"You're not going to kill me, are you? Because I didn't tell the police anything." Alice said, looking at the profile of Magnus's face as he drove them out of the centre of town in silence. The radio was off, and all Alice could hear was the steady hum of the engine as it cruised effortlessly across the road ahead. She recognised this side of town slightly, but never really passed through it unless she was heading to Candice's house on top of the valley.

This part of town was where all the larger, more expensive houses were... they were all further apart with large gates enclosing the properties in their own private spaces. Alice always felt slightly intimidated passing through... the area was always so clean looking with neatly trimmed trees and barely any flaws on the road. Around here there were also some of the distilleries and vineyards along the edges of open fields and closer to the lake, it was something about the rich earth that made the wine produced here taste so good and gave summerland its vibrant and widespread reputation... which was now being tainted slightly because of the missing kids and murders.

Magnus didn't respond to Alice's question as he drove with both hands on the wheel, looking as if he was deep in thought and didn't even hear it. Which only meant Alice wasn't sure if she should start to feel nervous because of that... since he had turned the 4x4 down a long dirt road, almost twenty minutes from the centre of town, which was adjacent to the length of a vineyard that Alice recognised belonged to his parents. "Where are we going?" She then asked, looking out the window to her right and seeing the town looking a lot further away than she expected. Summerland was never a large place, and most destinations could be reached on foot, and yet, from where she currently was town looked an unreachable distance away.

After a few minutes Magnus pulled up to what looked like a small cafe at the bottom of the dirt road, it was rustic looking, and painted white and baby blue with apple trees dotted around outside the stretch of grass with white iron tables underneath. Alice assumed it was so customers could sit down. "Don't get too excited, it's closed," Magnus mumbled as he saw Alice staring at the building with hope before he cut the engine off and got out the car.

Alice released a heavy breath and got out the car as well, seeing Magnus waiting for her by the front of the car with his arms folded. He was dressed in an off white sweatshirt that hung from his upper body loosely, his skinny jeans were light blue and loose as well... Alice noticed that he never wore anything that would hug his body anywhere. She wondered if there was a reason for that but knew she'd never ask him. Her gaze lingered on the red beanie and liked the contrast between his light hair and the vibrant colour... red was one of the colours that seemed to suit him well.

It had just gone four o'clock, and Alice knew the sun would set in just under an hour... she could already see the orange light beginning to descend on the horizon as the cold afternoon breeze washed through her hair whilst she cautiously closed the passenger door and looked towards Magnus again. "Why are we here..." she said slowly as they made eye contact.

He exhaled through his nose heavily, looking annoyed for a moment before he unfolded his arms. "You can't stop asking questions, can you?" He asked and Alice furrowed her eyebrows. "Your curiosity won't do you any favours,"

"Obviously," Alice retorted, "and you're not helping my curiosity because you keep ignoring my questions," she added,

"You're questions could be answered if you were just patient," Magnus shot back, "Come on." He added and turned away, walking towards the cafe and surprisingly passed it to a slightly hidden pathway that Alice assumed was an unofficial one. She was reluctant mentally, but felt her feet moving after him to follow before she'd really thought it through... she didn't feel like she was in danger, and usually her instincts were accurate. Her arms folded, her gaze dropping down to her pants that were gaining a little dry dirt on the bottom as they hung fairly loosely around her ankles and over the backs of her sneakers.

Magnus was just ahead of her on this dirt pathway that led through the vineyard with tall grape vines either side. The earth was dry under their shoes, and the air smelt strangely fresh from where they were, above their heads most of the sky was still clear... but as Alice noticed before, dusk was beginning to settle in.

The ground was beginning to slope down slightly as they got further towards the bottom of the vineyard and Alice didn't understand why Magnus was taking her all the way out there. She considered that he might have been planning her death and decided now was the correct time to do it... the police where getting nosy, she knew too much... why wouldn't he do it now? How could he make her death seem like an accident out here? She began to obsessively think about it as she saw him stop ahead of her and climb through a thick looking hedge.

She sighed heavily but continued to follow him, sliding through the thick hedge and out the other side like she was passing through the rabbit hole into a whole new world entirely. Instantly, her lips parted in awe as she saw the view unfold before her... they were on top of a hill at the edge of the vineyard, looking down over the lake and the forest below, but all of it didn't look so daunting like it had before... the lakes water sparkled in the late afternoon sun and the tips of the forest trees swayed calmly in the breeze. Everything had a subtle dream like orange glow to it, and Alice could help but hum happily at the sight as some birds flew in over their heads from the lake to roost in-land for the night. "Wow," she whispered, folding her arms across her chest and gazing still.

Magnus said nothing, but looked from the view to Alice and analysed the profile of her face. She looked calm and a little amazed too...her bright blue eyes a little wide with a strange child like wonder, her lips were parted too. "It's views like this that remind me why this town is called summerland," she said after a few moments as if she was mainly talking to herself.

"Yeah." Magnus agreed, glancing at her lips for just longer than a moment then looked back out to the view. "I wanted to ask you about your police interview." He suddenly said, getting back to the point of why he'd dragged Alice all the way out there, even though part of it had been to show her the view unofficially. No one knew the viewpoint was here since it was on his parents land, and he was the only one that had access to it at all times...but for some reason he wanted to show it off to Alice without making too much of a point of it.

"Why?" Alice asked and turned to look at Magnus, whose eyes seemed to be reflecting the sunlight and glowed bright golden. She felt her cheeks warm and looked down for a moment before looking back up at him, her shy behaviour making Magnus turn towards her a little more so he could look at her properly.

"Why?" Magnus asked and chuckled but it showed no amusement, "Alice, are you forgetting this involves all of us? I need to know what you said,"

"Oh," she mumbled, rewinding to earlier that afternoon and remembering that her problems still existed even though the breathtaking view had distracted her for a few minutes. "You could have just asked me in the car,"

Magnus stared at her and narrowed his eyes a little.

"I mean- like it just seems weird that you brought me all the way out here to ask me about my interview." She continued, suddenly feeling flustered at his stare but also having the urge to explain.

"The police could have already bugged my car, Alice. I know what they think of me. That's why I never talk about shit in my car. Ever. I don't talk about it on the phone, I don't text people about it, I don't talk about it unless I have to." He said calmly but intensely without blinking. "That's why I brought you all the way out here. Now tell me what you said in that interview,"

"I didn't say anything, they just asked me about Veronica and I said I didn't know her. I said I didn't talk to her, that she didn't talk to me, I didn't know anything." Alice answered, realising Magnus was in no mood to play around so she decided to get straight to the point.

"Okay, and then?" He asked, and Alice thought about the diary entry.

"And then what?"

"Don't play dumb with me Alice, I know you're smarter than that." Magnus said in a low voice which made her chest warm even though he was warning her with his tone.

"There was an entry, apparently, about me in Veronica's diary. It was the last thing she wrote. I can't remember it exactly but it was something like... 'I invited Alice Murphy in hope they would meet' ... um, 'he needs someone like him' and 'I'm scared he's going to hurt me.'" Alice shrugged and let her palms slap against her thighs lightly. "I don't know what she meant by that."

"Hm," Magnus hummed and folded his arms as he looked down at his sneakers as Alice watched his face. "What else?" He asked, still looking down at his shoes.

"That was it."

"They didn't ask to see you again?" He asked and looked back at her.

"No, they said they'd keep me informed." Alice replied and she folded her arms, suddenly feeling the prodding of faint jealousy in her chest at the mention of Veronica's name around Magnus. "Why did you kill her?" She asked suddenly, her tone changing from normal to slightly snappy.

"What?" He asked even though he'd heard what she said.

"Why did you kill Veronica? Weren't you guys like a couple? Surely she would get some kind of immunity to your temper or something, right?" Alice asked whilst she folded her arms.

"Are you fucking serious?" Magnus asked, his upper lip arching slightly as he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yeah." Alice shot back and stared at him blankly as some of the wind blew some hair into her face but she didn't bother moving it back.

Magnus laughed suddenly and shook his head, stepping away from Alice as if he didn't trust himself all that well. "You know you think you're so involved now that you can just ask these kinds of fucking questions, huh," he laughed but it was as if he was trying to control himself instead of actually finding anything funny.

"Well I moved her-"

"I know that you moved her body!" Magnus hissed aggressively as he looked towards her. Alice's mouth shut and she moved her head back instinctively as her heart began to beat a little harder. "Do you think it's that fucking simple? Do you think because you flirt around with Noah Wilson that you suddenly know shit about what I do?" He snapped, stepping towards her with a scowl that made her look away from his eyes. "Do you believe everything he tells you, huh? Do you think you know shit about me now?" He snapped again, his intense stare and the way he was suddenly closer to her made her tense and start to feel the pressure of what she'd actually done. "You know fuck all Alice Murphy," he spat, getting closer to her so that she recoiled away and stared at the ground as her temper flared suddenly, she was going to snap back at him, but held her tongue and exhaled sharply.

Alice didn't know what to say as Magnus continued to stare at her, his glare was burning holes in the side of her face but she couldn't bring herself to look at him out of her own anger that had a hint of fear in it too. "Then explain." She whispered after a moment. It unnerved her how Magnus didn't bother to look away, he was staring her into the ground and it made her skin feel prickly and uncomfortable.

"Explain what." He challenged and Alice let out a heavy breath and squirmed out of his stare and walked around him, but he followed her with his eyes anyway.

"Ugh," she whined quietly, even unsure of what she meant as she folded her arms and looked out towards the view. "I don't... I don't want to..." she began to express and sighed again, she could see Magnus in her peripheral vision and didn't want to look at him. "I don't want to give this up," she mumbled quietly and hung her head as if she'd confessed a horrible sin... which she almost definitely had.

"What?" Magnus asked, now confused as his rage dissolved almost instantly. "What did you just say?"

"I don't want to give this up," she repeated, "You're going to force me, I know but... I-" she cut herself off and ran a hand through her hair and bounced on her toes. "This is so fucked," she whined, rubbing her face and then sighing again. "I don't know what I'm saying."

Magnus furrowed his eyebrows as he watched her. If he'd heard her correctly, he understood exactly what she was saying... but almost couldn't believe it. Who was Alice Murphy exactly? And is this what Veronica meant when she suggested that he needed someone like him?

"And Noah barely told me shit," Alice then said, sounding more annoyed than frustrated now. "He was trying so hard to be innocent he just made it confusing, it's like he wanted to pretend he doesn't go out to stab random people with you and all your friends."

"... We don't stab random people."

"You're missing the point," Alice snapped suddenly, "I've had more excitement in my life in the last few weeks than I've ever had in my whole life, I- ... I feel like I've woken up for this boring, repetitive nightmare and I'm suddenly awake and fucking alive for the first time. I feel like I'm going to burst with anxiety the whole time but I'd rather feel this than nothing." Alice vented, "I'm probably fucking crazy, but... I don't know... I don't know, I don't know." She mumbled quickly and shrugged as she continued to stare out into the distance.

"You sound a little crazy," Magnus replied but he was still looking at her, but with interest now.

"Fuck off." She muttered, folding her arms as her expression turned defensive. "I won't tell anyone about anything. You don't have to worry about me." She sighed, as if she'd already accepted defeat.

"You're already too involved Alice," Magnus said quietly as he came to stand next to her and followed her gaze with his own to see her staring into the forest beside the lake. "You couldn't go back now even if you wanted to." He added and folded his arms as they settled into silence. Alice held her breath as the weight of his words sat on her shoulders. Was he warning her? Or accepting her? She couldn't tell... but what she couldn't deny was the sudden urge to smile that was pulling at her lips.

They stayed in silence for a few minutes, watching the sun set slowly and calmly and the night creep in behind it. Alice didn't want to go home yet, she liked being there... she liked being close to Magnus and talking to him properly. Even though he'd so far only had a go at her then listened to her vent, it was the most they'd interacted that she could remember.

Magnus didn't want to leave either, it was strange being in the company of Alice Murphy, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it just yet. Although he was aware that there weren't many negative feelings, it was the positive ones he was unsure how to deal with. "Why did you kiss me that night?" Alice suddenly asked, her mind had wandered and her mouth had spoken without permission.

Magnus tensed and licked his lips, searching for words instantly but finding none just yet. He didn't like to openly or verbally hesitate so he stayed silent. Alice turned to look at him, her curiosity taking over her brief embarrassment now. "You act like you hate me-"

"I don't hate you," he muttered and continued to search for a reason as to why he kissed her and managed to find a logical one. "I felt like it."

"You felt like it?" Alice asked and Magnus nodded, "you felt like kissing me?"

"It was new years." He shot back, seeing her reading into what he'd said but obviously it was too late.

"I didn't peg you as someone to follow holiday traditions," Alice replied and began to smirk as she saw the irritation begin to spread on his face.

"I don't."

"But you kissed me on New Years, that's a tradition." Alice giggled, and moved her hair out of her face. She was teasing him and he knew it... at first he didn't like it, but slowly he could feel the urge to kiss her again rising as she laughed at him and looked away, looking satisfied with the response she'd gotten out of him. He looked at the profile of her face and stared, seeing her smiling then slipping into thought... "Would you feel like... doing it again?" She asked, catching them both off guard at her bold question.

Magnus parted his lips and turned to her a little more, he was searching for a verbal response but found none. He did want to kiss her again... he could feel it, in his bones, in his skin... it was subtle, but it was there. And as he thought about it Alice took his surprised silence as her cue. She bit her lip and turned to him, tucking her hair behind both ears before she glanced at his lips, Magnus was watching her intently as she placed her hands on his biceps again and lent up on her toes to reach his lips...

She didn't know where her sudden confidence had come from, but she wanted this. She'd wanted it since she'd remembered it, the feeling of his soft lips on hers was something she'd craved deeply since last week...

Their lips touched and Alice kissed him gently and pulled away a little, feeling her lips tingling already from the energy moving between them. Magnus could feel it too and edged his tongue across the corner of his bottom lip slowly... he closed the gap between them and kissed her cautiously back, feeling the wave of electricity spread down through his body from his lips like a shiver.

They were testing the waters... brief sensual kisses pressed against each other's lips before they pulled back and did it again. Alice's body was beginning to feel warm as she craved more of his lips, but she was taking her time... and so was he. The energy between them was unstable... they could both feel it... and neither knew how to control it yet. It was building the heat between them quickly, and Alice could feel it pulling them together.

Magnus's lips lingered between Alice's, and he edged closer whilst placing his hands on her waist and pressing his fingertips into her flesh. Only a few minutes had passed but it felt like time had slowed down as Alice moaned quietly, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her body. The sound seemed to excite him, his heart thumped a harder inside his chest and he pulled back from the kiss, his eyes still closed as he let the feeling hang in the air between them.

He could taste her lipstick as he licked his lips again and opened his eyes and glanced down, seeing Alice looking up at him with blushing cheeks yet her gaze was far from shy or bashful. Her hands moved carefully from his arms to his cheeks, the feeling of her soft palms against his skin instantly encouraged him to kiss her again.