She handed me the fries before standing up and cleaning up the living room where we were watching movies while eating our dinner which was McDonald's. "Aren't you gonna go home?" she asked while sipping on her coke, finishing it before tossing the cup in the trash.

"Should I?" I asked while helping her clear up the food packaging after turning the TV off.

"Don't you have to?" she chuckled while washing her hands.

"Not really," I shook my head while walking over to her. "My parents are out for dinner," I replied.

"Do you wanna stay?" She turned around to face me.

"Can I?" I lifted an eyebrow at her.

"I don't know, can you?" She arched one back.

"I think I can," I stepped closer to her, resting my hands on the counter beside each of her sides.

"Sure, feel free to take the couch," she shrugged before beginning to walk away, only for me to pull her back.

"The couch?" I deadpanned.

"The couch," she nodded.

"Sure?" I questioned.

"We'll see," she shrugged. "You know where the guest bathroom is." She pushed me away before heading upstairs to her bathroom. She came downstairs to grab water to see me scrolling through my phone on the couch. "What're you doing?" she asked with a sigh while sitting beside me.

"Scrolling through Instagram," I replied.

"Who's?" She leaned toward me.

"Yours," I answered.

"Why?" she chuckled when she saw me scrolling and liking all her pictures.

"Because look at you," I kept scrolling, not even turning to glance at her.

She shook her head while smiling to herself before the doorbell rang. Catherine, our town florist's daughter stood there. "These are for you," she quickly handed them to her before running off. It was a bouquet of hibiscus flowers and red roses. She stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the flowers in confusion.

"Hibiscus flowers symbolize delicate beauty." I came up behind her.

"Really?" she asked. She didn't know that. "What do you roses represent?" She questioned.

They represent love. And I'm not in it yet. I don't love anyone. I can't. I'm not capable of it. "I-I'm not sure," I stuttered. "I just thought they're romantic," I chuckled awkwardly.

"Let's look it up," she shrugged suggestively.

"No," I shook my head, "Let's not ruin the mystery," I played it off.

"Alex, you can tell me what it means or I can look it up myself," she put my foot down.

"I don't want you to overthink it," I huffed.

"I won't." She reassured me.

"It symbolizes love. But that doesn't mean I'm in love with you," I spat out quickly.

She cleared her throat and looked at me. "Just because roses symbolize love and you gave them to me, that doesn't mean you're in love with me. I know that I'm not gonna make assumptions like that. Plus, it's too soon," she said.

"I don't think you get it Faith. I've never been in love with someone. I don't think I ever can." I mumbled the last bit but she heard it loud and clear. I took a deep breath.

"Why do you think you can never love someone?" she asked, placing the flowers aside on the kitchen counter.

"It comes with such a high risk of getting your heart broken or breaking someone else's," I explained.

"It also comes with the person who for all you know, you might spend the rest of your life with," she said softly. "Alex," she stepped closer to me. "I've never been in love either and just the thought of it terrifies me, but, we're not there yet. You're not in love with me right now, it doesn't happen so fast. When it happens, if it happens, we'll handle it. We don't have to be in love to be together, okay?" she asked. "We like each other and that's enough," she finished.

"What if one of us falls in love but the other doesn't?" I sighed in distress.

"Then we'll handle it." She nodded at me reassuringly. She propped herself up on the counter while pulling me to stand between her legs. "You don't have to worry about what I'll think and assume. I'm in the same place as you. Okay?" she asked while resting her arms around my neck.

I nodded, "Okay."

She smiled at me before I pulled her in for a kiss. I pulled away after a minute.

"You don't have to take the couch," she whispered against my lips.

"But I should," I whispered, taking a step back and increasing the distance between us.

"As you wish," she hopped off before saying goodnight and heading up to her room.

I turned the lights off and lay on the couch, closing my eyes and going to sleep.

x-X-x

It was currently twelve-fifteen in the morning and I just could not sleep. I had been lying awake for god knows how long and I don't know if it had something to do with what happened earlier or knowing that Faith was upstairs but something was pestering me to no end. I contemplated checking on her before deciding not to do it.

I walked around the room for a little bit, trying to tire myself out because just going up there and asking her if I could join her wasn't exactly logical. After a while, I grew frustrated and just got back to bed, deciding to let my mind wander until I doze off without realizing it. I was on the couch when I decided to go up there. I made two soft knocks before her door creaked open.

She peered my head from above the covers to see me leaning my head against the doorframe.

"Can I come in?" I asked in a soft voice.

"Sure," she sat up and while I made my way over to her in bed.

I sat beside her in bed before lying down. She lied back down, her back facing me while I thought of what to say. "I hope you're not upset that I took the couch," I whispered. I saw her shiver faintly when my fingers brushed against her waist.

"I'm not upset," she replied. "You needed a minute," she shrugged slightly.

"How are you so understanding all the time?" My voice was barely a whisper. She didn't reply when she felt my arm draped around her waist before I pulled her flush against my body, my chest pressed against her back.

"Consider yellow roses next time," she mumbled.

"Don't they symbolize jealousy and infidelity?" I questioned in confusion.

"They also symbolize solitude and friendship."

She knew that.

"Plus, red and yellow roses make a good, balanced combination." She turned to face me. "I don't just wanna be your girlfriend. I wanna be your friend too. I want you to be able to talk to me."

Her finger traced my jawline.

"I can talk to you. More than I can to anyone else," I replied. "I'm just..." I trailed off, not being able to say it.

"Scared?" she asked hesitantly.

I nodded slowly.

"Me too," she whispered before snuggling further into me, letting her eyes flutter close.

x-X-x

I woke up while she was still asleep beside me. I stretched in my spot before rewrapping my arms around her, just lying there for a while. I assumed she would be asleep for a while so I decided to make her breakfast.

I made her hashbrowns with a cup of tea and went back up in her room to see her peeking out her window. "I didn't leave," I chuckled while setting her food down on the bed.

"Oh," she sighed almost in relief.

"Why? Did you need something?" I questioned while putting her tea on her nightstand.

"Nope, I was just confused cause you didn't leave a note or text," she sat in bed, sipping her tea.

"I made you breakfast and Faith, my phone is right there," I glanced at my phone which rested beside her cup of tea.

"Right," she nodded slowly in realization.

"You know what I was thinking," I sat down in front of her while handing her the plate. "Instead of going bowling, why don't all of us go to the beach? We can camp out there overnight and spend the day there swimming and just hanging out," I shrugged.

"Sounds fun, I'll call Hayley." She grabbed her phone and dialed. She talked on the phone while I scrolled through mine. "Alright, see you there," she said before hanging up. "We'll meet them at noon," she informed me.

"Alright, we've got two hours, and until then?" I arched an eyebrow while putting my phone aside and eating a hashbrown that she handed to me.

"Until then we'll lounge around," she finished eating.

I took her plate and went downstairs with her following me.

She slid down the railing while I walked. I chuckled and shook my head while washing the dish. She stood behind me, standing on her toes while peering over my shoulder.

"I didn't know you find dishes so interesting," I turned to look at her.

"I don't." She wrapped her arms around my waist from behind.

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