I turn on the shower, and when the water pours down harshly on us, I shield Nevaeh with my body. I hug her tightly until the cold water turns warm before I pull away.

I hold Nevaeh's shoulders and kiss her with all my heart. She kisses me back, and every time she does, my chest tightens.

Her kisses always make me feel like the world around us doesn't exist. I wish she could kiss me forever.

I place my hand on her back and caress her face. We continue kissing, embracing each other and feeling the warm water relaxing our muscles. We both need it after the wild things we just did.

What a strange feeling. Even though I'd felt my desire getting out of control a while ago, all I want to do right now is hold her, kiss her, and cherish her. I just want the assurance that I indeed have her in my arms and that she'll never leave me.

Nevaeh circles her arms around my neck when I pull her closer to me without stopping our kiss.

I need her. Oh, God, I need her so bad.

I can't imagine what I would do if I lost her. It will be my worst nightmare. Sometimes, the possibility of that makes me want to disappear from this world. The fear of losing her makes me question if I should have this feeling for her.

I've vowed to not fall for anyone so recklessly again, to not be blinded by the idea of love.

But Nevaeh makes me let down my guard so effortlessly, and here I am, wishing, begging to have her in my arms forever.

I don't know what the hell is wrong with me. A part of me has been waiting for this moment to come, for me to heal, but another part is trying to warn me to not fall into the same endless, dark pit.

Nevaeh has turned my world upside down, and I have no power to prevent it.

I deepen our kiss, hearing her moan softly. Despite the chaos in my head, I'm glad that she's real, that she exists, and that this isn't just a dream.

What have you done to me, Nevaeh?

What have you done?

Today is another long day at campus, but I'm glad that I can go home before dark. Aiden texted me earlier that he was on the way home from the office, so we'll be able to have dinner together as usual.

A smile curves on my lips as I walk toward the parking lot. The pavement is filled with autumn leaves, and I hug my waist when the wind blows. I can feel the air getting colder although I always wear a sweater these days.

Soon, winter is coming. I've got carried away with the happiness I've been feeling lately that I almost forgot about one important thing. Time.

As time goes by, I'll have to face the moment when my exchange program here ends. I have to think about it, whether I want to go back to Texas or extend the program here for another semester. I initially planned to study here for only six months, but now, everything has changed.

Nevertheless, I'm afraid that this happiness has messed up my mind and dragged me away from reality. A farewell is something that Aiden and I will have to face someday, and the deeper I fall into this overwhelming feeling, the more painful the heartbreak will be.

While I'm walking to my car, I pass the coffee shop and spot something surprising.

Kai and Maya are sitting together. They're having their drinks while discussing something. It seems that Kai is teaching her because books and papers are scattered on the table.

I chuckle. It's such a wonderful sight to see, one that warms my heart.

I hope that Maya can finally have her happy ending with Kai because he's a great guy.

Aiden is in the living room when I enter the house. He's having a phone call, still dressed in his office suit. It's clear that he just got back from his office.

"I'll tell Nevaeh about it," he says, making my eyebrows shoot up.

Who is he talking to and what are they talking about?

After Aiden ends the call, he flops himself onto the couch, leans back, and sighs. I approach him, taking a seat beside him. He greets me with a quick kiss on the lips and pulls me into his embrace.

I close my eyes, feeling contented as I rest my head on his chest. All the tiredness I felt today seems to have been washed away.

"What was that call about?" I ask softly.

"I was talking to my dad," he says, and his answer instantly causes me to straighten up.

I had no idea that his parents knew about me. Hearing that Aiden was talking to his dad about me makes me taken aback.

"My parents will be here in Seattle on Sunday." On the contrary, Aiden looks pretty calm. He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, gazing at me. "I was talking to him about some documents in my office he needs to sign. My employees can just send them to him, but mom and dad want to come here instead. They've been wanting to come here since forever, but they were waiting for the right time."

"I understand. What should I do about it?" Worry is laced in my tone. I even sound like I'm panicking. I can't hide the fact that his parents' plan to come here makes me nervous. "Should I move downstairs again?"

Aiden's parents may want to stay here in his house while they're in Seattle, and I don't want to make things awkward between us.

Aiden shakes his head in disagreement. "No. Actually..." he falters.

My pulse quickens as I wait for him to finish his sentence.

"If it's only for paperwork, my parents won't fly all the way here. They want to see me, that's for sure, but..." he pauses, looking into my eyes. "There's one more important reason why they want to be here soon."

I swallow, trying to calm my heartbeat.

"They want to meet you, Nevaeh," Aiden says.