Julia's a beautiful woman. Will doesn't think she has any idea how pretty she is. As far as he can tell, she doesn't have a self-conscious bone in her body, but she doesn't know how to take a compliment. If he makes any reference to her looks, she laughs or blushes and turns away.

A moment later he opened the door and leaned against the doorframe, a big grin on his face.

"Well hello stranger!" she shouted, meeting him on the walkway.

Will lifted Julia off the ground in a warm embrace.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" he said, firmly planting a kiss on her soft, smiling lips.

They walked into the kitchen, Julia's arm through his.

"What do we have here?" her eyes widened in surprise. "I thought we were going to order pizza!"

"I've got skills," he laughed, and wiped down the counter, a little embarrassed by the mess. He hadn't had a chance to clean the kitchen and the sink was piled high with pots and pans, the stove splattered with tomato sauce.

Will had set the table with mismatched dishes and paper napkins, a wine glass accompanying each setting. In the center of the table sat a jar filled with flowers he'd picked from his neighbor's yard.

"Mr. Kennedy, are you trying to seduce me?"

He turned around, his eyes wide. Am I that obvious?

"It's from The Graduate, Will," she chuckled. His brow furrowed, confused. "The movie? Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft?" He shook his head, had never heard of the movie. "Will! You are missing out! Do you have a VCR here? We need to rent it tonight! Where's the video store?"

"Not far from here. We can go after dinner and pick it up."

"Perfect!" Julia wandered around the house as he finished cooking. "Three guys live here? Did you clean up for me?"

"A little," he nodded and smiled. "You would've turned around and drove home if you saw it before I cleaned."

"Where are your roommates? I was expecting to see one of them sprawled on a couch playing video games," she said.

"Gone. They went home for the weekend." He could tell by the startled look on her face she was taken off guard.

"Oh, I was hoping to meet them," she said, picking up a few darts from the bookcase and throwing them into the board hanging on the wall.

"I'm afraid you're stuck with me tonight," he shook his head, mystified, and rinsed the pasta in the sink. He hoped she'd be happy they were alone.

"This neighborhood is incredible!" Julia stood in front of the picture window in the living room. It was dark outside but the moon was full and the moonlight was reflecting on the ocean directly in front of his house. "You didn't tell me you live on the beach."

They quickly fell back into their comfortable friend zone and although he was enjoying himself, Will decided to put the next part of his plan into action after dinner.

The actual seduction. He figured, if she pushed him away at least he'd know where he stood.

They discussed the upcoming presidential election while he washed dishes and Julia sat on the counter beside him, drying. She's a die-hard liberal, he's a bit more conservative though neither of them liked the Bush administration.

"The president is a stiff and so deeply entrenched in Washington bullshit. We need someone who's totally removed from the DC political scene. I hope Bill Clinton crushes him next month!"

"Yeah, me too. I think my father would have a stroke if he knew I was voting Democrat in this election."

"It's so strange to me... Your family bears the name of the most powerful dynasty of Democrats in America this century... and you're all friggin' Republicans."

"No," he held up his hand, "I'm an Independent. I vote my conscience. And we are in no way related to those Kennedys!"

He finished washing the last of the dishes, and drying his hands, turned toward Julia. She smiled and handed him the last dish to put away and when he reached behind her to stack it in the cabinet, his chest pressed against hers and the energy between them shifted.

Will positioned his body between Julia's legs, placing his hands on her thighs, a jolt of electricity shooting through him.

She brushed her hair away from her eyes and focused her gaze on something behind him.

"Do you think this a good idea?" she whispered.

Will tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and nodded.

"Yes," he said, a smile spreading across his face.

Her eyes met his, and he ran his fingertip over her bottom lip, then leaned in and brushed his lips against hers until he felt her gently returning his kiss, her arms winding around his back, pulling him closer to her. He savored the sensation of her arms and legs wrapped around him, pressing their bodies together, every point of contact between them a nerve exposed.

Who knows what would have happened that night if a ghost from his past hadn't interrupted their kiss...

RING! RING!.

The house phone cut short their exploration. Startled, Will jumped back, his eyes flying wide open. He was disoriented, the light in the kitchen blinding.

RING! RING!.

Julia covered her ears and he winced, the shrill ringing echoing in his head. He sighed and smiled self-consciously, reaching for the phone.

"Hello?" he answered, and paused. "Hello?..." his voice trailed off. He could faintly hear the sound of someone breathing. "Who is this?" he asked, but no one answered.

He glanced at Julia and shrugged and was about to hang up the phone when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hi Will...it's me."

Inhaling sharply, he slammed the phone onto the receiver, his hand covering his mouth and stared at the handset, the color draining from his face.

"Will, are you okay?" Julia jumped off the counter. "Who was that?"

He was silent, his body tense. He could feel a vein throbbing in his temple. Could it be? He leaned back against the counter, his hands covering his eyes.

"Sorry," he reached for Julia, hugging her to him, his heart hammering against his chest.

"Will, you're scaring me."

"I'm sorry Jules. I'm... that was...." he stuttered. He didn't want to say it out loud because he didn't want it to be real. "I think that was Avery."

"Avery?" Julia asked, visibly confused.

"Someone I knew a long time ago." He knew she was waiting for him to give her an explanation but he remained silent.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"No. No. I'm fine," he whispered into her hair.

He wanted to be fine. How the hell did she get my number? And why did she have to call me tonight, of all nights? He held Julia closer to him, all plans of seduction evaporating the moment he heard Avery's voice.

They ended up watching The Graduate snuggled up under a blanket on his couch, but he wasn't himself, quiet and distracted, preoccupied with the troubling events of his past. He kept one arm around Julia, the other holding onto her hand for dear life.

Julia knew something was wrong, how could she not? He caught her surreptitiously studying him, her brows drawn together in concern, but to his relief she didn't push him to explain Avery or why he reacted so strongly to her call.

What should I tell her? He wasn't quite ready to discuss Avery with Julia, didn't want to risk what they had by revealing the shame he's carried with him for almost five years, a personal crucifix, his private hell.

During the movie, Julia fell asleep, her head in his lap. He didn't have the heart to wake her, so he sat still for a couple of hours and alternated between watching her sleep and staring out the window at the moonlight dancing on the water, absently running his fingers through her hair while he listened to the waves crashing onto shore.

Eventually, he placed a pillow under Julia's head and covered her with blankets, then kissed her forehead before heading to his bedroom. He felt the need to be alone with his thoughts and lying in his bed, he decided to explain everything to Julia in the morning. He didn't want secrets between them, but when he woke from his fitful sleep she was gone, having left a note on his kitchen counter.

Thanks for dinner. XO Jules.

In the weeks that followed, Julia seemed to be avoiding his phone calls. Normally they spoke two or three times a week. Between Columbus Day and Thanksgiving they spoke a total of six times, each conversation rushed and stilted. She was always on her way somewhere and couldn't talk for long. He realized just how badly he blew it, shutting down the way he did after Avery's call.

Will knew she would be home over the holidays and left a message on her mother's machine the night before Thanksgiving, hoping to see her that weekend, but she hadn't called him back. Discouraged by her silence, he asked his brother and sister to go into town the night after Thanksgiving so he could drink away his sorrows.

They made their way downtown to Gulliver's, a bar for locals. Will purposely chose it because there'd be no chance of running into anyone they know. All of their friends would be at Murphy's Pub, two doors down and Will was not in the mood for socializing. Peter was annoyed when Will insisted on Gulliver's, but came along, claiming he'd bail on them in an hour.

Will loves his brother, but Peter can be a bit of a snob. They're polar opposites, yet have always gotten along despite their differences. His brother's twenty-five, graduated from Yale, and works in banking, and is engaged to a girl from Philadelphia's Main Line. They live together on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, in sin, according to his parents. The wedding is this summer. Peter was always a bit of a player so Will was surprised when he proposed to Sloane.

He's much closer to his sister Ellie. She is as outgoing as he is reserved and is his only confidante. She graduated from Brown last year, and he was upset when she decided to move to Chicago this past summer to work for a non-profit organization. She tries to come home once a month, and they talk on the phone weekly, but his misses having her around. She understands him in a way no one else in the family does.

The bar downstairs was packed so they decided to head upstairs to the loft. It was just as packed as the first floor, but Ellie managed to nab a table by the window and Peter headed straight toward the bar, shoving his way through the crowd to order them a round of drinks.

"Why are you pouting?" Ellie shouted over the din. "You've been in a pissy mood since I flew into town Wednesday night."

"It's nothing. School stuff," he muttered.

"I don't know why you bother lying to me," she countered. "You're the worst liar I've ever met, which is a good thing, but still. I know you, brother o'mine. Spill it."

Peter arrived with a tray of tequila shots and a pitcher of beer, enough to numb the senses, and Will sighed with relief, knocking back two shots in quick succession. His body relaxed as it absorbed the alcohol and he sat back in his chair, grabbing a third shot glass off the tray.

"I may be a bad liar, but I do know how to keep a secret," he replied, staring into his sister's eyes, so like his own.

Ellie raised an eyebrow, "Really? You have secrets? From me?"

Will chuckled and scanned the bar, doing a double take when his eyes came to rest on someone who looked an awful lot like Julia. But it couldn't be. She's too young to get into a bar.

He stood up and took a few steps toward her, then stopped, his heart pounding against his chest. It is Julia! Gulliver's was the absolute last place he expected to bump into her.

Will squeezed through the crowd and reached her just as she was turning toward the stairs. Emboldened with liquid courage, Will clutched her around the waist and covered her eyes with his other hand and she jumped with a start and grabbed his arm, trying to pry it off of her.

"You left without saying goodbye," he whispered in her ear.

He heard Julia gasp, her body rooted to the spot. A moment later she spun around and he smiled, his eyes searching her face. Before she could stop him, he pulled her close and his lips met hers for a long, slow kiss, the tip of his tongue grazing her teeth. She didn't resist his embrace, but she took a beat before responding, then wrapped her arms around him, returning his kiss.

When Will finally released his hold on her, Julia looked into his eyes, her cheeks flushed.

"Hi Will," she smiled.

He laughed and held her tight, had no intention of letting her escape again.

"Who are you here with?" he asked.

"My friend Gabby. You?"

"My brother and sister," He tilted his head toward the windows, "Come. I want you to meet them."

Her eyes opened wide, and she shook her head in protest, but he grabbed her hand, steering her across the loft and made the introductions. Peter predictably made a visual inspection of Julia and gave Will a thumbs up, prompting Will to roll his eyes in disgust.

"And this is my sister Ellie." His sister rose and shook her hand.

"It is so nice to meet you Julia. I've heard a lot about you."

"I've heard a lot about you too."

An attractive woman with straight light brown hair, wearing jeans, a fitted blue turtleneck sweater, and a scowl approached their table moments later and tapped Julia on the shoulder.

"Oh my god! Gabby, I'm so sorry." Julia cried. "I was on my way back downstairs when I bumped into my friend Will!"

"So you're the famous Will!" Her friend's eyes opened wide, "I was beginning to think you were a figment of Julia's imagination. But here you are, in the flesh!"

"Has Julia been talking about me?" Will asked, rising to shake Gabby's hand.

"Hmmm...you could say that. Or was that some other guy named Will you were talking about, Jules?" Gabby coyly smiled at Julia, batting her eyelashes.

Introductions made, Gabby sat in the empty seat across from Will, beside Ellie.

"So..." Gabby leaned across the table toward him, "Now that I know you're real, let me ask you a question." She crooked her finger, beckoning him to come closer.

He laughed and leaned in, eyebrows raised. "When, dear Will, are you going to ask our fair Juliet out on a proper date? I mean, hanging out on docks, looking at the stars is romantic, sure, but how about dinner at a restaurant? A movie at the Showcase?"

Will opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and turned toward Julia with a smile, while Gabby and Ellie stared at him expectantly. He had every intention of asking Julia out on a 'proper date' but he wasn't going to do it in front of an audience.

Julia's face had turned beet red and she rose to her feet, saying, "I need a drink. Anyone want a drink?" All hands flew into the air. "I'll grab a couple of pitchers," she said and made her way to the bar, Will close behind her.

Five months later, he's sitting at Rockwell Park, kicking himself for being so insensitive to Julia's feelings at the wedding the night before. They'd come so far since Thanksgiving. Every time they were together, they grew a little closer, a bit more intimate. He never pushed her, sensing there was more to her reluctance than modesty, afraid she would disappear if he moved too fast.

Freezing on the dock, Will finally understood how deeply she'd been hurt by her parents' divorce, made the connection between the pain she'd experienced and her need to keep him at arms length.

He closed his eyes and hung his head in shame. He didn't need to have a talk with Ellie about his relationship with Julia. He finally gets it.

Julia's afraid of being abandoned.