So it took me some time to update…my notepad died one wintery night! But I got a new one and here it is the 4th and final chapter of my Valentine's Story! I also fixed a bit the other 3 chapters - not any change in plot just some translating mistakes. In this final chapter we see it from Terry's POV - not all the chapter, but pretty much the main scene. Thank you all for your reviews, your kind comments, your faves and follows!

Hope you will enjoy it and wish to hear your opinion for the ending! ;)

Chapter 4

- "So are you saying that Candy's name never being placed in the lottery box ?!" Stear asked marveling in an overtly cheery Terry.

It had dawned the eve of the festival. Ιt was exactlytheday that each boy would reveal his secret to each girl he had her name on the paper.

Three days ago Eliza's scheme was uncovered to Sister Grey from her two classmates, in the presence of Terry, who was incredibly delighted when he saw Eliza's face among tears and hysterics receiving her punishment from Mother Superior. Eliza was going to spend the remaining days and until the end of the festival in isolation. As a strange request, something like a reward that he discovered the scheme, Terry requested from Sister Grey everything will be done in absolute secrecy and the students will not hear about it, not until Valentine 's Day. Although it seemed somehow odd, Sister Grey accepted Terry's request and suspected that Miss Ardley probably wouldn't stay without a Valentine. "Youth ...", thought Sister Grey for a second and immediately she returned to her famous strict self.

- " Not exactly! The paper with Candy's name was placed from the start along with all other names, but Eliza had ensured paying Cameron and Freddie to remove it!"

- "Who would have guessed it!" Said Stear excited.

- "We didn't suspect anything because when we asked that stupid Neal, in fact he didn't know what his sister had done!" Archie said pleased that long at last the mystery with Candy's name was solved.

- "I think it's time for you two, to go and find your girls! Explain them what happened, they can't avoid you forever, especially not today!" Terry told them with a playful wink.

For a moment the two brothers blushed slightly, but then smiled.

- "What about Candy…. what shall we do?" Archie asked a bit worried.

- "We Do?! Seriously Cornwell, you want me to say I heard that?!" Terry replied sarcastically.

- "Oh boy! Ok, ok, ... scratch that..." said Archie rolling his eyes up annoyed.

- "At last we are friends again!" stated Stear full of joy, making the other two boys refrain themselves from laughing.

The night was quite cold. Early in the afternoon started raining and although it was nightfall already, quite the contrary the rain now had turned in to a storm. Until Terry reaches Candy's balcony, he was soaking to the bone. The curtains in her room were closed, but this didn't prevent Terry to notice that there was a dim light inside the bedroom, most likely from the small reading lamp on her desk.

He waited for a bit while keeping his breath, trying to seethrough her small shade behind the heavy curtains. That wasn't easy so Terry decided to knock the window pane very gently. Nothing. "Where are you my Juliet?" he wondered impatiently. He knocked one more time a bit stronger. He felt really grateful to his luck, that the noise from the rainstorm was covering his knocks, otherwise the nuns might caught him. Though that also meant, that even Candy couldn't hear them. He tried for a third time. Terry felt his damp clothes gluing on his skin and a shiver pierced him from the cold. He started taking short steps on the same spot to warm himself up, when suddenly Candy's window was wide open – her two green eyes looked at him with amazement and wonder.

- "Oh my God ... Terry you are ..." he saw her worrying for him and Terry took courage.

- "Yeah ... I'm soaking ..." he left a low awkward chuckle, "... May I come in Candy?"

Candy took two steps backwards and gently nodded - yes- with her head. After Terry was inside, she turned around again closed the window as well she drew the curtains, in complete silence.

She then walked with small steady steps to her bedroom door and locked it. Still in silence Candy turned and took a candle from her drawer. Terry was watching her every move spellbound, as if seeing for the very first time someone, doing all these ordinary moves.

Candy lit up the candle, placed it on her desk and switched off the lamp. She then turned and looked at Terry.

- ".. I'll bring you a towel ..." she told him softly and he saw her hiding behind the bathroom door.

She returned shortly with a large white towel.

- "Thank you ..." Terry said very slowly and started drying up first his damp hair, then his clothes as better as he could. His trousers seemed less wet than his shirt and sweater, but he didn't wish risking it and taking them off.

He saw her reopening her closet and pulling out a small woolen blanket. She offered the blanket to him with her small hands slightly trembling.

- "Your sweater is dripping ..." Candy said softly, "... and I don't have any clothes that might fit you ..."

- "I'm fine ... it's okay, really."

Her eyes opened wide from concern.

- "Of course it's not okay Terry! You want to catch pneumonia ? Hurry and take them off!" she said with her famous innocence and naivety, ignoring the effects from her words that had on Terry.

Terry couldn't hold himself.

- "What is it Freckles ? You missed that much my naked body?" he asked her suddenly in his mischievous tone.

He saw Candy flaring up across her face. Her cheeks red from embarrassment, but her eyes were throwing sparkles of anger.

- "Terry you are really unbelievable and incorrigible!" Candy told him as intensely as she could, trying not to raise the tone of her voice. They both knew that if they were discovered by the nuns they would have a big problem.

Terry couldn't help himself and he left a soft chuckle . He wished right now, Candy knew how much adorable she was that moment! Although Terry kept himself quiet.

- "Well done!" she said in irony," You have the nerve to laugh on top of that ?! Terry, why did you come to my room?" Terry knew that he had angered her, but deep down inside him he felt incredibly amused. He got stucked and kept there just simple looking at her.

Well, he had come to her room, he was determined to talk to her, explaining to her but he just stood there as if the cat had bitten his tongue . "Say something, you moron Grandchester!" He thought to himself and exhaled a sigh.

Meanwhile Candy was standing with her small fists clenched, waiting for him to answer.

- "I came to tell you something ..." Terry finally said within his mouth.

- "And you couldn't wait until tomorrow?" she asked him sharply and Terry knew by the tone of her voice that she was still pissed off with him.

"No, because today is the eve of the festival!" he wanted to tell her, but he ended up saying,

- "You are avoiding me Candy! How am I suppose talking to you?"

- "I'm not avoiding you! You are the one who disappeared Terry!" she said in her classic spite.

- "You said that you don't want to see me ever again!" told her more intensely.

- "I told you, not to touch me ever again, not that I don't want to see you!"

- "So… you want to see me, but… I can't touch you?" Terry asked her mockingly.

- "Yes!" answered him vigorously and surprised even herself, that she lied to him so easily! God only knew how much she longed for his touch!

- "This is out of the question Candy!" Terry told her feeling he was reaching his limits. He couldn't believe she was asking him something like that!

- "Why?!" Candy asked while stubbornlystamped her small foot on the floor.

"Ah! Please don't do that!" Terry thought himself, cherishing how cute she was that moment.

- "Because I can't!" eventually answered her the same stubborn as she.

- "What do you mean you can't!? Are you mocking me again Terry?!"

- "You are the one who is playing with me Candy, not I ! How can you ask from someone who is madly in love with you not to touch you?!" Terry shouted without even taking a breath and like a lightning, a single thought came to his mind, "I told her ... God save me ... I told her! "

A total silence fell in the room.

They stood there motionless, both with crimson faces, both staring each other dazed. The time seemed to have stood still. With no sounds, in absolute silence, with only their heart beats deafening their ears. When suddenly Candy's eyes filled up with tears. Tears that started running uncontrollably and quietly on her pink cheeks. In two steps, without even thinking about it, Terry reached her and dropped on his knees in front of her feet.

- "Candy ... please don't cry ... please ... I'm sorry ... I'll leave ... I'll do anything you want ..." Terry took softly her hands in his own, hers were so small and warm, "... anything you want ... just please don't cry ... I will do anything ...just say that ... say that you never heard …what I said ... say that ..."and then Terry's pleading mumbling was cut off suddenly from Candy's lips that touched his own.

It was merely a slight, rather clumsy touch, but enough to send Terry's heart to heaven cutting off his air. Without thinking twice, in a gentle move, he lowered her down on his height, closing her small body tenderly into his arms. He could almost hear the beating of her heart, which competing against his own. Terry started slowly rocking Candy in his arms, like a baby, with their lips still touching. Only touching. Simple, still , innocent.

He wanted to say so many things to her, although that small minute Terry's whole world was her little body which had curl up within his arms. Her scent wrapping him up like the sweetest shackles. Her silent tears were drying up on her pink cheeks, brightening her much adored freckles. While Terry's single thought was that he couldn't ask for more happiness than this moment, Candy's lips moved without a sound in an "I love you ...", upon his.

Terry lost every last trace of logic he had left.

He took her mouth with his and began kissing her over and over again, savoring every inch of her sweet lips. Those lips that had haunted his dreams. Those lips that was the reason for him waking up every day from his bed and counting the minutes until he could see them. Even for a glimpse. Speaking to him, smiling to him. Just for him and only his. Terry didn't want or wish to stop but he had to do it, just enough for both to take a breath. However the next moment, that their half-open lips were joined once again, he dared with his tongue to caress tenderly Candy's bottom lip. A short giggle like exclamation escaped from her, which surprised him and made him stopped.

- "I'm sorry ..." Terry whispered and passed his palms through her soft curls, while leaving a sigh.

- "Don't apologize Terry...just tickled a bit ... it seemed to me a bit strange ..." Candy said in a sweet little voice and started caressing his face with her fingertips.

- "So, you didn't like it. ..?" he asked her with bated breath from her touch.

- "... Well no…well I mean yes ... well, I don't know ..." stammered and her cheeks took fire.

- "... then ... I ...shall ... never… do …it …again ...? " told her playfully, among small soft pecks on her cheeks, nose and lips, drying every trace of moisture that was left from her tears.

Candy left a giggle which however was cut short because Terry's mouth had started kissing her somewhere between her neck and behind her ear.

- "shall I do this… then…?..." Terry whispered and with his tongue just barely stroked her earlobe. She didn't answer him, she just grasp his shoulders tightly.

- "Terry!" she said suddenly and pushed him slightly back opening her eyes wide.

"Ah, here comes another slap! " Terry thought waiting his fate.

Candy however showed him her hands. Damp from the humidity of his clothes.

- "If you stay in these clothes Terry ... you will get sick ... you might catch ...", in her tone there were both fear and worrying.

- "Candy ... the last thing that I'm thinking right now ... is that I might catch pneumonia!" told her and let another heavy sigh. Although she blushed across her face like a beetroot from his words, she threw him an angry look which didn't allow neither jokes nor objections.

In one sort gesture, Terry pulled off his sweater over his head and left it aside. Candy didn't give him the space to speak and placed her palms on his chest and his also wet shirt. With attentive moves she started unbuttoning the buttons from his shirt one by one. Terry was looking her bewildered when he suddenly realized he was holding his breath and he had to breathe. And then he stopped her.

With her bright green eyes, Candy stared Terry briefly and then without saying anything she untied the belt from her night robe and removed it off with a grace, that in Terry's eyes was so erotic that he felt getting dizzy.

- "There! Now I'm wearing one clothing less, too!" she said with innocence, which however brought the opposite effect for Terry.

"Ah, Candy ..." Terry sighed and his palm found her hot soft cheek. His deep blue eyes dived in her bright ones and without hesitation he brought her face a breath away from his own.

Their lips touched again but this time, Candy imitated Terry's lips and began moving her own. First hesitantly and then with a newfound desire to know his mouth, which lured Terry. Without a second thought, he parted her lips and began to taste her mouth with his tongue fully. Feeling himself drinking her breath. Her taste was sweet and addictive. So much addictive that he couldn't stop. It seemed impossible for Terry to stop. He wanted to be left there and kissing her forever. With his eyes tightly shut, to die upon her sweet mouth. Suddenly Candy's warm hands passed behind his neck and her fingers tangled in his still damp hair. He felt every little pore in his body tightened. Her caresses were showing their inexperience, but for Terry were so erotic that with a long sigh he let her mouth and his lips began to explore her tender neck. Among deep kisses, he left his lips feel her soft skin. From time to time his tongue was drawing short lines on her neck and in some other, his teeth a bit boldly were giving her playful bites. In his delirium, Terry heard Candy's breathing heavily and small little voices were coming out from her slightly open lips. "I have to stop ...I must stop…" he said again and again to himself, trying to convince him.

- "Terry ..." Candy softly called him with a profound warm voice, that for the first time Terry was hearing and made him aching in his guts from desire.

He opened his eyes and saw her. Her lips bright red and slightly swollen from his kisses, half opened. She was shining. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen in his life! Her chest rose and fell rhythmically and fast attempting to breathe. Terry almost could hear her heart beating. This loving heart that had accepted him. There was no logic anymore for Terry. Only the knowledge to remain there forever. Inside that loving heart. Just the wish, the desire that his entire life was hanging from this heart. In a slow move his palm touched the center of her chest. His hand stayed still. There, upon her small strong heart. Terry plunged his face in Candy's neck and started whispering,

- ".. here ... forever…I want to stay… here ... forever ...".

It sounded more like a plea, rather than a demand. Like a prayer, over and over again.

In his words Candy reached Terry's ear and whispered.

- "Only you ..."

The much desired Valentine's Day shyly opened its eyes that morning, and along with that, the first buds of spring blossomed.

The college was found from early hours in a festive turmoil. All the students, boys and girls, with eyes full of joy and impatience, had started to gather in the main hall of the school. The ritual it is said, that each lady who was aware from the previous day, which boy had the piece of paper with her name, would approach him and offer him a few blossoms from almond tree. When this "mating" was over, it was time for the ball to begin.

- "Patty, I'm starting to worry ..." Annie said to her friend with obvious anguish "Where is Candy ?"

- "You think that maybe Terry hasn't spoke to her yet ?! Did we make a mistake that we didn't explain to her last night?" asked Patty in fear.

- "Archie told me we should stay out of it, that everything will be as it should be, but this morning when I knocked Candy's door she wasn't there! Where did she go so early?"

- "I only hope that she didn't do any craziness ..." said Patty.

- "And who is this one that might done a craziness?" the voice of Stear.

- "Candy ... Candy hasn't come yet and she wasn't in her room today!" Annie replied on the verge of tears.

- "Neither Terry is here yet, but this isn't so strange!" Archie added.

- "Should we go and start looking for them?" asked Patty and passed comforting her hand on Annie's shoulder.

- "We have no time for that now, the ritual is starting." said Stear kind flatly.

And in fact Stear was right. The ceremony had began, soon enough had ended and the ball followed, however there was no sign at all from Candy and Terry, who they shone by their absence.

It was rather late in the afternoon when the festival was coming to its end, and the group of the four friends tried to find Terry and Candy.

The boys firstly tried Terry's room, but to their disappointment he wasn't there, nor in any other known place, Terry just disappeared like he often used to. After deciding that it was no use to keep searching for him, the two brothers went to meet with Annie and Patty, to see if their girls had some news about Candy.

They found both girls sitting dumbfounded in Candy's bedroom with a letter in their hands.

- "What happened?" Archie asked panicky, "Where is Candy?"

- "Patty what happened ...?" Stear asked afraid for the answer.

The girl gave him the letter speechless.

Dear friends,

Annie, Patty, Stear and Archie.

We decided to leave college.

We are so sorry if we made you worry, but our hearts told us,

that we must and should make the ritual a reality.

When you will find our letter,

we will be already far away,

but our thoughts will always be with you.

Candy & Terry

All four stayed frozen reading the letter over and over again.

- "I don't understand….what do they mean ... make the ritual a reality?... " Annie asked within her tears.

- "... Dear Annie do you know, what Saint Valentine used to do for young couples?..." said Stear still shocked.

Suddenly realizing it, Patty brought her hand into her mouth and her cheeks blushed.

Archie's eyes opened wide and he couldn't believe himself what he was about to say.

"... Oh my God…..They eloped! ..."

At the same time on a train that was traveling to France, the head of a young blonde haired girl had tipped peacefully asleep, on the shoulder of a young chestnut haired boy who was holding a book while reading in a whisper…

* " …..Laugh at the night,
at the day, at the moon,
laugh at the twisted
streets of the island,
laugh at this clumsy
boy who loves you,
but when I open
my eyes and close them,
when my steps go,
when my steps return,
deny me bread, air,
light, spring,
but never your laughter
for I would die …"

- "Never ..." whispered Candy and she tangled her fingers with Terry's.

The End

A/N The poem is a part from Pablo Neruda's poem " Your Laughter", I do not claim it as my own. Candy characters are owned also from their legal creators.

I'm only my master for my own words and my original thoughts.