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Tess glared at him, his response not what she wanted to hear. “What the hell’s got into you?”
Carmine’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
“Your attitude, that’s what. It’s a damn shame, too. I almost liked you for a while.”
“Yeah, well, I never fucking liked you.”
Haven tensed at the hostility as Dominic hit the table with his fist. “Enough! I don’t know what your problem is, Carmine, but you need to figure it out. I’m this close to laying your ass out.”
Carmine glared at his brother. “What have I done?”
“Do you not hear yourself? You’re acting more and more like the old you.”
“I am not,” Carmine said.
“Yes, you are,” Dominic said. “And I’m telling you now—fix it. Haven deserves better than the way you’ve been treating her.”
Haven watched Carmine warily as he stared at his brother. The tension at the table was thick, and she started to panic. “I, uh . . . I need to go to the restroom.”
She stood, and Dia jumped to her feet to show her where it was. She breathed a sigh of relief once she was alone and stayed there until she calmed down. There was a tap on the door, and she expected to see Dia still waiting, but instead came face-to-face with Carmine.
“Can we talk, tesoro?” She nodded and followed him outside to the car. Carmine put the key into the ignition. “I didn’t realize I was being such an asshole. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
He sighed, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. “Not really. That probably makes me a bigger asshole, but I just . . . can we start over? You finally get a chance to experience teenage shit, and I’m fucking it up. I should be groveling at your feet, thanking you for giving me this chance. You shouldn’t love me, but you do, and you don’t know how thankful I am for that, how much I appreciate having you in my life.”
She gazed at him with surprise. It was the nicest thing he had said in a while . . . possibly ever. “I’m glad I have you, too.”
“Good,” he said, starting the car as Haven put on her seatbelt. “And I’m sorry about the Nikes.”
“What about them?”
“Tess said they give the impression I don’t care, but I do. I just really like my Nikes.”
“I like them, too.”
He looked at her with the first genuine smile she’d seen grace his lips all evening.
* * *
The school gymnasium was decorated in white and gold, sparkling lights strung up all over the ceiling. A balloon archway greeted them inside, streamers and glitter covering everything. Carmine grimaced at the cheap decorations, while Haven was completely mesmerized. “It’s pretty,” she said, her words barely audible above the thumping bass of the song.
He chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Do you wanna dance?”
“I, uh . . .” She surveyed the crowd on the dance floor. “I’ve never danced.”
“Not true,” he said, pulling her in front of him with his hands on her hips. “We danced on Halloween.”
“That’s different,” she said. “You kind of just swung me in circles, and nobody was watching.”
“No one’s watching now.” He was lying. Eyes focused on them from all over the gym. “Besides, the only way to learn how to dance is by dancing, and I think I’m getting better at this teaching gig.”
They stopped along the edge of the crowd, and he pulled her against him, swaying them to the music. He leaned down with his lips beside her ear and sang along, his voice relaxing her.
Carmine moved her hips to the beat until she was able to keep rhythm on her own. She saw the curious onlookers watching, but Carmine’s warmth made her feel safe. They danced for a few songs before he led her over toward a table, grabbing two plastic cups and pouring punch in them.
They mingled with his classmates for a bit. Haven caught sight of Nicholas after a while with Lisa clinging to his arm. She avoided eye contact with him, focusing her attention on Carmine, but she could feel his gaze from across the room.
