Alana sat on the plush white loveseat, twirling her hands nervously.

They were in the cafe on the first floor of the building. Asher had gotten them a private room, one away from curious eyes and overeager fans, allowing them to have their long-awaited conversation.

He had then disappeared, but not before letting Alana know that he would be back soon. And as she continued to wait for him, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. This would be the first time they properly had a conversation and with her mood in general today, she hoped she wouldn't say anything too rash.

She was quickly broken out of her thoughts when she heard the sound of a soft clanking sound, an indication that he had returned. Turning her head, her eyes widened with surprise when she saw that he wasn't alone.

"Thanks, Miles," Asher said, smiling at the waiter, who had placed a hot steamy cup of hot chocolate and a slice of Oreo cheesecake on the table.

"Good luck, boss," Miles whispered not so softly, not before saluting and giving Asher a playful smirk.

Shaking his head, Asher took a seat directly across the table from Alana and pushed the mug and plate closer to her side with a gentle smile on his lips.

"It's not Aunt Cathy's, but I remember how much you loved her Oreo cheesecake," His words immediately broke through her tough facade as a small smile made its way onto her face at his sweet gesture.

"Aunt Cathy? I think it's been almost 2 years since I last visited," she admitted sheepishly. "I hope she's doing well."

Aunt Cathy's Corner Cafe was located at the heart of downtown Eastwood if you would even call it downtown considering how small their town was. It was where all the bridal shops, cozy restaurants, and local boutiques were located. And Aunt Cathy stood at the center of it all with her kind grandmotherly presence.

Growing up, she and her husband were practically grandparents to all of the Eastwood kids and her cozy cafe had stood unwavering in its exact location even before Alana was born. With its retro theme and bright popping colors, it was a popular place for everyone in town, both young and old, to hang out.

"Her and Hank are doing pretty well. Business has been blooming— I still stop by when I head up to my parents' house," he continued. "I'm sure she misses you— she still has your signature framed behind the cash register."

Alana smiled, remembering the scribble she had ultimately called her signature back when she was just an innocent child with big dreams.

"I'm going to be a star one day, Aunt Cathy," 8-year-old Alana exclaimed, almost knocking over her chocolate milkshake. She swung her two small feet that were covered with her worn-out ballet flats excitedly as they dangled off the tall stool.

10-year-old Asher sighed from beside her, silently moving the glass away from the accident-prone girl. He was never a boy of many words, instead preferred to do things silently. Perhaps this was the reason why Alana never caught these little caring gestures.

Aunt Cathy smiled at Asher before turning to look at the young girl. The woman flipped open her memo pad and pushed it towards Alana, along with a black pen. "Well, my little future shining star— why don't you sign your very first autograph for me?"

Her innocent doe-like eyes brightened at the request and excitedly grabbed the pen. Her eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated. She had watched her mama sign her name hundreds of times on her field trip forms, how difficult could it be?

Asher watched silently as Alana, still in her pink ballet outfit, attempt to sign her name in cursive. To be honest, he couldn't make out her name at all— it looked like a random scribble across the small sheet of paper, yet he couldn't help but grin slightly at how serious Alana was taking the request.

With her long dark locks tied up in a tight bun, the same one her mama helped tied every Saturday whenever she had ballet class, he could see her flushed face clearly. Her lips formed a small pout and he took notice that every time she would concentrate, her eyebrows would furrow.

Regardless of the scribble, Aunt Cathy enthusiastically ripped the piece of paper from the memo pad and promised to frame it and keep it forever. And yes, forever— Alana even made her pinky promise. And ever since that day, it never left its spot behind the cash register.

Alana's very first autograph.

"I'll be sure to visit her soon," Alana chuckled, bringing the warm mug up to her lips. Blowing it slightly, she took a small careful sip. Her body immediately filled with warmth and the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach slowly began to disappear. "Maybe sign a new autograph."

"Firsts are always the most special," He spoke, keeping his gaze on her. Alana couldn't help but feel as if his words held some hidden meaning.

Clearing her throat, she broke the gaze before glancing down at the delicious looking cheesecake. She always craved sweets this time of month, even more than usual. It was like he knew, but she knew that wasn't possible.

Asher was just attentive. He always had been. He often made up for his quietness with these small sweet gestures that always made her heart beat faster. Putting down the mug, she took a deep breath, feeling the need to calm her heart down first.

Taking a small bite, she couldn't help but almost moan as the sweetness filled her mouth. Silence filled the air as she continued to eat the precious dessert. She could feel his gaze on her making her cheeks flush red. She was glad that she had decided to wear a hat on her head, successfully shielding her from his not so subtle gaze.

Asher couldn't believe she was sitting in front of him right at that very moment. He knew he was probably being weird, but it had just been so long. She was barefaced with not a single trace of makeup on her face, yet she was still the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on.

He silently cursed the hat for blocking his view.

"I-"

"We-"

Alana looked up, finally meeting his eyes as a chuckle left his mouth, causing her eyes to immediately go to his lips. They had accidentally spoken up at the same time and his chuckle had caused a smile to break out onto her face. It hadn't even been 10 minutes since they sat down, yet he had already made her smile.

She could already feel the walls that were shielding her heart slowly break and she was willing to finally hear him out.

"You go ahead," he nodded, giving her his full attention. Even if she was going to scold him again, he would take it all— after all, he already knew this was going to a difficult barrier to overcome. Yet, he wasn't willing to give up so easily.

"I," She paused, taking a deep breath as she met his eyes nervously. "I just wanted to apologize for the other day. That was uncalled for and I shouldn't have lashed out on you like that."

Her apology caught him by surprise and he quickly jumped in to stop her. "You have nothing to apologize for— I should be the one apologizing. I hurt you and god— I was so stupid and blind. To hurt someone who I cared about so deeply, I must've been the biggest idiot in the world for not seeing that you were hurting. Some fucking best friend I was."

"And ever since I found what had happened to you, I just keep asking myself. If I wasn't so caught up in my idiocy, would that have still happened to you?" He continued, feeling the shame in his words. "If I just kept my promise to always be there for you, would you still have gotten hurt? Maybe I could've protected you— who knows. I know I can't turn back time, but I'm so fucking sorry, princess."

His eyes were filled with sorrow as he kept his gaze focused on hers. Licking her lip, she turned her head to the side, feeling tears gathering in her eyes. She rapidly blinked her eyes, trying to keep the tears from spilling out and after a moment, a breath of relief left her lips as she quickly gathered herself.

"I don't blame you for anything that happened to me," she began, meeting his eyes once again. "I'd like to believe that everything happens for a reason and even though what happened to me was," She paused, "Horrific, it did help me grow stronger in a twisted way. I don't think there was anything you could've done to prevent it from happening. After all, I think we all know by now how manipulative Tiffany really is, seeing how many other victims there were after me. But I think what hurt me the most, was seeing you abandon me."

Asher nodded, taking every word to heart. "I know— and I don't have any excuses for that. I was an idiot and I probably still am. Abandoning you was the worst decision I've ever made and all because I was blinded by someone who could never even come close to being you. I'm so so fucking sorry, Alana."

Silence rained down upon them once again. She thought for a few seconds before biting her lip, offering him a small smile as she carefully made her decision.

"I forgive you, Asher."

Forgiveness was just a start— deep down she knew it would take a bit for her to truly accept him back into her life. He would certainly have to put in some work to gain her trust again, but deep down, she also knew he was never one to give up.

And just those simple words had Asher breathe out a sigh of relief. She was willing to give him a chance to redeem himself, yet he also knew he still had a long way to go to earn her trust back. But still, this was certainly a start.

"Friends?" He asked timidly, completely opposite of his usual demeanor. Only she could make him break out of his cold exterior and leave him in a completely vulnerable state. Only she held that power over him.

She nodded. "Friends."

He broke out in a grin, meeting her eyes once again, causing her to blush. She looked down at her hand and subconsciously began to nervously rub the tattoo on her left wrist.

This action did not go unnoticed by Asher and from his perspective, he could see the light scar beneath the tattoo. Sure she had grown throughout the years and blossomed into the confident Alana Sommers that everyone saw, yet he knew she was probably still hurting underneath.

She was good at hiding her true feelings now, instead of wearing her heart on her sleeve like she would when she was younger, yet he could somehow still read her. He desperately wanted to be the person who took her sorrows away and he was determined to be the person he promised to be.

Cautiously, he reached forward and gently grabbed her hand, causing her to look up with surprise. When she didn't pull away, he decided to speak up.

"I know time has gone by and things have changed between the both of us— well, that's an understatement. What I'm trying to say is that I'm going to make it up to you. I want you to know that I'm going to keep our promise. I'll spend the rest of my life apologizing if I have to. But all I ask is for one chance. Just one chance to prove myself to you, princess."

Her next words made his heart beat a little faster as she looked into his eyes with a look between the mixture of playful and determined. It was almost as if she was challenging him, and he was willing to accept no matter how many tries it would take him.

"Then, prove it, Pierce."

★ ★ ★

"Lani? Hey, you okay?"

Alana blinked before turning her attention back to her friend. "Sorry, just a lot going on up here right now," Alana pointed to her head before giving the beautiful woman a sheepish smile.

Aurora Knight nodded in understanding, knowing all too well that Alana Sommers had a lot to deal with. They were currently in Aurora's dining room discussing which color palette Alana wanted to go with regarding the interior of her new apartment.

The two had met almost a year ago when Aurora had flown into New York to work on renovating her then apartment. They had bonded quickly and gotten close within a short period of time. She had even met Xavier on multiple occasions when she stayed at their home whenever she visited LA and had grown close to the kids as well.

And now that Alana had officially moved to Los Angeles, Aurora was once again helping her with the interior of the new apartment she had just bought.

In her eyes, Aurora was someone Alana looked up to. The older girl had the perfect husband and three adorable sons with another little one on the way. Now that Aurora was almost ready to pop, much to Xavier's satisfaction, Alana offered to be the one coming over to discuss their plans.

Alana felt bad for making Aurora work during her maternity leave, but Aurora had constantly reassured her that she wanted to do this. In fact, she urged Alana to come over as often as she could.

And to be quite honest, it was also an opportunity for Aurora to hang out and gossip in some much-needed girl time. Her boys were surely going to drive her crazy one day, and by boys, she meant mainly her husband.

"What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" Asked Aurora, looking up from the digital plan of the apartment, giving the beautiful singer her full attention.

"How did you know Xavier was the one?" Alana wondered out loud, piquing Aurora's interest.

Aurora tilted her head with curiosity, lifting an eyebrow playfully. "Do you finally have someone you're hiding from me?"

"I'm not sure I can hide anyone from you, Aurora," Alana snorted, shaking her head. "And no— well, it's complicated."

"Well, to answer your question, you just know," Aurora eyed her friend suspiciously before answering the question. "I know that's probably a confusing answer, but one day, when you're with someone that you love, everything will just make sense. It's like a puzzle— every piece will come together and they're that missing piece that will finally complete you. I don't really know how to explain it, but you just can't imagine yourself loving anyone else. That's when you know they're the one."

Alana bit her lip, nodding in understanding.

"So," probed Aurora, wiggling her eyebrows playfully. "Is there someone?"

Alana rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore her friend's teasing. She leaned over to place her hand on Aurora's swollen belly, feeling a small kick, causing her to smile. "When is she due?"

"In a couple of weeks," replied Aurora, taking a sip of water from her mug. "I can't wait to finally meet her."

Alana gave her friend a knowing smile. "With three brothers and knowing how Xavier is, she's going to be the world's most overprotected little girl."

Aurora snorted. "Xavier's already saying she's not allowed to date until she's 30," She looked down at her belly lovingly. "Don't worry baby girl. Mama's going keep your daddy and big brothers in check— we all know who's the one in charge of this household."

Alana giggled. But before she could say anything else, they were pleasantly interrupted by a set of footsteps thumping down the stairs.

"Mama?"

"In the dining room, baby," Aurora called out to her oldest son. A few seconds later, Xander stood at the entrance of the dining room, rubbing his eyes sleepily. His curly dark hair was sticking out from all over the place, an indication of a good nap. He blinked a few times at the bright dining room light before he smiled brightly at his mother. Aurora bent down as Xavier quickly made his way towards his mom, kissing her cheek before turning to look at the other presence in the room.

"Auntie Lani?" His eyes lit up at the sight of Alana before he quickly launched himself into her arms.

Alana chuckled, maneuvering him so that he was seated properly on her lap. "Hi, angel. I missed you. Have you been a good boy for mama?"

Xander's grin grew before he wrapped his small arms around her neck. "Missed you, too, Auntie Lani. Xander always good boy. Did you bring Xander a pwesent?"

Always straight to the point, just like his father.

"You know I would never visit without bringing a little something for my favorite Xander. I think you'll love what I brought today," She brought her tone into a whisper as Xander felt the excitement in him grow. "I brought your favorite brownies! How about a piece since you been good since the last time I saw you?"

Aurora gave her friend a scolding look before looking at her son. "Only after dinner."

Both Alana and Xander pouted sulkily, hoping to change Aurora's mind. But this only caused Aurora to shake her head sternly.

"Your mama's no fun," pouted Alana, bringing her voice down to a whisper. "How about two pieces if you finish all your veggies?"

"Alana Rose Sommers!"

Aurora scolded her as Xander nodded hastily, bringing his small pinky up to Alana's. They quickly sealed their deal as Aurora looked at her friend incredulously.

"What's going on in here?"

Xavier's sudden entrance caused all their heads to turn towards him. Both Alana and Xander shared a look before Xander nodded slightly.

"Nothing, papa," he looked at his father with a set of innocent bright eyes, causing Xavier to eye his mischievous son suspiciously.

Smart boy.

"What's gotten you all worked up, love?" He turned his attention to his wife who had a slight pout on her lips.

"Alana brought brownies again," she muttered, tilting her head up as Xavier leaned down to place a kiss on her lips.

He perked up at the mention of the delicious chocolate dessert, causing Aurora to groan. "Brownies? This is why you're always welcome over, Alana."

Originally not a big fan of sweets, Xavier could now proudly say that he had a sweet tooth after being with Aurora for years.

"You only like me over because I bring dessert over every time," Alana scoffed playfully causing Xavier to shrug.

"That isn't the problem, babe. The problem is she," Aurora turned to glare at her friend as Alana looked anywhere but at her, pretending to whistle. Watching Alana with amazement, Xander tried to imitate the gesture. "promised Xander two pieces— they even sealed the deal and everything. How are we going to put him to bed? He's going to be too hyperactive tonight," reasoned Aurora, giving her husband a stern look.

Xavier contemplated for a second, thinking very carefully of the two opposing views. It was a no brainer— he had already made his decision.

"Can I have also have two brownies?"

Aurora groaned at his reply, causing him to chuckle amusedly. "If both you and Xander get two brownies each, then I get 4 brownies to myself."

She pointed at her belly, causing Xavier to hold back a smile. "You know I'm just kidding, sweetheart."

His words managed to calm Aurora down as he smoothly whisked her up onto her feet, much to her dismay. Wrapping his arms around her, he planted a kiss on her forehead and wrapped his muscular arms around her. One hand gently caressed her large belly while the other rubbed her lower back soothingly.

With Aurora's back turned, he mouthed the word, two, causing both Xander and Alana to giggle. Alana nodded, causing Xavier to smirk. Meanwhile, Aurora was still clueless to what was going on, thinking she won the argument.

Despite being known for his cold exterior to outsiders, Alana could see that Aurora was indeed the center of Xavier's world. The way his eyes lit up when she walked into the room or the little things that he did for her when she wasn't looking showed just how much he loved her.

Somehow, Xavier reminded her of someone she knew.

Alana could feel herself longing for their relationship and she hoped