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My best friend, Rachel, tells me I’m wasting my time with Ian, but I can’t help it. I feel a connection with him, and I just wish he saw it.
Sawme.
“Are you having fun?” I glance around the ballroom, waving at a woman I vaguely recognize when we make eye contact. She returns the gesture before turning away.
“Yeah, it’s great.” Ian shoves his hands into his pants pockets, leaning back on his heels as he’s wont to do. “This is quite the production.”
“You know my parents. They never do anything small.”
“Like this dress?” He reaches out, rubbing the tulle fabric directly in front of my chest. My breasts. “Oops.” He realizes exactly where he’s touching me and yanks his hand away, his cheeks turning ruddy. “Sorry.”
I keep back what I really want to say, which is,I don’t mind.
Because I don’t mind. At all. At least it would be a small clue that he likes me as more than a friend if he were trying to cop a feel. Normally when Ian and I are together, he barely touches me.
Maybe this is a bad sign. Maybe I’m wasting my time with Ian. This isn’t the first instance when I’ve had this same exact thought.
That’s why I plan on confessing my feelings to him tonight. I’m tired of being confused. The not knowing is killing me.
I’m desperate to know where he stands.
“Pretty impressive entertainment tonight,” Ian muses, his gaze focused above us, where one of the aerialists my parents hired is currently swinging from a chandelier. She’s scantily clad, her pale, lithe body on full display as she contorts her arms and legs into what seem like impossible poses. She flips over, hanging upside down as she reaches out to me, a smile on her face.
“For the birthday girl,” she says, a perfect white rose clutched in her fingers.
“Thank you.” Smiling, I take it from her, bringing the flower to my nose and breathing in the delicate scent. When I glance over at Ian, I find him frowning at me, his usually bright-blue eyes dark and cloudy.
“I should’ve given you flowers. For your birthday,” he says.
“But I didn’t want any gifts.” My heart starts to race at what he just said. The sincere way he’s watching me. “The invitation said so.”
“It’s still your birthday, and a woman always likes flowers. That’s what my mom says, anyway.” He plucks the rose from my fingers, twirling it between his, the petals flaring out. “Are white roses your favorite now?”
“Are you tucking that information away for later?” I tease, trying to flirt.
He frowns, handing the flower back to me. “No. I thought you preferred pink.”
I take the rose from him, fighting disappointment. He didn’t respond to my flirting attempt, of course. He’s always so literal. It’s hard to tease him. He takes everything so seriously.
“I do prefer pink,” I say with a faint smile, trying to forge on. I can’t let anything deter me tonight. “But I like white too. I like all flowers.”
“Clearly.” He glances around the room, his expression serious. “They’re everywhere.”
“Thousands of them,” I admit, my voice soft. And they look gorgeous. My mother went all out—she’s the one behind the floral arrangements. My favorites are the giant hearts made of a variety of flowers and greenery.
“Scarlett, hey.” My cousin Crew’s fiancée suddenly appears in front of us, a big smile on her pretty face. “Happy birthday!”
We embrace and I squeeze her tight. Wren and Crew are a couple of years older than me, and I’ve loved getting to know her when she accompanies him to family functions. She’s sweet and smart and heavily into art, so she’s always got something interesting to say.
“Thank you,” I tell her before we withdraw, glancing over at Ian, who’s watching the both of us with a stoic expression. “Wren, this is Ian.”
“Hi.” She offers her hand and he shakes it. “Is he your boyfriend?” Her gaze shoots to mine questioningly.
My face grows hot, and I’m sure it’s bright red. “We’re?—”
“Just friends,” Ian supplies for me, offering Wren a grim smile before he lets go of her hand.
Everything inside of me deflates, and my shoulders slump. Even my smile falls, and I know Wren can see it. She smiles brightly, waving her hand at the stage, where one of those giant floral hearts is hanging as a backdrop.
