Was this really happening?

 Valentines Day was a bit of a bust. Or so Dimi thought. Yes, maybe Bishop tried. But not really. Honestly, he could be two different people when he wanted to be. But for the most part, he was Mr. Silence. Especially, at work. 

Although, after work, he took her to the park while it was above freezing and they did have Blizzards from the nearby DQ. It wasn't exactly a winter wonderland, but there was snow with of slight chance of sliding on ice.

When it happened, he hugged her tight. At least they didn't land on the ice in the parking lot. But for a second or two it was a romantic notion. She wasn't sure what to expect from him. She knew it was best not to expect anything.

But back in the car as the sun was rising somewhere else perhaps, he looked at her ever so seriously. She was expecting him to zoom in for a kiss and this would be it. Her Valentines Day.

"Let's move in together," he said.

"What?" She possibly breathed on him too hard with a wince. It was cold. It would take forever for his car to warm up. "I don't want to live at your house." She gritted thinking she'd said too much. How awful to bring up their living conditions.

"I know." He acted as if he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"I want us to get our own place," he said.

"But don't we spend too much time together already?" She looked at him blankly.

"What's wrong with that?" He came closer and of course, she needed him close.

Dimi shrugged. She didn't know why she was thinking NO when all along she desperately wanted to leave her brother Mick and his boyfriend Jools.

"I know you think I'm a butthead," he said. Her eyes looked up at him that expressed 'how did you know'. Dimi pressed his lips tight, but he put his arm around her, anyway.

"Things are just better with you," he told her.

"Oh." She couldn't say much else. Finally, she gave him a nod.

"It's just I don't want it to be moving in together. I want to make it right." He then said as he reached in his pocket.

She couldn't imagine what he was getting. Finally, she saw it was a ring with a diamond. Honestly, she never expected him to even know about things like this. That's when he asked her to marry him.

Rafe knew he'd surprised Lily. It actually made him laugh, but he did his best to hold it in. "Won't you be my Valentine?" Of course, the way he said it, it sounded like Mr. Roger's saying "Won't you be my neighbor?"

Of course, she took the flowers. He knew she would love them. After all, he'd asked her grandmother. Funny, he talked more to her than actually Lily these days. Was it supposed to be that way?

"You shouldn't have," Lily said once they were alone in the basement hallway of the school. 

"Why can't I?"

"Because.." She fumed. "You are only doing this because of your brother." He was afraid for a second she might beat him with the pink roses. "What are you going to do if..if someone does come along and woos the pants off Mercer."

"Is there someone?" He didn't think so. She turned her head to the side and gave him a stern look that he was an idiot after all.

"Look, this is about us," Rafe confessed. "I like you. I'm just afraid you'll-"

"I'll what?"

"You have such a cool Gram."

"You're calling her Gram now?"

Rafe nodded. "She said it would be OK if we went out tonight."

"Oh really?" It did sound as if Lily was the last to know.

"She said you liked Chinese and the Chinese place is open for dine-in. Except, they don't  turn on the heat, so it would really be best if we ate at my house." Rafe told her he wouldn't keep her out too late.

"What about Cade and Mercer?" She sounded as if she wasn't exactly up for a group date.

"All right, we'll dine in." Rafe kept his eyes on her. It had been a long time since he'd gone on a date. He would try his best to act accordingly.

Izzy could hardly think on her own. Had she said that to Brick? She was furious when he had nothing for her but a bouquet of roses and a box of candy. She didn't understand. Naturally, she ordered him out of her car and he obeyed. He just stood there watching her fly out of the high school parking lot in her old Toyota. 

She didn't think it would turn out this way. He was so attentive. It wasn't fair. It was just wrong. She never wanted to see him again. 

Finally, in her driveway, she texted her friend Rylie who was away at college. Thank god Rylie answered. Naturally, she wanted to know everything and Izzy couldn't type fast enough. She was already in tears in a cold car.

Finally, she got settled in her room. No one was home. She couldn't slam her bedroom door hard enough.

"What happened?" Rylie asked again when she called.

"It's so horrible," Izzy could barely breathe.

"What? Did somebody hurt you?" Her friend asked.

She only nodded as she cleared her throat. "I just thought he loved me."

"And you're living in a fantasy world. It's not like that." Rylie told her who questioned her more. Finally, she told Rylie about Brick.

"You just don't know how lucky you are," Rylie said which made Izzy wince more. "At least he was thinking."

"What?" Izzy didn't like that answer at all.

"He's younger than you. What if ..what if it had happened and his parents found out and..and -" Rylie sighed. "I don't know, what if you're the one who gets booted to jail, huh?"

"That wouldn't happen."

"You don't know for sure. Besides, you're in high school. Just think about the University. Ok. Get ready for the University. Think of your future."

Izzy winced harder. She really wanted to be with Brick. She loved him. She did. Yet if felt she'd hit a wall of some kind. And there was no going back. No way could she ever speak to him again.