A/N: Well… losing confidence again. I don't really have the motivation to continue writing. I have up to chapter 18 written, but I don't think enough people enjoy it for me to finish it. I've mostly gotten one or no reviews on every chapter which is kind of discouraging. But, I'll try to finish this story regardless, but updates may take longer if I don't catch up.

Chapter 10

Jon warned Mara beforehand to not press Amber about her mess of a date so he could avoid her breaking down again. He definitely did not like seeing her cry. To keep in line with the plan, he decided to tell her mother the same bogus story Amber told him at first, and sprinkled in the lie about food poisoning. Everything went smoothly; her mother accepted it and called the school in the morning, explaining to the principle that she had food poisoning.

Amber used the opportunity to sleep in, since that wasn't something she got the chance to do often. It almost gave her a rush to wake up at 11:00, knowing that the rest of her classmates were stuck in Business class most likely bored out of their minds. No one would miss her absence anyway; no one cared.

Light flooded her room as her door swung open, her mother standing in front of it looking genuinely concerned. It just made her feel even more guilty, but it was already too late to back out of it. "I'm going to work now," she announced, walking to further into room. "If you need it, I left medicine on the counter. For food, Jon can make spaghetti, or you can order some food." She gave her a smile then bent down to kiss her forehead before leaving the room.

The second she heard the clicking from the front door locking, she rushed out of bed and jumped straight in the shower. That needed to get out of the way as soon as possible.

Jon watched as she power walked to the bathroom without saying a word to him. He would've feigned offence, but he had to sort out the food issue first. From what her mother told him, she was extremely picky, but enjoyed Italian food and things with garlic. Cooking was definitely out of the question; he wasn't confident enough to cook for anyone else. Eventually, he settled on ordering what he knew she enjoyed; pizza.

In the meantime, he stretched and paced around the house. He had no clue what he'd do with Amber, since he had to train, but the choice was hers. Knowing how introverted she was, he figured that she'd stay there by herself and did whatever the hell she did when she was home alone.

It took him a while to notice that Amber was already out of the shower and dressed. He really needed to be more observant. "I ordered pizza," he stated, still stretching.

"You read my mind," she said as she poured some juice for herself. "So, are we supposed to be doing something specific, or are we just bumming around the house?" she asked, making her way to the couch. "I prefer the latter, just so you know."

Shrugging, he sat down next to her. "Well… I'm supposed to go train in about an hour. I don't know what you plan to do but—"

"How long?" she inquired, trying to estimate how long she'd have to sit there and do nothing but watch.

"Four hours. I don't know if you want to come or not; I didn't think to ask you because I thought you wouldn't be interested." She shrugged and leaned back into the couch. For some reason, he just wanted to hug her. It was just this urge that came over him, but he didn't try to fight her off. He scooted closer to her and pulled her in. "Your hair smells good," he commented.

"Yeah, that's because I wash it; something you're not familiar with," she said with a smirk.

"Oh, and I'm the asshole in this relationshi—friendship?"

Amber stared off to the other side of the room. She didn't know whether or not she should acknowledge it, but regardless, it caused a lump to form in her throat. She swallowed hard and sighed, bringing her eyes back to him. "Yeah, umm… I guess," she managed. She shook her head and moved away from him, not enough to get his arm off of her. "I think I'll go with you to that heartbeat wrestling thing." She knew she got the name wrong, but she seriously couldn't remember what it was called.

"Heartland Wrestling Association," he corrected her with a snort. "Anyway, are you sure?"

She nodded. "I feel like I'd be more interested in wrestling if I was there physically." He shrugged, then got up off of the couch. "Where are you going?"

He stretched, then swiftly picked her up and put her over his shoulder. Laughter filled the room as he made his way to her bedroom while she wiggled and writhed to get off his shoulders. He kicked open her door and dropped her on the bed. "Jesus fuck I'm tired," he panted, his hands on his hips

"What the fuck was that for?" she asked in a light tone. He plopped down next to her and smiled, revealing his gorgeous dimples. Clearly out of breath, Amber took the opportunity to get back at him. Reaching across, her fingers lightly brushed the skin on his neck, causing him to snort and bring his shoulder up to his head to make it difficult for her. "You look like a fucking turtle," she laughed.

He grabbed both of her hands and climbed on top of her, trying to catch his breath before he spoke again. "You look like you just lost this war," he panted, smiling down at her. Her hair was messy and splayed out across the bed, she was smiling up at him; it made his mind wander. He couldn't even resist it.

He bent down and hoped he was making the right choice. Suddenly, right before their lips connected, the doorbell rang, causing him to jump off of her. "I, uhh… I think that's the pizza guy," she mumbled.

He sighed and left the room. He was mentally kicking himself for almost letting that happen. It wasn't even a matter of making her uncomfortable at that point. It was just wrong, and he didn't want to drag her down with him.

He barely said a word to the pizza guy when he opened the door. He just simply gave him the money, grabbed the pizza, and slammed the door in his face. He went to give Amber the pizza, and when he walked in, she was pacing back and forth. "Shit," he said aloud. He put the pizza on the bed and walked up to her. "I'm sorry, Amber. I don't want—"

Their lips pressed together and it was so good. It was a shy one, but somehow still felt passionate. She titled her head slightly to gain more access to his mouth. Suddenly, the kiss stopped being hesitant. Jon pressed himself against her and cupped her face shivering slightly as he slipped his tongue in her mouth. A quiet groan escaped her mouth, then she felt him pick her up, temporarily breaking the kiss. He dropped her on the bed, careful not to disturb the pizza, then climbed on top of her. Nothing happened. Nothing. He just stared at her, not doing or saying anything. She grabbed the back of his neck to pull him down, only to be met with resistance and Jon getting off of her, cursing under his breath. She watched as he chewed on his finger nervously, shocked and confused – and maybe a bit turned on. "I thought you wanted to—"

"I didn't," he interjected, facing her. They stared at each other for a while before Jon turned to the door, placing his hand on the doorknob. "I think you should stay home." Not letting her get a word in, he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.