I’m surprised she already knows, but I guess in a town this size, word about a fight spreads fast. My father isn’t going to be happy with me.
“I just wanted to get her home safe. I didn’t—I wasn’t trying to ruin her prom night.”
“Then what were you trying to do?”
Voicing it feels impossible. I can’t say it out loud because I can barely think it.
“She can do better than him, all right?”
“Are you saying that you’re the better option here?”
I finally turn to look at her. “No. Not me, obviously.”
“Why obviously?”
“Because she’s my—she’s—you know what she is.”
Cheri shakes her head. “Yeah, I know. And he would never go for it.”
“Never. And I’m not saying that I would even if my dad?—”
She shakes her head. “You gotta stop lying to me, dude. I was born on a day, but it wasn’t yesterday. Your secret is safe with me. Just quit being such a dick to her. She’s a teenage girl. She should be able to date guys and live her life without you showing up like a black cloud in all her core memories.”
She walks back around to her door and peels out of the resort, leaving me dripping and defeated, but fully aware of how right she is.
chapter twenty-four
Summer
present day
Silvie is coming over to get ready with me for a wedding this weekend. She said she would help me style my hair into an updo.
The wedding day is for our friend Luke’s brother, Rex. I’m thankful that I have somewhere fun to go where I’ll get to see more of my old friends, have a few drinks, and potentially meet up with a man who doesn’t enjoy tormenting me for sport. Luke and Dayton were friends in high school. Rex was always kind of a dick, but he ended up at our house sometimes when Luke and Dayton would hang out.
A knock on the studio door startles me. I twist it open.
“Hey, bitch. Glad you could finally—” My words stop short when a much bigger, manlier person is standing there, a bouquet of yellow roses and white baby’s breath in his hand. He also has a small gift wrapped in white wrapping paper, probably a wedding gift.
My heart skips a beat. Dayton’s hair is styled in dark, messy waves, pushed back from his handsome face. He’s clean-shaven, wearing a navy-blue pinstripe linen sport coat andbrown linen pants. His white shirt underneath is unbuttoned partially, revealing a sliver of his sculpted chest. I attempt to appear unaffected by his raw sex appeal. Part of me wants to slam the door in his face so I can put my makeup on before speaking to him.
He shifts on his feet, almost like he’s nervous. “Can I come in?”
“Silvie is coming over soon to get ready with me.”
He nods, looking around. “These are for you.” He looks down at the flowers. “Can I put them in water?”
I blink at the beautiful, bright bunch of flowers in utter confusion. “Umm, sure.” I step back to allow him to enter. My skin feels like it’s stretched too tight as soon as he walks inside and the door shuts behind him.
He goes over to the little kitchenette and pulls a clear vase out of the cabinet. I stand there, twisting my hair around my finger, watching him fill it up and place the flowers inside.
Aside from Mom’s funeral, I don’t remember the last time someone bought me flowers. He finishes up and leans back against the countertop, crossing his legs at his ankles. His eyes travel over me before moving to look at the dress hanging on the door to my closet. I spent way too much on it, but it hugs all my curves just right, and the slit up the thigh is just sexy enough without being too revealing. The pastel-blue fabric has different shades of pink florals on it, and the ruching on the hip enhances my hourglass shape.
Dayton swallows before looking back at me.
What is with him?
“Are you going to save me a dance later?”
