(Oh, look! It's a bird! It's a plane! Oh, No,-.- it's just an update)

(Play the song when you see "PLAY SONG" in this chapter. But you'll have to scroll back up, sorryyyy)

Lara's eyes took in Kira's appearance. Her dark hair was left loose and messy, draping over her shoulders and hanging on the over-sized T-shirt that Lara knew wasn't hers.

That shirt was for Jayden.

Lara's heart began to pound as she observed how loosely the shirt hugged Kira's B- cupped breasts, and loosely hovered on the mid-section of her thighs, where the lining of her deep blue shorts was visible.

Jayden had slept with her.

How could he? Why would he? Lara wondered. Didn't she mean anything to him? Well, she knew they weren't really a thing but they had something. She wondered why he would do that to her.

And why did she even care? He had every right to put his dick in whoever or whatever he wanted.

Kira's voice suddenly brought Lara back to earth.

"Um, Lara, is it?"

Her big almond-shaped green eyes were enthralling and harbored confusion.

"Um, yes. Good morning." Lara tried not to sound disturbed and lifted the tray slightly so Kira would know the reason why she was there.

Upclose, Kira was even prettier, Lara noticed. Her dark eye brows were perfectly trimmed and arched, her nose was small but pointed and she had red rosy lips.

"Come in." Kira smiled. Frankly speaking, it was the kind of smile that could make even crying babies start to giggle.

At least she wasn't catty, Lara thought, mentally closing the lid on her basket full of snarky comebacks.

Lara entered the room, dreading what she would lay her eyes on.

A half naked Jayden?

A fully naked Jayden?

Jayden in a pink tutu?

Are you stupid? She asked herself. Get your thoughts straight, you idiot.

She had never been more nervous entering his room.

She walked in with the tray of food in her hands, and the first thing she noticed was the white sheets on the floor. And then she saw Jayden.

He was lying on his tummy, facing the left side of the room. His eyes were open and fixed on his phone's screen.

He was still in his white T-shirt, but his jeans were off, and he was in a pair of black boxer shorts, revealing toned, muscled long legs Lara found hard to keep her eyes off. This guy just couldn't help getting sexier by the minute.

Lara stared at Jayden on the sheets.

Separate sheets? Did it mean that he didn't sleep with her?

She hoped he didn't.

"Good morning." Lara greeted, standing a couple of inches away from his face.

He looked up at her, and she thought she would pee on herself. She didn't know if it was due to the embarrassment she felt or the heat waves emitting from his gaze.

"Morning." He replied, lips uncurved.

His voice was muffled, which made it sound deeper than it already was. And his dark hair was ruffled.

"I brought you your breakfast." She gently said and he pointed to the bedside table, then added,

"Thanks."

She went around the spread sheets and placed the tray of food on the bedside table, then resumed her initial position.

"I would like to talk to you, please." She added when his face carried no emotion, and he had his eyes fixed on his phone.

Kira then said, "I'll go take my shower." She wanted to give them some privacy.

Jayden shifted his gaze to Kira, who was at the door, "The second drawer on the right has some towels. There are two new toothbrushes in the drawer beneath that too."

"Thanks."

She took a towel and a toothbrush and went into the bathroom.

They were alone at last.

Jayden reluctantly looked away from where Kira once stood and fixed his eyes on Lara. She looked uneasy, nervous, and queasy, but she held his gaze.

She heard him say, in a low, deep voice, that compelled her heart to miss a beat,

"Go ahead."

Lara gulped. She didn't know how to begin the apology she had practised.

She had her eyes on Jayden, who now had his eyes on his phone. He started texting.

"Um," She nervously laced her fingers, "I'm really sorry for what I said to you the other day."

When he didn't say anything, she continued,

"I'm sorry for confronting you without knowing the truth." She genuinely apologized, "For saying those terrible, terrible, things. I'm sorry for the names I called you, for the horrible words... for handling your story with rage."

She had her eyes on him.

Silence.

She wanted to apologize for one more thing, but she didn't know if she should mention it. Her emotions were trying to overpower her.

"Jayden..." She began.

He stopped texting.

Lara slowly dropped to her knees and hesitated before stretching her hand out to cup the exposed side of his face. He drew his eyes to hers.

"I am so sorry for what that woman did to you... at such a young age...The suffering you must have gone through..."

Her palm was soft and her caress was gentle. There were tears forming in her eyes.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from hers, although she glanced down a couple of times.

"No one deserves to go through what you went through. You were so innocent, pure and clueless. You did not deserve that." She sobbed, "I'm so sorry for calling you a monster and for defending the real monster...I'm sorry, Jayden."

She lifted her eyes to his and thought she noticed a glimmer of tear in his eye but he blinked immediately before she could confirm. She continued,

"I know this is lame, but thank you for not mentioning my name to your mom. I did not deserve that... I really appreciate it."

Jayden pushed himself up and straightened himself on the sheets so that he was now sitting upright and facing Lara who was still on her knees.

"It's okay," he said.

Simple, but meant.

"I'm really sorry." She sniffled, "I wish I could take back everything I said..."

Jayden glanced at the screen of his phone and fixed his eyes on Lara again. Her big beautiful dark brown eyes were glistening with tears; tears that had threatened to fall if she even moved her head slightly.

"Your opinion really mattered." He paused, eyes still on her, roaming her face from her anxiously lifted eyebrows, her widened watery eyes, her straight, small nose and her slightly parted dull pink lips.

"Why didn't you just ask me?" He gently asked, "I was gonna tell you anyways, remember? I was ready to tell you everything about me."

"I'm sorry," She sobbed, then stuffed her face into her palms and quaked with sobs.

Jayden watched her cry, with empathy. He didn't know why but he wanted to pull her in for a hug, tell her it was okay and that he had forgiven her.

But he wasn't going to touch her. She didn't want that, she made it very clear. He wouldn't.

Did she even deserve to be pardoned? The damage had been done.

"Don't cry. It's okay. I'm not mad." He tried to soothe her with his genuine words.

She kept her face in her palms, then slowly wiped her tears with the back of her hands and asked after lifting her semi-dry face, "So you forgive me?"

Jayden nodded.

(PLAY MUSIC ABOVE. ONE OF MY FAVOURITES)

Suddenly, her arms flew around his neck in a very tight embrace, "Thank you so much! Thank you so much for this!"

The embrace took him by surprise. He had not expected it, nor had he expected himself to forgive her that quick.

He knew he said he wouldn't touch her, but she looked like she needed this embrace. He needed it too.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her back, savouring her sweet fragrance as his hands found themselves consistently lost in the thick pool of her dark hair.

"Don't mention it." His voice sent a chill running down her spine.

She closed her eyes, wishing time would stand still for this beautiful moment. Wishing time would cease and allow them to savour this. The moment she had been waiting for, since the truth had been revealed.

She felt like she was floating on clouds, and everything around her was limitless. That the birds were applauding her for ability to soar, forgetting every obstacle in her way.

He had forgiven her, after everything she had done. After what she had caused.

She drew her arms closer around his neck, her knees on the bedsheet between his thighs and his arms wrapped around her back like she would break if he let go.

His scent stirred sensations inside her body and the feel of his arms around her made her quiver.

He buried his head in the crook of her neck, which enabled her to feel his torturing inhalation and exhalation.

They uttered not a single word. The moment spoke for itself. They both needed this hug.

And then she realized that this was actually their very first hug. He realized it too.

They were all about the kissing and groping, that they had never experienced a deep emotional connection between themselves. Until now.

Tears slipped out of her eyes and she was sure he noticed how hard her heart pounded in her chest and how her body quaked because he strengthened his hold around her, as if telling her that he was with her, and she had nothing to worry about.

She smiled weakly, and closed her eyes, taking in what she could from this embrace that lit flames within her, and made her feel safe at the same time. His arms refused to let her go, as if it would be the last time they would feel her, and she genuinely didn't see herself happier anywhere else.

After moments of silence, listening to each other's heart beats synchronising, and communicating through their bodies, Lara slowly withdrew from the embrace, her face a breath away from his as they both stared into each other's eyes.

The gaze was intense and sizzling that she could even feel his eyes caressing her, fondling her.

Lara's gaze was the first to drop to his lips. The lips that had always managed to bring butterflies to her tummy and make her toes curl.

Jayden's eyes dropped to her lips as well. They were slightly parted, as if giving him permission to enter, to meld his lips with hers.

And as much as he wanted to press his lips on hers, he murmured,

"We shouldn't. Inappropriate."

Lara stared at his lips, then back at his eyes, his gaze catching hers.

She could tell from his glittering eyes that he wanted to do the exact opposite of what he said. He wanted to kiss her, so bad. But he probably held back because she had earlier warned him not to touch her.

"Yeah." She breathed reluctantly.

"We shouldn't ever." He said again.

"I agree." I don't agree, she wanted to scream.

Was he really going to keep his hands to himself from now on? Lara wondered.

She slowly got to her feet and straightened her uniform, then informed, "The rest of the girls would really like to see you to-"

"When I get back." He cut her in.

Get back? Where was he going? She wanted to ask, but didn't feel she was in any position to.

"Sure." She smiled, "Whenever you're ready. If you need anything, I'm here. Thank you, again." She walked out of the room and left Jayden staring at the door.

***

Not one day. Not three, not five, but two full weeks. Two full weeks and Lara had not seen or heard from Jayden.

She had considered calling him after two days of no show, but she had heard Mrs. Benson say one morning that he was with Kira and that Kira had been helping him.

Kira. Kira. I wonder how she's helping him, Lara thought. Is she suddenly his therapist? What help could she possibly give that his parents couldn't?

"I miss him... so much. Why? Why can't I stop thinking about him?" She sighed.

The memory of Jayden kissing her, so passionately and sweeping her off her feet to the wall, gripping her thighs, fanning his hot breath on her tingly skin and transporting her to all time 'moans' ville, clouded her mind.

She had it Bad. And she wanted him.

But she wondered if he still wanted her like before. He could have kissed her. She basically gave him the chance to, but HE told her that it would be inappropriate. He.

Lara sighed, the weight of her head resting on her palms with her elbows fixed on her knees. She breathed in the fresh air from the garden. Her fingers lightly tapped her jawline, and she was seated in her favourite bench in the garden.

Suddenly, she felt something warm cover her left shoulder. She whipped her head around to see what it was.

A hand. Neat fingernails, little brown hair on knuckles, and definitely not a hand belonging to a woman.

She traced her eyes up the manly figure in brown jeans and a deep blue shirt and eradicated her initial fear, when she laid eyes on his face.

"Sam." She smiled. Uncle Sam with the incredible voice and painting skills.

He smiled back, his greyish green eyes glinting all the while, and he had a brown acoustic guitar strapped around his back.

If his sudden presence surprised her out of her skin, what he said next surprised even the birds in the trees.

"Thinking about Jayden?"

(Thank you guys!! ❤I appreciate your votes and comments!)