[Loren's POV]

A loud, irritating buzz interrupts my conversation with Mel. "Ooh, wait a sec." I reach over to the table by my bed and grab my phone, which is blinking frantically in an attempt to alert me about a new message. A grin immediately pops up on my face.

Wanna come over tomorrow? My fingers twitch slightly while I run though my schedule in my mind.

"It's Eddie, isn't it?"

I turn back to the screen of my laptop. "How'd you know?"

She rolls her eyes and scoffs. "Lo, I've known you practically your whole life. The only time that smile appears is when there's a boy you like or one of your biggest dreams comes true. Which in this case, I suppose it's both."

Normally I would blush, but I've been best friends with Mel long enough to barely react. "Anyway, yes, it is Eddie." I can't help that the corners of my mouth are tugged up when his name escapes my lips. "He wants me to come over tomorrow."

Mel lets out a low whistle, or actually partly fails at it. She makes a face before replying, "Lo, you're gonna have that boy trained in no time. Twice in less than one week? That rockstar's wrapped around your little finger but neither of you know it. Or will admit it," she adds as an afterthought.

My weak protests are cut short.

"Don't even try to deny it because it's truer than my crush on Ryan Gosling."

Now it's my turn to roll my eyes. "Anyway, I gotta go now. It's getting late and I still have half my math homework left unfinished." I accuse Mel pointedly yet jokingly.

"Wait! You never texted him back. You better not leave me hanging. Lo, I will –" The screen goes dark under the light touch of my finger.

My phone immediately begins buzzing continuously. I chuckle to myself and pick it up. "Yes, Mel? I promise I'll give you all the deets about it over the weekend. We can have a sleepover."

"Uh, hey Loren. While that sounds awesome, I'm not Mel. And 'deets' about what?" Eddie's voice teases me.

I blush furiously, insanely grateful that Eddie can't see me. "Uh, um, hi Eddie." I stammer nervously. "So I'm just gonna pretend I didn't totally humiliate myself like ten seconds ago. So what's up?" I stay calm, cool, and collected. Yeah, right. I'm mortified and I'm sure Eddie knows it.

"Haha, ok umm… I just wanted to make sure you got my text." The sweet insecurity in his voice and slight fumble of words brings a smile to my face.

"Yeah, I got it. I was also talking to Mel at the time, which I hope explains why I didn't exactly reply yet."

His soft laugh sends butterflies into my stomach. "Uh-huh. I get it. I'm just not important enough." He sniffs pointedly before we both crack up.

"Yeah, I'm free tomorrow."

Eddie's voice brightens up when he replies, "Great, because I really want to show you something.

"Uh-oh. That's a little too mysterious for my liking."

"Well, that's unfortunate. Because it's going to stay that way. Or at least until tomorrow."

I laugh again. "Ah, rockstars and their annoyingly odd ways."

"That should be an insult, but I will take it as a compliment. Thank you."

"Alright then. Eddie, I'm really sort but I, unfortunately, am still in high school and have homework to do." The sincere regret in my voice is clear to him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I should have been more thoughtful. I'll let you get back to your awesome life now and we can talk tomorrow."

"Thanks. Goodnight, Eddie."

"Night, Lo." My nickname sounds so good rolling off his tongue. I pull the phone away from my ear and watch the screen go dark. It drops onto the bed, followed by the rest of my body. I snuggle up under the covers, ready for another night and day of Eddie Duran.

[Eddie's POV]

I hear a tentative knock. Reaching for the handle, a grin lights upon my face once again at the sight of Loren Tate. She's struggling with a few bags while attempting to talk to someone on the phone at the same time. I take her bags and set them by the black leather armchair, receiving a grateful nod.

Loren snaps the phone shut. "Sorry, that was my mom. She just wanted to know where I was. I wrote a note, but accidentally stuck it in my backpack this morning when I was rushing around. It hasn't exactly been the most pleasant day today."

I feel a rush of sympathy. "What's wrong?"

She looks up sheepishly. "Nothing you'd want to hear about. Just some drama with the 'Queen Bee' at school. I just went on a rant to get it all out."

I let it go. "Well, I hope I can help a little because I have something special to share with you."

Loren blushes lightly and brushes her hair out of her face. I consciously force myself to tear my gaze away from her, taking a few steps to the side to grab my guitar.

She nods expectantly. "Probably should have figured."

"Yup, I guess our afternoon together did help. It was just a little delayed." My hands shake as I adjust the my fingers around the neck of the guitar. Thankfully, she doesn't seem to notice. I take a deep breath to settle my nerves and calm myself. How can I have played in huge arenas packed with screaming fans, yet barely have the courage to sing in front of one girl? Because those fans don't have nearly as much power over me as Loren does. Because they don't have the ability to crush my heart with a single word. My mind reminds me of why I wrote this song in the first place.

"Here goes." I whisper the words to myself. I begin strumming lightly, getting into the groove of the music before opening my mouth.

getting lost in the time spent with you
minutes turn to hours before I know what to do
don't want to lose myself and give it all up
but the strength I have to stop this just isn't enough

can't keep myself from melting at the sight of your face
the sound of your name gets me lost in a daze
no choice but to allow this feeling to rule
the victor is my heart in this irrational duel

you're a princess and I hope you'll let me be your prince
to take your hand and wake you with a kiss
please don't hurt me, crush me, let it be a problem I've made
it's my lost then found and mended heart that's at stake

I didn't believe in love at first sight
that is, until you walked into my life
and now I'm face to face with a problem, you see
for I've finally been defeated, by me

can't explain why my mindset has changed
the order of things has been rearranged
my heart's dropped to my stomach and who is to blame
no one but you, I know I'll never be the same

Oh, I've never been one to take a leap of faith
but I realize that's the only way to win this race
this battle between my heart and my mind
an adventure to discover what I can find

I'm ready to take a chance, to give it my all
because you can't be caught unless you let yourself fall
because I can't be caught unless I let myself fall
oh, oh, oh, let yourself, let myself fall

The last few notes drift away softly. I put the guitar down carefully and move up from my perch on the armrest of my couch to stand in front of Loren.

I can't help blurting out, "Uhh… so what do you think?"

Not able to muster enough strength to look into those big brown eyes of hers, I stare awkwardly at the ground. My foot is tapping out of nervous habit and I instinctively bring my hand up to the back of my neck.

Her voice is sweet and gentle. It's like a replay of that almost-perfect first date. "Eddie, it was beautiful. I loved it." The words come out in a breathy tone, quiet and comforting.

I look up. She takes my breath away. Her smooth brown hair is swept casually to the side, a few stray strands looping across her forehead. Her eyes are bright with interest and, from what I can gather, excitement and anticipation. Her clothes show off her figure just enough to catch any guy's attention without being over-the-top. I'm just lucky she hadn't realized that before I met her, or else I'd be in heartbreaking trouble. Even her small hands and thin fingers are something to marvel at. Agile and skilled from years of piano and guitar, just like mine. So like me.

I don't even try to resist the urge, the gravitational pull between us. I move one step closer so that our bodies are only inches apart. I life a hand to her cheek before brushing out those soft chestnut locks. I can sense the question in her mind. I can feel the anxiety and hesitation in her heart.

I lean down ever so slightly, eyes locked in a battle with hers. Contact breaks only for a swift, hopeful glance to her warm lips. The mood, the timing, the person – it's all so perfect. Then why does something just not feel right? That ever-so-slight hesitation seems to be blown up to a full-out alarm in her mind. The air around us cracks. Her eyes cloud over and she stumbles backwards in a haze.

Time stops. I won't let her get away, not now. I won't make another mistake. I want her to know that I'm ready for whatever life throws at us. I step forward once again, this time with a purposeful stride, a clear intent. My gaze bores into hers. We each stare forward.

Figured it was finally time for Eddie to serenade Loren :) And yes, I know – it's kind of awkwardly arranged to be a song (as in no chorus, bridge, etc.). I was just too lazy to figure all that out.

And I know that I haven't updated in a pretty long while, so I hope the somewhat longer chapter makes up for that.

Please review! - shimmeruponwishes