“Keatyn is going to dance on the bar. Maggie, too.”

“I am?” Maggie says.

I grab her and pull her up on the bar with me.

“Music?”

Logan blasts some dance music and Maggie and I start dancing.

After a few songs, Aiden walks up to the bar and holds his hand out to me.

I smile at him and jump off the bar. He leads me back behind the black curtain to the bed. “I told everyone that it’s hard for me to sit with the boot on, so Riley suggested I lie down here.”

“So, you just want to lie down?” I ask, closing the curtain and crawling on top of him.

“No. I’d like to do what we did the other night. Before you moved off.”

“Here?”

“You asked what I wanted to do. That’s what I want. But I don’t want to do that here. And the party is just getting going. We can’t really leave yet.”

“Aiden, tomorrow night after the dance. You want to, right? I mean you don’t have to give away any surprises about what you have planned, but I also need to be mentally prepared. Like if you don’t want to, it’s okay, but I don’t want to think you do and then be disappointed if we don’t. But if you tell me now that you don’t . . .”

Aiden puts his finger up to my lips. “Shush.”

“I’m kind of freaking out about this.”

He moves his finger and shushes me with his lips. When he stops kissing me, he says, “I definitely want to.”

“I do too,” I say, laying my head on his shoulder. “And I can’t wait.”

The party, filled with beer pong, naughty dice, smoking, and a lot of fun, continues until almost dawn. Aiden keeps yawning, so I pull him on the bed with me and go to sleep.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17TH

Trying to hang on.

11:30am

We wake up around ten, go back to our dorms, and start packing up for winter break.

“It seems like we just got here,” Katie says sadly. “I can’t believe it’s already Christmas.”

“I know. It’s gone so fast.”

“I love it here,” she says.

“I do too. Are you and Bryce doing anything over break?”

“Yeah, he’s coming to my parent’s cabin after Christmas to ski and spend New Year’s together. What about you?”

“Aiden’s going to the Caribbean with his family, but we’re spending New Year’s together.” I grab my suitcase and some shopping bags full of gifts. “I’m going to run these out to my car.”

I load them up and then head back to my dorm. Cooper is standing outside.

“I just texted you,” he says. “My friend texted Vincent’s assistant. She said she couldn’t leave early. That her boss had just gotten a horrible threatening photo and had thrown it against the wall, then made her clean up all the glass.”

“So he was mad. Then what did he do?”

“Left his office and had dinner with two of his investors. Trying to hang onto his company.”

“We need to plan what we’re going to do next. I’d like to go back next Thursday but with filming, I can’t.”

“I think the company takeover stuff is enough for now. Your mom’s movie is still getting a ton of buzz. So, you’re going to the dance tonight, then going to a hotel with Aiden, then going to your loft on Sunday morning?”

“Yeah, he’s staying with me until the twenty-third, then leaving for St. Croix with his family.”

“And what are you going to do after that?”

“Stay at my loft. Everyone thinks I’m going home. I won’t go out, so don’t worry about me.”

“It’s my job to worry about you. What if you came home with me for Christmas? My parents would love it.”

“Really, Cooper?” I blink away tears.

“Yes, really. I don’t want you to be alone and I know you can’t go home.”

“That would be nice. I’ll get to see Tommy but it just isn’t going to be the same.”

“I know. Have fun at the dance tonight.”

“Have fun chaperoning.”

He rolls his eyes at me. “Yeah, right.”

Follow my script.

6pm

I’m getting ready for Winter Formal.

Curling my hair and then twisting it into a side braid that will show off my dress. Putting makeup on. Touching up my pedicure. Painting my nails.

My dress and shoes are already loaded into my Range Rover.

Aiden and I caravan to the boutique hotel where we’re spending the night, so we can drop off all our bags. After the dance, school is officially out for break.

And, since we have quite a few bags, we decide to get dressed at the hotel.

He holds my hand as we enter our beautifully perfect suite, our heels clicking on the worn oak floors. Center stage sits a modern black four-poster bed dressed in a fluffy comforter and pillows. The linens are all white except for a golden throw draped at the end of the bed. There’s a huge fireplace stacked with wood just waiting to light the room with a golden glow. A thick, white, fluffy rug that’s dying to be curled up on. A chaise to lie on. Champagne waiting to be chilled. The bathroom features golden marble, a modern free-standing tub, and a jetted shower.

As I look at each element of the room, I’m envisioning all the places we’re going to do it.

Tonight is finally the night.

And even though I wrote my script to tell him right when we get back to the room, part of me wants to wait until after.

The chicken part of me.

But my heart knows that I need to follow my script. Tell him the truth before I commit to him in that way. I don’t want there to be any lies between us when it finally happens.

I’m just worried that he won’t follow my script.

That he won’t understand.

But you have to trust the people that you love.

So I gaze again at the beautiful surroundings, wiping the negative thoughts from my mind and letting warmth fill my heart.

Knowing that things are going to be perfect.

I make Aiden get dressed in the bathroom while I put on my dress and shoes in the bedroom.

He yells, “You ready yet?”

“Yeah, I’m ready.”

He walks out of the bathroom wearing a classic black Gucci tuxedo.

Just think, Keatyn, you get to undress him tonight.

My perfect boy.

I’m wearing a pretty Catherine Deane strapless, silk-organza gown. The gown’s sweetheart neckline features polished metal beads, appliqués, and picot-edged overlays. I feel like a winter fairy. Soft and flowy, with just a little sparkle.

Aiden says, “You look stunning.”

“You look pretty stunning yourself. Love the tux.”

I pull up the skirt of my dress and show off my deep gray Nicholas Kirkwood suede pumps that are covered in pale multi-colored swirls of crystal.

“You were right,” he says. “Those are the perfect shoes for the dress. You ready to go?’

“Not really,” I say. “I want to go, but I kind of wish we could just stay here.”

He kisses me and says, “We’ll leave early.”

“Deal.”

We have fun dancing with our friends.

Sneaking into the bathroom for sips of whiskey.

Mostly, I have fun being close to Aiden.

Having him whisper to me how it drives him nuts when I grind on him. The husky, desire-filled sound in his voice.

The way he smells.

The way he looks.

The way my dress floats around me like a dream when he twirls me.

Around us, other people are dancing, but it feels like the room, the dance floor, the whole night, was made just for us.

When we take a break, I decide to give Riley his final present.

He picks me up and hugs me when he opens a high definition video camera. The kind he could actually shoot a real movie with.

“You’re my new best friend,” he says.

“I’ve always been your best friend,” I tease.

“Naw, it was Dallas, but between him defiling my rug and your gifts, you win.”

I hug him back. “Be nice. And, for the record, I’m going to miss you.”

“We’ll only be apart for about a week. Besides, I’m not up for being nice. Tonight is all about being naughty. Did you find out who your Santa is?”

“No, I thought it was you. And I haven’t kept track of who has revealed theirs already.”

“I think some people are waiting until later. Bryce said he’s having a party in their hotel room. Doesn’t he want to be alone with Katie?”

“I think they’ve been alone about every night this week.”

Riley laughs. “I’m not going to party. Are you?”

“No. Did Aiden tell you about our suite?”

“Yes, we’re staying at the hotel, too. Thought we’d meet up for lunch before we leave, so we could talk more about this video for Damian.”

“That sounds perfect.”

There’s a break in the dancing as the house Sweethearts are announced.

Hawthorne is the last to go.

Aiden whispers, “I think it’s going to be you.”

Jake, who is now onstage, announces my name, and calls me up.

I receive a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a little tiara that says Sweetheart.

The music starts back up again.

I’m so ready to leave now. To get to our room.

It’s been a perfectly scripted night.

Lots of slow dancing.

A gorgeous dress that swirls around my body like a snowflake.

The date of my dreams.

Everything is perfect.

Even though my life is so far from it.

I’m tempted not to stay for the Social Committee presentation. Whitney’s doing it all. No one would miss me.

Aiden pulls me into his arms as a slow song plays.

I’m seriously considering dragging his ass out of here this second, telling him the truth, and then making mad, passionate, amazing love all night long.

And although that’s how I scripted it, I will admit, I’m still debating about doing it, like, once—or maybe twice—before I tell him. So that if I was completely wrong and he hates me for lying to him, at least I’ll have experienced the Titan and won’t spend the rest of my life wondering what it would have been like between us.

His arms are wrapped tightly around my waist, and he keeps kissing the side of my face as we dance.

He says quietly, “I think we should start in front of the fireplace on that soft rug, then move to the chaise.”

“I noticed the bench at the end of the bed too,” I whisper.

“And the jetted shower, the tub. Eventually, maybe the bed too.” He lets out an adorable sexy chuckle. “I have something I need to tell you first,” he says.

“What’s that?”

He leans back and pulls a long white feather out of his jacket and holds it in front of me. There’s a little hot pink ribbon curling off of it, just like there has been on all my other gifts.

“You’re my naughty Santa?” I say in shock.

He nods.

“Seriously? I thought for sure it was Riley.” Then I grin at him. “The stuff you got me. Um, did it have a purpose?”

“What do you think?”

“I think you’re tricky is what I think. You wrote an M on your list. I thought you had Maggie.”

“You looked at my list? You’re a bad girl. And, just for the record, I stole all your gifts out of your car. They’re at our room waiting for us.”

“I think maybe we should get the hell out of here now.”

He whispers, “That’s why I fucking love you, Keatyn Monroe.”

“I fu—” I start to say, but Whitney grabs my elbow, pulling me away from Aiden.

“Hey, you ready to go onstage?” she says with a big smile. “End the night and officially kick off our winter break?”

“Um, we were just thinking about leaving.”

“No way. Not before this. Plus, I decided I want you and Peyton up there with me.”

Aiden gives me a smoldering look and puts the feather back inside his jacket. “Go ahead,” he says. “Then we’ll leave.”

“Should I go round up the Social Committee?”

“No. I want just you two,” she says, grabbing Peyton from where she’s dancing with Brad.

We hold hands and make our way up to the stage.

“Attention, everyone,” she says after taking a microphone off the podium and tapping on it. “I have some exciting news to share. And I’m so happy that my two best friends are here on stage with me.”

I smile at her, knowing that her surprise will be the announcement of her college of choice. She’s gotten all her acceptance letters back and has been playing coy about where she’s going. Even though I know it will be Yale with Shark.

Really, I’m surprised I’m even standing up here.

That she would consider me a good friend after our rocky start.

But coming to Eastbrooke allowed me to find myself.

To do the things I wished I had done at my old school.

To use my conscience and do what’s right, regardless of what’s popular.

To stand up for myself.

And I think I’ve had a good effect on Peyton and Whitney too. They seem to be on even ground, and, since Whitney started dating Shark, she hasn’t acted like the bitchy Alpha she once was.

I think he’s good for her.

She sets her laptop on the podium.

After her little speech, we’re going to show the video Riley made for the Social Committee highlighting our year so far. The Welcome Back carnival and dance. The Homecoming festivities. The Greek and French weekends.