Mom kept hovering at my doorway as I got dressed. She seemed to be sad that I was getting ready for my senior prom. She kept wringing her hands together. "Mom," I said, halting my decision to put in some earrings. "Are you okay?"

She stepped into my room, her brows furrowed. "Yes. I'm just . . . upset that my little girl is all grown up."

I smiled at her and opened my arms to her. She stepped into my embrace with a soft laugh. "Don't worry, Mom," I said to her. "I'm still your little girl. Just grown now."

Mom made sure not to mess up my hair as she pulled away. I had done it myself, and I was very proud of my work. My dark hair was up in a tight bun, but I kept a few strands out of the bun. I curled those few locks and let them hang. I didn't apply much makeup because I thought I looked great already, but I did match the color of my makeup to my pink dress. Harvey and I decided on that color because it matched his hair. 

"You look beautiful," Mom said softly. She grabbed both of my hands in hers and gave them a squeeze. "I'm so proud of you, Cat."

"Mom," I said, dragging out the word. I still smiled at her. "Thank you. You don't know now much that means to me."

I thought back to the two guys who had said mean things about me. They didn't know me at all. I shouldn't have worried about them at all. I shouldn't have let them bring me down. I had people who knew me and who loved me for me. 

"I better let you get ready," Mom said, taking a step away from me. "I don't want you to be late because of me."

"Harvey would understand." I laughed. "He knows you."

"I still can't believe that you're going to prom with him." She stared at me, and I put on a fake smile. I hadn't told her what happened between the two of us yet. "Are you two going as friends?"

"Well . . ." Her eyes widened when I trailed off. I shrugged. "I don't really know. All I know is that I have feelings for him."

"When did you realize this?"

"Recently," I assured her. "It was very recent."

She nodded. "Did anything else happen between the two of you?"

I nodded, my cheeks flaring red. I bet they were brighter than my dress. "Remember the scrimmage game?" Mom nodded. "We kissed after the game."

Mom nodded. "I knew something happened between you two. You were acting strange that night and everyday after."

I laughed. "Yeah. I've been trying to distance myself from him because we both were talking to other people, but I couldn't. And they guy that I was talking to is going to prom with a girl who apparently hates me, so Harvey and I agreed to go together."

She nodded once more before smiling at me. She patted my cheek before saying, "I've always liked him. If you do start to date him, I won't complain."

"Mom!"

She laughed. "I love you, Cat."

I stared at her for a second before saying, "Love you, too."

Mom waved at me and exited my room. I glanced at my phone, hoping that Harvey wasn't here yet. It was close to when he was going to pick me up, and I still needed to put in my earrings and choose a necklace. However, before I could put them in, someone knocked on the front door. Fear ran through me at the thought of Dad answering, so I scooped up my earrings and grabbed my handbag. I raced down the stairs, taking them two at a time. Unfortunately for me, my high heels shook under my feet, and I had to slow down.

"I got the door!" I said as Dad reached for the doorknob. He either ignored me or he didn't hear me, and he pulled the door open. 

My feet stumbled under me when I saw Harvey. He had on a regular black tux with a pink tie. An easy smile appeared on his face when he saw Dad. However, when his eyes flicked over to me, the smile fell off. In its place was an open mouth before it snapped shut. His Adam's Apple bobbed as he swallowed.

"Hi, Harvey," I said, stepping down the last step and onto the floor. He still stood in the doorway, so I pulled him in and shut the door behind him. "Are you okay?"

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes. You look . . . wow."

"Wow? I was hoping for beautiful," I teased. 

"You have always been beautiful," he said softly. "But this . . . You look extraordinary, Cat. You are extraordinary."

My teasing subsided. He was looking at me with such tenderness that I had to look away. It really seemed like he felt the same way, and on the inside, I was jumping for joy. I was also a nervous wreck.

"I got you this," Harvey said suddenly. He produced a box from behind his back and opened it. A pink corsage peeked out. "Do you want me to put this on you?"

"Yes, please."

He took it out of the box and wrapped it around my wrist. My breath hitched in my throat as small fires danced across my skin wherever his fingers touched. He kept his fingers around my wrist, and he glanced at my face. I met his eyes slowly.

"Cat -"

"Before you guys leave, I want to take pictures!" Mom said, stepping into the living room near us.

I tore away from Harvey and shot her a look. She raised her eyebrows at me. Harvey answered her, but I didn't really listen. I was a little upset that she would interrupt that moment between the two of us. 

"Let me take one of each of you alone," Mom said. "And then I will take a few with you together."

I smiled at the camera, and she quickly took a picture. Harvey got his picture taken, too, and he stepped close to me. His arm slipped around my waist, pulling me against him. I could barely stand with him that close; my heart had suddenly picked up speed and my hands were growing sweaty.

"Smile!" Mom said cheerfully.

I forced a smile for the camera. Harvey and I really needed to talk about our feelings for each other. I just didn't know how to bring it up. I hoped he would bring it up.

"We better get going," Harvey said, taking his arm away from my waist. "We don't want to be late, right?"

"Right," I answered. I looked at Mom, and she offered me a smile. "Tell Beckett when he comes home that I'll see him later."

Dad stepped into the living room with the rest of us. I noticed him giving Mom a look, who returned it with her own. She caught me looking at her, so she said, "Bye, you two! I love you both!"

Before I could say anything else, she pushed the two of us out of the house. My earrings were still in my one hand, so I put them into my handbag. Harvey opened the car door for me, helping me slide in. 

"Thank you," I said to him.

"Anything for you."

The ride to the school was quick and quiet. We didn't say a word to each other the whole way there. The tension in the car was crazy, though. I could feel it rise every time I looked at him. I didn't know if it was awkward tension or something else, but I wanted to escape from it.

After we got out of the car, Harvey finally spoke. "Do you think you'll see Nick here?" he asked.

"Hopefully not," I replied. "I think it'll be really awkward if I saw him and had to explain what you and I are doing."

"Why?"

"Because I told him not to worry about you and me."

He nodded and held the door open for me. The sound of our classmates immediately hit my ears. From where I was standing, I could see many people already on the dance floor. An upbeat song was playing, and I could feel the beat pumping through the floor. 

He didn't answer me as we stepped into the cafeteria. Instead, he steered me toward a table where our friends were already sitting. Ethan and his girlfriend were speaking to each other while Chris and Sophia were waving at us. She winked at me when we got closer and said, "It's good to finally see you guys. We thought you two were going to skip this part and go onto the next part."

"And what would that be?" I asked.

"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "No. Mom wanted to take pictures of us."

Sophia laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like her."

Harvey and I sat down at the table. Ethan smiled at us before turning his attention back to his girlfriend. They looked like they were in a deep conversation, so I didn't bother saying anything to him. Instead, I looked at Chris and Sophia and said, "So, are you two here together?"

"Yes," Chris said, nodding. "But we are just here as friends. We're more here for you guys, not for each other."

Sophia nodded along with that statement. She met my eyes and shook her head slightly. She already knew what I was thinking about. They would've been a cute couple, but I didn't think he was her type. She wasn't his type, either. 

"Cat? I didn't expect to see you here!"

I turned around and found Nick and Harper looking down at us. I immediately stood up, Harvey right after me. Forcing a smile on my face, I said, "Hi, Nick. Shouldn't I be saying that?"

His eyes flicked between the two of us. A sense of hurt appeared in them for a second before they hardened. "When did you two get together?" he asked.

"Oh, we're not dating," I replied. "We came here as -"

"We came here to test out if we should start dating or not," Harvey interjected. I glanced at him in surprise. 

"Oh." Nick nodded. "That's nice." He looked at me. "I hope you two are happy together."

Harvey and I locked eyes for a second. "We are," I said, and it was true. So very true. "Thank you, Nick."

"Of course."

He pulled Harper away from us, disappearing into the crowd. We didn't sit down, though. His hand looped around my wrist, and he pulled me toward the dance floor. "Would you care to dance?" he asked as I slipped my hand into his raised one. His other hand rested on my waist.

"Aren't we already here?" Harvey smiled at me. My other hand pressed into his shoulder before resting against the back of his neck. I looked up at him and said, "Please tell me you didn't whisk me off to the dance floor just to spite Nick."

"Of course not," he replied. "I whisked you off to the dance floor because I want to dance with you."

My cheeks grew warm, and he noticed. His grip tightened on me, pulling me closer to him. I couldn't believe how good it felt to be in his arms. I never thought I'd ever feel this way about him, but it was real and prominent. 

I rested my head on his chest as we swayed together. His heart beat in my ear, soft and slow. He wasn't nervous at all. However, I was terrified. Terrified of ruining our friendship. Terrified of stepping across that bridge, to cross between friendship and a romantic relationship. But I was also terrified of not doing anything with these feelings. 

I had no idea what to do.

---

For some reason, Harvey was taking his time to get home. I didn't mind, though. I couldn't let go of the feeling from the dance. I was high on his touch, and I craved so much more. The only thing wrong with that plan was that I didn't know how he felt about me.

"How about we go to my house and watch a movie?" he said, breaking the silence.

I looked at him, glad for the darkness surrounding us. My cheeks were burning with my unsaid thoughts. "That sounds good. Let me text my mom."

I pulled my phone out of my purse and shot off a text on the group chat for the whole family. I didn't wait for a text back; instead, I shoved my phone into my purse, focusing all my attention to Harvey. He sent me a dazzling smile to me.

"Do you have any clothes that I can wear while I'm there?" I asked.

"Why?"

"I don't want to watch a movie while wearing my prom dress," I said with a laugh. "I spent a lot of money on it, and I'm planning on selling it online for just as much."

He laughed, sending waves crashing through my heart. I have tried my hardest to turn my feelings off for him, but I couldn't. I couldn't do it any longer. I needed to know how he felt about me. Because there was something there. I knew it.

"Can we talk?" I asked hesitantly. My voice shook, but so were my hands.

He glanced at me. "About what?"

"Us."

"Us?" I could see the frown on his face from the streetlight that we passed under. "What about us?"

My heart crashed into my rib cage. Did I really think I could tell him how I felt? "I -" I froze under the scrutiny of his gaze. My mouth grew dry. My stomach rolled into knots.

"What's wrong, Cat?" he asked softly.

I spilled my guts right then and there. Literally. I bent over and vomited on my feet and my purse. I swiped my hand across my mouth after I finished and groaned.

"Cat, what's wrong?"

My eyes focused finally, and I realized he had pulled over. I buried my head into my hands, very embarrassed. "I'm nervous," I muttered.

"Nervous about what?"

I peeked through my fingers. My feet felt horrific and the stench was terrible. Harvey wasn't in the car, and my door opened, revealing him. He reached through my vomit and grabbed my purse. He also took my shoes off, sending lightning bolts through my skin.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I didn't mean to."

"It's fine."

He handed me my phone and wallet and keys before pouring his water bottle over it. Thankfully that was one of my old purses that I had planned on selling as well.

"Could you get out for a second?"

With his help, I stepped around the vomit. I stumbled against my own feet, and his arm went around my waist, holding me up.

"This is what I'm nervous about," I whispered.

"What?"

"This . . . thing between us." I wanted him so bad, but I didn't want to ruin our friendship. His eyes widened slightly. "You know what I'm talking about now?"

"Yes, I do."

I stepped out of his embrace and said, "We'll talk when we get to your house. Let's just clean this up." I took the floor mat out and gagged. "I can't believe I did that."

"Me either. And in my car, too!"

I grimaced as he threw the floor mat on the ground. "You're not keeping that?"

He stared at me like it was obvious. "No. Why would I?"

"It cost a lot of money?"

"I can buy a new one, Cat."

I opened the back door and slipped into the backseat. "I'm not sitting up there."

"That's what I thought."

He shut the door for me and got in the driver's seat. He put the car back in drive and went a little faster than before. I couldn't believe I had actually vomited. On myself. That was almost as bad as me punching him in the face.

"Can we never speak of this again?" I asked quietly.

He laughed. "Speak of what?"

"That's a good boy." I smiled at him, and he smiled back. I didn't notice a bruise on his face, so I asked, "Did you not bruise where I punched you?"

"It did bruise, but I covered it up with some of Mom's concealer."

"I am so sorry about that, too."

"You're fine, Cat."

We pulled into his driveway. I couldn't wait to vomit until I got here? We were literally five minutes away, yet I puked all over myself. He shut the car off and ran over to my side and opened the door for me. I took his arm, and we headed inside.

"What are you two doing home so early?" his mom asked. She looked at my bare feet and a frown worked its way onto her face.

"She's not feeling well," Harvey said quickly. "She vomited in the car."

"I thought we weren't ever speaking about this again!" I hissed.

"Well, if you don't feel good enough to go home, you can stay in the guest bedroom for the night," Mrs. Beckinsdale said, nodding. Her face softened.

"Thank you."

I followed Harvey into his room, and he shut the door behind me. My heart suddenly picked up speed as he threw me some clothes.

"I think I'm going to change in the bathroom," I said awkwardly. "Do you have mouthwash in there?"

"Yeah."

I took the clothes and padded into the bathroom. The light was a stark contrast from outside, and I squinted against it. I stripped down and laid my dress across the vanity. I slipped into the the shorts he provided for me, and I had to tie it because it was too big. The shirt made my figure disappear, but I didn't care. It smelled like him.

I took a swig of the mouthwash and stared at myself in the mirror. I really did look sick, but I didn't feel sick. It was just the nerves doing that to me.

I spit the mouthwash into the sink before heading back to his room. Shutting the door behind me, I sucked in a breath as he unbuttoned his shirt. His suit jacket sat discarded on his bed, and a shirt sat next to it. I bet he was changing into regular clothes as well.

I cleared my throat and he slowly turned around. I kept my eyes locked on his as he said, "You wanted to talk."

His eyes took in his clothes on me, and a small smile spread across his face. I walked closer to him, so close that I could feel the heat radiating from him.

"Harvey," I said softly. "I care about you."

"Me too," he breathed out. His hands cupped my cheeks, and I raised my eyebrows.

"You do?"

"Of course." He paused as he drew slow circles across my cheek. "You didn't think I did?"

"No," I admitted.

Instead of answering, he kissed me. I was so surprised that I stumbled into his chest. His arms wrapped around me, drawing me as close as I could get. My arms circled around his waist, under his shirt. Nothing could compare to the feeling that seeped into my chest.

"Harvey," I whispered, my eyes closed.

"Yes?"

"You really wanted to kiss me after I vomited?"

I tilted my head up and pressed my lips to his again. I didn't want to waste any breath by speaking. He responded by lifting me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and gripped his shoulders and neck with my hands. He took a few unsteady steps before setting me on his bed. He broke away, breathing heavy.

"Are you sure?" he whispered when he saw me looking at him. A fire burned in my stomach and the only way it to extinguish it was to have him. All of him. He sat down next to me. "Cat, I don't want you to be confused or anything."

"Why would I be confused?" I asked. "Nick means nothing to me."

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

"Positive."

I leaned closer to him and pressed my lips to his cheek. He turned his head and caught my lips with his. My hand went to his hair just as his mom burst through the door. She stared at us for a second, two different battles fighting in her. I pulled away from him slowly, still high on his kiss.

"Cat, we have to leave. Right now."

The urgency in her voice made me snap out of the haze of my mind. I jumped up and said, "What's wrong?"

Harvey gripped my hand, and I glanced at him. We both were seriously confused.

"Come on," she said. "We have to go."

I was pulled away from Harvey as she hurried through her house. Something about the tone of her voice sent terror racing through me. I didn't know why we had to leave so quickly, but it didn't sound good. I just hoped it wasn't as bad as I thought.