Make You Mine (Book Two)

Someday

Junior Prom— a time when couples were made and egos were shattered.

Wynona wouldn't dare to voice her disdain over all of the 'promposals' that had taken place in the month leading up to the big night. Not with a best friend who was so excited for the occasion that one would never guess they were both dateless.

"We don't need to go with any guy!" Colby stated as she applied another coat of mascara before her vanity. "We're fiercely independent women, Wynn."

Wynona snorted. "I guess that sounds better than highly single and desperate." The girls giggled, thankful that they wouldn't be completely alone. It wasn't as if they hadn't been asked. They simply didn't want to go with anybody else...

Taking turns, they helped one another with hair and makeup before applying their finishing touches—a sapphire blue Terani Couture fit and flare for Colby, and a crimson red Jovani sheath for Wynn, complete with the most expensive shoes either had ever worn.

"Damn, girl," Wynona said. They stood before Colby's full-length mirror appraising their appearances and feeling relatively pleased with the results of their efforts. "We make a pretty hot pair!"

"No doubt! Who needs men?" Colby demanded throwing a hand into the air.

"Preach!" Wynn agreed, high-fiving her bestie.

Lies. They were utter lies.

In truth, the girls still hurt deeply, one over the very public dissolution of her long-standing relationship with Wyatt Matheson, and the other over the demise of her intensely private affair with Cole Galloway.

But a little white lie never hurt anyone now, did it?

...

"Cole!" shouted a swooning fangirl. "I love this song, let's go!"

Instead of answering 'hell no' as he wished to, Cole shook his head and politely excused himself, wondering why in the world he thought it was a good idea to show up to the dance with his buddies rather than a date.

Evidently, going to prom alone when you were QB one was a dangerous proposition, as he was being relentlessly pursued by so many classmates he'd lost count.

Cole wandered over to the refreshments, giving serious consideration to crawling under the linen covered table to hide away for the remainder of the evening. Arriving in style in a stretch limo had seemed like a fine idea at the time, but now it only meant that he was stranded for the duration of the dance.

How was it, he wondered, that even Greg Hayword had managed to scare up a date? Lana was pretty, sure, but that's where her positive attributes came to an end. Still, it was better than Cole had managed for himself.

But he didn't want to go with just anybody. In fact, there was only one girl he'd have gone through all of the prom pretenses for.

And there she was.

Late as usual and with her best friend Colby on her arm, Wynona walked into the packed ballroom with a breathtaking smile upon her face. Her entrance was unassuming, going unnoticed by most, but for Cole, just the sight of her in that moment had made all of the chaos of the evening worthwhile.

He watched her from afar as the night wore on, well aware of the proposition that he might look like a creep as he stood in the corner of the vast, dimly lit room. Needless to say, he didn't care.

...

Wynona danced with Colby and a slew of other friends, both male and female. Though she was a bit surprised to admit it, she was having an okay time. The only element missing, the thing that would make her night perfection, was Cole.

She would never pursue him though, for fear of word reaching his father. It had been six months since she had learned the truth about Harris, since she had ended her relationship with Cole. Besides all that, Wynona wasn't even sure if he had bothered to come. Perhaps he'd decided not to after all.

She wouldn't blame him.

"Hey, Wynn," Ryland Jennings said with a broad, gleaming smile. "Care to dance?"

"Sure," she agreed. Ryland was a nice guy by all accounts and a senior. He could be a good distraction from all of her musings.

She didn't find him objectionable, anyway.

He took her by the hand, leading her toward the center of the floor, where they danced through one song and then another. He was easy company and not too handsy. In truth, Wynona was grateful for the quick beat of the songs the DJ was playing.

Until now.

The melody that swept through the room transformed the manic atmosphere in an instant. Ryland reached for her, pulling her nearer and encircling his arms around her waist. She wouldn't have minded, maybe, if it were any other song.

She pushed the thought out of her mind. It didn't matter.

They moved together in the crowded space, with Wynona feeling as though her very breath was being squeezed out of her. She was being dramatic, and she knew it, but his were not the arms that should be around her.

"Do you mind if I cut in?"

"He doesn't mind!" Wynona chirped over Ryland's shoulder, grinning at Cole as she stepped away from the senior boy's hold with relief. Ryland glanced curiously between the pair, offering nothing more than a shrug before walking away.

Without a moment's hesitation, Cole wrapped his arms around Wynona, pulling her close. She melted into the hard lines of Cole's body, suddenly feeling more at ease than she had in what felt like ages.

This.

This was real. This was love.

"You look incredible, Nono," Cole breathed into her ear, eliciting a shiver from his beloved.

"I'd say the same goes for you," Wynn replied, pulling away just enough to meet his eyes, and though she was thrilled to be in his embrace, she was also troubled. "We shouldn't be doing this, Galloway. What if someone tells your sister or your dad?"

"It's no secret to anybody in this place that I've always wanted you," he asserted, smiling her favorite smile. "And I'll be damned if some other guy is gonna dance with my girl to our song."

She watched him as they moved, delighting in his air of arrogance. It was one of the things she loved about him because she knew it was only a façade. "You do know I'm not your girl," she teased as he turned her out into a spin.

He drew her back, taking her into his arms. "Not yet. But someday you will be."