Chapter 46
FORTY-SIX
REALLY LUCKY
Addison
Our table was front and center, right next to the dance floor and in front of the band. We were seated with Beckett’s parents, his brother, Aunt Michelle, as well as Natalie and her fiancé, Theo.
I couldn’t help but gawk at the new rock on her ring finger and the way Theo couldn’t keep his eyes off her. And who could blame him? She was gorgeous in a green, one-shoulder gown, and all her dark hair was gathered over the opposite side.
Beckett slid back into the chair next to me and reached for my hand.
“You did such a good job,” I whispered.
He smiled and kissed me quickly. Their speech was so sweet, there was barely a dry eye in the place. Gavin had even teared up when Andrew was talking about the impact his father had on his life and how much he looked up to Beckett.
“Thank you, baby girl. And thank you for being here.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” I said, which was true, but I was also silently struggling.
My dress was beautiful, but it didn’t have pockets, so Beckett had volunteered to keep track of my phone.
He’d also promised my grandmothers that he wouldn’t let me obsessively check it to make sure they were okay.
They wanted me to be in the moment like they always did, and he was going to keep his promise to them.
“I’ll give you your phone after dinner…and a dance.”
“Oh, we’re dancing?” Surprise was evident in my question.
He gave me a look like I was the crazy one. “Of course, baby girl. You planned the event, and well, it’s for my company. It would be weirder if we didn’t dance.”
Eyeing my empty plate, the band started playing a little louder and something that was supposed to motivate everyone to get on the dance floor. Gavin and Jackie were the first to get up, and Aunt Michelle quickly tugged Andrew out of his chair.
A second later, I stood from my seat and reached for Beckett’s hand. “Well, let’s go then.”
He flashed me a smile and slid his hand in mine. We joined everyone on the quickly filling dance floor, where Beckett spun me once and tugged me into his chest. I stumbled against him with a laugh, and he helped me find my footing once again.
With his right hand pressed against my lower back, his left gripped mine as he began to guide us in slow steps. Over his shoulder, I saw his mother watching us. She laid her head on her husband’s shoulder and shot us a smile.
“What are you smiling at?” Beckett asked, and I quickly glanced back up at him.
“Your mom. She was…smiling at me.”
He hummed and dropped his mouth to my ear. “She really likes you,” he whispered and held me tighter.
“Does she?”
“Yes,” he said quickly. “She made sure to pull me aside before we sat down. She said you were great, and she was excited to get to know you better. And that she understood why I was so smitten.”
We danced past another older couple who waved and grabbed Beckett’s attention to congratulate him. He graciously thanked them but quickly turned back to me.
Chewing on my lower lip, those nervous butterflies in my stomach started up again.
Beckett peered down at me like he could see all the thoughts I was contemplating, and I figured he probably could.
Like usual, they were likely playing out all over my face.
And with that, I couldn’t keep them to myself, so either I had to come up with a good lie or tell him what I was really thinking.
The latter felt like a scary prospect. But turning points in relationships always felt a little scary, right?
Dropping my eyes and his hand, I pressed my palm to his shirt and stared at one of the white buttons as I spoke. “I mean, you said it earlier. You told me that…that they would love me almost as much as you do.”
We didn’t stop moving and continued dancing in circles around the floor and past other couples.
He led, and I followed as my words and the insinuation heavy within them hung around us.
I didn’t look up from where I was staring at his shirt until he forced me to.
Fingers against my jaw, he braced his thumb underneath my chin to tilt my head higher.
Our steps slowed but didn’t stop as our eyes met. There were shallow lines at the corner of his and light in the warm, golden depths. My breath caught in the back of my throat, lodged around emotion and the anxiety of what he might say next.
“I did say that,” he agreed.
“And you meant it?” I asked quickly, and his smile widened at my spitfire question.
With a chuckle, he nodded. “Of course, baby girl. I always mean what I say, but you look like you’re prepared to sprint off the dance floor.”
A surprised laugh bubbled out of me as I shook my head. I hadn’t experienced it before, but I’d heard it described so many times. How it feels like time had been suspended and the rest of the world disappeared.
The party around us quieted, and I lost myself in his touch and in his gaze.
“No,” I whispered, struggling to swallow. “Not running, just thinking that it’s nice to know we both feel the same way.”
He smiled, and I felt it everywhere. His fingers ran down the side of my neck, and the music changed to something much slower, which better matched the speed of our steps.
“How fucking lucky am I to be loved by someone as incredible as you?”
“Really lucky,” I joked, and he shook his head, leaning forward and brushing his lips against mine.
“You’re right. So fucking lucky,” he said, and I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. Trying to be mindful of where we were and those around us, I struggled to keep our kiss chaste and not climb him like a damn tree.
We’d all but stopped in the middle of the floor, and thankfully, Beckett had the wherewithal to pull away because I didn’t think I could.
“I love you, Addison.”
“I love you, too,” I whispered, letting my hands fall back to his arms that were steadfast against my hips. It felt so different from every other time I’d uttered those words to someone I’d been dating. I wasn’t pressured to return the sentiment, and I didn’t even have to consider it.
It felt as second nature as breathing to utter those words.
But our moment was quickly broken when someone cleared their throat next to us.
We both glanced in that direction to where Beckett’s dad was standing.
“Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve got a situation. Bill showed up demanding to speak to us. Do you mind if I steal him away, Addie?”
Beckett’s jaw worked, and I took a step back. “Of course not. I’ll find you later.”
I could tell he didn’t want to walk away, but it was also important that they deescalate the situation with Bill as quickly as possible. And Beckett was the person to do it.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” Beckett said. He leaned down and kissed me quickly, then slid my phone into my hand. The simple, thoughtful gesture made me smile. He threw me a wink before the two men rounded the dance floor and headed toward the door.
An angry, red-faced man was standing in the hallway, glaring at Beckett and his dad, being held back by security.
Beckett held out his hands and motioned for them to go back toward the front door of the hotel.
Bill looked like he started yelling, but the band was playing too loudly and drowned out the sound.
It made me nervous to watch Beckett leave, but I knew he could take care of himself. And he had a lot of backup if he needed it.
Stepping off the dance floor, I glanced down at my phone. I pressed the lock button, but nothing happened. I tried again and again, only to find the same result.
It was dead. Of course it was.
Peering around the ballroom, I tried to find Caroline with no luck. Following the perimeter of the room, I veered around people and looked for my boss. I gave up when I got to the bar.
“Hi, I’m so sorry, but my phone died, and I really need a charger. Do you have one back there?”
The guy couldn’t have been much older than me, with shaggy blond hair and a sweet smile.
“Oh, yeah. Let me see, I’ll plug it in.”
I handed it over and watched him fish the charger out from behind the liquor bottles.
“Want a drink while you wait for it to charge up?”
Planting my elbows on the bar, I ran my eyes over the liquor bottles but came up blank. “Yes, but I’m not sure what. Can you just make me something fruity and slightly sweet? Preferably with tequila?”
“Not a problem.”
He made quick work of mixing the drink, which was exactly what I wanted. It was subtly sweet with pineapple and maybe strawberry? I thanked him and turned back to the crowd.
Yes, I was a guest at the party, but I couldn’t turn off the party planning and organizing part of my brain. The dance floor was more crowded than I imagined, and very few people had left after dinner, which was a great sign. It was still packed to the brim.
The band quieted for a moment, finishing one song and starting the next, and it was just enough time for the commotion out in the hallway to filter into the room. My interest piqued, I grabbed my drink and strode between the tables to the door.
I peeked to the right, then left, and found them huddled in a group toward the entrance of the hotel.
It was still difficult to hear them over the crowd and band, but it was obvious Bill was yelling.
He was dressed in a suit, like he was planning on attending the party, and security was positioned around him.
The louder Bill yelled, the crazier his gestures became, and the closer security got.
But Beckett was a formidable force in front of him and waved them off.
With his dad on one side and his brother on the other, Beckett appeared unfazed by the man’s scene. His hands in his pockets, his face was expressionless.
I squeezed the glass in my hands and watched with rapt, nervous attention.
Suddenly, Bill reared his right arm back and swung at Beckett. I gasped and lurched forward like I was going to do something about it, but Beckett was prepared. He caught Bill’s hand and spun him around until Bill’s chest was shoved against the wall behind him.
I’d never seen Beckett so irate. Well, maybe except when Owen confronted me.
I was too far away to see much else, because security swarmed and suddenly cops were there. When they all parted, Bill was pulled away in handcuffs, still yelling at Beckett, who was straightening his suit.
They didn’t wait for Bill to be taken outside before they all three turned and walked back toward the party. Beckett stopped in front of me as his dad and brother stepped back inside.
“All good?”
He nodded and dropped his hand to my hip, squeezing once. Outside, he didn’t appear flustered, but I could see in his eyes that the run-in had affected him at least a little bit.
“There are a few clients I need to talk with. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m perfect. Go do what you need to.”
He kissed me quickly and found himself immediately swept up into another conversation like nothing had happened.
Finding a table near the bar still empty, I set my drink down and continue people-watching and watching my man in his natural habitat. He was naturally engaging and attentive. Just based on his body language and those around him, I could tell everyone felt at ease and open when they spoke.
And he was all mine.
I don’t know how long it was that I stood there, sipping my drink and passing the time by making up backstories about each person who caught my attention. But eventually, my glass was empty, and it had to have been enough time for my phone to be at least slightly charged.
Making my way back to the bar, it was much more crowded than before, and I had to wait for the blond bartender to finish up. Finally, he saw me waving and jogged to the opposite end where I stood, retrieving my phone on his way.
“I was going to come get you, but we’ve been really busy. It’s been vibrating constantly since it turned back on.”
My heart plummeted, and I couldn’t grab my phone from him quick enough.
I didn’t move from my spot, just spun around and peered down at the screen.
My notifications were flooded with missed calls and texts.
With shaking hands, I pressed the first notification my finger landed on, which was a text that sent my heart into freefall.
Like I was floating above my body, I looked up and immediately locked eyes with Beckett across the room. Like he instinctually knew something was wrong. I could feel my legs giving out, and I tried to stop it, but I didn’t have control over my body anymore.
Later I’d be embarrassed about possibly making a scene, but I was too in my head to consider that now. My arm fell, and my phone slipped from my fingers as Beckett broke out into a sprint across the room.
He caught me just before I hit the floor.