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He crossed the floor in one step, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her. Deeply. Thoroughly.
He didn’t break the kiss until the elevator gently jolted to a stop and the door chimed open again.
“So that’s a yes?” she asked, looking up at him as he rested his forehead to hers. Somehow, the thumping of her heart seemed to drown out the sounds of the party still raging on the rooftop.
“That’s an I’m in San Diego for the next week and want to spend every one of those seven days with you,” he said, straightening. “It’s also a have you ever thought about moving to Australia?”
She laughed. “So a yes, then.”
“Definitely a—”
The elevator door started to close.
“Shit.” He threw his body in the way, grinning back at her.
She threaded her fingers through his and headed for the party. “Let’s go find Elisa and Zeta.”
It took her five minutes. Zeta was standing on a stool next to one of the bars set up for the party, scanning the crowd with squinted eyes, no doubt looking for her. When she saw Bria, she waved her hands frantically. The massive silk and wire monarch-butterfly wings she wore as part of her costume flapped about just as frantically behind her.
“There she is,” Bria said, tightening her grip on Owen’s hand as she made a beeline for her sister.
The crowd—a tad more inebriated than it had been the last time she’d passed through it—surged and pressed into them both. She shoved at people’s backs and sides, growing agitated. No wonder Elisa’s social anxiety was flaring up.
“Move your arses out of the way,” Owen suddenly growled, stepping past her, forging a clear path through the partygoers.
She smiled at him and then at Zeta as they arrived at the bar.
“Thank God.” Zeta leapt down to the ground, crashed-tackled her in a fierce hug, and let her go with equal ferocity. “I was beginning to freak out.” She flicked Owen a glance. “Sorry for interrupting.”
“No worries,” he said. “Family comes first.”
Bria’s chest tightened. He meant that. She could see it in his face and hear it in his voice.
“Where’s Lis?” she asked, taking Zeta’s hand.
“This way.” Zeta pivoted on her ballet-flats heel and slipped behind the grove of potted palms creating a green screen a few feet away.
Bria started to follow and then turned back to Owen. “You okay to wait a bit? Elisa struggles with anxiety, and I think the party has probably maxed her out, social wise.”
He nodded. “My brother’s battled anxiety and depression almost his whole life. I understand completely. Do what you need to do. I’m not going anywhere.”
She stepped back to him, went up on tiptoe, and kissed him quickly. “You are incredible, and I think I love you,” she whispered and then hightailed it after Zeta behind the palms.
Elisa looked up at her from where she sat on the floor, knees hugged to her chest, eyes wide and haunted. Her padded Very-Hungry-Caterpillar costume seemed to devour her. “I’m sorry, Bri,” she said, her words almost lost in the party’s din. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey hey hey.” Bria dropped to her knees in front of Elisa and smoothed her hands up Elisa’s shins. “Don’t you dare apologize. I dragged you here. I should be apologizing.”
Elisa shook her head, giving Bria a wobbly smile. “This was your comeback, sis. After what Simon did to you, and then finally getting off your crutches… This was your time to cut loose, and I messed it up.” She scrunched up her face and let out a sob as wobbly as her smile. “And I probably interrupted you and your hot Aussie from…you know…”
Bria flashed her a grin. “Nah. We got it happening more than once before Zet sent me the SOS text. In your room in fact.”
Elisa’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open. “Eww. Are you kidding?”
“Do I ever kid?”
“All the freaking time!”
Bria laughed. The sight of the smile on Elisa’s face made her heart sing. Worry still shone in her sister’s eyes, but nowhere near the same haunted grief as before.
