Chapter 27
TWENTY-SEVEN
Sometimes you have to do like Elsa and let it go. Forgiveness is the key to happiness. Plus, stress gives you wrinkles.
The night of Adam’s scholarship banquet, I get ready at my apartment with Dakota and Ginny.
“How’s it look?” I ask Dakota.
Ginny has a hand at my chin and gently corrects. “Keep looking forward. I’m almost done.”
It’s killing me not to see what she’s doing to me. Not that I doubt her. Ginny’s a genius with a makeup brush.
She adds another layer of mascara and then holds two tubes of lipstick up to my face. “Dramarama or Candy Yum-Yum?”
“Dramarama,” Dakota answers.
My eyes go wide at the bright red she uncaps and starts dabbing on my lips. “It’s not too much?” I ask.
“Hold still.” Ginny smiles as she coats my mouth and then leans back, taking in the full effect. “You look amazing. My best work yet.” She looks to the bed where Dakota is sitting. “Dakota, confirm?”
My roommate’s jaw is slack, and brows raised. My stomach drops. I’m already so freaking nervous, and the shocked expression on her face is not helping.
“Honey, you look…” Dakota still can’t seem to find the words.
I wave her off, giving her an out, so she doesn’t have to finish that statement. “I told you two I can’t pull off a smoky eye. I always end up looking like a high-price escort.”
I swivel in my seat to look in the mirror at the same time she says, “Beautiful. And I don’t think I’ve ever called someone beautiful before. Like legit, I’m stunned.” She points to her face. “I can’t move my eyebrows down. They’re stuck like this forever.”
Ginny claps. “Yay! My brother’s going to lose his shit.”
I hardly recognize myself, and holy crap, somehow, I’m even more nervous. The alarm on my phone goes off, which means it’s go time.
We head over to the guys’ place. Maverick is the first to see me. He drops the controller in his hand onto his lap. “Woah, Reagan sweetheart, I think you just became the starring role in my dream later.”
“Hot, right?” Ginny asks as she sits next to Heath on the couch. He gives me a thumbs up.
“So hot,” Mav mutters and keeps staring. “You’re a rocket.”
Adam walks out, adjusting his tie. I think he tells Maverick to fuck off, but I’m too busy ogling my handsome boyfriend in a suit and tie.
“Hey.” His gaze finally lands on me and drops slowly. “Fucking hell.”
I bask in his attention, even twirling so he can get the full effect of the dress. It’s long, black, and so tight I’m probably not going to be able to take a full breath all night. Totally worth the look he’s giving me right now.
“You two are adorbs,” Ginny says. “Let me get a picture before you leave.”
“This isn’t prom,” Adam protests, but he wraps an arm around my waist and holds still while his sister takes a dozen photos. But when she suggests we go outside to get a few more, he guides me toward the front door. “Okay, that’s enough. We have to go.”
As soon as we step outside alone, Adam pins me against the building, and his mouth slams down onto mine. He sucks the remaining air from my lungs, but who needs to breathe anyway? Dying kissing this man wouldn’t be a bad way to go.
“Sorry.” He pulls back and adjusts his jacket. “Needed to get that out of the way. You look beautiful. Mav’s right. You’re a fucking rocket.”
“You too.” I run a hand along his chest and kiss him again quickly.
Grinning, he tucks his hair behind an ear. “Ready to do this?”
By the time we make it to the banquet (there are several more stops for kissing), the room is packed. Adam stops in the doorway and takes a deep breath. He hasn’t mentioned the speech, but I know he must be nervous.
“You’re going to be great,” I assure him.
He brings our joined hands to his lips, and we walk in together.
Round tables are covered in white tablecloths. A single candle in a faux crystal holder sits in the center of each, water glasses are turned upside down at each place setting, and black napkins rolled up with shiny silverware gleaning out the top. Simple elegance, but not too flashy.
A low hum falls over the room as people talk.
Groups stand mostly near the bar area set up near the far wall.
Some guests are already sitting at the tables.
There are a lot of other students here tonight with their families, which I wasn’t expecting, but Adam tells me it’s because they’re recognizing scholarship recipients for the premed program too.
Much like the mixer weeks ago, we’re swept up in conversation from the moment we have drinks in our hands. Professors and scholarship committee members want to offer their congratulations and best wishes.
Adam takes it all in stride, thanking people, answering their questions, and attentively bringing me into the fold by introducing me and talking up the show next weekend.
We’re chatting with a woman who I think is a professor. I’ve sort of lost track of all the names and titles. She’s asking me about my part in the play when Adam leans in and whispers that he’s going to get us another drink.
“Be right back,” he says loud enough to excuse himself from the conversation.
“It sounds wonderful,” she says. “I can’t wait to see it.” She gives me a friendly smile. “I won’t keep you talking to the old people. Go have fun. It was great to meet you, Reagan. Tell Adam good luck tonight, and you break a leg next week, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”
As she walks off, I sip the last of my wine and look around. Adam’s at the bar. One hand in his pants pocket, waiting for his drink. He’s so devastatingly handsome. I’ve completely fallen for him. The real him. Not the guy I built up in my mind over the years.
The one I’ve gotten to know this past month.
The one who likes to wake me up every morning by squeezing my butt, and who owns more hairbrushes than any one person should (seriously, one in his Jeep, one in his backpack, one in his hockey bag, several stashed in his room and bathroom), and the generous and sweet man who makes the world my stage.
Someone grabs my arm, and I tear my gaze away from Adam to find Janine at my side. “Can I talk to you?”
I’d almost forgotten Janine and Sean would be here. Or maybe I was just hoping they wouldn’t show. Seeing her brings back too many bad memories.
“Hi. You look great, Janine.”
“Thanks,” she quickly dismisses the compliment. “Lori—”
I groan. “Can’t you give it a rest? Just for tonight? I don’t want to get into this with you again. Not here.”
I take a step, but she walks with me. “Reagan, please, you need to hear this. Lori—”
“Stop it, Janine.” I keep my voice low, but I’m fuming. “I don’t need to hear anything. I will not be dragged back into the past. Especially tonight.”
“But—”
I shake my head and brush past her to meet Adam halfway.
I press up on my toes and kiss him, trying to erase all the hurt that Janine is so insistent on bringing back up.
Why can’t she just let it go? It’s almost as if she wants to keep hurting me by bringing up the past. But the Janine I knew wasn’t vindictive. What gives?
“What was that for?” he asks.
“I...” My heart hammers in my chest. I am so in love with him. I want to tell him. I want to tell the whole world, sing it while skipping down the street and twirling—all of which he’d probably find wildly amusing. For now, I settle for another truth. “I’m really glad that I’m here with you.”
His gaze roams over my face as his lips slowly pull up. “I’m glad too. Dance with me.”
“No one is dancing.” I scan the room to validate my claim. Light music is playing, but there’s no dance floor.
“So?”
I still hesitate. A server carrying a large tray nearly hits me with it as she passes by. She mumbles an apology, and Adam tugs me toward a small area of the room that’s cleared of tables.
His arms go around my back, and he brings our bodies close together. “You’re in this gorgeous dress, and I want to dance with you.”
More servers are bringing pitchers of water to the tables, and people are starting to take their seats.
“Looks like dinner is about to start,” I say. “Maybe we should take our seats.”
“In a minute. I’m enjoying this.” He hums lightly as he continues to move us to the beat of the music.
“How come your parents didn’t come?” I ask as I lean my head on his chest and close my eyes, letting myself relax into him. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than in his arms.
“Eh.”
“You did invite them, right?”
“Nah, I wanted to spend tonight just with you.”
I glance up at him. His hazel eyes are impassive. “Adam, your family would want to be here for this.”
“If I get the scholarship. Otherwise, it would have been a long drive for nothing.”
“They would have wanted to be here to support you regardless.”
He shrugs. “This is more fun with just you.”
I have a sliver of concern that he didn’t invite them because he didn’t want to introduce me to his parents. I’ve met them before in passing, but never as his girlfriend. Maybe we aren’t at that point yet?
When the song ends, his embrace loosens, and reluctantly we pull apart. He takes my hand. I’m still dreamily leaning into him and living in our happy little bubble, when Adam says, “Dr. Salco.”
A pair of reading glasses hang from her beaded necklace. “Speeches will begin right after dinner. Janine first, then you.”
I feel him stiffen next to me, and I squeeze his fingers.
“I’m glad you could be here tonight, Reagan,” Dr. Salco says.
“Me too.” I look back to him. His nervous gaze meets mine and softens. “He’s going to be great.”
“You picked a good one,” Dr. Salco tells him. “I’m so glad you’ll have such a supportive fiancée while finishing school.” She smiles. “Or maybe wife? When is the wedding?”
It takes me way longer than it should to realize she means Adam’s and my wedding.
“Oh.” I glance to Adam for help.
He clears his throat. “We haven’t really discussed that.”