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“I could drop you off. Your place is on the way to mine.”
“Thanks but no thanks. I’m better off taking a taxi.”
“I insist. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”
“You’re pushing it.” She says with a suspicious glare.
“Please.”
“No, thanks. I’ll be fine really. Thanks for the offer though, I really do appreciate it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Definitely.”
She picks up her jacket and slips it back on before she grabs her purse. She turns to leave but I find myself grabbing onto her wrist to stop her. “Urm…” I stutter and rub the back of my neck awkwardly.
She tilts her head to the side with a questioning look. “Yes?”
“I might be pushing my luck but if it’s not too much. Can I treat you to dinner sometime? I think I need someone to talk to as much as you do. Maybe we could help each other out?”
That sounded like a loaded line to my ears. She doesn’t respond verbally to my offer and she doesn’t reject it either. I’ll never understand why I asked her to dinner. But what’s the worst that could happen?
She exudes a genuine smile. The kind of smile that lights up her face completely, and suddenly, I’m struck by a wave of emotions; love, relief, hope, joy and happiness. All swirling inside my chest, threatening to overflow any second.
“I’ll think about it.” She responds after a few seconds of silence. At least she didn’t give me a blatant NO. There’s hope after all.
Her heels clink against the pavement as she steps away from me, giving me one last look before opening the door and stepping outside while I sit there frozen in disbelief for a few minutes about what’s just happened.
Chapter16
Lily
Turns out saying no to a date with one of New York’s most eligible bachelors is a near impossible task, even for me. In my defense, Christie didn’t make it easy for me either. We’ve been going at it all day, with her giving me a million and one reasons why I should go out with Liam. Sometimes I wonder if she has my best interests at heart.
“The guy’s a flirt. He’s no good, no different from all my exes.” I argue, time and time again but she won’t hear of it. Her stubbornness and insistence has me wanting to strangle her.
“It’s wrong to judge a book by the cover,” she says, and before I could argue any further, she goes off on a tangent. So now here I am, standing in front of the mirror, my hair in an elegant chignon, wearing a strapless black dress that shows off just enough cleavage and curves without looking slutty. The bodice isn’t too low, not too tight or too loose, but just right. An emerald necklace with diamonds hangs around my neck, which matches my emerald earrings and eyes. I do have to admit, I clean up well. “You look beautiful honey.” Christie says from behind me, placing her hands on my shoulder and leaning down to kiss my cheek. I flinch in response, turning to give her a withering glare.
“No, I don’t. I look like I’m trying way too hard.” I object even though we both know that’s a lie.
“Seriously? Look at how well your jewelry compliments your eyes. I’m pretty sure Liam will be drooling over you the second he sees you, and if he doesn’t, then he’s crazy.” She teases, making me smile a little.
“Whatever,” I mumble as I roll my eyes. “I’m still not sure about this.”
“Oh come on. We’re past that already. I mean, what could go wrong?”
“Everything.” I mutter and cross my arms over my chest.
“Now you’re just being difficult.
The doorbell rings and my heart skips several beats at the same time, causing my palms to sweat. A wave of nervous energy washes over me, and even though I tell myself I don’t care what happens tonight, I can’t help but wonder what Liam will think when he sees me.
“That must be him,” Christie says as I let out a shaky breath of air, trying to calm the sudden surge of panic rising in my stomach. She dashes out of the bedroom and comes back moments later with a wide grin plastered across her face. “It’s him! It’s him! It’s him!” She chants in excitement, her words coming out jumbled due to how much she’s shaking.
“What are you freaking out for? Just go open the door for god’s sake!” I holler, walking past her into the living room. The doorbell rings again and a knock reverberates through the house, my pulse picking up its tempo at the prospect of finally seeing him.
As I approach the door and peek through the peephole, my nerves are instantly replaced by butterflies. I blink several times, taking a moment to gather my thoughts and calm down. It seems like hours pass before I manage to compose myself enough to open the door, the sound of my own breathing echoing loudly inside my head.
