I apologise for the underlining - i don't no what the hell happened!! Please forgive!! xxx

I pointed out the small dirt road that led to my house as we neared it. I tried hard to negate the feelings of shame I had, as Jared parked the car in front of my old, weather-beaten bungalow. It was practically dilapidated, and something was always going wrong with it every week; a leak in the roof, an explosion in the wiring, or something similar in that effect. Jared lived in a shiny house, expensive and modern. I realised the contrast between him and me this seemed to point out, and felt a small needle of depression shoot through my hope.

I wasn't good enough for him. I was nowhere near his league, and I never would be. I tried to think positive, as I climbed out of the car, trying to convince myself to enjoy his company while it lasted, but I couldn't stop the crushing waves of disappointment and misery that washed over me.

Moving faster than I ever thought possible, or maybe I just wasn't paying attention, Jared was out of the car and by my side. He retrieved my books and bag and I took them from him.

"Thanks," I said, smiling shyly at him.

"No problem," he replied, and his sincerity rang true in every syllable. I made the mistake of looking into his eyes, and immediately became lost in them. They were a beautiful, deep sapphire blue, reminding me of an ocean hiding many treasures. They held my gaze, also searching for something within my hazel eyes. I was mesmerised by his eyes, barely able to tear mine away from the intensity of his stare.

But I forced myself to drop my head and look at the ground. I would have loved to have stood there and gawped at him all day, but he had a life, unlike me, and I was not a huge part in it. I was a minor disruption, something he felt remorseful about, because he had made no effort to get to know me in all these years. He didn't need me gaping at him like an idiot.

"Um," I said, swallowing. I could still feel his gaze on me. "I'd better…get inside."

"Can I come in?"

I froze, unable to believe that those four words had just come out of his mouth. I literally could not believe it. I must have imagined it. There was no way Jared wanted to come into my house, and talk to me. I raised my head slowly, focussing on his face, trying not to dwell on his eyes too long, in case I found myself utterly incoherent again.

"What?"

"Can I come in?" he repeated, enunciating every word slowly, a hint of a smirk on his face.

I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times, in the manner of a goldfish, before my brain remembered how to structure a sentence. "Sure," I stammered, "if you want to?" I hadn't meant it to sound like a question. He nodded, a smile slowly spreading across his face. He looked as though there was nothing else in the world he'd rather be doing. Dazzled, disorientated, my heart beating rapidly, I turned around and led Jared to my front door.

He lit up my whole kitchen. It was something I had only pictured in my most extreme daydreams; him inside my house, doing nothing in particular. He was lounging on a seat at the kitchen table, looking around interestedly. But his eyes fixed on me regularly, as though he couldn't stop himself. Every time I caught his eye, there wasn't a trace of embarrassment on his face.

There was something in his expression I couldn't understand, yet recognised: awe. I had absolutely no clue why he would be staring at me like that. There was nothing remarkable or extraordinary about me, so I couldn't figure out what is was about me that inspired that look in his eyes. It didn't make any sense.

My cat, Chaos, burst into the room, erupting in yowls. I looked up in time to see Jared throwing him a dirty look.

"Do you not like cats?" I asked, worried he may be allergic.

"Let's just say, I prefer dogs," he said, grinning widely, making me feel as though I was missing a vital part of the joke. I nodded confusedly, and went about getting Chaos his dinner, trying to act as though the bloody cat's ear-splitting yowls weren't embarrassing, despite me wanting to kick the cat around the place.

Once Chaos was munching away, I sat opposite Jared on the table. I couldn't think of a single thing to talk about. Nothing interesting had happened to me recently, excluding the miracle of today. However, no awkward silence descended, and he continued to stare at me as though I was the most fascinating thing in his world. I stared back, unable to resist, but also kept lowering my eyes, blushing under the power of his gaze.

"Kim," he said suddenly, and my heart sped up at the sound of his voice. I forced myself to look up at him. It was crazy. I had spent so long staring at him, and I knew every inch of his features off by heart. Yet, I couldn't handle it when he stared at me, and I was unable to hold his gaze for more than a few seconds. I guess I just felt unworthy of him, really.

"Yeah?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly. I hoped he didn't notice. I felt extremely shy, and there was still an element of magic about this whole day that a part of me found unable to believe. I was afraid Jared would just fade away, like a mirage when you get too close to it.

"I have to tell you something," he said. His tone was serious, his expression grim. He looked as though he was reluctant to tell me whatever it was. I immediately jumped to the worst conclusion. He wanted to leave. He was regretting ever speaking to me, and giving me a lift home. And the stupid, stupid idiot that I am, I kept seeing things that weren't really there. I nodded at him, my mouth dry, my heart thudding erratically, waves of depression attacking me again.

Jared took a deep breath. He opened his mouth, but closed it again, changing his mind. He stared at me for a few more minutes before speaking.

"Would you object if I began spending a lot more time with you?" he asked, tilting his head to one side in the most adorable way. I was stunned into silence, firstly by how inexplicably gorgeous he was, and secondly by the words he had spoken. I stared at him, my mouth hanging open, running over the words in my head.

I closed my mouth and swallowed. "No," I whispered, unable to coax my voice to project any louder. I'd become incapable of speech.

He smiled at me, and I was mesmerised once again by his beauty. I smiled back, unable to keep the hope and quiet happiness off my face. A frisson of electricity sparkled in the space between us.

I don't know how long Jared and I sat there, memorising each other's faces. We didn't feel the need to talk; the heavy eye contact revealed more than what our voices could say. The electricity refused to fade, and I felt lightning bolts of excitement in my stomach every time in happened. I was trembling slightly, unable to control the subtle involuntary jerks, not because I was afraid or cold, but because the unspoken connection between us sent shivers up and down my spine.

But none of it was bad. It was a really, really good feeling.

And then I heard my mother's jeep pull up outside the house. I froze in a state of panic, before jumping out of my seat. Jared imitated me. God only knows what my mother would say if she found a guy in the house at this time. It was late at night. I hadn't even noticed the sun setting. The kitchen was dark and gloomy.

"Go out the back door," I told him, and he nodded. I walked him there, and he gave me one last look before vanishing into the night.

My mother called my name as she opened the door. I felt a wave of guilt shame me. My father had died when I was younger, and left my mother with very little to bring me up on. My mom had to work two jobs during the day, having to leave early in the morning and return home very late at night. I usually had dinner waiting for her, along with a tidy house, but my breakfast things were still by the sink.

"Hey, mom," I called back, flicking on some lights and joining my mom in the now bright kitchen. My eyes took a while to adjust. "Sorry, I've nothing made. I was studying for school and I didn't notice the time."

My mother waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine, I had a big lunch. Although, that's not like you, Kim," she said, eyeing my suspiciously. I flushed and looked at the ground. A wave of exhaustion swept over me. It had been a draining day, emotionally. There was so much I had to process in my head, and I felt as though I would explode if I wasn't alone in the next five minutes.

"I'm going to bed," I said. "Goodnight."

"Night, love."

I hurried into my room, breathing a sigh of relief as I closed the door. I got ready for bed automatically, my mind still on Jared (who else?). I remembered every single second of his gazes, all the emotions I had discerned but still didn't completely believe, all the unbelievable things he had said to me, which I had only ever imagined him saying. The way he had smiled at me.

As I lay in bed, I wondered would anything ever be the same again. I doubted it. But I wanted everything to remain as it was right now. It was everything I had ever dreamed of… only better, because now it was real.

Jared's face loomed up in my mind, and instead of the longing and the ache that usually accompanied my thoughts of him, the electricity that had surged between us streaked through me again. I tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable, unable to keep still, as the thought of seeing Jared again tomorrow filled me with a bubble of happiness so strong it almost lifted me into the air.

I struggled from unconsciousness, opening my eyes, trying to see through the gloom. It was pitch black, and I couldn't figure out what had woken me. Glancing at the my luminous alarm clock, I groaned and rolled over. It was three in the morning. It would take me ages to fall back asleep, and I'd be comatose in school the next morning. I snuggled deeper into the duvet.

And then I heard what had awoken me.

It was a rap on my window, soft, yet persistent. I leapt out of bed, still half asleep, not completely thinking about what I was doing. It could have been some psycho at my window with the intent to kill me and I still would have opened my curtains to see who it was. But there was only one person I believed (anything was possible now) would be at my window in the middle of the night.

I pulled back the curtains, and there he was, outside my window, grinning widely. The awe and wonder was apparent in his eyes again. He was also shirtless. My mouth was dry as I fumbled with the latch on the window, not taking my eyes off his for a second. I stood back as he climbed in. A blast of icy air hit me, chilling me until he closed the window behind him.

"Hi," he said, grinning down at me. I half smiled back, wondering if I was dreaming. His torso was muscly and toned, and I had to use all of my self control not to gape openly at his chest.

"Hi," I said, and shivered violently. His expression shifted to concern.

"Are you cold?" he asked, and finally tore his eyes away from mine. A wicked grin spread slowly across his face as he looked me up and down. "I like your pyjamas," he said, his eyes twinkling.

I looked down, and realised with a small shock that I was wearing my tiny vest top and tiny matching shorts. They were strictly for bedtime, and no one else's eyes. I felt my cheeks burning.

"Oh my God," I said, dying of shame. I was sure my dressing gown was in the wash, and I didn't want to turn around in case I gave him an eyeful. I mentally cursed myself for neglecting the washing today. I couldn't stop myself as I shivered again. I felt vulnerable and exposed, and of course, mortified.

"Don't worry about it," he said, a teasing tone to his voice. "I'll warm you up." My head snapped up and I stared at him in disbelief, unsure how to interpret what he had just said. He gazed into my eyes again, and his humour faded slowly away. He stepped extremely close to me, and my breathing became quick and shallow. He seemed hesitant, almost as though he was giving me the option to push him away if I wanted to. There wasn't a chance of that happening.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and linked them at the small of my back, dragging me closer to him. I was finding breathing very difficult, and my heart was throwing itself against my ribs. I was afraid to touch him, in case he vanished suddenly, and I was clutching at thin air. But I was too close, and I didn't want to pull away.

I placed my arms against his chest, and jumped as his blazing hot skin connected with mine.

"Jesus," I muttered, ignoring his quiet chuckles. "Do you have a temperature or something?"

"Only after seeing you in those pyjamas," he said, sniggering at his own joke. I stiffened, humiliation washing over me, burning my cheeks again.

"I'm only messing," he said, pulling me closer still. I rested my cheek against his boiling skin, relaxing as the heat completely eradicated my chills. Jared rested his head on my shoulder. I closed my eyes, letting the feelings of pure bliss take me over. This was something I had never imagined would ever happen, even though I had dreamt of it countless times. I never ever thought for one second that I would be in his arms.

I wanted to stay like that forever, but the heat got too much for me, and I had to pull away.

"Was there any particular reason for you breaking into my house?" I asked, beaming up at him. His expression mirrored mine, and he seemed truly overjoyed about something.

"There were many," he said. "I couldn't sleep, number one. And I couldn't stop thinking about you. It was driving me crazy, so I came here," he said, gazing with adoration into my eyes. I thrilled to his words.

"I see," I said, unable to come up with anything witty. I wanted to tell him how I felt, but I was so worried that if I confessed, he would reject me, or tell me it was just a bet, or something that would shatter my heart. But I knew, that even if he broke my heart, I would still never stop loving him. It's funny like that, when someone can break your heart, but you still love them with all the little pieces.

"I can't stay away from you," Jared said suddenly, his good mood vanishing into one of seriousness. "I want to know how you feel about that. There's something that I need to explain to you, but I won't right this minute - you look wrecked, no offence." He winked at me. "But I need to know…" he trailed off, staring at me so intently I couldn't look away, even if I had wanted to.

"I… I have no objections," I said, incapable of revealing my true feelings. I was still terrified; of rejection, of the pain I'd have to endure; of waking up and finding out that every thing from the moment he first looked at me had been a dream.

He nodded. Then suddenly, he scooped me up in his arms. It took a great effort not to yell out loud; I didn't want to alert my mother. Our faces were so close together, and my skin was burning from where his skin was in contact with mine. I found breathing to be very difficult again.

"Jared!" I exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Putting you back to bed," he said, carrying me over to my bed and lying me down on it, gently throwing the covers back over me.

"I can walk," I grumbled, and Jared grinned at my tone. His smile stunned my mind. He was just so bloody gorgeous. Exhaustion washed over me, and I was unable to prevent my eyes from closing, despite wanting to stare at Jared all night.

"Goodnight," he said, brushing my hair away from my forehead gently.

"Night," I mumbled, and my heart leapt as I felt his warm lips against my cheek.

Hope u enjoyed it!! Please review!!

Loads of love, CB xxx