As soon as we walked out of the ballroom Carter grabbed my hand and started running.

"Whe-where are we going?" I asked laughing

"It's a surprise."

"Well why are we running?"

"So no one stops us."

After a couple more minutes we finally slow down to a walk,

"Please tell me where we're going."

"Well if I told you it wouldn't be much of a surprise now would it?"

I sighed. A couple more minutes passed until we reached one of the entrances to our secret places in the castle.

"Why are we going in here?"

"Well it's part of the surprise."

"What if someone needs us?"

"We'll be here in the morning."

"Well what if it's urgent?"

"Well they'll just have to wait."

"Well what if-" he cuts me of and turns to look at me,

"Kat you can't live your life on what ifs."

I stay silent after that until we reach a small window that leads to a small balcony.

"Okay so I was in the library earlier this week and-" I cut him off

"Wait you were in the library?"

"Yes, let me finish, I was in the library because I heard that there was going to be a meteor shower tonight that was close enough to earth that we would kind of be able to see it. So I did some research and found out that they were right. And this balcony would be a perfect spot to see it. So I figured we could watch it together."

I stare at him for a moment, "That sounds amazing!"

"Well I wanted you to have a perfect end to a great night. Here let me help you through. Oh and don't worry I made sure it was sturdy." He opens the window and climbs through reaching his hand behind him so he could help me.

Once on the balcony a gust of cold wind hit me and I started shivering. Carter must have noticed because he slipped his suit jacket off while saying,

"Sorry I forgot that it was winter." He laughs and hands it to me but I shake my head.

"No then you'll be cold."

"Trust me I was sweating, this feels good." He laughs

"Well, alright then." I drape his suit jacket over my shoulders. He sits down and motions for me to sit next to him.

"I also wanted you to come out here so I could give you your birthday present. It's kind of personal so I figured, you know, I would give it to you personally." He gives a small, almost embarrassed smile as he takes out a long black box with a purple bow on it and hands it to me.

"I hope you like it" he says as I slide the bow off and open the box.

"Oh Carter! It's wonderful!" Inside the box was a gold charm bracelet with two charms on it, a star and a heart.

"The heart is to symbolize how we'll always be friends. And the star, well, that is supposed to symbolize right now, the meteor shower."

"It's lovely! Thank you so much!" I wrapped my arms around him in a huge hug.

When I pulled away his cheeks were red and he looked nervous. I don't know why.

I sat there fumbling with the bracelet to get it clasped until he laughed and helped me hook it around my wrist. After he did that he said,

"Well um since we have a little bit of time before it starts, I uh," he clears his throat, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" I had no idea what to expect.

"Well you're now 16 and, well, I figured that you would be, uh, looking for someone."

"Looking for who?" I asked

"Well you know, that special someone."

"Oh." I feel my cheeks grow warm and I hope it doesn't show. "Well what about it?"

"Well I know it will be awhile but, well it's hard to explain," he shakes his head, "alright well I'm just going to come out and say it." He clears his throat again and looks me in the eyes.

Kat, I, I like you. Like, like like you, a lot. And I have since we were little. But I figured now would be a good time to tell you because we are both more mature and, well you know."

I don't know what to say. Do I tell him my feelings too? I end up just saying it, everything, it all just comes pouring out and I find myself talking rather quickly.

"I like you too Carter. I mean who else would I like? And I don't mean that in a bad way. Well you know what I mean. Not Matthew because it's obvious that him and Rosie like each other and there is really no other boy in the castle and I rarely go into town these days because as my mother and father say, 'I have duty's that I need to take care of in the castle.' And then of course there's the problem with-" I abruptly stop because Carter reaches up and brushes his fingers across my face, and then the unthinkable happens.

He kisses me.

It is nothing like I have ever felt before. I lose myself in the feeling. Though I am aware that Carter's hands are brushing against my cheek and his long fingers are woven in and out of my dark hair. My hands don't know what to do so they just reach for his shirt and I ball it into my fists. It is a gentle kiss, one that I will savor and keep for the rest of my life. When he releases me our noses are inches apart and we breathe in each other's air.

"I-I'm sorry." He says, his voice almost a whisper. "I just wanted to see how it felt and-" This time I cut him off.

My hands go to his face and I kiss him back, but this time it's more powerful. His hands go to my face again but then they run down my shoulders and torso until they wrap around my waist and pull me in closer. So close, closer than we have ever been.

I run my hands through his thick hair and then down his back. I need to control myself, I think. But I've never experienced something like this before. I find my fingers closing around his belt loops then my hands reach under his shirt and a chill runs through my body as my cold hands touch his warm skin. I pull him in closer and he kisses me harder. I can feel the muscles in his back constricting and moving as he breaths. He pulls me in even closer and I find myself moving my hands up his back. Control. I tell myself again and I pull away. My insides turn and my heart beats faster as he kisses my lips very lightly again, and then my chin, and my neck, finally to my collar bone, and back to my lips one last time.

We sit there for a long time. No one moving, no one talking. It is so cold out now that our breaths turn white and misty and a light snow falls. The snowflakes land on his eye lashes and hair making them sparkle and I want to kiss him again, for his warmth and the way it makes me feel.

Finally there is a sudden light that flashes and his eyes dart to the sky. I look to and see the beginnings of the meteor shower.

It is already wonderful. The light shooting across the sky lights our faces and we sit with our backs against the small window. We sit close and one of Carter's arms are wrapped around my shoulder and the other is holding my freezing cold hands.

We don't really talk for the rest of the time. And honestly I grew used to the cold. I don't know how much time passed before I drifted off to sleep on Carter's shoulder, but I know I only dreamt of one thing.