14. Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
Addy
I readjust my little black dress at the shoulders—its one-strap design and cut-outs at my midriff have me feeling a little self-conscious. The style is totally out of my wheelhouse, but… it’s the beach.
And I want to look stunning.
I double-check my red lips, smokey eyes, and blonde waves before finally calling it good. High heels definitely would’ve paired better with this outfit over the strappy sandals I’m wearing, but high heels and sand? Yeah, that sounds like a good way for me to break something.
Stepping out of the bathroom, I glance around.
Where’s Blaze?
“I’m leaving,” I call out, a strange sense of disappointment thrumming in my chest. He’s yet to see this dress on my body, and for some reason…
I really want him to.
As I linger in the main part of the hotel room, I finally catch sight of him standing out on the balcony and talking on the phone. I check the time on my smartwatch. I don’t like being late, and even though my family seems to disagree, I’m actually punctual.
Blaze’s back is to me as I approach the door, sliding it open to the fresh ocean breeze. He doesn’t hear me as he laughs about something on the phone. I swallow hard, half-tempted to eavesdrop, but seriously. I’ve got to go.
“Hey.” I tap him on the shoulder, and he spins around, meeting my gaze—and then rakes his eyes over my body.
My face starts to grow hot, and I realize this might be the first time he’s ever looked at me like that.
“I’ll call you back in just a second, Kade.” Blaze pulls his phone from his ear and hangs up before shoving it into his pocket. “You look… Um… You look great . This outfit is very fitting for the bachelorette thing.”
I blink a couple of times. “Thanks. That’s what I was going for, I guess.” I furrow my brow as I run my red nails over my dress, suddenly feeling like this outfit didn’t have the impact I was hoping for. I look great ? I was hoping to hear something more like beautiful or stunning or anything but … great.
I shake my head and internally scold myself. What else is he supposed to say? I can’t be weird about this. Why am I being weird about this?
We’re just friends.
“Addy?” Blaze waves his hand in front of my face. “Are you okay?”
I snap right back to it. “Uh-huh. Yeah, totally fine.”
“Okay…” He frowns. He maintains eye contact as I just stand here staring at him like an idiot. “Well, I hope you have a nice time… I’m gonna hop in the shower now. I guess Robert wants to go to some fancy Tiki bar or something.”
“Better than a strip club,” I say awkwardly, teetering back on my heels.
He makes a face. “Yeah, for sure. I probably wouldn’t go if he was going to a strip club. That’s not really my style.”
“Look at you, being a respectful gentleman.” I laugh, wrapping my arms around myself to hide the cut-outs that reveal my abdomen. When I originally tried on this dress, I thought it looked killer, but now, I’m questioning myself.
“You need to get going,” Blaze hums and then does something completely out of character. As he heads toward the sliding door, he wraps his arm around my waist, leading me toward it. He opens the door for us and then gently guides me back into the hotel room before dropping his arm.
It’s such a small gesture, but it leaves me feeling weak in the knees.
There must be something in the water.
I cannot be falling for him. Again.
“Have a really nice time tonight, Addy,” he says as I make my way to the front door of the hotel room. “If you need anything, let me know.”
“Okay, well, you’re going to be busy at the Tiki bar, so…”
He cocks a brow. “So? If you need something, I’ll be there. I just want you to be safe—you know, all that stuff.”
“Yeah, all that stuff.” I can’t help but smile. “Don’t forget, we may be apart tonight, but in the eyes of everyone we’re with, you and I are still together.”
He smiles at me, his eyes softening. “I know. I’m not going to forget. I promise.”
“Just don’t talk bad about me,” I say quickly, pausing at the door and taking a step toward him. He lingers a few feet away, standing in front of the bathroom door, suddenly looking really confused.
“Why would I say anything bad about you?”
“Well, you know how when a group of men or women get together, they tend to complain about their significant others.”
He chuckles. “I’m aware. I may not have dated much, but I do understand how it works. I’m just saying, I have nothing bad to say about you. You’re perfect, honey.” He shoots me a wink that causes my heart to skip a few beats and then pushes the bathroom door open.
“I hope you have a good time tonight, too.” I stop him, still covering the slits in my dress. “Hopefully, they don’t bore you.”
He nods, eyeing me as I continue to rock back and forth. “What do you need from me right now? Are you nervous or something?” He takes a step toward me, placing his hands on my shoulders.
“I think this dress may have been too much for me,” I say, tipping my head back and trying to ignore the warmth of his touch.
He smiles. “I don’t think so. I mean, sure, it’s definitely not your normal attire, but … I like it on you.” His amber eyes search mine, and I find myself holding my breath. “You’re beautiful. Now go have fun, okay?”
“Okay,” I whisper, but smile at the same time.
He lifts his hands away from my shoulders, and I do something stupid. I hug him, wrapping my hands around his torso.
Blaze stiffens at first but then returns the hug, giving me a tight squeeze.
“Thank you,” I tell him, breathing in the comforting scent of his cologne. “For doing all this for me.”
“Yeah, of course.” His voice sounds slightly strained. “But you better go. They might think we’re … misbehaving .”
My jaw drops at his comment, and I burst into laughter as he releases his arms from around my waist. “Oh my gosh.”
He chuckles, amusement dancing in his gaze, and then finally disappears into the bathroom.
I spin on my heels and rush for the door, now knowing I really am late.
But as I close the door, it hits me that the only thing misbehaving … is my heart.
“Oh my goodness,” Aurora drawls as she sips her drink. “I’m so excited for this. I used to love Hula dancers as a kid.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s because you were obsessed with Lilo )