Another week had passed without a word from Nolan. I didn't know it was possible to simultaneously miss and hate someone so much.

"Jade!" Mom called up the stairs.

I gratefully pulled my attention away from Animal Farm and headed down to see what she wanted.

Ever since that blow out with Dad she'd been around more thanks to Kevin allowing her to work from home. She was able to spend more time with Taylor. And me since I've been a bit of a recluse.

I never thought of myself as one of those girls who couldn't function without their boyfriend. Yet there I was, spending another Friday night at home with my homework.

"Someone's at the door," she told me when I was halfway down the stairs.

Who was it? Bee would've just came up to my room. That was kind of the only visitor I had.

Taylor saw that the front door was left open a crack and made a break for it. Whoever was at the door stopped her as she quickly ran past Mom.

"Hey, little mama. You're not getting past me." I immediately recognized the voice.

I looked at confused as Taylor did when I saw both Candice York and Hannah Balian standing on my porch.

Mom gathered up Taylor despite her protests and took her upstairs. I stared at my two classmates, still confused by their presence.

"What are you doing here?" I finally sputtered.

"We're kidnapping you," Hannah said a little too enthusiastically.

My gazed shifted between the two of them. "Excuse me?"

"Get changed. We're going out," Candi said. "It looks like you could use the fresh air."

Wow. Had I really become so pathetic that two people I hardly talked to outside of woodshop felt the need to step in?

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm just not up for it tonight."

Hannah pulled out her phone, preparing to call someone. Who was she going to call exactly? Candi put her hand over Hannah's, stopping her from tapping anything else.

"Bee sent us," Candi told me. "She said you have two options: You either leave willingly with us or you deal with her."

Hannah winced at the thought. "She mentioned hair pulling."

A threat from Bianca Sackler was not to be ignored. I let Candi and Hannah inside and we went up to my room.

"Where are we going?" I asked, sliding open my closet and examining my options.

Candi said, "It's a surprise." at the same time Hannah said, "A party!"

Candi slit her eyes at Hannah who turned bright red, a sheepish look on her face.

"That's all you're getting from us," Candi said. "Just wear something cute."

* * *

Forty minutes later we were at Bee's house. When they said were going to a party I didn't expect it to be there. Had Bee mentioned a party? Was I so caught up in my own drama that I forgot?

Her giant house felt like it was the size of studio apartment with all the people currently crammed inside. Music sounded like it was coming from every angle. Couples grinding against each other took up the living room which was void of furniture. The kitchen was full of people making themselves drinks or making out.

I'd only been in there ten minutes and already I was sweating. "Where's Bee?" I shouted at Hannah over the music.

"Her room," she replied, nodding to the stairs. Before I walked away she winked, a smirk forming on her face. What the hell was that about?

I broke away from Candi and Hannah and headed upstairs, ducking under the caution tape and sign that forbid anyone to go up them.

"Bee?" I said as I opened her bedroom door. Then I froze.

The person standing in the middle of the room wasn't Bee. It was Nolan. Too many conflicting emotions arose inside me. Was a happy to see him? Was I completely pissed off? I couldn't tell.

That's why Hannah was being weird and winking. Why her and Candi forced me out my house. They wanted to surprise me.

Nolan was happy to see me. His lips spread into a wide grin. He looked just the same as he did the last time I saw him. Not that I expected him to change much in a month.

"Bee?" He echoed, laughing. "Was I gone so long you forgot my name?"

My brain still couldn't decide whether I should kiss him or slap him. Instead I just stood awkwardly in the doorway, my hand still on the door knob, my mouth slightly ajar.

Upon realizing that I shut my mouth. And the door behind me. My eyes never leaving him, my legs never making and effort to go to him. I never realized how big Bee's room was before. She could easily fit about two king sized beds in here.

"You're mad." My attention snapped back to Nolan. His smile was gone. The line that appeared between his brows whenever he was confused or worried was there. "I knew I should've called you first. But we ran into Bee at the gas station when we got back into town and she started talking about surprising you. I thought it'd be—"

"You said a week." I finally made my decision. I was upset and I wasn't letting him off that easily.

"I know. I'm sorry." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Neither of us were in a rush to get back here."

I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "Wow."

"Shit. Jade, I didn't mean it like that." He crossed the room in two strides, reaching out to me.

I stepped out of his path, suddenly interested in whatever was happening outside by the pool. Some guy just did a cannonball, pissing off some girls who were unfortunately in the splash zone.

Nolan's footsteps came up behind me. He wasn't so close we were touching, but I could feel the heat from him.

"I can't count the amount of times I almost called you," he said. "But my dad was really enjoying us hanging out together like when I was a kid. And I knew if I called you I'd immediately want to come back."

I whipped around to face him. "That's your excuse?" He took half a step back, surprised by sudden burst of anger. "You could've told me you were staying out there longer. You could've let me know you were coming back!"

His brows knitted together. "Why wouldn't I come back?"

I avoided eye contact, turning back to the window. Pressure built up behind my eyeballs and they began to sting with incoming tears. 

"You're always talking about leaving," I pointed out, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice. "What's stopping you from following through?"

"If you have to ask I must be doing something wrong."

When I didn't respond he stood between me and the window, placing his hands on either side of my face. Unable to stop myself I looked up at him, his golden eyes peering into my watery ones.

"All that talk about leaving was before you. Before I feel in love with you. I'm not going anywhere, Jade."

The tears I'd been doing such a good job at holding back spilled over. That didn't stop me from leaning up to kiss him. After a month it was like we were starved. One of his hands cradled the back of my head, the other circled around my waist and pulled me closer. My hands were in his hair, the familiar soft strands tangling with my fingers.

That kiss reminded me off all the happy moments. When we first met. When I first realized I had a crush. Our first kiss. Our first night together. I wanted to live in those moments.

But a dark cloud hung overhead. Doubt. Doubt that he'd stick to his promise and never leave. Doubt that I was enough for him.

I broke away from the kiss. Both of us breathed heavily. I pulled further away from him. From his grasp—physical and emotional.

"Jade."

The way he said my name, like he ached for me to be back in his arms, reminded me how much I missed him while he was away. How I could barely function because I was too busy staring at my phone, willing his name to pop up on my screen.

I hated that feeling. I hated the uncertainty. He was a flight risk and I couldn't get left behind again.

"I can't do this, anymore." I was out the door before he could reach me, rushing down the stairs and busting through the caution tape like I racer at the finish line.

It was childish to drop that on him and run, but I didn't want to cry in front of him. I didn't want to explain it all. I just wanted to leave.

Nolan was close behind calling out my name. My only focus was getting to the door.

"Oh my God!" an annoyingly perky voice squealed.

Without warning Opal had her arm slung around my neck, pulling me into a hug with one other person. Nolan.

"My favorite couple is back together," she giggled. Her hot breath smelled of liquor. I tried to pull out of that awkward hug, but she was stronger than she looked.

Nolan and I made eye contact over her shoulder as she went on about how we were couple goals. How we were prefect together. That she'd rig the ballot for us at prom if people weren't voting for us. 

Right. The stupid prom.

"Can we talk about this?" he asked.

I didn't want to talk. I wanted out of that hug and out of that party. I might've pushed Opal away with more force than necessary. In her drunken state she hardly noticed.

Finally I was outside. The sky was darkening, a purple-blue color up above. I was sweating again. My stomach was in knots as I leaned against a tree. That's when I remembered Candi was my ride. I had no way of getting home. Not without telling them what had just happened.

I heard Nolan approaching before I saw him. He said nothing. He just stood in front of me, his hands shoved into the pockets of his black jeans. I couldn't make myself look him in the face, so I focused on the grass between us.

"I'm sorry. I should of reached out—"

"Don't." I quickly wiped tears from my face.

We stood there in silence for a long moment. I watched Nolan feet as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

"Let me take you home," he said, breaking the silence. "I know you got a ride from Candi."

"Nolan—"

"I won't ask. I'll give you your space after," he said, ducking to my eye level. "Just let me make sure you get home okay."

Glancing back at the party, I decided that I definitely didn't want to go back in there. I nodded and he lead the way to the minivan I must've missed when I arrived.

As promised Nolan didn't question me or the way I ended things. He didn't try to lighten the mood or steal glances when he thought I wasn't paying attention. He just drove. Eyes on the road.

When we got my neighborhood I asked him to park on the corner. The short walk from there to my house would hopefully liven me up a bit, so Mom didn't get suspicious and start asking questions.

"I have to ask." It was the first time he spoke since we left Bee's. I stopped, half way out the car. "What do we do about prom?"

I didn't know what I expected him to say, but that wasn't it. My feet hit the pavement and as I closed the door I looked at him one last time. "Don't worry. I won't ruin your chance to go to Europe."

An emotion I couldn't quite pinpoint flashed across his face. He nodded and I turned away.

When I was almost to my house I realized that was the corner. The corner where everything stared. Well, technically it started in his bedroom, but the corner was where we found out we were secretly crushing on each other.

Back then I wanted to stay in that minivan with him forever. Now I couldn't get away from it fast enough.