I'm so turned on right now. I'm so turned on right now. I'm so turned on right now that it hurts.

Having this beautiful girl curled up against my chest isn't helping either.

Actually, I'm officially convinced that she's not even human. She must be an angel. She certainly looks like one, wearing this white nightgown as her silky hair is spread out across the bed beside her.

Her eyes are still open, but she isn't looking at me.

She's completely silent, tracing her finger up and down my arm as if she's in her own little world right now.

As fucking adorable as she is right now, and as much as I'd love to stay the night here with her, I'm not sure that I'll be able to keep my hands to myself.

I make a move to sit, up but I'm stopped from doing so by her soft body laying on top of mine.

She finally looks at me, and when she does, the look in her eyes is timid but also untamed.

"Don't leave me," she whispers, and something inside of me leads me to believe that she isn't just talking about getting out of bed right now.

"I was just going to get my shirt," I lie to her, and I'm surprised by how quickly she responds, saying, "I'd rather you didn't."

She blushes profusely once she realizes what she had just said, and I grin at her.

She's suddenly shy, looking away from me and leaning her head back down against my chest.

She shuts her eyes, and she's once again quiet for a few minutes.

Just as I think that she may have managed to fall asleep already, her smooth voice asks, "Why did you come to see me? Why weren't you with everyone else?"

I smile a little bit at her question. She's funny. She really thinks that I would choose those idiots over some time alone, cuddling with her?

"They're drinking up there and I didn't want to get in trouble if they got busted," I answer, even though it's only part of the truth.

She'll thinking I'm a fucking stalker if I tell her that I really just wanted to see her smile.

I'm hopeless. Great.

"Are you going to go to sleep now?" I ask her, and she nods.

"Are you going to stay with me?" she questions, tilting her head up so that our gazes meet.

Her soft hazel eyes are wide and she's silently begging me to agree, I can tell.

There's no doubt within me that I'll say yes, because I don't get those damn nightmares when she stays with me. I don't know where the logic is in it all, but I guess she makes me feel cared about.

I bend down to kiss her gently on the lips, and she lets me. I only give her a small peck, and when I pull away she quickly wraps her arms around my chest, holding tight.

Even though she's no longer really giving me any options, I answer her earlier question with a simple, "Yeah. I'll stay," and it makes a huge grin spread across her lips.

"Thanks," she says quietly, before she shuts her eyes, nuzzling her face into the crook of my neck.

She falls asleep soon after, and I take the opportunity to play with her hair. It's so smooth and soft, and it really is so damn pretty. I hope she never cuts it.

I check the time on my phone to see that it's just past midnight, and I'm in awe of how early this girl goes to sleep.

I'm quite envious of her, but it allows me to spend time with her without me ending up saying something dumb and screwing it all up.

I'm beyond pissed when Jasmine walks into the room, but that's probably unfair of me because it is her room too, after all.

She doesn't really look my way before she collapses backwards into her bed, curling up on her side away from Blossom and I.

"So I'm not allowed to have college boys in the room but you are?" she asks, and I stifle a laugh as I imagine her and Blossom having that conversation sometime.

Blossom obviously doesn't answer, and instead I do, saying, "Hello to you too, Jazz."

Jasmine rolls over in bed, and I look to my side to find her staring at me, her eyes narrow.

"Please tell me you did not let her lose her virginity in a college dorm room that's not even her own," Jasmine sighs, and I roll my eyes at her.

"No. Of course not," I snap, annoyed that she would assume I would make her first time that bad.

I mean, I just gave her her first something, but we didn't actually have sex.

Not yet, at least.

"Good. You should at least take her back to your place and make it nice for her. She deserves that. You probably have a huge ass bed, huh?" she says, and I look down at Blossom, grateful that she's such a heavy sleeper.

I nod to Jasmine. "Noted. And yeah, I do," I answer, and she sits up in bed, pulling her hair up into a bun at the top of her head.

"You're good for her, whether you agree or not. She needs you to help her get out of her comfort zone," Jasmine tells me, before she tugs her sweatshirt off over her head, dropping it on the floor beside her bed.

She then curls up under the covers, shutting her eyes without saying another word to me.

I feel as if I'm intruding in her and Blossom's space right about now, which is why I reluctantly pry Blossom's body off of me, getting up out of the bed and kneeling down on the floor beside her.

No matter how badly I want to stay the night with her, I don't think it's very fair of me.

I tuck her covers back around her so that she stays warm, kissing her on the forehead before I stand back up.

"I love you," I whisper to her, running my thumb across her cheek before walking towards her desk to retrieve my shirt.

It's interesting that after all these years, I finally have the courage to say the words out loud, even if she isn't awake to hear them.

"What did you just say?" Jasmine asks me, and horror washes over me.

Shit. Shit. Fucking shit.

"Nothing," I say quickly, pulling my shirt quickly over my head before I try and walk straight out of the room, avoiding this conversation.

How could I be so damn stupid and totally forget that there's a whole ass other person in this room?

"You love her," Jasmine repeats, and I spin around to glare at her, now hovering right by her bed.

"Yeah, I do. Is it not painfully obvious?" I ask, and she laughs, shaking her head at me.

She leans up on one elbow, her eyes twinkling with amusement at how uncomfortable I am right now.

"No. I thought you were just obsessed with her," she teases me, and I really want her to suffocate by burying her face into that pillow right about now.

I let out a chuckle, even though it's completely fake and forced.

"No. I'm in love with her, and I always have been. I'm terrified of losing her as is, so I'd highly appreciate if you would keep your fucking mouth shut and never mention this conversation to her," I spit, and I move to walk out the door again but am stopped by Jasmine grabbing my hand.

"I can't even tell if you're being serious right now, dude. I didn't think you were capable of any of those sorts of feelings. Does she know?" Jasmine asks me, and I answer with an ashamed shake of my head.

"You should tell her. Her reaction may surprise you. All she wants is someone to love her. I promise that you won't lose her if you're just honest about your feelings. That's really all she needs. I can't say for sure, because she doesn't really like talking about her feelings with me, but you may be surprised by how much she cares about you," Jasmine tells me, and I find myself biting down hard on the inside of my cheek.

"I'll tell her when the time is right," I promise, before turning back to Blossom.

She's still curled up and sound asleep, thank God.

"And I'll keep my 'fucking mouth shut' until then," Jasmine promises me, and I laugh quietly, this time genuinely.

I pull open the door, and just as I'm about to step outside, Jasmine asks me one more question.

"Would you be willing to spend your whole life with her?" she asks me, and without hesitation, I answer, "Yes."

I don't care if it's irrational to think so as we're both only seventeen, because it's the truth; I would do anything for my Blossom.

I step into the hallway, closing the door behind me. I'm careful to be quiet because it's past curfew, but because the world seems to hate me, Señor Lopez comes walking up the stairs just as I'm about to walk down.

"Where are you off to, Bryce? Shouldn't you be in your room by now?" he asks me, checking his watch.

I shrug at him, continuing to walk down the stairs despite the fact that I'm definitely not allowed outside right now.

He laughs, stopping in his tracks when I walk right past him.

"I really need some fresh air," I say, and he lets out a conflicted sigh.

"Okay. But if anyone asks why you're out there, don't say that I gave you permission," he tells me, and just like that, I hurry down the stairs.

He chuckles, and I call out, "Thanks! You're the best!" as I reach the landing, pushing open the door and walking into the courtyard.

I spot a bench a few meters to my left, and so I walk over to take a seat.

I really do just need a few minutes to clear my head, and the complete silence apart from the wind brushing through the trees is very soothing.

I have to close my eye to allow myself to think.

Perhaps Jasmine is right, and maybe Blossom really would take it well if I was honest about my feelings for her.

Yet deep down inside of me, there's still the fear that she'll think I'm crazy, that she won't believe that I could be in love with her before we've ever been in a romantic relationship.

But it's undeniable that I feel sparks whenever I kiss her. I'd by lying if I said that seeing her smile and hearing her giggle didn't make me feel like the happiest bastard out there.

My peace is interrupted by the main door to the building opening.

I look to my side to see Camila walk out, zipping up the zipper of the red sweater that she's wearing right now.

Camila gives me a slight wave, walking across the threshold to take a seat on the bench beside me.

She leaves a few inches of space between us, and I'm thankful for that.

I think the only reason that I like her so much is because she reminds me a lot of Scarlett. Scarlett is far more wild, but they both have the same sense of confidence.

"Are you okay?" she asks me, resting her hand on my arm, and I don't feel the same satisfaction that I feel when Blossom does this.

I should probably stop comparing every other girl I lay eyes on to her, but I find myself doing it subconsciously.

"No, I'm actually far from it," I snort, and she moves a little closer to me on the bench.

"You wanna talk about it?" she asks me, her voice sultry in my ear, and I know exactly what she's trying to do right now.

We've gotten really close to kissing a few times, but I've never let it happen because it's not fair to kiss her when I'm in love with another girl.

I always felt a little bit shitty when hooking up with Scarlett or Brittany because of the same thing.

"Camila," I whisper quietly, and that's when she kisses me.

Fuck my life, honestly.

She kisses me for a second before my mind actually processes what's happening and I can pull away.

Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise by the fact that I don't want to kiss her, but she immediately purses her lips together.

"I'm sorry, Bryce. I guess I was reading you wrong," she apologizes, but I shake my head at her.

"No worries, but may I ask how you knew that I was out here?" I question, and she nods her head to the side of the building, answering, "I saw you through the window."

And then a thought strikes me that makes me want to scream.

I shoot my head around to the side of the building, remembering that Camila's room is right beside Blossom and Jasmine's.

This means that if Camila could see me, Blossom could too if she was to be awake.

Sure enough, when I look up to the building, counting the levels of windows to find their floor, I see Blossom staring at us through the glass, her eyes wide, one hand clamped over her mouth.

I shoot up from my seat, realizing that I have to go and find her right this moment.

When I look back to Camila, she seems to have followed my gaze, and she too has now seen Blossom.

She grabs my hand just as Blossom disappears from the window, and when Camila stands up as well, she follows me as I walk back to the door.

"Let me help you fix this, Bryce. I'll talk to her for you," she says, holding her key card up to the lock by the door to let us back in to the building.

I don't say anything in response to her as we head up the stairs to her and Blossom's floor, and as soon as we turn off into the hallway I find Blossom heading towards us.

She's changed out of her nightgown into tight leggings and an equally as tight tank top, and she nearly has my eyes popping out of my damn skull.

She looks so sensual right now, and I want to scoop her up into my arms and carry her back to her room, telling her how much I love her and how much I need her in my life.

"If you weren't interested in me, you could have said something before you did that with me," Blossom hisses, and I see that she's fighting tears right now.

The sight rips my heart to fucking shreds, and I try to take another step towards her, desperate to pull her to my chest and hold her tight.

Camila stops me, nudging me in the arm before cocking her head to the side, gesturing for me to stay away.

I try to fight her on it but she narrows her eyes at me, causing me to give in.

I step back around the corner, out of Blossom's line of view. I hear Camila's footsteps as she walks towards her, and I'm really hoping that she can help me set this all right.

"Lexi? Can you let me explain something?" she asks Blossom quietly, and I hear Blossom let out an annoyed sigh.

"Don't bother, Camila. He's an immature jerk. You two can continue with whatever relationship you have going on. I'll stay away from him," Blossom says and I want to rip my hair out of my scalp.

I don't want her to stay away from me, not one bit. I shouldn't have gone outside; I should've just gone back to my room and I could've avoided this whole situation.

Even better, I should've stayed the night with her.

"Him and I don't have a relationship, Lexi. I was the one who kissed him, not vice versa. It only happened today, not ever before, and he didn't say anything that should've made me believe that he wanted it. It's not his fault, and you should give him another chance," Camila tells her, and I have to make a mental note to thank her profusely in the morning.

There's a pause, before I hear a sniffle.

"Okay. Thank you, Camila," Blossom finally says, and Camila is quick to respond, saying, "No worries. But on a side note, I'd really appreciate if you and I could go back to being sort of friends again. There's no need for some boy to come in between us."

I'm just 'some boy' to them. Interesting.

Blossom lets out a youthful giggle that makes my heart swell, and I dare to peek around the corner to see that the two of them are hugging.

I hide away again before Blossom can see me, but I can still hear her voice when she says, "That's a great idea. I'd like that."

"I'm going to bed, but you should go talk to him," Camila says, followed by the sound of a door opening.

"Goodnight, Camila. Thanks once again," Blossom says, and Camila replies with a simple, "Goodnight," before I hear a door close shut.

This is followed by quick, light footsteps rushing down the hallway towards me.

Blossom appears around the corner, and as soon as she sees me, she crosses her arms against her chest, her lips turning down into a frown.

I have to force myself to look away from her chest under that tiny shirt she's wearing now. I really wish I wasn't such a fucking pervert, but it is what it is I guess.

As long as I keep my mouth shut she can't get mad at me.

"I know that you don't want a relationship with me, Bryce, but I thought we could at least have something that's . . . mutually exclusive," she hisses at me, stepping even closer so she can keep her voice quiet.

I force my eyes up to meet hers, and she looks like she's still on the verge of tears.

Before I get the chance to try and mend the situation, she continues to ramble.

"The last few years of my life have been miserable. I've spent my days trying to convince myself that what happened to me wasn't my fault, but it was nearly impossible when my mother was always telling me otherwise. When you came back it felt like a fresh start because something about you had always made me feel safe. I really don't want that all to go to waste," she tells me, and I reach for her hand.

She pulls away and I raise my eyebrows at her.

"Let me finish!" she snaps, and I bite my lip to keep myself quiet. I then nod to encourage her to continue, and she shuts her eyes for a second before looking back to me.

"I think we're better if we just stay as friends, and nothing more," she says, and I have to literally lean against the wall because in that simple sentence, I feel like I've just lost the love of my life even if she's standing right in front of me.

Her hands are shaking and I feel like I'm about to cry now.

I don't think that I can be just friends with her when I want everything from her.

I want her love and affection and her kind words of praise. I want her fingers laced through mine and I want to hear her laugh and see her smile. I want to make love to her until the early hours of the morning and then stay up all night watching those damn musicals she likes, but now I think that I've missed my opportunity.

"Is this about Camila? Because I didn't ever want to kiss her, I swear it," I promise, and she promptly shakes her head at me.

"No, Bryce. It's hurting me too much to keep doing this back-and-forth thing with you. I'm not the type who is comfortable being with different guys, and I just don't think I can do this anymore," she sighs, and I move to sit down on the stairs behind me.

I gesture for her to follow me and she does, sitting down beside me but keeping her distance.

"Just friends," I repeat, and she nods.

"Yes. No more calling me 'baby' and 'sweetheart'. No more forehead kisses or holding my hand in the hallways at school. We can't cuddle and sleep in the same bed anymore, and most importantly, no making out," she tells me, her voice quivering, and I lean forward in my seat.

I have to rest my chin in my hands, looking away from her.

"I'm assuming that this also means no more making you org—" I start, but she cuts me off.

"Bryce!" she groans, and I laugh.

She buries her face into her hands and she looks so damn adorable right now.

Reluctantly, I realize that I need to respect the boundaries that she wants to put up, or else she may never speak to me ever again.

"You're being serious right now?" I ask her, and she gives me a solemn nod of her head.