A/N; PLEASE READ

First of all, thank you to everybody who reviewed! I loved every single one of your comments and to those of you who Inboxed me, thank you so much, no matter what you said. I hope you find your answers here - or, at least some of them...

To those who asked - and this is SUPER IMPORTANT - there is a sequel. It is called Dare You To Trust Me and details will appear on my profile in a few days. THE STORY ISN'T OVER!

And as much as I'd love to reply to every single review separately, I'll let you read on to the epilogue.

I'd like to thank all of you for your support and feedback with this story. This story is very important to me, for a variety of reasons and you've all made it so worth the trouble it was to find a new home for it. You've all been so welcoming! :P

So, on that note, signing out with my last ever author's note for Dare You To Love Me...

Love and endless thanks,
Hannah

1 Month Later

Stanford, California

"Oh, God, Tasha, it's so cliche."

"Don't be so up your own ass." Natasha laughed, grinning broadly at my horrified face from my iPad. "You were the one who chose Stanford, you should have prepared yourself for the California aspect of that." Natasha gasped as I switched the FaceTime camera, so she could see the campus. "Oh my God, it's stunning."

"It's very Hollywood." I muttered, hitching my backpack higher onto my shoulder. It was so... Sunny. And the palm trees looked fake. "What am I even doing here?"

"Studying at higher education." Natasha told me pompously, her eyes narrowing dangerously as I shifted the iPad slightly. "Adam Nathaniel, are you wearing plaid?"

"... Maybe." I murmured guiltily, looking down at myself. A red-and-blue checked shirt, blue jeans, red sneakers... Yeah, Natasha was going to kill me. "Oh, lay off, Tasha, it's college!"

"I don't give a fuck!" Natasha snorted. "You are not only a representation of me when you walk around that campus, but also of Roxy, Seth and Tr-"

"Don't." I said automatically. It was reflexive to censor out his name in my head now. "He has nothing to do with me."

Natasha sighed theatrically.

"We've had this discussion, Addie." Natasha sighed, rolling her eyes. I narrowed my own at her, stopping walking. I did not want to think about this now; I had enough problems, most of them looking like those naked guys on the bags of that porno shop Natasha used to spend so much time in, zooming by on pretentious skateboards. Fitch, was it? Something and Fitch, the shop had been called, I couldn't really remember. Natasha insisted on choosing most of my clothes, anyway.

I could hear them all whispering. I tried to ignore it.

"And we've also agreed to never mention it again." I said warningly. I rued the day I'd ever told Natasha about my... Feelings.

"Feelings" was such a dirty word for me nowadays.

"You know it's not his fault." Natasha told me patiently. I pretended to not listen. La-la-la-la-la. "You said so yourself! It's not his fault if she's totally insane and he got drunk with her once; when he was heartbroken about our sister, by the way, but totally couldn't show it because he was too busy being brave for our cute little asses."

"So, what, I'm meant to just ignore everything Alex said?" I muttered quietly, glaring holes into another porno model's back as he went by, nodding at me politely. Everybody was so friendly, Jesus. "It's kind of hard to ignore her telling me Tristan wanted them to hook up before the wedding, when he admitted in front of me he'd text her. And they'd been meeting in a suite."

"Don't you think Tristan's mind was a little occupied at Will's wedding?" Natasha rolled her eyes again and I did so in return, the irony being that I was doing it because Natasha made it overused. "We both know you're just projecting. You feel insecure and hurt about what Alex did and you're blaming Tristan. Not because you still blame him, but just because you're scared of fixing it, in case he doesn't forgive you the first time around. You know you're turning into him, right?"

"You're just taking his side because he's paying for your swanky get-up." I teased, Tasha's words hitting a nerve. "How is the Waldorf treating you?"

"Like a dream." Natasha grinned. "And anyway, it's better than me hacking into my trust fund like you are."

"Whatever, I get income from my company bonds anyway." I shrugged, catching the eyes of a tall, skulky blonde guy who'd heard me. Awkward. I turned back to Natasha, a sheepish expression on my face. "I sound like such a New York trust fund boy, don't I?"

"Way more than I could ever tell you." Natasha laughed, shaking her head. "And you should be saving, college boy. Then again, aren't you meant to be up to your knees in debt like the other peasants?"

"Please don't say that so loudly." I muttered, feeling more people stare as I walked. "I get that you're joking, but nobody else does. And, come on, my Stanford fund has been running since forever and even before I bought San Marco, my tuition fees are paid off. I worked my ass off for that."

"... Except for the part where you had a giant trust fund." Natasha looked at me pointedly. "And, honey, I don't think that's the reason people are staring."

"What do you-" I began to ask, but stopped, yelping as I nearly dropped Natasha's face as I felt somebody grab my arm. Blonde hair, short, preppy. "Oh, hey, Chloe."

"Hey, babe, who're you talking-" Chloe pulled her lips away from mine and frowned down at Natasha's dead expression. "Oh. It's you. Shouldn't you be, like, sleeping or whatever?"

"Shouldn't you be, like, dead?" Natasha smiled falsely.

"Ladies." I said carefully, watching them glare at each other. Well, this was always fun. "Play nice."

"At least I have my own friends and don't stalk my brother all the time from another, random country." Chloe flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and I raised my eyebrows as I practically saw steam coming out of Natasha's ears.

"At least I don't have crabs." Natasha retorted, her expression turning smug as Chloe flushed red.

"Why don't you catch up with your friends?" I said to Chloe, nodding over towards the other blondes in polo shirts and tight shorts. "I'll be over in a sec."

"Sure thing, baby. Miss you already." Chloe cooed, pressing her lips to mine again, before glancing coldly over her shoulder. "Bye." She muttered to Natasha, before flouncing off.

"I get that she's the anti-Alex and all." Natasha told me calmly. "But have you ever considered the possibility that she may also be the anti-Christ?"

"Next you're going to be going all Roman Catholic on me." I grinned. Natasha laughed. I saw Chloe wave me over impatiently. More people were starting to take notice, too. "Look, I'd better jet." I said apologetically.

"Fine." Natasha sighed heavily. "Go and pretend you're happy with HIV Barbie and her STI friends!"

"But everything is okay in Rome?" I asked, dragging my feet along as slowly as I could towards Chloe. "Sorry we've just been talking about me."

"Don't worry, we'll catch up tonight." Natasha said dismissively, waving her hand. "We're still on for tonight, right?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" I frowned, as a group of girls collided with my shoulder, giggling as they looked back.

Natasha didn't answer, watching the girls, I presumed.

"It'll die down." Natasha told me quietly.

I was quiet for a moment, waiting to reach a gap in the crowd.

"I hope so."

Natasha sighed.

"Love you, Addie." Natasha cocked her head at me and smiled. "Look at you, all grown up, in Stanford. Living the dream."

"Miss you." I said simply, wishing she was here with me. I hadn't wanted Roxy to come down, despite the zillion times she'd offered. "

"Miss you too." Natasha smiled sadly at me. "You go, we'll catch up later."

"Love you." I sighed, saluting her lazily. "Over and out."

The last thing I saw before I switched off the camera, was Natasha waving at me with a smile.

I turned off the iPad, looking around me again. Natasha was right. I'd always wanted to be here. I was just a little... Down these days.

But... This had the potential... To be pretty damn awesome.

"Isn't he-"

"Oh my God, isn't that-"

"No way, it's"

"Look, he's arrived!"

I tried to block it out and walk towards where Chloe and her friends were surveying me like I was a zoo animal, but a small... Thing... Blocked me.

"Hey." A girl giggled, stepping up to me. I recognized her as one of the girls who'd bumped into me a moment ago. Hadn't they all been going the other way? "Aren't you, like, Adam Malloy? Tristan Malloy's, like, family or whatever?"

It'll die down.

"Oh my God, Adam, I'm like your biggest fan!" I flinched as a short girl with mouse-brown hair and crazed eyes that could compete with Trelawney's - and this girl was without the glasses and still a contender - threw herself at me, gripping it with unbelievable strength, her nails digging into my arm and making me wince. "Oh my God, I love you so much, I know everything about your life and I-"

"Uh, hi-" I tried to begin, but as soon as I opened my mouth, she screamed with delight, more girls beginning to surround me, Chloe pretending to be scared a little further away.

They were screaming and shouting and pulling and oh Jesus, I was going to die on my first day of college and those Fitch models were just staring.

"Hey, hey, move out of the - fucking - hey!" I instinctively tried to move backwards, bumping into more girls, as another one appeared, batting her way through the crowd with a binder. "I have a dorm to find, you know, and if you're all going to act like cavemen, by all means, but-" She stopped as she saw me and oh God, I was so dead. "- Marnie." She growled.

I felt the mousey-brown squeak beside me and freeze.

"I swear to God, you're unbelievable." The girl was muttering, yanking Marnie by the ear - and taking my arm with her. "Marnie!" The girl shrieked. "Let the poor guy go!"

Yeah, Marnie, let the poor guy go!

"Do you have Tristan's number?"

"Oh my God, I'm his hugest fan!"

"Hey, if you're ever looking for someone to show you around town..."

"I'm so sorry, she throws up her medication whenever we make the mistake of letting her out of her strait jacket." The girl told me apologetically, pushing Marnie behind her as she stood behind us. I could only nod, pulling back my arm quickly as somebody tried to write something with permanent Sharpie. The girl looked at the rest of the crowd and smiled at me with sympathy. "Good luck with the rest of them."

I didn't know what to say, watching helplessly as she dragged Marnie away, who was screaming goodbye to me happily.

Okay, Adam, no panicking.

I took a deep breath and rolled back my shoulders, just like I'd taught myself.

"Ladies, please." I said, smiling nervously at them all and praying as always that it didn't show. "One at a time."

Living the dream.

Or something like it.

. . .

New York City, New York

"Any news?" I asked, the usual greeting, as I walked briskly across the road, heading for the building. I hated, hated, hated roadworks.

"They want to declare him killed in action, like the others were." Sarah told me, sounding angry. "They can't do that! You'd think, with Dad being the General and everything, they'd calm the fuck down, but apparently fucking not!"

"Don't swear in front of the kids." I told Sarah. "He'd be telling you off if he were here."

"I wish he were." Sarah sighed as I ignored somebody wolf-whistle me. I rolled my eyes and ignored the temptation to flip the asshole the finger, my stomach doing that familiar, uncomfortable backflip as I remembered Tommy. "Are they right? Are we just in denial?"

"No." I told her instantly. "He's not dead. He just... Can't be."

"Have you had your period since...?"

"Sarah!" I yelled, ignoring the odd look I got from an old lady. "I've already had this conversation with you, I've had two since he left, I am not pregnant!"

"You never know-"

"Yeah, you do." I huffed, barely missing bumping into someone headfirst. I hated roadworks! "Trust me, Sarah. I'm just as barren as I was when I was square."

Sarah mumbled something incoherently, complaining.

"Look, I have to jet, I'm at work, call you later?" I offered, nodding at the doorman with a grateful smile as he opened the door for me.

"Yeah, definitely. How's Seth? Is he coming to the party tomorrow? I love Seth, I swear, I didn't think Richie would ever do his homework."

I laughed.

"We'll be there, Seth's looking forward to it." I saw the Tweedle tw- Rocky and Laura waiting for me at the elevator, my coffee and a stack of folders ready and waiting for me. "Okay, I seriously have to go, I've got that big business meeting with the Senator today. Talk later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, sorry, of course! Good luck, bye!"

"Bye!" I muttered, hanging up and taking a big sip of coffee before following Laura and Rocky into the elevator, where Nathaniel was standing patiently, eyebrows raised. "Hey, Granddaddy."

He kissed me on the cheek and took a sip of his own coffee, smiling as he watched me begin to shout out instructions.

. . .

Rome, Italy

"You brought him with you?" Natasha groaned, seeing Dale behind me. I watched as Dale rolled his eyes at her, folding his arms across his chest. Natasha was lying across the couch in shorts and a tank-top and I was not comfortable with Dale having that view.

"Are you both ever going to tell me what's changed so drastically in the past few weeks, that you now hate each other, despite still being - for the most part - strangers?" I asked, heading straight for the whiskey that Natasha was not allowed to use. "Can I not leave you alone for even a few weeks?"

"I can't believe you're moving back to London." Natasha whined and I felt a pang of guilt at the lie. "Well, at least you're only a few hours away, right?"

"Yeah." I lied, refusing to look Tasha in the eye. Dale stared at me accusingly. "We'll just grab something to eat, want anything in particular?"

Natasha shrugged, going back to playing on her iPad.

As soon as Dale and I had left the room, he started.

"Tristan, you can't lie-"

"I told you, I just need to be off the radar for a while." I muttered. "I'll be here when she needs me."

"What if she flies down to London?" Dale demanded. "And she finds you're not there? Then what? What if she finds out you're lying to her and you're moving to Japan? She'll kill me if she finds out we're business partners!"

"Careful there, Dale, it might start to sound like you care." It was an effort to make the words sound natural; that perfect mix of arrogance, sarcasm and taunting.

"Whatever, man." Dale snorted. "The further I get away from Natasha Parker, the better."

So he knew exactly how I felt.

Next stop; … Japan.

. . .

Unknown Territory, Iraq

It was quiet, exempt the loud whistle of the wind, welcoming in the harsh sun. There were dead bodies strewn everywhere.

The entire area reeked of death.

Silence.

But then...

"Can anybody hear me?" Static. "Can anybody hear me? This is Captain Strathmore, repeat, Captain Strathmore; we're in unknown territory." More static. "If anybody can hear me, God, if you can hear me, we're alive, me and Benjy are alive but we're lost. We're in unknown territory, we have no supplies and we cannot find base, repeat, we're in unknown territory and cannot find base, can anybody hear me?"