" Chloe asked to break the tension. Alek looked mockingly hurt.

"Ouch, King. That hurts. If we aren't friends then what are we?" Alek asked, amused.

"I," Chloe replied, "am a heartbroken teenage girl, and you are an arrogant teenage stalker boy." Alek laughed. Chloe couldn't help but feel better. She found herself smiling too.

"I don't like being called a stalker. . .but if it makes you smile again I'm all for it." Alek said. And smiled. Chloe was shocked. His smile was gorgeous. She had only ever seen him smirk. "What? You are staring," he informed her.

"There was something in your teeth," Chloe quickly lied. She could not be responsible for the further inflation of Alek's already humongous head. Alek looked at her strangely.

"That's impossible. I haven't eaten since yesterday evening," he replied. Chloe blushed softly.

"Ok so what do you have planned for today, oh fun one?"
she asked.

"Get dressed and you'll see," Alek replied, smirking again.