Autumn's P.O.V.

I stare at the silicone part of an earphone. I picked it up by our big oak tree in the back yard. Whoever was here the other night, doing God knows what, dropped it. I can use it to figure out who it was because I don't know too many people who have shocking orange earphones. They are definitely custom made.

Sally pops her head up from under the covers, her eyes barely open. She stretches out her arms almost slapping me in the face.

I squeeze the bright orange bud between my fingers and then put it back in my drawer. I haven't told my dad about it because he worries too much. He'll put me under house arrest for the rest of my life. I definitely don't want that. Besides I don't even know if this person is a threat yet.

"Hi sleeping beauty," I ruffle Sally's hair, making it look even messier than before.

"You and Ace never give me a break with your relentless flirting," she says mid yawn.

"Well maybe if you stopped being so damned sexy, we would," I tease. Sally only pushes me on the shoulder with half of her normal feistiness.

I pass Sally her glasses and then remember why she slept over in the first place.

"Are you okay?" my face serious.

Sally pushes up her with one finger, "It's nothing I haven't been through before," she tries to act tough, but I can see that it's really getting to her.

I give Sally a hug, "you wanna talk about it," I ask.

Sally just shakes her head and stays in my embrace a bit longer.

♀♀♀♀♀♀♀♀

My whole body is sore because of this weekend's training. Ace and Sally are under the impression that I train because I am a MMA competitor. My dad is so paranoid of the truth spilling out that he actually makes me compete from time to time. I always lose on purpose though. I have no interest in hitting someone else just for the hell of it.

I push myself up with an arm. A fiery pain shoots through it and my stomach. Retracting my wings feels like much more trouble than it is actually worth. I move as little as possible, giving my muscles enough time to recover.

On days like these, I question my father's sanity. He says his training me so I can protect myself when a Hunter strikes, but if one attacks now, I'm screwed. Besides every cell in my body is telling me that Fairies don't really fight, even if it is to protect themselves.

I dread every step I take towards the shower. I get undressed, fold my pyjamas and put them neatly in my laundry basket. I push the shower head away from the glass opening and turn on only the cold water.

I walk in and slide the shower door until it connects with the other corner of the shower. I pull the head back to the center. My eyes widen. My breath hitches. Even if I have to shower in cold water every day, I will never get use to the way it feels. The way it makes my heart quicken. My skin turning cold. Goose bumps rising all over my body, but the bad kind.

I squirt some shampoo in my hand and massage it into my scalp. Better to get out of here sooner rather than later.

I know it's no Ice Bath but I feel like a cold shower helps, however slight, to combat my soreness.

After bathing myself I turn off the water by the faucet. I lean with my hands against the wall. The slow trickling of the last drops of water falling off my body is comforting. I relax completely, closing my eyes and inhaling very deeply. My body temperature slowly returning to normal. If I didn't know any better I'd call this heaven.

♀♀♀♀♀♀♀♀

Ace is telling me about his weekend again. We're both standing by my locker anticipating the bell. I stopped listening to him after lunch. If he tells me one more time about how awesome it was to kiss two girls in the same night, only to find them making out later, I might just be tempted enough to punch him in the face. Never have I ever wished for a bell to ring so I can get to class.

Her blue eyes come into view from a mile away. My heart beat is hammering so hard in my chest that I fear everyone around us can hear it.

"You should talk to her," Ace whispers in my ear. I elbow him in his gut for suggesting something so absurd.

"No I'm moving on. I've done enough crying over her to last me a lifetime."

"It doesn't count as moving on until you've actually moved on," he shrugs, wearing that know-it-all look.

"Sometimes I wonder if you understand half the crap that comes out of your mouth,"

"Hey," Jade interrupts our argument, punching in her locker combo.

Talk to her. Ace mouths and pushes me a bit forward causing my shoulder to graze hers. Electricity shoots through my bones. I focus on the lingering feeling of bliss swarming inside my veins. I don't know how I managed to forget the sensation the first time around but I want to again. It's just easier this way. We don't say anything. Both of us just stand there awkwardly until the bell rings.

Jade is the first to head in the direction she came from. I follow her but only because we have the same class.

I sit down next to her in calculus. She is rubbing the hem of her shirt.

I've known her long enough to know that she only does that when she is nervous.

"Just so you know the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you," she confesses, her eyes pleading for me to believe her.

A tap on my shoulder saves me from having to reply, not that I knew what I was going to say or do.

I turn around and Sally pulls me to her table. I scrunch my face together.

"You're going to be my partner for this assignment."

"What assignment?" I ask, only causing Sally to shake her head and smile.

"How do you ever pass a class if you never listen?" She pushes her glasses back up her nose.

"I'm a genius," I smirk, before steeling a glance back to Jade.

"I can see why you're attracted to her," Sally says, her face grim, "Sam is really pretty."

My eyes follow Jade all the way to the teacher's desk.

"You're hot too but you never give me the time of day," I wiggle my eyebrows at her. Sally cheeks fill with color and although I think it's adorable my gaze still finds its way to Jade.

"Autumn," Miss Frost calls.

My eyes avert from Jade to the teacher.

"I want you to partner up with Jade. She is a bit behind on our curriculum and could use the extra help."

"Okay," I try to keep the skepticism out of my voice but fail.

I walk home with Jade so we can finish our assignment. I don't say much and she doesn't pressure me to either. In fact she seems just as engrossed in her thoughts as I am in mine. I know Jade is lying about being behind in calculus; she went to some fancy private school in London for heaven's sake.

And I know why; because I'm walking next to her and I'm already fighting the urge to take her hand in mine, to make some sort of contact with her. I want her body close enough to mine to feel the heat radiate off of it.

I look over to Jade who must notice me staring because she lifts her gaze to me. She smiles, a heart attack inducing smile, dimples and all. My functions shut down and press a reset button or something because I smile back. I'm not going to let my guard down. I just can't.

We walk up some white painted wooden stairs and stand in front of huge door that has different animals carved into it. It takes me a moment to recognize the house.

"Ace mentioned something about you guys living together now."

"Yeah my mom is engaged to Mr Porter," she shrugs like it's no big deal, pushing open the heavy door with ease.

"Is it weird, living with Ace I mean?" I ask purely to make conversation.

"I guess the fact that he is one of my best friends, helps a little."

I ignore the undertone in her voice, knowing that she is referring to me as the other best friend.

We walk in the kitchen and she scratches around in the fridge.

"My room is where the gym used to be," she points to the stairs. Damn, I smile, that must have been a huge sacrifice for Ace.

Jade kept the style of her room the same as it used to be in their old house. The walls are a princess pink with her bed centered against the back wall. There aren't posters on the wall, no photos by her bedside table. Just an iPod dock on her desk, with a stack of non-school reading books in the corner. It's actually neat considering its Jade's room.

I lie on her bed which by some miracle is made today. I stretch my hands and dig them under her pillow, pulling it over my head. I take a deep breath and blow out the air slowly. This smells exactly like Jade, sweet and fruity like citrus or something.

Keep it together. I warn myself. This is exactly why I never want to be alone with her for more than 5 minutes; because it's harder to convince myself that I'm not in love with her even if the truth is that I'm stuck on the cloud of loving her.

I put the cushion against the bed's headboard and lean against it. Jade enters and throws a juice box on my lap.

"How do you want to do this?" She says, her lips finding the straw of her own juice box. I know she is using her raspy voice on purpose; she wants me to catch on to the dirty joke hidden between the lines. I swallow hard, remembering everything those soft luscious lips were capable of. It's like she testing me to see how well I can resist her. That or I'm just imagining her trying to win me over with oral fixation.

"Ex- excuse me," I stammer and push past her. I need some air to clear my head of all things Jade for a moment or I won't make it through without trying something.

I pace up and down next to the salt water pool; focusing on my breathing. In through the nose out by the mouth. Fighting the need to be with her is hard enough as it is when I'm not around her. Being in reaching distance only intensifies that need.

"Autumn."

I whip my body around at the mention of my name. Jade is standing with half of her body behind the glass door, looking at me shyly. It's the same look I use to catch her in when we were just friends. Her cheeks are all pink like she was embarrassed for being caught staring at me.

I step forward knowing that we still have an assignment to do. My foot slips and I fall into the pool. An icy shrill envelopes my body. My heart stops beating for a split second. As soon as my butt touches the floor I kick myself up. The air I was forced to compress comes out as if my lungs are breathing their first breath.

Jade reaches her hand. I grab it and she helps me out. My body is shaking and my lip quivering, "the water is freezing." I swear Mr Porter throws ice the size of icebergs in it to keep people out. At least it helps sooth some of my muscle soreness.

Jade wraps a towel around my body and rubs the side of my arms. She pulls me in for a hug. My whole body stiffens and I want to pull back, but her body heat already hooks me.

♀♀♀♀♀♀♀♀

While Jade is looking for some dry clothes, I slip out of my wet ones and wrap the towel around my body. She throws me a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. Stepping outside to give me some privacy, with my wet clothes now in hand. "Don't worry I'm just gonna go throw them in the tumble-dryer,"

Her muffled voice comes from behind the closed door. I didn't know my skeptical expression was that obvious.

I put on the orange hoodie I see hanging over her chair. It fits loose around my middle but feels a bit tight around my shoulders.

Jade walks in and almost drops the mug in her hand when she sees me.

"What?"

"That's the first hoodie I stole from you," she says placing the hot beverage in my hand, now smiling. Oh God those dimples.