After at least eight photographs courtesy of Lisa's doting parents, we climbed into the back of the limousine and were on our way to the hotel the academy had hired for the prom. Teachers and parents were waiting outside to guide us through to the ballroom. Not that they needed to. From the noise alone, we deduced which room we were having our party in. It was the only one full of shrieking girls and rowdy pop music.

They had spared no expense.

They had left a large space for us to dance, but there were also tables, and a grand buffet with a chocolate fountain for anyone in need of refreshments between turns on the floor. I'd pictured gaudy balloon arches and crepe paper hanging all over the place.

The school had settled on something akin to an enchanted forest theme.

There were fake trees standing around the edge of the room, the branches arching up across the ceiling, each one decorated with white fairy lights. On the ground, they had scattered fake leaves to add to the effect. They were gold, bronze, and silver, just like the leaves embroidered onto the tablecloths.

'Wow,' Jenny said, standing close with her arm linked through mine. 'I was expecting something a little simpler.'

'I love it,' Meg announced.

'Me too. Although, they could have gone for a few more balloons,' Georgia said. 'I was going to take one as a souvenir.'

'You could just take a leaf,' I suggested. 'Or a boyfriend. I see a lot of guys without dates.'

'Not the one coming over,' Chrissy said. She gave Jenny a light nudge. 'Go on.'

'But we agreed to do this as friends,' she said.

I turned her so that we were looking into one another's eyes. 'Jen', I order you to go and dance with your boyfriend.'

'Okay,' she agreed. Before she left, she pulled me into a tight hug. 'Don't just stand by the chocolate fountain and look depressed, otherwise I'll come back for you.'

'Trust me,' I said, gesturing down to my white dress, 'there's no way I'm going near a chocolate anything wearing this.'

I loved that Jenny worried about me, but she had no need. Perhaps in her eyes it didn't seem fair that she should get the happy ending while I didn't, but that wasn't how the world worked. Georgia and Wyatt had fallen apart, just as Will and I had. I hadn't thought about how hurt she might be when the relationship failed. I'd been too relieved to see her free of Wyatt. If I'd known that I'd have been in a similar situation, I might have been more attentive to her.

It was only since our return from Italy that I'd spared her relationship a second thought. There must have been some spark with Wyatt for her to consider him as an option in the first place, and I'd selfishly made it my mission to snuff it out as quickly as possible. Just because I didn't particularly like him, it didn't mean that Georgia felt the same way. We were different people with different tastes and desires. If she'd wanted to go out with that pompous idiot, then that was her decision to make, and not mine.

It hadn't escaped my notice that Wyatt was also at the party. He'd done his level best to avoid us at every turn and, with our exams to distract us and his lack of presence on the trip to Rome, he'd succeeded. Still, I noticed how he kept glancing in our direction when he thought we weren't looking, and how Georgia's gaze was drawn to him.

It made me feel nauseous to do so, but I stepped up to her and said as quietly as I could over the music, 'Wyatt looks lonely.'

'Yeah,' she agreed with a forlorn expression.

'Do me a favour,' I squeezed her hand, 'and go and ask him for a dance.'

'What? No, we broke up.'

'I know. But he is sort of my brother. And it sucks to have him looking so miserable. Besides, he looked at you when you first walked in. He obviously still likes you.'

'Are you sure?' Georgia asked hesitantly.

'Yeah. And – and, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be telling you who can or can't like. I know you'd never to do that to me. I was being selfish. I won't do it again.'

'Really?'

'Yes, really,' I laughed. 'Would you just go?'

'Thanks, Beth,' Georgia exclaimed as she threw her arms around my neck. I staggered. I was far taller than her in my heels. She kissed my cheek, grinned, and hurried to dodge around the couples already on the dancefloor to talk to him.

'Well,' I said to the others, 'aren't you going to go snag some boys before they're all gone?'

'I don't know,' Lisa said. 'What if –'

'They're not Gideon, and it's just for one night. No one's asking you to marry them.'

'Chris',' Lisa held her hand, 'how about if we go and dance the first few together?'

'Can I come?' Meg asked.

'What, you're going to leave me here by myself?' I asked. 'Thanks a lot.'

'No, but I think someone else is about to ask you.' Meg stood on her toes to look over my shoulder, back towards the entrance to the ballroom.

My breath caught in my throat and, for a moment, I was afraid to turn around. I'd gotten my hopes up so many times since Charlie had returned to Netherfield and felt the crushing disappointment every day that Will hadn't reappeared. I didn't know if I could take it again if he wasn't standing there waiting for me.

A large, warm hand dropped onto my bare shoulder, and I closed my eyes. His palm turned against my skin as he walked around me and stopped, looking down at my face. 'Can't bring yourself to look at me, Bennett?' he asked. 'Are you that angry at me for staying away?'

'It's not that,' I said. 'I just... I imagined you coming back so many times. What if I open my eyes and you're not really there?'

I felt his lips against mine, tasted the sweetness of his mouth at long last, and lost myself to the moment as Will embraced me. I draped my arms over his shoulders and buried my fingers in his hair, revelling in this long-awaited reunion. Everything seemed to drift away; the music, the whistling classmates, my friends cheering from across the dancefloor, and all the fears I'd had that he might despise me after my reckless behaviour in Rome had exposed his family's deepest secrets to the world.

Our mouths parted company, and he asked with his nose brushing against mine, 'Do you want to open your eyes, now?'

'No.'

He laughed softly. 'Look at me, Beth.'

I dared to open my eyes, still fearful that he might be an apparition and would turn to dust when our eyes met. He didn't. Will was as real as he had been the night he'd been ready to give up everything to keep me safe, the morning he'd watched the sunrise with me, and the time that he'd saved me when I'd been stuck out in the rain with my best friend.

'Nice dress,' he said.

I looked down and snorted with laughter. 'Nice jeans.'

To say that it was a prom, he'd not made a lot of effort. His white shirt was neatly tucked in, and he'd thrown on a waistcoat to add an air of formality, but there was no tie, his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his black jeans seemed somewhat out of place.

'I thought we might match if I did this. I should've known you'd defy expectations and show up looking like a princess.'

'Well, you know me,' I said. 'I like to keep you on your toes.'

'I've noticed.' Will brought me as close as he could without crushing the air out of me and rested his head atop mine. 'I'd ask if you did this for some guy's sake, but I imagine you did it for your own.'

'Wrong on both counts. The girls attacked me. There were hairdressers and everything.'

'Sounds terrifying.'

'It was!' I pulled back to look up at him. 'And for once, you weren't there to save me.'

'I'm here now,' he said. 'Do you think I could have this dance?'

As if I would ever consider turning down a dance with Will Darcy.