The dance started twenty minutes ago, and we're still standing in the parking lot. Judah is passing around a flask while reminiscing the old times with our usual crew. Typically, I don't mind being late and making an entrance, but for some reason I'm annoyed by it. My mind keeps drifting to Hunter and the fact that he's inside right now looking amazing in a suit and tie. My mind takes that image to a dirty place, and I find myself distracted.

Judah grabs me by the waist and pulls me over to him. "Babe, I'm so glad you decided to let me come with you. This is going to be a great night."

I force a smile, and he leans in to kiss me. I keep it brief because I've been trying to be cautious about getting his hopes up. Even though Judah is a dick, there's been something different about him lately. A part of me wishes he would have been like this when we were dating. Who knows where we would have ended up if he had put in this much effort before.

After some convincing on my part, we finally make our way inside. Fall Festival is basically the kick-off to our month-long celebration during October. The queen's job is to show up at events, smile of course, and help sell apple cider and pumpkin themed crafts. It was one of the highlights of my year last fall, and now I could care less what happens. Priorities change I guess and being the center of attention doesn't exactly hit the top of my list anymore.

We make our way toward the middle of the room, and I spot Cameron and Dylan in amongst a small section of our group. Apparently, some people felt the need to take sides. I wave to her, and she gives me a skeptical smile back. It almost makes me laugh what a big deal this is to her. Dylan eyes me and then shifts his gaze to Judah, glaring at him. Judah gives him a cocky smirk and moves his hand lower and rests it on my ass. Well, at least some things never change.

I discretely remove his hand from me and give him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll be right back."

He nearly growls back at me as he presses me firmly against his side. "Don't be too long, babe."

As I'm making my way to ladies' room, I spot Hunter out of the corner of my eye. The first thing I notice is the fact that his dark green tie matches my dangerously short dress perfectly. When his eyes connect with mine it's obvious he likes it. His stare burns into me while he pretends to be engrossed in a conversation with Mr. Daniels, the art teacher. I brush a strand of hair behind my ear before disappearing around the corner.

Surprisingly, there's no line and I make it in and out fairly quickly. When I step back into the hallway, Hunter grabs me by the arm and pulls me down a dark corridor. I'm so taken off guard I don't open my mouth to protest when he scans the hall before opening the door behind us. Satisfied no one saw, he pushes me inside.

I take a step further into the room and notice it's a large storage closet for extra band instruments. He still doesn't say anything while he locks the door and flips the light switch off. The small window in the corner of the room only provides a dim glow across his face.

Hunter closes the distance between us with a few determined steps and grips my waist, pushing me back until my ass hits the edge of a table. "I can't watch you with him," he says finally, his voice a low growl. "I don't like it."

His words make me angry. Last night he said he couldn't be with me and now he's saying that he doesn't want to see me with anyone else.

I shove my hand against his chest, putting distance between us. "You don't know what you want."

His eyes are hooded as he stares down at my hand. "I know that what I want is wrong." When he looks up at me, I brace myself for his rejection again—but instead, he threads his hands through my hair and pulls my face to his. "But I don't fucking care anymore."

Without another word his lips crash over mine, and he kisses me so hard he steals all the air from my flailing lungs. He lifts me up onto the small table and pushes my dress back to expose my panties.

He steps between my legs, his breathing already labored. "Do you want me, Elle?"

My response is automatic. "Yes."

He smiles, slipping the fabric to the side and inserting a finger slowly. I moan when he slips his finger all the way inside, dragging it in and out as he watches my face. My breathing is reduced to short pants when he adds a second.

He leans in closer to my face, his fingers still working inside of me. "Tell me."

The words I've been so desperate to say are out of my mouth before I can think twice about it. "I want you." My voice breaks despite my best attempts to keep it steady. He's driving me crazy, and he's barely even touched me.

He pulls his fingers away and I hear the distinct sound of a foil packet. His hand grips my hip, and he positions himself directly in front of me. "Tell me again."

"I want you, Hunter."

There's something feral in his eyes when I say his name. For as many times as I thought about being with him in this way, I never envisioned it being like this. He kisses me like he's starving and I'm the only thing in the world that could possibly satiate him. I'm clawing at his shirt, grabbing at his arms—anything to bring him closer to me faster.

He tilts his head to the side so he has a full view as he presses inside of me. I hold my breath and then release it in a quick burst. He keeps one hand on my hip and the other tangles in my hair as he rocks into me.

"Fuck," he grits out.

My nails dig into his sides, earning me another strangled grunt. He kisses me again, his mouth rough over mine.

"You feel so fucking incredible," he whispers over my lips.

I can't say anything back because I'm trying so hard not to be loud. If I opened my mouth right now, I'd surely get us caught.

The rhythm he maintains is slow and measured. Thrusting gently inside of me and pulling slowly back out. He's trying to draw out the pleasure, but I find myself getting lost in him. The soft grunts he's making, the heat from his body being connected to mine—it's all too much.

I allow myself to surrender to this feeling and almost lose it altogether. I'm so close to the edge already, I bite down on his shoulder to keep from screaming. He groans and it vibrates directly into my chest. He starts to move faster and the tightening in my core intensifies. Unable to hold back any longer, I come hard and his hand cups over my mouth to muffle my cries.

I'm blinded by the waves crashing over me and he shudders his way through his own release. When I catch his gaze again, he's watching me. The intensity in his eyes makes my entire body shiver.

He kisses me softly once before pulling away. I lean back on my elbows and continue to breathe like I just ran a marathon. I watch him fasten his pants and tuck his shirt back in before sitting up on the edge of the table. For some reason I'm afraid to speak.

I slide myself to the floor and pull my dress back into place. He opens his mouth to speak, but I lift my hand to stop him. "Please, don't give me some speech about how we can't be together." With a fluff of my hair, I grab my clutch from the table. "I really can't handle that right now."

He nods once before turning for the door. My heart beats out of my chest when I realize he won't say anything at all. He pauses with his hand on the doorknob. "I know that's what I should say, but I'm not sure if I can." His eyes meet mine before he continues. "You better get back out there before anyone notices you're gone."

I don't get a chance to respond before the sound of the door slamming behind him startles me. He seems angry and that makes me think he already regrets it. After barely finding the strength to collect myself, I exit the room in just enough time to be crowned.

***

My heels click loudly on the pavement as I walk up the driveway after Judah dropped me off. I convinced him I wasn't feeling well and that he should go to the after party without me. He reluctantly agreed when I promised to call him later. That was a lie. How could I possibly think about being with Judah again when literally all I think about is Hunter?

I almost walk directly to the guest house, but something stops me. It's not a game to me anymore, and to be honest, I'm not sure it ever was. What's been happening between me and Hunter always felt so much more than that. The worst part is—I don't know how to handle those feelings. I've never had them before.

After changing out of my dress, I've been staring out of my window down to his. The lights are still on, and I've been home for almost two hours now. It's like I can't move even though I want to. When my phone buzzes with an incoming text, I jump. My heart pounds in my chest as I swipe the screen to unlock it.

A laugh escapes me so forceful I cover my mouth with my hand. The tears that follow aren't from sadness. He knows this is hard for me, and despite how frustrating I know I'm being, he's still trying to make me feel better.

I don't sit and wallow in my doubt any longer. I barely glance in the mirror on my way to the stairs. I make it through the house as quietly as I can and practically jog across the patio to the guest house. The lights that were on before are now off except for the small lamp in the hallway.

The pounding in my chest resumes when I enter his bedroom and see him lying on his back in the darkness. He removes one of his hands from resting on his chest and pulls the covers down by his side.

When I hesitate again, he smirks at me. "Don't make me beg, Elle."

My legs suddenly feel weak, but I will them to move forward and crawl under the covers next to him. He turns and pulls me to his chest and then kisses the side of my head. I relax against him, instantly feeling calmer.

We don't say anything for the longest time. He runs his hand through the back of my hair, and I cling to him, desperately searching for the words I want to tell him. They're on the tip of my tongue when he speaks first.

"I hated leaving you like that, but that's not what I planned on happening when I pushed you into that room."

My heart constricts in my chest. He regrets it. The last thing I want is his pity, so I decide to let him off the hook.

"It's fine. I know it didn't mean anything."

His hand freezes in my hair and he cranes his neck back. "Elliot, look at me."

I press my face into his chest for a moment before picking my head up and catching the shock on his. "What?" I whisper.

His brows furrow and then he leans down and cups the side of my face with his hand. "How could you think being with you like that didn't mean anything?"

I shake my head and try to pull away from him, but he holds me so I can't. "Don't do that," he says softly. "Stay with me in this moment. Tell me what you're thinking—please."

My eyes squeeze closed, unable to face him. "I don't want to be a casual fling to you. I want more than that."

I'm still too afraid to open my eyes, and I feel his lips on my cheek. They move to my lips, and I release a strangled sigh into his mouth. He kisses me once more and then runs his thumb across my bottom lip.

"Look at me, baby."

The softness of his words makes my eyes flutter open. He smiles and continues to caress the pad of his thumb along the side of my face. "Elliot, you literally mean everything to me. How could you not know that?"

I take a shaky breath. "You never told me."

"I know my actions may seem confusing to you, but this is a first for me." He stares directly into my eyes as he speaks, and it paralyzes me. "I've tried to stay away from you, but I don't think I can anymore."

Panic creeps its way inside of me again, and my hands grip his waist to keep him close to me. "I don't want you to. I don't want anyone else but you."

He smiles, but there's still sadness behind it. He brushes the hair from my forehead and continues to study my face. I don't know what he's looking for, but I've never been more honest in my life.

He swallows roughly. "I don't want you to be with anyone else." His hand slides down my side and hooks my leg, drawing it over his. He leans down and presses his forehead to mine. "I want you here with me. Just me."

"That's all I'm asking for," I whisper over his lips.

With our bodies tangled together like this it's easy to forget about all of the things we still need to talk about. I still have no idea what he thinks he's saving me from by not being with me. The talk I had with Ollie on the bleachers flashes in my mind, and as quickly as it comes, I push it away. I don't want to think about all of the reasons we shouldn't do this. All I want is to feel as good as I feel right now. It's a risk I'm willing to take.