Kyle was uncompromising with her excuses. She wasn't giving him the answer he wanted to hear; instead, she was just staring at him blankly, confused.

"Speak!" Kyle hissed in a low, stiff tone. She knew he was deadly serious, and if she told him the truth, he might go crazy—but why?

"Umm... I was... I was just thinking... imagining, yeah right, I was imagining what if someone takes me to an empty classroom and confesses to me. That would be nice," Ashlee awkwardly laughed, showing her teeth, trying to get out of his sight.

"You really think I am a kid, don't you?" Kyle growled, looking at her in disbelief. She shook her head, denying his statement. He huffed and leaned in, grabbing her shoulders and making her stand still in front of him. "I want the name! Who was it?" he asked again, expecting a clear answer.

"I... I just told you... Why... Why are you acting like this?" Ashlee stuttered, blinking nervously.

"I won't repeat, Ashlee Cox." He gritted his teeth in frustration. It was the curiosity and jealousy eating him up inside. Even if he tried to deny it, he still liked her.

"Mr... Mr. Harvey," she muttered in a low tone, full of embarrassment.

Kyle was astonished to hear her teacher's name from her. "Your... Your class teacher?" he asked, hoping he'd misheard her, but he hadn't.

Ashlee nodded, lowering her head in shame. How could she tell someone that her own teacher confessed to her? Still, Mr. Harvey was young and single, so it wasn't technically wrong, but as her teacher, he shouldn't have done that.

"He took you to an empty classroom?" Kyle's tone changed utterly, as if he was interpreting the situation the wrong way.

"To confess," Ashlee quickly clarified, afraid of forming misunderstandings in his mind. She still didn't know why she felt the need to explain it to him.

"Damn it. I was gone for a couple of weeks, and..." Kyle hissed, rubbing his temples, his eyes pinched shut, while resting on her bed.

"Nothing happened. He just confessed. What the hell are you thinking?" Ashlee almost yelled at him, annoyed by his assumptions. He was acting as if she'd been in the classroom alone with Mr. Harvey for something inappropriate.

"I shouldn't have left you alone." He continued talking to himself, ignoring Ashlee's voice altogether. He was so wrapped up in his own ways, and he knew it.

"Hey!" Ashlee shouted, lightly punching him on the shoulder.

"Why are you hitting me? I didn't take you to an empty classroom." Kyle chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood. He acted as if he was teasing her, though he was still irritated by the fact that he hadn't been around.

"So funny," Ashlee rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest. Flipping her hair, she went and sat on her chair, glaring at Kyle as if she'd kill him at any moment.

"So, are you going to school tomorrow?" he asked unexpectedly. A teacher's confession would stop her from going to school? Why?

"Why wouldn't I?" she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Kyle nodded, clenching his jaw. He wasn't thrilled about her seeing that teacher again. "How have you been lately?" he asked, sitting up straight, trying to read her face, unable to read her mind.

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"You can see for yourself." Ashlee flashed a tight smile, opening her arms to show she was fine and healthy. Her wounds were healed, thankfully. It had taken some time, but she was better.

He took a good look but still couldn't muster up the courage to apologize. It was his fault she got hurt, and he was scared to admit it. He still hoped that someday he could take her with him, willingly. He didn't want that hope to end.

But hiding the truth wouldn't ease the situation. Still, he couldn't bring himself to lower his ego and confess to her.

"Your finals are this week. How's it going?" Kyle quickly changed the topic, trying to drown his thoughts.

"Shouldn't those be yours too?" Ashlee narrowed her eyes. She knew he might not need to take exams or anything like that. He wasn't a normal human like she was, but still, she didn't want to make him suspicious.

She still had to find out who he actually was and why he was always around her.

"Yeah, exactly." Kyle forgot he went to her school too, posing as a student by hypnotizing her teachers, and he might have to do it again.

"I doubt you ever even study," Ashlee tried to close the conversation. It was making them both uncomfortable. They both kind of knew each other's secret, but lack of trust kept them from confessing.

Just then, a car approached, honking in front of her house. Suddenly, Ashlee started panicking. Her uncle was back from work. If he saw Kyle, it wouldn't favor her in any way.

"You need to leave," she whispered urgently. "But how?" She started pacing. If she went too close to the window, her uncle might see something, but if she didn't, he might come in through the door. There was no way to get Kyle out of her room.

"Calm down. He can't do anything to you." Kyle stepped closer, reaching out to hold her to help her relax. She jerked away, panicking even more.

"No... No... He can. You need to disappear," she muttered between breaths, her heartbeat racing with every passing second.

"What can we do?" She started biting her nails, frustrated she couldn't find a way out.

Kyle slowly walked up to her and sighed, gently pulling her into his arms. He patted her head and rubbed her back. He thought this might help calm her, but it only made her more uncomfortable.

All of a sudden, he was being nice to her. 'Why is he doing this?' She couldn't stop blushing, clinging to his chest. Her cheeks burned, and her ears just gave up on her.

"Wha... What are you doing?" she gulped, whispering.

"Just relax. I will protect you from now on. I promise." He whispered back, resting his head on hers. He held her close, while she stood still like a statue.

Ricardo closed the door behind him as he entered the house, stretching his neck. He had seen Ashlee's light on from outside. 'A good time to have some fun with her,' he thought nastily.

"Ashlee!" he called, but no response. That was strange; she usually came running downstairs when he called. He called a few more times, but still nothing.

Suspicious, Ricardo grabbed a baseball bat from his room. Taking slow, steady steps, he approached Ashlee's room. He inhaled deeply and then swung the door open.

He smirked, thinking he'd catch her hiding a boy in her room, but when he opened the door, he found no one except Ashlee, who appeared to be sleeping with the lights still on.

Ricardo wasn't satisfied, so he decided to search. He looked under her bed, in her closet, and in her bathroom but found nothing.

Annoyed, he hissed, "She thinks she's a princess, keeping all the lights on? Her dad's going to pay the bill?" He switched off the lights before going straight to his room, taking some pills and drifting off to sleep.

Ashlee slowly opened her eyes, sitting up on her bed. She exhaled a relieved breath. Thank goodness he hadn't seen Kyle. They'd been so close to getting caught.

Just a few more weeks, and she would be out of this house. Till then, she needed to hold on. Her finals would be over soon, and she would find a place for herself and her mother during the holidays.

"Hey," Kyle whispered, tapping on her window. He smiled softly at her.

"What the freak?" Ashlee grumbled from her bed. He said he would leave, but he didn't.

"What the hell are you still doing here?" she whispered, irritated.

"Come out," Kyle said, gesturing with his hand for her to climb out of the window.

"Are you crazy?" she whispered, shocked.

"Trust me. Take my hand and come out." Kyle extended his hand as she opened the window, still glaring at him.

"If I die today, just know my soul won't leave you alone for eternity," Ashlee muttered, taking his hand and stepping out of the window, following his lead.

"I can happily live with that," he grinned, accepting her every curse with a smile. Deep down, he was feeling guilty for not being able to tell her the truth and face the possible rejection.