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Ashleigh’s cell vibrated, and she dug it out of her purse, frowning at the message. But there was no time to ask what was going on because Peyton practically dragged me toward the doors. The music grew louder, pulsing through me like a warm current. I inhaled a shuddering breath as we slipped inside, with Mom and Ashleigh following behind.
“Wait,” Ashleigh called as we entered the main room.
It was a blur of lights and noise and it took my eyes a second to adjust to the chaos. The theme was the Rixon Raiders of course, the gym transformed into some kind of blue and white paradise. Streamers hung from the ceilings and balloon clusters littered the tables edging the dance floor. I scanned the crowd, desperately searching for Kaiden.
At first, I couldn’t see him. But then a couple of girls moved out of the way and my eyes found him across the room. Gosh, he looked so good in his black dress shirt and black slacks. His hair was mussed up as if he’d run his fingers through it as he chatted to Bryan and Gav.
Gav spotted us, his eyes widening with surprise, and I smothered a laugh at the shell-shocked expression on his face.
“Go get him, sweetheart,” Mom nudged me forward. “I’ll go manage your father.”
My feet carried me forward right as Gav whispered something to Kaiden. He went completely rigid, turning slowly. I knew the second he saw me because his eyes turned dark.
“Hi.” I smiled up at him, blushing under his intense regard.
“Lily? What are you—”
“Just let me get this out, please…” I inhaled a sharp breath. “It’s hard to put into words what the last few weeks have meant to me. A girl who, at times, is afraid of her own shadow. I’m scared of the unknown, of trying new things, of stepping outside my comfort zone… but you make me want to try, Kaiden. You make me want to spread my wings and soar.”
“Lily, I—”
“I love you,” I blurted, the emotion I felt for him spilling over. “I’m in love with you. I’m not sure when it happened or how, but it did. And I just wanted you to know that. I wanted you to know that I choose you.”
“Fuck,” he hissed, running a hand over his jaw.
It wasn’t quite the reaction I was expecting, and suddenly, the room started to grow small around me.
“Kaiden?”
“This isn’t… I mean, it’s not… didn’t you get my message?”
“Message, what—”
“Well, isn’t this adorable.” Her voice was like nails across a blackboard, making me shudder.
“Lindsey, this doesn’t concern you,” I said, meeting her smug gaze. “Please don’t make a scene.”
“A scene. Why on Earth would I make a scene when you’re clearly hitting onmydate.”
“W-what?” I jerked back as if she’d slapped me.
“Kaiden didn’t tell you?” She smirked, sliding her perfectly manicured hand up his arm and wrapping it around his bicep as if she owned him. “We came to the dance together.”
My stomach plummeted into my toes.
No.
No!
It was a joke.
She was joking.
He would never come to the dance with Lindsey. He knew who she was to me, what she’d done to me.
Except when I looked at him for confirmation that this was some kind of a sick joke, all I saw there was blistering regret.
“Kaiden, what is she talking about?”
