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She slid her finger under the wide strap resting on her shoulder and pulled it off tentatively. Heart pounding, she slipped the silk dress from her waist and let it drop to the floor with a soft thud. Letting out an uncontrolled breath, she reached for her crumpled night shirt and pushed her head through the opening. She crept over and settled on her bed, grasping her wrist with the other hand nervously. A chill flushed through her chest, and she shivered. The room was colder than usual, why was that? She tugged the sheets over her legs and leaned against the headboard. Her palms were clammy. She blinked quickly and stared and the unlit ceiling. A moment came and went, but the urgency had yet to pass.

The door clicked, and Courtney shot up with a sharp intake of breath. A figure stepped in, and she pressed herself closer to the headboard. Her fingers twitched anxiously.

"Go." She ordered in a poorly assured voice. The figure didn't leave, he stepped closer. Courtney swallowed difficultly and raised her chin, trying to look determined. "I said, go."

The figure stepped closer once again, coming into contact with the soft glow from outside the hotel window. His blue eyes sent vibes through her, and her face went hot under his sharp gaze. He could see through the lies, she knew. But her willpower hadn't withered entirely. No, she was strong enough to resist. But the question was, did she still want to?

He rested his palms on the foot of the bed and leaned towards her. Instinctively, she turned the other way. He advanced forward, and her breath caught with nerves.

"Go." She repeated again. This time, she said it with a pleading tone. But again, he didn't respond. Courtney turned her shoulder into herself protectively. She watched him carefully, taking note of the way his body progressed. Each movement was precise, every shift acute. She was nervous.

Duncan's moved over her, placing his arms on either of her sides. Courtney flinched at their close proximity. She could feel his breath as it tickled the surface of her skin. A voice panged warnings in the back of her head.

Kick him off! Now! Before he gets to you!

But she was distant, unconnected. Beyond reach. She could feel his smooth skin on hers where her shirt had raised slightly. His wrist brushed against her hip, and the feeling was enough to make her dizzy. Duncan's face was detailed from where she lay, each feature outlined in the faint light. Pale skin, a strong jaw, and the eyes. Oh, his eyes. They could read her like no one could. They understood her better than she did. He understood her.

Courtney knew she should stop. Stop letting him take advantage of her. Gain ground on her. Sneak under her defenses. But she couldn't bring herself to. No, she couldn't. He had gotten under her skin, and chosen to stay. There was no turning back. There was merely moving forward.

Hovering, he was hovering. Neither teen moved. Neither teen wanted to. At least, not quite yet.

She breathed in fear, she exhaled resistance. She wasn't sure where this would lead, what it would bring them to. But she couldn't wait. Wait to find out, wait to see. Courtney chose not to focus on tomorrow, on later. After. The moment was in her grasp. Look ahead, and she'd lose it. Gone.

Adrenaline pulsed through her veins. When had she last felt this way? Never. Not once. This was new, the feeling. It was amazing. It was all she could feel. All she could be.

She was ready, bold. There was no time for hesitation. "Go." Courtney whispered firmly, eyes flickering with excitement. Duncan seemed to freeze uncertainly, though he'd been still before. Suddenly, he didn't appear so sure. He looked caught between pulling away and pushing closer. Courtney realized, then, that she hadn't been clear. She raised her hand slowly and brushed it along Duncan's forearm. "Go." She murmured softly, tilting her head to the right. She could feel her mouth go dry.

Kiss me before I lose the nerve.

He moved, stealthily. Their noses brushed. Courtney's head was misty with lust, with wanting. Duncan's arms wrapped around her waist, their torsos pressed against one another warmly. Her breathing was heavy. Her eyelids were drawing to a close, her fingers curling inwards as loose fists.

Now.

The irony didn't register with her. Just as her mind screamed with urgency, he pressed his lips to hers. Duncan pushed her harder against the headboard as he kissed her deeper. Slowly, and without breaking the kiss, Courtney slipped down amidst the bed sheets, letting Duncan push her against the mattress as he took over. She lost herself.

Warmth. Heat. She was only half-conscious. At least, that's how it felt. The way he moved against her, the way he seemed to fit, it made her breathless. Made her skin shiver. It made everything else insignificant.

His lips lefts hers, for a moment, as his mouth traveled along her cheek. He kissed her neck, her jaw. Courtney's eyes opened, and a guilty smile worked its way onto her lips. She let out a sigh, then a gasp, as Duncan kissed more forcefully.

Blind as she had become from the kiss, she understood the whispered words escaping her lips perfectly. A surge of emotions followed.

"I love you."

Suddenly, Duncan stopped. He went deathly rigid. He pulled back after a second, staring at her clearly. Confusion riled in his eyes. His breathing slowed, nearly stopped. Courtney didn't know what she had done wrong, but didn't try to take back the words. It was too late.

He slid off the bed and, without so much as a lingering gaze, left the room as silently as he had entered. The door clicked as it shut behind him. All was quiet.

She waited. Waited for him to come back, to return the feeling. To apologize for leaving her hanging. Her heart reaching out, hoping he'd take hold. But only the night came to greet her. Soberness set through her skin.

Courtney didn't say a word. She slowly pulled the sheets up to her shoulder and sunk into the cushiony bed, turning on her side. Pain clenched violently in her stomach.

What just happened?

She clamped her eyes shut, as her cheeks streaked with tears of regret, and the night took over.

Breakfast was usually something Courtney looked forward to. After so many weeks of Chef's disgusting slop, the Playa des Losers breakfast buffet was a Godsend. But, that morning, she couldn't even work up the willpower to drag herself out of bed.

She's been honest. Let it all go. Left her worries at the door and ran with her feelings. And how had it worked out? He left, without a word. What idiot mistakes, on both of their parts.

There was pounding on the door. Scowling, Courtney crawled from her bed and opened the hotel room door wide. Bridgette, smiling as usual, stood fully dressed. Her eyes took in Courtney and the corners of her mouth turned downwards in a slight frown.

"Why aren't you dressed yet? It's nine o'clock already!" Bridgette pushed through the door swiftly and perched on the edge of the unmade bed. The blonde blinked innocently, head tilted to the side with childlike curiosity.

Courtney hugged her waist and sat beside her friend stiffly. "Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll meet you in the dining room in about ten minutes, okay?"

Her friend nodded, then eyed her skeptically. "Are you alright, Courtney? You seem kind of… I don't know… depressed or something."

"Do I?" She shrugged lightly and ran a hand through her hair. Courtney tried to play casual, but the airy comment only made Bridgette look more concerned. "I didn't realize."

Bridgette slowly stood and nodded once more, trying to accept her excuse. "Okay, well. I was just wondering if it had anything to do with the party last night. I mean, Duncan was really out of line with his flirting and everything, so…"

His name made Courtney wince inwardly, but she brushed off the feeling, hoping the disdain didn't show on her face. Waving her hand, she dismissed the idea. "No, no. I'm fine. Just tired. Go, eat. I'll be there soon."

After Bridgette had left, Courtney stood and walked over to the washroom. She splashed her face with cold water, hoping to bring herself back to her senses, and quickly brushed her teeth. Once dressed, she took a moment to collect herself.

She'd shed her tears, and now she would bounce back, act like nothing was wrong. It was that simple. No more bullshit. She was done. Finished with ogres like Duncan who only wanted one thing. Why had she let herself believe he was any different? As if he even cared?

But it had hurt. She couldn't get around that fact. No matter how cold she could become, the rejection, in all its glory, had cut like a knife.

Courtney slammed the door behind her sharply and ran to meet her friend, driven by her newfound determination. Bridgette was waiting for her in the main dining hall, holding a plate in either hand. She handed her one.

"You were quick. Hungry?" Courtney nodded and moved along the buffet table, picking out food.

Halfway through, Bridgette nudged her slightly, gesturing to the mass of chattering teens scattered around the Playa des Losers dining hall. "Hey, do you mind if we sit with Geoff and the guys?" Courtney lifted her eyes and scanned the tables spread around the room. Geoff's cowboy hat caught her attention, and she glanced at the faces sitting at the table. She was instantly aware that Duncan was one of them. Her heart lurched.

Courtney was about to suggest that they sit somewhere else, but caught herself. She didn't care, right? Moved on. She had moved on.

"Of course, Bridgette. That's fine." Rolling her shoulders back, Courtney led the way to the table, stopping at Geoff's chair promptly. The boys looked up from their plates and murmured greetings. Geoff stood and gave Bridgette a loud, over-dramatic kiss. The blonde giggled, a blush staining her cheeks.

With a composed, "Good morning," Courtney slipped onto one of the padded chairs. Duncan glanced up, and she pretended not to notice, though his gaze made her shudder slightly. After a moment, he returned to poking at his food.

"Morning, Courtney." DJ said with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Courtney saw Duncan stop and listen. He didn't raise his eyes, but his attention was clear.

"Not bad." She said plainly, stabbing her eggs with a fork. Let him believe that the rejection hadn't affected her at all. As if it hadn't stung. "Pretty well, actually."

"Oh."

They picked at their food, making light, meaningless conversation. Throughout the morning, Duncan remained silent, avoiding everyone's eyes. And Courtney, in turn, pretended to barely acknowledge his presence. Meanwhile, the other ex-campers remained oblivious to the growing tension.

When her plate was clean, Courtney took a moment to plan her actions. She had no intention of talking to Duncan; there was nothing she had to say. But if there was any chance he had a word to share with her, she needed to come up with an escape route. No doubt Bridgette would have been her first alibi, but she had made plans with Geoff. And being their third wheel would have made her more than approachable. Courtney tapped her fingers on the edge of the table, thinking hard. The very last thing she wanted to do was retreat to her hotel room on the fourth floor and hide under her covers. If she had sought to prove herself feeble and unconfident, it would have been her first stop.

As a waiter cleared their plates away, Courtney and Duncan stood in unison. Their eyes locked, and Courtney boldly stared back, trying to ignore the queasy feeling in her stomach. But her insides churned at the coldness of his eyes, and the reality pounded in her head. So before she could unintentionally give Duncan the chance to confront her, she turned sharply and strode out of the room.

She tore down the hallway, as if she could escape her feelings. Her arms swung stiffly by her sides. A prickling feeling touched her eyelids. Oh, hell. Tears. Courtney clamped her eyes shut, not wanting them to fall. In desperation, she pushed open a door on her right and fled down the stairs, three flights, before she dropped in a heap at the bottom.

Her sight blurred, and her cheeks felt damp. The hard tile floor was cold beneath her. Courtney pressed her back against the wall and brought her knees to her chest. Oh, where had her confidence gone to? Weak, she was weak.

But why didn't he love her? All of what he'd said on the island… and she'd believed him. Kissed him. Denied it, but not for long. He came to her room, and she fell for him again. But the one time she was truly brave with her feelings? The one time she was honest? Rejected. Not even aloud, only with his actions.

Screw being strong. Forget moving on. She was miserable. Devastated. Heart-broken. And by whom? The boy she denied over and over again? By the very delinquent she vowed never to get involved with? The only boy who had ever made her heart race faster… made her head pound… made the rest of the world disappear from beneath her feet…?

All because she liked him too much. Loved him.

Hadn't she done exactly what he wanted? Fallen for him? Courtney had taken a chance and let her heart decide her actions for once. And where did that leave her? At the bottom of a stairwell, tears spilling over her cheeks, alone, with her heart split in two.

Because Duncan must not have been looking for what she found. He wanted summer heat, probably. Or maybe he made a bet with himself to see if he could get her to crack. Get her to throw away all she knew and get caught up in his eyes. He'd succeeded; but apparently too well. Maybe, hopefully, the guilt found him. Who knows, maybe there was a single cell of remorse in the boy's body.

Had she been wrong? Made a mistake? Was it wrong to love him?

Duncan had been right, for one thing. He wasn't nice.

Standing on wobbling legs, Courtney wiped her eyes on her sleeves and breathed in. She began climbing the stairs, slowly. It would've been easier to take the elevator, but why risk running into another ex-contestant? No, it was better to walk. No one, no one needed to know that she had shed tears. No one needed to know that she'd been vulnerable. For all they should know, Courtney was as self-assured as ever.

She pushed open the door and crept down the hallway, looking for her room. Who had she been kidding? Hiding under her covers was the very first thing she wanted to do. Finding the right door, Courtney pulled out her key and fixed it in the keyhole. She twisted the knob and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She made her way over to the washroom and flicked on the light, wincing at her appearance. After wiping her eyes with a tissue and once the red had subsided, Courtney walked over to the dresser and tugged open a drawer. She pulled out her bathing suit and changed quietly. A swim would do her some good. And if her eyes were still red later on, she could always blame the chlorinated pool water.

Because no one needed to know that she had cried.

"Courtney…"

Huh, no nickname. He must've been serious.

It was the first time Duncan had directly spoken to her in the past three days. It was mostly due to her avoidance, but he hadn't gone out of his way to speak with her, either. Neither teen was innocent.

"Hmm?" Courtney glanced over her magazine through narrowed eyes, raising an eyebrow slightly. The act had been going fairly well. She pretended nothing happened, retreating inside herself whenever he was near. Though in truth, the situation hadn't left her thoughts for a moment.

Duncan ran a hand through his hair and glanced around the lobby, as if to find assistance. It hurt, to be close to him. Courtney shifted in her chair. "Look, can we, uh, talk?"

Icily, Courtney's gaze slid from Duncan back to the glossy pages in her hands. "Oh, sorry Duncan but I'm a little busy." She stressed the word smoothly, as to inform him that she was in fact entirely free, but held no interest in speaking with him. He picked up on the hint, and sighed irritably.

"Just… come." He slid his hand around her wrist and made to pull her away. But, without looking from her magazine, Courtney snapped her hand back and crossed her legs promptly.

"No, thanks." She flipped a page quickly and feigned interest in a Seventeen article about the Jonas Brothers, though she was only aware of Duncan's pleading stare. She tried to ignore it.

He growled under his breath and, without hesitation, grabbed Courtney's wrist for the second time and forcefully led her out of the lobby. The magazine dropped to the floor with a slap. Courtney growled, losing her cool, and struggled against him. "Let go!" She snapped. Duncan made no comment until he pulled her out of the building and into bare, well-lit alley.

"Stop it!" She yanked her arm free and glared, taking a step back from Duncan. "What do you want?"

"I'm sorry, okay?" he said in a desperate rush. Though, Courtney noted, the apology wasn't for the hauling out of the hotel, and she paused to listen. "I was an idiot! For not saying anything before… and for not saying this earlier… I'm sorry."

She was taken aback by the confession. Duncan's eyes were hopeful, earnest, and they made her straighten. It must've been hard for him to admit that he'd been wrong. But it wasn't enough. Not even close. Courtney lifted her chin with importance. "I forgive you." The response was cold, formal, and Duncan's shoulders drooped.

"I really am sorry." He tried again, intention evident. He wanted her to forgive him, and let everything go back to normal. One out of two would have to satisfy him.

"I know." Courtney said coolly. Her tone made it obvious that his efforts were pointless. Good, let him be devastated. Let him feel as though the world was crashing down on him.

Duncan's voice grew hard. "Don't do this, Princess. At least hear me out."

Moving backwards to lean against the brick wall behind her, Courtney crossed her arms and kept a monotone expression. "Talk, then." She demanded.

He swallowed. He fidgeted. He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced around nervously. Duncan exhaled. "Uh," He stopped, mouth open. Swallowing for a second time, Duncan scuffed his shoes along the ground sheepishly and avoided her eyes. "This is… kind of difficult."

A sour smile crossed her lips. "Yeah, some things are just so damn hard to admit, huh?"

Duncan looked up and scowled fiercely. "Look, I said I was sorry, alright?"

Courtney's anger rose as well. "Yeah, you also said a lot of other things, too! All of which I believed! But I'm over your bullshit, Duncan! I don't want to hear how 'sorry' you are. I don't buy it!"

"I am sorry!" He yelled. "You have no fucking idea!"

Suddenly, a tidal wave of emotions crashed over her. The anger, the sadness, the disappointment, it all tumbled down. Her face felt hot. Shit, tears. Not in front of Duncan!

"Well I'm sorry too!" Courtney poked his chest accusingly. Duncan tried to intervene, but she continued too quickly, overcome by herself. "I'm sorry I met you! Sorry I signed up for this show! Sorry I let my feelings persuade my common sense! I'm sorry I ever kissed you!" She stopped, just for a moment. Her voice, though still shaking, cooled. "But I'm not sorry for what I said."

For a moment, Duncan's dim eyes seemed to light up, as if there was still hope, a light at the end of the tunnel. Why did he even care? She was done with him, and it was high time he accepted it. But, Courtney continued. "Because if I hadn't… I wouldn't have found out what a jackass you are." His face fell.

"Courtney…" Duncan started, but didn't finish. He raised a hand and wiped his thumb along her cheek. Courtney turned away swiftly at the touch, but brought a hand to her face.

It was wet.

"Damn…" She muttered to herself, though the tears refused to stop flowing. Turning on her heel, Courtney broke into a sprint. Duncan called after her, but she didn't stop. She just kept running, hoping the wind would blow away the tears.

She heard the door open. It was quiet, nearly unnoticeable, but she heard. Courtney brought the sheets closer to herself, hoping that if she pretended not to know, he wouldn't actually be there. But his voice came.

"Princess?"

Should've locked the door…

She sat up and looked at him. It was tempting to throw the pillow at his head, but she restrained herself. For what reason, she was not quite sure.

"I get it." Duncan mumbled, not dropping his gaze as she had expected. "I didn't before, but I do now. You have to know that I'm not… like that."

Like what? A man-whore? An ass? A liar? Because at the moment, that's exactly what she found him to be. And no matter the tangle of lies he would surely throw at her, she wouldn't believe him. Courtney knew better.

Duncan showed no signs of being disappointed when she didn't respond. It was as if it'd been exactly what he was expecting. He continued. "And I know you probably don't want me to be here right now, but give me a minute."

He suddenly seemed to be aware of his physical state, as he walked over and sat on the end of her bed. Courtney drew her legs closer to herself. "What you said… kind of freaked me out. So I panicked and left. I'm not really good with this sort of stuff." Duncan explained. "And… that was probably bad of me."

Courtney was tempted to say: You think? but held her tongue.

"I…" Duncan started, then groaned and dropped his head in his hands. After a moment, he raised his head again and tossed his hands in the air. "I do love you, okay! Like hell I do! It's just so damn hard for me to get out!"

Liar.

"You… you don't mean that." Courtney swallowed. "You're just saying it so I'll forgive you." It wasn't true. It couldn't be.

Duncan glanced up, and shook his head slowly. He was creeping over. Over her, arms on either side. For the second time that week, his breath was on her skin. He would try to prove it to her. She knew.

His lips pressed on hers quickly, and Courtney tried to wrestle away. The wanting started to return, and she could feel her resistance fading. But he was a liar! A liar. A… a liar… a…

"No… Duncan." Courtney felt herself leaning into the kiss, despite her better judgment. Her vision went foggy for a moment, head heavy, but the warnings came back clear and strong. "Get off!"

With a surge of strength, Courtney forcefully shoved the boy off of her. He landed on the floor with a resounding thud and a loud groan.

"You can't do this to me, Duncan!" She growled, sitting up and glaring over the side of the bed. "I'm done with you, got it? I don't trust a word you say! And no matter how much you try to seduce me or whatever the hell you're trying, it's not going to work! It's over!"

Jumping up, Duncan faced her and leaned close, face determined, nearly desperate. "No, it's not! You can't honestly tell me that in three days you're entirely over me!"

"No, I can't!" She snapped, crawling off the bed. "Because I'm an idiot! Because I believed you! Because I loved you! Because I thought you actually cared for me!"

There was hurt in his eyes, Courtney could see it. Panting, Duncan stepped closer and gripped her by her shoulders. Courtney twisted in vain, but he held firm.

"Listen to me!" Duncan ordered, voice steady. Courtney glared and continued to struggle, but to little avail. "I love you. I don't care if you don't like it, or if you don't believe it. I do. And if you think I'm going to back off, forget about it! I'm not letting seven weeks of trying to get you to feel the same way to go to waste. I need you, babe. I'm not letting this stay screwed up, because I did for three days, and it was hell." He took a pause and exhaled, before turning back to her. "I was an idiot to wait this long, but don't let my being a wimp ruin this. I was freaked out and… I wasn't sure. I've never felt this way before, okay! I've never been in love before! It is not over. It can't be!"

His honesty hit a nerve. She could see it— feel it. There was a certain force to his words, a sort of strong desperation that she had never seen before. Duncan's eyes seized her, and forced her to recognize the truth.

He loved her. More than words could describe.

Courtney flinched, and, calmly, the resistance slowly began to melt away.

As afraid as she was of getting hurt by Duncan, Courtney discovered something else: she was more afraid of losing him. Because in truth, losing him would break her. Rip at her, tear her apart. It sickened Courtney to think of spending every day without him, in spite of his annoying, irritating habits. And while he could hurt her, wasn't he worth the risk? Worth the leap of faith? Worth throwing her worries at the door and running with her feelings? Because, as she suddenly realized, he was there to catch her.

He'd been there all along.

Courtney wiped the angry tears from her eyes and reached up towards Duncan. She pulled him towards her, and pressed her lips to his.

Duncan clung to her, as though she could easily slip from his grasp. And, in a way, she had. But Courtney was back in a place where she belonged, where she was wanted. Needed. A place where she could never be taken for granted. Where she would always be loved.

In the arms of a delinquent.

You have no idea how long that ending took! I wrote the story in about three or four nights, which is pretty good for me. But the ending I would write, re-write, delete and rewrite again until my head throbbed. Every time I wrote it, it was either too rushed or too dragged on. Or, just not interesting enough. So aggravating! Tell me what you think of it!

I have to say, I'm a little bit peeved. I was randomly looking through stories when I decided to click on a D/C fic. Reading it, I discovered that the story was nearly identical to the first chapter of Together. The author had basically taken the story and re-written it, keeping all the same main ideas and plot. But, I'm not going to make a huge deal out of it. I don't think the author's intention was poor, but even still. It sucks to have something if yours plagiarized, especially when they get any credit or you worked hard on it. Luckily, I read the reviews for the story and I wasn't the only one to notice. So yeah.

I was listening to Panic at the Disco's Lying is the Most Fun and I was inspired to write the first part, and it later turned into the entire story. I really like that song… Anyway, I wanted to try something different with this. Instead of the whole thing being about: 'When are they going to hook up already? Gosh!' I wanted to write one in which the beginning is when they hook up, not at the end. I mean, they make up at the end… but why would I leave you without a happy ending, huh?

I'm thinking I might write a two-shot at some point. Think it's a good idea? Maybe, maybe… Right now I'm really excited because I'm starting a new D/C fic. But instead of random updates, I figure I'll write all of it this summer, and update every Monday. Something like that.

Such a long A/N! Sorry- I had a lot to say. To sum it up, thank you. For reading, for reviewing. For re-reading (I'm not the only one that does that, right?) And anything else that I missed. Thanks!