Brynn sits back and she glares at me. If looks could kill I'd be dead. "I hate you sometimes."

I grin slightly at her. "I know but I also know now that you love me too. I'm just hoping it's enough?"

"Enough for what?"

"For you to trust me, to put your clothes back on, for me to take you home, for you to believe in tomorrow. We aren't running out of time Brynn, we've only just discovered that we have it."

She stands up and lets out a frustrated yell. This did not bode well for me.

"Of all the..." She paces the boxcar, "Jesus, Finn... could your timing be any worse."

I stand up too.

"You think you're the only one frustrated! Brynn, I think about you constantly. I fantasize about you even more and I have you right now standing there less than two feet away from me in those skinny jeans and a lace bra but damn it, Brynn, I don't want our first time to be in a boxcar outside of school on some deserted train track!" I raise my voice although I don't mean to. However, I'm exasperated.

"The only reason I see for going through with this is if we convince ourselves that this is it. This is the only moment we will ever have and I don't believe that. I don't want to believe that, but... maybe you do."

"I've been diagnosed with cancer, Finn and you want me to believe in time? It's a terminal disease."

"It can be terminal, and it can be curable. I'm not giving up on you. I won't ever give up on you."

"You're asking me to make a promise I can't keep!"

I stride over to her and grab her arms again.

"I'm not asking for promises. Do you love me?"

"Yes."

"Do you want me?"

"God, yes."

"Then give me the gift of time, Brynn. Your time. However long it is. That's all I'm asking for. I understand it will never be enough, but I want it. As much as I want you."

Brynn lets out a long, slow sigh. Her shoulders slumped in surrender.

"You win Finn. You have it. You have all of me. I'm all in."

I crush her to me. I have won many championships in my lifetime but none of them compare to this feeling I have right now. I pull her away from me and say, "You won't regret this."

I follow her gaze to our discarded clothing on the floor. "You wanna bet?"

I chuckle and walk over to pick up her shirt, handing it to her because I can only take so much. Once she slides it back on, I admit, "Okay maybe we both will, a little."

I start to button my shirt up when she pushes my hands aside. She slides her hands around my back and nuzzles against me. She really is a tiny thing. She starts again with small kisses on my bare skin.

"Brynn..."

"What? Can't we have a little more fun before it's all taken away again?"

"What exactly do you propose?"

"We don't have to have sex..."

"Make love." I correct her.

She grins up at me. "Make love and I'm not at all experienced but I'm pretty sure there are other ways we can ... mess around isn't there?"

"There most definitely is and I'll teach you what those ways are... later." I honestly don't trust myself at this moment. My body is practically vibrating with unspent sexual energy. I'm pretty sure I'd fail in the restraint department if I am put to the test."

"Finn, I'm not ready to face reality just yet. When we step from this boxcar I have to go back to a place where you don't exist anymore. You're not even supposed to be allowed, within 500 feet of me, remember?"

I sigh. Why do I always forget that? "Damn it! Why does everything have to be so complicated?" I say hugging her to me.

She holds on tight. "Just a little more time, Finn. That's all I'm asking for, a little more time with you."

I look down at her and I can deny her nothing. We would not go all the way but I wasn't going to let her walk away empty-handed. In fact, I change tactics. I'm going to ensure there is no way in hell she'll ever think to leave during these next few months we have to spend apart.

I'm not going to tell you what we did in that boxcar because that is between Brynn and me but let's just say I thought I would be teaching her a few things only to discover once again from Brynn, the novice, I have infinitely more to learn. I've never had a girl come to life in my arms the way she does.

I lay here with her head on my chest. "I don't want to go home," I tell her. She rolls slightly so she can look at me. "I can't go home."

My eyes widen... "What do you mean?"

"I mean home to me... is right here with you. I'll go back with my Dad but this..." she places her hand over my heart, "this is where I belong. I think it really is the first time in my life, I've ever felt I belonged anywhere."

I sit up, causing her to move with me. This is stupid. This is absurd. "I have to talk to your dad."

"What?! No?! No, Finn. I can't have to take that risk. He will lock you up. I don't want your future ruined because of me."

"Don't you get it? I have no future without you, Brynn. I can't let you go through everything you have facing you alone. I can't." I feel a level of desperation I've never felt before.

"I have to convince him to let me be a part of your life." I check my phone for the time. I'll have to get back soon. My parents expect me to home at a certain time from the prom, but I don't want to say goodbye.

I see several texts from Adam. "Shit!"

"What's wrong?"

"I promised Adam. I'd let him know the minute I found you. He's been stuck at the prom because I have his car. He could go home with Paris in the limo but he must be going crazy." I send off a quick text.

"Found her. She's safe and coming home." I send the same text to Brynn's grandmother.

I get an instant reply. "Thank GOD! Gone home with Paris. Where are you now?" it was from Adam.

I ignore his question. I know that's not right but I don't want to say where we are. I'm still trying to decide what happens next.

I see a few more texts from my parents. I quickly read them over and I make up my mind about my next move. "Come on, we need to get dressed and get out of here."

Brynn puts her hand on my arm. "What is it?"

I should know better than to believe I can keep anything from her. "We're going back to my house."

"What? Finn, no I can't my dad..."

"He's already there Brynn."

Her brows furrow. "What do you mean he's already there?"

"I mean your dad has been out searching for you just like Adam and me. He doesn't believe I'm at the prom. He's at my house waiting for me to return."

I get up and quickly start to dress and so does Brynn. "Then you need to go back to the Prom. You and Adam switch places again. Your alibi will be sealed uptight. There's no way he can ..."

She pauses since she sees I'm shaking my head no.

"The prom ended over an hour ago. He knows I would have been back by now. The only way to get through this is together." I hold my hand out to her. "Do you trust me?"

Brynn hesitantly nods her head yes and takes my hand. "It's going to be alright."

"How do you know?"

"I don't. I believe I found you for a reason and that reason is that we belong together. I have to stand up for that belief." I help her out of the boxcar and give her one more kiss, more than a kiss, a promise.

I leave Adam's car on the street. I'll help him pick it up tomorrow. If I'm not arrested... I push that thought aside. We get to her car and she hands me the keys. Her hand is shaking. "I just can't..."

I take the keys and her hand, bringing it to my lips. "I know. It's okay. I got this."

I drive us to my house. The moment I get out of the car I have a six-foot-plus man barreling down the walkway towards me. "I knew it! You son of a...! I'm going to kill you."

My mom screams my name as Brynn's dad grips me up and slams me into the side of the car.

Brynn gets out and is screaming at her dad to let me go.

"I'll deal with your little stunt later," he tells her. My dad pulls him off of me. He easily lets me go but pulls out his phone, steps aside and hits a button.

My Dad is asking me if I'm okay, when we hear, "Yes, I have a restraining order that someone has violated. You're going down!" he says to me.

Brynn grabs his phone from his hand and chucks it full force across the street.

"What the...?"

"I'm am so SICK of you not listening to me!" Brynn screams at him. She's in a rage she pushes both her hands against her father's chest with such force he actually stumbles back a step or two.

"If it wasn't for Finn. I wouldn't be standing here at this moment! Do you get that?!" She pushes him again. "I had my bags packed. I was going to leave and never look back."

"Leave? Where? Why would you...?"

I come up behind Brynn and put my hand on her shoulder. She shrugs me off. She's too mad. "Brynn, let's take this inside." I try to reason.

She turns on her heel and storms off towards my house, the door is wide open so she walks right in. Her dad has no choice but to follow. My mom and dad share a look of concern... but I tell them what I told Brynn. "Everything is going to be alright."

My dad put his arm around my shoulders as we follow the other two into the house. "I don't know about that kiddo but your mom and I are sure as hell going to try to make sure of it."

"You won't have to," I tell them. "I know what I need to do."