"Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"It's senior prom Chloe," I answered, taking my PJs out of my wardrobe. "I'm not allowed until I have a senior date."

"But you have." She whispered, and my heart pinged again.

"It's over between us."

"No, it's not Lilly." I closed my wardrobe and leaned my back on it. "Andrew is miserable without you and don't pretend you haven't noticed."

I haven't because I did everything I could to avoid him. There was only around a month left before he graduate and then I will never see him again.

The thought made my stomach twist so hard that I want to puke but I ignored it just like my aching heart.

"It was for the better."

"You should think about it, Lilly. A minor bump shouldn't be the reason for a life full of sadness."

"It was a minute we were ok and then the next second we were fighting. Things like this do not work a long way. My parents never fought and look how happy they are."

"Not all couples are the same." She sighed. "And your parents obviously won't fight in front of their daughter. What if they do it secretly? You'll never know."

This was one of the few times Chloe made sense, but I didn't want to accept it. A car honk came from behind her and she whispered.

"They're here."

"Have fun," I said in my best cheerful voice.

"Lilly-"

"Chloe please." I clutched my PJs to my chest.

"Alright..." she murmured. "I'll call you when I come back."

"Ok..." My voice came out so low that it was barely even a whisper. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, and take care of yourself, my love." She said, and I hung up.

Taking a deep breath, I placed my phone on the study table and walked out of my room to the bathroom. I did my night routine and changed into my PJs. Standing in front of the mirror, I brushed my teeth and examined my face.

My eyes were puffy and now dry with the number of tears I shed. My nose was red, and a little scraped by all the furious movement of mine cleaning my running nose.

I spit the paste out of my mouth and rinsed it, then washed my face and walked back to my room.

After getting things over with Andrew, I thought I will feel relief from the guilt, but it was the opposite. My heart cried out loud and I couldn't control it as I wept with it. My parents got worried about me and I truthfully told them about my relationship with Andrew and how I ended it.

Mom thought it was stupid of me and a little fight shouldn't ruin something beautiful, but she was wrong. It wasn't about something little; it was about trust.

Andrew and I met in a situation that we didn't have control over. I never imagined dating him knowing his reputation, but I still did. Andrew is a great guy beneath that playboy facade and it made me fall in love with him.

After the fight we had at Ben's house, I knew things were going to be different and before I hurt myself more than that; I wanted to end things with him. I cried the whole night and I couldn't handle the suffering that came with it. It stung my heart so much that I thought I'll stop breathing.

Things were on edge between us until the next day he came to my house apologizing. I wanted to step up and end it there, but when I looked into his hopeful electric blue eyes. I couldn't.

I should have listened to the rational thinking of my brain, but I blocked it and followed my heart, giving it another chance.

But it was a mistake.

When Madeleine burst out, I felt nothing because I saw it coming. Clichés' secrets were like dominoes and when one got hit, the others fell with it.

It was hard to digest for everyone and no one blamed me because they were grateful for me for keeping their secret, but I knew things would not be the same between them and that's what happened.

When Andrew's eyes darted to me that day, I saw nothing but a dull stare and I knew what was coming. So I made a decision that day.

The decision I knew will break me apart, but I wanted to save myself from future heartbreak. I stepped up and ended things.

For the past ten days, I felt nothing but numb, as every night I cried over it. Andrew never talked to not like I was near him and I avoided him with every chance I got.

All this time I kept chanting to myself that I did the right thing, but there still was a nagging feeling telling me otherwise, and I didn't want to listen to it.

I saved us from an awful torment that was bound to happen in the future, so I should be happy, but I wasn't. I thought it'll take only a few days for me to heal from this, but it was a lie.

And that made me realize I do lie... Without realizing it, I lied to the surrounding people. I kept saying I wasn't to feel better, but that was yet another one of the big fat lies.

I entered my room and closed the door behind me, knowing I'll end up having another crying session and I didn't want my parents to worry more than they already have.

The first thing my eyes went to was AJ Junior. It was like yesterday we were on our first and only date and he got me this. How flushed he was just at the thought of kissing me, and we did.

I had my first kiss, and it was magical.

I'll never forget that day.

But I need to.

I grabbed AJ Junior and crouched near my bed. Bending down to peek down my bed, I took my donation box out and sat on the floor with crossed legs. I didn't have many things to donate, but I did whatever I could do.

I placed AJ Junior in it and my eyes went to the new book I placed among the books I've read a hundred times. I picked up 'Bullied' and stared at it.

I never gave a new book away, not until I read them to the extent I remember everything on every page, but I gave this book because it reminded me of the first time Andrew came into my room. He looked so big standing in the middle of my tiny room and it intimated me but I tried to be cool as I could even though from inside I was shaking.

I flipped the pages and could still smell the fresh scent of the book when it stopped on the bookmark.

The booth picture of me and Andrew.

A tear dropped onto the page, wetting it, and I closed the book. I threw the book back in my box and began crying.

I leaned my back to the bedside and pulled my legs to my chest as I cried.

I shouldn't be crying when I was the one who ended it.

But I couldn't.

I couldn't because I knew what I did was wrong and stupid of me.

"Coward... You're such a coward, Lillian." I whispered to myself as I buried my face in my legs. "You couldn't handle a little fight and run away like a coward from the boy you love."

I sniffed as I pulled my legs closer to myself.

"You're selfish... And a liar... You only care about yourself and look where it got you." I continued. "You didn't want to get your heart broken and look what you did... You broke it... As well as the boy you love."

I cried, knowing I wanted to take it back. I wanted to go back running into Andrew's arms, apologizing to him, and begging him for taking me back. But why would he get back to the girl who broke his heart?

Abruptly a wind blew, making me shiver, and I halted. I remembered closing the window and there wasn't any other way of wind coming into my room. I deliberately moved my head and my eyes bugged out of my sockets when I saw him standing in front of me.

Am I dreaming?

Or am I died because of all the crying?"

"You're very much alive." He answered, making my shoulder tense in realizing that I said it out loud.

He kneeled in front of me, looking as handsome as ever in his black tuxedo. His chest heaved like he had run a marathon and his brown hair disheveled falling over his electric eyes, which were scrutinizing me. He opened his mouth and my heart stopped beating when he said.

"I love you."

~•~ • ~•~ • ~•~

"Now we need to pick up Chloe and Louis," Brittany instructed the limo driver, and he nodded his head as Tiana settled in her seat.

Brittany and I were sitting in the middle of the limo while Ben, Toby, and Tiana were on the left side, and Nate, Maddie, and Jordan were on the right. All of us were on our way to the prom, but none of us were ecstatic about it. We looked like kids who were forced to go there.

Forced by Brittany.

"Can I drink it now?" I asked Brittany the nth time eyeing the wine bottle in her hands.

"No," she growled, clenching it towards her chest. "I'm not letting you get drunk before the event even starts."

"Come on!" I groaned and dropped my head on the car seat. "No one gives a damn about it. I mean, look at us!"

"You need to take a chill pill, dude," Jordan grumbled beside Maddie, who hasn't said a word since she got in.

"Me?" I pointed at myself.

"Lilly left you because of your foolishness," Ben said, plopping his arm around Toby's shoulder. "Now you're making it worse than is it."

"How?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

"By getting drunk." Nate scoffed. "Drowning yourself in alcohol won't help you."

"Oh, it won't?" I blinked my eyes at him, acting oblivious.

"Will you shut it?" Maddie shot me a glare. "You're giving me a headache with your sloppy sorry a**."

"What will do Maddie?" I raised my brows at her. "Cut me?" Her eyes widened while Jordan snapped.

"You better not say that again a**wipe or I'll forget who you are."

"Jo threatening me for a girl." I snorted. "That's new."

"Enough!" Brittany cut our staring contest. "You need to put your sh*t together, Drew. Just because a girl broke up with doesn't mean it's the end of the world-"

"It all happened because of them!" I gestured towards them. "If it weren't for their bullsh*t, Lillian and I would be together going to this stupid prom like we were supposed to!"

"It wasn't because of them," Toby said and I darted my gaze to him. "You did it yourself by pushing her."

"I didn't-"

"Exactly!" Maddie chimed in. "You were the accusing her of it."

"She never lied to you." Tiana sighed.

"She was just keeping our crap a secret," Ben grumbled, and Nate backed him.

"Just like we asked her to."

"Like I said..." I gritted through my teeth. "It's all your fault."

"That's it!" Brittany snapped. "You all look like you're forced to come here and would prefer to be in the gutter rather than this!"

"You threatened us to come!" We shouted simultaneously.

"I did that because I was tired of all the clusterf**k you guys have created!" She screamed in frustration. "But it has to end now."

"What-" Ben frowned, but Brittany cut it.

"It all started with you!" She pointed at him. "If you trusted your friends to not judge you like right now, there wasn't any need for you to have a secret relationship."

"Hey!" Ben shrieked, but she ignored him to point her finger next to Tiana.

"We are having that baby even though its father is a f**king cheater and d**khead." Tiana frowned but said nothing.

"Maddie is crazy, which we already know, and Jordan likes crazy, nothing new."

"What the..." She dismissed their protest and eyed Nate.

"And you are into older women. Who knew!" She threw her hands in the air. "All of you have some kind of sick, twisted things going around, but if you had some guts to tell each other, then things would've been easy." She then whirled her head towards. "And what the f**k are you even doing here?"

"Excuse me-" She held her finger, cutting me off as the car came to a halt.

"You are not the quitter that gives up easily on the girl he loves." Everyone let out a gasp except the twins like they didn't already know. "Man the f**k up and go get your girl."

"She doesn't want to be with me." I folded my arms. "I wanted to talk to her since she ended things, but she avoided me like I was some kind of disease."

"Then make her." She smirked. "You have a lot to say to her, then tell her."

"Didn't you hate her?" I eyed Brittany. "You were the one who was opposed to me asking her out."

"I was." She waves her hand in dismissal. "But I'm also tired of your pouting a**."

I glanced at my friends, and they looked at me with stupid grins on their faces. The door busted open and Louis entered, following Chloe.

"Hey everyone!" He paused when he saw us. "What did I miss?"

"A lot."

"Now where to?" The limo driver asked, looking at us through the rare view mirror.

Brittany and I side glanced at each other and smirked.

"Next stop the Smiths!"

~•~ • ~•~ • ~•~

I bounced on my steps as I waited for the door to open and when it did, Mr. Smith stood in front of me with a frown.

Not good.

"Hello, Mr. Smith. I'm here to see-"

BANG!

"-Lillian." My shoulders slumped as I stared at the closed door.

Alright, he knows.

Exhaling a breath, I took a step back and looked around the house as I tried to calm my breath. The stupid limo driver refused to enter Lillian's street, saying it will be difficult for him to make a turn, so I had to run to her house.

I ran fingers through my hair, and then an idea clicked in my head. I walked to the left side of the house, looking for the window of Lillian's room, and found it. The lights were on, which meant she was still awake.

Good.

There was no tree nearby for me to climb, so I observed the pipe attached to the wall and tested my weight on it.

It looks strong enough.

Let's pray I don't break any bones.

With that, I began climbing it. This was the first time I was doing such a thing, but the first time for everything, right?

My suit jacket was making it hard for me and I should have taken it off, but I was already halfway through. I balanced my foot on the pipe as I slowly creaked the window open and saw Lillian sitting on the floor with her arms around her knees, and she cried.

My heart ached at the sight of it and I carefully flung my leg then another and entered her room.

"You're selfish... And a liar... You only care about yourself and look where it got you." I heard her mumble as I stood in front of her. "You didn't want to get your heart broken and look what you did... You broke it... As well as the boy you love."

I freeze when she said that.

She loves me...

Lillian Smith f**king loves me!

The cold air blew from the window, making her visibly shiver, and she slowly angled her neck. Her eyes widened when saw me and whispered without realizing it.

"Am I dreaming? Or am I died because of all the crying?"

"You're very much alive," I answered, making her shoulders tense, and I kneeled in front of her.

My chest heaved as I took breaths to calm my racing heart and scrutinized her. Her eyes were puffy and red as tears still rolled down her cheek and she looked at me in disbelief like I wasn't real.

"I love you," I said, looking deep into her green ones, and repeated. "I love you Lillian Smith and you're the most selfless and kind person I've ever met and most of all... You are not a liar."

"Andrew." She jerked up and stood on her feet like she just processed it. "What are you doing here-"

"I'm here to make you mine." I stepped closer to her.

"You're making no sense." She sniffed and cleaned the tears from her face with the back of her hands. "You need to leave."

"I need to leave?" I raised my brows at her.

I would've left.

I would've done that like the previous time because I want her to be happy, even if it was without me.

But I know she isn't. Not when I heard her confessing. She's acting to be strong and wants to stay away from me because of my stupidness and I need to fix it.

"Yes." She nodded and turned around towards the door, but I caught her arm.

"Look into my eyes again and say that you don't love me and I'll leave," I said, but she didn't turn.

"Don't make this hard-"

"I'm making it easy for us, Lillian." I squeezed her arm and let it go. "You wanna know another secret?"

"Don't." She clenched her fist to her sides, but I didn't stop.

"I love you from the day you burst out at me for ruining the chandelier at the fundraiser. But I was stupid for not realizing it. I thought I was in love before. Bullsh*t... What I feel for you." I put a hand on my rapid-beating heart. "Is what love is."

"Stop..." I saw her shoulders shaking but continued.

"And I'm also a coward. I'm the same as my friends and pretended to be someone I'm not, but you saw me from inside Lillian." I gulped and continued when she still didn't turn. "You saw right through me and it scared me. I didn't want to be vulnerable, but I... f**k that."

"I know whatever happened wasn't your fault, and I didn't want to believe it because it f**ks my ego. What an a**hole I am, right?" I snorted. "You were at the wrong place at the wrong time, that's all, and I'm glad you were."

"What?" She looked over her shoulder.

"I'm glad you were. Because if you haven't caught Ben making out, no matter how f**kedup that is, then Brittany would have never kidnapped you, and we..." I took a step towards her. "Would have never met."

"Andrew..." She finally turned around and my heart clenched when a saw a tear rolling down her cheeks. "I..."

"You don't have to say anything." I placed my hands on her cheeks and wiped the tears with my thumb. "If you need time. I'll give it to you, but remember this." I kissed her forehead and heard her sigh as her shoulders relaxed. "You're mine."

"I don't need time." She whispered when I leaned back. "I'm sorry for pushing you away. I got scared, and I didn't want to get hurt. Despite that, we did." She darted her gaze between mine. "I-I can't pretend I'm ok without you because I'm not and... I love you, Andrew."

My heart blossomed in happiness, and a huge grin took over my face.

"And I love you, Lillian."

I leaned my face towards her and her eyes fluttered close as I pressed my lips to hers. She placed her hands on my jaw and slid them up to my hair, gripping them tightly. A groan let out of my throat and she shivered, but we didn't stop.

This kiss was different from before.

This one was full of love.

No secrets.

Just us.

I dragged my hands from her face to her arms, ending on her waist. We broke the kiss to breathe, and I pulled her into a hug and buried my face in the crook of her neck. She creased her fingers in my hair and my eyes closed to the soothing feeling.

"Andrew?" I hummed in a daze and took a deep inhale of her sweet scent. "What about prom?"

"F**k it," I mumbled and leaned back, looking into her eyes. "I'll go next year with you."

Her smile stretched into a full-blown grin, and she bit her lips. "Really?"

"Lillian Smith. Will you go to your prom next year with me?" I asked, earning a giggle from her.

I love this girl!

"I would love to-" her words turn into a muffle when I pressed my lips to hers again.

I know it was a last-minute break-up make-up but it was needed to clear a few things.