"I'm almost ready!" Autumn shouted from the bathroom.

I sighed, "ok."

My watch read 5:30 so it's taken her about an hour to get ready, hopefully not that much longer.

Currently, I'm wearing a white shirt, nice jacket, jeans, and fancy shoes. I tired to comb my hair back but it's a little messy. Oh well, I tried my best.

My stomach grumbled as the smell of food from the restaurants below our balcony came to my senses.

Does it really take girls this long to get ready–

"I'm done." Autumn announced from the balcony door.

I turned around to face her quickly, but stoped when I took in her presence.

"Woah...." I whispered mostly to myself.

Her hair was curled from before. She had red lipstick on. The mascara she wore made her blue eyes look dark, mysterious, and sexy. She had on a white coat, a red bandage dress and red heels.

Wow she really went all out, huh.

"You look...you look...you..."

She suddenly got self conscious. "What? Am I overdressed? I'm sorry I bought this with Grace today and I-''

"Stunning." I cut her off. "You look stunning."

"Oh," she blushed. "T-Thank you."

I smiled at her. I loved when she stuttered. It was so cute.

It's hard to think that I'm opening up this quickly. I may not say everything I'm thinking but I was really opening up about her and there was nothing I could do about it.

"Come on, princess," I grabbed her hand. "Let's go."

***

Since both of us were dressed up, we decided to go to a fancy restaurant called Favion's. It's a Mexican restaurant close to the hotel.

"So..." I scanned the menu, "what are you going to get?"

"Hmmm, I'm not sure. What about you?"

"Enchiladas probably."

She smiled at me. "Ok, me too."

Huh?

"Copy much?" I smirked.

"Actually I'm not good at choosing what I want, so I let the other person order first then I just get what they get." Autumn told me after taking a sip of her Coca Cola.

"Ah, I see."

The waiter came by and asked what we both wanted to eat.

When he was gone, we stared at each other for a couple minutes. I analyzed her by the way the oceans in her eyes rocked. She looked so vulnerable and I just felt it was the right time to say what needed to be said.

"Autumn?"

"Yes?"

"You promise you won't get mad, worried, or scared? I have something to say."

Now she looked worried. Of course.

"Ok."

I took a deep breath in. "On the night of Halloween, you know how you asked me to pick you up from that party?"

Her fingers were tapping on her knee. "Um yeah."

"You told me that you were umm... that you were raped by your ex boyfriend. Is that true?"

Her head lowered. She looked like she was going to cry.

Quickly, I grabbed her hand. "Please, please don't cry."

She bit her lip and closed her eyes. Just by holding her hand I could tell she was in so much pain.

"Y-Yes it's true." She admitted silently.

With my free hand, I covered my mouth. "Oh, Autumn. I'm so so sorry."

God. Now I want to cry. How horrible to trust the love of your life and then they do something like that.

"It's okay, really. I'm fine."

"I want to hold you in my arms forever and tell you everything will be ok."

She looked up in surprise but there was a light blush coating her cheeks.

"Shit. Did I say that out loud?"

She giggled, "yup."

"God, your laugh is cute."

What is wrong with you!? Why do you keep saying these things out loud?

Because I want her to know. I want her to know that I'm not like her father or ex, that I'm different.

That I care.

"Why do you keep giving me compliments and saying nice things?" She asked me.

"Because I like you!" I admitted too quickly.

Crap.

Silence.

Autumn smiled so brightly. "Really?" her voice was high pitched.

"Um," I scratched the back of my neck. "Yeah. I thought it would be obvious by now."

She took my right hand that was holding hers, brought it to her lips, and kissed it so gently.

I'm guessing that was her answer? I'm not really sure because I was kinda star struck and was only focusing on the tingling sensation she left on my hand.

We smiled goofily at each other, even when the waiter brought our food.

She took a bite of her food then became serious. "You know the scars on my body?"

I also took a bite of my food. "Yes?"

"My dad abuses me almost every day. That's why I came to New York, so I could get away from him."

My mouth dropped. "Oh my god..."

She told me more about her dad and Luke. I've never felt in more pain than I did looking at her telling me these horrible things. Why did she have to go through something like that, why her? She didn't deserve it. No one like her does.

"When we get back home, you're living with me." I stated.

"Ryder-''

"No, Autumn. I'm not letting you live there anymore. I won't allow it. I want to protect you from horrible things like that. Please let me."

She bit her lip, not saying a word.

I squeezed her hand lightly. "Please..."

She sighed then smiled. "Ok. I don't know how to thank you."

By being mine.

"You don't need to thank me. I just want to keep you safe."

We talked about other things until the check came and of course, I paid. I would never let the beautiful girl sitting with me pay. Not now, not ever.

"Come on, I have some where else to take you."

She stood up, "ok, let's go!"

Grabbing her hand, we walked out of the restaurant and into the streets of New York City.

***

"Keep your eyes closed." Ryder told me as he helped me walk.

"Calm down. They're closed." I reassured him.

"Ok. Stay here. Let me set up everything."

"Set up what?"

"No questions." He said as I heard him scurrying to put things in place.

It only took him about 5 minutes to finish setting up everything.

"Ok I'm done. Open your eyes."

Opening my eyes, I gasped in awe and excitement.

"Wow! Ryder this is amazing."

We were on a field by a lake. On the grass were a couple blankets and two lemon cupcakes with white frosting and a candy lemon on top. The smell of flowers erode my senses as I walked closer to the scenery. There was also a candle scented like cinnamon.

I sat down next to him. "You did all of this for m-me?" I stuttered, to amazed by what Ryder did.

He smiled. "Yeah! Do you like it?"

I hugged him. "Are you serious? I LOVE it!" You're amazing!"

He smirked, pretending to flip his hair to the side. "I know I know."

I took a bite of the lemon cupcake and moaned. "This is so good."

He took a bite too. "Wow it really is."

I watched him eat and smiled. He was so well mannered as he chewed with his mouth closed and used a napkin after every other bite or so to wipe crumbs.

"Every time you stare at me it makes me even more and more confident than before."

I turned away. "What why?"

"Because you don't glance, you stare. Which means you are entranced by my good looks."

I rolled my eyes and nudged him. "Pfft. Don't get full of yourself 'Mr. Charming'."

"Ah so I'm charming, eh?"

"No..."

"Mhm. Don't lie to yourself, princess." He winked at me.

Of course, I started to blush.

For an hour, Ryder and I talked about the most random things. I fell like we never run out of things to say and it's never awkward with him.

"Autumn."

I looked up at him. "Yes?"

"I have one last surprise."

"What are you doing to me, Ryder."

He looked at me and lifted one eyebrow, asking me to elaborate.

"Everything you do, spending money on me, taking me places, especially when we kissed. Everything you do makes me think and question. God you make me so nervous. I even get consumed by the little things you do to me. I don't understand how you can make me fall so easily."

His mouth parted for a second then he smirked seductively.

I gulped.

"You fall for me because I'm not like your father. And I'm not like Luke. I feel that you want to trust me with everything you have and you are. I want you to trust me because I guarantee I won't let you go."

A tear trickled down my cheek. "The only person I have ever been afraid of is my father. But you're right. I do trust you with everything and I know you're different."

He kissed my cheek, "I know, princess. I know."

"Kiss me on my lips." I demanded.

He didn't hesitate to cup my face in his hands, pulling me closer so our lips touched.

He kissed me, I kissed him back. How right the world was in that moment.

In the background, I heard fireworks explode in the sky so I opened my eyes and our lips parted.

"Woah, look!" I exclaimed as I stared at the fireworks, hypnotized by its explosions of lights and colors.

Ryder chuckled. "Yeah. Cool, huh?"

"It's awesome!"

I was so caught up in the moment that I didn't even notice Ryder cup my face again and turn me to face him.

"Autumn..."

He looked nervous but he tried to keep a strong face.

"Y-Yeah?"

The fireworks continued to explode in the sky, reflecting off the lake. Ryder's eyes never left mine as they looked deep inside my soul. I've never seen more passionate eyes than his.

He looked down and closed his eyes.

"You can tell me anything, Ryder."

He nervously smiled. "Ok."

In the beginning of the year, I never thought we would get this close. I always thought he would hate me for no reason. But now, the thought of him hating me almost seems impossible.

"I'm a dickhead for being cold to you before we got close. But the thing is, you made me feel things I was terrified of feeling. Every damn thing about you consumes me and I used to scared of it, but now, I am fascinated by it. Because if there's someone worth falling for, it's you, Autumn."

My lip quivered. I wanted to cry- not sad tears, but happy ones. No one has ever said this about me. Just the thought of Ryder being consumed by me seemed unimaginable.

"Everyday that I pretended to hate you in the beginning of the year was hell. The first day I met you, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and I still think that. I mean, how could anyone not fall for you? You are the rarest of rare and anyone brave enough to swim deep with you is someone you need."

The gold in his eyes shimmered brighter than the fireworks in the sky as he looked deep into my blue ones. Even the brown shined bright too.

"So right now, I'm going to be brave."

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Autumn Cross, will you be my girlfriend?"

In the sky, the firework in the shape of a red heart exploded into many different dots of red light. It ran down the sky, looking like red rain.

When I tell you this, I mean it.

I've never been more happy in my entire life.

"Yes! Yes yes a hundred times yes!" I jumped into his arms and he gladly greeted me.

We laid together under the stars for hours. Just us. Him and me. Me and him.

As I laid in his arms, I felt something that I haven't felt in a very long time.

Safe.

I looked up at him and smiled. He was my home.

I am finally home.