I watched as Amelia paced around her room, holding her arms tight against her chest, her head down. She was distraught, I knew that much. When she called me, jumbling her words and sniffling into the speaker, I knew I had to take my break from the mechanic workshop to come to her. There was a slight chance I'd be later than intended because Amelia wasn't holding up well, but it didn't matter. She came first, at least in this matter.

"Baby..." I tried again, threading softly. I had seen Darrick drop her off, when I tried asking what was wrong, he simply scoffed, muttering under his breath, I kid you not, it took all I could muster not to punch him. After how he manipulated his so-called best friend, he still dared to stay on his high horse. Amelia turned to me, wiping her face which she asked me not to touch. I knew she wasn't angry at me, I just wanted to know who the anger was directed towards. "Why are some people so...vile?" Amelia questioned, looking me square in the eyes.

"Uh...it's," Did she expect me to come up with an answer on the spot? Her gaze pressured me before I could complete my sentence, and she carried on with her words. "I know things don't go our way as we want them to, but that is no excuse! It is no excuse to be so mean!" I nodded silently.

"I know your white suit might be so expensive and I said sorry! No, I was sorry! Does that give her the right to curse at me? To yell and embarrass me in the middle of my favourite bakery?" Oh, now I was getting information on what happened when she was out with Darrick.

Was this the first time I was entering her room? I think it was the second, it still made me nervous, the theme of the room suited her well. Some decorations were neatly placed around the walls, giving them more warmth. I liked it. Alright, I needed to focus on the woman whose toes Amelia accidentally stepped on.

"I...I didn't even know what to do. She treated me like I was some sort of peasant child!" This was the first time I'd seen Amelia so flared; it was an interesting look. Her eyebrows were scrunched up, her hands gesticulating at any slight word. I found it oddly cute how she asked me questions but spoke on as though it needed no answer. "I'm curious."

I perked up.

"On what, baby?"

"Is naïve written on my forehead? I know my forehead is a bit large but is it? Maybe it's something only others can see." I bit my lip, holding back laughter, now how did my little lady expect me to answer that?

Sighing, I got up and she stopped pacing, biting her lip while looking daintily at me. Goodness, why did she have to give me such an expression? "Look." Both of my hands clasped her arm, making her stand upright.

"Whether or not your forehead is big, it's still cute." When I laid a kiss on it, she giggled, lightly holding my sides.

"And you're not naïve, baby." I heard her mumble, making out what she said. She thought I was saying this to make her feel better but in all honesty. I wasn't. The Amelia I'd come to deeply care about was on a steady journey of growth, she wasn't naïve, merely out of touch after being protected by her father.

I adored how optimistic she was, it happened to be one of my favourite traits in her. "You think so?" I heard her more audible this time because she was looking up at me, her lips pouted. Her lips...think clean thoughts, Simon. They were pink, glistening in gloss, it seemed as though I was in a daze.

"U-uh...yes. I think so." Think what? Ah, I needed to stop daydreaming. Seeing her eyes drop to my lips made the desire brew more. "Amelia..."

Was that a warning for her? Or myself? Before I could hold myself, I leaned into her, our lips touched...again.

The kiss was similar to the kiss at the ball, slow, and better. Her soft lips felt lovely, I cupped her waist, deepening the kiss. Was she okay with this? I mean, she was kissing me back. Dear God, I hoped I didn't just cross a line and make her uncomfortable. Absentmindedly, my tongue touched hers in the kiss. She gasped, pushing me back.

"Crap, I'm sorry. I didn't-" Amelia didn't wait for me to finish, she held my arm, shaking her head. "No, no. It's not that. There's nothing wrong, absolutely nothing." I should have controlled myself better, my stomach turned in shame.

"I should have asked, Amelia." She pursed her lips, looking down. "I was kind of hoping you kissed me just now, so you're not in the wrong here." She moved to sit on the bed, and I followed, watching as the lady played with her fingers nervously. She wanted to tell me something, that was what it meant, right?

"I'm listening, Amelia. You can tell me whenever you're ready."

"It's just..." Then she stared at me, her doe eyes clouded with what seemed to be curiosity. "Evie...I like you, a...a l-lot." The way my heart jumped caught me off guard, it seemed to process the words faster than I could.

Hearing her say these words made my chest swell, she liked me – a lot – yes, I found it necessary to add the emphasis just as she did. I wanted to tell her how much I had grown to like her as a person and how I could see a future with her, but I continued listening as I told her I would.

"But..."

There was a but? Oh no. A but wasn't good.

"I don't...I don't want us to be a fling. You know, like those people who are friends and kiss, a-and have sex. I'm not even ready for sex." She shivered at the words, waving her hands cutely in front of her face. I wanted her to know it didn't matter if we weren't going to have sex, I wasn't planning on doing that to her anytime soon.

"W-What I mean is, I...I don't want this to be casual. I-I...I mean, the first kiss I really wanted, and this too! But...I want to have a serious relationship if we decide to." Amelia ended with a sigh of relief, refusing to look me in the eye, her gaze wandered from the wallpaper on her walls to the chipped polish on her toe. It would be improper to ask her to be mine on the spot, wouldn't it? She'd think it was forced or coerced.

"Amelia."

Her gaze hesitantly met mine when I called her name.

"I understand, and thank you for telling me." She nodded, her eyes still lingering, was she waiting for my own but? "I want you to know that I am serious, I didn't want to overwhelm you so I decided to take this slow. I guess it's not slow anymore considering we've kissed."

"Twice." She added timidly, I checked, nodding. "Two of the best kisses I've ever had." Amelia bit her lips, hiding her face in her palm. "Stop teasing me..."

"I'm not!"

If I did something silly and ranked the kisses I'd had from my first kiss in middle school till now, she'd be way up on the list, but I wasn't going to be that descriptive and make the little lady burst into a red mist from how hard she was cheering. Come to think of it, we did agree to get to know each other more. "Hey, Lia?"

She looked up from her hands. "Yes, Evie?"

"Would you like to have a picnic with me? On Saturday?"

Amelia's eyes widened, "A picnic? Like an actual picnic? That's so cute! I'd love that! But I don't know how to cook, just bake, so I might ruin..." She began to ramble, her eyes setting panic, I smiled. "I'll handle that, you just come with your pretty self and enjoy the day. Alright?" She fiddled with her finger. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Okay." Amelia stretched her arm out, gazing over at me shyly. "Can I?" Would I ever reject her hug? Scooping her up, I hugged her tightly, my hand around her waist and hers on my shoulder. "You keep me on my owns, mister," Amelia whispered near my ear, this caused me to laugh. "How so?"

"I won't tell you, you just do." Okay then, I'll take that.

"I hope you've forgiven the woman who got you all riled up." It did no good hating someone she probably wouldn't see again, it was better to let it go. Forgive selfishly as Pa would put it. Amelia sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "I have. She was going through something I guess, I just happened to be at the place at the wrong time." That was my girl.

I arched her head up.

"Good girl." Subconsciously, my lips met her forehead and she blushed, looking down. "I'm sorry for calling you from work...I could have held it until after." She explained, climbing off me. "No need to apologize, Lia. If you want me by you, all you have to do is call and I'll try to come as soon as possible."

"You should start going if you don't want to be late, though"

I checked the time, it was barely twenty minutes left until my break was over. "Right." I didn't want to come off as entitled just because I was close to his baby sister. "You're right, I should start going back." Amelia laughed, jumping to her feet.

"Be safe, okay? Don't go over the speed limit even though you're running late."

"Yes, my lady." I pecked her forehead again. "I'll see you later, yeah?" She nodded. "Thank you, Evie." Part of me didn't want to go back just yet, I wouldn't mind spending more time with her, but I guess even she wouldn't be okay with that. Amelia saw me out and we hugged for the second time today, I liked how her body fitted into mine. After saying our goodbyes, I started the car and drove off.

The drive back to the workshop was a good fifteen minutes when I was going 50km/hr, I tried not to go beyond the speed limit as Amelia instructed, and after parking the car, I jumped out. "Two minutes to spare." Speed walking into the workshop, I saw the guys had already had their lunch and were preparing to continue work.

"Ah, loverboy returns just in time." Guy chimed, smirking at me as I arrived just in time. "Oh? Why lover boy? Did he go see boss' sister just now?" Andrew -- the second in command asked with a smirk of his own. I chuckled, shaking my head. Guy noticed the phone call I had before dashing out immediately it was time for a break, and that was why he was hell-bent on teasing me.

"Of course he did, don't you see the sly smile on his lips?" Guy continued, pointing out the smile while cackling. "Perhaps he went in for a kiss."

"He didn't want to give us a show at the shop again?"

Andrew was having a field day with this. Knowing what Guy said was true, I covered my face, laughing. "Oh, see! You're right." Rasu commented as well, having a go at the teasing game. "Don't let the boss hear you." I put a hand to my lips, winking. This caused the boys to go wild, laughing their asses off.

"Don't let the boss hear what?" Abel walked into our conversation, arching his eyebrow in suspicion. Guy elbowed Andrew, and so did he. "Nothing man, just teasing your in-law over here." Andrew waved off, and Abel hummed, tilting his head. "In-law?"

"Not literally. I mean, not that I don't want to be, but I'll stop talking now."

The boys cackled again, Abel smirked, shaking his head. "Don't bite your tongue off with that ramble there." He teased, "Andrew, come here for a second."

I huffed, well, that was embarrassing. "Let's get back to work." Rasu nudged, tapping my shoulders. "Before you sink into the ground." He whispered the last part with a snicker. "Ha-ha." I punched his side lightly and he dramatically crouched on the floor. "K.O." What a drama queen.

"I said I'll go! Just drop it."

My feet stilled at the voice, it was familiar, too damn familiar, the way my heart palpitated, I knew it wasn't just my imagination. "I'm already there, Tom. And for the record, you bashed the car, not me." There it was again, that voice. I was too scared to look for the owner, my hands ran cold as though blood stopped flowing.

"I can't do this Everest. It's military, you might end up dead!"

"Don't tell me to calm down when the man I love wants to put himself at the frontline of death!"

"Please, baby...don't do this."

That voice...it was the same voice that said those words, I wasn't mistaken, was I?

"Uhm, hello? I need to get my car fixed and...E-Everest?" The voice stopped talking, shock coating her words, my mind was spinning with a lot of questions. What was she doing here after eight years? What was she doing in a mechanic shop? She...recognized me? Mustering up the courage, I turned my head slowly to the woman.

There she was.

The woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

The woman who wrote me that letter and dropped it on my duffle bag days after my proposal. I couldn't believe it, my throat ran dry. There she was, looking as beautiful as ever.

Florescent Shaw.