Choosing how to love.

She is here.

There stood his Maddy. She was here. In front of him like he had hoped for weeks.

"You." She looked surprised. "Well, hello to you too." He could not help the smile that made its way across his lips. She was here! Right in front of him and he wanted to reach out and grab her and pull her into his arms and tell her everything, yet his mouth did not move.

"You two know each other?" Craig was surprised. Oh, shit, Craig. Holton's brain snapped out of it. "I met him once." Maddy gave him a smile. "Twice." Holton corrected her with a smile of his own. His heart was racing as she gave him a once over, but it was not a pleasant look.

"Oh, that's right, the afternoon you drooled over my friend." Wait, what? She thinks I liked her friend? "I was not drooling over her." He felt a sharp stab of pain hit his chest. That was what was wrong that day?

"Oh, he drooled. Thought I was going to have to wipe her shoulder off when he was done hugging her." She laughed, but he was still frozen in place. That was what she thought? His chest tightened as she looked away from him.

"Holton can be a dog sometimes." Craig was laughing at him. "That was not the case at all." He sounded so stupid. "It was. Craig he couldn't take his eyes off her." Now she was laughing, and he wanted to argue, but then she moved into Craig's arms and he kissed her nose, leaving a foul taste in Holton's mouth.

"Don't worry, I will save you from the clutches of Holton." "Please do." She smiled sweetly at Craig and Holton's chest tightened more. "I saved her first." The words tumbled out, but they were laughing and did not hear him.

"It was nice to see you again Holton. I will let Lacy know you are here and to stay far away." She smiled so softly that it honestly hurt. He had no idea what to say as he watched her.

"I wasn't drooling over her." He managed. "Uh-huh. See you around, I need to get this boy back out there." She waived and he raised his hand and waived back, but the lump in his throat was making it difficult to breath.

She was here and he was doing nothing. He watched them go to the dance floor and when Craig wrapped her up in a hug and planted kisses in her, making her laugh, Holton had to look away.

"What's gotten you so sour?" Dawson sat down another shot and introduced him to Sara. "What?" Holton tried to act surprised. "Your face. You look like you bit a lime. And I said this is Sara."

"Oh, my apologizes. Hello Sara." "Sara, this is my best friend Holton. He usually doesn't look quite like that." "Nice to meet you." She nodded, so he did the same.

"That's Maddy." He whimpered as he looked back. "Maddy?" Dawson was confused, Holton could hear it and he just blurted out the words. "The girl I met. The one I was looking for." "The one Craig is mauling?" "Yes." "Oh shit, that sucks man." "Yeah." Holton breathed out. He had no idea just how much.

"Maddy Snyder?" Sara looked at Holton. "I have no idea what her last name is." Holton was trying to be nice, but he sounded like an ass. "She's one of the girls in our party. She's a friend of a friend, so I don't know her that well, but yeah, she's with us."

Well isn't this just fucking great. "This is the girl you have been looking for all this time?" "Yes." "She's nothing like what I expected. Totally not what you go for." "I know." "What is that supposed to mean?" Sara snapped.

"He goes for skinny blonds." "Dawson." Holton growled. "The one girl he likes and his friend snags her up first. Shame." "Dawson, leave it." "No way. This is priceless. First, she turned you down, then she ends up with one of your friends. This is a gold mine."

"She didn't turn me down." "He saved her life and she turned her nose up." Dawson told Sara. "I did not save her life. And please, Sara, don't mention this to her." "I'm not even sure what you are all talking about, but sure. Like I said, I only know her through Trish, the bride."