And like clockwork, my phone rang, a smile escaping from my lips as the photo of Jake and I popped up on my screen. As confusing as it could be at times, there were just moments when it wasn't, and the day this photo was taken was one of them.

It was one of the first days he had come up to my room, after lying together, talking for what felt like hours, he had mentioned how we didn't have any recent photos together, and anything with us just lived in dusty old photo albums.

But even still, I had always loved the idea that our memories were memorialized on film forever.

Finally, I answered it.

"Hey.." I said cheerfully.

"What took you so long to answer, just got back from your date?" He laughed. I shook my head, looking up at his window to see him smiling back at me, giving me a gentle wave.

"Stop it." I sighed, smirking up at him.

"You look pretty." He said softly, now propping his arm up on the window sill, balancing his hand on top while gazing down at me.

"Thank you."

"Can I come see you now?

"Haven't you gotten sick of me yet?"

"Don't ask silly questions. Now can I come back over?"

"Don't ask silly questions." His smile grew as he hung up, shutting his window.

I waited outside until I heard their backdoor open, Jake quickly making his way out, practically running over. As he got closer, he quickly wrapped me into a tight hug, twirling me around. I held on tight, wrapping my arms around his neck, and letting out a roaring laugh as I felt him cover my face with kisses.

"I missed you." He sighed, staring back at me with excited eyes, beaming from ear to ear. He was so cute. I shook my head, giggling to myself as I gently caressed his face.

"I wasn't gone that long."

"Jaime, any time you're gone is too long."

"You're gonna have to get used to it when you-" He pulled me into a quick kiss, shaking his head.

"Shh.. don't talk about that. Come on." He said, now starting to pull me toward his house. My stomach dropped as I leaned away, yanking him back towards me.

"B-but.. you said that.. we can't go-"

"Well, we can if you can be quiet." He smirked. I bit down on my lip, shaking my head again.

"Why don't you just.. come in." I said, motioning back to my house. He stopped, his face dropping.

"Okay.." He said softly, finally following me in through my back door.

I held on tightly to his hand, quickly pulling him through the kitchen with hopes he didn't notice Josh's rose, and up the stairs to my bedroom again. He didn't hesitate to plop down onto my bed, reaching out for me. I smirked back at him, crawling over, cuddling into his arms as he pulled me up against him.

"So, where are you taking me tonight?" I asked, peeking up at him, gently tracing tiny cursive "L's" across his bare arm. His smile grew, his cheeks burning red as he leaned down, kissing the top of my head.

"Somewhere nice." He said simply.

"Nice.. where?"

"Maybe.. put on something a little dressier." I felt my cheeks burn.

"How much dressier?" I asked, biting down on my lip. He looked me up and down.

"Well, what do you have?" I sat back up, going over to the my closet.

"This is what I have." I said, motioning inside. He pushed himself out of the bed, making his way over to me and started flipping through. I leaned back against my wall, admiring him as he looked through, carefully inspecting each piece.

"I thought you hated when girls cared so much about what they wore?" I asked. He shook his head, keeping his eyes down and continued flipping through.

"Not you." He muttered, eventually stopping. "I.. I like doing things like this with you." His lips curled into a playful grin as he pulled out a long, dark blue dress. It had spaghetti straps with flakes of gold sewn into it that glistened as you twirled.

"You would look.. stunning in this." He said, holding it out to me. "Why have I never seen you in this before?" I felt my face get hot as I took it from him, holding it up against me as I looked in the mirror.

"Because you've never taken me somewhere nice before." I joked. He stood behind me, balancing his chin on my shoulder as he stared back at our reflection.

"And what are you gonna wear?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Whatever I can find that'll match that. You have to wear that." My heart started beating faster as I felt his lips gently kissing their way up my neck.

I hung the dress up on the back of my door, turning around to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck as I pulled him into a passionate kiss. His hands lightly grabbed my waist, pulling me in closer as he kissed me back harder.

I felt him sigh, now leaning his forehead against mine as he stared down at me, his eyes moving back down to my lips.

"I'll.. I'll let you get changed, and then we-"

"You don't have to go." I said softly. "Not if.. you don't want to." His eyes got wide as his grip on me got tighter, hesitating before pulling me into another long, deep kiss. His hands tangling themselves into my hair as his kisses got harder, slowly moving me back towards the bed where he eventually lifted me up and carried me over, gently placing me down on top, crawling over me.

His kisses became harder as I felt his hands slowly moving down my body, eventually sliding underneath my shirt. I sat up, pulling it over my head and tossing it to the side, instantly pulling him back into another passionate kiss, my hands moving behind his neck. His hands slowly moved down my chest until I felt him lightly tugging on my pants. I nodded, moving them over the button, kissing him harder. He hesitated, keeping his hands still before finally unbuttoning them, gently sliding them off and tossing them away.

It felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest, suddenly becoming self-conscious about how he had never really seen me like this before. Sure, we had gone swimming together, and it was no more revealing than a bathing suit but.. there was just something different about it. It was amazing how I could go from feeling so confident around him, to suddenly wishing he couldn't see me at all, knowing that I didn't compare to the how many other girls he had been with before me. If anything, being with me would be.. a downgrade for him.

I gently pushed him away, leaning my forehead against his.

"Are you okay?" He sighed. I nodded, biting down on my lip.

"Y-yeah, I just.. um.. I.. I should get ready."

"Jaime, it's okay, we don't have to do anything, I just.. you said-"

"N-no.. I know.. I.. I'm sorry, I.. can you.. I'll get dressed and then-"

"Well, I still have to get ready too." He laughed, pulling me into another gentle kiss. I nodded, giggling to myself as I pulled him back into a long series of gentle kisses, feeling slightly better as long as it stayed.. like this.

"Jaime, I.. I need you to know.. I'm okay with.. not doing anything. If you're not comfortable. That's not why I'm here, I just.. whatever you want, I'm okay with."

"So.. if I did want to, you'd want to?" I asked, feeling my face get hot.

"Well, I mean-"

"So you do want to." His face dropped.

"Jaime, I.. I don't know what to say. Just.. tell me what you want and.. that's fine with me. I'm.. I'm okay with anything that you want."

I knew what I wanted, I wanted him, but I couldn't get out of my own head long enough to let me enjoy anything like this with him, because I couldn't help but feel like I was just something he was settling for, just one more thing to say he's gotten.

He could tell something was off.

"What's going on?" He asked, reaching over for me, gently touching my cheek. I shrugged, looking away.

"I just.. I don't know." He crawled over next to me, wrapping his arm around me, pulling me back up against him.

"You said we should be more honest with each other. I want to work through whatever it is with you." I sighed, nodding, avoiding his eyes.

"I just.. I can't help but feel like.. I'm not good enough for you. I don't look like those girls, I can't.. do what they do, I've never.. done what you've done, and I just feel like you're gonna get tired of me and move on and I'm gonna be left here heartbroken over you again." I blurted out, feeling both better and worse at the same time. He sat up again to face me.

"Jaime, I.. I thought you forgave me-"

"I did forgive you, you haven't done anything wrong, it's me, I just-"

"What do you need from me?"

"W-what?"

"I hate that you feel this way. Because.. that's not how I see you at all. Jaime, I could care less about anyone before you because.. you have always been number one to me, and now I get to be here, with you? However you want me, I'm happy, Jaime. Because I'm lucky enough to finally be here, after how many years of dreaming that you'd see me this way. I could never get tired of you. The other girls, that's all they were. I could never talk to them like this. I didn't.. write them songs or.. feel safe with them the way I do with you. All of that other stuff, sure, it's okay, but.. it means nothing without all of this. And if you ever wanted me like that.. well, if it makes you feel any better, I'd be nervous too."

I couldn't help but smile, quickly wiping the tears from my eyes before pulling him into a long, tender kiss.

"Thank you." He shrugged.

"So now that we covered that.." He laughed, gently taking my hand. "Go put on your dress, and then you can come help me get ready."