Hiding our relationship again turned out to be much easier than either of us had anticipated, especially when there was no competition or jealousy over Libby. Whatever she had been aiming for by telling Rett about me, the plan had backfired completely. Dustin wanted nothing to do with her, and contention slid into hate once he realized how Libby had told Rett. Turned out Dustin wasn’t the only Hill brother she’d taken to bed, and if the rumors were true, the older Hill had been there first and was still a frequent visitor. If there had been any friendly feelings left between Libby and Dustin, that notion was obliterated by the revelation of her relationship with his brother. The faux pas also left a fragile bond between the brothers who had once been close. I could only hope time would eventually heal that.

As worried as Dustin had been about our relationship and the strain hiding would put on the two of us, it never happened. The new status quo melded into the old and continued to work for us, adding that playful air of mystery when we had to be sneaky about how we got away with seeing one another. Without realizing it, time was flying by.

The months that led to the end of the school year passed too quickly, the time we spent together slipping through our fingers as scholastic importance took precedence—something I seemed to spend more time insisting on than Dustin did observing.

He was spending a lot more time with his mom before he left for college. She was so much weaker then, and it didn’t take me long to read the pain in his blue eyes after he’d spent the afternoon with her. The time we did have together was shrouded in secrecy, away from the prying eyes of the school and the town, who, according to Dustin, were playing lookout for his father and brother.

I didn’t mind. I treasured these moments I had with him. No interruptions, no distractions, just the two of us, normally in my bedroom, snuggled, talking about our freedom and moving away together in August. We were going to live in College Station, Texas, and I would finish high school while he completed his first year in higher education. The more we talked about our future, the more our plans made sense. College Station had community colleges that I could probably afford to take classes in and gain credits to go toward any university I did earn enough to attend. It was strange having someone finally believe in me more than I did. I’d always had to do everything for myself and fight for that future I wanted so desperately. The Hern’s believed in me, obviously, but there was more behind the gesture with Dustin. It didn’t feel like he was obliged to believe in me. He looked, and he saw.

Four months soon passed in a blink of an eye, and as I spent the time researching schools near the Texas A&M campus, housing Dustin and I could afford, as well as emancipation from my father and how much that would cost me, I forgot about the traditions and rituals of high school seniors.

One evening in late May, Megan came crawling through the window with a sly smile and a garment bag that had me doing a double take.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, closing the reference books that were scattered around me. “I thought you had a date with Rob tonight?”

“I lied. I’m doing Dustin a favor.”

Turning, I unfolded my legs and dropped them over the side of the bed, watching her move around my room with her usual familiarity. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

“Really? You can’t be that oblivious, Mikayla.”

Raising my shoulder in a half-hearted shrug, I stared at her blankly while my mind ticked over the relevant dates in my relationship with Dustin.

“Prom!” Her tone was filled with even doses of exasperation and excitement, while my heart sank.

“Don’t be an ass, Meg. You know I can’t go with Dustin. If his dad or brother—”

Megan raised a hand, cutting me off from my rehearsed answer. My response was the same one I kept telling myself over and over again to keep the disappointment away. An answer that accompanied the obligatory: We have next year… my prom… somewhere else, where no one knows who we are. That thought got me through a lot of second guessing these days.

“Hey. This wasn’t my idea. I’m just fulfilling my side of the favor. Now get up and get in the shower.”

“But–” I was cut short by her raised hands of resignation and slipped off the bed without another word of argument. I knew how to choose my battles with Megan Hern, and when she pursed her lips and planted her hands on her hips, it was better to accept my fate than meet her head-to-head in a battle of wills.

I took the shower as she demanded and was forced to sit for hours in the small desk chair as she blow-dried my hair and curled the strands in a random order. She did my makeup and gave me a manicure, all the while engaging me in a discussion about her relationship with Rob, my impending move, and what the hell we planned on doing all summer. I hadn’t put much thought into the summer because we would be spending it in Childress, the one place we would have to continue to hide our relationship. To my surprise, Megan brought up the idea of going on a trip.

She started trying to convince me the moment I responded with any level of real interest. She’d already spoken to Rob about her idea, and they’d been granted permission to borrow his family’s camper. Megan had asked her mom about their ancient RV, and Jen had agreed to loan it to Dustin and me. They’d already picked out a campsite in Colorado on Lake Trinidad, assuring me that everyone else in our school was heading south to the beach for the summer. Dustin had already confirmed with her, and he’d spoken to Troy who had agreed to be his cover. They’d had to book early, as the date was two weeks with the fourth of July slap bang in the middle. The two of them had arranged everything. All they needed was a yes from me, and I couldn’t see why I would say anything else? This vacation was the first opportunity Dustin and I would have to be a normal couple without having to worry about what anyone else thought or whether anyone would report our being together to Dustin’s family.

“Yes. Are you kidding?” I finally replied with a small laugh. “Why would I say no?”

“I knew you wouldn’t, but it’s polite to ask.” She winked at me and held out a hand for me to take. “Now, are you ready to get dressed and get in the car that’s about to pull up in… Shit!”

“What?”

“Five minutes.” She shoved the garment bag at me and grinned. “This is a we love you from Mom and me. Now go.”

I unzipped the bag and inhaled at the sight of layers of soft silk and satin that poured from within. The dress was a deep aqua blue, with an empire waist and beaded stitching just under the bust. There was a light turquoise baroque sash cinched at the empire line, carefully twisted to cover one shoulder, complementing the capped sleeves.

“Damn. It’s beautiful.”

Megan beamed proudly and grabbed one of my hands, squeezing with excitement. “I knew you’d love it, but you can’t cry. I just finished your makeup.”

I gave a watery laugh and pulled my hand from hers so I could change in the bathroom. I spent longer than I should admiring my reflection once in the stunning dress. Exiting the bathroom in a spin of giggles, I landed against a hard chest and a bright flash of light.

“Best photo ever.” Megan chortled from somewhere in the room. I should have paid more attention to what she was doing, but Dustin’s familiar blue eyes were holding mine captive. Filled with love, warmth, and happiness, I felt as though I could sink into their depths and live there contently for the rest of time.

“Prom?” I whispered in question, my incredulousness falling away as the emotion caught up with me. Dustin smiled his brightest smile and leaned in to kiss me, sending another burst of the camera’s flash over us.

“Do you honestly think I wouldn’t find a way to go to my senior prom with the girl I love?”

“Well…”

He shut me up with another kiss before rocking back and rearranging my curls, and turning us to face Megan as his other hand held up a beautiful orchid. They had thought of everything, and I was left speechless, allowing them to direct me without a fight. Megan took several more pictures, leaving my head spinning as Dustin towed me to the window and climbed out. He spun and leaned in, his lips brushing mine as another flash lit the room.

“It’s going too fast,” I mumbled regretfully, looking between them with a small laugh. “Everything is spinning. I need time to take it all in. I want one more picture.”

“Anything,” Megan said nodding, her eyes now glassy with tears.

Sucking in a breath, I crooked my finger at Dustin so he leaned into my room again. Grabbing his tie, I bent at the waist and pulled on the material before looking directly at the camera and making a face, knowing that Dustin’s reaction would be enough.

I couldn’t really believe I was going to the freaking prom, and I wanted just one silly picture to represent who we really were as a couple and capture just how stunned and insanely happy I was at that moment. Not the same, stiff, formal poses most took.

“Wait!” Dustin laughed as he caught on. “Last one, I promise. Mik, turn around and give me the back of your dress.”

“What?”

“Meg,” he said, and she, once again, obliged, handing the back of the dress’ skirt to him. “Miki, look over your shoulder at me.”

I did as I was told and held the pose as a laughing Meg took several shots of us like that, including Dustin peering up my skirt. Filled with laughter, Dustin finally swung me up in his arms and easily pulled me through the open window.

He was the perfect gentleman, opening the door of the truck for me, and helping me inside making sure the skirt of the dress was tucked in before closing the door and heading back to slide in behind the wheel.

“Surprised?” he asked, rolling from my drive and out onto the highway.

“Very. Where are we going?”

“Prom… kind of.”

“Another surprise?”

He responded with a smile, picking up my hand to kiss the back of each finger. “You’ll see.”

My heart, full to busting, fluttered in my chest. I had no idea what he had planned, but I was with him on prom night in a pretty dress and towering heels, feeling more beautiful than I had in my life. The destination was irrelevant at that point. My night was made, and this was a memory I would hold onto for the rest of my life.

When we pulled up at the school, I could hear the music blasting from the gym. Proms were traditionally held off campus, but Childress High had the perfect setup for dances, and this was a small town with an even smaller budget, no matter how much money the prom committee had raised with carwashes and bake sales. To be fair, the location was more convenient for everyone involved. There was nowhere else in town that could accommodate a prom.

Dustin didn’t park where the rest of the students had, or where a line of limousines curled around the parking lot. Instead, he drove around to the staff lot and slipped between two of the school buses with an apologetic glance at me.

“You figured it out yet?”

“The roof?” I whispered, smiling at him. We were at the prom without being at the prom, but this was ours. Just Dustin and I, and I couldn’t have been happier. “You’re a genius.”

“I’m not sure that word applies,” he said, getting out and holding a finger up for me to wait before closing the door behind him and jogging around to offer me a hand. “I will accept thoughtful, considering the situation.”

I slipped from the truck and into his waiting arms, my lips finding his when his arms closed around my thighs, holding me higher than him. “You’re more than thoughtful. You’re considerate, adoring, and I love you. You didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to. This is as normal as our high school romance gets. I needed this as much as you did, so it’s selfish, too.”

I smiled down at him, one hand brushing wayward strands of the fast-growing hair away from his face, before settling my palm on his cheek and kissing him again. That kiss was slower and deeper, filled with everything I was feeling for him. When we parted, we were breathless with emotion.

Dustin took my hand in his and, with a squeeze of reassurance, led me toward the back of the gym, his eyes dropping to the heels of my shoes apologetically as we stopped at the base of the ladder. Nonplussed, I kicked the heels off before he could say a word and hooked the heels over my wrist as I started up the ladder, leaving him to watch me open-mouthed, staring straight up my skirt. By the time he slipped over the lip of the roof, I already had my heels back on my feet and was swinging my hips in gleeful anticipation.

The music filtered up from below us, the volume loud enough to be entirely clear as he took my hand and guided me into the middle of the dark roof.

“Stay right there. Don’t move.”

After disappearing for a moment, Dustin’s position was given away by the creak of the door on the structure of the shack. I smiled in that direction, swaying to the music while I waited obediently.

“Dustin?”

“Just one…”

Light sprang up around me as his voice died away. There were little paper lanterns surrounding fairy lights dotted all around. They moved from Coach’s Retreat to an antenna over to the large air conditioning unit and back again. The cheerful colors all cast warm glows as I spun, my eyes open and taking everything in. It was beautiful but subtle enough to not glean unwanted attention from all of Dustin’s classmates below.

“Look what you did,” I whispered, grabbing his hands as he neared. “You never stop surprising me, you know?”

I rewarded him with a long kiss, my hands gripping and tugging at the freshly cut hair at the nape of his neck. I didn’t think there was anyone else who would do this for me. No one would know how much this would touch me, but Dustin did. Even if we had been able to join in with the gathering below, it wouldn’t have meant as much as this.

“You like it?” he asked, his arms pulling me close.

“I love this,” I said, beaming at him, feeling the happiness spread over me like the summer sun.

“Good.” Taking a small digital camera from his pocket, he held it at arm’s length and turned the lens on us. I could almost put money on the fact that he was just going to get some obscure body part, and when he didn’t check the small screen, I realized he didn’t care. Tonight was about us doing things our way, just like we always did.

We must have danced together in our secret paradise for hours—our bodies pressed together with almost as much frequency as our lips. The air around us was alive with the music and the random clips of excited conversation that drifted up to us from the open gym doors. We drank beer from champagne glasses and got tipsy. We laughed at the stories Dustin would tell me about the rest of his classmates as we peeked over the lip of gym at the couples who decided they needed a last hoorah with a girl or guy who wasn’t necessarily their prom date. Some left, heading toward after parties in the hotels that lined the main highway running through town. Others went home, and before long, the music died and left us alone with the quiet serenade of our radio as we continued to dance.

The night was perfect—more perfect than I could have ever imagined—and I didn’t want our prom to be over. I wanted to bask in our rebellion. We’d made one of our rites of passage together and no one had stopped us, or told us we couldn’t be there. It was a small victory, but ours, and that’s what counted.

“Can we just stay here?” I asked after Dustin twirled me out and pulled me back against him.

“I had Megan put some things together for you,” he whispered, rocking us from side to side. I knew he meant to stay the night in the retreat, but my wish was infinite.

“No, I mean forever. It’s been perfect.” I flung my arms out and fell back, trusting him to catch me and hold me as I stared up at the stars above us. I felt all floaty and light-headed from the beer, but warm and comfortable at the same time. “I haven’t thought about what’s coming next all night.”

Pulling me up and against him, Dustin swept his lips over my shoulder, the warm wash of his exhale bathing my skin until I shivered from the sudden heat that raged through my bloodstream.

“I would do anything for you, and if I could stop time, I would.”

“I know you would,” I admitted, throwing my arms around his neck and grinning at him. “Just for tonight, then?”

“Just for tonight,” he agreed, his fingers moving to the zip at the back of my dress. “We’re not going to waste a moment of the night sleeping, either.”

I was amused, but my chuckle came as more of a moan as he tugged the zip down my back and slipped his warm hand between the parting sides of material to claim every inch of flesh under his palm. He was heat and comfort, love and passion. He was the other half of the whole that made us… us.

We didn’t have to rush our lovemaking that night. I don’t think either of us so much as considered speeding through the act. We understood that this would be our time, our memories, and our one definitive moment in our high school romance. We took our time touching and exploring hungrily with our hands and lips. The only audience was the stars overhead, and we allowed them to bear witness until the field lights extinguished, forcing us to turn off our own beacon of light and move inside the small cabin before locking the world out completely.

We were fused together for hours. Moments of recuperation were filled with declarations of love between us until words melted into kisses–kisses that led to lovemaking, which brought screams of pleasure from my lips and grunts of unadulterated ecstasy from his. I didn’t know where I ended or where he began for most of the night. My damp skin was alive as we moved as one, the push and pull of youthful exuberance spurring us on and on until exhaustion finally claimed us both with the kiss of the sun on the horizon.

I felt alive as I lay there watching the sun fill the room. My body was well used and tired. My heart was full of love and hope, and my mind was running through images of our future together. In three short months, we’d be out of Childress and in a place where no one knew or cared who we were or whether we were in love. There was a promise of more nights like this, filled with endless lovemaking and laughter.

Maybe it was naive.

Maybe I was just too young and stupid.

Maybe I just didn’t care anymore.

I was happy, and in love, and I was getting out of a life I hadn’t chosen for myself, and running headlong into one I’d handpicked.

Maybe that was slipping through my fingers before I’d so much as had a chance to form a solid image of it.