Author's note: If you haven't found me on facebook yet, please come find me! I'm under Madison Quinn and I have a group called Madison's fanfiction. Just make sure to answer the questions if you want to join the group!

Author's note 2: I've received lots of comments/questions about me starting up this story while I have all the others not finished. To clarify, all the other stories EXCEPT into the night are in fact finished. I'm just uploading them one chapter at a time. Into the night... that's a tough one. I started that story nearly 3 years ago. I wrote 10-11 chapters and then put it down for 2 years. I'm struggling picking it back up, no longer having a vision for the story. Unlike many author's, I don't plan out my stories chapter by chapter in advance. Sometimes I don't plan out the story in much detail until I sit down to write it.

Chpt. 2 CPOV:

Still several years earlier

"How was your weekend, blue eyes?" I ask on what has become our new Monday routine. I walk her from our microeconomics class to her early childhood education class each week. She laughed the first time I suggested it, obviously not taking my wanting to be friends seriously. I can't blame her, she obviously doesn't know but I haven't really had any girlfriends… well not girlfriends but friends who were girls. In high school, I wasn't really comfortable around girls until my senior year. By then I needed to make up for lost time.

"It was busy," she sighs. "I spent the weekend working on a few papers and studying for midterms. I need to find a student teaching placement for next year plus find an internship that will work with my schedule."

"You never really told me, why the two majors? I mean, tons of people have double majors but usually they're in the same field or are relevant to each other. Education and economics don't really go hand in hand, unless you were planning on teaching economics to high school kids? But your next class is early childhood education, so that doesn't make sense either."

"Oh that's a story for another day. Not one that I can explain in the two minutes we have before my next class starts," she looks off into the distance effectively ending the conversation with both her word as well as her sudden change in body language.

"How about you tell me over dinner tonight, then?" I suggest.

"Not happening, Christian," she shakes her head.

"As friends, nothing more. We can even meet there – you choose the place. I don't care if we go to McDonalds."

"I can't see you at McDonalds."

"It won't be my first choice, but if that's what you want, we'll go there."

"How about the pizza place across from campus?" she surprises me by suggesting a few minutes later. "I work until 6:30 but I can be there by 7. Unless you have plans tonight?"

I did, but wouldn't dare tell her that. I've tried over the last few months to see her outside of the few minutes every Monday, but I haven't been very successful. A few minutes we ran into each other in the cafeteria, but usually one of us was on our way out and the other was on our way in. Any time I suggested meeting up, even for just a cup of coffee, she's always shot me down. So even though I have plans tonight to go to what's supposed to be a kick ass party, there's no way I'm going to turn down this invitation.

I head over to the student union and grab some lunch before heading back to my room. With mid-terms coming, I have to get started on a couple of projects that are due next week. If it were up to me, I wouldn't do any of them, instead fail out and head back home to start my own business plan like I really want to. But I can't do that… at least not yet. My parents reluctantly agreed with my decision to drop out of Harvard, but only after I completed at least three years. That means I need to finish all of my classes this year, as they were clear if I failed even one it wouldn't count as finishing the year. Only a couple more weeks to go and I'll be out of here. I'll finally be able to do what I've been dreaming of for the last two years. My business plan is almost complete; I've spent every spare moment working on it. My plan is to present it to my grandfather as soon as I get home and beg him for an advance on my inheritance to use as startup funds.

My plan is relatively simple, in theory anyway. Grey Enterprise Holdings is going to be the company known for mergers and acquisitions. As an umbrella company we're going to have a variety of companies under our belt, this way if one industry struggles, the company as a whole shouldn't. Some companies we will acquire and keep. Other companies we will acquire and sell off into smaller pieces. I'd like to say everything I've learned here at Harvard will help me with GEH, but honestly I don't think much will. Other than the business law class I was forced to take, most of what they teach isn't applicable. Or is only theory. I need to get out there and start making a name for myself. And to do that, I need to get back to Seattle. My research is all based in Seattle, and my family is there, opening GEH anywhere else isn't an option.

While blue eyes is off in class and apparently working somewhere – she hasn't told me where she works exactly, I hit the books. I have three papers and two exams next week. I'm not worried about the exams; Josh was right – that comes pretty easy to me. I can usually get a B+ or even an A- without cracking a book to study, despite not really paying much attention in class. But obviously I have to put some work into the papers. I learned real quick my freshman year that I can't bullshit those.

"Are you meeting us there or do you want us to pick you up somewhere?" Josh pulls me from my work as he heads out of the room we share.

"I'm not going tonight–"

"Wait, what? You're kidding right? It's the biggest party of the year, rumor has it one of the brothers even hired a few strippers."

"Sorry, I have plans," I shrug and don't even turn around. Surprisingly, I feel nothing at the notion of missing the party tonight. A couple of months ago I wouldn't have been able to say that. Hell, I planned out my class schedule this semester based on when the biggest parties were. There's a reason my first class on Tuesdays isn't until 11am. Today I could care less about the possibility of strippers being at the party, instead I'm focused only on my dinner tonight with blue eyes.

"You've never missed a Monday night party! NEVER! What plans could you possibly have–"

"I'm going out to dinner with someone."

"She finally said yes? You're kidding me! What's your plan? I've never seen her talk to a guy, I was beginning to think she didn't swing that way."

"For all I know maybe she's not into guys," though I really doubt that's the case. "But, we're going to dinner tonight."

"I can't believe you're going to miss the party of the year for some girl. What has gotten into you?"

"Have fun, Josh."

He shakes his head and leaves our room, clearly in disbelief that I'm missing the party tonight. If I'm being completely honestly, I'm a little in disbelief too. I don't typically miss any parties, let alone one that is known for being the biggest, best party of the year. But when the opportunity arose to take her to dinner tonight, there was no way I was going to cancel especially not because of a party. I don't know what her deal is, but I'm hoping to learn more about her tonight.

I don't know what it is about blue eyes that has me so caught up in her. Josh tried telling me last week that it was because she's the only one who tells me no. But that's not really true; Josh just doesn't realize that most of my junior year of high school was spent with girls telling me no. I wasn't really interested in them, but asked several out because that's what was expected. It wasn't until my senior year when I really started taking an interest in girls did I learn better ways to ask them out that resulted in yeses. But, of course I wouldn't tell Josh that.

Maybe Josh is sort of right. Maybe she got in my head because she's the only girl who has really called me on my shit. Well other than my mom and sister. Blue eyes called me on it the first time I spoke to her – without me even knowing who she was.

I shake my head, dispelling any thoughts of blue eyes as I try to focus on completing this paper. As much as I want to get to know her more, I NEED to get out of here more. I need to focus on my classes, finish this semester and get back to Seattle. My business plan is complete and I'm just itching to get started. I gave my dad my word that I would try my best for these three years and I don't intend to go back on my word – especially not because of a girl. So for the next two hours I focus and finish the first draft with just enough time for a quick shower before rushing over to the pizza place that blue eyes mentioned.

I arrive just in time to grab a table and order two sodas before she walks through the door. I feel her before I even see her. When she rounds the corner into the dining room, I'm already on my feet to greet her. She's wearing a pair of form fitting leggings and an oversized pink short sleeve shirt. She obviously opted for comfort over fashion, but she still finds a way to look great in it.

"I was hoping you wouldn't change your mind," I joke and signal for her to sit across from me.

"I almost did," she blushes an adorable shade of pink just as I sit down.

"Oh?"

"The person who was supposed to come in to relieve me at work didn't show up. My boss had to call several people before she found someone who could come in at the last minute. Apparently there's some big party going on tonight so no one wanted to work. Come to think of it, I'm surprised you're not there. From what I hear you never miss a party."

"Well, I don't go to every party," I stress, suddenly hating that my reputation is making her think less of me. "I do tend to go to most of the parties I suppose –"

"You don't owe me an explanation, Christian. You seem to be one of those students who never need to study, but somehow manage to graduate with a 4.0. So, hey, if you can, why not party?"

The waiter comes over and interrupts us at the perfect time. We decide on sharing a large pie and sit in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. If I'm being honest, I don't know what to say to blue eyes. She's right, I generally don't need to study and pretty much do have a 4.0 GPA so far. And I do pretty much go to every party on campus. There's only a handful I don't usually go to and that's because they don't usually have a tons of girls there.

"Did you know I work three jobs?" blue eyes asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Three? And you're a double major? How the hell do you manage that?" No wonder she doesn't go to any parties. I can't image how she has time to sleep let alone have any fun. I feel this incredibly urge to protect her, to do something so she doesn't have to work so many jobs – but I have no idea what.

"My dad made me a deal; if I majored in economics, he would cover my tuition to Harvard for four years. I had to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for all four years or he would stop paying the bills. When I graduate at the end of next year, the expectation is I join him in the investment firm he owns. He has this stupid vision that when he retires, I would take it over."

She stops talking just long enough for us to each take a piece of pizza and then over the rest of the pie, she tells me more about her than I expected. She tells me her father has no idea that she has no desire to go into investing with him. She had a younger brother who died several years ago when he hit by a car while riding his bike home from a friend's house. The plan before his death was that he would be the one going to Harvard for the economics degree and that he would be the one joining her father's business and eventually taking it over. However with his death, came the pressure on her to essentially take his place. It didn't matter to her father that all she wanted to do was teach. It didn't matter to him that she didn't want to work with him or run his company when he no longer could. It didn't matter what she wanted. Her mother was far too lost in her own grief to notice what her father was doing.

"You work the three jobs to pay for extra classes for the second major," I realize aloud, suddenly it all making sense.

"I have a friend who works in the billing department, she separates the bills for me every semester," she shrugs. "I pay for the classes associated with the second major, while my dad receives a bill that looks like it's just for the one major. Next year, between student teaching and an internship, I won't be able to work any jobs. So I've been saving everything for the last three years to make sure I have enough to cover those bills, plus the summer classes I'm taking of course."

"What are you going to do when you graduate though? Are you going to go work for your dad or pursue your own dreams?" I ask.

"I have no clue," she sighs and takes a long drink of her soda. "I want to teach, more than I've ever wanted anything. It's all I can remember wanting to do when I grew up. When I was younger, I used to teach school to all my stuffed animals. I would make my brother play along whenever he was home too. I can't imagine doing anything else."

"Why not tell your dad that?"

While my parents weren't thrilled with my decision to leave Harvard, they put some guidelines in place and then supported me in my dreams. They didn't try to talk me into doing something completely different. And they could have. My mom could have pressured me to become a doctor like she is. My dad could have pressured me to go pre law and eventually join his law firm, which I know was an ultimate dream of his. But neither of them pressured me, Elliot or Mia to follow in their footsteps. We were allowed to follow our own dreams. And all 3 of us went in different directions: Elliot graduated with a degree in architecture, Mia is a freshman majoring in fashion design and I'll be running my own business.

"He knows," she finally says after a long silence. "We had a huge fight the day before I flew out here. I pushed back; I told him I didn't want to work with him at the investment company. I told him I wasn't my brother – that I couldn't and wouldn't take his place. I had never said those words to him; I thought them plenty of times but never had the nerve to say them."

"How did he respond?" I ask even though I kind of have an idea of his response just by the sad look in her usual bright blue eyes.

"He told me if I didn't come home after four years, ready to work with him, that I would need to find another place to live."

"Shit."

"Yeah," she shrugs. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I'll be miserable if I work there. I mean, I'll be good at it, because I understand the concepts and can analyze trends in my sleep, but I'll be miserable. But what options do I have? It takes time to find a teaching job, especially when I'm across the country. But even if I managed to find a job, get hired from a phone interview, I still need somewhere to live. I graduate in May, school doesn't start until September. What do I do for those three months? I spent any savings I had on everything I needed for my second major."

"I'm so sorry. Look if you need money – "

"No!" she cuts me off quickly, shaking her head before I can even finish my sentence. "You have an business plan, one that doesn't involve giving a handout to some girl you barely know. You need that money just as much as I do, so I won't let you offer it to me. I'll figure something out. I have a little over a year, who knows what will happen in that time."

I know she's saying that to make me feel better, but it doesn't. I let her change the subject, instead focusing on a project due in a couple weeks in the class we have together. I try to listen, to focus on what she's saying, but my mind keeps going to back to what she said. I just can't imagine being in her situation. She's truly stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Hey guys, I'm sorry to do this, but I have to ask you guys to leave," the waiter interrupts us.

"Is something wrong?" blue eyes asks.

"We need to close and –"

"Oh! I'm so sorry, we had no idea it was this late. We'll be out of here in just a few minutes, right Christian?"

"Yes, of course, please put the bill on here," I hand over my card without even looking at the bill. My parents put a generous allowance into my account each month. I don't even have to look at the balance, because I think whenever it gets low one of them deposits more money.

"I have cash, I wasn't expecting you to pay for tonight," blue eyes blushes again and I can't help but chuckle. The bill couldn't have been more than $20 for a pizza and a couple of sodas.

"Don't worry about it –"

"No, I invited you out for pizza, it's only fair I pay for half."

"I'll tell you what, why don't you get the next pizza we share?" I suggest.

"Why do I get the feeling that you did this on purpose? Just so we have to go out for pizza again?" she laughs when I don't argue with her.

She tries pushing back when I insist on walking her home but it's well after 2 in the morning. There is no way I could let her walk home this late. She surprises me when she tells me she lives off campus; I assumed she had a dorm like most students. However, she says her father pays the rent for a small studio apartment so she doesn't have to come home for every school break. The way she phrases it, she means it to be out of convenience, however by the undertones in her voice I get the impression that there's more to the story than she's saying.

It takes everything in me not to ask her to invite me upstairs or to even try to kiss her goodnight. Not for lack of wanting though. I would love nothing more than to spend the night with her, but after tonight I have a new level of respect for her and her situation. I get it, she needs someone who's in it for the long haul especially given the tough decisions she has to face. I'm leaving Harvard as soon as the semester is over. I won't be able to do anything from Seattle. So instead, I settle for simply placing a light kiss on her cheek and walking away once I see the light turn on in her apartment.