My fast walk turns into a jog, and I burst into the hallway, desperately trying to find her.

My first thought is that she's out in the parking lot still by his friends car, whichever car that is, so I start there first. All of the cars are off though, not a light on in sight.

If he so much as hurt her in the least bit I'm going to kill him. I don't care if people piece two and two together. I don't care if they think I'm into her.

The rumors don't matter, the gossip doesn't matter. All that matters is that she's okay.

I enter back inside of the school, and just when I'm about to take out my phone to call her I hear sniffling.

It's coming from two hallways down, and when I round the corner my heart breaks into two at the sight.

Maddie is on the floor, her knees hugged up to her chest as she sobs her heart out. Makeup is running down her face, and she's shaking from head to toe.

"Mads." I fight back tears and drop to the floor beside her. "Hey, come here."

She doesn't budge, continuing to sob into her hands.

"Mads." I repeat, and this time her eyes finally meet mine, nothing but anger hidden behind them.

"What do you want, Cameron?" She seethes, and I hate that she used my full name. She knows I hate that. "Honestly, what the hell do you want? I'm fucking fine! You can go back to Kelsey now."

"I don't want to go back to Kelsey." I reply honestly. "I want to be here with you."

She doesn't have anything to reply to that, she just continues to sit there and cry until she suddenly shakes her head and throws her hands up. "How could I have been so stupid? Why else would he want to take me to that car? H-he was so rough, and so forceful that I thought for a second I was going to be-" she pauses and lets out another chortled sob, and I'm thinking of all of the ways I'm going to murder Mark.

"I was just doing it to get back at you!" She erupts like a volcano, her true feelings finally spilling out. "I didn't even want to leave with him, but you were with Kelsey, and you acted like everything was fine. You've been fucking fine for the past week when I've been losing it! How do you hear what I said in the closet and not say anything at all? Then go and ignore me afterwards? That's so fucked up!"

She's getting herself completely worked up, and eventually she stands up from the floor to pace back and forth, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"And I had to go through the entire week knowing that Kelsey was the one you'd be bringing. I had to watch her wear your stupid fucking jersey and parade around when that should have been me! I thought you felt the same. I was that much of an idiot to ever think that to begin with."

Grabbing tightly onto her clutch, she takes a big step back from me when I stand up and try to reach for her.

"No." She warns. "Now you want to be here with me to see if I'm okay?" She laughs out of anger, and again, I seem to be speechless. "Fuck you, Cameron. I don't need your pity, I don't need your sympathy, and I sure as hell don't need you. I'm going to be just fine by myself."

Leaving me alone in the hallway, she storms off to leave and I feel all of my emotions begin to bubble up at once.

I'm fighting the tears back, shoving my anger inside, but everything is just getting to be too much.

I love her.

I'm in love with her.

I can't keep fighting this.

Not anymore.

"Maddie, wait!" I shout and jog after her, picking up my pace when I see that she's almost to the doors to the parking lot.

"And homecoming king goes to Cameron Holden!" Our principals voice booms out into the hallway, and Maddie throws her head back, laughing out of anger once more.

"Shocker!" She exclaims. "Congrats, Cam."

I'm on her heels now, and I push open the parking lot doors so that we're finally alone outside, just the two of us.

I can feel my heart beating in my ears.

My chest is rising rapidly up and down, and any minute now I think I might pass out.

"Maddie." I choke out as she continues to walk on the pavement to god only knows where. Only when she hears the tone of my voice does she finally stop to look at me. She's about six feet away, tears pouring endlessly down her cheeks.

"What?" She sobs. "Just go and get your crown, Cameron. Everyone is waiting in there."

"God dammit, Maddie!" I shout, and her eyes grow wide at my outburst. "I don't give a fuck about homecoming court! I don't want a fucking crown. I want you!"

My chest is heaving up and down, and Maddie is frozen as a statue. All of my emotions begin to overflow, and there's no holding them back any longer. I'm not going to lose her.

"All I've ever wanted was you." I pant and blink away tears. "I can't have you, Mads, and that drives me insane, but I'm not going to go another second of you thinking that I don't care when it's the complete opposite."

She's sniffling when I finally close the distance between us, and I rest my forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything in the closet." I whisper, and suddenly I'm finding the confidence to say what I've needed to say for years. "I'm sorry I pushed you away after that night on the beach. Running away has always been something I'm good at, but I'm done running. I'm in love with you, Maddie, and I have been for years."

A smile immediately appears on her face, new tears streaming down her cheeks now. Happy ones.

"Yeah?" She laughs.

"I am very, very much in love with you, baby." I admit, and I love the fact that I'm finally able to call her that in the right context. "I know keeping this a secret sucks, but eventually we will figure it out, you know? We can tell Ethan when the time is right, but I'm not going to lose you. I refuse."

She nods in agreement. "For now we can take it slow. I just want to enjoy us by myself right now."

Finally, after an agonizing week, I kiss her lips and feel her tears go onto my cheeks. My fingers trail slowly down her back until they settle on her ass, giving it a gentle squeeze.

This feels so right with her. Everything feels right with her.

Her skin is so soft, it's so familiar that it feels like home. I know her body better than anyone. I know exactly how to please it. Because she's mine.

She's mine now.

I chuckle against her lips and she pulls away, furrowing her eyebrows together in confusion. "What?" She asks.

"I'm just so damn happy." I tell her and kiss her quickly once more.

"Me too." She bites on her bottom lip that's swollen from our kiss before she looks back at the school. "Do you want to go get your crown?" She asks. "Everyone is probably looking for you."

"I think..." I pull her back into my chest, hearing her erupt into giggles. "Your brother is at the after party for probably the rest of the night..."

"Mhm..." she hums, eager to see where I'm going with this.

"My dad is away on another business trip..."

"Okay..." she giggles again when I place kisses down her neck.

"And there is nothing else I'd rather do than be with you all night long, baby. It's been too long."

"Well I'd have to say that I agree." She smiles. That damn smile that drives me crazy.

Her eyes are so blue, practically twinkling from the moonlight. I find myself lost in her. Completely and utterly lost in her.

"Cam?" She whispers.

"Hm?" I reply, still feeling like I'm in a dream I'll wake up from at any given minute.

"I love you too."

As soon as the sentence leaves her lips a surge of happiness fills me completely. I've never felt this way about someone. I've never been on such a high.

I don't even know how to get my emotions out. All I can do is pick her up so that her legs are wrapped around my waist.

"Cam!" She shrieks, throwing her head back in laughter as she tries to tug her dress down.

"Oh, don't you worry about that." I chuckle deeply, my hands finding the lace of her underwear. "You won't be needing any clothes tonight, Maddie."