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  Jenna Brooks's POV

My heart froze with fear as I tried to open the door by continuously tilting the door knob but to no avail. I felt my heart race, I had always been scared of being trapped in enclosed spaces, dark enclosed spaces. 

Crunching hit my ears from behind, accelerating the already rampant pondering of my heart. I sunk to the ground, was this the newbie prank? Who would do something so mean? 

The crunching got louder and i clutched my knee, trying to block out the noise. I felt a chill of unease run down my spine. My eyes were focused on the door…waiting. Please. Please. Just open. 

Then, like a miracle, the closet door swung open, flooding the small space with light. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness. And there, standing before me, was Liam. 

As I quivered on the hard, cold floor, my breath hitched in my throat as Liam stepped forward. Without a word, he reached out and enveloped me in a warm, protective hug. The kind of hugs in high school movies. As his arms encircled me, he smelt of sunflower and something else I couldn't quite place my fingers on. My trembling body pressed against Liam's chest, and I closed my eyes, savoring the feel of his arms around me.

God! There was so much muscle under his shirt. How come I hadn't noticed? I felt a tingling feeling inside me. It was hard to describe the feeling, the feeling of being held so close. I could feel the warmth radiating from his chest, subtly seeping into the core of my being. 

He slowly pulled me up before disengaging the hug. I dared to lift my gaze, meeting his eyes. There, I found a glimpse of something more, something beyond friendship. Liam is a hot guy and if I were asked to hit or pass, I'd definitely choose hit. No one would pass such a hot piece of cake like him.

Then, without a warning, he brought his palm up to cup my face as he whispered, "Looking at you up close, you're really pretty, Jenna."

That was the most romantic way someone had ever called me pretty. I knew I had just met Liam , but then, I had never felt that rush of adrenaline in a long time.

Sure, back in Cronners, I had this neighbor-turned- secret boyfriend, Sean, who was three years older than me. We dated secretly for about four months because mom would kill me if she found out I had a boyfriend at SEVENTEEN. We mostly kissed and made out, until I suddenly didn't like him anymore after he told me he wasn't interested in going to college.

And that was it. Maybe I was just over it. After that, whenever we were together, his chewing bothered me. The baby voice he overused made me cringe. His jokes weren't funny anymore. He lacked ambition. He drank too much. He had anger issues. Our age gap no longer felt cool to me and instead felt a little embarrassing for both of us.

I had always wondered what laundry list of flaws Sean had also racked up about me after I broke up with him. What could he have said? I was selfish? Sure, literally everyone was. I was possessive? Because I kept pestering him about considering going to college? I was not social enough. How could I be? I wasn't even allowed to have more than one friend back in Cronner. The only friend I had was the old lady next door, Mrs Rodrigo. I didn't like his friends? Yes, because they smoked. 

But right now, Liam was standing right in front of me and the way his gaze locked on mine, automatically blocked out any thoughts. My breath hitched in my throat as he traced the pattern on my face with his delicate fingers before it landed on my lower lip. His lips curled into an intoxicating smile, his eyes staring lovingly into mine.

This was supposed to be those times when my inner voice yells 'control yourself, Jenna' but that dude is never around when it's needed. Yes, I couldn't control myself, I couldn't resist those eyes or lips andI leaned forward to kiss him. Just a slight millisecond brush on his soft lips. Within a second, my inner voice was already screaming, 'What have you done, Jenna?' 

'Are you fucking kidding me? Where were you when I really needed you?' I yelled back at my inner voice. Then I blocked out it's voice as i took a step backwards away from him but his arms suddenly wrapped around my waist and pulled me dangerously close. His breath mingling on my face as he leaned forward. He parted my lips, and his tongue slided into my mouth in one smooth stroke.

I stiffened for a second, but he didn't let that stop him. His lips moved over mine. There was mint and something else I had never tasted before. Something that sent fire blazing in my veins until I tingled. Finally giving in, I wrapped my hands around his warm, strong neck and shoulders.

He put one of his arms under my shoulders and the other under my butt. I had a vague sense of being lifted and realized he was lifting me off my feet. He placed me on the shelf, never once breaking the kiss. My skin tingled at every brush of his fingers against my arm.

  Then suddenly, the door creaked open, revealing a shadow standing by the door. Liam immediately pulled away, his step momentarily faltering as I raised my head to glare at the intruder that just ruined our moment.

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets as the shadow finally came to light, it was him. The person I had least expected— Conrad.