"Julianna, there's yet another vase waiting for you on the step!" The sound causes me to groan as I push myself away from the desk in my bedroom. The entire week, Chase has been sending flowers to me; I don't know if it's to try and apologize or what, but I can't deal with him right now because the grind never stops and I have school things to get done on top of what I already have to do at work. "What is it that they are doing this time?" When I got back to the living room, I saw Mark holding a vase that was full of red roses. "What are those?" I asked. "Oh my goodness, why can't he at least send some nice flowers?" I let out a sigh as my irritation grew. "Not a fan of red roses, are you?" I laugh at his jokes while removing the vase from his grasp and placing it on the countertop in the kitchen. I despise them because of how cheesy they are. I informed him about it. "Up until now, they've all been red roses; if they were another kind of flower, I'd probably display them in my bed

My mother has been talking about Kent ever since she had dinner with him. It's only been two days, but she's already mentioned him twice. I'm not sure what she sees in him. Kent is tall, handsome, can be kind, has a confusing charm, and smiles with dimples, but I don't understand what's so special about that. Ugh, here I go again. Even though we're finally getting along, I can't stop my mind from wandering to him when it shouldn't. We've agreed to be friends, and he's made it clear that he knows the boundaries and won't cross them again. I need to let go of this silly thing that's driving me crazy for no reason. He can't be in a relationship. What he's told me should be enough, and his actions and what I've seen support his words. I know Kent has a lot on his mind, and I suspect he didn't have a great childhood. He's dealing with enough, and I don't want to add to his burden. We can keep this a secret because it was just a mistake between friends. I can control my feelings, and he

As Abby and I walked home from the library, she asked, "So, when will I finally meet this guy?" I chuckled in response to her question. "You're starting to sound like my mom," I replied, feeling a bit embarrassed. I've been dating Dane for almost two weeks now, even though we've only been on two actual dates. Two weeks might not seem like a long time to some, but for me, who hasn't dated anyone in years, it feels like a significant amount of time. I believe Dane and I are a good match. Ever since our disastrous first date, he's been incredibly sweet and kind to me. He's been eager to meet up, but I've been too busy studying for a midterm exam scheduled for tomorrow. Balancing schoolwork with a relationship isn't always easy, especially when my roommates seem to have lighter course loads. On Monday evening, Abby and I left the library to grab dinner together, but she had to return for soccer practice. "I'm not sure," I replied to Abby's question about when I should introduce Dane to

This night was supposed to bring joy and excitement, but instead, I felt emotionally drained. After a day of school, it was time for the Halloween party. Earlier, we had prepared the house for the party by securing it. I had purchased a locked container a few months ago to store my belongings under my bed. Although our rooms were off-limits, people still managed to sneak in. I hung my costume on the closet door, but I no longer felt excited about wearing it. "Knock, knock." Abby appeared in the doorway; I had asked her to come over early so we could get ready together. "You're not still upset about Dane, are you?" she asked. "No, I'm not upset. Just a little irritated," I replied, and she smiled, bringing two cups of orange Jell-o shots. "Here, drink this with me," Abby said, and we both took a shot. "We're going to have so much fun tonight," she said, shaking my shoulders, making me laugh. "Yeah, you're right." I said. I was determined to leave Dane behind and not let him ruin

"This is one of the most confusing moments of my life. Dane sure knows how to pick his timing," I whisper to myself. "What do you mean Dane's here?" I ask, turning to face the person who told me he was here. "He just walked through the front door. He sticks out like a sore thumb, looks like someone's older brother," she replies with a shrug. "Do you want me to bring him in here?" "I'll come out in a moment," I tell her, and she nods before leaving and closing the door behind her. "What did you want to talk to me about?" I turn to Kent, who looks just as conflicted as I feel. "Don't you want to go see him?" he asks. "Do you want me to leave?" I ask, feeling disappointed. "Just tell me, I'm all ears." "I don't want to cause any trouble between you and Dane," he says quietly. "I just want you to be happy." "Kent, be honest with me. Don't push me away from him because it's the easy thing to do," I say, putting my hand on his knee. "Explain." "It's not anything serious, I just wanted