Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
D anielle sighed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. The gold, sequined dress shimmered in her pathetic bedroom lighting. Which meant when she arrived at the actual dinner tonight, the dress would be shining brighter that the sun.
Maybe this was too much.
“Don’t even think about it,” Sunny said as she walked into the bedroom with a pair of stiletto heels in hand.
“It’s too much, Sun. I can’t wear this. I’m just a reporter.” She blew out her breath, causing a raspberry sound to emerge from her lip. “This is a party for the football players and their dates. I am neither.”
“Because you refused the football player,” Sunny mumbled as she set the heels down next to Danielle and then turned and dive-bombed Danielle’s bed.
Danielle shook her head. “Please don’t start.”
Sunny shifted until she was at the head of the bed and resting on Danielle’s mound of pillows. “It’s true. That guy has it bad for you and I can’t quite figure out why you don’t feel the same. Any girl would be excited to have his attention no matter what happened in the past.”
Danielle sighed and moved until she was staring at herself in the mirror again. She adjusted her curls that hung down past her shoulders. The dress she was wearing had thin spaghetti straps, which was why she chose to wear her hair down. The whole illusion that the dress just might be held up by nothing excited her.
Well, the thought of someone else enjoying that fact was what excited her. But she wasn’t going to admit who that was. Even though Zach’s face and voice was glued into her mind. There was very little she could do to remove it.
And when Joy arrived at her apartment with a key he’d asked to be given to her…that just cinched the deal.
Zach Stedman was a part of her, even though she was trying to fight that fact.
“This is ridiculous. I should just call in sick. I shouldn’t go.” She reached over to grab her phone but Sunny must have been expecting that. Just as her fingers grazed the glass, the phone disappeared.
“You’re going, Danielle. You need this. One way or the other, you need some closure.” Sunny’s voice was commanding as she walked over to the small, black velvet purse and slipped Danielle’s phone into it.
Danielle chewed her lip as she glared at her friend. How did Sunny get so demanding?
Then she blew out the air in her lungs and nodded. “Fine. I’m going as a reporter. I’m not going to get any enjoyment out of this and as soon as it is over, I’m out of there. Understand?”
Sunny got a sly smile on her lips as she nodded.
“And stop smiling at me like that. Zach and I are over. There’s nothing there. Nothing can happen.”
“Hey, mom, can I play my Xbox?” Jesse asked as he walked into her room.
Her heart surged at the sight of her son. He was why she was pushing Zach away. He needed her more than anything. She didn’t want to drag him into the pain of a past he couldn’t change. The Stedmans were a fickle people. What if they didn’t accept him? Would she be able to handle watching her son get rejected?
“Wow, where are you going?” Jesse asked as he nodded toward her dress.
“Do you like it?” she asked.
“Yeah. You look like a disco ball.”
Danielle shot Sunny a dirty look as Sunny busted up laughing holding her hands up. “Hey, he’s eight. Don’t take his word for it. He wears sweatpants and t-shirts.”
Jesse looked as if he didn’t understand what was going on and then shrugged it off. “So can I?”
Danielle nodded. “If your homework is done, you can.”
Jesse scrunched up his face. “Not all the way.”
Danielle sighed. “Work on it until I leave and then you can play.”
Jesse nodded and turned to head out of her room before he stopped. “Hey, is Zach going to come over again?”
The sound of Zach’s name on her son’s lips caused her heart to panic and pound at the same time. It made her light headed so she sat down on the ratty armchair in the corner of her room. “Zach? Why?”
Jesse shrugged. “He said something about teaching me to play some football. And there’s an after school team I want to join.” Jesse smiled over at her. “It’d be nice not to totally suck.”
Danielle took a deep breath and nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. Now go get started on your homework.”
Jesse left the room and as soon as he was gone, a tsking sound came from Sunny.
Determined not to acknowledge her, Danielle stood and grabbed her purse. “I have to go,” she said.
Sunny nodded. “Go get that hunky football player that you and Jesse want so bad.” A giggle erupted in Sunny’s throat.
“I don’t—that’s not what this is,” Danielle said, turning to give her a sharp look.
Sunny held up her hands. “Sure it isn’t.”
Danielle groaned and stomped out of the room. “I’m going to be late.”
“M-bye!” Sunny called after her.
Once she was out in the hall, Danielle tried to calm her mind as she rode the elevator down to the lobby. Thomas was waiting for her and as soon as she approached, his eyes were as wide as saucers.
“You look…amazing,” he breathed.
A shiver ran down her spine as she nodded. “Thanks.”
“I mean, wow.”
It felt weird, standing there being admired by Thomas. She’d always suspected that he might have a thing for her, and from the way he was looking at her, it confirmed her suspicions. Not sure she could lose another man in her life, she just gave him a small smile.
“Thanks, Thomas. Let’s get to Bucky’s and get this over with.”
Thomas nodded as he held the door open for her. The hot Georgia heat slammed into her like a brick wall. Thankfully, the sun had set behind the buildings so the temperature was on its way to cooling down.
From what she’d heard of Bucky’s festivities, they were outside and grandiose.
She climbed into Thomas’s van just as Thomas did. Once they were buckled, Thomas took off down the winding Georgia streets.
A half an hour later, they pulled up to the large, black wrought iron gates. After pressing the intercom and introducing themselves, the gate opened and Thomas pulled up.
The long winding driveway was lined with all sorts of expensive cars. Most were black and sleek and probably cost more than Danielle’s entire apartment complex. Her gaze swept over Zach’s black Lincoln and her breath caught in her throat. She swallowed, forcing all the butterflies that took up flight down into the hollows of her stomach.
She needed a distraction so she focused on Thomas who was pulling out his camera from the back of his van. Once he was ready, Danielle led him up the driveway, past the large water fountain in the middle of the grassy center, and to the front door.
The door opened as they approached and a pinched-lipped woman appeared. She waved them in and shut the door behind them.
Now alone in the giant foyer, Danielle took a deep breath and glanced over at Thomas who was studying her.
“You okay?” he asked through the loud thumping music that could be heard from outside.
Danielle forced a smile. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Thomas walked over to the side room, where the woman who’d answered the door had told them he could put the equipment, and unlocked his camera case. “You’ve been standoffish since we got this gig,” he said, fiddling with his camera.
Danielle leaned against the wall, hoping she came across as relaxed and not the jumble of nerves that she actually was. “I’m not standoffish. I just…got some stuff going on.”
Thomas straightened and peered down at her. It wasn’t until this moment that she realized how close they were.
“You can tell me. I want to help,” Thomas said. The intensity of his gaze made her uncomfortable.
“Am I interrupting?”
Danielle jumped at the sound of Zach’s voice. She whipped around to see him standing there with his brows creased. His eyes swept slowly over her and her whole body responded. Zach’s gaze made its way back up to hers. There was a lot he wasn’t saying that he clearly wanted to say. And that thought made her tingle from head to toe.
“Hey Zach,” Thomas said. He didn’t seem so shocked at being caught standing close to her. Instead, he turned and nodded.
Zach didn’t even acknowledge Thomas. Instead, he zeroed in on Danielle. He looked confused, shocked, and…hurt. And that made her stomach twist.
“Zach, we—”
Zach held up his hand. “No need to explain. It’s okay. I heard you loud and clear a few weeks ago. I’m just here to get my date. She said she’s on her way up.” Zach walked past her, keeping his gaze on the floor in front of him.
Danielle wanted to grab his arm. She wanted to tell him that there wasn’t anything going on between her and Thomas. But she didn’t know how to say those words. She couldn’t give Zach hope that she couldn’t follow through with. If he needed her to let him go she would. It was only fair.
Danielle tried to busy herself with watching Thomas, who’d returned to his camera case, and not on the front door that Zach had just opened, or the fact that Giselle had just stepped into the room, causing all jaws to drop.
She was wearing a black dress with a plunging neckline. It was made of satin and looked as if it were sewn onto her. And suddenly Danielle felt ridiculous in her dress. Who was she kidding? This wasn’t her life. This was Zach’s life. The sooner she accepted the fact that they would never work, the better.
So she forced down the feelings of jealousy that rose up in her stomach as she watched Zach lead her through the large sliding doors into the backyard.
Once he was gone, Danielle let out the breath she’d been holding. That was hard, but in a way, freeing. She’d been trying to anticipate what it would be like to see Zach again, and she had just seen him. And survived. She could do this.
“Are you ready?” Thomas asked as he hoisted up the camera onto his shoulder and nodded toward the doors in the back. Beyond those doors, dark suited men and gorgeously dressed women could be seen walking around.
“Yes,” she whispered as she grabbed the microphone he handed her and followed after him.
With each tap of her heels on the marble floor, she chanted in her mind, I can do this. I can do this .
She could be around Zach and survive. And after tonight, she’d never have to see him again. And even though that thought made her stomach twist, she forced herself to feel hopeful. Her life could return to normal.
An hour flew by before Thomas told her he thought that they had enough footage to finish up the exposé. He said she should get some food and that he would be right back after he put away his camera.
Bucky refused to let them go until they’d eaten something and enjoyed themselves. He was a quirky but fun loving guy and Danielle could tell that the entire team loved him.
Except for Zach.
Right now, she couldn’t read him at all.
He was accommodating. Answering her questions with a flat voice and very little enthusiasm.
She could tell she’d hurt him, but she didn’t know how to fix that. He had to know that with their history, it would be stupid to try to make anything work.
Plus, Giselle looked as if she were designed for him. Like they were meant to be together, much more than she and Zach were.
Holding out hope that their relationship would work was foolish. And Danielle wasn’t a fool.
The beats of a familiar slow song started up and Danielle’s ears perked up. It was a song that had been popular growing up. One she associated with Isaac and Zach.
“Can I have this dance?” Zach’s soft, hopeful voice caused her whole body to tingle.
Turning around, Danielle parted her lips, hoping that an excuse as to why they couldn’t dance would emerge. But it didn’t. Not when his pained expression and hopeful gaze met hers.
Out of instinct, she found herself nodding. She hated that Zach was hurting right now. And she hated that she was the cause of it.
“Okay,” she whispered as she allowed him to lead her out onto the dance floor.
Her body heated as his hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. His cologne filled her senses and caused her mind to swim. She knew she should step back. She knew she needed to run away. But she couldn’t.
Because being with Zach didn’t hurt as much as not being with him. And she was tired of hurting.