I wake up with a horrible headache. We stayed up to God knows what time last night to try and watch the rest of the Harry Potter movies. I didn't want to seem as though things between Elliott and me were awkward, but I definitely wanted to just go upstairs and sleep off all the wrong feelings.

I kissed him. And as perfect as it might have been, I was beyond stupid for letting it happen. I've been trying to plan out what to say to him today, how to tell him that we can't ever share an undeniably sensational kiss like that ever again. It just sucks.

Rolling out of bed, I take a couple minutes to do my makeup and put on some decent clothes before waking up Bethany and going into the kitchen. I set Beth in her highchair and go to make her breakfast. As I sleepily bump into the counter, my eye catches sight of a huge bouquet of flowers on the ledge. I march over to them to check. Sure enough, a little card says "To: Ivy" and is signed by Elliott.

Dammit.

He got me flowers. What girl doesn't want flowers? I want flowers! Elliott Kennedy bought me flowers. And they smell so good too!

"Good morning."

I spin around, nearly gaping at Elliott's shirtless body and running shorts. "Wow, you're up early! Did you go for a run?"

"Yeah," he says with a sweet smile, placing his headphones on the counter. "Considering I spent all of yesterday on the couch eating food, I thought it'd be a good idea. I haven't gone on a run in like eighteen years."

I force a smile to seem as though nothing is wrong. "That's great!" I bite my lip. "Thanks for the flowers."

"You like them?" he asks all cutely. "I usually don't buy girls flowers after kissing them, but you're different. I thought that might've been your first kiss and I wanted you to know that it meant something to me and-"

"Please stop," I blurt. "It's just going to make it harder."

"Make what harder?"

"I'm going to hate myself for doing this, but, Elliott, we can't be together," I say, my heart tightening. "I can't risk losing my job. It's my only way to pay for college."

"Oh." He looks down, placing his empty water bottle on the counter. "I feel stupid."

I groan and have the urge to whack my head against the table repeatedly. "Don't. I-I just need the money, and if your mom ever found out about us then there's no way she'd want me in the house. I'd get fired in an instant."

"You know what, Ivy? That sounds like the perfect thought out excuse," he says pointedly.

"It's not an excuse."

He sighs. "What is it? Are you afraid I'm going to hurt you?"

I shake my head, though he isn't too far off. I am scared to develop serious feelings for someone like Elliott. He's everything I should be afraid of. He's dangerously handsome, takes too many risks, hasn't been in a serious relationship before. He'd ruin me in a mere instant.

I've never had an emotional connection with anyone before. The closest I've ever been to that is with Mikey, but he's just like a little brother. To dive into something with such depth as a relationship like Elliott would hold only makes me fear of drowning.

"Look, I'm really sorry for leading you on," I mumble the hideous words. "I shouldn't have kissed you last night."

He picks up the flowers and waves them in the air. "Is it because I bought you flowers? Are you worried I'll be too clingy and sappy?" He throws them on the floor and pretends to wipe dust off his hands. "See, they're not a big deal. No flowers."

I bend down to pick up the flowers from the and place them on the counter. "It's not the flowers."

"Then what is it? I'm not buying the excuse about my mom firing you."

"It's not an excuse!" I yell, getting more and more frustrated by his stubborn behavior. "I don't want to be in a relationship with you if that means risking my job! It's not worth it!"

His face wrinkles with emotion for a moment before hardening. He clenches his jaw, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. "I definitely did not expect to get rejected by you twice, Red."

"Elliott," I start, but he cuts me off with a rant.

"I've been thinking a lot about that nickname by the way. I decided I liked the whole burnt skin idea but you're just not Strawberry Shortcake material anymore, especially since Rosie has since then informed me that Shortcake's skin is not even red, which is such a plot hole, it's just her hair. So, I'm thinking of the villain Poison Ivy from Batman who is also known as Red. You like it?"

I watch him as he speaks, noticing how his demeanor has changed. He seems casual again, though almost too casual. I get the feeling he won't want to go back to our previous fight and just pretend as if the whole thing never happened. That's a very Elliott Kennedy thing to do, something I noticed during his fight with Flynn. Just another thing to add to the list of why I can't be with him.

"The flowers are beautiful, Elliott," I decide to say, just to let him know how much I did appreciate them.

He glances down at his gym shoes before putting on the world's most deceiving smile.

I feel as though I could've chosen my words more carefully to avoid hurting him as much. He was just being so stubborn about it, saying that I was making up some excuse. It isn't just an excuse. Sure, there other reasons why I regret kissing him, but that is a huge one. He egged me on too much.

My heart aches as I watch him maneuver through the kitchen to make himself breakfast. He's nearly perfect and I had to pass him up. Of course I want to find love, to be loved. Elliott could be the one to do just that, but I'm pushing him away. I know I'll always regret it, but I'd be devastated if I lost this job because of our relationship. I'd lose everything. And he could really hurt me too.

"Oh my gosh!" Addison gasps as she walks into the kitchen, setting her crutches on the floor when she sits at the table. "Who are these flowers for?"

Elliott sneakily snatches the card out of the flower before answering, "Ivy. They're from Jake."

I frown, meeting his gaze. He smiles and crumbles the paper in his hand before sending me a wink.

"He's a keeper," Addison says. She lifts one of her eyebrows suspiciously as she notices her brother's current state. "Why are you sweaty, Liott?"

"I went on a run this morning."

She laughs loudly. "And I'm married to Brad Pitt!"

"I'm not joking," he says with his eyes squinted. "Why is that so hard for you to believe?"

"You're just not the workout type."

He opens his mouth in shock. "What would you call this then?" He flexes, showing off his toned stomach and arms.

Thanks for that, Elliott. I really appreciate it. Just what I needed after rejecting you not even ten minutes ago.

"A fast metabolism," she reasons. "And would you put a shirt on? I might lose my appetite."

"Oh, please," he says with an eye roll. "Ivy is starving right now because of this."

I gasp, not expecting the sudden jab. Also, I pray to God that my cheeks aren't the slightest bit pink. He wasn't wrong. "Shut up."

"Shut up," he repeats in a high-pitched voice meant to resemble mine, pouring the milk into his cereal bowl.

Addison shakes her head and turns to me. "So, what's the plan for today?"

I look away from Elliott and try to clear my mind with things that won't make me want to cry in a corner the whole day. "Ethan wants to go on a nature hike to connect with his organic side, whatever that means. Nora and Jett are coming with us, so I think I'll drag along Jonas. You want to come?"

"That's okay. The whole broken leg thing might be a slight problem. I'm already connected with my organic side anyway," she laughs. "I can stay here and watch Bethany and the twins. What are you doing today, Liott?"

"Your mom," he responds in a deep-voice and shoves a spoonful of Apple Jacks in his mouth. "Dang it, I can't use that one on you!"

She rolls her eyes. "I'll be assuming you're hanging out with Flynn, a.k.a. your only friend."

"Ouch." He holds a hand to his heart that is pumping sarcasm. "You really know how to get to me."

"Good morning, my lovely family and Ivy!" Crystal says cheerfully as she walks into the kitchen.

"Morning. What can I get you for breakfast?" I ask.

"I'm in the mood for bacon and French toast and sliced strawberries to put on top of my toast and some freshly squeezed orange juice."

I pucker my lips and hum for a second. "How about Fruit Loops and some orange juice Elliott drank from straight out of the carton!"

"Fine," she mumbles. "Rosie will have Coco Puffs."

"Where is Rosie?"

"How should I know?" she asks sassily. "It's not like we can read each other's minds! Gosh!"

"Hey, watch the attitude," I say, something I find myself saying to Crystal more than anyone else in this house. She's not much of a morning person.

Soon enough, the rest of the sleepyheads come downstairs for breakfast. Jonas, who has just one day left of being grounded, makes himself toast. He says the bland life keeps him grounded- pun intended- and balanced. Rosie pours herself her cereal, as well as Crystal's. Meanwhile, I make Ethan some oatmeal.

Elliott sits on the countertop, shirtless and handsome, eating his granola bar with a bleak expression. I just want to explain myself more. I want to be able to tell him that I like him, that I want to take the risk of falling in love with him. I don't want him to feel as though he isn't worth it. Because if anyone isn't worth it, it's me.

Do I say the dumb line of "we should still be friends"? I don't exactly know how we're to be around one another anymore. Do I admit to having feelings for him? It'll make things way more complicated and potentially lead him on. Do I continue to feel like an absolute idiot for rejecting him? Yes.

"We're going to leave for the walk soon," I say to the kids. "Change out of your pajamas and wear comfortable shoes. Jett prefers his crocs because some of the paths are muddy."

"You mean, Jett is going to be wearing his personalized crocs with the many faces of Nicholas Cage on them?" Jonas asks with a worried look.

"Wait, wait, wait," Elliott stops us and jumps off the counter. "The kid has crocs with Nicholas Cage on them? And he actually wears them?"

"They're autographed!" I defend Jett. He explained the whole story of the shoes to me on one of our nature walks. It was very interesting, not too far off from Jett himself.

"It's like how you used to make out with your autographed Jessica Alba picture, Liott," Addison teases before leaving the kitchen to change out of her pajamas.

Elliott shakes his head, a smile on his face as he reminisces.

The twins leave the table after putting their dishes in the sink and go upstairs. Jonas follows them, muttering something about his burnt toast on the way out, as if it were my fault. I sit at the table next to Bethany to help her eat the rest of her food. She's in giddy mood this morning, which consists of a lot more giggling than eating.

Elliott plops down in the chair next to his little brother. "What the hell is an organic side, buddy?"

"Don't swear," Ethan says and eats his oatmeal in peace.

His brother laughs. "I didn't mean to offend you, E. How'd you sleep last night? Any nightmares?"

"Nope!" Ethan reports proudly. "I slept like a tornado."

I raise an eyebrow. "A tornado?"

Ethan nods and eats a spoonful of oatmeal with a smile. I look to Elliott who has a grin on his face. He pokes his little brother's cheek and side to make him giggle. Bethany laughs along with them, disregarding the spoon of breakfast I'm trying to feed her.

In this simple moment, I have a reverie of Elliott and me at the kitchen table with two kids of our own. It's easy and light, a warmth in my heart. My stomach knots, my decision to not pursue things with Elliott seeming near idiotic at this point.

"Well, I better get going," Elliott announces and stands up from the table. "Flynn and I are going to buy some pickles at the grocery store."

"Oh!" I say and recall that eating a pickle without crying was one of Flynn's goals of the summer. "Tell him I wish him the best of luck."

"Will do, Red," Elliott says before disappearing from the kitchen.

I quickly clean up the kitchen after feeding Bethany. Nora and Jett arrive for the hike a little bit later than we had planned because apparently Jett couldn't find his crocs. They were in the ice-maker. I double check that Addison is okay staying back with the twins and Bethany before leaving with the others.

On our hike, Ethan decides to take the lead. He says he's following the sound of the wind. I don't know when he turned into Pocahontas, but I don't question it.

"I almost forgot to ask! How was your date with Flynn?" I ask Nora as we trail behind the three boys.

She opens her mouth, a bit surprised that I asked. "Oh...it was really fun. I-I didn't know you knew."

"Yeah, Flynn told me. He also told me that you didn't want me to find out," I say. "What was that all about?"

"Well," she pauses and sticks her hands in her short pockets, "I know you've been getting closer with Flynn and Elliott and I didn't know whether you had a thing for Flynn or something."

I raise my eyebrows, a bit thrown off that she had thought I liked Flynn. "He's super nice and everything, but I'm not romantically interested in him...at all."

"I just wasn't sure. He's so hot and I wouldn't be surprised if you liked him," she mumbles. "I mean, he's so hot!"

I laugh. "I won't deny that he's good-looking. What about Elliott?"

"Eh," she says with a shrug. "He doesn't really do it for me."

I bite my lip to keep from laughing. "I should tell him that. It'd damage his fat ego." I kick at a rock on the path. "Do you think you'll go on another date with Flynn soon?"

"I hope so!" she exclaims. "He's leaving for college soon, so I'm a little nervous to get too attached to him. I think it's best if we keep things casual." She pauses for a moment before laughing. "Screw that. I want that boy...badly!"

I smile and look up at the large trees that hang above us. "I feel ya."

"Shut up!" She whacks my arm. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"No one," I lie. "I just want a boyfriend."

Nora laughs and hooks are arms as we walk down the path. I feel a bit uncomfortable with the arm-linking, not to blame Nora, but that's just who I am. Being close to friends like this is strange for me. I'm usually one-level with all my friends. Maybe that's my problem.

Our hike lasts over two hours, partly because Ethan got us lost and also Jett spotted a rock he thought was an ancient artifact and made us all stop to look at it. It ended up being an acorn.

Back home, I spot Mikey's bike in our front yard. Addison hadn't told me he'd be coming over, which she usually does. I decide not to read too much into it. Nora invites us over for a little while to have some lemonade. Although I'm a bit curious to get home, I go over anyway.

Throughout all the time I've known Nora and Jett, I haven't actually been inside their house. The house is a decent size, but compared to the other houses in this neighborhood it seems a tad small. All the rooms are on one floor, so everything flows together. It's a bit bare inside, not too many pictures hung up yet. They've only been here a month now, so I don't think it's out of the ordinary.

We drink our lemonade on the back patio. Jett brings his pet tortoise, Myrtle, outside to walk around. Ethan is beyond amused with the creature. He begs me to buy him one as his "early" birthday present, except his actual birthday is in May, so I told him it's a bit too early for that.

Once I'm finally able to drag Ethan away from Myrtle, we go home. Mikey's bike is still on the front porch. As we're getting to the front door, Elliott parks in the driveway. Ethan runs to his older brother, jumping in his arms when he gets out.

"Hey, how was the nature walk, E? Is your organic side connected yet?"

"Yep! Like a pineapple!"

He really needs to work on his similes.

"Why else would he hug you, tree boy?" Jonas teases, laughing at his own joke.

Elliott swats the back of Jonas' head. "I'd rather be tall than a stubby-legged dork like you."

"Ivy!" Jonas whines, unable to take what he spit out.

"Hey, you did that to yourself," I say and unlock the front door.

"I'm still growing," Jonas mumbles.

The twins are playing with their dolls in the family room, Bethany unattended in her highchair in the kitchen. Addison and Mike are nowhere to be seen, only making me more curious as to what they're up to. I take Bethany into my arms and go to check upstairs.

Just as I pass the basement, I hear the sound of glass breaking followed by a colorful word.

"You okay?" Elliott asks, coming quickly to my side and eyeing the ground.

"Yeah, it came from the basement," I say. "I think Addison's down there with Mike."

"Well, what would they be doing in the basement?" Elliott questions like the protective older brother he is.

I shrug. "There's only one way to find out." I place my finger over my lips to remind him to stay quiet as I open the basement door slowly. Bethany giggles, completely blowing our cover. We move quickly to try and catch any funny business.

Addison stands alone by the ping-pong table with a paddle in her hand and a far-too-exaggerated smile on her face. "Hey, guys!"

"What are you up to?" I ask, placing Bethany on the ground to crawl-walk.

"Just playing some ping-pong," she answers and bounces the ball on her paddle.

I nod. "You're just playing ping-pong by yourself?"

She opens her mouth, stopping before answering after realizing I caught her in the lie. "Well...I-I'm just...Crystal and Rosie just went upstairs to get some water for us."

"They got pretty side-tracked," I say.

Elliott huffs, tired of beating around the bush. "Let's address the elephant in the room. Where's the boy?"

"I don't think you should refer to Bethany as an elephant," Addison responds casually. "And she's clearly a girl."

"Addison, I saw Mike's bike in the front," I say and place my arms on my hips. "Why are you lying to me?"

She frowns and places the paddle down. "He left it here for me to borrow."

"What about the broken glass?"

"I hit one of the picture frames when I was practicing my serve," she says simply.

I look to Elliott, not sure whether to believe her or not. She's an expert liar, quick-thinking and reason. Elliott shakes his head and walks further into the basement. I watch as Addison looks nervous as he does so.

"Impressive," he comments. "I've had a few parties of my own back in the day. The only difference between my strategy and yours," he pauses to look under one of the couch cushions, "is that when I'd hide everyone in the loft, I wouldn't let the seven-foot kid stay outside to hide behind mom's tapestry display."

He lifts one of the large sheets to reveal a boy I vaguely recognize as Mike's friend standing behind the tapestry display. The kid has wide eyes, a horrified look on his face as Elliott grabs him by the shirt arm.

I look at Addison in disappointment. She drops her head in shame of being caught. I go over to the loft entrance and open the door, peering up at about twenty other teenagers.

Mike smiles innocently when he sees me,