I have to let you know...

His smile widened a little as she felt the cold air hit where his touch was a moment ago.

Allen rested his back on his seat, closing his eyes. He wanted to ask her so badly about MJ he could barely hold back. It was lame of him, he thought, so he made up his mind to stay quiet about it.

Isabelle felt restless beside him. She thought he was in for a kiss, but his retreat made her quite disappointed. She shifted her body, so she could look at him, leaning her head on the seat.

His eyes were closed, his profile cutting a perfect silhouette out of the dark glass behind him. He was gorgeous. Every angle of his face, every part of his light skin. His lashes shined under the dim light above them, showing how long and thick they truly were. She was delighted, almost in a trance, when his eyes opened and moved towards hers.

They were incredibly light, almost unnatural, yet lively and beautiful. He looked at her face. She felt him detailing every corner of her features. Her face grew hot under his gaze again.

"Don't stare," she felt tiny all of a sudden.

"Why?" His purring voice covered the place. She looked the other way.

"Makes me nervous."

Allen chuckled. "More reason to do it. You look cute when you're nervous."

Isabelle averted her gaze, a smile curving up her lips.

Silence did not last long when Allen spoke again.

"It was nice going out today. Your friends are… Nice". He managed to say the last word without sarcasm.

"Really?" She said, excited. "Well, Kyle is also very nice."

Allen laughed. "He's a pain in the ass most of the time, and apparently never thinks before speaking… But he's a good guy." He paused. "So, James? I know about Cassidy, but not him. How did you meet him?" He asked as casually as he could, trying not to look so desperate.

"Oh, we've known each other since forever!" She said with a smile on her face. "Our moms have been friends since we were babies, they met each other when Sarah moved next door. Sarah is MJ's mom, by the way. They were both new moms, so they pretty much leaned on each other during our first years. At least that's what my mom told me. So, since they were always together, we were too." She chuckled.

"I see… So you guys are close then." He mumbled.

"Pretty much, yes!" Isabelle was now with her back straight, leaning forward a little as she was talking. "We wanted to study all together, but since he's an athlete, he was looking for a high school with good scholarships and great university applications for the future. So we ended up apart."

Allen just nodded, repeatedly, not knowing if it was a good idea to open his mouth again. Isabelle stood quiet, feeling insecure all of a sudden.

"Did— Did he say something at the mall?" She asked. Allen looked at her with curiosity. Isabelle started to get nervous, playing with her fingers as she started to explain. "He can be a little intense with the guys I like."

Allen's expression changed for only an instant, his eyes widening and his eyebrows lifting with surprise. That instant was enough, though, for Isabelle to regret what she had just said.

"N—No I mean…" She tried to explain herself, but as his lips started curving up, her thoughts started to crumble down in messy words. "Guys I'm a little interested in, not like I have feelings— Well, I know do have some feelings for you but—" His smile grew wider, showing his white pearls fully. She swallowed. "B—But you don't have to worry because I—"

Allen leaned forward and raised one hand, shushing her lips with his index finger, his smile still stuck in his face. He couldn't control it, so he just embraced it; enjoying the moment.

"Don't take those words back." He removed his hand, lowering it until he touched her restless hands. "I—" he breathed in and out, "I like how they sound."

As those words left his mouth, he felt heat spread through his body. He knew it was important: he had to clear some things up. Even if he didn't know exactly what was going on inside his chest or what exactly he was feeling; the reason why MJ's conversation pissed him off at some point.

It hit his pride that someone else noticed how screwed and confused he actually was. But at least he wanted to be clear about what he did know: he was not there to fuck around. He knew nothing about love as he felt it was something he could not afford. And the fact that someone genuinely loved him sounded distant, but he could manage if she liked him enough to accept him as he was.

His conversation with MJ left him thinking that, maybe, she thought he was using her. He could not afford that, so he spoke up again.

"Do I make you feel insecure?" The question came out softly, his eyes looking at her intently, showing her how important the answer was.

"W—What?" Her eyes grew wide, surprise showing clear on her face. His face was still unreadable, but she noticed how he clenched his jaw a couple of times. Isabelle cleared her throat and looked at him seriously. "No, you don't. What makes you think that?" She replied, confused by his sudden worry.

Allen looked to one side, hiding his face. "I guess… Kyle told me women like to be told things. So they can be certain." His face was now facing down, embarrassed.

Isabelle tilted her head. "And do you want to tell me something? So I can be certain?"

His light blue eyes lifted, clashing with hers. "I'm not playing around with you… And… Next weekend is a date."

Her expression remained the same a whole minute, making him uncomfortable as he had never been before. Did I say something wrong? He hopelessly thought. He shifted in his seat, holding her gaze out of pure pride. His ears were now red, slowly reaching his neck, the more he started to regret what he said. Out of the blue, the hand he was holding left his touch.

Isabelle felt there was some misunderstanding, her stomach tightening at the thought of him feeling hurt. The knot on her belly told her she had to do something. So she did. Both her hands lifted towards his face and landed each on one side and grabbed him firmly. Then, she moved forward, slowly closing her eyes until her lips touched his.

At first, he was too stunned to understand what was going on, but it only lasted an instant before he kissed her back.

No girl had ever kissed him like that before, he was sure of that. It was always either a 'Fuck me right here' type of kiss, or the one kiss Isabelle gave him last time: shy and fast. This kiss felt different. This kiss didn't happen out of desire or as a reflex. It was a soft, warm, slow touch of their lips, and yet firm and full of determination. The kind of kiss you give someone when your emotions overwhelm you.

And it lasted only a couple of second.

When she parted, she found his eyes open, gazing at her expectantly. Allen did not say a word, not wanting to wrap up his mind on what he felt with that kiss.

"Thanks." She started. "Actually, I like being around you… And… Well, I'm happy that it is a date to you, too." Isabelle smiled wide, taking her hands away.

He felt shivers down his spine, not sure if caused by her words or the absence of her touch. Either way, he let his body move without thinking much, hugging her tight. Isabelle wrapped her arms around him too, feeling his body tremble under her. She felt him so vulnerable, she could only try to hold him in one piece with her arms.

"This is new for me." His voice was slightly muffled by her neck as he spoke. "So I'm sorry if it's not what you're expecting."

"You're not what I was expecting. I don't know how to say it or— Well, I don't even know if I should say it, but I like this you I wasn't expecting… A lot." She bit her lip the moment she felt him pulling away from her.

His eyes fixed on her. "Why wouldn't you say it?"

"Because it might freak you out…" she says almost in a whisper.

Allen nodded, thinking about it. And she was right. If some other person said something like that he would have felt annoyed rather than freaked out; something that has happened before. But now, the only 'annoying' thing he felt was the bunch of butterflies flying inside his stomach; and yet, he didn't hate it.

"It doesn't, for some reason." He admitted. "I liked it."

A smile formed on her face, making Allen look away nervously. Isabelle found that adorable, and especially empowering to know she had some sort of effect on him.

It was subtle, but that hint of honesty made them feel different.

A few seconds after and they were on their own world again, talking about next weekend plans until she finally was able to leave. Of course, not before kissing one last time.

She felt thrilled, almost too excited for what might be going on between them. She tried as hard as she could not to get her hopes up, but as time passed by, she felt her heart falling for him. He surely was indifferent eighty percent of the time, but that other twenty he looked sweet and vulnerable. She liked how right everything felt when being around him. And she was going for it, even after knowing how it all started. She could feel there was something going on for him too, he even partially confessed that to her, and she was willing to find that out.

As for Allen, he felt it was almost a lie. A lie he was making up to comfort himself after what she made him feel on that first encounter. A lie he could have created because, deep down, he thought his father was right. He didn't care, though. He was enjoying it so bad he didn't want to stop seeing her, even if she was just a mere illusion.

And he knew it, he knew her melodious laugh, the warmth in her skin, and the brightness on her eyes could only mean she was real. He still had a long way before losing it completely, and yet, it was hard to believe she is there. He started to embrace that feeling of not giving a damn a while ago, and now he was trying his best to make it work.