Noelani said in an excited tone as Jalen led her to the elevator in the Marriott the couple was staying in, located in Inglewood.

"Ehh, my parents don't really fuck with L.A. I knew they were gonna back out." Jalen pressed the elevator button for floor number eight.

"I'm so excited! I wanna see the Hollywood sign, the Santa Monica pier, the Walk of Fame, I wanna try In & Out."

"Oh, you tryna be on your tourist shit, huh?" Jalen laughed.

"Yep! If there's time, I wanna try to go to Venice or..." Noelani's words faded out as Jalen grinned at hearing something other than pain in her voice.

"What, kid?" Noelani raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing. It's just good seeing you happy again." Jalen said, earnestly.

Noelani kissed his cheek just as the elevator doors reopened on the floor where their hotel room was located.

"What's the room number again?" Noelani asked, stepping off the elevator and readjusting the duffle bag on her shoulder.

"Uh, 814." Jalen looked at their key cards again to affirm that what he said was right.

"Oh. This way." Noelani pointed to a sign on the beige wall that read 801-820.

The two scanned each room number until Jalen found it, tugging on Noelani's shirt to make her stop.

He slid the key card in until the scanner glowed green then Jalen opened the door to survey the hotel room.

The room had one full sized queen bed and dark gray walls.

There was a full length mirror placed on the short wall next to the bathroom.

The tv was hung up on the wall above the mahogany wooden desk and the curtains were pulled apart, letting in the light from the sunset and revealing the city of Los Angeles a few feet away.

Jalen dropped his duffle bag on the carpeted floor next to the bed while Noelani pressed ahead to the window.

"Don't take your shoes off. I don't wanna stay long." Noelani said.

Jalen groaned, "I just drove almost seven hours. I just need a couple hours to nap."

He took off his shoes and rested on top of the white comforter, letting his head hit the pillow.

"I offered to drive like ten times. You're just stubborn." Noelani rolled her eyes.

Jalen raised both eyebrows, "You're calling me stubborn?"

"Yeah. Now get up."

"No. Come lay down." Jalen responded, patting the space next to him.

Noelani groaned, throwing her head back dramatically, "You really want me to take a nap? We're in L.A, me for the first time, and you wanna sleep?"

"The city is not going anywhere." Jalen pointed out.

Noelani slipped her checkered Vans off, "Fine," She grumbled as she laid down next to Jalen, "Twenty minutes. I'm timing it then we're leaving."

Then Noelani scooted over and pressed her head against Jalen's chest and entangled their legs together.

Jalen gave her an amused expression but tightened his grip around her waist.

"If I'm being forced to sleep like a toddler, I might as well be comfortable right?" Noelani asked.

Jalen shook his head as waves of weariness passed over him and Jalen closed his eyes.

He laid there in silence for a minute or two and then Noelani's light snores filled the air.

Jalen lazily opened one eye to see his girlfriend fast asleep on his chest, effectively trapping him on the bed.

Shaking his head, Jalen closed his eyes again and within moments, Jalen was fast asleep.

It was at least two hours later when Jalen woke up, Noelani still on his chest.

"Baby," Jalen said in a groggy tone.

"Baby," Jalen gentled nudged her awake, "Come on."

"What?" Noelani quickly sat up straight, "What time is it?"

Jalen checked his phone, "Uh, it's 8:48," There was an array of text messages each from Brandon Boston, Dior Johnson and Josh Christopher.

"Oh, shit." Jalen rubbed his eyes, "We're supposed to meet up with my friends."

"Just tell them to come to the hotel room. I wanna get changed." Noelani unsteadily rose from the bed.

On her body was a pair of gray leggings and Jalen's tie dye Slam Magazine hoodie that stretched from her collarbone and down to her kneecaps, much too big for her.

"You look fine baby." Jalen typed a response to Dior and sent him his location.

"I don't want to see the city like this," She gestured to the hoodie then unzipped her duffle bag and began to rifle through it.

"Where did I put that damn..." Noelani muttered.

Whatever she was looking for she must've found because Noelani hopped up from the floor with two articles of clothing gripped in her hand, a plain red makeup bag in the other and headed to the bathroom.

Jalen started to pull new clothes out for himself and set a pair of orange and black Air Jordan 1s on the floor.

He had only just stopped changing into his new clothes when there was a boisterous knock on the door.

"Lovebug, is that them?" Noelani asked from the bathroom.

"Jalen open the door! It's cold as balls in this hallway!" Dior's voice sounded through the door.

Jalen snickered as he opened the door.

Brandon, Brandon's girlfriend, Nikki, Dior and Josh immediately forced their way in the small hotel room, "Bro, you need to learn how to answer the phone." Brandon says.

"I was k.o'ed. My bad." Jalen sat on the edge of the bed.

"Lovebug!" Noelani called from the bathroom, "Can you pass me a hair tie from my bag?"

Jalen struggled to keep his face neutral as he felt his friends staring at him amused.

"Is she talking to you?" Joshua snickered.

"Lovebug!" She called a little bit louder.

Avoiding his friends' gaze, Jalen dug a black hair tie out of the side of her yellow duffle bag and passed it to Noelani, still in the bathroom.

"Wow, whipped!" Dior yelled.

Jalen slapped the back of Dior's neck in retaliation.

The boy let out a scream, "Assault!"

"Shut your dumb ass up." Jalen shook his head.

"He may be dumb but at least he's not a fucking simp." Joshua responded.

Dior, Joshua and Brandon started to chuckle and Nikki slapped Brandon's chest, "I don't see why you're laughing. You're a simp too."

Brandon stopped laughing immediately as Dior's and Joshua's laughter grew louder.

Noelani came out of the bathroom, now fully dressed, "Who was yelling earlier?"

She was wearing the boyfriend jeans she had on when her and Jalen had just met, a gold chain on the side of them, and a pastel long sleeved crop top was also adorned, with angels printed on the shirt and bow ties on either side of her torso.

On her feet was a pair of black and white Air Jordan 1s with pastel blue laces that matched her shirt.

Her hair was tied in a slick backed bun with a deep side part and her nose stud was changed to a gold hoop that matched her earrings.

"No one." Jalen rolled his eyes then stood up from the bed.

"Damn." Dior muttered, his eyes scanning Noelani.

Jalen leaned forward and slapped Dior on the back of the neck again, "Stop looking at my girl like that 'fore I slap you again."

"I need everyone to stop hittin' me." Dior shook his head.

"You must be Dior right? Yeah, Jalen descrived you perfectly." Noelani glanced at Jalen for confirmation.

"Yeah, and that's BJ, Nikki and Josh." Jalen pointed them out respectively, as he tied his shoes then stood up.

"Hey." Noelani gave the four of them a polite smile, "I'm N-."

"Noel. Yeah, Jalen talks about you too." Joshua says, passing Jalen a knowing glance.

Noelani raised an eyebrow before turning back to the group, "So, what's the plan?"

"You're choosing. It's your day." Jalen said.

"Simp." Dior coughed and Joshua poorly hid his laugh.

Noelani looked them both in the eye, "Do y'all have girlfriends?"

"Uh," Joshua glanced at Dior, "No."

"Oh. Maybe if y'all were simps too, you would have one." Noelani sniped.

Brandon and Nikki both snickered and Jalen grinned at his girlfriend's remark.

"We should go to the pier. I've never been on a roller coaster before," She said.

"Really?" Brandon raised both eyebrows.

"There's no amusement parks where I'm from." Noelani shrugged.

"Which is..." Dior trailed off.

"A small town in Hawaii." Noelani held out her hand to Jalen, "And I wanna drive."

Thirty minutes later the group were strolling on the Santa Monica Pier.

The neon lights of the rides, restaurants and the various games reflected off the dark ocean nearby.

People of all ages walked were on the pier, riding the rides and enjoying the various cuisines.

Noelani had found a fast friend in Nikki and the two girls were walking ahead, the topic of their conversation unknown.

"Aye," Jalen called out to the girls.

They both turned around to look at Jalen who pointed at the white Ferris wheel with yellow, blue and pink seats on the right side of the pier, "We should get on."

"And what are we gonna do while y'all are doing couple shit?" Joshua asked.

Before Jalen could retort, Dior slapped Joshua's shoulder and nodded to two girls who looked about sixteen, who were at a pac-man machine in the arcade.

"We'll be back. Y'all do whatever." Then the two boys were gone.

Jalen jogged up and wrapped his arm around Noelani as they got into the short line for the ride.

"Y'all aren't coming?" Noelani asked Nikki and Brandon.

"Nah," Nikki shook her head, "We're gonna go walk the beach."

Then the couple turned and started to walk back towards the entrance of the pier.

Jalen turned to look back at Noelani who was gazing up at the Ferris wheel with an expression Jalen had never seen on her face before.

Fear.

"Aye," Jalen nudged her, "You good, baby?"

"Yeah, it's just, uh. Do they always rock back and forth like that?" Noelani asked as the line moved closer to the ride.

"Are you... Are you afraid of heights?" Jalen asked.

"No. I'm just asking a question." Her voice shook a little.

The group that was in front of them in the line got into one of the yellow seats and an empty blue seat moved into place.

The ride attendant lifted the bar and the two slid in.

The wheel began its slow rotation and Jalen could see Noelani grip the bar so tight that her knuckles turned white.

"Your friends are pretty okay." Noelani tried.

"Yeah, they're hilarious." Jalen shook his head.

On the beach, Jalen could faintly see Brandon and Nikki in an embrace on the sand.

The breeze picked up a little, sending the smell of funnel cake everywhere.

"Mmm. What does funnel cake taste like?" Noelani asked, turning her gaze from the sand to Jalen.

Jalen managed to unclench one of her hands and lace his fingers through it, "Imma get you one after. Ya know, if you don't break your own fingers holding on to the ride."

"Shut up," Noelani took her other hand, placed it on her lap and then rested her head on his shoulder, "You're annoying, kid."

"You like me though." Jalen licked his bottom lip, "No, scratch that. You love me."

"What makes you say that?" Noelani asks.

"Cause I love you and it would be pretty shitty if you didn't love me back after months and months..." Jalen trailed off.

"We've only been dating a month. You're saying it too early."

"You've been my girl since October as far as I'm concerned and I'm saying it cause I feel it." Jalen said.

"You do? You're sure?" She whispered, surprise clear on her face.

The seat started to rock a bit and Noelani used both of her hands to seize his arm.

"'Course I do, baby." Jalen muttered, "Why wouldn't I?'

Noelani's expression was a mixture of utter disbelief, suspicion and fear.

It made Jalen want to yell at Alejandro for fucking her up so badly that she was so distrustful of any man who genuinely wanted to treat and love her right.

"You don't believe me?" Jalen asked in a soft tone.

"I don't know if I do yet. I want to." She replied in the same tone, "I'm scared. Love or even the possibility of it freaks me the fuck out, Jalen. I wish I could just get used to feeling like this. Then maybe I wouldn't be so terrified."

"Feeling like what?" Jalen asked.

"Feeling like... Like you're the only person in the world for me. Who truly understands me. And that I like the way I feel when I'm around you and that you above everyone else makes me feel safe. You feel like home, and it terrifies me." Noelani whispered.

"I um," Jalen licked his bottom lip, "That feeling of being the only person in the world thing? I feel it too. Like... This is corny but I feel like we're tied together now. I'm attached."

"I'm scared." Noelani whispered again.

"Don't think too much, just say yes or no." Jalen slid one hand to her cheek to gently turn Noelani's face, "Do you love me?"

"Wasn't what I just said enough?' Noelani chuckled.

Jalen rolled his eyes, "Hearing the actual words would be nice but I guess I'll take what I can get."

Noelani tucked both lips in then leaned close to Jalen's ear, "I love you. I love you probably way more than I should."

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