I scream and go running behind Aiden for protection.

The snowball fight continues until the sun comes up.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6TH

Fragmented moments.

History

I’m sitting in class watching a movie.

And somehow it’s triggered . . . something.

Caused it to gnaw at the corners of my brain.

It’s a thought.

Or a memory.

Trying to get through.

I close my eyes for a second, shutting out my surroundings, and I'm quickly back at the Undertow.

Vincent's strong arms are around me. He’s wearing a charming smile.

I relive a series of fragmented moments.

The beach.

The ashes and his loss.

Our dinner.

The brush of a hand across my knee.

Words filled with innuendo.

Kisses that lingered on my cheeks.

Standing at the railing of a deck.

Good advice.

A twirl. A hug.

A toast from across the pool.

An offer to go to his room.

Cartwheels in the sand.

His buff chest.

Blowing a kiss.

Then Garrett. Asking me why I never I went with Vincent when he offered.

Was I honest when I answered that question?

I’m not even sure.

Besides, I have to look at it from his perspective.

He idolized Mom, but was always sweet.

Never once was there even a hint of animosity.

He sees the photo of me.

The original girl of his dreams.

Me.

He sets out to meet me in person, finding me on the beach.

I remember when he looked into my eyes like he knew me.

Because, to him, I was familiar.

The first photo he took was of Cush and me.

The question is, why?

Did he really already own the film rights?

And, if so, when did he buy them?

Before or after he saw the picture?

Riley knocks my elbow, causing my head to drop and almost hit the desk.

“Wake up, sleepyhead.”

“I wasn't sleeping. I was thinking.”

“Sure you were. Probably daydreaming about Aiden on the rug.”

I close my eyes again.

Was it all just a mistake?

But then I remember the van.

Him calling Mom a whore.

The drugs.

The ropes.

The bell rings to end class, and I’m thinking about ropes as I gather up my books.

Gives a whole new meaning to the term tied up in contract negotiations, I think with a laugh.

As I walk out of class, Aiden’s green eyes lock with mine, causing me to forget all about Vincent.

You’re so naughty!

Lunch

I check my phone as I’m walking into the café. I’m anxiously waiting to hear something from Grandpa. I don’t want to bug him, but I need to know. So, I send him an email.

-I don’t want to bug you, but how’s the takeover stuff going?

I scroll through all the emails I get from the places I shop, and my eye pauses on one from Tommy.

-I ordered the ring you liked best. The seven stones make it perfect. Now I need the perfect proposal. I’ve got a million ideas. Actually been researching proposal ideas on the internet. I’d like to do something low key, but special. I thought about taking her to the beach, letting her find seashells, and writing it in the sand, but I was worried the public would start taking photos. So I really think it needs to happen at the house in France when I’m there for Christmas. Any suggestions?

“Hey, Boots,” Aiden says, wrapping his arm around me.

“Have you checked your phone today?” I ask him.

“You been sexting me?”

“Wipe that smile off your face. It’s not like that.”

“Darn.” He laughs.

“I left you a voicemail,” I say seriously. “I need you to listen to it tonight on the bus.”

His eyes widen. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“We’re not going out, remember?”

“Are you worried about Chelsea being at the game?”

“No.”

He looks at his phone. “It’s an eleven minute message.”

“I had a lot to say.”

“Why couldn’t you just tell me in person?”

“Because,” I say, not able to keep my smile at bay.

He tilts his head and narrows his eyes at me. “What are you up to?”

“I stayed up last night and recorded the oral exam for you. I had to do it on my phone like twenty times to get it all perfect. Then I played my recording on your voicemail. You should probably listen and make sure you can hear it okay.”

“You did that for me? You were so tired.”

“I don’t want you to fail.”

“Still trying to get me to France with you?”

“Yeah,” I say, hoping I’m not lying.

“Boots,” he says, his tone of voice causing me to stop walking and turn toward him.

“What?”

He places both his hands on my face, looks deep into my eyes, and gives me a thorough thank you kiss.

The kind of kiss that makes my legs feel like they’re made out of rubber and makes me envision a future with him.

“Thank you,” he says dreamily. “Dallas told me in math that he’s asking Kassidy to Winter Formal at lunch today.”

“Did he tell you how he’s going to do it?” I shake my head. “Riley is going to kill him.”

“Why?”

“You’ll see.”

When we get to our lunch table, Kassidy and Dallas are already sitting at the table with Whitney, Peyton, and everyone else. I notice he’s got a big white trash bag with a red ribbon under his feet.

When lunch is almost over, he pulls the trash bag out from under the table and says to Kassidy, “I lied. This isn’t a project. It’s for you.”

“Really?” she asks, confusion on her face.

“Open it.”

“Yeah, open it, Kassidy,” I say loudly.

She stands up. That, combined with my loud voice, has gotten the attention of a lot of the students—definitely everyone at our table. She pulls the plastic off and finds the rolled up rug, but she looks unsure of what it is.

Dallas says, “Let me do the honors.” He puts the rug under his arm, holding it against his body, and tells her to untie the ribbon.

Once she does, he holds it up in front of him, revealing the front of a green fluffy rug with hearts pinned to it spelling out FORMAL?

Kassidy does a little cheerleader-type bounce, gives Dallas a big smile, and jumps into his arms. I hear her whisper, “You’re so naughty. I love it.”

Everyone watching does a little clap then goes back to eating their lunch.

Well, expect for Riley.

He gets out of his seat and taps Dallas on the shoulder. “Is that my rug?”

Dallas laughs and goes, “Uh, maybe.”

“You’re dead,” he says, but Dallas moves Kassidy in front of him. She’s laughing too.

“You’re a chicken shit,” Riley says to Dallas. “Just remember, I know where you sleep.”

Kassidy breaks out laughing even harder. “Apparently, not,” she says through her laughter, pointing to the rug.

And with that smart-ass comment, I decide she needs to be my friend.

Aiden’s finished eating his four thousand calorie lunch. I still don’t understand how boys can eat so many calories and stay buff.

He puts his hand on my thigh. “I think you’ve started a furry rug trend.”

“Riley is obsessed with them. It makes me laugh.”

“You have one in your closet at your loft.”

His comment sort of hangs there.

My breath catches as I think about us doing it in my closet. Surrounded by my clothes.

“I need to buy more clothes first.”

“Why?”

“Honestly?”

“Yes, honestly,” he says, leaning closer to me.

I look around at the table, seeing that everyone is engrossed in their own conversations. I cup my hand to Aiden’s ear and whisper, “Remember how I told you my closet at the loft is like my closet at home?”

He nods.

“I’ve always sort of fantasized about having sex there, on my rug.”

Aiden’s grip on my thigh tightens and he swallows hard. “But not in your loft?”

“My old closet is full of clothes and shoes. The new one is kinda bare. It wouldn’t be quite the same.”

He nuzzles my hair and whispers back in his deep, sexy voice. “Sounds like we need to do some serious shopping.”

We finish up lunch and head to French class.

“Are you excited for the pep rally?” I ask Aiden.

“I’m more excited about shopping,” he says with a smirk.

Jake comes up behind us, steps between us, and puts an arm around each of our shoulders. “I need your help at the pep rally.”

“Did you plan it all?”

“Plan what?” Aiden asks.

“Asking Annie to Winter Formal,” I tell him, then say to Jake, “What do you need?”

“Do you think the dancers could all throw glitter at her?”

“Where will she be sitting?”

“Believe it or not, Whitney offered to help. Annie is going to be sitting with her and Shark, front row, center.”

“Wow. That’s cool of her. And that’s perfect. What are you doing to do?”

He smiles and tells us his plan.

Will you?

French

Aiden and Annie are practicing for the test. I go up front and do mine for Miss Praline, since I’ll be gone tomorrow for the dance competition.

When I get back, I start brainstorming proposal ideas. Something involving the girls. Something cute.

I doodle on my paper.

Will

You

Marry

Me

?

Lets se marier

Veux-tu m'epouser?

Aiden leans over my shoulder. “Dreaming about asking me already?”

“I thought you were asking me, Mr. Eiffel Tower.”

He gives me an adorable grin. “That’s right. So what are you doing?”

“Remember the ring designs?”

“Yeah.”

“Now, I’m helping with proposal ideas.”

“Come up with anything?”

“A few,” I say as the bell rings and it’s announced that we’re supposed to head to the gym for the first pep rally of the basketball season.

“I heard you have new costumes for today,” Aiden says, holding my hand as we walk to the field house.

“We do. Hidden under this warm-up is a nice, skimpy little outfit.”

“My favorite kind,” he says with a naughty grin.

“Are you doing any shirtless cheerleading skits I need to be aware of?”

“Nope. I’ll just be standing out there with the team. Cheering you on.”

“So you’ll be cheering on the people who are cheering you on?”

“More like I’ll be cheering about how hot you look.”

“You might not even like it.”

He laughs. “I’ll let you know after the pep rally. Speaking of which, don’t you need to come to my room and wish me good luck before I leave?”

“You already have a permanent clover. No reason to draw one on you any more.”

“Fine. Maybe it’s just an excuse to kiss you.”

When we get to the field house, I give him a quick kiss and then rush into the dance locker room and strip down to my gold sequined bustier, little black shorts with Cougars scrolled across my butt, and pull on the sparkly gold fingerless gloves we’re wearing today in place of our pompoms.

We watch as the cheerleaders start the rally.

Peyton peeks her head out the door of our locker room, which leads straight into the gym. “The cheerleaders are wearing their warm-up suits. We’re going to look so much hotter. And I am in love with these gloves. All right, girls, listen up. After our dance, we’re going to help Jake Worth with his Formal proposal. I expect you to all be very excited about this. Immediately following our dance, Jake will walk out onto the floor, we’ll follow him, and then . . .” Peyton tells us the rest.

She peeks out the door again. “We’re almost up. I want you to pretend this is the competition. Big smiles. Focused performance. Show them how awesome our new routine is.”

We hear our music start playing and all run out onto the basketball court.

There are lots of whistles and screams due to our costumes alone, but as we do the routine, the students really get into it. The music is super upbeat and fun, and the routine itself contains more hip-hop than usual.

When we’re done, we run off the court, grab the bags of glitter waiting for us, then line up, forming a pathway for Jake to walk straight up to Annie.

Jake walks onto the court wearing his full prince costume.

Bryce accompanies him with a horn, playing a fanfare to announce him, then says “Now presenting the honorable Jake Worth.”

Everyone thinks this is part of the pep rally. The beginning of a skit.

Jake waves to the crowd and walks through our walkway. We all curtsy as he walks by.

He stands directly in front of Annie and addresses the students. “It seems that I’m without a date for the ball.” He makes a dramatically sad face. The students—well, the girls—yell things like, I’ll be your date, Prince Charming. Pick me. Marry me, Jake.

Jake pretends to look through the crowd while Bryce narrates from a note card. “The Prince looked far and wide for the most beautiful girl in the land to be his date for the ball. Women lined up in town after town, hoping to become his princess. But it wasn’t until the prince laid eyes on her that he knew she was the one.”