Kim's POV

I shouldn't be here. What was I thinking?! I'm
never going to live this down.

"Hi Mr. Cameron" I gulp, lowering my hand from the doorbell. The sun is barely up, the roads still nearly empty, and the red still have asleep.

"Kim?" Mr. Cameron looks just as taken off guard as I thought he'd be. He's already dressed for the day.

"Yeah, good morning—s-sorry to bother you this early but I came to make sure Jared went to go school on time toda—"

"Oh thank god he told you." With a deep sigh of relief, the man comes undone, crumbling into himself with a slouch and his frown lines on his forehead disappearing.

Told me? Told me what?

"Come in, come in." The older man widens the screen door.

"Oh... okay?"

"Jared is up in his room. Good luck waking him up. I gotta go to work, he's been making me late everyday since he's—"

"It's okay if I go up to his room?" I ask, bewildered. I figured I'd just wait outside for him and walk together to school if Jared wasn't too creeped out by me."Just him and I alone in there?"

"Of course." Mr. Cameron looks at me like I'm crazy. Understanding suddenly floods his face. "Oh, don't try to be polite, Kim. I'm not sure about Jared's mom's rules, but you're always welcome here."

"If you say so..." I falter on the stairs.

"Make sure you lock up after you leave." Mr. Cameron calls over his shoulder, disappearing into his car.

"Wait—" but he's already gone. Leaving Jared and I completely alone in the house. It's a full ten minutes before I finally make it up the stairs and find Jared's room. I knock. Then four times more just to be sure, but he never answers.

"I'm—I'm coming in." I tell the door. "Please be decent." He wasn't. He's out cold on top of bed, the still made sheets intact under him. He's in nothing but a pair of cut off shorts, with just one sneaks still on his foot, while the other is kicked across the room. His bedroom was small, and with it so cramped it looked more cluttered and messy. Everything is on the floor. Clothes pile up, dirty bed sheets too, abandoned plates of food, books and homework, sneakers everywhere.

"Jared." I call, but he doesn't even stir. He doesn't respond to the next seven times when I call him.

"Jared!" Still not going pass the door, I toss a nearby shoe at the headboard, which is loud enough to finally rouse him a bit. He groans, turning over to crack one eye open at me.

"Am I dreaming?" He picks his head up, squinting at me.

"I don't believe it either, but I'm really here." I answer, hugging myself. I stay rooted in my spot next to the door as he pulls himself up, kicking off the other shoe while yawning. His muscles pull and stretch, and I'm not sure if I do or don't want to ask him to put a shirt on.

"I've never had a girl sneak into my room before." I cock my head at him, and he smirks coyly. "Okay. Yes I have."

"I didn't sneak in. Your dad let me in." I frown, feeling stupider by the minute that I even came here. I wanted to say thank you for the tulip, but that takes my mind of it completely."I came to make sure you got to school on time."

"You're really head over heels for me." He grins, still half asleep. I feel my face go bright red, making him just grin more.

"What did you tell your dad about me?" I ask, desperate to change the subject. It takes him a moment to understand, and when he does his whole face crumbles. He jumps up, charges across the room.

"What did he say?" Jared questions. I back pedal into the hall.

"He said you finally told me. Told me what exactly?" Jared goes white as a sheet, then goes red with anger. He curses on his breath, sucking in harsh and sharp intakes of air while his knuckles crack loudly as he tightens his fists up.

"This..." I start, feeling like something bad was about to happen, like the entire house was coming down as Jared gets bigger and bigger with rage. Why is he so mad? "This was a bad idea. I'll just see you at school." I rush for the stairs, feeling the hairs on the back on my neck stand up end.

"Wait." Jared is there before I am. How? "Wait. Wait. Just wait a second." He rasps, taking in big breaths. He looks more himself with every gasp. His hand at my hip, the other at my shoulder. He's enclosed around me, my back to his chest.

"Just wait please." We slowly lower onto the first step. Settling between his legs, I practically land in his lap. His legs stretch out further past mine, his knees fencing me in on each side. I'm sure when but his chin rests on the curve of my shoulder, not entirely sure if I leaned into him or if he closed the distance and pressed his chest in my back.

"Are you okay?" When his breathing finally evens out I chance asking. The heat of him pounds at my back, but it's not stuffy or stifling, but makes me feel electrified.

"Yeah. That... happens a lot." He admits sorely. "That... um thing my dad said. He um... meant that I told you that I have anger management..."

"You do?" I ask. "Is that why you missed so much school and cut your hair?"

"...Yeah." He takes a long moment to admit. "This is probably the part where I say you calm me down or something, but that's bull. You get me really anxious, and nervous and excited. Whenever you're around, it's a lot harder to stay calm."

His words send a tremble down my spine, and he grips me still. "Don't do that. That doesn't help." He warns.

"Sorry," My toes curl up in my sneakers, and I have to sit on my hands to keep still. "I don't think I've ever been calm around you either."

"Definitely not." He snorts, the warmth of his laugh landing on the curve my neck. I swallow thickly, going red from my neck to my ears. "You were a nervous wreck around me."

"I'm still really nervous around you." I admit, hating how true it is. "But not as bad as before. Now I can talk to you without feeling like an idiot."

"Sorry I was such an ass about your crush on me. I should have just turned you down nicely a long time ago."

"Is this your way of turning me down right now?" I ask, trying to joke off my bruised feelings, but I can feel my face give me away.

"Absolutely not." His big hands cup my face, gently turning me to look back at me. "This is me asking for a second shot. I screwed up my first chance, but I'm not going to miss out this time."

Stunned, all I can manage an ugly shade of red blistering my face. I want to ask if he's joking, it was such a dramatic declaration, but I know he's dead serious. Instead I drop my face into my hands, needing a minute.

"You're cute when you're shy." I can hear the smile in his voice as he probes my hands with a finger.

"I'm not shy," I say through a crack in between my fingers. "I'm just not sure whether I'm dreaming and making this up or if you really mean what you say."

"I mean it." He growls into my hair, a hand pulling me further into him. "By the time a May comes I'll be taking you to prom."

I can't help the noise of disbelief that lodges out of my mouth. My hands drop, going to move towards the railing to pull myself up. I knew he was joking.

Jared Cameron take me to prom? Yeah right.

"Prepare yourself," He pulls back me into his lap, a hand clutching me by the curve of my hip, while the other grips my chin. His brown eyes are bright with confidence, his trademark smirk daring me to kiss him. "I'm gonna sweep you off your feet, Kim."

"Starting with a shower." He cheekily peeks my jaw faster than I can react. He winks at me, telling me to wait as he disappears into the bathroom, leaving me speechless.