"Are we almost there?" I whispered, tip toeing over a branch in the woods.

"Y'know, you don't have to whisper," Antonio said, obnoxiously loud.

"I know, but I feel like I should. It's night time," I explained.

"No one's here but us," he said from his position in front of me.

"Okay, this better?" I yelled, my voice echoing.

Antonio winced and turned around to glare at me. "Are you trying to break my eardrums?"

I innocently giggled. "You said I don't have to whisper."

He rolled his dark eyes and continued walking. We continued the journey for a few more minutes before we finally made our way to the clearing.

It was just as gorgeous as I remembered it being, if not more. The gorgeous waterfall cascaded down in a rhythmic whoosh. Large and full trees surrounded the clear water, and the air was amazingly fresh. Illuminated by the starry night sky, everything was just that much more perfect.

"C'mon," Antonio eagerly tugged me along.

I planted my feet on the ground when we came to a stop in front of the water. To my utter surprise, Antonio tugged off his shirt. My lips parted at the sight of his sculpted six-pack. Nonetheless, I managed to smack myself back into reality.

"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded in shock.

He looked up at me with a boyish grin. "We're going swimming."

I gaped at him. "What? But–I–It's getting cold!"

He ignored me and tugged off his sweatpants.

"My goodness," I murmured and covered my eyes.

There was a brief silence, and I could hear the sound of Antonio approaching me. Slowly, he pried my hands away from my face.

"C'mon, Flower. You'll have fun."

I stubbornly shook my head, using all of my willpower to refrain my eyes from roaming over his defined body—which was pretty hard, considering he was in nothing but a pair of boxers.

"No. Besides, I don't have a swimsuit," I insisted.

"You have your undergarments, right? They're practically the same thing," he gave me a grin.

"I'm not coming," I stubbornly stated.

I wasn't budging. A devious glint flashed through Antonio's eyes and he effortlessly swept me off the ground, carrying my petite body over his shoulder.

"No, Antonio!" I screamed, my heart pounding.

He took amusement in my pleas, believing that this was merely another one of our harmless arguments. However, I wasn't joking this time. Not at all.

Antonio boisterously laughed, and I could feel his shoulders shake. "Live a little, Flower."

He began to move closer to the edge. He was going to jump into the water with me. I was mortified and began to kick my feet.

"Stop, Antonio," I shrieked. "Put me down!"

Antonio realized I wasn't joking and finally obliged. I pushed past him and stumbled away from the water, nearly falling in my haste.

"What's the matter?" he asked, bewildered.

I looked away, tears springing to my eyes.

"N-Nothing," my voice cracked. However, I refused to let a tear fall.

"Crap," I could hear the panic in his tone as he rushed over to me. "I'm sorry, Flower. I didn't think you'd be that mad."

"It's fine, I'm not mad," I reassured him, crossing my arms. "I just... don't wanna go in the water."

I wasn't lying—I really wasn't mad at him. Though, I was quite unsettled. He was silent, but I could see the gears turning in his head as he searched for a possible cause of my strange behavior. Inability to swim? Fear of drowning? Regardless of his curiosity, I certainly wasn't going to tell him the truth. Hey, when I was six years old I watched my mother drown herself and ever since, I've been horribly afraid of swimming. Just the thought of it sounded insane.

Surprisingly, Antonio asked no questions. He wasn't annoyed or freaked out by my weird behavior, like I feared. Rather, he grinned and loosely clutched onto my hand.

"C'mon. At least dip your feet in the water," he suggested.

I straightened up. "Okay. That I can do," I quietly replied, suppressing a smile.

Antonio childishly cheered and I laughed with a shake of my head.

"Knew you'd give in," he said smugly.

"Shut up. Don't make me change my mind," I warned.

"Jeez, bossy much?" He raised a brow. I gave him a look and he chuckled before turning around.

Suddenly, Antonio ran over and cannonballed into the water. A bit of water splashed onto me and I squealed.

"Really?" I grimaced, wiping some off my face.

He gestured for me to come closer. "C'mon. Sit."

I slowly walked over to the edge of the ground, prying off my shoes and socks.

"Is the water cold?" I reluctantly asked.

"Not even a little. See?" He smoothly glided through the water, running a hand through his wet hair once he reemerged.

I remained hesitant and stayed rooted to the ground. Antonio sighed.

"I promise, there's no sharkies in the water," he playfully cooed.

I sneered at him and he laughed before swimming off. I apprehensively dipped my feet into the water, untensing once I realized it wasn't nearly as cold as I'd expected. I gazed up at the stars in relaxation.

"Nice, isn't it?" Antonio asked.

I didn't know what he was talking about. It could've been the gorgeous scenery around us, or the fact that the two of us were simply together.

Nonetheless, I smiled and nodded, my hazel eyes glimmering. "Yeah. It's nice."

• • •

I couldn't tell how much time had passed, although my butt was getting tired from sitting for so long. After a long night of playful arguing and aimless chatter, Antonio and I were still not tired. He actively continued swimming about, while my feet remained submerged in the water. Meanwhile, I offhandedly looked up at the night sky and sighed.

"Look at the stars," I said in awe. "They're gorgeous."

Antonio hummed in agreement as he glided through the water.

"I'd come here every day if I could," I softly admitted.

"You should. I already do, anyways."

I stared at him thoughtfully. "I might take you up on that offer."

This place felt quite like an escape, and it was our own little secret to share. Antonio and me.

A faint smile graced my lips, and I wasn't quite sure why. I wasn't able to dwell on it, because Antonio swam over and submerged his glistening body out of the water.

"Tired of swimming?" I asked.

"Not really, but I'm afraid if I continue any longer, my fingers will shrivel into raisins," he replied as he shrugged his clothes back on.

I laughed. Before I knew it, he was sitting down next to me and dipping his feet in the water.

"What time is it?" I thought aloud.

"Quarter till midnight," he answered, lazily checking his phone.

"Already?" I yelped. "Thank God we don't have school tomorrow, otherwise Jo would kill me."

Antonio chuckled.

"I'm serious, that woman is scary," I shuddered.

"At least your mom cares," he replied.

Mom? I almost corrected him, but stopped once I realized Antonio was still under the false impression that Jo was my mother. Guilt pinched my stomach, but I shook it off.

"I'm sure your parents care too," I gently offered.

I quickly sensed I'd said the wrong thing when he looked down.

"Yeah, right," he laughed, though it didn't reach his eyes. "My father couldn't care less about my education. The man's a millionaire and still has me enrolled in public school."

He was right. Romano's parents paid for him to attend private school, so why didn't Antonio's? It wasn't exactly like his family couldn't afford it, especially considering they lived in a house so large it could very well be considered a mansion.

"Not that I'm complaining," Antonio added after a moment. "I'd rather die than go to Downsview Academy."

"I'd rather not attend private school either. Although you can't deny, it would look amazing on college applications."

"Yeah, but I'm not going to college anyway."

"What?" I furrowed my eyebrows, cocking my head to the side. "Why not? You've certainly got the brains and money for it. Don't tell me it's because you're lazy."

He looked nearly offended by my assumption. "Of course not. It's just... my father has me set to work for his company once I graduate high school. When he dies, I'm taking over."

I blinked. I didn't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that. "Oh... what exactly does your father do?"

"He's the CEO of a trading company. Oil."

CEO. That certainly explained his father's wealth. Although, I couldn't quite picture Antonio working such a tedious job for the rest of his life. It wasn't him.

"What do you really wanna be?" I asked.

I didn't believe my eyes when I saw his ears pinken. "It's stupid," he muttered.

"Tell me," I insisted. "I promise I won't tell a soul."

A full minute passed before he hesitantly replied. "I want to be a surgeon."

"That's not stupid at all," I said in amazement.

"Really?" he gazed at me uncertainly. "I've never told anyone that before. Not Benny, not Romano... and especially not my father. I dunno. It'd be awesome to help fix people. Which, now that I think about it, sounds like something a first grader would say..."

The moonlight illuminated the bruise around his eye, and I wondered if his ideal career choice had anything to do with his constant bruises and scars. Perhaps he wanted to help people in the way no one ever helped him.

"You're incredible," I breathed, before realizing how silly I sounded and faintly blushing.

I'd never seen him smile so widely. "Enough about me. What do you wanna be when you grow up, Flower?"

It was the dreaded question I never quite knew how to answer.

"I have no idea," I confessed. "Which honestly scares me, considering I'm a junior in high school."

Antonio was silent for a moment. "Think of it as a good thing. You have all the choices in the world. You're free."

It took me a minute to realize that he was jealous.

"So are you," I tenderly spoke. "You're seventeen. You have all the time in the world to accomplish your dreams. Don't let anyone stop you."

Antonio ran a hand through his disheveled hair and then stared at me. Really stared at me, as though seeing me for the first time.

"What?" I nervously asked after a moment.

"I'm just trying to figure you out," he slowly muttered.

I didn't quite understand. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?" he repeated, as if the question amused him. "We've only known each other for a few weeks, and it feels like you know me better than anyone. I just don't know how."

His dark eyes roamed over my face, and I felt like he could hear my every thought.

"What are you doing to me, Flower?" he rasped.

His cold and minty breath fanned my face. My heart skipped a beat at the sound of his deep voice, and goosebumps arose on my arms. We were so close—too close. I wanted nothing more than for Antonio to break the distance. For something to happen between us. But the more rational part of me spoke up, and I rapidly blinked.

This was the same guy who had almost every girl at school pining after him. The same guy who I'd been butting heads with since the day we met—literally. Not to mention, he was Romano's cousin. I didn't want to jeopardize one of the best friendships I'd ever had.

Although every cell in my body was gravitating towards Antonio, logic won. I forced myself to break our intense gaze and lift my feet out of the water.

"We should go," I said in a distant voice.

I could feel Antonio's gaze on my back.

"Yeah," he called, looking away as I began to put on my shoes.

As he stood up, I didn't even look at him. Something had changed between us, and I didn't want to admit it.

• • •

QOTC: how many letters are in your first name?
AOTC: 9

love, emmanuela<3