AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Actually, he does. From his perfectly style blond hair to the crisp white shirt beneath a custom black tux, he looks like he could be an expensive model.
“What I meant to say is that you look handsome,” I correct, feeling foolish.
“Thanks.” He extends the glass of alcohol. “I thought you might want something to dull the pain. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.”
“Oh.” I glance at the delicate flute. “Thank you.”
Under normal circumstances, I don’t drink. That’s not to say I’ve never had a beer or two at a party, but I’ve found that it’s far safer to stay sober and keep my wits about me. Especially when running with this crowd.
But…Jasper makes a good point.
It’s going to be a long night, and taking some of the edge off wouldn’t do any harm. One visual sweep of the room shows that most of my classmates have flutes or tumblers in hand. This might be a school function, but none of the adults seem to care.
Some of my wariness dissipates as my fingers wrap around the fragile stem and bring the rim to my lips for a taste.
Mom’s right.
It’s delicious.
The effervescent liquid slides smoothly down my throat.
Jasper takes a healthy swallow of his liquor. “Where’s your mom?”
Still chatting with Pembroke and his parents.
A kernel of fear blooms in my belly as I remind myself that the two work together and there’s nothing odd about them engaging in conversation. No one is going to look at them and realize they’re having an affair, even though I feel like there’s a neon sign flashing over their heads.
Shifting his body, he leans closer. “Did you tell her what happened?”
My heart stutters a couple of beats. “No.”
His eyes sharpen. “She doesn’t know that we’re broken up?”
I shake my head, wondering why it would matter. In a couple of hours, the charade will be over.
There’s a moment of silence before he clears his throat. “Is there any chance you’ll change your mind?”
Just as he asks the question, Austin snags my attention from across the space. He’s here with his mother and sister. This is one of the few times I’ve seen Mrs. Hawthorne since the funeral. The brittle smile plastered across her face tells me that she’s trying to be strong and doesn’t want to be here. I recognize it because I’ve forced the same smile to my lips hundreds of times. When my attention returns to Austin, I find his stare already fixated on me. A shiver of desire dances down my spine as our gazes cling.
He’s ridiculously handsome in his tux.
The magnetic pull I feel is so intense that I have to stop myself from swallowing up the distance between us.
After this evening, I’ll be free to do whatever I want. I can finally stop holding myself back from the person I truly want to be with. That’s been the hardest part of this week.
“Delilah?”
I give myself a quick mental shake and refocus on the boy at my side.
“Sorry,” I mutter, heat stinging my cheeks. “No, there’s not.”
Jasper spears a look in the same direction and finds the person who has captured my attention. My fingers bite into the delicate stem of the flute as I steel myself for his reaction. Even though he’s done a complete one eighty this week, I can’t help but expect something small and innocuous to shove him over the edge.
With a shrug, he flashes a smile. “You can’t blame me for trying.”
That’s all it takes for the tension filling me to dissolve. “I really do hope we can remain friends.”
His smile widens as he opens his arms. “How about one last hug?”
