"Um...hi?"

I stand beside Tea's open front door, staring dumbly out at Abby Kingsley. Max Laderman's girlfriend.

Election night. I'd been dreading it ever since breaking up with Rhys. But oddly enough, Ryan had been pretty persistent about going, reminding me of the reason I had thought it was a good idea in the first place.

Wearing Louis Vuitton pumps and an elegant long-sleeved black dress with a slit in the thigh that falls past her feet, Abby smiles kindly back at me, a drycleaning bag held over her shoulder. Her makeup is perfect, red lipstick paired classically with her long blonde hair. She's wearing a tiffany bracelet around her wrist, pairing it with small silver hoops.

I fold my hands over my grubby t-shirt. "Can I... help you?" I ask, confused.

"Hey, CeCe," Abby smiles again, her white teeth glaring back at me. "I'm Abby. Max Laderman's—"

"I know who you are," I cut in, my tone harsh. "We live in New River, after all."

She laughs, readjusting her grip on the mysterious bag she is holding. "Right, of course. Just thought I should introduce myself officially.

"Anyway," she continues, brushing a strand of her blonde fringe from her eyes. "You're probably wondering why I've just suddenly turned up at your friend's house."

"Yes," I deadpan.

"I've been instructed to give you this," she pulls the bag over her shoulder, holding it out to me. "I'm sure you can guess who it's from. And what it's for. But Rhys thought you might slam the door in his face. Hence, why I've come."

I stare at the bag, dumbfounded. "What exactly is this?"

"A bag with a dress inside," she laughs, holding it out further. "For you. Clearly."

"Why?" I speak, dubious.

She shrugs, biting her lip. "Rhys told me he bought it a while back, before— well, you know. He still wants you to have it. For tonight."

Rhys Laderman had bought me a dress. I feel my heart swell and clench at the same time. It is a nice gesture, but I know that he partially would have done it knowing that I couldn't afford something of my own. Especially after I had complained about not owning anything fancy enough for the election with him once.

"How does he even know I'm coming?" I question, frowning as I take the bag tentatively from her hands.

She smiles gratefully when I take it, probably thinking I was going to put up a fight. To be fair, she is just the messenger. And it's never right to shoot the messenger. I'm not about to complain to her about not wanting to accept charity.

"He doesn't," she smiles, "but he still wanted you to keep it."

I watch as she stares back at me. Everything about Abby Kingsley radiates positivity. She is just like that. A bright, bubbly person. I don't think she has a mean bone in her body.

"Thanks," I nod. I look away suddenly, feeling bad for thinking she would ever judge me. I shouldn't have been such a stoneless bitch to her.

"I'll see you tonight," she offers me a small wave before turning away, her dress swooshing out as she walks down the drive, heels clicking.

I wait until she hops into her car, winding down the window to wave enthusiastically at me. Then she's gone, like a beacon of light, zooming up the street.

"Damnit," I grumble. "It could have at least been half ugly."

The dress is annoyingly beautiful. It's midnight black, with a strapless semi-sweetheart neckline. It has a small train and is tightly fit. Of course, Rhys would have helped pick this. It is equal parts elegant and sexy.

"Will it look like some type of statement if I do wear it? Like I want him back? Will it be a better statement if I don't?" I bite my lip, willing my brain to see the dress differently.

"Well, you don't have a choice, do you?" Tea remarks, feeling the material of the dress beneath her fingers.

"Not unless I want to wear one of my own dresses. Or one of your mum's."

We both laugh, knowing Teagan's mother's wardrobe consists of mostly overalls to work in her garden or very plain, suitable dresses for work.

"I just don't want to give him the satisfaction of wearing it tonight. I don't want to see his smug face when I walk in," I frown. "It'll hurt my pride."

"I mean, I can tell you one thing; you'll look drop dead gorgeous. And you know what? He won't be able to do a thing about it. He can only look, but he can't touch. That will be punishment enough. I can assure you," she smirks, laughing evilly.

"Well, Abby did say he bought it for me when we were still together," I mutter. "So he probably expected that he'd be able to take it off me at the end of the night."

"Ew," she pretends to gag, turning away from me to rifle through her makeup. "Please don't put the image of you two doing the nasty in my head."

I snort, rolling my eyes as Tea delicately picks up the dress and drapes it in my arms.

"Now, get changed. We only have half an hour before we have to be there. And I still haven't done your makeup," she orders.

I pull it on quickly with the help of Tea. "Thank fuck the dress doesn't show my feet. I only own one pair of heels and they do not go with this dress," I acknowledge.

"When the boys come to pick us up," she whistles, beginning to apply my foundation, "Ryan is not going to be able to take his eyes off of you."

Ryan.

I hadn't seen him in person since the night I'd broken up with Rhys, too busy with everything that is going on. I'd spoken to all the boys over the phone about Kevin Winter being my father, and had just briefly texted them about mum likely being at the hospital the night she went missing.

"What about Cameron?" I change the subject swiftly. "He'll practically be drooling when he sees you."

Teagan is wearing a beautiful white dress. It is tight around the waist, but flows out as it goes down. There is a small slit towards the bottom of the dress, the silk material flowing out in ripples. It has short flounce sleeves which add to the beauty of it.

"Shut up," she blushes.

"Seriously," I deadpan. "Why aren't you guys together yet?"

"Because he hasn't asked me out," she finishes, applying concealer.

"Wait. So you're saying that you'll actually say yes if he does? I thought you were apprehensive about the whole thing."

She shrugs, turning away from me to grab something off her desk. "I was. But then I realised that I needed to take more risks. Like you. You've never stopped yourself from being who you want to be. You went for Rhys, even after Ryan hurt you.

"You've always allowed yourself to do whatever you want. I realised that I can't keep living in fear of getting hurt, because life can throw anything at you. You've gotta take chances while you still can. So, yeah. If Cameron asks me, I'll say yes."

I watch as a small smile finds it's way onto her lips as she applies blush to my cheeks. "I'm happy for you, Teabag. I really am."

She laughs outright. "God, I haven't heard that nickname in so long. Probably not since we were little kids."

The doorbell rings suddenly and Tea's head whips around to reach for her phone, cursing when she sees the time.

Without waiting, we both hear the front door open. The loud, boisterous voices of four males making their way towards Teagan's room.

Her door opens violently and the boys all step inside, laughing at each other. Each of them are dressed in black suits. Dory's looks like it needs a good iron, but it's the thought that counts, I guess.

"Well shit," Dory whistles, stepping towards us. "Hot damn, girls. Who would have known you could scrub up so well."

I roll my eyes, standing from the chair to punch him lightly in the arm. "You don't look so bad yourself, Theodore."

He bows dramatically, his hand sweeping out. "Thank you, ma'am."

Teagan cringes at him, a bemused expression dancing within her eyes. I glance over at Cameron, his eyes solely focused on her. I don't miss the subtle dragging of his gaze as he checks her out slowly.

Wesley kisses my cheek, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "I desperately need a drink. I don't think I can survive this night sober."

"After," I jab him in the ribs. "You cannot get drunk at the election. You'll be kicked out instantly."

"That's the appeal," he grins.

He goes to ruffle my hair but Teagan reaches out, glaring at him after spending an hour straightening my hair to perfection.

I laugh, my eyes finally travelling to meet Ryan's. He's watching me with calm precision, leaning back against the wall to my left. His hand are shoved into the pockets of his dress pants, one foot thrown in front of the other.

I remove Wesley's arm from my shoulder as he bickers with Tea, Cameron backing her up. I walk towards Ryan, aware of every step I take before I stop just short of him.

"You look...there isn't a strong enough word," he whispers. "Incredible. But more than that."

"Thank you," I smile, brushing off a speck of cotton on the shoulder of his blazer jacket. "You look great yourself."

"Have you been alright?" he asks, tentatively. "With everything?"

I nod my head, but begin to shake it soon after. "It's...complicated. So much has happened, you know? Lucas being my...brother. Kevin, my father. Mum possibly being at the hospital the night she disappeared. The note," I close my eyes, steadying my beating heart.

"You know you can still talk to me about anything, right? I feel like this week you've been distant and I don't want that. I know that things have changed because of last week, but please don't pull away because you're worried about how I feel. You're still my best friend, Ceeks. Always will be."

"I don't want that to happen either," I agree. "And you'll always be my best friend, too. Always."

He reaches down to squeeze my hand twice. "Can we just start over? Before everything got so fucking complicated?"

I nod against his shoulder. "I couldn't think of anything better."

"Shut up, Teagan, my ID is going to work. You watch."

We have all loaded into Cam's truck. It only had three seats, which means that three of the boys are sitting in the bed of the truck, Dory constantly opening the back window to annoy us.

"Oh, I'll be watching," Teagan snickers, rolling her eyes. "Watching you get your drinks denied for being underage."

"It will work!" he defends, slamming the window and blocking out the gust of humidity gracing my back.

I look out the window. The sun has dipped low behind a cloud, the orange tinge lining the horizon. I whined it down, my hand outstretched as I let it flicker through the air, the warmth gathering against my skin.

I hadn't seen Rhys in days. Not since learning about Kevin and Lucas. He'd been noticeably absent from town. Which I would know, because every time I'm out, I'd start subconsciously looking for him.

"How many people do you think will be there tonight?" Cam asks.

I look back over at him, noticing his hand gripping Tea's thigh. "Most of the town, I'd say."

"Thought as much," he mumbles, sending me a sidelong glance. "Make sure to keep Ryan away from Rhys. No doubt the media will be there tonight. We don't need a televised fight to break out for all of New River to watch on repeat."

"I'm planning on it," I agree. "It's not like I particularly want to see him either."

Cam glances at me, jaw ticking. I notice the hand he has on the steering wheel tighten, his knuckles whitening. "Look, don't get mad at Tea, CeCe, but—"

"Cameron—" Teagan interjects.

"—she told me about you and Rhys. About what he did," he finishes, his voice barely above a whisper. "I've never hated the guy more than I do right now. But I promise I won't tell the others. Specifically Ryan."

I sigh, Teagan sending me an apologetic glance. "Sorry, Cora. I just—"

"It's fine," I mumble. "I'm not really surprised. I mean, you guys are together now. Even if you won't admit it to each other."

Cam clears his throat, glancing at Teagan who absentmindedly rubs her thumb over his hand.

I watch as the truck smoothly rolls to a stop outside of New River's Yacht Club, opened to the public for one night only. I'd never actually been inside, never interested in seeing a bunch of rich people sitting around discussing whether they should buy a Rolex or a new Prada handbag.

"Here we are," Cam says, cutting the engine. Dory raps against the side of the truck, jumping between the narrow gap next to the Audi parked next to us. I watch him inspect it, pointing a finger at himself in the reflection. I roll my eyes, looking away and opening the door.

Ryan walks towards me, hands casually stuffed into the front of his dress pants. A strand of his blonde hair has blown into his eyes as he watches me with a small smile. He holds the door wide enough for me to get out, but small enough that it doesn't swing into the car next to us.

"Thanks," I say, holding the sides of my dress and jumping out. He slams the door behind us, walking beside me.

"Reminds me of our formal," Ryan acknowledges. "Riding in Cam's truck to school. Last time I was this dressed up, too."

"Yeah," I agree, smoothing out my dress. "Gosh, that night feels like a lifetime ago. How we'd run to the beach after. Swimming in our clothes."

Tea loops her arm through mine suddenly, pulling me forward to stand between Cam and Wes. "Don't look now," she whispers, "but the Winter's have just arrived."

I stiffen slightly, fighting the urge to crane my neck to find them somewhere in the parking lot.

"Is Lucas there too?" I ask.

Tea glances to her right momentarily before looking away. "He was. Now he's walking off, towards Carter Thomas."

I risk a glance over to where Tea is staring. I find Kevin first, clearly trying to keep his resolve in check. He goes to say something to Lucas but he's already too far away, scowling as he walks towards Carter. Katie Winter gives her husband an uneasy glance, but he brushes it off.

"Looks like he might not be too forgiving," I say, tracking Lucas as he walks. "Not that I blame him. I wouldn't be either. I'm not."

Lucas must feel Tea and I watching because he looks over suddenly, gaze directly focusing on me. He stiffens slightly but he sends me a slight, strained nod. Before I can respond, he looks away.

"I don't think Katie knows," Tea acknowledges, watching as the pair, dressed to the nines, walk ahead of us. "About you, I mean. It doesn't look like he's told her."

"Probably not," I agree.

The entrance to the club is decorated in blue and white balloons. A huge picture with Rebecca's vibrant, smiling face is displayed on a stand by the door as we line up to enter.

"Hot damn. I didn't think it was possible," I hear Dale whistle nearby. "Really trying to lose the whole trailer trash image aren't we, CeCe?"

I won't cause a scene. Not here. Sometimes you have to keep it in, even when it goes against your nature. Dale Bellview may be an asshole, but he won't be the one facing any repercussions if I start an argument.

"Leave it alone, Dale," Lucas warns.

Dale scoffs, turning to talk to Carter on his left. Lucas watches them in his periphery before turning back to face me. "I've been meaning to talk to you," he whispers.

"About?" I question.

"You know what," he says, brushing his blonde hair from his eyes. "Or have you just decided to live your days like you didn't just learn something fucking life-altering?"

He falls into line with me casually, almost feigning it off as an accident. I turn to face straight ahead, but my words are all directed at him.

"It isn't like I can just forget," I grumble. "But I knew that someone in New River has to be my biological father. It wasn't exactly a complete shock. You, on the other hand...I wasn't really expecting to have a sibling."

He stiffens momentarily, before leaning towards me. "My mother still doesn't know. Please refrain from telling too many people. Make sure your friend shut their mouths, too."

I glare at him before turning away to face the doors that are looming ahead of us. "They aren't like that. So, don't worry, your reputation will remain untouched at the top of the hierarchy."

Lucas laughs lightly. "You really are a piece of work. No wonder you're my— my sister.

"And for your information, it isn't about my reputation," he growls quietly. "My mother doesn't deserve to have her world tipped upside down, too. It's been fucking hard enough sleeping under the same roof as my father this past week. She doesn't deserve to be put through that as well."

"Do any of your friends know?"

"Besides Rhys? No," he admits. "I'd rather keep it that way. For now, anyway."

"What is it you wanted then?"

"Dad is interested in having... dinner. With you and I."

"Really?" I say, humouredly. "How wonderful."

"Trust me," he grunts, "I'm not sold on the idea either. I've barely spoken to him."

"I'm not interested in having a relationship with him," I finish, beginning to pick up my pace to catch up to Tea.

He grabs my arm, pulling me to a gradual stop. People around us don't hesitate to walk around, completely ignoring our presence.

"What about with me?" he asks, sincerely. "Because, as much as I have always known to—dislike you, things have