Be My Forever

Chapter 12

“Ouch!” I yelped as Jasmine yanked at my hair.

“Sorry,” she muttered.

We had been at it for hours. I enjoyed taking care of myself to a certain extent, for a student with a limited amount of time, that is. But scrubbing, shaving, and then doing hair and makeup was a lot. I also didn’t enjoy being tortured by Jasmine. Except that she was way better at doing hair than I was. She had been able to mostly tame my unruly curls and create a hairdo that looked stylish. Now most of my hair was in an elaborate bun, with just a few strands hanging loose around my face. When she was finally done with my hair, Jasmine grabbed her makeup pouch. When she plucked some hairs from my eyebrows, I yelped again.

“This is getting ridiculous! I should’ve said no to the wedding if I knew this was the kind of torture you would put me through.”

Jasmine pulled back, arms crossed. “Then why didn’t you? You knew exactly what I would do to you.”

I glared at my best friend; she just glared back.

“So?” she asked again.

“You know why,” I mumbled, ready to drop the subject.

“I really don’t,” Jasmine said, a knowing smile on her pretty face. “So please, enlighten me.”

Part of me wanted to call her names. On the other hand, Jasmine had gone out of her way to go dress shopping with me. She even had given up on sleeping in today to help me get ready. The least I could do was take the jab like a grown-up. Especially since we hadn’t talked about it. Jasmine had jumped with me when I told her that Danté had asked me to be his plus one, without pushing it further. I guess now would be the time to finally talk about it. I inhaled deeply, nestling back in my chair.

“I couldn’t say no. You know how much I like him.”

“Does that mean you’ll finally get your head out of your ass and ask the guy out?”

Was I so afraid of committing that the mere idea of saying to Danté how I felt gave me nausea? Or was it the fear of being rejected? I pushed the panic aside. It would come back later anyway. For now, I just wanted to enjoy the day Danté and I would spend together. I could look back at the grey clouds in my sky later.

“If things go well today, I will.”

“Promise?”

I swallowed. I wasn’t one to break promises, so I hesitated. The problem was that I could still feel the clock ticking in the back of my mind. I wouldn’t have much more time.

“I promise.”

An hour later, I looked like I stepped straight out of a magazine for brides and bridesmaids. Jasmine had done wonders to my face. I hated having a full face of foundation and the whole rigamajig. Not because it looked bad per se, but I never found that a lot of makeup suited me. I never recognized myself. I enjoyed having a long, thick cat wing and my lips in a bold red, which were not really the best style for a wedding. So instead of layering the foundation and powder, Jasmine had just put a bit of concealer under my eyes to brighten up my complexion. The soft champagne-coloured highlighter that she had added was also gorgeous. My lips matched the cinnamon rose of my dress. Even my eyeliner was thinner than what I usually did.

Dress shopping had been rather chaotic. I had never been to a wedding, so I had no clue what I was supposed to wear. I had wanted to find a long dress, but it had to be simple enough so I wouldn’t be mistaken as a bridesmaid. That would’ve been rather awkward, especially since I probably wouldn’t know anyone at the party except for my date. All hope seemed lost until we saw her . A beautiful cinnamon rose, asymmetrical chiffon dress with just a tad bit of ruffle. It looked as if the dress came straight out of a vintage prom night, and both Jasmine and I had agreed that it was perfect.

“Should I take a picture? I feel like a proud mom.”

I gagged at the idea.

“I’d rather die.”

There was a loud knock on our front door, and Jasmine actually squealed from excitement. How was it that she was even more hyped than I was? She ran out of my room to open the door while I grabbed my black velvet pumps. I quickly put them on and did a few steps inside my room to adjust to the ten-centimetre high heels before walking to the door. Danté and Jasmine were talking in the living room. Both turned their heads when they heard my heels click against the floor.

“There she is!” Jasmine exclaimed. “She looks like a dream, doesn’t she?”

I bit back a sigh, just ignoring her. When I looked at Danté, he was smiling softly. The way he looked at me made my heart do a few flips.

“She does,” he agreed.

Heat crept up my cheeks, and if his ever-growing smile indicated anything, the red cheeks didn’t go unnoticed. Danté was wearing a black tuxedo that hugged his body perfectly. There was even a black bow tie around his neck. He had always been handsome to me, but now he looked ravishing.

“You clean up rather nicely yourself.”

The only thing I would change was his hair that was slicked back. It made him look like Jack Dawson in Titanic, but I preferred him when he was just Danté.

“Are you ready?”

I took my jacket and purse off the hook. Well, there we go.

“Yes.”

He offered me his arm, which I gladly took. Jasmine raised her eyebrows in a suggestive manner, and I just waved at her before going out. She would grill me later tonight to know how things went. I just hoped I’d have juicy details to share with her.

Danté took rather big strides, and I had to almost jog to keep up. There was a noticeable height difference between the both of us, and with high heels, it would be even harder to keep up.

“Can we slow down a bit? My shoes are rather uncomfortable.”

He flashed me a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”

He slowed down so much as if he were walking with a granny, but that was the pace I would have all day.

“Why did you take those if they’re uncomfortable?”

Ah, men. They didn’t understand how much pain we could inflict upon ourselves to look the way we sometimes do.

“I wouldn’t look half as elegant if I had put on something else.”

“I can’t disagree with you on that one.”

Ever the gentleman, Danté opened the door of the passenger seat and even helped me get in. Once seated in the car, I discarded my shoes. We drove in silence for a few minutes. Not one to like silence, I touched the screen of his dashboard to put some music on. Danté shot me a wary glance that I didn’t understand. Since he didn’t comment, I left it at that. Several sounds with a slow and steady beat played. They all had the same vibe, and none of those songs were metal, unlike Danté’s usual music taste. Then came “The Death of Peace of Mind”, and I turned up the volume. That song was so good, and so sexy.

“Damn, those are all very intense sounds you’re listening to.”

“It’s my sex playlist.”

I choked on my saliva. No wonder he had been so jumpy when I turned on the radio.

“You have a sex playlist?!” I yelled, unable to control my shock.

At least he had the decency to blush. I felt myself grow red as well.

“Of course, you have!” I scoffed.

“You don’t?”

I shrugged. Our tastes were so different.

“Having sex to Taylor Swift isn’t really something I ever considered. Plus, I don’t need music to get in the mood.”

The idea alone to get undressed to Love Story made me giggle. Danté let out an overdramatic gasp.

“Are you saying I need music to get in the mood?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

Though I wished I did. As the music got more intense, images of him in a dark room, with messy hair and no clothes on, kept flashing before my eyes. I had to do something to keep them at bay.

“Do you keep the same playlist for all the different kinds of girls?” I blurted out.

“Mostly,” he answered, eyes on the road.

Jealousy roiled in my stomach. It was bad, I knew that. Yet I never stopped wondering how Danté brought home so many girls, all different looking, and still I had never caught his eye. Especially since he was always on my mind.

“So, how many girls has this song seen?”

“None. I just added it.”

A weird feeling of relief cooled down the green jealousy in me. I looked out of the window as I felt a smile creep up my face.

“Perfect. Keep it that way.”

“May I at least ask why?”

“I love that song. So now you’ll only think of me while listening to it.”

Danté laughed, and it made goosebumps erupt over my arms and legs. The sound of his laughter was low and addictive, and I wanted him to laugh more. With me.

“Possessive much?”

Touché. Maybe it was stupid to want something that was just ours. Without the idea of it being stained by someone who had been able to make him see stars, unlike me.

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

“It’s still a sex playlist.”

One he intended on using again, was what he meant.

“Want me to remove it?”

He shook his head. “Leave it.”

“You sure? I wouldn’t want you to get blue balls.”

It would be rather funny if I was the reason he got blue balls. At least, with someone else. Not that I was even in the picture, but that would be a huge blow to my ego. And self-esteem. And everything in between.

“I am sure you wouldn’t.”

The sarcasm dripped from his voice. I took the phone and opened the app. Danté’s hand twitched towards me. I probably should’ve asked for his permission before unlocking his phone as if I had any right to do so. I waited, but he put his hand back on the steering wheel. I looked at the songs that were in that damned playlist. Who the hell calls a sex playlist “vibin’”? Most of them were very, well, hot. And I wouldn’t mind doing it with that music in the background. I snickered when I put his phone back.

Danté shot me a worried glance. “What did you do?”

“Nothing.”

The only reason he didn’t take back his phone to check what I had done was because of the traffic. His eyes regularly drifted towards his device, his fingers tapping against the wheel. When we finally arrived at a red light, he unlocked his iPhone. I saw him search until his head fell back from laughing. The sound sent a jolt of joy through my system.

“Are you serious?” he asked, handing me back the phone instead of putting it back down.

“Very much so.”

“The horizontal lambada – Squirrel’s version.”

“It’s just what you need to put you in the mood, isn’t it?” I asked, poking him in the shoulder.

“Or to get me out of it.”

I grinned at him, and Danté flashed me his dimples. I took a selfie of me blowing a kiss at the camera and made it the picture of the new playlist. My antics made him snort.

“You are one peculiar girl.”

“You wouldn’t like me half as much if I wasn’t.”

After all, I was his dorky neighbour. I had to live up to the reputation.

Danté gave me a satisfied nod. “Very true.”

I bit my lip to keep from squealing like a schoolgirl. When I glanced at Danté, his gaze was so filled with joy that I let go of the pretence. This was going to be a wonderful day.

***

The bride and groom were still at the photoshoot when we arrived at the venue. Danté helped me get out of the car. I felt like a newborn foal on wonky legs with my high heels. I wasn’t sure if Danté had noticed how uncomfortable my shoes were, but even once I got my stability back, he kept holding my arm. Needless to say, I enjoyed every second of it.

I thought the wedding would be something rather small, as the couple was around the same age as Danté. Instead, the rest of the wedding took place in a large, fancy festivities room decorated with white roses and forget-me-nots, and a huge buffet that could feed an army. My eyes immediately fell on the whole dessert table. There was a towering cake covered in white and baby blue icing that they would probably have to cut together. It was the cupcakes that took the cake. Bad pun intended.

“Damn, they went all in.” I whistled in amazement.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to get married someday. That didn’t keep me from taking mental notes of how fancy this was. If one day I ended up tying the knot with the love of my life, if such a thing even existed, this would be the dream.

Danté laughed quietly. “Jamie’s family is quite rich.”

“That makes sense.”

The place looked more like a ballroom; it was that big. The parts that caught my attention were the huge dancefloor and the circular bar. A hostess walked to us to ask our names. We followed her and sat at a round table near the dance floor. Even our name cards were fancy, thick cards with an elegant silver font.

I was behaving, if I do say so myself, minding my own business while waiting for the bartender to serve me my apple juice, when someone slid on the barstool next to mine.

“So, when are you going to tell him how you feel?” Alex asked in a too-laid-back tone that grated on my nerves. “Playing hard to get doesn’t really seem to work.”

I bit my lip to keep from lashing out. The audacity. I squinted at him. Breathe, Evy . I could tell him to fuck off in a polite way. I put on my customer smile.

“I don’t like you, so let’s not pretend like we’re friends.”

Alex choked on his drink, shaken by laughter. Had I looked like that when I had choked on my drink in front of Danté? Goddamn it.

“Wow,” he breathed.

Okay, mayyyybe I had gone too far. But just a little.

“It’s nothing personal,” I tried in a kinder voice. “Something about you makes me uncomfortable. You always look at people as if they have no secrets for you, and it feels invasive.”

He shook his head, still laughing. To my surprise, there was no judging edge to him. Alex accepted it like a gentleman. How curious.

“That’s fair. I didn’t mean to give you the impression that I want to invade your life and thoughts.”

“Alright.”

We both stayed silent for a bit. Silence with Danté felt comfortable at times. With Alex, I could almost taste the awkwardness. And maybe he had the answer I was looking for.

“Does he like me?”

Alex traced the rim of his glass with a slender finger, an eyebrow raised. There it was again, the impression that he knew me too well.

“I was wondering when you’d have the guts to ask.”

My foot tapped nervously against the floor. Should I wait for him to answer me, or just head back and leave it at that? Alex kept his heavy gaze on me until I felt like I would melt from embarrassment before he ended up shrugging.

“It’s not my place to answer for him, so you’ll have to man up and ask him for yourself. Just know that waiting for Danté to make the first move is not what will make him get the message.”

I hated how much Alex was right. I had waited for him to ask me out for years. Not because I believe that guys are the ones who need to make the first move. Hell! I would’ve asked him out if there hadn’t been a different girl in his bed every other day. But there was only so much a heart could take. So tonight had to be the night. I couldn’t hold back tonight. Because I wanted him to know that I wanted more, if that was something he wanted too.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”

Alex made an appreciative noise. There was an evil twinkle in his eyes. “So she has manners. I was wondering if you had any.”

I made a face but didn’t fight back. I deserved that. Instead, I bumped my shoulder with his. “I’ll accept that one.”

“And she can be humble. This must be my lucky night.”

I laughed. Maybe I had judged Alex wrong. Maybe there was a chance that I could like him.

“Don’t push your luck. At the next jab, I will stab you with a dessert fork.”

“May I at least know why the dessert fork is your chosen weapon?”

“I’d like to get to the dessert before having to commit a crime. I won’t get fancy food in prison.”

Alex let his head fall back, a long, dramatic sigh leaving him. “Why am I not surprised that you thought it through?”

I shrugged. “If you can’t be strong, you gotta be smart.”

The bartender gave me my drink, and I clinked my glass with Alex’s.

“Enjoy your evening, Evy.”

“Oh, I will.” I savoured every second of it, and I would hold on to the memories of tonight for a very long time. I gave Alex a smile. “Don’t bother me tonight.”

“Go for it, girl.”

***

Once the plates were all cleared, the lights dimmed. Danté took that as his cue to get up. He, Alex, and a few other guys went to the little stage, and a picture of what I could only assume was baby Jamie appeared on the wall. The crowd laughed at seeing the cute, chubby baby that he was. His friends all gave a little speech, all while the pictures kept coming. I found myself melting at one where he and Danté were still kids, seven years old at best, both smiling with missing teeth, trying to crawl out of an outdoor swimming pool. Once Alex was done talking, he gave Danté the mic.

“Hello, I am Danté. Most of you know me, but for those who don’t, Jamie and I have been best friends for over two decades. So it’s only fair that I come here to show his most embarrassing pictures, and give you a few juicy facts about our lover boy.”

The crowd laughed, and I found myself hanging on every word he said. Danté was a social person; he was also very good at capturing a crowd’s attention. He smiled at his best friend, then sighed dramatically.

“Where to start? Jamie has always been popular with girls. Ever since he was able to talk, he’s always been able to charm his way out of trouble, and to convince the girls in kindergarten to marry him. This charm was a skill that he honed as a teenager as well. So imagine my shock when he told me a few years ago that he met the one.”

The picture changed from a toddler version of Jamie giving flowers to a teacher to one of him and Sophie, probably when they started dating. They were sharing a milkshake in the booth of a café, as happy as can be. I glanced at the bride and groom. Jamie hid his mouth behind his hand, afraid of what would come, unlike Sophie who was cackling at her husband. After all, she was now living the best day of her life, so she had won the lottery. Danté leaned against the wall, one hand in the pocket of his tux pants, looking at the picture of the young couple.

“I’ll admit I was sceptical when he wanted to introduce us to Sophie. I thought it was just infatuation, until I met her. Then everything changed. It was the first time that I saw Jamie so happy and carefree, like he was finally complete.”

There were ooooh’s coming from the crowd, and now Sophie was tearing up. Jamie put an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple, ever so sweetly. Danté noticed, and his dimples appeared.

“Jamie, it’s an honour to be your best friend, and I wish you and Sophie all the best. You both deserve it. I love you.”

People applauded. This had been a lovely speech. Jamie wiped his eyes and gave his best friend a hug. It was also nice to see that none of them worried about hugging each other in front of so many people. Danté gave the mic to someone else before getting back to me.

“You are very good at this,” I said as he let himself fall back in his chair.

“Thanks.”

And when he looked at me with bubbling happiness in his eyes, a small part of me wondered if he would ever look at me the way Jamie looked at Sophie. How would it feel to know that you met the love of your life? I pushed the thought away. It was better to not think about that tonight. So I focused on the other speeches their friends and family gave. They were all just as kind and wonderful. Gosh, I loved weddings.

Sophie and Jamie opened the ball by slow dancing to “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. Maybe it was ridiculous, but I teared up at the scene in front of me. I had always been a sucker for happy endings. Danté noticed. For a second, I thought he would laugh at how silly I was. Instead, he laid my head on his shoulder, letting his hand rest on my waist as we watched the couple dance. He hummed along to the song, and my heart squeezed.

Once the first dance was over, I almost got an emotional whiplash when the music changed, only to be “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang. I quickly patted my eyes dry while people swarmed the dancefloor. Danté jumped up from his seat.

“Will you accept this dance?” he asked, offering me his hand.

My eyebrows shot up at the request. That was a part of him I had yet to discover. “Of course. I didn’t come all this way to sit at a table all night.”

I accepted his hand and followed him to the dancefloor.

“You could’ve sat at a table and looked at me all night.”

Which was exactly what I had been intending on doing until now. I winked at him as Danté took my hands.

“Now why would I do that if I can actually dance with you?”

The corners of his mouth twitched up while he rolled his eyes. “Smooth.”

I let Danté guide me, following his rhythm. It became clear quickly that the guy knew how to move, and if I hadn’t been falling for him already, his moves might have made me. He made me twirl.

“Look at you,” I crooned. “You're not half bad.”

Danté slightly pinched my forearm, rolling his eyes. “Just be honest and say that I am a good dancer. I know you’re thinking it.”

Was he wrong, though? No, not at all.

“Fine. You're a good dancer. But you know what that means then, don’t you?”

His face came awfully close to mine. I just hoped that the dimmed light would hide the flush on my face.

“That you’ll offer me a drink?” he asked playfully.

“That you’ll have to dance with me all night.”

“I think I'll survive. If you offer me a drink.”

“Fine. Let’s go.”

I followed Danté to the bar, where he asked for sparkling water with mint. Feeling a tad bit more fancy, I asked for another apple juice. If there was one night where I didn’t want alcohol to dampen my senses or my memories, it was tonight. Then we went outside. The cool air felt nice against my clammy skin.

“Why did you ask me to come?” I asked. “You surely had more than enough options?”

Not that I was complaining. If anything, I was grateful. It didn’t change the fact that it was weird for me to be his plus one at an event where no one knew me. Especially when Danté had plenty of girl friends. Danté cocked his head to the side, his hair finally getting messy again.

“Why would I want to do this with anyone else?” he asked, like it was obvious why I was his plus one.

“That’s what I’d like to know.”

His cheeks turned pink. One thing was clear: that wasn’t because of the cold.

I cocked an eyebrow. “Go on, tell me.”

“Fine. I had another date, but she injured her foot a while back. In the end, I’m glad that you are the one who came.”

That made so much more sense. There was no way that I would’ve been the first choice.

I gaped at him in fake shock. “So basically, I am your stand-in.”

Danté bumped his shoulder with mine in a playful manner. “If I have to be stuck at a wedding and show off my dance moves, I’d rather do that with you than with anyone else.”

That wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear, but it was better than nothing, I guess. The little voice inside my head urged me to ask who would’ve been his original plus one. For once, I ignored it. I may not have been the first choice, but I was here now. And all in all, we were having a marvellous time. That was good enough. It had to be. I pouted, and his eyes softened.

“You look stunning.”

Even if he had already said so earlier, his words still gave me a warm, tingling feeling. I found myself smiling, though I tried not to.

“You already told me so.”

“Now more than this morning.”

Was he drunk? I thought he was drinking sparkling water, but maybe it had been alcohol this whole time. I was positive that what he said wasn’t true. If anything, I was getting sweaty. And I hadn’t even checked to see if my makeup had smudged. I crossed my arms.

“How could that even be possible?” I muttered.

The skin around his eyes crinkled as his eyes turned into crescent moons. “A bit breathless and smiling at me is how.”

My skin turned hotter than a furnace. He wasn’t playing fair.

“You shouldn’t say that so lightly.”

“I didn’t mean it lightly.”

“Just so you know, I am a nightmare dressed like a daydream.”

We both laughed. He even got my references.

“Trust me, I was well aware.”

An older woman in a skirt and jacket waved at us before almost running towards Danté. “Danté, it’s lovely to see you.”

Danté took the woman in his arms, his touch as gentle as if he were touching glass. Seeing the endeared face of the woman, I knew I had been right. The grannies just loved Danté and his golden retriever energy and kindness.

“Hello, Agnes.”

“The wedding is wonderful, is it not?”

“It is,” he agreed, his hand still on her shoulder.

Her attention focused on my presence. “Who is this charming young lady?”

“Agnes, this is Evelyn. She is my date.”

Date . I forced my eyes to not widen as he knocked the air out of me. Danté had never used the word “date” to describe me. I was just his plus one. Plus two? His hand found the small of my back. Even if it felt like I had been overcharged, the physical contact grounded me. The movement didn’t go unnoticed by Agnes. She took my hand in hers and shook it; she could barely hide her curiosity and excitement.

“Nice to meet you, Evelyn. I am Jamie’s grandmother.”

No wonder Danté knew her. I tried to show her my most charming smile. For some reason, I wanted her to approve of me.

“Likewise.”

She turned back to Danté. “She is a stunner.”

“I keep telling her so, but she doesn’t believe me.”

This time my eyes almost fell out of their sockets. Danté noticed it and winked. The old lady chuckled.

“Good,” Agnes said.

Then she pinched his cheek, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone. Danté’s hand was still on my back as he led me back inside. My shoes started to really hurt. When I looked down, the back of my pumps had cut through the sensitive skin of my heel. Danté noticed it too.

“Please take them off. It’s hurting you.”

“But won’t it be weird if I am barefoot?”

“Want me to take off my shoes so you’re not alone?”

I giggled at the idea. “That won’t be necessary.”

As soon as I took them off, Danté took the shoes from my hands.

“I can carry them,” I tried.

He just shook his head. “So can I. Do you need some Band-Aids?”

“I’ll be fine as long as I don’t put them back on.”

“You’re sure?”

His concern was absolutely adorable. I knew Danté was a gentleman; there had never been a doubt. I just never realized how considerate he was about my well-being. It felt nice.

“Yes.”

And since I was his date, I slipped my arm around his, holding him closer. Danté smiled down at me, and for a second, it felt like it was just the two of us.

“Let’s dance?” I asked.

“I would love to.”

***

It was cold when we went inside the car. Little white clouds escaped our lips when we got in. Danté noticed me shivering and immediately gave me his jacket before turning on the heat. The jacket smelled like soap and just the tiniest amount of perfume. It smelled just like him.

Unlike when we were in the car earlier, Danté let the music play ever so softly. I let out a yawn as I looked at the passing lights. This whole day still felt so unreal.

“You can sleep if you want.”

“Don’t you need me to talk to you to keep you awake?”

He shook his head, fingers drumming on the wheel. “I’m often the driver when my friends and I go out. I’m used to driving in silence during the night.”

I wanted to talk to him, but I let out another yawn, then another one. I wouldn’t be able to keep up. Danté gently squeezed my knee.

“I’ll wake you up when we get home.”

I took out my earrings and nestled in my seat. It was to Danté’s soft humming that I fell asleep.

***

There was a weird pressure under my calves. At first, I batted it away, but the pressure kept coming back. That wasn’t just pressure; someone was touching me. My head jerked up, and my heart rate quickened. Danté loomed over me, his eyes wide, like he had been caught doing something illegal. His hand was still under my knee.

“What…” I started.

When I looked behind him, I could see where we were. My body immediately relaxed. I had been so fast asleep that I hadn’t even noticed that we were back at our parking lot. I must have been the most boring person to be with on a drive. My gaze fell back to his hand.

“What are you doing?”

Danté crouched, letting his elbow rest on my thigh. The bow around his throat was long gone, and the first few buttons of his shirt were now open. It was hard not to stare.

“I tried to carry you out of the car but you kept hitting me.”

My cheeks warmed up. “I’m awake. I can carry myself now.” I flailed my arms in front of his face.

Danté’s lips went up, but he made a sign for me to move.

I grabbed my shoes; I just never got to put them on.

“If you’re going to put them on even though your feet are now open wounds, you’d better let me carry you inside,” he said from where he was leaning against his car.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not that far.”

Except that when I put the pumps back on, even just a few meters and a few levels of stairs felt like a whole punishment. And I must have done a terrible job at hiding my wince, because the next thing I knew, Danté swept me in his arms.

“You can put me back down. I’ll survive.”

“So will I.”

We both sized each other up, waiting to see who would give up first. Danté’s face was too close to mine. His breath tickled my skin. Under the light of the lamp post in the middle of the night, the temptation to lean closer and kiss him was growing bigger. I gave up.

“Fine. Carry me home, peasant,” I ordered him.

Before I could understand what was happening, Danté’s body jerked, and his arms disappeared from under me. I let out a scream and nearly choked him before he caught me again. His chest shook from laughter, but I found myself unable to let him go.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty, I wouldn’t dare let you fall for real.”

My arms relaxed a bit around his neck. I smacked him on the back of his head.

“Don’t ever do that again.”

His evil grin turned sweet. Danté carried me to the back door of our building. Once we were inside, I let him put me down and took off my shoes. Being carried like a princess was nice. Seeing Danté puff after dragging me up several flights of stairs seemed a bit too cruel.

Once we stood back in front of our doors, the magic of the night dissipated a bit. I didn’t want it to end and pretend like this night hadn’t happened. I just didn’t know what to say. Danté beat me to it.

“Thank you for coming. It meant a lot.” He gave me back my shoes.

I stood on my toes and dropped a kiss on his cheek. “I had a wonderful night, so thank you.”

Danté’s eyebrows went up in surprise for half a second, but his smile returned full force. It was that dimpled smile I clung to when I closed my eyes and fell asleep.