I was unable to sleep after leaving Haley's. I tried to rack my brain on how I could make things better between us. Then it hit me! I got out of bed, threw on my pants and slid my boots on, grabbing my keys and running out the door. Driving as fast as I could, albeit legally, I arrived within about five minutes. Taking a deep breath I drove onto their driveway and then onto the grass and to the side of the house where Haley's room is. Leaving the engine running, I get out, walking over to the flower bed again, picking up some rocks, stepping back and walking back to the car. I turn the radio on to our favorite station, standing back out of the car, starting to toss pebbles at her bedroom window. Gene Kelly's If I Could Write a Book was playing through the speakers. I knew Haley would hear it and hopefully she'd be down here with me in no time. I saw the curtain part and my heart lept in my chest. She hadn't opened the window, but I could tell she had muttered my name.

Smiling up at her, I bowed slightly. "Come dance with me," I called up to her, hoping she'd take my invitation and come down to join me on our makeshift dance floor. She shook her head and stepped away from the window, the curtains falling back into place. I hoped she was coming down with me, so I waited, my head turned to the back porch, waiting to see my girl. Within a minute, there she was, dressed in nothing but her sleeping gown. My heart raced inside my chest, but I remained calm. "Lucas! You're going to wake my parents!" I turned back to the car, leaning in to turn down the music. Turning back to her, I smiled, happy she decided to join me. "Dance with me, baby." Then there it was, the signal that told me I was golden. She smiled. It was half a smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. Taking a step off the porch, she walked over to me. "And why would I go and do something like that? It's freezing out here!" I only winked at her when she said that. "I'll keep you warm in my arms," I told her, holding my hand out to her.

She took my hand, stepping closer to me. "This doesn't mean I'm not mad at you... this just means I'm cold." She laughed and I pulled her into my arms, starting to sway to the music. "I love you, Haley. Nothing that ever happens will ever stop that. Nothing that either of us will ever do will stop that." A soft sigh came from her lips and she laid her head against my chest as I held her. "I love you, more than all the stars in the sky.. and no matter what happens nothing will ever change that. I know I was angry with you..." She slowly trailed off, smiling up at me. "But I still and will always be completely in love with you." Rubbing her back softly, holding her against me, I smiled down at her after she basically just said she's not mad at me anymore. "So, you like the dancing?" I asked, smirking down at her. "If you mean like by... it worked at making me less mad at you, then, yes?" The grin she gave me was all the reward I needed, even if she had forgiven me. Her smile made my heart soar.

Laughing, I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm glad." I shook my head slightly. "Because I couldn't sleep knowing you were still mad at me." She smiled up at me and I turned her in my arms, dancing as a new song, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire singing Cheek to Cheek, started playing. It was perfect for the moment. "Well, honestly.. I couldn't sleep myself any better than you. I'm glad you came." She smiled, leaning up to press her lips to mine. I kissed her back just as softly, pulling back slowly, looking up at the house and back down at her. "You wouldn't be... interested in coming back over to my place would you? I can hold you all night long. We could both get the sleep we need." She looked up at me, her cheeks reddened from the thought. "Lucas! I can't do that!" She bit her lip, blushing from cheek to cheek. But I was serious. "Please," I asked again, shaking my head. "I'll be the perfect gentleman." I held up my three fingers in Weeblo Scout's oath. "Scouts Honor." I knew she trusted me. I didn't have to give my word on it.

"I'd love too. Just let me get some things, okay?" I nodded, gesturing my head back to the car. "I'll turn my radio down," I told her, winking back at her. She leaned up, giving me a quick kiss. "Thanks!" I smiled brightly as she ran back to the porch, up the stairs and back through the back door. Leaning back against the hood of my car, I waited patiently for her to come back down to me. It wasn't long before I saw her smiling face coming back through the door and back over to me. "I'm all ready to go, Mr. Scott." Smiling, I reached out to take her bag, wrapping my arm around her waist. I walked with her around to the passenger side of the car, opening the door, tossing the bag into the back and turning back to look at her. "I love you, Haley James. Always and forever." Leaning down to her, I pressed my lips against hers again, kissing her softly. She slid her arms up and around my neck, smiling against my lips as she whispered, "Always and forever." Rubbing her back, I pull back and help her into the car. Pulling her seat belt on, she looked up at me, smiling. "Thank you." Nodding, I smiled back down at her. "You're welcome." I leaned back in, kissing her on the head before standing back up, closing the door and running around my side to get in.

Pulling back and off the grass, I drive back onto the road. Once on the road, Haley leaned her head over onto my shoulder. "I'm glad you came to get me." Smiling brightly, I turn my head slightly to kiss her forehead. "What do you think your parents are going to think about the tire tracks on their lawn in the morning?" I asked, trying not to laugh. But Hales didn't hold back at all. "They'll not be the least bit happy... especially when they go to my room and find it empty. I think I might grounded for the rest of my life." Laughing out loud with her, I shook my head. "You're eighteen, baby. They can't ground you!" She looked up at me, her eyes as serious as can be. "Well they can because I do live with them... so unless I get my own place. I'll be grounded." She laughed some more and that's when the idea sparked in my head, like a light bulb switching on. Looking over at her, seriously, even with the smile from laughing still on my face. "You can have my place." I looked over at her briefly to gauge her response. "What?" she asked, shaking her head. "That's your place, silly!" Smiling genuinely over at her, I shook my head. "Well, I hope it will be our place." She slowly smiled in return. "Really?" I nodded, glancing back over at her. "That is, if you'll have us." I didn't know if she'd say yes or not. I hadn't actually asked her to move in with me or marry me yet, but she had to know I wanted to be with her forever. "Of course I'll have you!" Smiling brightly, I reached over to wrap my arm around her, kissing the top of her head again. "I love you, baby!" Wrapping her arms around me, I heard her yawn agaisnt my chest. "Love you." Smiling, I whispered down against the top of her head, "Love you, Hales."

I sat across the table from Troy in Karen's Diner sipping my Strawberry shake. Ever since he told me he was drafted, I couldn't help feeling a little blue, but I did my best to hide it, even if I knew he knew exactly how I was feeling. I never could keep anything from him. "You know the whole point of getting you your favorite shake is to help you out of your funk, right?" Troy spoke and I looked up at him over the top of my shake, having to replay in my head what he said. Letting my teeth drag over my bottom lip, I sat up straight. "I'm sorry. My mind is somewhere else..." I apologized, trying to smile for him. He leaned over, taking a sip of his chocolate shake before looking back up at me. "That's okay... but do you think I could borrow that beautiful mind for a second?" he asked, smirking across the table at me. Smiling more at him, purely, nothing held back, I couldn't even help but giggle slightly. "Of course. How can I be of assistance? Or better yet, how would you like to use my mind?" He answered straight out, "Well I wanted to pick at it... maybe see what it thinks about some stuff?" Smiling, I nodded at him. "Anything you want," I told him, leaning forward and taking a sip of my shake again, but not taking my eyes off him.

"Well, I was planning on asking Gabby if she'd be interested in living in my place while I was away.. what do you think she'd say?" I narrowed my eyes in on him as he took a long sip of his shake. Swallowing the sip I had just taken, I open my mouth slowly. "Gabby...?" Shaking my head, I tried to think about who we knew named Gabby. Moreover, I had to wonder why he wanted a girl in his apartment. "I don't know any... Gabby?" He looked over at me as if I had completely forgotten everything. "Gabriella... you know a Gabby pretty well..." I tried to think, but the more I thought, I only came back to myself. "Ummm..." I nodded slowly, "I know... me..." He shook his head at me. "You really are off somewhere else, aren't you?" he asked, laughing. I was. More than he could understand. I couldn't stop thinking about him and his draft. It was all I ever thought about. Laughing softly, I leaned back in my chair. "I'm sorry, Troy," I barely spoke, swallowing softly. "You ... you want me to live at your place?"

He nodded, taking a key out from his pocket and sliding it across the table to me. "That I do. If you'll stay there that is." I looked down at the key and back up at him. "I can't," I spoke somberly, shaking my head. "Troy... If I take this..." I felt like he was saying he wasn't going to come back. Biting my lip, I looked down at the key, trying not to cry. It was all I ever thought about. Troy leaving... and never coming back. "What? Why not? I want you to stay at my place while I'm gone... and when I come back... we can live there together? Is that so bad?" Blinking, I looked back up at him, shaking my head. "You giving me this is like you saying you're not coming back..." Shaking my head more, I told him, more rather pleading with him because I couldn't accept that. "I can't..." I couldn't accept that, not when I was in love with him as much as I was and there was no way he could stay. "No... it's not like that, Gabriella. It's not. It's me promising you I'll be back so we can spend forever together, starting in that apartment. You have to believe in me." My lip trembled as I took a shaky breath. "You have to promise me that. You have to promise you will come home to me." Even if he just had, I had to hear it again. "I have promised you. And I'll keep on promising you." Picking up my hand, he looked straight at me and I felt the levees at my eyes holding back my tears beginning to give way. "I swear I'll come home. To you."

One tear falls down my cheek and I nod slowly, trying to smile for him. "Ok," I answer, barely able to whisper. Smiling, he lifted his hand up to wipe my tear away. "I love you and I am coming home to you no matter what it takes. I promise you." Smiling more, I lean down, pressing my lips to his hand holding mine. "I love you, Troy." Turning my head, I rest my cheek there on his hand. "I love you. With everything I got. And I will be here with you till the end of the world. You know that?" Lifting my head, I wipe away another tear. "I do know that," I told him, smiling a little more for him. "And I love you. More than anything, Troy. I will love you to the end of the Earth and beyond." He leaned in closer to me, giving me a soft kiss. "Now, stop worrying. I made my promise and I mean it." Licking my lips after he pulls back, I look up into his eyes. "Tell me how I stop worrying about you, Troy." It seemed so easy for him, but it wasn't for me. "You just do." He smiled, kissing my hand. Whispering, I tell him honestly, "I don't know how. All I've been thinking about since you told me you were drafted..."

My eyes widened. "Have you heard back from them yet? Do you know when you're leaving?" My heart rate picked up, not knowing how much time I have left with my guy. "Let's not worry about that right now. Let's just worry about me and you and stop ruining time we have, okay?" I tried to nod, smiling only softly as he ran his hand across my cheek softly. "I just wanna be here with you and enjoy whatever amount of time left I have." Standing up, he looked back down at me. "Let's go home." Looking up at him briefly, I looked back down at the key on the table, picking it up and standing up with him, trying to joke with him as I hold up the key. "Your place or mine?" He laughed, wrapping his arm around my waist. "How about our place?" Smiling, I wrap my arm around him as well, laying my head against his chest. "I love you, Wildcat." I did, more than anything. "I love you," he replied, leaning down and kissing the top of my head as we headed toward the door.