Chapter Forty
Raven
Tonight is the school dance!
As Addie predicted, her grandfather sent each of us a plethora of dresses to choose from.
It was hard for us to pick the perfect dress because they were all so stunning, but we finally made our decisions.
I’m wearing a light pink long dress with two slits on the sides, Carly chooses a dark green short dress that goes so well with her red hair, Addie wears a sleek black dress that fits her perfectly, and Sophie is content with her poofy white dress.
We’re once again getting ready in Addie and Carly’s room, each of us gushing about how ecstatic we are for this dance.
“Excited to dance with your boyfriend, Raven?” Addie asks me, then laughs in a giddy manner. “Oh my gosh, I love calling him your boyfriend.”
“I do, too,” I admit.
“You guys are so darn cute,” Carly says as she does a final check in the mirror. “I always catch you exchanging secret looks when you think no one is looking.”
I laugh. “You have no idea how often we sneak in secret kisses, too.”
Sophie giggles. “How do you evade the teachers? Every time I want to sneak in a kiss with Damian, a teacher seems to pop in out of nowhere.”
“I swear teachers are either blind or they pretend not to notice,” I tell her.
“Lucky you. A teacher almost bit Damian’s head off when she caught him about to kiss me. Maybe they’re extra hard on him because he’s the principal’s kid. Maybe they feel like they have to report it to Harrington.”
“Sucks,” Carly says.
Sophie beams. “It’s cool because we share so many secret kisses when we’re alone in his room!”
“Harrington doesn’t think you guys need space anymore?
” I ask as I also check myself one final time in the mirror.
Not to pat myself on the back, but I look really good.
We all do. I can’t wait to see Kylen in a suit.
He didn’t have a suit back at camp, just a nice dress shirt, so I’ve never seen him in formal wear.
“She still thinks we need time apart,” Sophie says. “But maybe she realized it’s a doomed battle. The more she tries to keep us apart, the more we yearn for each other. What’s the quote? ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder.’ That totally applies to us.”
“It makes me wonder how I’ll survive the summer without Ryder,” Carly says with a frown. “He promised he’ll visit, but what’s one week out of two months?”
“And don’t forget college,” Addie reminds her.
“Ugh! I don’t want to think about that,” Sophie says.
“I’m not sure if I’m even going to college,” Carly says. “Ryder and I might want to try to dance professionally.”
“That’s right!” Addie says. “You’re going to be a bigshot choreographer.”
“One step at a time, Addie.”
“But you can spend every second with Ryder,” Sophie says. “Wow, you’re so lucky.”
“I have a feeling Caleb will push my needs before his own and follow me to the college I choose,” Addie says. “I mean, I’m probably going to study business because I want to be involved in my grandfather’s empire, but I have no idea what Caleb wants to study. I hope he won’t resent me one day.”
“He won’t,” I assure her. “I know he’ll do what’s best for you and for himself.
I don’t want to think about being separated from Kylen, either, but his maternal grandparents had a long-distance relationship when they left for college.
They were able to do it, and I’m sure we can do it, too.
I mean, it’s probably going to be super hard, but we have video call.
If our love for each other is strong, nothing can break it. ”
Addie grins. “Did you say love?”
My cheeks burn. “Yes.”
She squeals and flings her arms around me, not caring that she might be messing up my hair and makeup. Then we get a text from the guys telling us that they’re waiting for us downstairs. They’ll escort us to the ballroom that’s on campus.
“And so begins another wonderful night!” Carly says as she grabs her purse.
The four of us make our way downstairs, weaving through some girls who are freaking out in the hallway. One can’t find her shoe while another one popped a pimple and now thinks she looks like a zombie.
It’s pretty cold out, so we have no choice but to bundle up well. The guys won’t see our dresses until we take off our coats and hand them in to the coat room.
All of them, including Kylen’s friends, are waiting outside.
I spot Leo with Lilah. They’re both giggling and whispering to each other.
I’m glad they’re together—they make such a perfect couple.
Leo is so sweet and dedicated to her, and Lilah is always there for him when he needs someone to talk to.
Not to mention she can hold her own at video games.
Kylen steps over to me with a soft smile and gathers me in his arms. “You look so beautiful, my Juliet.”
“And you look so handsome, my Romeo.”
He and I lace our fingers together and follow everyone else to the ballroom, where we can hear music playing. After we give in our coats to the attendant in the coat room, Kylen pulls me into his arms again and murmurs in my ear how gorgeous I look.
“Thanks. And you look so dashing in a suit,” I tell him. “Like you’re from a romance novel.”
“Thanks. My grandfather helped me pick it out. You like?” He does a quick spin.
With a laugh, I say, “I love.”
“Well, I love your dress, too.” He leans forward to kiss me.
My friends and their boyfriends are exchanging compliments as well, as are Leo and Lilah. Jasper and Beck look a little out of place, but they still seem very excited to be here. I know they’ll have fun because there’s never a dull moment with those two.
The place is decorated so beautifully in a starry night theme. The stars look so realistic, like they’re twinkling. It will really feel as though we’re dancing under the stars.
Ryder holds out his hand to Carly. “Would you do me the honor of dancing with me, my amazing Carly?”
She smiles brightly as she places her hand in his. “I would love to.” She sends us a happy squeal as she walks off with him.
Sophie and Damian exchange a nod. “Food,” they say before walking off to the refreshment table.
Caleb asks Addie to dance as well, and Leo does the same with Lilah, followed by Jasper and Beck, who waste no time killing it on the dance floor. Only Kylen and I remain.
“I can’t believe I’m here,” Kylen says. “I’ve been waiting for this moment since I first found out about the dance.”
“Me, too.”
He steps closer and whispers in my ear, “Nothing would make me happier than to have the girl of my dreams dance with me. Would you like to dance with me, Raven?”
“Of course. I would love that very much.”
It’s a fast-paced song, so my friends are once again doing a routine that Carly and Ryder create on the spot. Sophie and Damian join us a few minutes later and tell us the food is to die for. I’m curious, but I’d rather be here dancing with my wonderful boyfriend.
Kylen and I can’t stop smiling at each other every time our eyes meet, which is like all the time.
My heart feels like it might explode with every good emotion in the world.
After the dance at camp, I was left with heartache.
I’m so glad I can replace those awful memories with the amazing ones I’m making now.
And then the music shifts to a slow song.
The last time this happened was at Fiona’s party.
Kylen and I couldn’t get off the dance floor fast enough.
But this time, he gives me a tender smile and moves closer to me, his eyes full of so many emotions.
I move closer as well, until I stand right before him.
He slowly raises his hands and rests them on my waist, drawing me to his chest and causing my skin to prickle.
I lock my arms around his neck and stare into his eyes, once again getting sucked inside.
We don’t say anything to each other for what feels like a long time.
We just sway to the beat of the slow song, completely enthralled in one another.
I don’t think I can ever get bored of just staring into his eyes and seeing all the emotions he’s got buried there.
I know him pretty well, but there is still so much to learn about him.
“What are you thinking?” he whispers.
“How amazing you are.”
He laughs as he shakes his head. “I’m nowhere as amazing as you.”
“I feel like we’ve had this conversation before.”
“Yeah, probably. I still stand by my words, though.”
“I do, too.”
He lowers my head on his chest as he holds me tightly in his arms. “I love holding you like this, Raven. I feel your heart beat against mine, and it makes me feel so much closer to you.”
“I feel your heart, too. It’s racing.”
“Because I’m feeling so many emotions.”
I raise my head and look into his eyes again. “I’m feeling so many emotions, too.”
He caresses my cheek with the backs of his fingers as he murmurs, “I want to tell you something I should have told you a year and a half ago, but I was too much of a coward.” He pauses for a moment to take a deep breath.
“I love you, Raven Mitchell. I know we’re in a room full of people and it might not be so romantic, but I want to make up for how I messed up at camp.
I was nervous and scared back then. I was unsure of a lot of things.
But I’m one hundred percent sure that you are the only person for me.
I know we’re young and some people might think it’s crazy for me to feel this way, but I know in my heart that I’m meant to be with you.
I regret hurting you in the past, and I promise you again that I’ll do everything in my power to make sure I never hurt you again.
” He rests his forehead on mine. “I love you so much, Raven. It makes my chest hurt.”
There are so many emotions coursing through my body, and I’m having trouble breathing, let alone talking.
But I take a deep breath as well and let it seep out of my nose.
The last time I said those three words, my heart was shattered into a million pieces.
A little voice in my head wants to warn me to be careful.
But I pay no attention to it because I know Kylen will never hurt me again.
I squeeze myself even closer to him and whisper, “I love you, too, Kylen. I have for a while now. I admit that I was scared to say it first because of what happened the last time, but I’m done holding onto the past. I want it to be totally behind me.
I want to look forward to the future and the amazing life we can have together. ”
He looks to his right and to his left and then closes his lips over mine.
I think he meant this kiss to be quick, but neither of us wants to stop.
This kiss is different from the ones we shared in the past because we’re rewriting our story right now.
We’re giving each other the happily ever after we should have had.
“Miss Mitchell and Mr. Barrett!” A teacher scolds. It sounds like Mr. Lewis. I wasn’t aware that he was one of the chaperones. Either way, I don’t pull away. Neither does Kylen. This moment is so important and special for us, and we won’t let anyone take it away.
“Do I really need to write you a detention slip on the night of the dance?” he demands.
Someone pulls me out of Kylen’s arms. It’s Addie. She and the others look at me like I’ve lost my mind. I just shrug at them as Mr. Lewis walks away, shaking his head.
“No one understands what this means to us,” I tell them.
“We know,” Carly says. She leans closer to whisper, “There’s a room nearby you guys can sneak into. I saw it when I went to the bathroom.”
“Awesome. Thanks.”
We wait a short while in case Mr. Lewis is watching us, and then we leave and make our way to the room. After closing the door, Kylen chuckles and cradles me in his arms. “Good thing we already got an A on the assignment or I swear Mr. Lewis would have taken off points for our appalling behavior.”
I giggle as I snuggle closer to him and stare into his eyes. “I think you might have a bad influence on me. I’ve never been close to getting detention before.”
He shakes his head as he strokes my cheek. “I hope I’ll only enrich your life and bring you nothing but happiness and joy and all the good things.”
“I hope the same,” I tell him. “I sometimes would lie in bed and imagine what it would have been like if things worked out between us back then. But I never imagined it would feel like this. You’re more than I dreamed of, and I know my life with you will be amazing.
I also believe that we’ll be together forever.
And now that we’ve been through what we’ve been through, I know we can overcome any other hardship that comes our way. Our bond is unbreakable.”
“I agree. I can’t wait to spend every day of my life growing even closer to you. You’re my world, Raven. My Juliet. My Little Miss Monkey. And I can’t wait for what the future brings.”
We share a deep, heartfelt kiss, and then I say, “You’re my world, too, Kylen. My Romeo. My Scrawny Monkey. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, too.”