“You mean to tell me you’re going to leave this beautiful woman completely unattended? Your loss.” Dean held out his hand to me. “Madame.”
Why not? It was a party. I could be depressed and stressed out the other twenty hours in the day.
The song was a fast one but immediately slowed as soon as Dean and I hit the floor. Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” wafted over us.
“Is this okay?” Dean asked, his hands on my waist, mine around his neck. “Don’t want to make anyone jealous.”
“Xander and I are here as friends.”
“I wasn’t talking about Xander.”
Dean jerked his head subtly to his left. I looked to my right and saw Orion watching us from his table of Richies. A tingle of electricity zipped down my spine at the heat in his eyes. I looked away, my cheeks burning.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Dean raised a brow and gave me a gentle smirk. “He asked about you, you know. Right around the time you asked about him. Subtle, you guys are not.”
I started to protest, but what was the use? Besides, talking abouthimwas like breathing again after a deep dive into a turbulent ocean.
“I can’t,” I said, my eyes stinging. “I want to, and I think he wants to, but…”
Dean’s face lit up. “Really? That’s great! What are you waiting for?”
“Will you keep it down?” I glanced around at the other couples. “My home life is about to implode, and this school… Jesus, this school.”
“I know it,” Dean said. “The pressure is a lot, but you gotta hope it’s worth it in the end. RememberShawshank Redemption? Andy crawls through that tunnel of shit to his freedom. We just have to keepcrawling until we get to the good stuff.” He leaned in. “But Harper, that guy over there? He’s good stuff. More than good. He’s one of thegreats.”
Now my vision blurred, and my heart ached with a longing so fierce, it stole my breath.
“It feels impossible, Dean. For so many reasons.”
“Such as?”
“For starters, I’ve been told to keep my grubby Bender hands to myself,” I said. “It’s humiliating. The old me back in Pittsburgh would’ve scoffed at the elitist bullshit, but here… It’s been nonstop, and Ihatehow small I feel.”
Dean’s face was a mask of empathy. “I get it. But it doesn’t have to be anyone’s business but yours and his.”
He tilted his chin, indicating I should look where he looked—to the white swan of the black and white pair fromThe Black Swan, sitting at the Richie table. Sierra Hart was her name, if I remembered correctly.
She found his gaze, and for the smallest instant, her eyes lit up under all her makeup. Pure joy, if I ever saw it. And Dean’s face… Now Ireallywanted to cry. He looked so happy.
“Protect your happiness, Harper,” he said. “Guard it with your life. It might not be a perfect situation, but we don’t live in a perfect world. Or, even better, say fuck it—sayfuck them—and justbe happy.”
“Is that what you’re going to do?” I asked gently. “With her?”
He smiled sadly. “She’s not ready for that.”
“Why not? You’re so popular—”
The music swelled at the song’s chorus and got loud. Dean leaned in to me.
“I don’t live in a house. I live in a trailer at the very end of the Bend,” he said. “My dad is on disability after he was injured at work. My mom works two jobs.” Dean’s gaze found Sierra again and then came back to me, his smile resigned. “Some bridges are too far.”
The song ended, and the DJ announced that the costume contestwas about to begin and to please clear the dance floor.
“But enough of my sob story.” Dean put on a confident Ferris Bueller grin and tugged the collar of his jacket. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a trophy to win.” He started to go, then turned. “Hey, Harper?”
“Yeah?”
