As I went for the door, I was instantly met with it opening again, Jake quickly making his way inside, shutting and locking it behind him. My heart jumped as he flashed me a smile, reaching out and grabbing me by the waist, pulling me into a passionate kiss. I didn't hesitate to wrap my arms around his neck, my fingers moving into his hair as I kissed him back harder, having wanted nothing more than to be in his arms again.

It was amazing how quickly I could forget about life around me when he was here, how simple everything became when it was just me and him; it just made sense, everything suddenly coming second to the feeling he gave me.

I then felt him lift me up, quietly laughing but still refusing to move away as he carefully placed me down on the counter, eventually staring back up at me with dazed eyes.

"How was your sleep?" He asked, gently brushing the hair out of my face, carefully tucking it behind my ear. I couldn't help but smile.

"I've had better." I sighed, my eyes moving back down to his lips. He shook his head, giggling to himself as he pulled me into another long kiss, now holding my face in his hands.

"It would've been better if I could've laid with you." I said softly, grabbing onto his shirt, pulling him in closer. He nodded, his face dropping.

"I know.. I'm sorry." He said, taking my hand. I gently ran my fingers over his, feeling his ring.

"You know, Leah noticed we were still wearing our rings." He nodded, smirking back at me.

"Yeah.. I heard her." I couldn't help but smile, feeling my cheeks burn.

"So you heard everything else too?" I asked. He nodded, playfully rolling his eyes.

"So.. what did you used to say about me to everyone?" I laughed, moving my hands up his chest. He held his dazey-eyed stare on me, trying to contain his smile.

"Don't worry about it." He giggled, pulling me back into a series of gentle kisses. Each one better, sweeter than the next.

"Well, I think she's onto us."

"Should we.. take them off then?" He asked, his face now unsure. I shook my head, holding onto him tighter.

"I don't want to." I muttered. "I.. I don't want to hide us at all."

"I know, I just-"

"What we are is no one else's business. I'm sorry you promised that to him but.. this has to do with me too. I mean, this has everything to do with me, and I don't want to hide us anymore." He bit down on his lip, staying quiet.

"I don't want to go home, but I'm not gonna stay here if we have to act like friends. We're not friends, and we never will be again. I came here for you, to be with you, and.. if you can't give me that, then-"

"Don't go." He said, his eyes getting wider.

"Then.. I'm keeping my ring on. And I'm not acting like we're not together anymore."

"But when we were back home-"

"Jake, when we were back home, it was different. It was so new that.. it was suspicious that we would have gotten together so quickly. This is different. And I feel like he knows about us anyway. I promise, I won't let this overshadow anything. I'm going to go to school, when it's time, but.. you don't get to make those decisions for me."

He nodded, now avoiding my eyes.

"You're right." He sighed, gently intertwining our fingers. "I just.. I never wanted him to hate me, and I feel like.. because of us, well.. now he does."

"He could never hate you, Jake." He shrugged, staying quiet.

"And.. I don't know.." He muttered, his voice trailing off.

"You.. don't know.. what?"

"Sometimes I feel like you miss him too." My heart sunk. I did, but.. not in the way I missed him. Not in the way I would always miss him if anything ever happened to us.

I reached over, gently caressing his face, pulling him into a long kiss.

"Do you know how happy I am to finally be yours?" I asked. He smirked back at me, subtly shaking his head.

"Well, I am." I laughed, kissing him again. "When I'm with you.. I can't think about anything, or anyone else."

"Really?" He muttered, his smile growing. I nodded, running my fingers through his hair.

"Can we.. talk about it later tonight?" He asked. I sighed, knowing that this was as much as I was going to get him to budge for now, so I might as well take what I could get.

"Okay." I sighed, forcing a smile. "But.. I want to watch you from your side of the stage tonight." He leaned in for another quick kiss before taking my hands and helping me off of the counter.

"Okay."

"And I'm not taking my ring off." I added, staring back up at him.

"Neither am I." He sighed, taking my hand and leading us towards the door and out into the hallway.

I held on tight, leaning my head on his shoulder as he guided us through, careful to walk slightly ahead of me, blocking me from chaos of backstage, everyone pushing past in every which way, always thinking they were that much more important than the next person.

I loved when he protected me.

But then my heart sunk as he dropped my hand right before we made our way into the wings, picking up his pace, now a few steps ahead of me. He went over, grabbing his guitar and lifted it over his head, positioning it into place. I stood back against the wall, tightly crossing my arms against my chest as I watched, suddenly feeling dumb for wanting so badly to be with someone who was so quick to try and hide me.

He peeked over at me, giving me a gentle smile before looking out at the crowd from behind the curtain. I loved getting to see him like this, finally in his own element, but.. I had always dreamed that it would feel.. different? Not meshing into the shadows, blending into the walls like just another piece of furniture in his life.

It was what I was always terrified would happen.

He was always too big for our town, we all knew it.

He was meant for bigger and better..

And he was finally getting it.

So what if someone like me.. only held him back?

I knew he loved me, there was no denying that. I knew that. But what if he was right? What if.. we were on two different paths? Was I being selfish trying to mesh our worlds together? Was he? Because in what world does someone like him end up with someone like me?

But maybe..

Maybe in this life.. he could.

Maybe, finally, someone like me could be the girl that wins, that gets the guy she's always dreamed of. Because.. that's what he was, that's what he's always been; the guy you wrote about in your diary, writing your name alongside his just to see how it would sound after you got married, naming your hypothetical kids and dreaming up your perfect fairytale wedding together, whatever that would mean for him too. The guy you secretly watched from the back of class as girls, far prettier than you, gathered around his desk and flashed him their perfect smiles, batting their perfectly made up eyes, hoping, praying for just a morsel of his attention. The guy you pictured standing next to you as you twirled around in the dressing room, admiring yourself in the perfect prom dress that was way above budget, but your mom insisted, because for one night you deserved to feel like royalty, but what was a princess without her prince charming?

Maybe this time, it didn't have to be too good to be true. Maybe this time, the one everyone wanted.. could want me, despite everything, and we'd get through it, we could get through anything.. together.

When he looked back at me, I thought my heart was going to burst. I could see his smile from the glare of the stage lights, perfectly illuminating his face, his eyes glowing the most brilliant shade of gold that you only noticed when you fell in love with someone with brown eyes; suddenly they were the most beautiful thing in the world.

He made his way over to me, pushing his guitar behind him as he reached back up for me, gently holding my face in his hands. I stared back up at him, dizzy with the mere thought of our future together.

"I love you." I sighed, unable to contain my lovestruck gaze. His smile grew into a toothy grin as he pulled me into a deep kiss, his fingers slowly moving into my hair, tangling themselves within.

"I love you, Jaime. I love you so much."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him in closer, my smile growing as I felt him slowly start to sway back and forth, and suddenly the rest of the world disappeared around us, leaving me within this dream that I've had for as long as I could remember.

"Jaime.. I don't want to hide us either." He sighed. "I have never been so happy, and.. we deserve this. And.. I'd be so stupid not to finally.. live within it. I've dreamed about you my entire life. And now.. you're here. You're mine. I'm yours.. and I've never been happier." I couldn't help but smile, completely mesmerized.

"Neither have I." I said softly, swaying along, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"Jaime.. what if.. what if our rings meant.. more?" My heart jumped as I looked back up at him.

"Jake.. w-what.. what do you mean?" I asked, feeling like I knew exactly what he meant.

"I mean.." He giggled. "What if-"

"Jaime?" I heard from behind us. My stomach dropped, my entire body going cold.

I'd know that voice anywhere.