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“Are you really?” Holly asked, and my stomach twisted. I didn’t want her to worry about me either. It stirred up feelings I thought I’d buried long ago.
“I will be.” I focused on the movie playing on the screen in front of us. Just being around Holly had settled something deep inside me. The hole in my chest didn’t feel quite so big.
We watched the rest of the movie with the occasional comment about how quickly the couple was moving, but it was typical in a story like this. There might only be a few weeks and then they were declaring their love and getting engaged.
When the credits rolled, I didn’t want the night to end. I hit play on the playlist on my phone. I stood, letting the blankets fall to the ground, and held my hand out to her.
“Would you like to dance?”
She smiled and placed her hand in mine, letting me pull her to her feet. “I’d love to.”
I pulled her close to me, and she immediately settled in my arms, her cheek against my chest and her hand in mine. It reminded me of the dances in high school when we couldn’t stand to be apart, and the one dance we shared at Marley’s holiday party.
Her hair tickled my chin, and I breathed in the smell of her lavender shampoo. I wondered if she could feel the beat of my heart under her cheek.
“This is nice.”
I squeezed her a little tighter to me. Being with her like this felt right. It was like all the years of regrets had given way to this. For the first time since she walked away, I felt hope. It was dangerous, but I let myself give in to the feeling.
Chapter 3
Holly
I couldn’t believe I was dancing with Talon. This wasn’t the way I thought my evening would go. I figured I’d be stuck trying to make small talk with a guy I knew from high school, or even worse, a stranger. I figured it would be awkward, and I’d be counting down the minutes until I could end the date.
But this was so much more. Talon managed to play the music over speakers that Marley must have installed on the lighting poles for the evening. We were alone out here. For a little while, I could pretend we’d never broken up. That this was our life.
“Is this what it’s like to go on a date with you?” It was romantic, and I knew Marley planned the dates, but Talon was the one who asked me to dance.
“You should know. I dated you once upon a time.”
“Yeah, but we were kids. We’d dance at homecoming and prom, but never like this.” Not an impromptu dance in the middle of a field that had been lit with twinkling lights and, if I wasn’t mistaken, mistletoe.
“I don’t think it’s fair to judge me on my romantic abilities when I was a teenager.”
“You’re right. It’s not.” I was grateful he didn’t mention that our demise was my fault. I didn’t need the reminder. I knew where I stood in this relationship, and it wasn’t good. “I’m sorry for everything.”
Talon stopped his movement. “No more apologies.”
My forehead creased. “Are you sure? I feel like I owe you an explanation.”
Talon dipped his head slightly so that his face was inches from mine. “I understand more than you think. I know you.”
A tingle ran down my spine. No one knew me like Talon. He was there when my father swooped in with his charm and presents, then the inevitable crash when he left just as quickly. Talon held me through my tears more times than I could count. “This seems too easy.”
“I already forgave you for what happened back then. I’m not looking for an apology or an explanation. I think I know what happened, and I’d like a chance for us to move forward. Everyone seems to think that we’ll both be stuck unless we can work through this somehow.”
“Is that what this is?” Why had my heart thought this could be something more? I should have known there was too much painful history between us. He might have forgiven me, but that didn’t mean he wanted another chance at love.
“I’d like to heal and move on.” His face was inscrutable.
I let out a breath. “I’d like that, too.”
It might have been my imagination, but I swear he pulled me tighter to him. I reveled in the feel of his arms around me, the warmth of his body against my cheek, and the comforting rhythm of his heart beating. Talon was my friend and my lover at one point, and as much as I’d never gotten over him, I would like to put the past behind us.
He rested his cheek against my head. “Friends?”
I nodded. “Friends.”
