POV: Skylar

"They are finally gone," Aphrodite pulls me into her arms.

"Technically they aren't. I mean they are only like two streets over at their cottage. We still have to meet them for lunch." I point out.

"Well they won't be barging in here anymore and that's all that matters."

"True." I smile.

"This now belongs to you," she hands me the spare key.

"What I always wanted," I giggle.

She smiles at me, her cheeks all cute and rosy with blush.

I smile back before pecking her on the lips. I try to lean in for more before she pulls away. I eye her in confusion.

"Well," she clears her throat. "We should get ready to meet them for lunch." She pulls out of my arms.

I frown.

"We still have time," I grab her again.

She averts her eyes from me.

"What? Does my breath stink or something?" I ask.

She sighs before looking into my eyes.

"What?" I ask again.

"Don't be mad at me," she says.

I wait for her to go on.

"I think... well at least I'm pretty sure... I've caught real feelings for you." She says softly.

"Oh." I feel my cheeks heat up.

We stand in silence for a moment.

"I'm assuming you don't feel the same." She says.

"Why are you telling me this now?" I ask.

"I had a talk, with Darleen and Kenzie while you were in the shower earlier. They presented many good points to me. Things I've been fooling myself about and trying not to see. They made me confront my truth, and the truth is I like you, as more than a friend. And Your truth is that you don't feel the same, because you still love Jade. And I realize I am setting myself up for failure and to avoid another disaster like my love for Darleen, I think it's best if we don't... do that stuff anymore."

"Oh." I look down, full of disappointment and this other feeling that causes my guts to twist up and knot together.

She slowly pulls away from me again.

Sighing in disappointment.

"What if... What if you're feelings weren't totally one-sided..." I say.

She looks up into my eyes.

"What if I feel things for you too?" I grab her hands in mine.

"Do you?" she asks.

"I know I don't want this to end. I know you've really come through for me these past few months. I know without you, I'd probably be still laying in bed crying my eyes out. And I know you're right, that part of me still loves Jade. Part of me always will. But my love for Jade shouldn't stop me from being happy. If you can accept that I will always have a soft spot for Jade, then I would like to maybe try this. See where it goes." I say.

"You're probably going to break my heart," she says.

I look down.

She caresses my cheek and I lean into her touch. Her fingers glide across my skin, the tips of her nails leaving a ticklish feeling in their wake.

"You make it impossible to say no to you. Offering a girl the world, treating her like a queen. You are one of the rare people too good for this world. You deserve everything." She says.

"You're wrong. All I do is break people." My voice is small.

"Oh Skylar, if only you could see what is so obvious to those around you. If only you could see you the way I see you."

I look up again just as she smashes our lips together. My eyes flutter close and I wrap my arms around her once more, pulling her into me. I know I told myself I wouldn't get involved with her, that would be strange and beyond weird, but I don't want to give her up just yet. Not when I'm the happiest I've been in a very long time.

And who knows, maybe this will turn out to be for the best.

She slams me against the wall and starts tugging at my clothes. I lift her up in my arms, holding her by her butt. She wraps herself around me. I carry her to the bedroom and lay her down on the bed.

If someone would have told me the day I first met this girl that I'd end up dating her, I would have told them the joke wasn't funny. She's changed so much in my eyes. From Evil girlfriend stealer. To bitchy archrival, to snarky frenemies, to actual friends, then friends with benefits, to my new girlfriend. Aphrodite is never someone I would have ever seen myself getting with, but things have changed now.

I have changed.

I'm not the same Skylar I used to be. Being with Jade, going to college, losing friends, and going through hardship really showed me just how naïve and immature I was. It forced me to finally grow up. To stop living in la-la land where everything is sunshine and rainbows. Reality isn't like that.

In reality, sometimes true love doesn't always work out. In reality, sometimes friendships are toxic. In reality, sometimes you have to put yourself first in order to live the life you want. In reality, you have to let people down, hurt their feelings, be mean. If not, the world chews you up and spits you back out. You can't always be the nice guy, not when everyone else is trying to squash you under their thumbs.

In reality high school romance and all that is just a tiny blip in your life compared to all the life you still have yet to live. I'm not the same Skylar I was in high school. I'm tougher, more outspoken, meaner, and wiser, but most importantly I've matured. I've changed. And though some may disagree with me, I do believe that change is for the better. For me anyway.

I will no longer let people walk all over me.

I will no longer let people decide what's best for me and what I'm going to do with my life.

I'm not going to be anyone's plaything anymore, just there for their own personal use and entertainment. My existence is just as valid as the next person's. I no longer want to die for anyone, I want to live. I want to be happy. I want to succeed in life and go places. I want to be free to just be me.

And Jade... Jade wasn't ready for all that. Jade still hasn't learned, still hasn't matured, she's still stuck in la la land. And I can't get her down, not if she doesn't want to come down. I love her, I really do, but I also love myself. And I think it's time I put myself first, for once in my life.

I used to think Jade and I would last forever, but I guess I was wrong.

Sometimes life takes us down different paths for our own good. Whether we like them or not. It can be hard, straying from what you know and love best, but it can also be very rewarding. I don't know what life has in store for me and Aphrodite, but I'm excited to find out.

And I haven't felt this way in a very long time.

"Skylar," she moans as I make love to her.

I kiss her on the neck.

"Oh fuck Skylar, oh baby, Emm, I love you." She says.

I pause for just a fraction of a second, enough to acknowledge I heard her. Then I look into her eyes, her face full of embarrassment. Before she can take it back, I kiss her and reassure her it's okay.

She can fall for me, fast, deep, hard.

Maybe I'm falling too.

"I love you too," I whisper against her lips as I thrust my hips all the way into her.

"Ah!" she climaxes.

I slow my thrust, gently easing her down. She trembles against me, her hands once again caressing my face. I meet those alluring auburn eyes and watch the fires twist and dance within them. Just by looking into her eyes, I know she feels the same way I do. We are on the same wavelength, catching the same vibes, reading the same page.

I lean down and kiss her, softly, sweetly, passionately. We pull apart after a few kisses.

"Phew, you gave me my workout for the day," I say as I pull away.

She laughs and smacks me on the shoulder before saying, "Well now that it's official between us, be prepared to get in a lot more extra workouts this summer."

"Just what I needed before taking the big stage." I brush my sweaty hair out of my face.

"You know me, I like to help as best as I can."

We both giggle.

I grab my phone and glance at the time.

"Hmm, seems like we still got time." She says what I'm thinking.

"Round 2?"

"In the shower?"

"Two birds, one stone." I smile.

"Meet you there," she winks at me before walking into the bathroom nude to get the water warm for us.

I smile after her and force myself off the bed.

I rub my back and walk after her, it's been a while since I worked that hard. She finally let me lead for once.

I walk into her singing softly as she feels the water with her hands.

I wrap my arms around her from behind.

"You have a beautiful voice," I say.

"Thank you, been working on a new song. The melody is stuck in my head."

"You should be a singer."

"No way, I don't perform the music, I just make it."

"You'd be a great performer."

"Flattery will not get you far with me," she says.

I giggle before picking her up in my arms and carrying her into the shower.

"Ah! Skylar!" she laughs as water sprays her in the face.

"Maybe flattery won't get me far, but I can still easily manhandle you," I say.

"Curse you and your rock-hard muscles." She whacks me.

I giggle.

She runs her hands through my hair, water dripping off both our faces. I smile at her and she smiles at me. She breaks first and pulls me in for a kiss. I lean in and quickly kiss her back. My heart skips a beat and I feel all warm inside. I used to think only one person could make me feel this way.

I'm glad to know I was wrong.