"It's okay to admit it," Cam whispers in my ear.

I push my ass into him, grinding my hips along with the music as it pumps into the hall rented out each year for homecoming. We've been on this dance floor for the last hour, his hands running laps across my exposed skin.

"Admit what?" I pant, unsure if I'm actually out of breath from dancing or the fact Cam's breath along my neck feels devilishly good. Who am I kidding? My inability to catch my breath is one hundred percent the result of Cam's firm body against mine.

"That I look good in a crown."

And leave it to his cocky mouth to ruin a moment. Except, that small pitter-patter inside my chest reminds me how much I'm obsessed with that mouth.

I spin around, bringing our chests together as I look up at his homecoming king crown. The gold glistens within the lights on the dance floor, springing off of it in blinding luminescent color.

Damn. He's right. He looks real freaking good in a crown.

"There's a part of me that wants to disagree with you on principle," I begin, bringing my eyes back to his. "But you do look hot in a crown."

His smile widens, the shade across his irises growing deeper in depth. Drawn like magnets, his lips meet mine. The music buzzes around us, slowly shifting from the pounding, steady beat to something much softer. Within the slow thrum of a slow song, I let myself collapse into Cam's arms. There's just something about kissing him. The way his lips feel against mine, their plush softness like a sultry cloud. And his tongue, don't even get me started on the smooth way he works around my mouth. I'm pretty sure if kissing were an Olympic sport, he'd be rocking medals like Michael Phelps.

I let my hands drift along his shoulders, slowly bringing my fingers into his hair at the base of his neck. His hands drop around my waist to pull me against him. As we slowly sway to the music, he pulls back, his eyes gently rolling open.

"Do you want to get out of here?"

I search his gaze, unsure if he's being completely sincere. "There's still a good hour left before the bonfire."

His eyes hold mine for a moment longer. Slowly, he reaches a hand to my face, tucking a styled curl behind my ear. "I was thinking maybe we skip the bonfire."

The senior bonfire is a tradition. After every homecoming, the senior's throw a bonfire on the beach and stay the night. It has never exactly appealed to me. Do they know how cold it gets at night along the ocean? But this is Cam's senior year. And for him, having this moment with his team, with his friends, is something I want him to have.

"Cam, it's tradition."

"I know. And if you really want to, we can. But I've never had a desire to freeze my ass off. And besides, it's your birthday."

I smile at his words. "My birthday is in two days."

His smile matches mine as he places a kiss along my lips. "Weekend. It's your birthday weekend. Come on, let's get out of here. I have something I want to show you."

"Cam," I say, reaching for his hand and pulling him back against me. "You've already given me everything."

His smile catches the corner of his mouth as he brings his hand back to my face. "Not everything."

——

"Isn't your uncle home?" I question as Cam pulls into his driveway.

"He is. But he said he'd be at his buddy's until late since I had the bonfire anyway."

I nod, looking back at the very vacant house. But before my mind wanders to all the places it shouldn't, Cam's hand is in mine. Slowly, I turn back to face him.

"I want to show you something." The honesty behind his words catches something in my chest. All feathery whispers of doubt dissipate, his eyes the only thing that seem to steady me.

"Okay."

My hand in his, we walk down the short pathway to his house. Though I've been here plenty of times, there's something different about this moment. The small lights along the cemented path up to his door shine the most perfect circles on the ground. The bushes that line the wall beside the front door are freshly groomed, causing me to wonder if it's something his uncle took care of while he's home.

He brings his key to the door, turning the lock and slowly pushing it open. Letting me enter first, I step inside the small entryway. He hits the light behind me as he guides us both back to the yard just beyond the kitchen.

I don't question the destination. I just follow his lead out the sliding door and back into the cold.

"Wait here," he whispers along my cheek before leaving behind a soft kiss. His hand slips from mine as he jogs over to the side of the house.

There's something about the quiet of night. The dark sky lit up by a vast array of twinkling lights, the moon on spotlight. But it's the distant rhythm of grasshoppers and the faint whisper of an owl that adds a sense of serenity to the night sky. Taking a breath, I breathe in the crisp, cool air and let it fill my lungs.

Just as I'm about to close my eyes and revel in the moment, the yard instantly lights up. Nearly jumping from the sudden change, I let my eyes drift across the bushes lining the fence. They're covered in tiny white lights. Slowly, I switch my attention to the gazebo now highlighted in those same white lights. Intertwined around the poles and working their way all the way around.

That's not all. Lights hang from the small trees along the yard and line the fence in winter wonderland bliss. My hand falls to my mouth, the utter shock and disbelief mixed with the sheer beauty in front of me.

"This is meant for you," Cam's voice flutters behind me.

I turn to see him standing, the shadow of hundreds of white lights dancing peacefully across his skin. But that's not what catches my breath. It's the small crystal infused crown between his fingertips. He raises it so the light bounces off, shimmering magnificently beneath the night sky.

He takes a step forward and my eyes catch his, my heart frozen within my chest. "Cam..."

Another step forward and his chest is mere inches from mine. He lifts his arms, gently placing the crown atop my head. "And this year's Homecoming queen goes to the one and only Mackenzie Cooper."

The heat behind my eyes takes over, flooding them with tears as my chest ignites. I told him what it meant to me to live this version of a life, one within the shadowed footsteps of my mom. But standing here within the arms of a boy who's seen me in ways no one has ever taken the time to, is far past anything I could have ever ached for.

"Dance with me," he whispers, reaching into his pocket to add the delicate notes of a song.

He places my arms around his neck before slowly bringing his hands to my waist and gripping me against him. I'm still at a loss for words, focusing on the way my heart feels like it's flying. All warm and fuzzy and frolicking amongst the clouds.

"Kenze," he says, his eyes still locked with mine. "I know this isn't homecoming, and I know I couldn't get you the actual crown, but–"

"Cam," I stop him. "You have given me more than that crown. You've given me my breath back. You've given me hope, you've shown me healing and grace and most of all, you've given my heart a reason to beat again."

He slips his hand from my waist, the warm caress of his palm finding home along my cheek. "You, Mackenzie Cooper, have always been my reason for being. My roadmap, my heartbeat under water, my beacon of hope."

His lips find mine, pressing desperately together, as if we've both been searching for home and finally landed on the doorstep. Tightening my arms around him, I bring our chests impossibly close. His hand along my lower back grips me tight, all space closed between us. The beat of his heart tangles with mine, our breaths lost together in a twisted mess.

I don't know at what point we started moving or when I let my legs cling to his waist as he whisked us inside. But his mouth is still glued to mine, his tongue sliding gloriously across my own. The warmth of his bedroom falls across my skin. That aching need to have less layers between us pricks at my chest.

I pull my mouth from his and get a look at the darkened shade of green glistening across his eyes. He holds my gaze, his chest rising and falling to the beat of my heart. Slowly, I reach for the buttons of his shirt, taking my time in releasing the first one. His eyes fall to my hands, watching intently as I pull open another button. I continue until I reach his waist, pulling the shirt free from his pants and scanning his sculpted abs beneath.

I let myself graze his heated skin, feeling every hardened groove across his abdomen. The change of cadence within his breath as me growing warm. I keep going until I reach his chest. Pressing my palm to his heart, I let my eyes find his. We hold one another for a moment, breathing in the way our hearts dance together.

As I let my hand continue, I reach around his shoulder and remove his shirt, taking in the full sight of just how beautiful he is. His fingers trail my shoulder, dipping beneath the strap of my dress before he pauses, searching my eyes for permission.

I nod, and the butterflies ignite across my stomach. Like a swarm of monarchs migrating for the winter. As he frees my shoulder, he dips his head and presses a soft kiss along my exposed skin. The warmth of his lips melt everything inside me. His bare chest clings to mine as he works his mouth along my collarbone. Slowly, he reaches for the zipper of my dress, ever so perfectly sliding it down my back in slow motion.

My heart lurches from my chest as his fingertips graze the skin on my back.

"I've never done this before," I whisper into his neck. He pauses, his mouth releasing my skin as he pulls his eyes back to mine. My hand still lost in his hair and holding on for dear life, I say, "I just thought you should probably know. I've never...I'm still..."

"Kenze," he stops me. "We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with. I didn't bring you here to have sex."

"I know. I do. It's just...the other girls you've been with were more–"

"The other girls I've been with weren't you. That makes this a first for me too. The first girl to ever make my heart go crazy in my chest. The first girl to make me weak in the knees and steal my breath. The first girl to make me so freaking nervous right now."

"You're nervous?"

"Are you kidding me? You're Mackenzie freaking Cooper," he says with the cutest smirk. "Of course I'm nervous."

He's nervous. I never imagined he'd be nervous in a moment like this. That was supposed to be my job. And yet, his heart beats just as frantically as mine.

"I'm ready, Cam. I want this. I want you."

His eyes hold mine, his hand placed along the exposed skin of my back. "Are you sure?"

Looking up at him, the glisten of green dancing across his eyes, the honest cadence thrumming within his chest and the firm hold of his arms around me, I know I've never been more sure of anything.

"Yes. I'm sure."

His lips meet mine, slow and gentle as he brings us together. And as his hands slide to remove my dress, I know without a single doubt that this moment is absolutely perfect.