Youthful Discretion (wlw)

Chapter 1

In Greek origins, the name Lenore refers to light. Light is the breaker of all darkness, something we all look for when lost.

I was never a fanatic of the light though; my preferences lean more to the darkness. Yet she gave me both.

Outside my beside window, rain tickled against the glass. The doorbell rings so suddenly, I jolt up a little from my bed. As I peak outside my window over to the porch, my best friend Cullen stands grasping something I can't quite make out in his hands.

Rushing to the front door from my room, my feet almost trip over themselves as I try to reach Cullen before my either my mother or father does.

I know the last thing Cullen wants is to be dragged into an endless conversation with the two of them.

Once I reach the door, I open it up and quickly shut it behind me as I step out onto the porch.

I immediately recognize his chiseled face and clean-cut blond hair standing in front of me with his stupid sheepish grin.

In his hands, he holds three daisies tired together with a blue ribbon.

"These are for you."

He holds out the flowers to me hesitantly waiting for my reaction.

I smile at him and take the flowers from him.

"And what might the occasion be?" I tease.

"Can I not just randomly show up at my best friend's house in middle of the night and give her some flowers without there being an occasion?" He teases back.

Suspicion raises in my chest due to the flashing memory of Cullen confessing his romantic feelings for me last year before he graduated.

I met Cullen Fritz when I was a sophomore and when he was a junior in high school. Last year on his last day of senior year and my junior, he confessed his romantic feeling for me.

Don't get me wrong, Cullen is a great guy, perfect even.

He is mature, smart, caring, and sophisticated in every way. He was the perfect boyfriend on paper, but I never viewed him as anything more than my best friend.

"Lilith? Are you paying attention?" He asks.

Breaking out of my thoughts I gaze up at him.

"Oh yeah, definitely." I try to convince.

Cullen rolls his eyes.

"I asked if I could take you out to dinner tonight. My treat"

Surprised, I slowly nod my head without thinking about my next move.

"Great, let's get going before it gets too late."

I think Cullen is a great guy, he's a gentleman and was simply raised right.

Cullen has never allowed me to pay for dinner or any meals we have together, he opens doors for me, and pays more attention to me than anyone else does.

He has a great job working as an assistant for a billionaire CEO downtown in Seattle.

Most girls at school swoon over Cullen for his charming attributes and features, yet I was always the one he had ever had any interest in.

Over the summer, after his confession, I stayed distant from him in fear of ruining our friendship because I never saw him in a romantic light no matter how many times I've tried.

This will be an interesting dinner...