The light entered through the sheer curtains. I rubbed my eyes and turned off the alarm. Did I even sleep? Wasn't it already daylight when I had finally closed my eyes out of pure tiredness. I had been too rattled and excited to even get a wink of sleep. It replayed over and over in my head. The aftermath of my actions was in a form of never-ending replay scenes.

I glanced at the other side of the bed.

Remi was already up and not in the room.

I put on my slippers and headed to the bathroom to get ready.

When going downstairs, the guys were already up and had taken all the chairs out through the veranda, sitting outside with coffee and enjoying the early morning view.

I came up from behind Elric and wrapped my hands lovingly around his neck. I pressed a kiss on his cheek. "Morning."

"Good morning." He brought his mug up. "Coffee?"

I took the mug he passed me and brought it to my lips.

"Francy.." Remi showed up at the veranda door.

Her face had a nauseated look. " I don't think I can make it to work today."

Kai jumped from his chair running over to her. "Are you okay? Why are you sick? Should we get you something? Go inside, lay down."

She waved her hand like she was fine to calm him down. He took her hand and whispered something to her. She whispered back something to him, that got him to calm down and awkwardly got back to his chair.

"Are you not feeling well?" I gave the mug back to Elric and walked over to her.

"I think it's from the sun yesterday and all the excitement. I just want to sleep." She then whispered. "Also, girl's problems."

"Okay. No problem. I'll deal with things at work today." I gave her a comforting smile. "Don't worry about a thing."

"Thanks." She smiled.

***

I got my things and the guys drove me to work, on their way on the road. All good things must come to an end. It was a day and night I will never forget.

"Text me when you get home," I told Kai and Ace, coming out of the car.

"I expect a private call later," Elric said as he walked out with me to get my bike off the top of his car. He smiled and pressed a kiss on my lips.

"I will think about you every night from now on." He said it in my ear.

I hit his chest embarrassed. It was not the place nor the time.

He went back inside and rolled the window down.

"Call me after twelve today." I smiled and waved them off. Ah..I was alone again. This was sad.

I parked my bike in front of the store on my usual spot and walked inside. Tim was there wiping the countertops.

"Morning," I said and walked over to the counter. "Remi can't make it to work today. What should we do? Should I cover for her with the desserts?"

"Is she okay?" He asked, worried.

"Just a little exhaustion from yesterday. Too much sun, excitement.. She just needs a bit of rest."

"Oh. I hope she feels better." He tossed the wiping cloth under the counters. " Are you sure you can handle the desserts?"

I nodded . "I've been here a month now and I've tasted all the sweets. I know each and every one of them. I got it covered. Plus you would be more comfortable working the counter and with the bread cause it's closer."

"It would work." He smiled. "Okay go change in her uniform."

I went and changed into the pink uniforms in the back. Looking at myself in the mirror, trying to fix my collar, I realized have forgotten how much pink suited me. Just look at this cute color.

Work began and after the slight morning rush, it was quiet and I could work in peace, one customer at a time.

After my customer left the store, I took a breath getting myself together. I shouldn't be thinking about Elric. I'll miss him too much. I just had to focus on the job.

I suddenly saw Tim was looking at me for quite some time.

"What?" I asked politely.

"Nothing." He turned towards the counter.

I shrugged. Oh well. I took out my phone taking a snap of myself in the pink uniform. I was going to send this to Elric.

After sending the message really fast, I put the phone back in my pocket.

"You like yourself better in that uniform?" Tim suddenly asked.

"I love pink."I smiled.

"Of course you do." He smiles. "You seem like you like a lot of cutesy things."

"Mm I guess so." I leaned on the counter.

He rubbed his eyes and leaned on the counter as well smiling. "Favorite cake?"

"Strawberry," I answered.

"Happy or sad book endings?"

"Happy."

"Favorite movies?" He asked.

"Before sunrise, To all the boys I've loved before, Clueless, Sleepless in Seatle..."

He started laughing and I stopped numbering.

"What?"

"Jesus.." He laughed. "That's all ... like pink, soft stuff."

"So?" I asked confused.

He kept laughing. "Nothing, I think it's awesome how you accept yourself as you are and don't feel the need to defend what you like."

"Well, it's not like that's all I like. But people tend to jump to conclusions."

"I didn't mean to say anything bad." He waved his hands embarrassed.

I smiled. "It's okay. I know you didn't. People don't always take me seriously, but I learned that sometimes even when you doubt yourself, remaining true to who you are one day will be worth it."

Tim sighed. "I wish I can be like that. I couldn't even tell Sole I liked her and I knew it will be my downfall. I was too preoccupied with how she saw me rather than accepting how I am and trying to charm her."

"Well.." I took a cupcake out and carried it to the counter handing it to him. "You don't have to figure everything out right away. Sometimes you need to see yourself do better, before getting the courage to be the best."

He took the cupcake.

"Just put it on my tab," I told him and went back to work.

***

Elric had sent me the hottest mirror selfie yet, to signalize he was home. I had to stop cycling to appreciate this work of art. I took my phone out and called him.

"You had a safe trip home handsome?" I asked as soon as he picked up.

"Few bumps in the road, but we're back safe and sounds." He answered chirpy. "How are you? Do you miss me terribly?"

"I'm in physical pain." I started groaning like I was dying while he laughed.

"You're too cute. Stop." He said.

Hehe. I tried to snap out of my cutsey mood. "Umm. How is Ace?"

"He barely said anything all the way home and he made Kai uncomfortable with the silence. Have you ever seen Kai uncomfortable with silence in the morning?"

"That is bad." I gripped the handle of the bike.

"He is moping around in despair. He's either staring at his monitor without doing anything or stares at that painting Sole gave him. He immediately hung it over his desk."

"Please do something about it." I begged.

"Hey. I got you. You can lean on me." He said in a calming voice that really warmed my heart.

He cleared his throat. "Well, I don't want to keep you busy. Call me later okay?"

"I will. Love you."

"Love you." He replied and hung up.

I got home soon after and as I took off my shoes I saw Sole's, at the entrance.

I paced to the couch and dropped down on it with a tired sigh. There was nothing out of place around the room. Remi must have cleaned everything, even though I told her to stay in bed.

She walked out of the kitchen with a tea mug in her hands. She seemed completely fine.

"Are you feeling better now?" I asked.

"I just needed sleep." She smiled and leaned on the door frame that led to the kitchen.

"How was work?" She asked.

I covered my mouth, yawning. "Pretty casual. You?"

"You will not believe the day I had." Remi told me and just at that moment, Sole walked out of the painting room. She didn't seem to notice me and just walked straight like a ghost heading toward the kitchen.

Wait no.. She was heading for a wall.

Remi pressed her arm on the wall and Sole hit her forehead on Remi's palm.

"Oh." Sole snapped out of it rubbing her forehead.

"She's been like this ever since she came over." Remi explained.

"Sole, what's wrong?" I asked.

She turned around and when she saw me she made a really confused face almost like she was thinking about something, then she sighed and walked forward hitting the wall again.

"See." Remi took Sole by the shoulders and walked her over to the couch, sitting her next to me.

"What happened?" I asked again.

She stared aside as if she was staring into space.. "I can't paint."

"What?" Both Remi and I said in shock.

"I can't paint." She repeated. "I can't envision anything."

My inner gut was telling me this had something to do with Ace.

"Can you tell us what happened yesterday?" I asked.

She seemed a bit uncomfortable and avoided eye contact.

"It feels weird talking to you about your brother." She almost mumbled the words.

I smiled. "Ey, no worries." I waved my hand. "I'm used to it."

Remi patted Sole's back. "It's fine, it's fine. She's used to it."

I nodded. I already learned how to separate the feelings of hearing things about my brother and hearing things about Remi's boyfriend. I was a pro at dividing it.

Bit encouraged, Sole finally faced me. She brought her feet up hugging them.

"It all started at the beach."

The beach? Was I blind?

Her tone turned sweeter as she talked. I've never seen her so on edge, so tense, yet so embarrassed. "When he asked me to build a fort.."

"The fort?" I asked.

"He was so persistent in talking to me."

I had no idea what she was talking about.

"He was so easy to talk to. I thought. Ah, this person might become a good friend."

"So what happened?" Remi pushed Sole in the middle so she could sit on the couch too.

"He took my hand." Sole took Remi's hand and showed us how he held her. "Normally I don't care, but my heart started beating fast. Maybe it was because of something he said to me that I felt like he had seen more of me than anyone. I had a fear of him taking a closer look. "

"And?" I scooted over.

"He didn't do anything after. We just had fun. I kept bringing him water to build the fort cause I had hurt my finger."

"That was fun?" I asked confused.

She nodded in thought. "After that...Maybe it was the seawater that made his hair shinier in the sun or his tan that made him so sculpted, but I thought he was handsome."

Elric was right. They were into each other.

"What happened later that night?" Remi nudged her.

"He said he wanted to watch me paint. That was why he wanted us alone. I could feel my heart rising in my chest.." She put a hand around her throat, her fingers shaking. "It was difficult to breathe.. The thought that he was watching me was so nerve-wracking."She chuckled. "I thought to myself. Why would I be so nervous to paint? I just grabbed a brush and painted, but he got close to me and ..."

"And?" Remi and I asked in sync.

She pressed her head into her knees and curled like a little ball. "Uuugh." She whined.

Remi hugged her. "It's okay."

She brought her head up ."I knew he wanted to kiss me. I could see it in his eyes, his body. I knew all along and I didn't want to leave. It was intoxicating. The more my head screamed don't do it, the more my body wanted to try it. It just became too intense and we kissed."

Remi and I were silent. We didn't want to interrupt the flow of her story.

She stared into the wall like she was thinking about it. Her fingertips touched her lips. "He tasted like the wine he was drinking. Very sweet. His lips were soft..."

Remi glanced at me, giving me the look. She's into him.

I nodded. Oh yep. She was crushing on him badly.

"I've never felt so engulfed by emotions like that. It was so good, I didn't want to stop myself. And then it became scary. He could see right through me. He could read me with one look and it's never happened before. I felt so vulnerable."

She turned towards me. "How can one kiss make me this way? The more I think, the more I feel. What's worse is every time I try to paint, I keep imagining his face."

"It's probably because you like him a lot." Remi said before i got the chance to warn her not to say it..

Upon hearing that Sole froze for a good second.

I narrowed my eyes at Remi. Look what you did now, you scared her off.

Remi smiled. Oops

"Maybe because it was your first kiss.." I stopped as she glanced up at me.

"It's not my first kiss."

"Oh?" I was confused.. "But you said you haven't been in a relationship."

"Yes. I haven't, but I've kissed guys before. I've even slept with one."

Remi and I were paralyzed with shock. The what?? We had made the mistake of jumping to conclusions when it came to Sole.

I cleared my throat. "I just thought that you didn't have any experience but..."

She turned towards me. "But the kisses I've had before weren't like this. They were very meek...there was no emotions.. No surprise on my side. It felt okay I guess. But..it was never like this."

She crossed her arms and sighed. "But he probably has those kinds of kisses with other women too. I'm not naive not to see how charming and flirtatious he is. Is he not?" She turned towards Remi.

Remi opened her mouth and closed it without saying anything. How could she? We knew Ace was prone to flings. But I also knew he never put in that much energy into something unless he was really passionate about it.

"I knew it." She sighed. " I just have to stop thinking about it."

"So you won't think of him again?" I asked.

"I won't."

I smirked. Girl, who are you trying to kid?.

"Well, I got an insight that he is equally out of it as you. "

She turned into an ear in a second.

What happened to not thinking about him?

"What did you hear?" Sole asked.

Remi was equally intrigued.

"Well.." I smiled. "He apparently can't work either and keeps staring at the painting you gave him. I know my brother. He doesn't just lose his cool or keep something from a girl he has no feelings for. I think you made quite an impression on him."

She bit her lower lip in thought. "No...no.. I don't want to hear it" She covered her ears. "I just want to paint. Painting is the only thing that matters."

She got up in a hurry. "Please don't bring this topic up again." With that, she ran into the painting room and refused to come out.

"Let's give her some time." Remi said and took a sip from her tea.