There was something about standing in the airport of my hometown that filled me with poise and confidence. It wasn't because of the sudden heads turning in behalf of the presence of myself, nor the knowledge that I'd be seeing some of my favorite and most prominent people in my life. No, it was for the reason that the guy I was absolutely smitten with was standing next to me with as much contentment involved as I did.

Ian, myself, and the team had traveled all together, but I deliberately kept a meager distance between the pack and I so that Ian and I could get a little extra time to talk and enjoy each other's personal solitude, mindful of the lack of time we'd have alone until the next day.

As we lurked around the rotating circle that contained various suitcases with the baggage claim sign dangling from above, I looked beside me to see Ian clutching his carry-on bag over one shoulder and patting his disobedient thatches down to his head, but the dark tresses sprung up unhesitatingly, leading to a thundering sigh on his part. We were still waiting for the one extra suitcase I brought onto the plane— a pack of souvenirs for my family, some with sentimental value and others as practical as clothes.

Crossing my arms, I leaned against the wall behind me, keeping my eyes plastered on every single luggage that spun around. When the salmon-colored suitcase appeared, it wasn't hard to spot. Before I could react to it, Ian didn't utter a word as he walked forward to grab it off the rotating metal and set it on the ground, using the wheels as guidance. He looked at me determinedly.

"I can roll mine along," I bid, holding my arm out. "Really, you already have your bag to hold and it seems like there's a lot in there."

"Don't be ridiculous, Goose," he spoke, smiling youthfully.

Although, I knew I could carry it effortlessly, I chose to say no more. It felt moderately nice, not that I'd let it happen the next time. I gave him a thanking smile instead of a kiss cheek like I'd do any other time. Public affection wasn't my cup of tea, and luckily, Ian came across as the same way. He made no moves going further than a back hold or a waist grip. In an area where there were five different people wherever I turned induced a shyness from me.

As we took our time to find the group, a group of five males, I internally chuckled. Had this been the case seven years ago, my mother wouldn't have let me tour around with a band of males, regardless of how business-centric it was. We wasted no time in exiting the hustle and bustle of the airport.

"So, we'll all meet at the cafe and then talk about where we want to go?" Mark confirmed after we found ourselves outdoors, eyeing the group before his gaze remained on me.

"Actually, I have an idea already," I smiled, recollecting images of the sunny image. "There's this meadow a couple of blocks from my house that I used to spend all my time at. There are swings and a huge pasture. Mike knows where it is, he can show you where it is."

The other male had a triumphant smirk, as though he had classified information that no one else knew. "No problem."

"I don't see where that'd be a problem," Mark said as his broad shoulders rose in a shrug before flopping. "We have to get started as soon as we can, so let's say we'll all be there at ten in the morning."

"Great," I nodded.

With a whirlwind of waves, the males departed to find an airport taxi that would take them to the airport. Mike was normally the one that'd tag along with me, but fully cognizant that Ian was around, I knew the considerate side of him kicked in. I promised myself to thank him later.

I informed Ian of our plans as we walked down the sidewalk, telling him that we were always welcomed back with open arms, how we worked on lyrics and songwriting during mornings, taking the afternoon and evening to record some music in the downtown studio.

"But don't worry, we have the night to ourselves if you don't get tired," I revised, casting a consoling look in his direction. "There's a cinema we can escape to. Or we can go night swimming at the lake. Whatever you're up for."

"All of it sounds amazing," he said with a laugh. "We can always do it all. You know, if you're up for the challenge. I would imagine having a schedule "

"Bring it on, Harding," I teased.

"I've always got my A game on, Hale," he retaliated with a sarcastic type of determination.

I was looking forward to the upcoming nights, not only for the reason that this was a perfect opportunity to spend some time alone with Ian, but also to exhibit what life would be like if we ever found it in our passion-filled hearts to move here.

With the debut album coming sooner than usual, it was going to be a nerve-racking amount of weeks. It was safe to say how anxiously eager I was for the fans to listen to what I had been ceaselessly tweeting about. The millions of people that supported me through out were the ones I wanted to please the most. I constantly reminded them that I wouldn't be where I was if it weren't for them. I very well may have been searching for auditions to book instead of side-by-side with the guy I wanted to spend the rest of my life with if they weren't so devoted in the show and in my life.

On that note I looked up to search Ian's face, but was greeted with something almost as pleasant. I gasped.

"Mags!" I excitedly proclaimed as her small stature made a beeline towards Ian and I.

"Missed me?" The woman grinned stealthily as we shared a warm hug. As I pulled away, I briefly examined her appearance.

Her hair, which was thin and blonde, had grown remarkably longer, finally surpassing her shapely chest. Almond shaped eyes that were as blue as the afternoon skies met mine, filled with her usual look of satisfaction and added keenness. Albeit being the same height as I was, she topped off her outfit with open-toed stilettos, something she religiously wore outside of her job as a school teacher. As always, she found a way to look the most beautiful version of herself with only jeans and a flowing shirt. She and I, despite fully being siblings, looked nothing alike, even if we had homogeneous factors from our personalities.

"How's my famous little sister doin'?" Maggie commented, her thick Southern accent slurring her words. For being in such a posh area of the city, she was headset on attaining her accent. She felt as though her accentuation was one of her most attractive attributes, and I couldn't disagree.

"Better than usual," I told her, completely failing to remember the meeting between Amanda, Ian, and myself.

Maggie, finally acknowledging Ian's presence, gave him a small wave. "Long time no see, Ian. I'm glad you're visiting. You'll love Tennessee."

With a cheeky smile, Ian replied, "Lucy was just talking to me about the things we'll do here. It seems like it's going to be fun already. It's nice to see you again."

After wrapping up our hellos, followed by taking a few pictures with approaching fans, we were guided into the car. Ian and I hadn't disconnected hands once, not until we arrived home. I could tell that Maggie could see our small, clandestine gesture of romance by the way she attempted (and perilously failed) to mask her smug look.

Surprisingly, not too much had changed since my last visit, only a month ago. The roads on 27th Avenue were still rocky and unattended to, the Wright Offices still had different colored aerosol sprayed all over the side of the building and shaping it to be one of the only vandalized material in the downtown area, and primroses stood high and mighty, displayed at the local garden.

"Look," I motioned Ian as I tugged on his hand. He looked at the sight of where I was pointing out the window, where the center city prevailed. In the middle was a fountain that shot water up to ten feet, blocked by two clear statues so the water wouldn't hit any cars. It was always a sight that was breathtaking to me.

I heard Ian's breath catch in his throat. He must have had the same thoughts as I did. I looked at him with certainty, seeing the same sparkle scintillate in his eye, reflecting back in mine.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I inquired reticently. Truth be told, it was a place I wanted to spend with Ian if we had enough time, but I was aware of the limit we had. Then again, nothing had to be rushed. With extreme optimism, we had the rest of our lives to discover every inch of what this beautiful city had to offer.

"It is," he confirmed. "Not as beautiful as you, but reasonably beautiful."

His intense yet passionate look caused me to look away chastely as a blazing heat arose upon my cheeks. I pulled the hand that was locked with his to my face to brush my hair away from my forehead and to cover my cheeks as my palms grew shamefully clammy. Ian always had his ways of complimenting me, normally in the most clumsiest and awkward of ways which generated laughter from my side, but this was much more vivid and powerful than the rest.

Ian didn't move from his closer seat, choosing to position his hand on my back covertly. As Maggie turned onto a secluded road with houses that stood tall and mighty, a smile spread across my face. There, at the very end of the block, was the house that I had spent my childhood at.

We exited the car, bringing the bags we shoved in the trunk along with us, and walked into the house. In such a safe neighborhood, it wasn't a surprise that the door wasn't locked. That's how it always was.

Excitement coursed through my veins, unable to slow down. In fact, when we took the steps to the living room to see my mom, the rush multiplied.

"Mom!" I squealed, circling the table and throwing my arms around her neck. The familiar look of satisfaction was inscribed in her face. She looked healthy and jubilant. It was just what I wanted.

"You're early," my mother, Julie, apprised with a warm smile.

"We took an early flight," I notified. Suddenly, I felt myself being hoisted from the ground from behind. My breath was the first to be caught in my throat. Sliding out of whoever's grasp, I turned around to see a friendly face.

"Wes!"

My step-brother responded with a cheeky grin. "Is little Miss Hollywood forgettin' about her family already? I haven't gotten a call from you since the week you left here!"

With an apologetic look, I informed, "Things have been extremely busy for me, sorry, Wes."

And it was true. With Amanda's abrupt comeback into my life, my friend's imminent baby, along with the hectic life of adjusting to a secret relationship, things were bound to keep you offtrack from important things like family. The trip would be my way of making it up to them, when I wasn't recording or running off to explore the town with Ian.

"Oh, and," I started, weaving my way around Wes and to Ian, who stood uncomfortably leaning against the frame, "this is Ian. Ya'll might know him from—"

"The teacher, right?" Wes interrupted, pointing his slender finger at Ian. "The one who kisses Goose on your show?"

"Not just on the sh—"

My eyes widened as I precipitously nudged Ian in the ribs, bringing his words to a pause. I heard him grunt in pain, using my edgy giggles to disguise his noises. My eyes rolled over the group of my mother, Maggie, and Wes, who had alike watchful looks on their faces.

"Yeah, we kiss on the show," I smiled with a nod. I tried to think of anything that'd bring the conversation to a turn. Introductions. "This is Ian. Ian, that's my mom Julie and that's my step-brother, Wes."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Hale," Ian managed to get out. "You too, Wes."

"Please, just call me Julie," my mom smiled. "Why don't ya'll two go get washed up while I heat up some dinner?"

"It's really late, mom," I said, feigning a yawn. "And we already ate at the airport. We should probably go to bed."

Hesitantly, she gave us an understanding nod, muttering something about how fast food would do nothing for our stomachs. After speaking our good-nights, Ian and I took our bags and headed up the stairs. My childhood home was much larger than my house back in Los Angeles, but my house had many more rooms, mostly guest rooms.

"I think I'm going to have a bruise," Ian commented as we entered one of the guest rooms, "for a small woman, you're pretty strong."

I chuckled, lightly placing my hand on the area I presumed was where I elbowed him. I saw his face strain, evidently concealing a wince.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, leaning forward and placing a kiss on his cheek. "I'll make it up to you."

Once his face slightly brightened at the sound of that, I gasped. "No, not like that! My whole family is around! I'm talking about our date."

As Ian initiated heavy laughter, I watched him lift up his suitcase onto his bed and opening the zip, taking out a pair of clothes and a toothbrush. I let my eyes wander down south, giving myself a full range of vision of what could have been beneath his loose jeans. It looked good on him, enhancing his specialty.

"Enjoying the view?"

My head snapped up at the particularity of his words, abandoning the glances of his rear end. Something about his semblance through the mirror led me to suspect he had seen me, along with his last comment.

"What?" I responded, using a 'playing dumb' tactic as I crossed over to his bed and leaned against the end side.

As a flirtatious look lined his features, he challenged, "You know exactly what."

I rolled my eyes playfully and turned on my heel, sashaying out and turning as my fingers touched the door frame. I saw his head jerk as he cleared his throat abruptly. It looked like someone else was looking at places that weren't supposed to be looked at.

"That was pretty smooth," I tantalized, showing that two could play the teasing game. With a small giggle, I navigated myself to my room, which was left untouched since a couple months ago. Not even the lip gloss I deserted during my last visit had been moved out of place.

With a sigh, I found a plain tank top and velvet red sweatpants with the word PINK lined on the right leg and set it on the bed for my return. Using the towel that was stashed underneath my pile of clean clothes, I disrobed and used the pink material to veil my body.

After my shower, my eyes were heavy lidded in drowsiness. As I was debating whether heading to bed or calling my childhood friend Annie was my best move, I was greeted (frightened was more like it) by a towering outline leaning against my canopy bed.

"You're still awake?" I asked the obvious, closing the door behind me.

"Yeah," he replied, not with the goofy tone I was expecting, but with despondency. I examined his lineaments as I wandered his direction.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, leaning forward and brushing a falling lock of hair away from his forehead, inducing an energy to rush through my fingers. My hand rested on the side of his face, glancing at the phone in his hand.

"Amanda's determined to make this baby hers," he stated, shifting his weight on the bed. "She's already hired all these lawyers an—"

I rose a finger to his moist lips, interrupting his string of words. One of the reasons I was looking so desperately forward to my time in Memphis with Ian was so that we could take a break from our complicated lives and find serenity to keep our heads and our sanity intact. Amanda was only trying to rattle his cage. He needed to see this, although I wouldn't blame him if the heavy thoughts of her schemes was the downfall of the trip. Luckily, I would be there to help as a source of distraction from Los Angeles.

Despite the only thing I had on was a towel, I took my usual position with his legs in between me and my legs around his torso, straddling him. Not knowing what else to do, I settled with bestowing a tender hug, resting my chin on his shoulder. I listened to the tempo of his breaths. They decreased in speed as well as capacity by every passing second. He was panicked.

"You'll be okay," I assured, unwilling to pull away until his head ducked back. With the thickest of tensions accumulating in the ambiance, he flickered his imperceptibly dampened eyes from my parted lips to my desirous eyes and hesitantly grazed his lips against mine. As I closed my lids, I allowed myself to get lost in his affectionate touches, aiding the marring that took over him.

My heart raced as the simple thought of going farther engulfed my thoughts. I pulled my head back without delay and took in his lustful appearance before pulling my body off and away.

"Goodnight, Ian," I said in a hushed tone, adjusting the loose towel. With confusion, he opened and closed his mouth several times before standing up, exiting as slow as one could go.

Why had I done that? What was wrong with me?

I paced around my room, biting down on the edges of my nails. I was a horrible person. I practically lunged my boyfriend out the room in his time of need because I was scared we'd sleep together? We hadn't even reached that point.

Convinced that my harsh and irrational behavior was because of the extent of my sleep deprivation, I quickly slipped on my clothes and prevailed to be whisked away into the deepest of slumbers.

The next morning, without the help of my alarm, I awoke as a heavy sunlight spilled through the curtains.

'Amanda's determined to make this baby hers.'

My eyes shot open fully. I was aware that, after letting Ian's doubts from the previous night wander into my mind, I'd have a lot of trouble falling back asleep. I pushed the covers away from my body and wandered over to my chair, snatching up a grey cardigan to wear over my bare arms. It didn't match anything else, but it didn't matter. Unlike Amanda, finding the loss to match colors and patterns around my family wasn't going to be the death of me.

I quickly used the restroom to freshen up and get clean before tiptoeing into Ian's room to see if he was awake or not. I had to apologize for my actions. He was always there for me, therefore I couldn't push him away when he wanted the same from me.

Surprisingly, all I saw was a neatly laid bed and bunched up socks — but no Ian.

"Ian?" I called out, knocking on the small bathroom that was attached to the guest room. With no response, I departed down the stairs.

"Allow me."

"That's alright! Just fry the butter and I'll beat the batter. Wash them berries in the fridge while you're at it."

I entered the kitchen to see Ian and my mom side-by-side, bursting into sudden laughter. Seeing a smudge of yolk cover his cheek and a dust of flour taint his noise, I found myself laughing along, bringing attention to myself.

"Good morning, ya'll," I smiled, slipping on some flip flops that were vacant and peculiarly leaning against the door frame before gliding towards their direction.

"Morning, sugar," she replied brightly. "Did you get your rest?"

I nodded in reply, turning my attention to a grinning Ian. I held back the urge to tell him how adorable he looked with kitchen ingredients on his face and simply winked. In response, he chuckled lightly and turned back to the messy bowl on the counter.

"Anything I can help with?" I offered. I opened the fridge but Mom slapped my hand away immediately.

"I'm the one making you breakfast, you let me do the work. It's the least I can do for you." She waved me away.

I scoffed, "Ian's helping!"

"Ian made me a deal," she updated. "He's been telling me some of the funniest stories about you."

I was determined to keep quiet, but my curiosity got the best of me. "Like... like what stories?"

Ian and my mother exchanged looks before erupting in laughter, excluding me out of some inside joke. If I wasn't so elated with how well they were getting along, I would have been quite annoyed.

"The first time you ever fell on your show, behind the scenes or whatever ya'll call it nowadays," she said with a teasing smile, hitting the batter with a spatula. I gasped, looking at Ian who was in his own state of bliss.

"You fell like this," he instructed, preparing for his demonstration. He made a scared expression as he pretended to trip over his foot, dramatically falling to the ground. I covered my face, forced against my will to listen to my own mother and my own boyfriend joining forces to ridicule me. Truthfully, I was hiding a smile myself.

"What's all the noise about?"

I turned my head to see Wes, about as confused as an abandoned child in the middle of a supermarket. I continued to stay in my frozen stance, at a loss for words with their taunting. An involuntary noise withdrew from my throat before hidden laughter uncovered itself.

"See?" Ian commented as he stood up and crossed me, "it's funny."

I gave him a buoyant push preceding to the return of his cooking. Rolling my eyes, I sat at the table and awaited for breakfast, playing and severely losing at several rounds of thumb war with Wes.

"You suck at this," he asserted cockily during the closing of his never-ending wins. As he fell back in his chair, I was set on beating him at least once.

"Come on, buddy, we're not done yet," I said, repeating the small ditty that was to be chanted before aggressively pushing down on his thumb.

The sight of the first plate on the table led Wes to turn distracted as I pinned him for the win.

"Yes!" I cheered, raising my hands in the air. I blocked out all the words of debate. "Excuses, Wes. Excuses."

Once all the meals were set out and Maggie found the time to swing by and sit with us before heading off to teach her Saturday afternoon classes, we all engaged in delightful conversation. I pondered over the setting. Was this what it was like to have a meal with your family and your husband? It felt so natural, nothing like that unpleasant dinner you have with your parents when you bring over your first boyfriend.

As I grabbed a blueberry muffin, I stole a covert look at Ian's way. He seemed to be gazing at me, his apparent smile hidden behind the honey-covered biscuit in his hand. As if reading each other's minds, our feet convoluted, dallying around and having a conversation for themselves.

"I love you," he mouthed, keeping his biscuit against his mouth so no one else could see.

"I love you too," I mouthed back before looking down at my plate.

I was thrilled for the last day, where Ian and I agreed we'd finally announce our relationship and the status of it, during the huge dinner Mom usually whipped up for the team and I before our departure to LA. More than that, I was looking forward to the date I promised him.

After a long session of writing and erasing lyrics and producing music from scratch with Ricky, Joel, and Hunter's guitars, we all agreed that we'd call it a night and meet at the studio the next day at the same time.

"What'd you think?" I asked Ian when we were finally alone after a lengthy eight hours of nonstop working.

"I think I underestimated how much work a singer has to go through," he observed with a chuckle, bringing his hand to mesh with mine.

"Everyone does," I nodded, taking in a deep breath of air as the summer breeze whipped my hair in front of my face. "Are you excited for tonight?"

"Excited is an understatement," Ian avouched. His lips twisted into a shy smile. "I couldn't stop thinking about it all day."

"You're in luck," I opinionated, bumping hips ever so lightly. "It sounds like you aren't tired yet. So, I was thinking we could have dinner at this restaurant I used to go to all the time and then we can go to a movie."

As we turned the corner to see my house at the very end, he responded, "Sounds great."

"Are you sure?" I confirmed. "I mean, this is our first date out of the house and I don't want anything to be less than perfect and if you think I'm dominating or controlling anythi—"

"Goose, hey!" he cut off, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk and taking my other hand in his. "As long as we're together, nothing can go wrong."

I cocked an eyebrow, shifting my weight to one side. "Have you been looking up cheesy lines on Google?"

With a laugh, he inspected, "Was that too much for you?"

"A little."

I giggled, freeing my hands and relocating them on either side of his face, sharing a kiss.

"That must have been scary," I said as I shook my head, devouring my fondue in the process.

"What, the part where my stalker followed me to the bathroom or the part where she payed for the thousand dollar due and asked for my finger in return?" he asked. His shudders were noticed. "Because both were pretty scary."

"You can't exactly blame her. The Harding men are excellent in regards of their looks," I tried to say with the utmost civility as I placed my spoon in the now empty bowl.

"The worst about us is that we're terrible at turning women down, especially if they're underage and willing to snap off a body part," he joked.

I flipped my waves out of my face, unable to tear my gaze away from his captivating, hazel-blue orbs. How did I get a guy like him, the show's heartthrob, to go on a date with me? How did he even agree without hesitance? I was so fortunate to have him, regardless of all the protests coming from Ian about how he was the one that was lucky between the two of us.

I inflicted a lot in his life. If it weren't for me, Amanda would have never wanted to meet Ian and call on a wedding and send his life on a spiral. He wouldn't have been seduced into having sex with her and a baby wouldn't have been in the picture.

Dwelling on the "what ifs" were perilous to my levelheadedness. I just couldn't do it, I couldn't allow myself to. The scenarios were far too much to go over particularly. There was the ifs of not auditioning for that movie with Amanda and living life with one less movie on my resume, the ifs of being at The Quarry with Ian to lodge a brick in Amanda's plan, the ifs of splitting apart their relationship before it got out of hand, and so many more. If I went into detail with it all, I'd be stuck in my thoughts until the end of the year.

What if, at any point, Ian would decide that the best thing for the baby was to split up with me and romantically reconnect with Amanda? It was an irrational fear, but a fear nonetheless. That date night could have been the last date, for all I knew. Perhaps, deep down inside, I knew that this was a time span where the only glisten of hope was the man sitting across from me in the nightmare called my life. And maybe my fallacious mental formations were a way to cope with the situation.

"Goose?"

My head lurched up to match eyes with Ian.

"Hm?"

"What are you thinking about?" he asked me.

"Oh, nothing," I lied. "Just thinking about what I want for dessert."

Albeit his look of skepticism, he proceeded to sip on the last of his raspberry iced tea. Guilt was the prime contender of the knot in my stomach. There I was, ruining things left and right when he was being the best boyfriend known to woman. I refused to let the silence transform into an awkward one.

Beneath my lashes, I gazed at him, "It's too bad. The thing I wanted most isn't on the menu."

He licked his lips as he pushed his empty plate and cup to the empty area of the table. "Maybe we can get it somewhere else. What are you looking for?"

I smiled, my edgy facade slowly wiping away. He wasn't aware of the seductive tone I threw his way. "Ian, I want to make out with you for dessert. Get it?"

My bluntness was an apparent effect on him. His eyes darted around to see if anyone was watching the way my feet enveloped around his legs, clearing his throat in the process.

"How—"

I covered my mouth as an effort to hide my laughs at the change of his octave, finally agreeing to stop with the provoking.

"How about we do that during the movie?" he suggested once he was able to clear his throat — and his mind.

I nodded, doubtlessly loving the sound of that. After a brawl of who would pay for the meal, (I insisted I'd pay because I brought him there whereas he was all about female courtesy), I let him have the win.

"I think you're really getting to me," I mumbled softly yet audible enough for him to hear as we pushed our chairs in. "I've never let you win at small things like this."

"It's because you're in love," he slurred his last word as I draped my arm around his.

"Dork," I uttered, rolling my eyes. As he flashed a winning grin, his teeth practically glistened in the fluorescent lighting of the area. It was enough to blind someone. Or make someone fall in love with him. Or both.

Just as we arranged, we sat in the very back of the cinema chairs and used half of the time with our lips urgently connected and the other half trying to figure out what we missed in the time span we distracted ourselves with. There weren't too many people in the movie, seeing as it was one that not many people went to, but it gave us a chance to be touchy without the prying eyes and ears of nosy beings.

We slipped up a couple of times, the farthest being a feel in the upper area, but we were entranced by the opportunity of physically connecting without the blood-pumping feeling of knowing that my mother was only a few doors away. The forbidden thing was relatively enticing, but not when it involved a family member.

If I hadn't tore myself away, I wouldn't have seen the credits to the film.

"Oh my god, Ian!" I rasped. "The movie's over! Did we really just do that? We're like a teenage couple."

In spite of the darkness, I could see a sheepish smile forming on his face. With one final kiss, we grabbed our popcorn bucket from the ground, along with our cokes, and strolled out. We threw away our contents and walked hand in hand, maneuvering through until we reached the lobby. Something near the arcade caught my eye.

"Ian," I tugged on his arm, "Ian, let's go take pictures in the booth! Pleaaase."

He looked towards the direction of the photobooth, glanced my way, and shrugged. "Why not? Let's go."

We crossed over and entered, closing the curtains behind us. As he inserted a dollar, I adjusted my hair with the help of the camera view. Surprisingly, not too many strands were out of place after our severe kissing. Hairspray really did do wonders.

"Okay, let's plan out what we want to do," I exclaimed. I didn't want our faces looking confused in some of them because we had no idea how to pose. We got our positions down in a matter of seconds. The clock counted down and... snap! We took four consecutive photos.

"Let's check them out," Ian said before we hopped out and snatched the pictures from the slot. I awed, leaning my head against his shoulder to get a better look.

In the first row, the typical smiles were set up — but I had to give Ian props for best smile. In the second, I made a 'shh' gesture by placing my index finger against my lips while Ian pointed at me scornfully. In the third, we fashioned the most silliest faces we could ever make. And for the grand finale, we sealed the strip with a kiss. I couldn't say how much I revered it. If the kiss at the end wasn't a part of it, I'd appoint it as my new screensaver on my phone.

As we started our walking path to the house, I couldn't stop staring at the strip. The smile that stretched to the creases of my eyes were beginning to pain me, but I didn't care. I just wanted him to know the magnitude of my euphoria.

"Thank you for—"

"I really loved—"

I looked up at him, pausing myself once we spoke up at the same time. The shy look on his face caused me to become flushed. This had to be a teenage date. We were making out in the movie theaters and we were shy when being alone. It gave me a tingly feeling and I didn't want it to end.

"You first," he encouraged, slipping his arm around my waist and supplying me with a warmth that only he could provide.

"I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you coming out to Tennessee with me," I expressed, keeping my stare on the sidewalk, moreover glancing his way at intervals. "Supporting me for eight hours with my music is the exact kind of support I want from you. From anyone that's willing to be with me."

"Don't be silly; I wanted to go with you as much as you wanted me to come, if not more," Ian asserted, even if it was far from the truth. I was convinced that I didn't harbor the effect he had on me — sweaty palms, a racing heart, and the tendency to mess up my words. "I would go anywhere in the world with you, Goose."

My senses heightened as we took a pause in the sidewalk. Feeling the moment approaching, I swiped my tongue against my lips to moisten them up. As anticipated, the warmth of his breath in the cool August air no longer radiated against my lips. Instead, he stole a sensual kiss, taking every movement slow and steady nonetheless hauntingly passionate.

As we found ourselves moving to reconnect with our eyes, the declaration of our cherishing was all that could be heard over the blasting wind.

SNEAK PEEK:

"Ready?" Ian asked as he looked at me for assurance.

"Not really," I admitted with a smile. "But it has to be done. She'd kill us if we kept this a secret from her."

Sympathetic looks were exchanged between the two of us. I gave him a nudge as a motivation. We'd get through this. What was she going to do — fire us? It wouldn't be as bad as we predicted, I was sure of it.

Ian raised his hand to the door, barely grazing his knuckle on the platinum name tag that read MARLENE KING. I heard two things; the sound of Ian holding his breath, along with shuffling coming from the other side of the door. Accompanied with a creak, the door opened, granting us access of Marlene's tall stature and the organized group of papers behind her on the desk.

"Hey, Mar," I greeted, planting the best smile on my face. I glanced at Ian, who was unmistakably trying to swipe my thunder with his perfect grin. His teeth shone beautifully.

"Hey, you two," she said, her tone with the usual calmness. It was a thing known around set that if a fire was started, Marlene would casually walk through without hesitancy, as though it was a normal day in the park. The only time she was uptight was during shooting, when she was doing her job. "Is there anything I can do for you two?"

Ian and I exchanged hard looks and nodded. "It's something really important."

"It sounds like it," she agreed with Ian's words. "I'm really busy right now, so do you think it'll take over three minutes?"

I shook my head, hoping that within three minutes, I wouldn't buckle down and chicken out. "It shouldn't take that long."

"Two minutes and fifty-nine seconds at the most," Ian joked. As Marlene chuckled and led us into her office, I gave Ian an appreciative look. He was making this easier to do. Hopefully, he could break the ice a little bit more, but I wasn't counting on it with Marlene's lack of time.

I felt the heavy, panicky thoughts of doubt infiltrate the positive and conclusive side of my thoughts. As if I needed any extra weight thrown on top of my shoulders. As the thoughts took over, I felt myself slipping. Out of nowhere, I blurted it out.

"Ian and I are together."

Thoughts on this chapter? Good or no? Did I do good with the fluff and the date and all that? Please review, let me know your thoughts, and I'll see ya'll next time!