Chapter Sixteen Artemis #2
The speeches are done, then the auctions start. Boring, boring, boring. If not for my phone and Jenna, I would seriously lose my mind.
I don’t know if Ryan is still looking at me and I don’t care. But I feel the weight of his eyes on me every so often. Still, I don’t let my gaze meet his. It’ll just hurt too much.
Once the auctions are done and lots of money has been raised, waiters bring in the food. Finally. My stomach was about to die from hunger.
I keep myself busy with food, just so I won’t give into the temptation of looking at Ryan.
But of course I’m weak and succumb. Brianne’s sending him flirty smiles, bending close as if she can’t get enough of him.
He doesn’t pull away like he did the other day at school.
Nope. He seems to really want to be there.
Jenna’s chatting with Jason. Mom and Dad are doing publicity stuff. And I’m all by myself. My best friend tries to include me in their conversation, but I’m not really into it. So it’s just me and my thoughts.
A part of me wants to march over to Ryan and demand he tell me why he lied to me. He should have told me he didn’t want to go with me instead of using his grandmother as an excuse.
He’s a jerk, like Jenna claimed, yet why do I have this distinct feeling that he’s far from being a jerk? It’s like my heart wishes he was the guy I want him to be.
But he’s not and I need to stop fantasizing about it. I’ll meet someone special one day. It’ll probably be years from now, when I’m on my own and don’t have my dad breathing down my neck.
Music plays as we dine, and a few couples, including my mom and dad, step onto the dance floor and twirl around.
Jason and Jenna grin at each other before Jason holds out his hand, inviting his girlfriend to dance with him.
She quickly agrees and they join the others, swaying their bodies and having the time of their lives.
I stuff my face with more food, not because I’m hungry but because I need to do something.
“Ryan, let’s dance!” Brianne yells from across the room.
He’s sitting right next to her, so she doesn’t have to yell.
But nope. She wants the whole world to know she’s sunk her claws into him.
And something tells me she won’t let him go without a fight.
Not that I would ever try to take him or anything. Nope. I’m done with him. Done.
Ryan’s face goes white like he might pass out. But then he nods to Brianne. I notice her parents, specifically her mom, smiling like she can see the future. A future where her precious daughter and this hot guy walk down the aisle together.
I quickly eat more food before that image is engraved in my head.
Because I want to torture myself some more, I watch Ryan and Brianne walk onto the dance floor. My stomach does a few summersaults—not in a good way—and it feels like someone is kicking me in the ribs. Stabbing me in the heart.
She latches her arms around his neck and he hesitantly places his hands on her waist. Soon, their bodies are practically fused and they look like they’re enjoying every second of it.
Ugh.
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.
They move to the beat of the soft music. I remember how I felt like Cinderella when Ryan and I danced together. Does she feel the same way? Nah. Brianne would never let herself feel like a Disney Princess. I bet it’s too childish for her.
It’s not long before they’re so comfy with each other that Brianne lays her head on his chest. He shuts his eyes for a second and when they open, they find me. My face heating up faster than metal, I quickly turn away. Crap. He caught me staring. That’s so embarrassing. And pathetic.
When I risk another glance at him, I find his eyes still on mine. He’s not looking through me, but at me, like he’s reading into my soul, my heart.
Brianne lifts her head and his focus shifts to her. They continue dancing and try to talk, but it’s a little hard to do that because of the music. It might be soft, but it’s still pretty loud.
I survey the room. All the young people are on the dance floor. I’m the only person younger than sixty sitting alone at a table.
My gaze back on Ryan and Brianne, I find her once again resting her head on his chest. I don’t blame her—his chest is really comfortable. And he smells so, so good.
My breath hitches when his eyes bore into mine. They’re so deep and mysterious, more than usual.
He says something to Brianne, dropping his hands from her waist. She watches as he leaves her, heading…
Toward me?
I glance behind me, where the staff has brought out some more desserts and laid them out on a table.
I poke at my food. He’ll be so close to me, and I can’t face him. So I busy myself with some food art until he’ll go away.
“Artemis?”
My fork freezes in place. Slowly lifting my eyes, I find Ryan standing above me.
“Oh, hey, Ryan,” I casually say, giving him a bright smile. “How’s it going?”
His eyes move to Brianne, who’s standing in the center of the dance floor, hands on her hips, glaring at me. Or is it him? Maybe both of us?
Wait, why is he here?
“Looks like you and Brianne are having lots of fun,” I say, again casually. But there’s a boxing match in my stomach.
He looks at her again, then at me. Pulling out the chair next to me, he sits down. “No. Actually, I’m not.”
I just gape at him. “What?”
He tears his hair out of the hair tie, letting the silky strands pour down his back like a curtain. “I’m not having a good time.”
My mouth opens and closes as I try to process what he just said.
“Wait, huh? I’m confused. And why in the world are you even at the Ball?
” I cross my arms over my chest. “I shouldn’t be talking to you.
You lied to me about your plans tonight.
I thought we were friends. Right, you don’t want to be my friend. How could I forget?”
He sighs, running his hand through his hair. “I didn’t lie. My grandmother and I did have plans, but…” His voice trails off.
“But Brianne asked you to go to the Ball and of course you agreed because she’s the most popular girl at school. You could have told me you’re into her. You didn’t have to lie about it.”
“But I’m not into her. I don’t want to be here with her.”
I shrug. “You seemed to be having a good time just a few minutes ago,” I point out. “You and Brianne looked very cozy together.”
He just stares at me with an expression I can’t make out. “Well, I didn’t. I hated it. I don’t want to dance with her, I want to dance with…” He stops himself from going on.
“With?” I ask. I sweep my hand around the room. “Lots of girls here who I’m sure would drop what they’re doing at a chance to dance with you.”
He tilts his head toward mine. “But I don’t want to dance with any of them.”
“Then who do you want?”
He stares into my eyes. “I think you know.”
My heart skips a beat and I swear there are billions of butterflies flapping around in my stomach.
“Me?”
He doesn’t answer, but this time, his eyes say enough.
Laughing lightly, I push some hair out of my eyes, only there’s not a lot of hair there, it’s all tied up. “Ha ha. Sure.”
“I’m serious.”
I freeze, my eyes slowly moving to his. Excitement bubbles inside me, but I quickly shoot it down. “You’re with Brianne. You came with her. You chose her.”
“Artemis, it’s not like that.”
I lift a brow. “Then how is it? Because right now, it looks like you made up an excuse just so you could go with her.” I throw my hands up. “I don’t even know why I care.”
He leans toward me, so close our heads are only inches apart. “I only went with Brianne to help my grandmother out.”
I scrunch my eyebrows. “Your grandma wants you to date Brianne?”
He shakes his head, letting out a heavy sigh. “No…my grandmother needed her parents’ help. And to return the favor, I took her to the Ball.”
I just stare at him. “Huh?”
“My grandma needed pills, but her insurance didn’t cover it and…
” He shifts in his seat, avoiding my eyes.
“And she couldn’t come up with the money.
Brianne’s mom offered to help pay for them.
And my grandma was so thankful she asked if there was anything she could do for them in return.
And next thing I know, I’m bringing Brianne here. ”
I’m quiet as I let the words swim around in my head. “So now she has a hold on you.”
He shakes his head again. “No, I’m pretty sure my grandma will come up with the money for next time.
It’s just…a little tight now.” He glances at me, then away like he’s embarrassed.
“I don’t ever want be tied to her.” He looks at me again.
“I didn’t want to come here with her. I didn’t want to go at all.
And I especially didn’t want you to see me with her and think I rejected you to go with her. ”
That was exactly what I thought when I first saw them together. In my head, he seemed happy to be here, when really he was miserable.
“That excuse about having plans with your grandma…” I say.
“Wasn’t a lie. We planned to hang out after school, but we pushed it off for tomorrow.”
Quiet. The only sounds are the music and laughing dancers.
“I’m sorry I thought the worst of you,” I say after a little while.
“I don’t blame you.”
I push some invisible strands of hair out of my eyes. “But you should blame me. I mean, I don’t know you well, but I should have known you wouldn’t purposely hurt me like that.”
“Why not? I’ve been rude to you since we met. I’m sorry. It’s just hard for me.”
“What is? To make friends?”
He doesn’t say anything and I once again can’t read the look on his face.
We sit in silence again. I scan the people, watching the many different couples dance. Brianne catches my eyes. She’s dancing with a guy a few years older than her, and her tense body is enough to tell me just how pissed she is that her date ditched her.
Ryan snaps his gaze from the wall to me. “Want to dance?”
“But you’re with Brianne.”
He shrugs. “I came with her, danced with her, ate with her and her family. I think my debt is paid off.” He slowly holds out his hand. “Dance?”
I take in his hand that looks so warm and inviting, and the thought of having his arms wrapped around me sends chills down my spine. But…why does he want to dance with me? And will I be able to survive being so close to him and not wanting to be more than friends?
“Artemis?”
I blink, catching him gazing at my face like he’s trying to solve a puzzle.
Am I thinking too much into this? It’s just a dance. Oh, gosh. Why are his eyes so intense as they gaze into mine? And why does my heart flutter like crazy?
My hand slides into his. “Okay. We can dance. Sure. But um…what’s Brianne going to say?” I angle my head toward her. She’s still dancing with that guy, but her eyes dart in our direction.
Ryan gets to his feet, dragging me up with him. “I don’t care. And I told you my debt is already paid.” He gently tugs me along to the center of the ballroom.
It’s like we’re walking in slow-motion. My heart doesn’t stop fluttering and chills continue to race up and down my spine. And darn it, his hand is so warm and soft, much softer than I remember. I don’t want him to let go. Ever.
Brianne flares her nostrils as we pass her. Ryan totally ignores her, and I try to do the same. But it’s hard to have the most popular girl at school glaring at me like she wants to send a dagger down my back.
Ryan twirls me around so my back faces Brianne. “Ignore her. I always do.” He wraps his hands around my waist, drawing me closer to him. He holds my gaze with such ferocity that I forget about Brianne and just focus on him.
Gone are my doubts about what goes on in his mind, what he wants from me, how cold he was to me in the past, and how he told me he doesn’t want to be my friend.
All I can think about as I drape my arms around his neck is how amazing he smells and that we’re together, and so close…
and how much I love the feeling of being in his strong, protective arms.