AN: I'm finally updating. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. But first of all I want to thank you for your nice reviews. They really and truly make me happy. Thanks a lot.

Chapter 4.

She entered the small coffee shop and was directly confronted with the smell of different cakes and coffee. Otherwise it was rather quiet – a few people sat around the tables talking in silence. Looking around she tried to see if he was already here. She could not see him.

"Can I help you?" The waitress asked. She was young, maybe 25 had short blonde hair and a smile that could cure cancer.

"Uhm, yes." Kate started. "I need -"

"Kate, I'm here!" She suddenly heard him yell through the building, somehow interrupting the familiar atmosphere in the room. A few people even turned around in his direction. Then she saw him; hand raised and a wide grin on his face trying to make her aware of him.

She glanced at the waitress one more time, giving her a small smile before taking off in his direction. He hits in a booth in the corner of the room that is a little bit more hidden from the views of the other people. Maybe because he was a celebrity he tried to draw less attention to him, she thought. But on the other hand he just yelled through the whole room. So much to being discrete.

Taking a seat on the other side of the table she offered him a smile. "Hey" she greeted him.

"Hi, I'm glad you could make it." he answered.

She was about to open her mouth to answer but the same waitress that approached her on her way in interrupted them. Lisa stood on a small sign that was secured on her blouse.

"What can I get you guys?" she asked. Rick looked at her.

"I'm taking a tall skim latte, two pumps of vanilla, please." she started and looked at Rick to indicate that she finished her order.

"Just coffee. Black." he smiled.

"Okay, got it? Anything else? We've got chocolate nougat cupcakes in today. They're great." Lisa said looking in between them.

Kate started to shake her head, not feeling like she could eat anything but Rick spoke up first.

"We take two, thank you very much." Lisa nodded and scribbled something down on her little notebook before leaving their table but not without flashing them one of her bright smiles.

/

He watched her from across the table. Her arms crossed on the wooden surface, her gaze finding his for a moment before falling down onto her hands. A heavy sign escaped her lips and he could not stop wondering what happened to her to make her become that person.

He might have only met her once but everyone who dared to take a serious look at her knew that whatever she had been through, or was still going through, was eating her alive. He had no explanation why she was like that or why he wanted to know what killed her or why he wanted to wipe that stone hard facade off her face. He met many girls. Beautiful girls without much of a package, without a sad past and if he wanted to he could have any of them. But something in the way her knees were drawn to her chest the night he met her, her face hiding in her hands and her ability to still spat sarcastically back at him made him want to spend more time with her. Get to know the girl under the mask.

The cleared her throat making turn his attention back to her. "How do you even know about this place?" she asked.

"I know places." he answered with a cocky grin on his face making her roll her eyes in return. Did she know how adorable that was? "And also I don't live too far."

She just nodded in return.

Lisa returned and placed their coffees and cupcakes on the table. He watched Kate directly grabbing the cup of coffee taking a big gulp, closing her eyes as the hot beverage ran down her throat. Putting the cup back on the table she quickly licked her lips.

"That good, huh?" he asked her laughing and this time she did not roll her eyes. She smiled in return.

"Best coffee I've had in a long while." she explained. After taking a sip himself he tried a piece of his cupcake. Lisa was right, it was great.

"Then you should try this," he said pointing to his plate. "That stuff is heaven."

He saw her reaching for her own cupcake. Turning it between her fingers a few times she finally pulled off the smallest piece guiding it to her mouth.

"Shouldn't you be back at Stanford? It's might been a while but as far as I remember finals are due soon." He knew that he said the wrong thing as soon as the words left his mouth. It was just a thought that suddenly came into his mind and without thinking he spilled the words. He saw her hand lowering again, her breath quicken, her eyes widen for a moment. She then pressed her eyelids together, swallowing a few times.

When she opened her eyes again he almost felt the pain radiating from her body. Her face hardened and we wondered what monsters lived under her bed and what ghosts haunted her. He wanted to apologize but opening his mouth he could not find the words that could take back the pain he caused her by his simple, yet far from simple question.

"I..." she then started. Her voice quiet and almost weak. "I... took some time off." she explained her voice getting more steady and he nodded. He was not going to ask her why. Not when she looked like was either going to run away or slap him hard across the face at any moment. He preferred the slap.

/

She was embarrassed. She should expect those question to come – she was the one who told him she went to Stanford. Why did such a simple question let all the memories float back into her?

Suddenly she was back 110 days ago and it was cold and she was mad on her way home to their apartment. She pulled the jacket closer around her body as her father tried to lighten up the mood. She could not remember what exactly he was telling her because as soon as their house got into view she knew. She knew that the police car that waited in front of the building was meant for them; she knew that something happened. She just knew.

110 days was not long ago. Not even four months. But without her mother they felt like eternity and yesterday at the same time.

"Sorry" she mumbled and tried to avoid his gaze. It was the wrong decision to come here, this was not distraction. She wanted him to crack some jokes and make her smile, since his statistic went up to four even though the last genuine smile might have been caused by the coffee.

Shaking his head he reached forward and for the quickest moment she thought he was going to touch her. She almost wished she could feel the warmth of his hand sinking into her skin. It's been too long since she felt another body comforting her. But instead he lay his hand flat on the table.

"I'm sorry. None of my business." Right, it was all her business. She wanted to say something, anything to make the dark cloud that hang over them disappear but no words left her mouth. Her teeth sank down in her lower lip. She was the one hurt but right now she just wanted to wipe that look off his face. The guilt on his face lingered like a shadow between them.

Thankfully his phone rang just in that moment. Looking on his screen a smile appeared on his face.

"I have to take that." he said.

"Go ahead." she nodded and she could just hear his part of the phone call.

'Hey Lollipop.'

'What did Grams do? We're gonna have a talk about that later.'

'But I bet she's taking you to get ice cream.'

'That's what I thought.'

'Ahhh chocolate and vanilla? Only if you also take chocolate sprinkles.'

'Okay, deal.'

'Me? I'm having coffee with a friend.'

'Of course I'll be home later.'

'Yes, you brush your teeth and put on your PJ's and I'm gonna tell you a story, okay?'

'With aliens

and monsters, huh? I can do that.'

'I love you, too. Bye.'

As he put down the phone she could not help but smile. Six out of six. Or were it already seven, eight? She caught herself smiling throughout a phone call a few times. She was starting to lost count.

"My daughter." he said smiling.

"I figured that much." she answered, glad that he mood lightened and some weight was lifted off her shoulders. He arched an eyebrow questioningly at her.

"I've read that you're a father. How old is she?"

"Four." That smile on his face when he talked about her was different from the others she has seen on him. Love, that was the only way to describe that expression on him.

It warmed her heart and she could not help to smile in return. Again. She wished she did not stop counting, because that were the moments that could carry her through the next night.

/

He walked her home. She tried to protest but did not do a really good job. Walking side by side in silence he steel a few glanced at her. She seemed to be lost in thoughts, her lip sinking down in her bottom lip, hands running through her hair a few times.

Until they reached her house they did not talk. She turned to him opening her mouth and closing it again like she was about to say something but did not know how.

"Can we... sit?" she swallowed and pointed to the stairs. An oddly familiar feeling creeping up in him. Not saying anything he just sat down waiting for her to sit next to him. She did.

"I feel like I owe you an explanation." she mumbled looking down at her hands.

He felt her struggle leaking out of her body and hanging in the air between them. Whatever it was, that was really hard for her.

"You don't have to explain anything. I mean, I'm here if you want to talk. But you don't have to."

She just nodded into her lap, glancing up at him for a quick second before fumbling with her fingers again.

"We went out for dinner." she then started. He drew his eyebrows together. We?

"My... my dad and I waited for two hours but she, my mom, didn't show. We thought she forgot or got caught up in a case. She is... was a lawyer." He saw the tears building up in her eyes, her breaths quickened. Anything, he wanted to do anything to comfort her. But he did not know how. Maybe listening was enough for now.

"When we came home the police already waited for us." she continued.

"What happened?" slipped out of his mouth. She turned her face in his direction. A tear ran down her face and he saw that she was struggling not to break down right in front of them.

"She was stabbed. In an alley." She put her face in her hands shaking her head. "It was almost four months ago." The tears in her voice were evident, her shoulders shaking lightly and this time he did what he wanted to do all day. Reaching out he lay his hand on her knee. His fingers curling around her tight, hoping that this slight physical contact could give her at least some comfort.

"I'm really sorry, Kate." he said.

AN: I thank everyone for reading and reviews are always loved.