Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Xaiver
Iknew Izzy would look good tonight, but I wasn’t prepared for this. She’s standing in the middle of her living room, the soft glow of the lamp catching the deep red of her dress and making it shimmer like embers in a fire. And me? I’m a complete goner.
I manage to say wow like an idiot before my brain short-circuits completely.
Mia, of course, notices. “Oh my God, he’s doing the thing again.”
I blink, tearing my eyes away from Izzy long enough to glare at her. “What thing?”
“The thing where your brain malfunctions around Izzy,” Nolan deadpans.
I scowl. “That’s not a thing.”
Mia smirks. “Oh, it’s a thing.”
Izzy shakes her head, fighting back a grin as she turns to her dad.
He’s watching her with this look, a mix of pride and something deeper, something heavier.
And it hits me like a punch to the gut. She doesn’t have her mom here for this.
And for all she acts like it’s fine, like she doesn’t let it get to her, I know better.
So, yeah. I can suffer through a few hundred pictures if it means giving them this moment.
Her dad directs us like a professional photographer, calling out poses.
Some are serious, others ridiculous. Mia and Nolan are thriving, despite Nolan’s complaints.
He feels the same way about Izzy and Austin’s loss and will do everything in his power to make this the best night for both of them.
I’m still struggling to keep my head straight because every time I glance at Izzy, I feel like I’m seeing her for the first time.
And then, finally, it’s time to go. I open the limo door for her because my mom would murder me if I didn’t, and Izzy raises a brow at me like she wants to make fun of it but doesn’t. She slides in first, and I follow, sitting close enough that our arms brush.
“You okay?” I ask, keeping my voice low.
She looks up at me, her green eyes searching mine. For a second, I wonder whether she’ll lie. Instead, she nods. “Yeah. I think I am.”
I hold her gaze a moment longer because she’s not just saying that. She means it. Something in my chest loosens. If she’s okay, then maybe, just maybe, tonight is going to be the kind of night we won’t forget. And I’ll be damned if I don’t make sure of it.
By the time we pull up to the school, the energy in the limo is buzzing.
Mia is practically bouncing in her seat, Nolan is pretending he’s too cool to care but keeps checking his phone for updates on our plan, and Izzy is sitting next to me, unfairly gorgeous, completely unaware that I can’t stop looking at her.
I don’t think I’ve stopped since I saw her in that dress.
She catches me staring as we step out of the limo and smirks. “See something you like, Sweeney?”
I roll my shoulders, trying to act like she doesn’t have me completely wrecked. “Yeah, the free food is inside. Let’s go.”
She laughs, shaking her head as we head toward the gym.
The school really went all out this year. The gym is decked out with string lights and gold banners, and a massive “Midnight Masquerade” sign hangs over the DJ booth. Music is thumping through the speakers, and the dance floor is packed.
Mia grabs Nolan and drags him straight to the dance floor, while Izzy and I linger at the edge.
“Are you planning to stand here all night, or are you actually going to dance?” Izzy teases, tilting her head at me.
I smirk. “That depends. Are you asking me to dance, Jones?”
She rolls her eyes, but there’s amusement behind it. “Come on.”
She takes my hand without hesitation, like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and pulls me onto the floor. This is how it starts. One song turns into two. Two turns into five. And before I know it, we’re dancing like we’ve done this a hundred times.
Izzy isn’t the type to stand on the sidelines. She doesn’t shy away from anything, least of all this. She moves with confidence, her eyes bright, completely in the moment. And me? I can’t keep my hands off her.
I keep one at her waist, the other intertwined with hers as we move, her body close to mine, close enough to drive me insane.
I’ve always thought she was beautiful. I’ve always wanted her. But tonight, in this moment, she’s unstoppable. And I’m so screwed.
The dance floor lights flicker with gold and silver accents, the music pulses through the air, and the energy in the room is electric.
After all the dancing, Izzy and I go outside for some fresh air and come back into the gym together, laughing.
As we make our way through the crowd, my hand rests on the small of her back, and Izzy doesn’t try to move away.
We’ve already won our little victory in the sabotage department.
Lisa and Tara are scrambling, no longer the untouchable queens of the night.
Their coveted beauty appointments were pulled from under them by a well-timed bit of manipulation from Nolan and Mia.
Watching them stew is far more satisfying than I thought it would be.
Izzy’s glowing with the victory, too, but there’s something else in her eyes tonight. Confidence. It’s intoxicating.
“You look incredible, by the way,” I tell her, my voice low enough for only her to hear as we move through the crowd, the music crashing over us.
Her smile is small, but the way she tilts her head just a bit in that way she does? It drives me wild. "Thanks. You clean up pretty well yourself, Sweeney."
She moves through the crowd with a grace I can’t quite describe, effortlessly commanding the space around her. I keep my hand near hers, feeling the occasional brush of her fingers against mine. I try to ignore how the music's rhythm pulls us closer, the heat between us simmering in the air.
Mia and Nolan join us a few minutes later, and I can see they’re practically vibrating with excitement over their successful sabotage.
Tara and Lisa are still glaring from the edges of the dance floor, fuming under their breath and whispering to each other as they try to figure out what went wrong with their "perfect" night.
“Mission accomplished,” Nolan says, pulling me aside for a quick high five. “They’re going to be a mess for the rest of the night.”
“Perfect,” I mutter, already forgetting about them as Izzy’s laugh rings out, light and carefree, in response to something Mia said. I could get lost in that laugh forever.
As the night wears on, the energy only builds. The DJ changes the tempo, sending the crowd into an uproar. The anticipation for the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen is palpable.
I feel Izzy’s hand tighten in mine as the DJ announces over the mic, “It’s that time, ladies and gentlemen! The moment you’ve all been waiting for. The Homecoming King and Queen!”
The gym falls silent, every eye fixed on the stage. I glance down at Izzy, who’s standing a little straighter now, that usual spark in her eyes shifting to something deeper. She looks… nervous? But that’s crazy. She’s earned this. She deserves it.
“Izzy…” I start, voice barely above a whisper.
She turns her head slightly toward me, meeting my gaze, and the smile she gives me radiates confidence. “Don’t jinx it, Sweeney.”
I chuckle, squeezing her hand. "I'm not. I’m just… proud."
She looks at me, really looks at me, before her gaze returns to the stage.
The DJ grabs the mic again, drawing out the suspense. “And your Homecoming Queen is… Izabella Jones!”
The room erupts in cheers, the crowd’s excitement spilling over. Izzy freezes for a second, her lips parted, eyes wide with disbelief. But then, as if it’s instinct, her smile breaks across her face, and she steps forward, pulling me toward the stage.
My heart pounds in my chest, and for a moment, the world feels still as I stand beside her, watching the crown placed on her head. She glows under the bright lights, her beauty undeniable, but it’s something more. It’s her energy. It’s her strength. Izzy isn’t just stunning. She’s untouchable.
“And now,” the DJ continues, building the drama, “Your Homecoming King… Xavier Sweeney!”
The applause is deafening, but I can barely hear it over the sound of my pulse hammering in my ears.
I step forward beside her, and they place the crown on my head.
It’s another part of the ceremony, but it’s nothing compared to the way Izzy is looking at me right now.
There’s something in her eyes. Pride, admiration, and something deeper I can’t quite name, but it feels like everything.
Izzy leans in close as we stand at the center of the stage, the lights dimming around us. “Guess we both got what we wanted,” she says, her voice full of a mix of triumph and disbelief.
I lean into her, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and then, because I can’t help myself, I pull her into a slow kiss right here in front of everyone. The cheers are louder this time, but I barely notice.
All I can focus on is her.