Celestine's POV FlashbackI run my fingers down his chest, tracing above his waistband and the ridges on his abdomen. "Lorenzo," I say, snuggling deeper into his embrace. "Yes?" My head on his chest lifts a bit as the word vibrates deep in his chest. "What's wrong?" His hand on my back draws random circles.I have to say it now before I lose what little confidence I have muttered up. I lift my head, resting my chin on his pecs. "I like you. A lot." It's out there now."What?" He tilts his head down to be able to meet my eyes. "You like me?"Burying my face into his chest, I cringe inwardly. Why the fuck did I even say it? We both agreed that this was just going to be about sex while we work on our project together. Why couldn't I have just kept my stupid mouth shut? Now I've complicated everything and it going to become awkward between us. God. We seat together. How am I going to survive going to school?"Hey." He shuffles around, then his fingers are gripping my chin, and tilting m

Celestine's POV I pick at my meal while trying to ignore the strained silence between the four of us. Lorenzo keeps filling his glass with drinks. Cade is going through something on his phone, and mom keeps asking questions and bringing up conversations to make the evening bearable, all to no avail. The stuffed sweet potatoes have a hard time going down my throat with all this tension in the room. Cade drops his phone on the table, turning the screen face down and faces me. "Celestine, what do you think of my home so far? I hope you are enjoying your stay here." I take a sip of my water, swallowing the food down my throat to free up my mouth. "You have a very beautiful home here, there is no way I would have any complaints." "What a well-mannered girl. You raised her well." He takes my mom's hands, their joined hands resting on the table in between their plates. Moments like this still baffle me. They just seem so unreal. I never thought I would ever see my mom this close with

Celestine's POV Lorenzo. Lorenzo. Lorenzo. That's all that has been running through my mind all day long.That dinner of last night has gotten me tied up in thoughts and thoughts of nothing but Lorenzo.I'm remembering things I have no business remembering. Like how he chews on the end of his pen when he is trying to solve a difficult equation or how he thinks black boots match every outfit or the time that he had pierced his ear with a needle just because he had really wanted a piercing. He got an infection the next week but at least the piercing stayed. "Oh, my God," My mom exclaims, pulling me out of my daydreaming as she circles around me, holding a hand to her chest. "You look so beautiful. What do you think Celestine?"I'm on the riser in from of the mirror, wearing the floor-length gown my mother has picked for me."It's, um... " What words can I even use to describe this dress? "It's beautiful. Words can't describe it." Literally."It's perfect, that's what it is." Now, I w

Lorenzo's POV I may hate it here in this house but the one place I can never get tired of is the little balcony outside my bedroom where I sketch and pour out my worries and troubles onto a blank white paper. The problem is that even this balcony that has been my sanctuary for ages isn't working anymore. I glance down at my drawing and eye the naked pane of Celestine's body. I haven't seen it in two years, but every inch of those curves are ingrained in my fucking head and they aren't coming out. No matter how much I want them gone. I've been pouring this frustration into drawings, just drawings after drawings. Drawings so vivid that I can make out the smattering of freckles all over her body. Make out the little birthmark she has over her top lips. Make out every last curl on her head. In all these intricate and delicate drawings, she looks beautiful as fuck. Beautifully haunting. Like a ghost that comes out at night when you least expect it. And I'm the poor victim who can never

Celestine's POVIt doesn't take long to find Lorenzo seated at the back of the hall. His tall frame and dark hair alone are all that is needed to identify him. Not that I was looking for him, It just so happened that I saw him."Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time for the throwing of the bouquet by the bride to know which beautiful lady will be next," the MC announces. This announcement is followed by squeals from the ladies surrounding me. "Can all the beautiful single ladies please come to stand at the front?"Chairs squeak on the floor as some girls get up from their seats and hurry over to the front. I don't really feel like fighting with a herd of wolves for that bouquet so I remain seated.Joey, still dressed in her wedding dress, stands up from her seat and takes a few steps forward from it until she is a few inches from the squealing crowd of ladies. She scans the crowd, searching for something or someone. After a minute of searching, she turns around, her back facing us. Did I ju