There was something distinctly depressing about getting ready for a formal that you knew was only going to bring you heartbreak. I almost backed out of it entirely during the lead up to the night, but I knew I couldn’t let Hayley down.

When the front doorbell rang, announcing Hayley’s arrival at my house, I knew any hope I still held of avoiding the formal was gone. I opened the front door for my best friend but froze when I saw it wasn’t Hayley standing on the porch.

“What are you doing here, Laurie?” I asked. Laurie was dressed in a long silver gown, with her hair and makeup all perfectly done. She was clearly ready for formal, but I couldn’t understand why she was at my house. I looked past her, almost expecting to find cameras filming the two of us. Surely this was either part of the True Love contest or some bizarre hidden camera show.

When I focused back on Laurie, I saw that her hands were fidgeting and there was a nervous expression on her face. “Can I talk to you for a sec?” she asked.

I wanted to refuse, but she looked so worried that I found myself nodding and joining her on the front porch instead.

“What is it?” I asked.

Laurie let out a breath before she started. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior.”

My eyebrows shot up. “You do?” I glanced around my front yard again. Yeah, I definitely felt like I was being pranked.

When I faced Laurie once more, I could see her nodding her head at me. She looked genuinely apologetic, but I had so little trust in her that I wasn’t sure whether I could believe her.

“Look,” she said. “The truth is, I’ve been jealous of you for a long time.” She couldn’t meet my eyes, and I could see it pained her to say the words out loud.

I frowned at her revelation, my confusion and surprise leaving me speechless. I definitely wasn’t expecting her to say that, but she seemed so embarrassed that I found I believed her.

“But the reason I’ve been so mean to you for the last couple of years is because I’ve been in love with Jake for as long as I can remember,” she continued.

“You have?”

“Yes,” she replied, a light blush coloring her cheeks. “I hated seeing the two of you together, so I did some things I’m not very proud of.”

“But I thought you liked Cole,” I said, shaking my head as I tried to figure her out.

Laurie gave a little laugh. “I was just using Cole and the competition to try and make Jake jealous. Cole can’t stand me.”

“So, the other night at the campsite…"

“Nothing happened,” Laurie said with a shrug. “I knew Cole would kick me out of his tent and I planned for Angus to be there waiting with a camera. He was all for the idea when I suggested it, but when I got out of the tent, he wasn’t there. All that effort and Angus missed it. I still can’t believe he only caught the aftermath.”

“You know what you did isn’t normal, right?”

Laurie nodded. “Sometimes we do stupid things for love.”

My eyes were wide as I looked at her. I couldn’t decide if it was crazy or sweet that she’d done so much to get Jake’s attention. I settled on mostly crazy.

A car honked from the street and Laurie’s expression perked up. “Anyway, my ride’s clearly getting restless. I’m glad we’ve got that sorted.” She smiled at me and walked toward the car idling on the side of the road. “I’ll see you at the dance,” she called out, sending me a wave over her shoulder as she got into the car.

I shook my head as I watched her drive away. She hadn’t even asked for my forgiveness, but that was Laurie for you. I found I wasn’t angry with her anymore though. The things she did were pretty messed up, but I guess they made a strange kind of sense to her. More importantly, I felt lighter than ever before because I finally knew the truth. There was nothing between Cole and Laurie.

Hayley’s car pulled up in my driveway, and as she got out, she glanced over her shoulder in the direction Laurie’s car had gone. “Was that Laurie?” she asked.

“Sure was,” I said, as she started down the driveway toward me.

“What was she doing here?”

“She was apologizing,” I replied, walking to meet her halfway.

“What?” Hayley stumbled forward slightly in her heels as she heard the words.

“Careful there,” I laughed. “You need those two feet for dancing tonight.”

Hayley shrugged. “I’m not sure if there will even be a dance. Isn’t Laurie apologizing like the first stage of the apocalypse?”

I laughed. “Come on; let’s get in your car. I’ll tell you about it on the way to school.”

After finally recovering from the shock of Laurie’s apology, Hayley was remarkably unsurprised by the explanations behind her actions. She’d apparently seen Laurie checking Jake out plenty of times before, so it wasn’t news to her that she was interested in him. She was surprised by Laurie’s claim of love though. Hayley figured someone needed a heart to feel love and strongly still believed that Laurie was sorely lacking in that department.

It wasn’t until we were almost at school that I saw the kind of stunned reaction I’d been expecting from Hayley.

“I told you Laurie apologizing was the first stage of the apocalypse!” she screamed, as we took the turnoff to school.

There were cars, TV trucks and people absolutely everywhere on the street outside the school's front entrance. It was like nothing I had seen at a school event before. The bustling crowd was more like the kind you would expect outside a rock concert or at a crime scene. I could see the flashing lights of cop cars up ahead, and we were stuck in a line of cars that wound up toward the school's front doors.

“Who are all these people?” I whispered.

“I don’t know,” Hayley replied. “Do you think everything’s okay?”

It was then that I spotted the first #Cadi poster.

I swore under my breath.

“What?” Hayley asked.

“I think these people are here for the final of the competition,” I replied.

“No,” she whispered in disbelief before looking at the gathering with fresh eyes. She then started bouncing up and down on her seat. “Madi, they’re here for the final. They’re here for you!” Hayley squealed.

I shook my head though. “How can they be?” I asked. “I’m not in the contest anymore.”

“And obviously they don’t care! Have you seen how many posters there are supporting you?”

I slumped in my seat, feeling utterly speechless. Hayley was right. There were so many posters with my name on them. Some signs were simple, with my name and Cole's circled in a heart. Others were covered in glitter pronouncing, “Madi and Cole 4 Eva.” It seemed like the posters were everywhere I looked, and tears started welling in my eyes. I may have quit the competition, but it meant so much to see that people cared about me.

“Do not cry!” Hayley told me. “You’ll ruin your makeup.”

“Sorry,” I said, quickly wiping my eyes and checking my face in the mirror. It was hard not to shed a tear though.

“Maybe they don’t realize you’re not in it,” Hayley said, as the sounds of people cheering for Cadi reached our ears.

“What do you mean?”

“Angus allowed people to vote for you Sunday night and he never said you’d been eliminated on Monday. He just said you were sick and couldn’t make the ceremony.”

“What?”

“And then Cole said none of the contestants were eliminated,” she continued. “So, as far as the viewers are concerned, you still have a chance to win.”

I sat back in my seat and allowed her words to sink in. I liked hearing Hayley say I still had a chance, and I wished it was true. I knew it couldn't be possible though, because I had taken myself out of the contest.

Hayley slowed her car as we reached the police officer manning the entrance to the school. She lowered her window for him.

“Can I please have your names?” the officer asked, his gaze focused on a clipboard in front of him.

“Hayley Lawson and Madison Matthews,” Hayley responded.

The officer’s eyes lifted from his clipboard and briefly flicked to mine. “Go ahead girls,” he said. “And good luck tonight, Madi, we’re all rooting for you,” he added.

Hayley burst out laughing as we drove off. “Even the police force is enamored by Cadi,” she said.

“Don’t say that!” I replied, slapping my hand against her arm. I was beyond mortified, but I also felt guilty. So many people were supporting me, but they didn’t even know I was out of the contest. I felt like I had let them down. Mostly, I felt like I had let Cole and myself down. I should have believed him when he told me nothing happened with Laurie and I felt so angry with myself.

We parked close to the school gym, got out of the car and started making our way toward it. I wondered if Cole was already inside. I knew from all the gossip at school this week that he’d be selecting his final contestant live at the formal. I still didn't know how Hayley expected me to watch it. I was both dreading the moment and also desperate to find out who Cole's final choice would be.

“Madi?” Hayley came to a halt several steps ahead of me and turned to face me. I hadn’t even realized I’d stopped walking as we’d neared the gym. She closed the distance between us. “Don’t get upset now. I promised you that this evening would be all about fun. Don’t make a liar out of me.”

“Sorry,” I said, holding my hands up like I was being held at gunpoint.

Hayley laughed and shook her head at me. “Apology accepted. Let’s get inside and dance already.”

She grabbed my hand and dragged me into the gym. It was done up with fairy lights and shining stars hanging from the ceiling and loose balloons flitting across the floor. We had arrived late, so the dance floor was already packed.

Hayley didn’t hesitate as she pulled me into the midst of it all. I wasn’t sure if I felt like dancing yet, but it was better than moping by the sidelines. I felt like people were glancing my way as we walked onto the dance floor, but when I said as much to Hayley she laughed and told me it was just because I looked hot in gold.

I didn’t think it was that though. After we began dancing the stares started to lessen, but I couldn’t seem to stop the nerves I felt fluttering through my entire body as I waited for Cole’s announcement to come.

The nerves only grew stronger as the night continued. I kept glancing up at the stage, and my stomach dropped with fear every time I saw movement up there. I hadn’t spotted anyone from True Love yet, but I knew it was only a matter of time. Despite my best efforts, I was struggling to enjoy the dance. It felt like a countdown to certain heartbreak, and the longer I stayed the worse I felt.

“What’s wrong?” Hayley asked, catching sight of my face.

I shook my head, trying to stop the tears from gathering in my eyes. I didn’t even know who Cole was going to pick and already I was a mess. How was I going to handle it when he stood up on stage and announced his True Love choice? Nothing may have happened between him and Laurie, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t be devastated if he picked her or Teagan.

“Maybe we should go home and grab that tub of ice cream,” I said.

Hayley immediately came over and took hold of my arm. “Please don’t get upset. You’re supposed to be having fun.”

I tried to nod, but the motion just wouldn’t come.

“Look, the moment Cole arrives and makes his announcement I give you full permission to break down if you need to. But until then, you can’t let him ruin your formal. Let's just have some fun!”

This time the nod came more easily. Hayley was right. I needed to focus on enjoying my night. Cole hadn’t made his choice yet, and I could be worrying over nothing. He could pick Willow, for all I knew, which would prove he had no romantic interest in any of the contestants. The competition wasn’t over, but I was acting like it had already come to an end.

“You’re right,” I said, smiling at Hayley. “I’ll try to be less dramatic.”

“Promises, promises,” she said with a smile. I laughed along with her, feeling suddenly grateful for my friend.

We had only just started to dance again when the music was cut off mid-song. Everyone on the dance floor came to a standstill and turned to the stage as Angus jumped up to grab the microphone. He was joined by the rest of the film club and their cameras, which made my stomach drop. It felt like the beginning of the end.

“Welcome, welcome,” Angus shouted to the room.

Everyone cheered except for me.

“I know you are all at the start of a roaring great night, but before we really get this party started, we have a bit of an announcement to make.”

I felt overwhelmed with worry and quickly decided I didn't need to be here to watch Cole's revelation. I started to walk away, but Hayley grabbed hold of my arm, cementing me firmly in place.

“You aren’t going anywhere,” she said.

“But…” My excuses drifted away as she gave me a judgmental look; the kind that promised bodily harm and injury if I tried to walk away.

“Fine,” I grumbled. I hoped Hayley had some tissues in her bag because I was convinced I would need them once the announcement was made.

“So, without further delay, I give you the final episode of True Love!” Angus roared. The crowd started screaming, clapping and wolf whistling in response.

To my surprise, a large projector screen descended from the ceiling above the stage and covered the back wall. Cole’s face lit up the screen, and my heart leaped as I watched him smile directly at the camera. There was a cheekiness to his eyes, and he looked so damn handsome that it actually hurt just to watch him up there.

“I thought this was supposed to be live,” I murmured to Hayley. She simply smiled and raised a finger to her lips to indicate for me to be quiet before turning back to focus on the screen.

“I have a confession to make,” Cole said. “And I feel really terrible about admitting this, but you guys all voted for the wrong bachelor.”

Mutters of confusion and a few gasps rippled around the room as he spoke, but I found myself more intrigued than surprised. Why wasn’t Cole here in person? Where was the girl flinging her arms around his neck and kissing him as he told her she was the one he had picked?

“You see, a bachelor is supposed to be someone who is unattached. And yeah, I might be single, but the reason I’m the wrong guy is the fact that my heart has actually been attached to someone for a very long time.” He gave an embarrassed laugh, pushing a hand through his hair. “Far longer than I should probably admit on this video.”

Movement in front of me caught my attention, and I looked away from the screen as a girl in an elegant blue dress walked up and handed me a piece of paper. I frowned and took it from her. It had been cut into the shape of half a heart, just like the ones we’d used on the show. As I looked at the heart, I saw the word “kind” was written on it in the same messy scrawl that Cole used. My heart immediately started beating faster as I tried to figure out what was going on.

“Although I loved this girl, there was a problem.” Cole continued. “I could only ever admire her from a distance.”

My view of the screen was obstructed again as another girl walked up and handed me a paper heart. This one had the word “funny” written on it, and my heart seemed to skip a beat.

“What’s happening?” I whispered to Hayley.

"Just wait,” she replied.

“This girl had a boyfriend for a long time,” Cole continued. “So as much as I wanted to be with her, I knew I couldn’t because she was happy and that was all that mattered.”

Another girl approached and handed me another paper heart. The word “friendly” was written on it. Barely a second had passed before a guy in a smart suit stepped forward and gave me one more. “Likes pancakes,” it said, making me laugh softly.

“But then the two of them broke up, and I finally had my shot.” Cole’s voice still echoed from the speakers around the gym. “I thought this competition might bring us closer together, but instead it’s pulled us further apart.”

As I listened, I realized that everyone in the room had turned away from the screen to face me. One by one, students stepped out from the crowd and handed me paper hearts. There were too many now to read all the words that were written on them, and I was starting to struggle to hold them as they began to pile up in my hands. Tanner winked as he walked up and placed a heart on my head. Jake followed right after him and gave me a warm smile as he placed another heart on top of the already massive pile I was cradling.

“Good luck,” he whispered before stepping back. I stared at him, shocked that he was taking part in whatever was going on.

The crowd parted in front of me, and I saw all the True Love contestants standing in a line. They too walked towards me one by one. Evan kissed me on the cheek as he handed me a heart, and Brooke gave my wrist a comforting squeeze as she added hers to my pile.

Teagan, Willow and Laurie were the final people to approach me. All three of the girls were beaming as they placed three more hearts onto the pile. I looked at them with wide eyes, trying to understand what it all meant, but they merely gave me knowing smiles in reply.

“I have a message for that girl.” Cole’s voice drew my attention back up to the screen. “I need you to know, that whatever you think happened on the camping trip never did. I don’t have any proof, but I’m really hoping that my word is enough.”

My heart was now beating faster than I had ever experienced before. I could barely keep up with Cole’s speech and the words that covered the hearts I still held. But the words didn’t seem to matter anymore, because I already knew deep down exactly how he felt about me, and how I felt about him.

The video suddenly stopped playing, but I could still hear Cole’s voice.

“Because the truth is…” My gaze darted from the blank screen to the stage. Cole was standing up there in his suit, looking at me as he spoke into the microphone. “The truth is,” he repeated. “I could never truly give out any pieces of my heart, because one girl already had them all in the palms of her hands.”

I glanced down at all the heart-shaped pieces of paper I was holding and tears started forming in my eyes. The crowd parted around me, and when I looked back up, Cole was making his way toward me. He was smiling so widely, and I could feel every ounce of his love and hope in the way his bright eyes watched me.

“Madison Matthews,” he said, coming to stand in front of me. “You’ve got all the pieces of my heart. Can a guy like me hope to get one or two of yours in return?”

I didn’t have adequate words to answer him. How could anyone respond to something so beautiful with a simple yes? Instead, I tossed the pile of paper hearts into the air and launched into his arms, putting all of my emotions into one epic kiss. I could feel Cole grinning against my lips, and I knew, even without a word, that he understood exactly how I felt. As our kiss deepened, I felt the paper hearts raining down on us, like a calmer version of the storm that had raged around us during our first-ever kiss, and I breathed a sigh of happiness.

The roaring sound of clapping and whistling eventually broke through our blissful moment, and I pulled back from Cole. The whole school was cheering us on, and I felt my cheeks warming. I heard a loud snap from above me and looked up to find more tiny red hearts fluttering through the air around us as they fell from the ceiling like confetti.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Cole said, still unable to wipe the grin from his face. The crowd was still cheering around us, but he didn’t seem to care.

“I thought my kiss was the answer,” I replied.

“I want to hear the words, puddles.”

I laughed and shook my head at him. “Fine. You, Cole Kingston, may have one or two pieces of my heart.”

“And what if I want them all?” he asked, as the music started up again and the people around us resumed their dancing.

“Well, you’re going to have to work for them. I don’t just give out pieces of my heart to anyone,” I replied.

The corner of his lips lifted in a cheeky smile. “I guess I’ll have to just steal them then.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “You really were the wrong guy to be the bachelor.”

“Maybe, but I’m the perfect guy for you,” he said, before finally closing the distance between us again and giving me another kiss that set my heart, skin and soul ablaze.

There was no arguing with that.