[This chapter is dedicated to Shiny_Star5683 and Titania23. Thank you!]

"Yo, Little Miss Jessie, do you wanna break some heart tonight? Come out, come out, and let's play!"

She just came out of the shower, choosing clothes to wear with Noah coming over in mind. She rolled her eyes when she heard Luke incessant knocking on her door. Tightening the towel on her body, she yanks her door open.

"Wooh! Looking delectable right there. You can come to the party with that."

"Shut up! I just got hammered from the party you took us last night. I'm not going anywhere to any of those parties anymore." She clicked her tongue and leaned on the doorframe. She looks over at Luke's outfit of breezy white cotton shorts, and another Hawaiian shirt printed with pink flamingo. "You look pretty hot, though."

"I know right? See these shorts? You can shove hands in there without any problem." He pushed his hand inside his shorts from the hem to show her how easy it was.

"Oh, please. Get out of here! I don't want to have a glimpse of what you do with all of the thirst-quenching adventures you have been doing outside! Gahd, so...so…" She couldn't finish her sentence because the memory of her clinging onto Noah's neck, moaning deliriously as he dry-humped her crossed her mind.

"Why are you blushing? Don't act like a frigging virgin. I mean, your virginity thief was just a stone away from here. Why don't you two play hooky when little Lucille was sent to bed and while I was out for a party...huh?", he wiggled his thick eyebrows in a suggestive manner that made Jess blush more.

She grasped the knot of the towel covering her body as she felt her face heats up. Luke may be teasing but she was feeling guilty that her heart was thumping wildly in her chest because that's what her and Noah's plan tonight!

He was coming over for them to talk after Lucille was sent to bed! It was just a talk. They just needed to clear whatever it was between them, nevertheless, she felt like she was a child caught with her hand inside the cookie jar.

"Leave! Go to your degenerate party! Have fun and don't forget to use a condom!" She slammed the door in his face. She heaved a deep sigh as she leaned off the door, cupping her face in her sweating palm. 'Shit, shit!' She is such a hypocrite! She had to get away from Luke's watching eyes because she felt like he could see right through her. Or maybe it was just her guilt.

"Think about it, Jess. When are you going to have another chance to jump Noah?"

"Go away! You -- an impure excuse for a man!"

She heard Luke, laughing outside her room. 'Why can't he just go to his party without annoying her?' She huffed and puffed behind the door.

"Little Miss Jessie," he crooned in his high-pitched voice that she hated, "This is the best time to do regrettable things. Summer is the best time for love affairs. They used summer for a love affair for a reason."

She stepped away from the door and held her tongue. She knew for a fact that Luke won't stop pestering her if she kept on answering his taunting. 'Summer love affair', she watched herself from the vanity mirror, her cheeks still had a tint of blush, her eyes were full of guilt for everything that Luke had said was the truth.

"Summer love affair? Huh?" She scoffed condescendingly at her own reflection. "How could you stoop so low with your morality Jessica Joy? Your mother would be so disappointed -- or not. Dead people don't get disappointed." She gave herself the sign of the cross and apologized to her mother's soul in heaven for dragging her down with her stupidity.

She just returned to her closet to put on some clothes. And not like before, her excitement was dissipated and replaced with shame. She picked out the first thing her eyes saw inside her closet which was a cream colored wrap-around dress.

It's a long dress, reaches her ankle, and has a ruffled top. She tied the sash belt of the dress and went out of her bedroom to find something to drink -- preferably something that has alcohol in it.

Meanwhile, Noah was reading another page of the book Anne of Green Gables to Lucille. He felt a pang of sadness when his daughter whispered that just like Anne dislikes the color of her hair, she dislikes the color of her eyes because it makes her so different from other kids at school.

He made a mental note to talk to Nicole about it, while he caressed her back to soothe her to sleep.

"Don't be sad Daddy."

"Huh?" he glanced up and met the same eyes he has in his daughter's face. It was full of worry. "What is it, Princess?"

She took her hand from under her blanket and stroked his face, "Don't be sad. Dislike and hate are two different words. I don't hate my eyes, Daddy. I know they are pretty like yours. What I dislike is that it makes me stand out in the crowd when I…" she scratched her nose and sigh. "Anyhoo, those kids are unimportant. I will just don't mind them next time." she gave him a bright smile.

He balled his hand into a fist as he leaned in to kiss her forehead, "Goodnight, Princess. I love you. You are daddy's whole world. Don't ever forget that."

"I love you too, Daddy," she chuckled. "If I am your world, why did you and Mama named me after the moon?"

He was taken aback by her question, "Hmm, good question. I miscalculated that part." he chuckled in the dim room. "Goodnight, Princess. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," she whispered back and closed her eyes.

He didn't stand up from the chair next to her bed. He watched her small chest rise and fall steadily, indicating that she was now deep asleep. 'Lucille Yue - two names from two different languages, but mean the same thing -- the moon. Both he and his ex-wife agreed to name their daughter after the moon, not only because the moon is beautiful and mysterious, but also because their child lit them in their dark days.

His daughter doesn't have to know that part. That's a bedtime story that has no space in his daughter's life. He softly put the book he was reading next to the lamp in her nightstand. He pressed another kiss on his daughter's forehead before he left her room.

He found Soraya outside Lucille's room waiting for him to get out. His forehead creased when he saw Jin was waiting with her. "You may go in. Thank you, for always watching over Lucille."

Soraya nodded but said nothing as she gently opened Lucille's room and slipped inside.

Noah turned to Jin and cocked his head to follow him. When they were far enough from his daughter's room not to make a noise, "What is it?" he asked Jin.

"Miss Liu has been calling the private line, boss."

"Did she say why?" he furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't need this right now. He glanced at his watch, it's now quarter to nine. He wants to be with Jess now and not talk to his ex-wife. However, since she called the private line, he has to return her call. "Thank you, Jin. You can go now."

He took the phone from Jin's hand and entered his bedroom for privacy. He didn't have to wait for a long time for Nicole to answer the call.

"Why did you put your daughter on a long haul flight just to bring her to a beach? California has a beach."

'Stefan!' No one would snitch him to his ex-wife other than his stupid cousin. These two were still close as ever.

"Why is it a problem? I can take my daughter on wherever vacation she wants while she's with me. And Nicole, good evening to you too." he added in sarcasm.

"Huh! Don't make me laugh Noah. If I didn't meet your neighbor when I dropped by at your place, where I happened to know that she was conveniently on her way to San Lucas. I might believe your bullshit that you took Yue there for a vacation!"

He went frigid when he heard the blatant accusation in Nicole's words. Part of it was true but he doesn't like how she was acting like he dragged his own daughter to another part of the world to follow Jess -- well… "I have a private plane for a reason, Nicole." he said in between teeth. He has no words to dispute her accusation anyway. "Also, just a gentle reminder, do not put your nose where it does not belong."

"Y-you --" she heard the underlying threat in Noah's gentle reminder.

"Goodnight, Nicole. Stop crossing the line. Don't think I'm unaware of your own bullshit just because I don't call you out."

He hurled the phone on his bed and raked his hair. He doesn't need this shit when all he wanted was to talk to Jess.