I miss you.

Jade picks up her iPhone and contemplates a response. She could make him wait for her to reply, but she's too impatient for that. So, no more than a minute later, she's returning the text. It's short and cliché, but it's honest—just like she knows his had been.

I miss you too.

His reply comes almost immediately.

Are you home?

Her first assumption is that he wants to call her, which is both exciting and terrifying. What does he want to talk about? Is he just calling to ask how she is—and not because he wants to talk about being with her again?

Instead of panicking about the conclusions she's already jumping to, Jade texts him back.

Yeah, why?

A mere five seconds after the text shows up as "delivered", she hears a knock at her door. Jade's sure she imagined it, but when she hears it again she realizes that her heart has nearly stopped beating. She hops instantly up from the couch, completely forgetting the fact that she's wearing no makeup, yoga pants, and Beck's t-shirt.

When she opens the door, she almost has to stop herself from crying.

"Miss West?" The Sushi Hana employee, who's donning his black uniform, is holding out the food Jade had forgotten she'd ordered. "I have your sushi. That'll be $15.04."

Jade freezes momentarily. "Oh. Yeah, just a second." She rests the door gently on the inside hinge and runs into the kitchen to grab her purse. When she returns, she quickly pays and tips the guy and closes the door fully. She's setting the take-out bag on the coffee table in the living room when there's another knock.

Jade rolls her eyes, less than satisfied with the employee's return. But when she swings open the door yet again, it's not the same person.

"I don't have sushi," he says sheepishly, "but I really miss my girlfriend."

Jade's mouth falls just slightly ajar as her blue eyes widen at his presence.

"I'm sorry, Jade. I'm so sorry. These past few months have been the worst of my life because I keep trying not to think about you when it's really all I want to do. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you and I know that I won't ever be able to. I'm sorry that I was such an asshole and that I let you walk out that damn door again. I hate myself for leaving you alone and unprotected on the other side of the country because all I want to do is protect you, Jade. All I want is to hold you and kiss you and live my life with you." Beck has barely taken a breath since he started talking, and even after he pauses, he keeps going.

"You weren't the one who was taking our relationship for granted—I was. I was selfish and stupid and I didn't really realize how much I needed you until you were gone—and I know how terrible that is because I don't know how I could ever doubt how much I need someone who I consider to be my whole world. I'm sorry that I pressured you to get married and have kids when you had a perfectly good reason for having hesitation about that stuff. I just love you so much, Jade, and I want us to be together forever and be able to share that love somehow. But I shouldn't have—"

And then she's kissing him.

Her hands go immediately to cup his cheeks, as if she's feeling him to be sure he's really there and this isn't just some dream. His arms find their place around her body as he pulls her in tightly to him and kisses her back passionately.

"I love you so much," Jade breathes between kisses. "We can't ever do that again."

"Never," he promises, moving inside the penthouse with her so that they can close the door behind them. She presses him against the wall, resting her hands on his chest as she opens her mouth to accept his tongue. His hands smooth over her curves, re-familiarizing himself with her perfect body. She unbuttons his shirt for him and he quickly shakes it off before pulling his t-shirt off of her.

When she wraps one of her legs around him, he holds onto her thigh and pulls her up to straddle his waist. Beck carries her all the way to her bedroom, gently setting her on the bed and kissing from her lips down to the bottom of her stomach. As he helps her wiggle out of her yoga pants, he continues reminding how beautiful she is and how much he's missed her.

They don't talk for the next fifteen minutes, instead simply enjoying each other's company as they make love for the first time in three months. Beck kisses every inch of her, taking in her addicting scent that he's been missing for so long.

When he finally rolls off of her, he looks over into her eyes with pure joy in his own. Jade scoots closer to him and nestles into his embrace, appreciating the way her pale, creamy skin mixes with his toned, tan muscle. She looks up at him, and her hair is messy and her eyes are wide and there's a smile on her mouth that he hasn't seen in too long.

"So," she says, blinking her long eyelashes, "you love me again?"

Beck laughs and drops a kiss to her head. "Oh, Babe," he sighs, planting another kiss-this time on her lips, "I didn't stop for a second."

.

By the end of September, Jade had moved back into the place they had both called home for two years. Her father had told her that if she was going to waste her life with someone who would never be able to provide for her, he and Alice would be using the penthouse for themselves. Jade, of course, couldn't have cared less. With Beck's help, she packed up anything that was hers (and a few things that she wanted to take) and flew back to Los Angeles with her boyfriend.

It'd been a bit of a pain, but Jade was able to reverse the transfer back to USC, thus ensuring that she and Beck would both be attending the same school again.

As it turned out, the couple isn't in Los Angeles for long before they're leaving the city again. Dylan and his fiancé are hosting their wedding in their hometown of San Francisco, so Beck and Jade are soon boarding a plane with Daphne and Walt Oliver.

Since the day Beck had called his mother and informed her that he was taking the next flight to New York City, Daphne hasn't been able to wipe the smile off her mouth. While she knew the on-again couple wouldn't last long apart, it had broken her heart to see just how miserable both of them were without each other. Needless to say, she'd been thrilled with the reunion-and excited to see her son and his girlfriend (smiling and holding hands) approaching them at the airport's gate.

After greeting his parents, the two of them take their seats and Jade leans over to rest her head on Beck's shoulder.

"You make me so happy, you know that?" He says, kissing the top of her hair. Her stomach does a flip, just like it used to do constantly when she'd first started to develop serious feelings for him. Jade smiles at him and reaches up to kiss his lips, enclosing her fingers in his.

The flight is short and mostly uneventful. Jade, never a fan of planes, is much more relaxed once she lets her boyfriend lull her into a peaceful sleep.

Once they arrive at the hotel, both couples locate their rooms—which were reserved to be right down the hall from each other—and make plans to meet for dinner in several hours. When Jade is nearly ready, with ten minutes to spare before they're supposed to be, she's finishing up her makeup in the bathroom.

"Damn. My girl looks good." As Beck leans against the doorway, his shirt still only halfway buttoned, he raises his eyebrows teasingly and she gives him a warning look.

"Don't," she tells him, trying to keep her voice stern as she watches in the mirror him walking up behind her. He wraps his arm around her waist, and she can't help but lean into his touch. She tries to hold it together when he starts kissing the back of her neck-which she knows means he's very in the mood—but he's barely wearing a shirt and it would take everything she had to be able to resist him. "Beck, I'm serious," she says, her words not sounding the least bit convincing as they come out in a heavy breath—and through a breaking smile.

"We can be five minutes late," he promises, trailing his kisses down her neck and onto her shoulder. At this point, her eyes are closed in pleasure and he's supporting almost her entire weight as she leans back on him. Which is why she not only fails to object when he swoops her into his arms and carries her to the bed, but she even pulls up her dress for him once he's laid her down.

As it turns out, they're quick to find success (it would be awkward if they were too late for Daphne and Walt) and are downstairs in the lobby just a few minutes after his parents.

Dinner is full of discussions about normal things like work, family, and the upcoming nuptials. Beck lets his parents in on what he'd previously told Jade—he'd landed the guest spot on the TV show. They praise him, genuinely proud of their son, and a toast is even made by Walt in honor of the talented couple that's "sure to find many successes."

The wedding, which takes place the next evening, is small and beautiful. Since Beck is a groomsman, Jade sits with his parents and watches with a smile how happy he looks for his cousin. Although the idea of a wedding and the pressure of a marriage scare her to no end, she has to admit to herself that she does like the idea of being committed to loving Beck for the rest of her life.

After the ceremony, everyone heads back to the hotel for the reception-which is being held in one of the large ballrooms. There's a dance floor and tables set up in an elegant design, and-after everyone's had plenty of food (and wine)—the DJ starts to play music that attracts everyone to the floor.

Beck drags his girlfriend on at the start of the first slow song, fully intending to show off their ballroom dancing skills. Although it's kept as a secret to most, the couple has taken dance classes together (as nothing more than a fun hobby) since they graduated high school. As a result, they look wonderful on the dance floor together.

He gets her to stay through most of the next songs, and she's just about to return to her seat when a song that she can't resist begins to play. It's the first song they'd ever slow danced to (in a stupid class at Hollywood Arts during their sophomore year) and she can't resist the smile that appears on his face as he pulls her in close to his body.

.

Didn't they always say we were the lucky ones?

.

"It's our song," Beck says through a cheeky grin. "We can't not dance to our song."

"We don't have a song," Jade argues, attempting to convince both of them that they're not the romantic couple that they definitely are.

.

But luck will leave you, cause it is a faithless friend,

And in the end, when life has got you down,

You've got someone here that you can wrap your arms around.

.

"Do too," he insists, holding her a little tighter as he looks down at her with an unreadable expression.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Jade doesn't think she's ever seen Beck smile so big in his life. And yet he's staring at her, mesmerized.

.

So hold on to me tight,

hold on to me tonight.

We are stronger here together,

than we could ever be alone.

So hold on to me,

don't you ever let me go.

.

"Beck," Jade says again. "What's going on?"

A small laugh breaks through his grin. "I think I just fell in love with you all over again."

The butterflies that have been frequenting Jade's stomach return as he leans in for a kiss. While she hates both of them for putting themselves through the worst three months of their lives, she can't help but feel grateful that there was actually a purpose to it; falling in love with him was the best experience of her life—and now she gets to do it again.

"I love you so much," he says.

.

There's a thousand ways for things to fall apart,

but it's no ones fault, no it's not our fault.

.

"And," he continues, "if I can dance with you like this for the rest of my life, I'll be happy—even if you're just my girlfriend. As long as I'm with you, I'll be a happy man."

.

So hold on to me tight.

Hold on, I promise it will be alright.

Cause we are stronger here together,

than we could ever be alone.

Just hold on to me,

don't you ever let me go.

.

Jade kisses him again, and she's sure to look right in his eyes on her next word.

"No."

Beck is taken aback, but it's not noticeable to anyone but her. "Wait, what? No?"

She laughs softly, and he has to take an extra breath because of how impossibly perfect she is. "I don't want to be your girlfriend." She places her hand lightly on his cheek. "I want to be your wife."

.

They always said we were the lucky ones.