My face hurt from smiling.
I glanced over at my parents who were also grinning brightly as we continued to welcome guests to the gala that everyone had been talking about for weeks now.
The point was to raise money for the nonprofit arts organization, but that was hardly the reason most of these people were here. No, most of them didn’t know or care what this was for; they were here because it was the place to be. Anyone who was anyone was here, and everyone who wanted to be anyone had paid through the nose for a ticket they couldn’t afford.
The evening had barely begun, and I was already counting the minutes to when it could end. The floor seemed to give way because for a second, my stomach dropped as I caught a picture of my life. My future. A string of never-ending evenings like this one where I was just wishing my life away.
I gave my head a shake.
Man, that was too depressing.
But it was better than dwelling on Olivia. I should have known better, but right before we left today, I did what I’d told myself I’d quit doing. I read her emails. Again. I started with the latest which she’d sent weeks ago and worked my way back.
It had been sweet and painful at the same time. It had been torture, actually, but I’d missed her so much I couldn’t stop myself.
“Where’s Cambriea?” My father was using that ventriloquist trick again as he spoke to me out of the corner of his mouth.
“Who?” I caught his sidelong glare and laughed. “Kidding, kidding. I’ll go find her.”
I found her by the table our families would both be sitting at in the front corner of the ballroom. She was frowning and typing away on her phone. I turned to give her some privacy when I caught a sniffle and then saw her wipe her eyes.
I hesitated. Part of me still saw this girl as a stranger. But the bigger part of me knew I couldn’t keep thinking of her like that. It was time to cave to the inevitable. Sliding into the seat beside her, I rested a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?”
She jerked upright and tucked her phone into her lap. Her expression was undeniably one of guilt. “Um, yeah. Sorry, I…” She bit her lip and sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. I know our parents are really into us being together but…” She winced. “There’s someone else.”
I blinked. “What?”
Her expression grew taut with distress. “I’m so sorry. It’s not you. You seem great, you really do.”
“It’s okay,” I said with a laugh. “There’s someone else for me too.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
I nodded. Saying it out loud did something to my insides. It was like for the first time in weeks, I could breathe. I did have someone. I had Olivia.
There could never be anyone else.
“Does she know?” Cambriea asked.
I opened my mouth and shut it with a groan as emotions I’d been fighting for so long swept over me and wouldn’t let go. Anger. Frustration. Guilt. Shame.
“No.” And all at once my perspective of my situation flip-flopped. I saw it all from Olivia’s point of view, and the sight was nauseating.
She must think me the worst coward for not fighting for us. She couldn’t possibly know how much I care about her or why I’d done what I did.
Heck, right now I couldn’t even explain it to myself. Yes, I had a loyalty to my parents and this family. But I had a loyalty to Olivia too. And what was more, I had a duty to myself. Living someone else’s idea of my life was just plain wrong.
But giving up the woman I loved? That had been a betrayal to us both.
I dropped my head into my hands, and this time it was Cambriea comforting me with a pat on my shoulder. “Trust me, I get it,” she said with a sigh.
“I know my parents will kill me, but…” She shrugged.
I nodded. “Yeah. I get it. You can’t stop loving someone just because your parents don’t want you to.”
“Exactly.”
We shared a look of understanding. Telling our parents was not going to be pretty. But it was the only way.
“We could do it together,” she offered, her expression hopeful.
I smiled, and for the first time all night, it actually felt genuine. “I’m not sure that’ll help with the fallout, but it couldn’t hurt for them to see that it’s mutual.”
“Exactly.” She bit her lip, lost in thought, no doubt at the confrontation to come. I found myself wondering how I could explain to my parents that while I would always be their son, this was my life. They couldn’t make me choose between them and Olivia because I would choose Olivia.
I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. I’d chosen wrong before, but I wouldn’t do it again. I winced as I opened my eyes to see the crowds pouring in as the night’s entertainment was set to begin.
The bigger problem—even bigger than my parents—was would she give me another chance?
The question seemed to suck all the air out of the room.
My parents and Cambriea’s joined us at the table, and others soon joined. All I wanted to do was run out of here and call Olivia. Beg her to forgive me. Tell her I would make it up to her.
But now was hardly the time. Music was playing, and dinner would be served shortly, followed by dancing, no doubt. There was always dancing at these things.
The thought made me miss Olivia so much it hurt.
She’d have fun with the dancing part. The rest? Not so much. Although she’d have found a way to make him laugh, and he’d have done his best to make her night unforgettable and—
“What’s that?” Cambriea asked.
The music had changed suddenly, the volume rising as a spotlight switched on.
“The dancing and speeches aren’t until after dinner,” my mother said with a frown.
Someone behind the curtains of this gala had gone off script.
That shouldn’t have made me so happy, but it did. My parents’ lives could use a little unscripted entertainment.
“Who’s that?” Cambriea craned her neck as a curtain rustled at the far end of the room.
The two of us were tucked away in the corner, so it was hard to see.
“I don’t believe it.” My mother’s voice was low, but there was no denying her anger. Or her shock.
Now that had me craning my neck too, but all I could see was the crowd of people at the tables turning to stare at...something.
No, someone.
I caught a glimpse of dark curls. Then a peek of a pale blue dress. And then…
“Olivia.” I whispered her name out of sheer shock. Either she heard me, or she felt my stare because at that moment she turned and spotted me.
Her beautiful, unforgettable, irreplaceable face split with a wide beaming grin. The spotlight found her, and I was sure I was seeing things. There was the love of my life, standing in the middle of a crowded ballroom, in Washington DC—and she was stunning.
I watched with wide eyes as she straightened her shoulders, ignored the pointing and the whispers, and headed straight toward me.
“Do you know her?” Cambriea asked.
“That’s her,” I managed. “That’s my girl.”
“Ohhh.” Cambriea drew the word out on a sigh that was filled with awe and delight.
All I could feel was shock. What was she doing here? How had she gotten here? What was she thinking?
She reached our table, but her path to me was blocked by Cambreia’s parents. She didn’t seem to notice them or my parents, not even with my mother hissing all sorts of demands and threats.
Instead, this beautiful angel who was very likely a hallucination, because that was the only thing that made any sense—extended a hand out in my direction and said plain as day, “Nobody puts Dorky Derek in the corner.”
I choked on a laugh as Cambriea giggled beside me. My heart threatened to burst because—she was here! This was really happening. The gorgeous brunette in front of me was my girl, and this was not a hallucination.
I took her hand and let her pull me toward the aisle. I ignored the whispers just like she did because I was too happy to see her to care. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Saving you,” she said with a wink. “What does it look like?” I started to laugh as she dragged me to the center of the dance floor. “Dance with me?”
I pulled her into my arms. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
She smiled. “I think your mom might be having a stroke.”
I glanced over to see both of my parents hurriedly trying to salvage the situation. My mom was waving her hands, and I realized she was telling the event coordinator to start the dancing early, so we wouldn’t be the center of attention.
Too late.
I grinned down at Olivia. “I am so happy to see you.”
For the first time since she’d shown up like some beautiful knight in shining armor, I caught a flicker of hesitation. “Yeah?”
I leaned down as we swayed in time to the music, ignoring the other dancers who were starting to fill in the open dance space around us. “You have no idea,” I said. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “Yeah?”
I couldn’t resist. I kissed her. Right there in front of everyone, and I didn’t give a crap what anyone thought about it. “I missed you so much,” I said when I drew back.
“I missed you too,” she whispered.
My arms tightened around her as she held onto me. “I know you think you have to follow your parents’ plans for you. That you have a duty to them, but Derek—”
“I know.” I cut her off with another kiss just because I could. “I know, Olivia. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it, but you’re right. You’ve always been right. It took stepping outside of my parents’ world to realize that I don’t have to live like them. Their way isn’t the only way.”
She nodded, and she bit her lip. This time I could see the tears welling, and I kissed her again. “Please don’t cry.”
“I’m not,” she said, but her voice was wobbly and tremulous.
My grip on her tightened. “I’m never letting you go again.”
“You?” Her voice sounded a little more like her normal self as she squeezed me back. “I’m not letting you go. Ever.”
I kissed the top of her head. “Deal.”
We moved in time to the music, and if the rest of the ballroom was filled with stares and whispers, I couldn’t have possibly cared less. My parents could handle it. From here on out, these kinds of problems were theirs. I had my own life to figure out.
“Derek,” she said, pulling back to look up at me.
“Yeah?”
“You know you didn’t have to pull strings for me, right?”
I nodded. “I just wanted to help. I wanted to make you happy and be involved in your life in some way.”
She smiled. “I love that. But I think I get it now… why you didn’t get involved in the first place.” She glanced around the room, casting an amused look over at my frantic mother. “There are benefits to being connected to all this wealth and influence. But there are strings too.”
I nodded. “But I’m ready to cut those strings.”
Her brows hitched up. “Yeah?”
“Definitely.” I pulled her back in because now that I had her back in my arms, I meant it when I’d said I never wanted to let go. “It took the thought of losing you to see it, and I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner.”
Her sigh was happy and filled with relief. “I’m just glad you figured it out eventually.” I could hear the smile in her voice as she added, “I was a little worried we were gonna have to drag you out of here kicking and screaming.”
“We?” I asked.
She looked around at the spotlight and some commotion going on in the corner near the stereo equipment. “You didn’t think I did this on my own, did you?”
I started to laugh. “Let me guess…”
“Ballerinas get things done, Derek. And besides, there’s nothing my friends love more than a good grand gesture.”
I was still laughing as I leaned down, cupping her face in the palm of my hands, so I could kiss her the way I’d been dreaming of kissing her for the past few weeks. Her lips were soft and warm against mine, and if I’d thought our first kiss had been magical and life altering, it was nothing compared to this.
Because this kiss held a promise. This kiss spoke of a future.
“Derek,” she whispered when I pulled back for air.
“Yeah?”
Her hands fisted in the material of my suit jacket. “Don’t leave me like that again, okay? Because I love you. I love you as way more than a friend, and I love you with all my heart and soul. So if you leave me again, I don’t know if I could take it.”
I’d stopped even pretending to dance as a warm rush of emotions left me stricken. She loved me. My girl loved me back. “I love you too, Olivia. I love you so much.”
She hugged me tight, and I whispered the rest in her ear. “I won’t leave you again.”
She nodded. She was trusting me, giving me another chance. There was no way I’d ruin it.
I pulled back and swiped tears from her cheeks. “I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to Oakwood with you,” I said. “I need to finish school, and my parents still hold all the cards until I turn eighteen. But if you can wait for me a little while longer, I’ll—”
“Yes,” she interrupted quickly. “Yes, of course I’ll wait. I may have watched Dirty Dancing a few too many times—”
“A few?” I teased.
“But I know that happily ever afters don’t happen in a heartbeat,” she continued. “You and your parents have a lot to figure out. They’ll always be your family, and I don’t want to drive a wedge between you and them.”
“You couldn’t,” I said. “If anything, you’ve taught me what real love and family mean. But now I need to figure out how my family is going to work going forward.”
She nodded. “I get that. And I’ll be waiting.”
“But for tonight…” I grinned as I wrapped my arms around her. The words to a song from Dirty Dancing came back to me, and I knew without a doubt that she’d recognize it. “Tonight you’re mine...completely.”
She stopped dancing, and her eyes widened. “Did you just quote the soundtrack to me?”
I nodded, a laugh bubbling up in the way it only ever did when I was with this girl. “You like it?”
She gave a sappy sigh and melted into my arms. “Oh, Dorky Derek, I am so in love with you.”