24. Chapter Twenty-Four
After pulling on a rainbow sweater, in honor of Evie's newest favorite color, I give Winston a kiss goodbye on the top of his head and make my way into the kitchen.
“It’s time to go support our girl.” I grab the floral arrangement from the kitchen table and smile at my three best friends. “Thanks for arranging this, Shay. It’s beautiful.”
“Only the best for Evie. Besides, every dancer deserves a bouquet after their recital.” Shayna grabs her car keys from the hook. “Now, everyone get in Daisy Mae before we’re late.”
We pile into her lipstick-red SUV, lovingly named after one of Shayna’s favorite Taylor Swift songs. She puts on her Taylor playlist but turns the volume down as Mallory and Alyssa turn to face me. Shayna eyes me in the rearview mirror.
I raise my eyebrows, looking between my friends. “What’s going on?”
“This is our first night all together since your date last weekend. We want to hear your happies from the week,” Alyssa says with a knowing smile.
“What, no crappies?”
“Oh, please.” Mallory rolls her eyes. “You haven’t been able to wipe the smile off your face all week.”
“Was it the perfect date?” Shayna glances back at me once she pulls to a stop at a red light.
“I suppose it was.” I’ve never thought about my perfect date. But if I were hooked up to a lie detector test and forced to answer what it was, I’d describe my date with Tyler in detail—volunteering at a dog shelter and spending the rest of the evening eating good food.
I tell my roommates all the details, smiling as I reflect on our day together.
“It’s sweet how well he knows you.” Shayna sighs. “I want to check out that burger truck. It sounds amazing.”
I nod. “We should go for our next girls' night. I’ve been dreaming about it every day since.”
“Have you been dreaming of his lips too?” Mallory puckers. I gently shove her arm.
“Wait, did he kiss you?” Alyssa doesn’t look the slightest bit ashamed by her nosy question.
“Maybe.” I dip my head, blushing as they hoot and holler.
“Was it everything you ever dreamed of?”
“Do his arms feel as muscular as they look?”
Alyssa and Shayna ask questions at the same time while Mallory sits silently beside me, her lips tilted up in a smirk.
“I’m not usually one to kiss and tell, but yes, it was very dreamy, and his whole body is as muscular as it looks.” I fan my face. “He lifted me and put me on the counter.”
Alyssa pauses the music. “On the counter? Where exactly did this kiss happen?”
“That was our first kiss. It was, uh, in the broom closet at Sunrise Springs.”
“ First kiss?” Shayna squeals. “As in, there’s been more than one?”
“Did you just say it was in a broom closet at your job?” Alyssa turns around to face me.
“Yes to all of the above.” I hold the back of my hands to my warm cheeks. “We might’ve kissed again behind the dog shelter and another time when he walked me to the door.”
Alyssa claps. Shayna giggles in delight. Mallory nudges my elbow and asks, “Are y’all officially a thing?”
I’m shocked that she’s the one to dig in with a question about my romantic life. Especially since she’s sworn off romance since some guy—whom she makes us call the-man-who-must-not-be-named or hot cocoa man—took her on the best date of her life and then ghosted her.
Shayna parks in the packed lot of the school where the dance recital is taking place. The car is silent as my friends wait for my response.
“We haven’t defined the relationship yet. It was only one date.” I drop my voice to a whisper, saying words that both terrify and excite me all at once. “But I think I’d like for there to be more.”
Alyssa and Shayna grab each other’s hands, squealing happily for me.
Mallory’s face remains completely serious as she says, “If he breaks your heart, I’ll cut off his—” She cuts herself off with a shrug. “Well, you know.”
We get out of the car, and Shayna grabs the bouquet from my hands. Next thing I know, I’m in the middle of a giant group hug.
“I love y’all for evermore .”
“For evermore ,” they echo.
We pull back enough to cross our arms, making hand hearts with each other in a circle. These girls right here are my family, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Once we’re back inside, I glance around the space, trying to find Tyler. When I finally spot him, he’s kneeling on the ground, hugging Evie in his manly arms.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell my friends. When I reach Tyler and Evie, she immediately jumps from his arms into mine, sniffling quietly. I shoot him a questioning look, but he goes wide-eyed and shrugs. Well, he’s no help.
I crouch down to her level. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m nervous that I’m going to mess up during my solo.”
I run my hands up and down her arms. “Evie, you are so dedicated and talented. You’ve practiced every day for weeks; you know that dance inside and out. If you’re on stage and you forget a step, that’s okay because some of the best things in life aren’t perfect.”
She hiccups. “Like what?”
“Winston, for one.” I blow out a dramatic breath. “He accidentally knocks things over with his wagging tail all the time because he’s not perfect. But he’s still the best, right?”
Evie nods her little head. “He’s my bestest friend.”
I smile. “And what about s’mores?”
“They’re messy and get stuck all over my fingers.” Evie purses her lips.
“But they still taste delicious, even though they’re not perfect.”
Evie looks thoughtful. “So, even if my dance isn’t perfect, you think it will still be beautiful?”
“Exactly.” I give her what I hope is a comforting and encouraging hug, trying to instill all the confidence I have in her.
My eyes find Tyler over the top of her head just as he’s wiping away tears from his cheeks. Seeing the genuine emotion from him stirs up feelings in my heart that scare the daylights out of me, but I’m not sure I could stop them now if I tried. He smiles softly at me, and I return the gesture.
Releasing my hold on Evie, I nudge her arm. “But you know what?”
“What?”
“I know you’re going to crush it.” I reach my hand out in a fist, and she bumps it with hers, a small smile returning to her tear-streaked face.
A woman’s voice comes over the speaker system. “We need all dancers backstage. I repeat, all dancers are needed backstage. Thank you.”
I give her one last hug. “It’s your time to shine, Evie girl.”
All of my friends are suddenly around us, and Evie’s grin widens. “You’re all here!”
“You’re family. Of course we’re here.” Shayna smiles.
Evie walks down the line, giving each of my besties a high-five.
“I saved us seats in the fourth row. I’ll meet you there,” Tyler says before taking her backstage.
My friends start heading into the auditorium. Shayna turns around when she realizes I’m not following them. “Are you coming?”
I shake my head. “I’ll meet you in there.”
“Have fun with your boyfriend .” Shayna giggles.
“Yeah, she will.” Alyssa wiggles her shoulders and hips.
“He’s not my boyfriend. I just want to say hi.”
“If by ‘say hi’ you mean suck face,” Mallory deadpans.
“Y’all are the worst.”
“You know you love us,” Shayna calls back over her shoulder with a wink.
She’s not wrong. They’re my family—the girls who have stuck by my side through thick and thin, and I don’t know what I’d do without them.
A few minutes later, I’m looking at the artwork in the lobby when arms snake around my waist, making me gasp. Not because I don’t know who it is, but because Tyler’s touch has a visceral effect on me every time.
He spins me around and presses a kiss to my lips. It’s gentle but filled with so much feeling. When he pulls back, his eyes are a sea of emotion, tears pooled at the corners. He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t need to. With that tender kiss and the warm way he’s gazing into my eyes, I can see how much he cherishes me.
Tyler shoots me an affectionate smile—one reserved for me—and leads me into the auditorium down to the row where Alyssa, Mallory, and Shayna are already seated. We scoot past them, and Tyler removes his jacket from the seats he was saving for us. I sit next to Shay, and Tyler takes the open seat beside me.
We shout our praise for Evie after she participates in her group ballet and hip-hop dances. When it comes time for her jazz solo, I move to the edge of my seat, wringing my hands together.
Shayna discreetly pulls out her phone to record it so Tyler can send it to his sister. I’m sure she’s sad about missing this big moment.
The music starts, and Evie hits her opening steps like a seasoned pro. She moves effortlessly across the dance floor, executing all the moves to perfection, her personality written all across her face.
In the middle of her solo, Tyler reaches over and grabs my hand, squeezing it so tightly that I fear I might lose blood circulation. I think he might be even more nervous than Evie, but it shows how much he truly cares about her happiness. I guess that’s what love does—it makes you feel so much more.
As we sit holding hands and watching his niece perform her solo, my heart feels close to overflowing. I’ve never experienced so many emotions at once before. I’ve been closed off for years to everyone but my besties, never allowing myself to get close enough to someone to risk getting in the way of pursuing my dreams—or getting hurt.
Evie finishes her dance with a slow curtsy. The whole auditorium is silent as the music fades. Once the crowd starts to applaud, our row erupts into cheers like we’re her personal cheerleaders.
I glance over at Tyler, surprised to find tears streaming down his cheeks and a smile on his lips. Seeing how proud he is of his niece and how much he cares tugs at my heart.
He looks over at me and wipes his eyes, shooting me a goofy smile and squeezing my hand like he’s thanking me for being there with him. He pulls me in for one quick, hard kiss that sends me into a daze.
With my heart pounding and mind reeling, I wonder if it’s all worth it. If opening myself up to let someone in—if opening myself up to love someone and be loved in return—is worth the risk.
Right now, I’m feeling like it might be.