[UNEDITED]

"I don't know I think that maybe he could be a philanthropist." Scarlett nods as we study the man across the food court with a bull cut and baggy clothes.

"What? No, he's totally a stoner." Liz shoves a fry into her mouth.

I give her a stern look. "Liz you can't just say that about people."

She rolls her eyes with a sigh. "Oh please. You just assumed a women was a prostitute like five minutes ago."

"That's because Scar asked if she looked like one and I said yes! I didn't say she was one." I laugh.

Scarlett grabs one of Elizabeth's fries and pops it into her mouth, chewing slowly. "Hm...don't try and take the splinter out of someone else's eye if you're not willing to take the log out of your own. It's in the Bible."

Liz nods in agreement and points at me. "You better watch yourself."

"Okay I'm so not playing this game anymore if you two are just going to blame all of our judgmental behavior on me." I huff, crossing my arms over my chest.

Scarlett laughs. "We're only kidding." Then she looks at Liz, "Aren't we?"

Liz smirks in reply. "Maybe. Hey what do you guys say to ditching the mall and going to get some ice cream."

Scarlett and I looks at each other before nodding in agreement. "I could go for some of that." I pat my stomach.

"It's settled then. Let's move out, peeps." Elizabeth gathers up the rest of her food and her coat before standing up.

We follow her out to the car. I sigh when Liz calls aux, a triumphant grin on her face. "Yes! Let's get some Disney's Best Hits up on here!" She hoots. Scarlett rolls her eyes front the driver's seat of her truck while I watch Liz's idiotic behavior from the backseat.

As soon as we get to the ice cream shop, I hop out of the truck, making a beeline for the building.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Calm down." Scarlett breathes as she runs after me.

I laugh before my eyes catch onto someone exiting the shop. My eyes squint and a smile appears on my lips. I'm about to call out to him when someone follows him out, a grin on her pretty face.

I stop in my tracks, grabbing Scarlett and Liz before pulling them with me behind the nearest bush.

"What the - "

"Shh! Shut up!" I whisper/yell at Scarlett. "Don't you see them?" I gesture to the couple coming out of the ice cream store.

I watch as they both squint in that general direction. It takes them several moments to spot the two people making their way across the parking lot hand in hand.

Confusion fills my mind as thoughts swirl around like the swell of the ocean. I hear both of the girls beside me gasp.

"What..."

"Since when?" Liz points at them. Suddenly, she stands up and cups her hands around her mouth and takes a deep breath.

"Crap." I curse, reaching up and pulling her back down. "Shut up!"

"What? Why? We should confront them for keeping this from us!" Scarlett whispers to me.

I watch Korbin and Heather as he opens the door for her, laughing at something she says. "Because...we should respect what they want. And if, for some reason, they want to wait to tell us then we should respect that, right?"

"No."

"Liz." I reprimand.

"I mean yes. Yes of course. We are very respecting people and we shall...respect. You are so right. Ice cream anybody?" She chirps.

Scarlett laughs at her and nods. "Yes I am in need of sole cookies and cream right about now."

I follow them into the building but not without having one last look at Korbin and Heather. I try and hide my smile as I walk behind my friends.

I can't fight the relief that floods my heart. I sigh, the heaviness I've been carrying since yesterday leaving me completely.

It was Korbin with Heather in the library. Will didn't cheat on me.

"Earth to MayBell." Scarlett waves her hand in front of my face as she laughs.

"Hm?" I furrow my brows in question.

She looks at Liz and they both chuckle. She shakes her head. "Oh nothing. What's on your mind, huh?" Both her and my sister laugh and causing me to roll my eyes.

"Wouldn't you like to know." I smirk.

Liz peers into the glass case of frozen dessert, with a look of need. "Actually, all I want to know right now is what strawberry cheesecake ice cream tastes like." She licks her lips.

"Speak for yourself." Scarlett scoffs, pulling her her long silky black hair up into a bun on her head, the topknot sagging to the side slightly. "I for one, would love to know what's going on in that pretty little head of yours." Her deep brown eyes glisten in amusement to my annoyance.

I roll my eyes as I look into the case, the tub of pistachio catching my eye. "I'm sure you would. Why are you so concerned with my love life?"

She gasps and points a finger at me, her eyes wide. "So you were thinking about Korbin!"

I freeze. "Wait what?"

She gives me a cheeky smile. "Oh I see you. So it's Will you're mooning over. Since when have you came to terms with your undying love for Will." She winks jokingly but her words hit me hard.

I clench my jaw at the mention of the word "Love" and "Will" put in the same sentence around me, an uncomfortable swirling making my stomach hurt slightly.

"Hey, you okay? You suddenly look really pale." The smile falls from her face as she places a hand on my arm. "Are you sick?"

I shake my head slowly, feeling confused. "Uh yeah...I'm just not really up for ice cream anymore."

"Wait what's going on?" Liz asks over her shoulder with a bewildered look on her face.

"MayBell is in love." Scarlett blurts.

My eyes widen and my stomach clenches again. I grab the edge of the counter and take a deep breath, attempting to calm the anxiety bubbling up. "What? Why would you say that?" I snap.

She holds her hands up and presses her lips together. "Look, miss attitude, I'm just saying what I see."

"What? In love with who?" Liz whisper/yells as the line moves along.

"Will." Scarlett states as if this is obvious.

"I am most certainly not. Haven't you been following along with the last two months of my life? I'm assuming Liz told you all of it." I five Liz a pointed look but she widens her eyes and pretends to consider the bubblegum ice cream before her in the case.

"Hm...this looks good."

I sigh. "It's fine, I don't care. I would have told you eventually, Scar. I just...everything is so insane right now, you know?" I ask.

She nods understandingly. "Trust me, I understand the whole love denial process. I had to listen to Elizabeth rant about how she didn't understand why everyone expected her and Shane to get together because she 'seriously swears' that she had no feelings. Yeah we all know how that turned out." She snorts.

I sway slightly, her words hitting me hard. "I think I need to sit down." I clear my throat, heading to the nearest table.

Scarlett gives me a guilty wince. "Oh. Sorry." She looks at the young guy behind the counter who, I just realized, has been standing there the entire time and probably heard our entire conversation. "Hey! Can we get a cup of water, please? My friend has the love flu." She tells him.

The guy's bright blue eyes twinkle with amusement, running a hand through his blonde air before nodding. "Sure thing, babe."

"Ew. Don't call me babe." She laughs, her bun jiggling slightly on her head.

The boy just smirks, grabbing a pen and writing something on the plastic cup before giving it to her. "Sorry." He winks.

She gives him a sassy glare but when she turns her back to him she drops the act and wiggles her eyebrows at me, carrying the cup of water over to me.

"Did you see that?" She bites her lip as she whispers. "That hot guy just hit on me. This is the best day of my life."

I laugh and hold up the cup. "Looks like winks aren't the only thing he gave you." I point out the phone number along with the name Trey written in permanent marker.

Her plump lips pull into a smirk. "Oh girl look at me." She laughs.

"What?" I yell. "What was that, Scarlett," I stress her name. She gives me a warning look but I'm out for revenge, "That hot guy gave you his number and it's the best day of your life?!" I holler.

Scarlett's eyes widen before she takes a wary look behind her at the guy behind the counter who seems to be pretending to top off Liz's ice cream with whipped cream but I can see the smirk all of the way from here.

"Okay, time to go." Scar grabs my arm and pulls me up. I chug the rest of the water and shove the cup into my purse.

"What? Are you sure you want to leave that super hot guy here all by himself?" I place my hand on my chest in fake concern.

Scarlett looks behind her at Trey. "She's delusional. She's actually really high right now so there's no way anyone can trust what she's saying." She tells him.

He nods in fake understanding, a smile playing on his handsome face. "Oh yeah totally. Why don't you take her home then and, uh, call me when she's not around to embarrass you." He chuckles.

She scoffs and grabs Liz's arm. My sister releases a squeak, her mouth full of ice cream. "Oh please." She tells him. "So not going to happen."

Trey leans on the counter and even my eyes watch the movement, my eyebrows raising. "Would it help my case if I told you how cute you are when you're mad?"

"No!" Scar fumes. "I don't even know you. You aren't allowed the privilege of thinking I'm cute."

He laughs, his white teeth flashing. "Oh? What about when I get to know you? Can I think you're cute then?"

"You mean if." She replies sassily.

He gives her a proud grin, standing straight up, obviously towering over her five foot four frame. "So I do have a chance?"

Scarlett opens her mouth to reply but nothing comes out. She's rendered speechless.

"Well that's a first." I mumble lowly.

"We're leaving!" She squeaks, grabbing me me my sister and pulling my outside the building faster than I can blink.

"Bye Scarlett!" He yells after us, the other customers inside looking extremely confused.

As soon as we make it to her car, Scarlett glares at me harshly. "Why would you do that, May?"

I shrug, trying not to laugh. "You asked for it. You kept bringing up Will and making me sick."

"Oh you make yourself sick with all that denial bubbled up." She waves it off.

I sigh, looking out the window. "I just think you could have been a bit more sensitive to how I'm feeling."

"Oh like you were sensitive to me in there?" She fake laughs.

Annoyance bubbles up in me before I look to Liz for backup. But all I get is an awkward looking girl with her lips over her ice cream covered spoon as she avoids all eye contact.

"Liz. What do you have to say about all of this?" I ask her straight out.

She swallows. "I was right, this strawberry cheesecake ice cream is bomb." She points to her cup of dessert.

I sigh. "I'm sorry, Scar, that I embarrassed you. I guess I was just annoyed and acted out of that."

My friend gives me a small smile. "I guess I was being a bit insensitive to your situation. I just so want you to be happy, you know?"

I nod. "Yeah I know. I think you just scared me a little is all."

"With the whole...loving Will thing?"

"Well of course I love him. He's my best friend." I mumble, knowing deep down that's not what she's saying at all.

"Stop playing dumb, May." Liz grunts.

"Oh so now you speak." I scoff. She replies by sticking her tongue out at me. "Real mature." I laugh.

"So...do you want to talk about it?" Scarlett asks with sincerity.

"No." I reply immediately, the nauseous feeling coming back all of a sudden. "I just get sick to my stomach thinking about it."

"Yep, you're in love." Liz sighs, staring down at her empty cup.

"Can we please just not assume things here? I'm under a lot right now and I don't know...maybe I'm just sick. I don't want to think about this right now." I press my fingers to my temples.

"Okay." They both mumble. But I notice the two of them peering back at me through the mirrors as they study my actions and facial expressions. We make it all the way back to my house when I explode.

"On my gosh! Stop staring at me!" I slam the car door shut in annoyance.

They each give me a guilty look. "Sorry." They mumble.

I groan loudly, speed walking into the house to avoid their eyes. As soon as I hit my bed, I release a scream into my pillow.

"Bad day?" I hear a voice and I scream again, scrambling to my feet with my pillow clenched in my fiat, ready to attack.

Will holds up one arm in surrender, an amused smile on his lips. "You know babe, I think your pillow fighting skills could come in handy but they're not really needed at this moment." I notice his other hand behind his back and I lower my weapon.

"What are you doing here?" I breathe, my heart beating wildly in my chest.

Will takes a few steps towards me with a big smile. "I wanted to surprise you with this. I got here about ten minutes ago. Your mom let me in." He chuckles.

My bottom lip is clenched between my teeth as he brings out a single white rose and a bag of my favorite candy. The smile that appears on my face is like second nature. "Will..."

He smiles in delight, clearly relieved that I like it. "For half a second I second guessed the white rose but I remember you saying that you - " I interrupt him with a hug, my arms around his neck tightly.

I close my eyes tight as his arms wrap around my waist. I feel his chest rumble as he laughs. "I'm happy for the warm reception."

I laugh, feeling tears spring up in my eyes. I try to stop them but as I breathe in the smell of his sweatshirt I feel homesick inside and I can't stop it. I bury my head in the crook of his neck and he stiffens, quickly catching onto the fact that I'm crying.

"MayBee...what's going on?" I speaks softly as he rubs gentle circles in my back.

My breaths trip over each other as I attempt to speak. "I just missed you." I confess, feeling the truth in my words.

He laughs gently. "Babe, I saw you last night...but I missed you too."

I know he's right but I know that's not what I meant. I missed feeling comfortable with him. I missed the warmth of his hugs as I allow myself to be loved by him. I miss our real laughter and his goofy jokes. I missed the feeling of knowing we will always have each other and we will always love one another.

Every one of my favorite memories passes in my head like an old projector film. All of the times he took care of me when I was sick, all of the times he laughed at my lame jokes and pretended my cooking is good. Every time he put up with my parents and each time he dealt with Liz. And of course each and every time he's had to forgive me even when I didn't deserve it.

Scarlett's words ring in my head and I squeeze my eyes shut as the truth comes out.

"I love you." I whisper, for the hundredth time. But my heart flutters as if it's the first.

And I feel as if I've come home.

* * *

Now don't freak out, the story isn't over yet ;)