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“I don’t know. I think there’s something to finding that person who’s just right for you.” Scarlett’s stomach tightened, thoughts of Elijah returning. “Don’t you think it would be nice to wake up and know you have someone who would do anything for you?”
Her friend gave her a pointed look. “That’s what friendships are for—what family is for. Remember? You were so heartbroken over Jeff in high school that you swore a guy could never give you anything you couldn’t get for yourself. And your life turned out pretty great.” Annabel’s eyes shifted back to those dancing. “Relationships are just about heartache. After watching what my brother went through—what those women my brother dates go through—I think you’ve been right this whole time.”
“I think I was wrong,” Scarlett murmured.
Annabel glanced back at her. “What?”
“I think I was wrong,” she said louder. “I can’t explain it, but there’s a reason we’re drawn to relationships. One day your brothers are going to have a family all their own. One day I’m going to want it. And then where would that leave you?”
There was a hardness to Annabel’s gaze after that. She shook her head and put her glass down on a nearby table. “No. I won’t accept that. We aren’t defined by the people in our lives. If we can’t find happiness on our own, then we’ve failed ourselves.”
Everything she said sounded exactly like what Scarlett used to say when she was younger. Elijah was right. She’d done Annabel a disservice. There would be no convincing her to change her mind. Scarlett wouldn’t have been able to be convinced if not for her mother’s death.
Then Annabel smiled. “Come on and dance with me. Let’s show these people that you don’t have to be in love to be happy.”
Just as she was about to drag Scarlett into the fray, someone Scarlett didn’t recognize tapped Annabel on the shoulder. “Dance with me?”
Annabel glanced from the man to Scarlett and back again. “Actually, we were just—”
“She’d love to.” Scarlett turned her around and pushed her toward the guy. When Annabel shot a dark look in her direction, Scarlett laughed. “Let loose. Have some fun. It’s not like this is a date or anything.” She watched a very unhappy Annabel get dragged away and laughed again. Maybe all she needed was a few opportunities to see that finding love wasn’t all bad.
The couple was swept up with the others, disappearing all too quickly. As if that thought alone was enough, her eyes connected with Elijah’s across the room. She wasn’t sure how long he’d been here. As far as she knew, he hadn’t planned on coming. Elijah’s gaze darted away, and he managed to disappear into a group of people. Her stomach flipped and her breath hitched in her chest. She’d managed to avoid him all week, but speaking to him here might be inevitable. She needed to get some fresh air—maybe find a hiding place until the end of the song.
“Looks like we can finally have that dance.” Lucas’s warm breath grazed her ear, causing Scarlett to jump. She glanced up at Lucas. At least he wasn’t a threat. Her ambivalence toward him might be just the saving grace she needed so she could keep her distance from Elijah.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Elijah again. The heat of the room swirled around her. He was coming closer. She needed to act quick. “You know what? I’d love—”
Elijah’s hand slipped around her upper arm, forcing her to turn away from Lucas, much to his displeasure. “You can sweep her off her feet later, Lucas. I need to speak to her,” he called over his shoulder as he wheeled Scarlett toward the door that led to a balcony.
The cool air hit her like a splash of ice water. Immediately the heat in her face dissipated, though now it radiated from where Elijah was holding her. They didn’t stop walking until they reached the far side where they could be alone.
Scarlett glanced backward, expecting Lucas to follow them, but he didn’t. The second they stopped, she yanked her hand from Elijah’s grasp. “What was that?”
“You shouldn’t go out with him.”
Her head reared back. “Did Annabel say something?”
“No. But that shouldn’t matter. You shouldn’t go out with him because he doesn’t care about you.”
“What if that’s what I want?” The words slipped from her lips before she had a chance to give them a second thought. Based on the look Elijah shot back, she knew she’d been caught.
“You said you wanted something serious.”
She snapped her mouth shut.
“Lucas isn’t going to give that to you.”
Scarlett stared at him blankly. This had to be one of the weirdest events in the last few weeks—aside from actually kissing him. “I don’t know why we’re having this conversation. I’m not even here with Lucas. I came with Annabel.”
“You don’t have to lie to me. I know you made a deal with him.” Elijah was exasperated. His dark eyes searched hers as if he could read her thoughts. She wanted to look away with every ounce of her being, but all she could do was stare back.
He was right. She’d made that deal, but not for the reasons he’d thought. She’d realized on her own that Lucas wasn’t the one she was interested in. Admitting to such a thing would only make things worse.
Elijah’s brows furrowed—probably because she didn’t argue with him. He inched closer to her, and she held her breath. They were close enough that she could smell his cologne, feel the heat radiating off him. All the sensations and memories of their first stolen kiss came rushing to the surface, and at this moment, the only thing she wanted to do was take his face in her hands so she could do it again.
His eyes dipped lower, and his left hand grazed her arm. Scarlett shivered, releasing the air that had been trapped in her lungs. This was it. If he kissed her, then she’d know it wasn’t just her. Perhaps she’d been reading the signs all wrong. What if Elijah was looking at her in the same way she saw him?
Someone laughed loudly a few feet behind Elijah. He blinked, then tore himself away from her. His voice lowered to a growl and he spun away from her. “You don’t know what you’re doing.” His hands tightened on the railing of the balcony, and he heaved a sigh. “You can’t just toy with people, Scarlett. You can’t make promises and then walk away.”
