Hi guys! Thanks to all the people who reviewed the first chapter! It means a lot to me!

Here's the second chapter...I hope you'll like it! Let me know, as always :)

Thanks again (never enough) to Hilly - insideimfeelindirty - for helping me with the language.

The hall was crowded. People in suits and dresses were eating, chatting and smiling falsely, pretending to enjoy themselves while all they really wanted to do was running out of there. Jackson was starting to feel very uncomfortable. He generally hated packed and noisy places and, most of all, he hated having to attend events like this one. Mark Sloan, his boss, had told him he needed to be there. Jackson's last novel was published two years before and Sloan convinced him that the publicists were starting to forget about him. Hence, he needed to be there and pretend he was writing the next worldwide best seller, even though he hadn't written a single chapter yet. Jackson had spent the last two hours doing exactly what he was told to and now he was trying his best to keep on smiling while Norman Altman, one of the major publishers in the country, was introducing him to his daughter, who apparently was a big fan of his.

"Nice to meet you, Kristen"

"Oh wow…Jackson Avery! It's such an honor to meet you…I've read all your books!"

"Uhm…well, I actually just wrote that one novel but…"

"Oh yes, I mean…I read your book and everything about you…you're amazing…I mean…a very interesting man…very…" Kristen said, smiling mischievously.

Jackson smiled uncomfortably. These kinds of advances weren't anything new. Jackson was an attractive man and well aware of it. He was used to women offering themselves to him, just because he was handsome or because he was an Avery, the heir of one of the most relevant families in the USA. His grandfather, Harper Avery, was the God of the cardiothoracic surgery and his whole family - uncles, cousins, his own mother – were all pretty much involved in medicine or in the foundation Harper had created. It had been a surprise and a shock for them, when Jackson announced he didn't want to attend medical school after college and that his only dream was to become a writer. While his grandfather was still offended by it, his mother, Catherine, had come to terms with it and accepted her son's career. Not being able to meddle with Jackson's job, she put all her efforts in trying to influence his love life. Her favorite hobby was to introduce him to girls she loved, hoping her son would love them too. She insisted it was time for him to settle down and give her a grandchild. She hadn't spoken to him for a whole month when he left Mara, his latest girlfriend, one of Catherine's protégées. Their relationship had been important to Jackson and, for a short period of time, he had believed that maybe he was finally falling in love for the first time. Mara was a beautiful, smart girl and he was grateful to her; she'd been there for him when he was struggling writing his first novel and she celebrated his success when Mark Sloan finally accepted publishing it. She was crazy in love with him but he didn't reciprocate her feelings entirely. The truth was that he was just trying to love her the way she deserved to be loved. He soon realized that it wasn't fair to her and that being loved wasn't enough for him either. He wanted to experience the kind of love he'd written about since he was 15 years old. He never believed in soul mates, but he refused to believe that the famous butterflies in your stomach were just some corny writer's invention. He wanted to meet someone and feel the sweet torment, the need to be constantly with her, the fear of losing something that's become vital to you. He wanted to fall in love and lose himself completely in another person, feeling vulnerable but happy. If the moment hadn't arrived yet, well, that was totally fine by him. He just had to convince his mother apparently.

Pretending he was receiving a call he couldn't miss, he politely declined Kristen's offer to have a drink with her and headed outside, craving some alone time and fresh air. Fighting the urge to light a cigarette, remembering he'd decided to stop smoking a months before, he picked up his phone instead. He quickly checked his emails and then he saw a new friend request on Facebook. He was happily surprised to see April Kepner's name on the screen. He'd lie if he said that he hadn't searched for her before but he'd never found her on Facebook or Twitter. Even if the girl almost broke his heart when he was a kid, she really became only a sweet memory after a while and he'd always wanted to talk to her again. She probably was the bigger and better part of his childhood after all. He immediately accepted the request when he noticed the short message accompanying it.

"Hi Jackson,

I'm April…April Kepner, from Moline. You probably don't even remember me or, if you do, I bet you hate me or something! You won't believe it but I received your letter from Dec. 1998 only two hours ago! It got lost in archives or whatever. I'm so, so sorry I didn't had the chance to answer you then! Actually, I've been mad at you for months, thinking you'd forgotten about your annoying country girl best friend and then it was all the post service's fault instead! We just had an adverse destiny I guess!

I went against my hate for social networks just to find you again…so, please, forgive me and my late reply to your letter (only 15 years, after all :P ). I'd love to know how are you now, where you are and what you've done with your life… I hope I'm not bothering you and to hear from you soon…good night. April

PS: this whole situation is kinda cool though, right? Do you remember we used to spend afternoons watching the VHS of Back to the Future? Don't you feel a bit like Marty McFly now? :P"

Jackson had a beaming smile on his face and he started answering her right away when he heard the door opening and the unmistakable voice of Mark Sloan approaching him

"Avery my man! Why are you hiding here, all alone?" he soon noticed his smile and smirked "Oh, I see… sexting with your secret girlfriend, right?"

Jackson rolled his eyes "I just received a message from an old friend, that's it… and I needed a break! Norman Altman must have talked to my mother…he wants me to date his daughter apparently!"

"And this is bad because…?" Mark laughed, offering him a cigarette that Jackson refused "Avery…she's hot! If I were single I'd definitely take advantage… if you know what I mean"

"Well…if you were single you'd sleep with every breathing woman probably"

"Too bad you're not single anymore, right?" Lexie asked, walking towards them and immediately taking Mark's cigarette and throwing it away "and I told you, you have to stop smoking! Plus, Jackson is trying to quit and you do it in front of him? What a nice friend!"

Mark cleared his throat, suddenly kind of embarrassed "We were just kidding, love of my life" he smiled, giving her his famous puppy's eyes and hugging her from behind.

"You're so whipped!" Jackson laughed "Lex, you totally have him by his balls, you know that?"

"Oh sure! I just love seeing him all worried and guilty," she laughed, giving her husband a quick kiss on the cheek

"Ha ha…you two are so nice! Make fun of me as much as you want but the truth is that you couldn't live without me! Both of you! And Avery… your attempt at changing the topic is not working…" he looked at Lexie, smirking "you should know that our friend here is a chicken…he's hiding here because he's afraid Kristen Altman will jump him in the coatroom or something!"

"Kristen Altman? She'd jump him in front of her own father! She totally has a crush on you Jackson"

Jackson rolled his eyes again "well, too bad I'm not interested then…"

"Sure thing! I found him here, all smiling, texting, or sexting most likely… I bet he's seeing someone and he doesn't want to tell us…"

"Once again…I wasn't texting anyone…let alone sexting! But actually…no, you know what? Yes! I have a secret girlfriend that really, really, reeeally wants me to go home now… so, will you let me go?"

"Nice try, Avery! Nice try! Not working though…we need to go back inside actually, I still have to introduce you to Mr. Banks…he can't wait to hear everything about your next novel…"

"The non-existent novel you mean…" Jackson added

"Whatever… pretending is the key, man! I told you!"

"Yeah…I know!" Jackson sighed "just give me a minute, I need to call my mom"

"Oh shit… A chicken and a mama's boy…no wonder he's still single!" Mark said laughing at Lexie, dragging her back inside the hall.

Jackson shook his head. Mark Sloan was wearisome sometimes. But he wasn't just his boss, he's become one of his closest friends and he knew he cared a lot about him. He'd been patient with him and his writer's block, covering him with the management of the publishing house. The least Jackson could do to thank him was attending this event and pretending he was really writing a masterpiece.

He wanted to answer April before putting on his best straight face and returning back inside, though. He was so happy he found her again and he couldn't wait to talk to her more.

"I can't believe it! April Kepner! The little redhead who broke my poor twelve-year-old-heart! I should probably sue the US postal service then! Years and years of therapy because of a mistake! :D

I'm kidding…I'm happy you found me and I can't wait to talk more! Does your aversion towards technology include Skype?! I'd like to call you and chat a little bit! I want to know everything about these last, what? 15 years? And I bet my mom would die to hear some gossip from her "beloved" Moline!

I'm attending a very boring work related event right now and I have to go, but don't wait years to write me back this time, ok?

PS: This is kinda cool indeed! Are you coming to my house with a DeLorean later in the night? Please say yes!"

Before going back inside he quickly looked at her profile. She had literally just created it. The pic she chose was beautiful though. He remembered a tiny, little shy girl with big glasses and braids. She's always been pretty to him, but now she really seemed to be gorgeous. Her message made his night. Totally.