Chapter 25 #2
I step closer and kiss him. My hand slides up to cup his jaw, pouring all my feelings into it—love, gratitude, and overwhelming emotion threatening to spill over.
“You’re perfect,” I tell him. “This is perfect. I don’t care about some fancy dinner, Jace. I care about you and that you’re trying so hard to make tonight special.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I say, smiling up at him. “Besides, I’d rather spend the night with you and my friends than sitting in some stuffy restaurant pretending I know the difference between a salad fork and a dessert fork.”
He grins, that cocky edge slipping back into his expression. “You don’t know the difference?”
“Not a clue,” I admit.
“Good,” he says. “Then we’re both fucked if we ever end up somewhere fancy.”
I laugh, and he takes my hand, guiding me toward the limo.
The driver, an older man in a black suit and cap, steps out and opens the door for us with a professional nod. “Good evening.”
“Thanks, man,” Jace says, and then he gestures for me to go first.
I carefully gather my dress and duck into the limo, the interior unfolding like something out of a movie. Soft leather seats line both sides, and LED lights glow along the edges in shifting colors. Sitting inside, already grinning at me, are Sam, Aubrey, Noah, and Reece.
“Finally!” Aubrey shouts, throwing her hands up. “We’ve been waiting forever.”
“It’s been five minutes,” Noah says.
“Five minutes too long,” Aubrey says. “I was about to come drag you out of the house myself.”
Jace climbs in behind me and settles beside me on the seat. He immediately drapes his arm across the back behind my shoulders. His fingers find my bare shoulder, tracing lazy patterns on my skin that make me shiver.
The driver closes the door, sealing us into the dim, luxurious space, and I take a moment to observe everyone.
Aubrey looks absolutely stunning. Her dress is emerald green, fitted through the bodice with a sweetheart neckline. The skirt flares out at the waist in layers of tulle that make her look part princess, part punk rock goddess. She’s paired it with a chunky pair of combat boots.
Sam looks mesmerizing. Her dress is a soft blush pink that beautifully contrasts her pale skin and vibrant red hair. The dress is simple yet elegant, with thin straps and a flowing skirt that drapes around her legs. She appears romantic, beautiful, and completely true to herself.
“You clean up nice, Cooper,” Reece teases, nodding at Jace. “Didn’t think you owned anything without holes in it.”
“Fuck off, Wilson,” Jace says, but there’s no heat in it. “At least I don’t look like a waiter.”
“That’s the point of a tux, jackass,” Reece fires back.
The limo pulls away from the curb, and the conversation flows smoothly. Aubrey shares a story about a disaster that happened at Noah’s house, complete with dramatic hand gestures and sound effects.
Reece and Sam are quiet. Sam’s hand rests on Reece’s knee, and he keeps leaning down to whisper things in her ear that make her smile and blush.
Jace stays mostly quiet. His thumb continues to brush against my shoulder in slow, absentminded strokes, and every now and then he leans down and whispers in my ear things that make me laugh or shiver or both.
“You doing okay?” he asks at one point, his voice quiet.
“Yeah,” I say, leaning into him. “This is perfect.”
“Good,” he says, and he presses a kiss to my temple. “Because if you’re not having fun, we can bail. Fuck prom. We’ll go get burgers or some shit.”
I laugh. “We’re not bailing on prom, Jace.”
“Just saying,” he says. “The option’s there.”
I shift my gaze towards him. He’s watching me with that intensity that still makes my stomach flip.
“I’m having fun,” I tell him. “I promise.”
“Yeah?” he says, and there’s something vulnerable in his voice—something that tells me he needed to hear that.
We go through the motions when we first arrive. Photos in front of the backdrop, names checked off a list, punch in plastic cups that tastes too sweet. It’s all background noise, really. The kind of stuff that happens at prom because it’s supposed to, not because it matters.
What matters is Jace’s hand in mine. The way he keeps pulling me closer every chance he gets. And how his eyes haven’t left me all night, except to glare at anyone who stares too long.
We’re at a table near the edge of the dance floor. Aubrey is sitting on Noah’s lap. Sam and Reece are lost in their own world, his fingers playing with the ends of her red hair.
The music is loud, with bass thumping through the floor, and the dance floor is packed with bodies moving under the colored lights.
I’m standing next to Jace, his arm around my waist, when I notice Nicole standing near the far wall alone.
Her arms are crossed over her chest, and she’s watching the crowd with an expression that appears indifferent but just seems empty.
Her dress is stunning, red, sleek, and expensive—the kind of thing that would’ve had everyone talking six months ago.
But now, people just walk past her without a second glance.
There’s no date, no friends around her. She is… alone.
I scan the room, searching for Tia and spot her on the other side of the dance floor. She’s also alone, leaning against the wall with her phone in her hand. Her white dress catches the light, shimmering with every slight movement, but it doesn’t matter. No one is looking at her either.
Something uncomfortable settles in my chest. Not quite pity but close to it. These girls ruled this school. They made people’s lives miserable, mine included. But now, seeing them standing alone while everyone else is laughing, dancing, and living, I can’t help but feel a little sad for them.
Jace turns me to face him, his hands on my hips, his eyes locked on mine. “Dance with me,” he says.
“Okay,” I say, and he pulls me onto the dance floor.
The music is loud and fast, a pop song everyone seems to know except us.
Jace doesn’t mind. He just moves, his hands on my hips, pulling me close in a way that’s probably too bold for a school dance, but no one stops us.
His mouth is near my ear, whispering things that make me blush, laugh, and forget we’re surrounded by people.
His fingers grip my waist, holding me close enough that every inch of his body is against mine. When he moves, I move with him—our bodies syncing to a rhythm that has nothing to do with the music and everything to do with us.
“You know everyone’s watching us, right?” I say at one point, breathless.
“Let them watch,” he says, his lips brushing against my neck. “Let them see exactly who you belong to.”
The possessiveness in his voice causes me to shiver, and I tilt my head back to gaze at him. His eyes are dark, intense, burning with something that makes my stomach flip and my pulse race.
I kiss him right here on the dance floor, with half the school watching.
I do it because I can’t help myself when he looks at me that way.
When Jace Cooper looks at me with that heat in his eyes, nothing else matters—not the people around us, the music, or that we’re supposed to be acting proper especially at a school event.
When I pull away, he’s grinning. That cocky, devastating grin that makes my knees weak and my heart stutter in my chest.
“Careful, Bells,” he says. “Keep kissing me like that, and I’m going to drag you out of here and find somewhere private.”
“Maybe that’s what I want,” I say.
His eyes flash with heat, a dangerous and hungry expression crossing his face. He leans in, his mouth near my ear, his hand sliding lower on my waist until his fingers are spread across the small of my back.
“You keep talking like that and I’m going to bend you over and fuck you until you can’t remember your own name,” he murmurs. “And I don’t give a shit if half the people here in this hall hear you screaming my name while my cock’s buried inside that tight little pussy of yours.”
Heat floods through me, pooling low in my stomach. My fingers tighten on his shoulders, and I can feel my face burning.
“Jace,” I whisper, but it comes out breathy and weak.
“Yeah, Bells?” He pulls back and there’s a wicked gleam in his eyes. “You want me to stop talking?”
“No,” I admit, and his grin widens.
“That’s what I thought,” he says, before spinning me around and pulling my back against his chest. His hands settle on my hips again, and we move together, his body pressed against mine in a way that’s absolutely filthy and absolutely perfect.
We keep dancing, song after song, until my feet hurt and I’m breathless from laughing.
Aubrey and Noah join us at some point. Noah’s tie is completely undone. Sam and Reece are there too, all of us moving together as a group, shouting lyrics we don’t know and not caring how ridiculous we look.
The music suddenly comes to a stop, and Miss Mallory’s voice rings out over the speakers. “Alright, ladies and gentlemen! It’s time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Your prom king and queen!”
The crowd erupts in cheers and applause. We make our way back to our table, Jace’s hand in mine, and the energy in the room shifts. Everyone is now watching the stage, waiting.
“And your prom king is...” Miss Mallory pauses for dramatic effect, and the gym goes silent. “Noah Haynes!”
The place erupts. Aubrey screams and wraps her arms around Noah, who looks truly shocked.
“Are you fucking serious?” Noah says, laughing.
“Go!” Aubrey shouts, pushing him toward the stage.
Noah makes his way through the crowd, with people slapping him on the back and cheering. When he reaches the stage, Miss Mallory places a ridiculous silver crown on his head.
Jace leans in, his mouth close to my ear. “Twenty bucks says Aubrey’s queen.”
“I’m not taking that bet,” I say.
Miss Mallory’s voice booms through the speakers again. “And now for your prom queen...”