“Is it Dominik?” Maya asks, and I shake my head.
“I’m not even sure what it is yet. Not a word or hints to anyone, especially not Rian,” I say and hear steps to my door. I turn off the video and lower the volume.
“Oh, Rian’s love blind, he’d never discover it-”
“That’s why you two can’t tell him,” I plead, and Maya seals her mouth with her fingers as a zip and lock, throwing the key away. Someone knocks on the door.
“One minute,” I scream and check my cherry blonde curls. Which are falling perfectly on my shoulders.
“Go ahead, my mouth is a tomb,” Sammy says, and Ihang up the call. I smile when the door opens. It’s Declan. He’s wearing a tuxedo and his hair is slightly arranged, his midnight blue eyes fixated on me.
“Guests are here,” Declan says, and I look at the clock thirty minutes have passed since I called. They were near and already waiting for my call. Declan seems uncomfortable; I would be too. Everything has changed.
"I know everything’s different, Dec, but this is still home. You’ll adapt in a few hours, you always do,” I say and pass my hand through his arm before walking to the stairs. I look back at Declan. “Come on, let's get you downstairs,” I say, gesturing for him to accompany me. He stays silent until we’re at the bottom of the stairs. Declan whispers something inaudible.
“Regretting getting back?” I whisper-ask him.
“Regretting not getting back sooner,” he says, and it hits me too.
“It turned out how you wanted, right? You’re a promising new talent,” I say, trying to calm him and myself. This is what he wanted.
“Yes, everything is perfect,” Declan whispers and puts on his fake event smile. His words were grammatically correct, but the tone and feeling were off. He does not mean them. But I can’t afford to ask him that now, dinner time is almost here.
“Dom!” I exclaim as I see him, his piercing green eyes gentle as he looks at me. He’s near my mother, he walks my way, his black suit fitting him perfectly in every spot. Dominik might’ve noticed I was checking him out by the slight smirk on his face.
“There’s my Cherry,” Dominik states, hugging melightly, like he’s afraid I’ll break. He’s probably concerned about the clothes. Or maybe I am. “Your mom is nice, as always”
“She is, isn’t she?” I say, and Dominik keeps one hand on my waistline. “You came,” I whisper, and his hand falls down to his side.
“You called,” Dominik replies. His words always soothe me. No matter what he says, he sounds calming; it feels like home. “Go back to your party, enjoy, I’ll be with Josh”
“Ok, I’ll be with you after I check the kitchen.”
“Need help?” Dominik asks, and I think about my answer and rethink it, “You know what? Yes, please,” I suggest, and Dominik walks alongside me to the kitchen. “So we need to heat everything up, it’s all a bit cold, I ended cooking earlier than I thought I would”
“Tell me where you need me, and I’ll be there,” for the next couple of minutes, Dominik and I get everything ready to be taken to the table.
“Thank you, you two. You didn’t need to,” my mom says and steals me from Dominik, leading me to the front porch. “Are you sure it’s Dominik? You’ll eventually have to see Declan with someone else,” my mom says, and my confidence boost weakens.
“He doesn’t want me, Mom,” I say, sitting down since it suddenly turns hard to breathe.
“And Dominik does? Is that it? You don’t like Declan?” my mom asks and cleans a tear that streams down my cheek; more are threatening to fall.
“I’ll always like Declan,” I say honestly, and my momhugs me.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry, I’m sorry, honey,” Mom says taking a tissue from her bag and handing it to me. “Just don’t make rash decisions, Love. I don’t want you to be worse than this. Enjoy the night with your friends. It’s Christmas Eve, and the presents might surprise you,” she says, and I want to ask what she knows but she won’t tell me. She’s very close to both Declan and me, but doesn’t disclose information to either of us about the other. She never did.
I dry my face and thank God for putting on waterproof makeup before walking back inside. Yes, I thought I might like Dominik. But no, I don’t know if I’m ok with seeing Declan with someone else. That might be the hint I needed to know I’m not over him.
“Are you ok, princess?” Marcus, the last of our friends, my brother’s best friend, asks.
“I’m great, anyone want to help me set up the food?” I question and start walking to the kitchen.
“I’ll go,” Declan says and appears from behind me, I jump startled. “What happened out there?” Declan asks me, of course, he didn’t want to help; he wanted information.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” I tell him, taking the first pot in my hands, but Declan stops me from walking by putting himself in front of the door. “You don’t know when to let go, do you?” I ask him, and it becomes accidentally more personal than I meant.
“Maybe I don’t want to,” Declan says, his eyes studying me. I thank my foundation for covering my blushing, or so I hope. Declan moves out of the way, yet as I walkpast him. I can still feel his midnight blue eyes burning me from the inside out. Not over Declan. And maybe I don’t want to be. But Declan and I? It doesn’t seem right anymore.
