We entered Adam's apartment, lugging the takeout bag that we bought on the way back. After a successful day of shopping, we managed to get almost everything that we needed. We were able to carry the small ones on our own but the big appliances and furniture will be delivered sometime this weekend.

He asked if I could go on and help him with that but I had to turn him down since I know Julia was ready to explode on me if I canceled on her one more time. I did promise to visit throughout the week in-between and after my classes to give him a hand.

"You want to talk to her?" he suddenly asked as I was unpacking our food. Giving him a questioning look, he lifted his phone and waved it at my face, "I have to give her a report on where I spent a good portion of her money."

I already knew what he was talking about. The famous best friend, the cause of our first row, and the girl he was madly in love with.

And I was a hundred percent sure the more I get involved with this guy right across from me, that list would go on longer.

He didn't give me much time to respond because he already dialed her up and placed the call on speaker, putting it down on the box between us while it slowly rung while waiting for the recipient to pick up. Peering over the screen, I tilted my head at the words Sophia Valentine. I was not a huge fanatic or anything so I didn't know much but I was going to assume that Sophia was her real name.

"Adam?" came out her smooth voice. It was sweet and silky at the same time, a tone that you wouldn't mind listening to for hours and hours – no wonder she was winning multiple awards and was becoming one of the best-selling artist of this generation. Even though she was only talking, it was already melodious, just imagine when she sings, "Just in time, we just finished with the meeting."

"Done shopping, Soph," he said, using his nickname to her, "I'm going to send you the pictures later."

"Perfect," was her reply and I noticed the slight British accent slipping in there, "I hope you followed my instructions to a T."

Gazing up at Adam, I couldn't help but notice the way he had this soft smile on his face. Even though he wasn't talking to her face to face, he still adored every aspect of her. His eyes were closed and his chin was on the palm of his hand as his elbow rested on the box, "Of course, and I used some of the money mum and dad gave me."

The picture of a boy perfectly in love.

"I told you that I can pay for it," she groaned, complaining that her best friend actually paid with his own cash instead of hers. Well, that was a different reaction, usually people would snap if they used their dough on something that wasn't theirs.

But I guess if you were paid millions, you wouldn't really mind.

"But you already did the down payment, the monthly rent, internet, cable, and heating installment, not to mention a good half of the furniture," he defended, "At least let me buy my own things."

When his eyes opened and he saw me there, he jolted up as if he suddenly remembered that there was another member in this party. Please, ignore me because there was this immediate fascination within me just watching you interact with her like that. I've cooped myself up for a long ass time that I actually forgot that moments like these really do happen in real life.

And it's as mesmerizing as I remember, just like when I was in that situation.

He scrambled around as he told this to the girl listening intently through the line, "By the way, someone here wants to talk to you."

Now it was my turn to be taken aback. Shaking my head, I kept my lips sealed. With his hands, he urged me to speak but I kept rejecting the idea, pushing the phone farther from me. Giving me a stern look, he pushed the phone back towards my side of box, mouthing incoherent words.

"Hello?" Heart asked after she noticed the bouts of silence.

In a panic, I finally opened my mouth, "H-hi."

It was as if a switch was turned in her, the high spirited tone she was using on Adam changed in a second. From natural honey, her voice was now fine sugar – obviously a display of fake enthusiasm, "Oh hey!"

She has completely dropped her accent, opting to use this valley girl tone. In an instant, I now remember why I was so enchanted by her voice when she spoke to Adam, it was because it was different from the usual one I heard. Interviews and such, she was using this tone, this fake pretense.

And in the presence of her best friend, the pretense fell off.

I wasn't able to say anything else and Adam finally saw my discomfort so he sighed, "That was Sienna, Soph. By the way, you're on speaker."

"Sienna?" she repeated, probably wracking up her brain for the name, "The girl you brought in yesterday? I'm glad to know she didn't die because of the food you gave."

My eyes widened at the information – this man actually told this rich A-list celebrity of how I subtly made fun of his bare apartment, of how I laughed at him for serving me something practically store-bought, and my not-so-brilliant idea of using a box as a table and throw pillows as chairs.

And we were still doing the last one right now.

Great, I've probably lost all of my chances on getting on her good graces before I even talked to her.

"Hey, I'm a pretty good cook," he protested, though the grin on his face signaled that he was far from it and quite agreed with her.

"Tell that to my kitchen," I heard her laugh and ever so slowly, the sugary tone she was using came dwindling down, "And don't forget about that time about the eggs with my mom."

Adam chuckled lightheartedly at the memory, "I was trying to distract Aunt May while you talked to Axel!"

Aunt May? So he was that close to her mother and apparently, he also met the famous boyfriend before.

"I'm right here, you know!" we heard a faint male voice from the other line and we can both say that she also had us on speaker because there was no possible way for him to hear us. There was some shuffling from the other line and when he spoke again, it was much clearer and louder, "Anything new happening there?"

"He has a new friend," Heart filled in for him, "Her name's Sienna."

He hummed for a moment before his tone became mischievous and he let out a small laugh, "Been there for a total of three days and he has a girl already."

Once again, the mere implication was enough to turn me into a flustered mess. Casting my eyes downward towards my lap, I twiddled my thumbs as I fought back a blush. I hoped that Adam would keep his concentration on the phone so he wouldn't be able to see how affected I was by Axel Brooks' statement.

He, on the other hand, found nothing wrong with the joke and managed to shoot him a retort, "Yeah, I'm planning to leave a whole flower shop in her room."

Glancing up, he was trying so hard to keep his amusement at bay but for me, it only made me think of about his words. I could just imagine him filling up my dorm with a bunch of flowers and just like before, it made stomach do somersaults.

"Don't act so innocent, Adam, you were on it," Heart told him off, her voice turning back into the honey tone, now genuine and happy with her words, "I still can't believe that you were conspiring behind my back."

Oh so it was an inside joke.

"But hey, you ended up saying yes to me anyways," we heard Axel say affectionately to his girlfriend. Surprisingly, I thought Adam would show a look of hurt or jealousy, but he didn't. He only nodded as if the two could see him while the smile still didn't leave his face.

And this is when the testament where 'If you're happy, I'm happy' comes to life.

In that moment, I realized that these two celebrities' relationship was as true. Contrary to the many theories and gossips circulating the internet, it wasn't just a publicity stunt. I admit, I also had doubts when I first heard about it because he announced that he was doing a movie and also touring with her. Of course, with the sudden burst of mutual projects, you would think that it was being done for promotion.

But now, it verified right in front of me that what they have was real. Along with that, I learned that Axel once filled up Heart's room with flowers to the brim – perhaps with Adam's help – and I couldn't help but in awe at the phone, as if my sudden admiration would be transpired to them.

Okay I admit it, I was a complete sap when it came to these things.

These three experienced something that I was afraid I couldn't comprehend. At first, I thought that it was a stupid move from Adam to let her go and I was more than ready to support him if he ever decided to chase her back. Now though, I could see the genuine happiness he was feeling for the couple and I knew that he was never going to get in-between them. Add to that, I was sure the flower thing wasn't the first and only gesture Axel did with the help of Adam.

While I was here, I felt like I was intruding on something – something so precious, so private, and a rollercoaster of feelings.

This was perhaps the most candid I would ever witness these two celebrities.

"I think I need to be heading back," I finally spoke up, "Julia is expecting me before dinner."

It was a lie but he wouldn't let me leave without any reason.

His eyes shot back to me, a solid reminder that I was still there. I should be hurt that he forgot me but this was a noble experience no one out of their inner circle will be able to see. That was enough, I don't want to hear anything more for it was theirs to keep.

"I'm going to walk Sienna back to the school," Adam told the pair, "I'll talk to you again later."

Heart and Axel said their own goodbye and Adam ended the call. He flashed me a smile with a nod, pushing himself off of the floor.

Although I protested against it, he was adamant on escorting me back to the university. I would love to remind him of the fact that if he even took a step near my dormitory, the girls would go fawning over him like he was the last drop of water in the middle of a desert.

"You're learning an awful lot about me and I could barely get a piece of information from you," he pointed out as we were halfway there.

"You got the book," I reminded, my shoes scraping on the ground, "Read it."

"That's like touching the surface," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "And you said it yourself, it's just based on your life story, not really the narration of it."

Sighing, I slowed down my pace as I tried to think of a way to give him one simple message for him to find out everything, "Just know that I truly loved him."

Deeply, terribly, catastrophically. I loved him so much to the point of no return, it was weird to think that I was only a high school sweetheart to him but for me, he was that piece of my life that I wouldn't mind looking back over and over again.

"You're mature, Adam," I spoke, finally falling into step next to him, "Even though your beloved is with someone else, you're still happy for her. Me? I'm cursing him and myself because of what we went through."

"I wouldn't call it maturity," he muttered just as we finally reached the gates, "Besides, like you said, you have your own story."

I thought that he would stop there like what my uncle did yesterday but surprisingly, he kept on walking by my side until we reached my dorm. There were a few girls hanging around outside and when they caught a glimpse of us, they paused on what they were doing to stare.

At some point during the year, I do hope that people would finally get used to us having visitors. I know it was still unlikely since the school year yet to begin but you may never know what entails for the future.

"So see you?" I questioned because there was no way in heck was I going to allow him to enter again.

He smiled before nodding, "See you."

The moment I got inside, Julia pulled me by the arm before anyone else could interrogate me and she called out a large dibs, claiming that she had roommate privileges in asking the questions.

"So how did it go?" she asked, leading me up the staircase, "I can't believe you managed to snatch a boy so quickly."

Shaking my head, I corrected her assumption immediately, "He's just a friend who asked me to help him pick out furniture for his new apartment."

And perhaps we also had a small scuffle plus I talked to his incredibly famous best friend and her boyfriend.

"Hold on, he lives alone?" she squealed just when we reached our room, "You just got the ultimate jackpot!"

Technically, he did, but when Heart finally decides to visit the flat, that was going to be another story. Far as I was aware though, she was off gallivanting on tour.

"So our girl is back," Meg grinned, inviting herself inside, "You've got to introduce him to me, you two could double date with my boyfriend and I."

"We're just friends!" I exclaimed, causing both of them to laugh at my expense. This caused me to pout childishly because none of them were taking me seriously.

Julia threw me one of her pillows, "Just banter."

I threw it back to her with huff, "Whatever. At least I got myself familiar with the town."

"Perfect for tomorrow," she clapped before starting a conversation about the items she planned on getting.

As she did that, I reached over to my drawer to take out Uncle Levi's sketchpad. Grabbing a pen, I started scribbling today's happenings – from the moment Adam entered the dormitory to the way he walked me back.

Then, I took my laptop and opened the last file that I wrote so I could start a new chapter. The last place I left off was about the chat Adam and I had so I allowed my fingers to tap on the keys, typing out a new title for the latest chapter.

Muse.

Not even minding the time as I started going into work mode, I failed to hear Julia and Meg say that it was time for dinner. They were both staring at me curiously and I pouted slightly, saving the file before placing my laptop under my pillow before following them outside.

The dinner was just like yesterday's. They were stuck in their own world and I would only insert a comment or two when they called my attention. They seemed satisfied with this arrangement since I wasn't really hindering them from their talkative gossip.

Again, my outgoingness was quickly fading.

That night, Julia quickly fell fast asleep but I didn't end up giving into slumber so quickly. Instead, I was fueled by the small peek I managed to get with the Adam's copy of my book and I ended up taking mine off of the shelf.

Ignoring Julia's light snores, I opened my bedside lamp as I flipped the pages, my eyes running through the words I read.

They ended up being in the same circle of friends. Joining the whole group as they ate by the field, he would always give her his watch for safekeeping before he would run around with the other boys – playing as if they were still children.

She would always put on his watch, right on below hers since it big enough to slide down midway to her elbow. It became a routine and she would always try to hide the fact that she gets jealous whenever the watch wasn't in her possession during lunch time. He didn't know, but she was glaring at their friend who acquired the watch before her on one afternoon.

Leaning against the headboard, I remembered it so vividly. We were all in the same class and we managed to claim one of the outside tables by the field. The boys would eat so fast so they could start playing soon and everybody thought it was childish but nobody stopped them.

Because their youth was theirs to enjoy.

He had this silver watch that he was afraid to damage during these games and so, he would always hand it to me without another word. I understood immediately what I had to do and so, I would snap it on my wrist but it always fell down because his arm was definitely larger than mine.

There was one time that he didn't hand it to me and I didn't even notice. Only when our friend mentioned that she was wearing it did I feel the first sparks of jealousy.

One time, his best friend caught her staring at him and she quickly averted her gaze right after. Her cheeks started to heat up as she tried to deny it with every bone in her body that she liked him.

But no matter how hard she tried to shake that idea, she knew that it was lie. She liked him so much that it hurts. It wasn't because of how deep her heart sunk, but it was because of how much it ached when she saw him with another girl.

The problem with him was that he was always off with some other female company. He wasn't a player, but he was a flirt. He has never gone beyond friendly banter with anybody and she thought that maybe that's why she fell for him and perhaps, she was nothing but another one of the victims of his extreme kindness.

Closing the book, I groaned as I rubbed my temples. The memories came rushing back into me and my heart started beating rapidly. Even though I've declared that I've moved on several times, I knew that I was just fooling myself.

Turning to my side, my iPad sat there on the side table, charging up for the next day. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed it as I opened the twitter app, cursing myself for being too weak and too caught up.

You'll just get hurt, you know it.

I went instantly to his account and the first tweet that I saw hit me like a ton of bricks and I could only pinch myself on the arm to stop myself from doing something too brash, 'It only took one smile to make me fall in love with you again.'

So who was it?

Scrolling down even more, I couldn't stop myself from punishing myself even more, 'I've waited so long for that moment but when it came, I can't even approach her.'

A good week or so since it was posted and I slid down to fall onto my pillow. I haven't seen him for months so I'm sure it wasn't me. Biting my lip, I tried to shake away these thoughts but it was futile – I had to accept that there was another girl.

Quickly locking the device, I set it back down on the table before opening the book again. I didn't bother on picking up where I left off so I flipped it open to a random page in a desperate need to get his words out of my head.

Perhaps what he would never know was that she loved him – more than he could ever imagine. She loved him when she heard rumors and stood by his side, staying as his friend. She loved him even when they weren't that close anymore – gazing at him from afar.

With the tears prickling in my eyes, I slammed the book down next to my iPad as I hugged my blankets tighter, closing my eyes.

I loved him, more than he could ever imagine.

----------------------

I'm so sorry I was gone for a whole week! I had my undergraduate thesis defense last week and everything else took a backseat in my mind. Good news is, I'm finally done with my thesis and I passed. I just have one more final exam left and I'm officially graduating college!

Question: You guys missed Heart and Axel?

I promise there's going to be an update on Saturday! Thank you guys for understand and please don't forget to leave a comment, vote, and follow.