I tried to see tonight as a normal night that every teenager went through to just enjoy their time with their date or their friends, but it was difficult after overhearing Ryder and Natalie whispering. When Natalie commented on the nice dress I had owned since tenth grade and curled my hair, all I was thinking about was the possibilities in what they could've been talking about. But when I looked at Ryder, I was seeing a foreign look whenever he was interacting with anyone other than me. He was absent and feigning every smile as hard as he was when he succumbed into saying "thank you" to whomever congratulated him for winning homecoming king. I couldn't help but think it had to do with the information Stella had given me about Preston. He was either suffering in guilt and/or writhing in pain over the mutilation done to his former beta that he didn't sign up for when he took the fall for the murder. Maybe that's why he looked so foreign to me tonight.

People had commented on what a beautiful couple we were aside from being bewildered that the great Ryder Ramon would ever match his date or even stay at a dance longer than the time necessary to spike the punch. About an hour into it, I was sure he was going to ask me why I had been studying every feature of his face and expression, but he assumed I was just waiting for the right time to finally ask him for just one dance. While that was also the truth, I admitted to it and he slyly smirked and almost caved before we were approached by a couple.

"So they are re-crowning us in a few minutes and Mrs. Pena wanted me to find you so she knows you won't just bail," Stella said as her form of greeting to Ryder. She and I had interacted all night, but things were still undone between her and Ryder.

"Did an entire football stadium not see who won nor immediately boost it on social media?" Ryder returned. I heard Stella sigh stressfully and control herself from rolling her eyes. But Ryder wasn't tending to her; he shifted in his seat across from me and looked up at Stella, already in protest in the public coronation of a fake title. "What's this entailing?"

"A congratulations and a dance," she answered. I looked at Trevor, who watched the conversation and knew his place to be silent. "Together."

"With you?" Ryder asked within an incredulous laugh. Now Stella rolled her eyes. "What if I don't?"

"Ryder," I warned and he only glanced at me.

"Look, if you want to bail, then fine, be selfish and bail," Stella hissed before leaving abruptly. I glared at Ryder and let out a strained sigh before knowing to get up and follow Stella into the crowd to make amends.

"They're like children," Trevor commented and took a seat where Ryder previously sat.

"No. We're the children and they're the divorced parents we have to deal with," I corrected and leaned back onto the table while I sat.

"It can't go on much longer, can it?" he asked. I shrugged and he leaned in near me. "What'd he do?"

"She didn't tell you?" I asked. Wow. I don't know if I was shocked that she hadn't confided in him, or for the fact that despite fighting with Ryder, she was loyal to keeping his werewolf secret to herself. But Trevor looked at me puzzled. "Never mind, she's probably never gonna tell you."

"Why's that? Because I'll kick Ryder's ass?" he asked, protectively. I raised an eyebrow at that last comment. "Or at least try to..."

"It involves the whole Ryder-is-a-werewolf-and-Stomy's-a-witch secret," I revealed, causing him to frown more than ever.

"He wasn't the one to actually Bite her, was he?"

"No! No of course not," I said and then drew the line against revealing anything more because it wasn't my secret to tell. But Trevor had his own share. "Tell me something. Do you ever plan on telling her who you really are?"

"She knows who I really am."

"I meant about what you really are," I elaborated and instantly saw his blue eyes darken.

"No," he answered. "If I have any intentions of staying with her, I can't. You know that."

"Yeah, but if you end up loving her and vice versa, don't you think she deserves to know eventually?"

"Not if it means putting her in danger," he responded sternly and now I was seeing a new side to not only the lengths at which Trevor was serious about Stella, but also because it shone light on what any man would do for their loved ones. He was willing to risk Stella's trust for her safety and they were only three weeks into their relationship. So I had to believe with an imprinted bond, Ryder could go to the lengths of killing Preston for my safety...maybe.

Before I could truly enlighten my rational doubt over Ryder or respond to Trevor by saying he was actually a good guy for Stella, Mrs. Pena had caught everyone's attention with the microphone and the pair of us got up to near the platform. I stood beside Trevor as Mrs. Pena went on to provide the student body with the assertion that "these students were voted to represent this year's homecoming king and queen as a symbol of school spirit" and whatever other bullshit that didn't actually apply to Ryder other than the fact that he was on the football team and made good grades no one knew about. Off to the side, leaning near one of the gym's exits, I saw Colin scoffing at almost every prepped introduction for Stella and Ryder. I started weaving between people to make it to him and all he did was watch me.

"Well you look nice," he complimented.

"Thanks," I said and noticed that he still wore his leather jacket, only he had a white dress shirt and black slacks on for once. He actually cleaned up well. "You too."

"You don't have to lie," he told me.

"I'm not," I muttered and officially felt the strain between us. "Colin, I'm sorry for last night," I apologized before the guilt and resentment would be prolonged. I didn't know what I did or said, but I felt genuinely bad for it. Sure, when Colin and I had met, we weren't on the best terms, but I had grown to know him better and I didn't want any bad blood between us.

"It's fine," he sighed and I thought it was just a passive dismissal of our issues. I opened my mouth to refute it, but he gave me a look. "I was a bit taken back that you knew...and then you continued to, I don't know, mock me or something."

"I'm sorry," I repeated. "I don't remember what I said, but you have to believe I didn't have a malicious—"

"You're fine," he forged a brief, weak smile. "I was just angry because Dakota left and you were acting like Ryder and I thought he had told you without—"

"He didn't—"

"I know," he interrupted me. "After I literally threw you at Ryder and after he got you home, he called me and I was already mad so I didn't answer, but Dakota called and told me he told you...I can't exactly be mad at that because he was involved. It's okay."

I still gave him an apologetic look because now I knew he was insinuating that I had outted his sexuality in whatever drunken haze I was under. I had to feel bad about that. But a few seconds passed and he groaned before taking me in a consolidating hug to prove that bygones were bygones.

"If you could forgive me for hating your family and calling you a bitch this summer, then of course I'm gonna forgive you for some drunken mistake based on truth," he told me in the embrace. Wow. I hadn't even thought that far back in a while. That long ago, Colin was doing Preston's bidding to try and drive a wedge between me and Ryder because Evertons weren't exactly good for their pack...Things were so different now.

"Traditionally, our crowned students share a dance with each other, but they've asked to share their first dance with their dates," I heard Mrs. Pena's voice say over the microphone and I looked up at Colin with wide eyes. He was already laughing.

"Now this I gotta see," he chuckled while throwing his arm over my shoulders and ushering me to the center of the dance floor were Ryder waited with Stella. I watched Trevor emerge and kiss Stella's hand that he took, but I was glaring back at Colin who had been sure to disappear back into the shadows after making my attendance clear. I looked back and saw Ryder approaching me; he even offered up his hand.

"Can I have this dance?" he asked and tried to keep a serious face that ultimately failed.

"Only because I don't want to be a bad girlfriend and turn you down in front of all these people." I took his hand and he pulled me into him while adding a hand to my waist. He stepped to his sides swiftly—swift enough for me to know he actually had the ability to dance!

"You're such a liar!" I accused.

"Just because I don't dance doesn't mean I can't dance," he noted and clicked his tongue. I glared at him and he finally looked down at me with a winning grin. How was he so infuriating and irresistible in the same moment? And still, in this moment, he was perfect. I wanted us to be like this—a normal, high school couple, for as long as possible, but I knew that would probably go out of the window once the song was over. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I lied and was immediately hit with a look that he knew better. "All night I've seen you faking smiles and putting on this persona and while I want that to be the truth, it isn't who you are."

"You're wrong," he told me and his hand in mine was moved to my cheek. "The smiles and me being this standup guy is who I am when I'm with you. I'll dress up and pull out chairs and make a mockery of my reputation if it means I can make you smile and enjoy a night for once. Don't worry about me, okay? I appreciate it, but just don't."

"As long as there's something wrong with you, I'm gonna worry," I still told him. His hand that was caressing my face had now moved to where he cradled my head before hugging me into him. Now I was certain more than anything that not only was he torn from something, but I had an idea that it had to do with whatever my mom wanted him to tell me. With my ear against his chest, his heart rate was steady and strong instead of nervous. "I don't want to ruin another night with you."

"I know. That's what you told my mom earlier today." I pulled away from him, trying to figure out what he was going to reveal to me, but instead, I noticed that the DJ had cut the song short and blended it with another song where other couples began to dance together. Ryder's eyebrows had pulled together in a realization that I had eavesdropped on him and my mom's important conversation. Abruptly, he pulled his crown off his head and grabbed my hand to start pulling me off the dance floor in a hurry all the way outside. "Ryder—"

"Yes," was all he said when he spun towards me. "As in yes, I told you mom I didn't want to ruin your night."

"So then what was she talking about when she said for you to tell me by tomorrow?"

Ryder dropped his hold on me, put his hands on his hips and looked up incredulously.

"Goddammit," he whispered beneath his breath and then looked at me once more in utter exhaustion from trying to figure out how to tell me something important.

"What's so important that she wanted me to know by tomorrow?" I pressed. "What's tomorrow?"

His eyes darkened a shade before he answered. "Preston's funeral."