I gripped the wood planks of the tree house in my hands to prevent them from reaching up to touch Blake. His eyes were filled with curiosity as he tried to pry information out of my eyes. My heart began hammering like a jackhammer as I peered into his blue eyes at such a close proximity.

Swiftly his gaze dropped from mine and he looked away into the roaring party below us. I released a deep breath and followed his gaze to see him looking toward the bomb fire. Luckily, we were well hidden from partygoers below as the branches of the tree around us had overgrown to cover our forms with stray leaves.

"How did you go from being Sarah's best friend to her favourite target practice?" Blake asked with curiosity burning in his eyes. My chest started constricting and I glanced toward the canopy of trees above, sighing. I didn't want to face his words, so I leaned back so I was lying my torso and head on the floor, trying to escape. Blake moved his head over me, so he could still see into mine and his expression was solemn, full of seriousness.

"Does it have something to do with the fire you spoke about?" He pried, not giving in. My eyes flickered from the tree tops into his face and my stomach jumped as his face was at an alarmingly close distance, he was almost over the top of me. "After you told me about it I asked around and the guys said one year ago the west wing of the school burnt down but didn't elaborate on that." He didn't move his face, or his eyes and it made me realise how serious about this he was, like it was important to him to learn this information.

I squeezed my eyes closed as I thought about that, Blake had been curious enough about me to ask his friends about my pathetic life story. And I wanted to tell him about me, but at the thought of elaborating on what he had already learned made my chest start to constrict and my breathing to turn shallow. Somehow his close proximity was no longer enticing but restricting, I needed to get out of here, but I didn't want to leave him, so I was left immobile staring at the trees above.

When I didn't reply for a long time he huffed in frustration and drifted back from me, so he returned to staring forwards to toward the party and away from my face. It allowed me to release a huge breath of air I didn't realise I was holding and my mind to start thinking properly. Rather than only thinking about the rising panic and immediate escape.

Blake had kept his promise and I still am in my possession every hair on my head that I walked in with, I guess I could keep my promise of doing everything he asked. I sighed in resignation and sat up so sit beside him. I glanced at him to see that he was watching my old group of friends around the bomb fire with his eyebrows kitted together.

"Everyone around that bomb fire, they were my group of friends too," I started, but my voice was choked like there was a lump forming in my throat. Blake's head snapped to me and that crease between his eyebrows relaxed and was replaced with an interested gaze.

"One year ago, when we were all hanging out sitting around that bomb fire just like they are now, and they all got drunk and decided they wanted to break into the school." I was speaking through pants for air and I wrapped my hands around my waist to hold myself together. I didn't think talking about this was going to be so difficult, bringing back such painful memories.

"I was hesitant and they all knew that. We arrived at the school and I decided I wanted to sit it out. So, I stayed out the front as watch while they broke into the school." Blake was silent as he listened with an unwavering gaze fixated on my face taking in every word I had to say. I kept my gaze locked onto his chest, so I didn't have to look in his eyes as I spoke, then I would lose my courage.

"While I was waiting something happened inside, I heard someone screaming. I tried to go inside to help them, but the doors were locked, I thought something happened to them, so I called the police," I revealed. I was panting now, my chest heaving up and down as the horrible memories crashed into me, I haven't told anyone else about this since it happened. Blake's expression had morphed into that of concern, his lips pressed together.

He had tilted his body, so he completely faced me now, his face so close to mine as he sat so close to me on the balcony of the tree house. Our legs were nearly touching, I focused of the warmth that his leg seeped into mine to relax my frazzled mind.

"When they heard the police sirens, they freaked and during their scramble to get out someone knocked over a beaker which started a fire. The whole west wing went up in flames." I was twirling my hands together now trying to release some of my build up anxiety. Blake's eyebrow rose in surprise or disbelief, I could never decipher him.

"They still to this day don't believe me that I thought they were in trouble and think I called the police on them to get them in trouble," I added monotonously. Completely aware of the bitter stab that pulled at my heart as I thought about the reasoning for why I lost all my closest friends and the pain it still causes today.

"They were all suspended for two weeks and it would be on their record forever. Most of them lost their chance of going to a good university because of me." I dropped my head and closed my eyes, squeezing them shut tightly. Wanting desperately to forget how many of my friends lives I ruined.

A jolt ran through me when I felt a hand softly touch my chin and my eyes snapped open to find Blake staring at me. He lifted my chin, so I was looking right at him. The warm buzz that settled over my skin where he touched was like nothing I had ever felt before. I wanted him to touch me so badly, but I knew that he didn't want to. That was why it was so addicting to me.

Blake's features were smooth and calming but I also noticed that his eyes were cold, filled with anger.

"They didn't lose that because of you, they were the ones who broke into the school," he growled turning to glare my old group of friends and released my chin to do so. My skin felt cold and the soft breeze that was whirling through the branches around us now nipped at me unpleasantly. I stared at the side of his face fiercely, watching the way his jaw strained under the pressure he applied to it and how his jaw muscles contracted.

My eyes moved up to the eyelashes that ringed his eyes and how the akin around his eyes scrunched up as he glared at my former friends. I soaked in every aspect of his features from this short distance and noticed starkly how this fixation was able to help unwind the twist in my stomach and decrease the anxiety I was feeling. He turned his face back towards me and I quickly looked away from him, returning to my story so he didn't ponder too long on why I was staring at him.

"Yeah well doesn't really matter to them. I lost all my friends that night and now they all hate me and don't hold back in telling me so," I lamented, running my hands down my face in exasperation, speaking about this was really affecting me more than I cared to admit. I glanced down at them all to see them laughing over the bomb fire and I was assaulted with a stab of longing as I remembered when I was a part of that.

My gaze returned to Blake's outraged expression and that longing ebbed just from looking at him and morphed into a new type of longing. I wish he would just let me in, I wish I could unravel the secret that determined why he was so cold to me and then in times he would be kind like now. In the back of my mind I knew the only reason I was telling him this was because maybe if I opened up to him then he would open up to me.

"They even ostracised Lisa when she defended me as she was a part of our group too. But apparently anyone with any association with me was nothing to them." That was what I truly despised them for the most, chucking my best friend out from their group even when she did nothing but defend my actions to them.

"That is why I have no friends, why no one wants to talk to me because if they do they will become a target too," I seethed. I glanced up into the canopy of trees above taking a deep breath, I was completely overwhelmed with bitterness for them. My eyes focused on the way the leaves rustled in the breeze and the soft swish they emitted.

"They don't deserve you," Blake declared vehemently. My head cut towards him to find his eyes boring into my face, I had never seen such a strong certitude in the way he stared at me. My stomach fluttered from his words and the way he was looking at me and all I wanted to do was lean in closer towards him and place my head onto his chest. But that was when that bitterness returned, why did I want to be comforted by someone why has pushed me away multiple times and treated me like dirt?

I wanted to say, that doesn't mean much coming from you but held my tongue, I didn't want to push him away. But he had never shown me anything that would make me feel worthy of anyone. My acerbic thoughts must have shown on my face because Blake sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry I brought it up, I can see it dampened your good mood," he apologised, his eyes scanning my face and the way my nose was scrunched up in distaste. I forced myself to relax my features as not to alert him to the dampness of my thoughts, I still wanted to be here with him.

"That's okay you would have found out about it eventually." I shrugged and we both lapsed into silence as we thought that over. Suddenly Blake shot upright, startling me.

"Alright, let's play a game," he spoke loudly with more energy than before, trying to lighten the atmosphere of our somber conversation. I glanced up at him from under my eyelashes to find him smiling a closed lipped smile. I couldn't help the way my heart livened up from seeing his smile, it was so rare. So, I allowed him to lighten up the mood and went along with his game.

"Acorns?" I suggested with a playful glint in my eye. He laughed fleetingly.

"I think it's safe to say you will beat me at that game." He bumped his shoulder with mine and I smiled at him in response. "And plus the girl who ownes this house is just around the acorner," he joked with a raised eyebrow and I had to laugh at his joke which made his eyes sparkle. I couldn't help the smile that cemented itself on my lips, I know now that whenever Blake is making his crappy pun jokes it means he is happy.

He leaned closer towards me before saying his next words.

"I like the game where you have to do everything I say," he teased, and I knew that playing this game wasn't going to end well for me.

"Great," I mumbled, growling under my breath. But I was actually in need of a distraction.

He rubbed his chin as he thought about some form of embarrassment.

"Rose," he said my name feathery and I couldn't deny the swish of contentment that ran through me from the way he said it, like it was special. A smirk graced his lips and I instantly became wary as I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He waited dramatically for a few moments before he finally declared.

"You have to kiss one person at this party."

My stomach dropped and dread paralysed me. I had never kissed anyone since my first boyfriend. It was a year ago when he broke up with me because he lost his scholarship to the school and had to move school's because I had told the police about everyone breaking into the school, including him. I knew instantly that this one request was one that I could not grant Blake, I couldn't kiss someone that I did not care about.

And that was when an idea struck me, my eyes popped open as a thought ran through my head that was completely and utterly erratic and diabolical and stupid. But I wanted to do it anyway.

"Boy or girl whoever you wish," Blake added with a cheeky lopsided smile. My eyes zoned in on the way his bottom lip jutted out when he smiled like that and yearning rushed through me. His blue eyes stared straight into mine and I was vividly aware of the way he made me feel from just looking at me. I knew that he made me feel this because I cared for him.

With that thought in mind I knew there was only one person that I wanted to give that kiss too. If I didn't have alcohol still running through my system, there was no way I would have the guts to say this, but I had liquid courage coursing through my veins and absolutely no fear of the consequences.

"Okay," I hesitate, my eyes flashing to his face then back to my shaking hands. I took a deep breath and looked at him from underneath my eyelashes.

"I choose you."

There was a long pause of silence before his eyes burst open as wide as saucers, he was not expecting me to say that. After the shock dwindled, ambivalence clouded his features and his cheeks scrunched up in hesitation, like he really didn't want to kiss me. He snapped his head away from me as if he was about to leave suddenly.

My chest seized up as pain and rejection weighed heavy upon my lungs and I shut my eyes in mortification. I read too much into this and now have completely embarrassed myself and now he knew how I felt about him. I knew he was only allowing me to be in his presence because I held leverage over him, he hated me and that was never going to change. Tears welled in my eyes and I angrily wiped them away, this shouldn't hurt so much. He hasn't been veiling his hate towards me.

But that was when I felt heat brush my face in the form of a breath. I snapped my eyes open to find Blake's face merely an inch from mine causing my breath to hitch. His shining blue eyes were filled with conviction as he searched my eyes. He must have seen something in them because he gently moved his hands up to cup my cheeks with both hands. My breathing had stopped all together and my eyes were frozen staring into his.

Then without leaving himself a second to think about it he pulled my face towards his and planted his lips upon mine, kissing me.

***

Hello all my fantastic wonderfully great readers!!

So this book had an upgrade!! I hope you all like the new cover and title, please let me know what you guys think about it :)

And I told you, you all would love this chapter! And I really hope that you did, I have been looking forward to writing this scene for a long time now :) We learned a bit more about Rose and why she is being bullied. And we saw a soft side to Blake! Love them, their first kiss!!!

Anyways I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and please let me know what you think about it!

Much love, Elaine Xx