Chapter 10 #4
“Let’s be real though. All things considered, I’d spend every last second with my family. What about—whoa, Cara, are you okay?”
Shaking my head, I pressed my palms flat against the table and tried to steady my breathing. It was no use. My lungs refused to draw a full breath, and I swayed with dizziness.
“Oh shit. Hold on.” JJ shoved his chair back and quickly took off. A minute later, he reappeared and pressed a cool glass into my hand. “Here, drink some water. It will help.”
I did as he instructed, taking small sips in case my stomach decided to rebel. Thankfully it behaved, and by the time I finished the last drop, my nausea had faded.
“I’m sorry, Cara,” he said, hanging his head. “I don’t always think before I speak, but that…that was significantly stupid compared to my usual screwups. I swear I never meant to upset you.”
“I know.” My eyelids felt hot, and I blinked a few times to clear the building tears. “It’s not your fault. Talking about mortality doesn’t normally affect me. It’s just… I’m supposed to go in for a screening this month, and I’m terrified.”
At that moment, the band announced they would be taking a fifteen-minute break. Someone must have prepared a playlist for this exact purpose, because a slow song I didn’t recognize started playing.
JJ stood up again and adjusted his tie before holding his hand out to me. “Dance with me?”
“What about your dessert?” I asked, glancing at the untouched plate.
“That can wait.”
* * *
JJ was an excellent dancer. He spun me out and back in, smooth and confident, like we’d done this a hundred times before instead of just stepping onto the floor together.
“Wow,” I said as I found my footing again. “You’re really good at this.”
He leaned in, close enough that his lips grazing the shell of my ear. “I’m multitalented,” he whispered.
The warmth of his breath sent a shiver straight down my spine. I hated how immediate my body’s response was, how easily I forgot to be guarded when he was this close.
“And if you’re impressed with my dancing,” he continued, voice dropping, “you should see what I can do in between the shee—”
“Nooo,” I groaned, pulling back just far enough to shoot him a look. “Don’t ruin the moment.”
But it was too late.
For a few blissful minutes, I’d managed to forget everything else—our previous conversation, the weight in my chest, certain dark thoughts that clung to me no matter how hard I tried to shake them.
The instant we’d stepped onto the dance floor, people started staring.
Some of them didn’t bother to hide it. A few pointed.
One girl actually nudged her friend and whispered, no shame whatsoever.
I ignored all of it. Instead, I focused on the feel of JJ’s hand in mine, the steady pressure at my waist, the way we moved together like we’d found the same rhythm without trying. It felt easy, dangerously so.
Now the spell was broken.
“We’re having a moment?” JJ asked, sounding genuinely pleased.
“Were,” I corrected. “You ruined it with your pervy joke.”
“Can you call something a joke if it’s the truth?”
I shook my head. “You don’t know when to stop, do you?”
The corners of his mouth rose into that familiar, infuriating grin.
“I do, but my brain-to-mouth filter was broken at birth. If you haven’t already noticed, it gets me in a lot of trouble.
There are perks though. I don’t do self-conscious.
Which means I’m not afraid to say what I’m thinking.
For example—” He dipped his head slightly, eyes flickering over me in a way that made heat bloom low in my stomach.
“You look stunning in that dress tonight.”
I knew I shouldn’t entertain his flattery, but I couldn’t help it.
I felt good in this dress. Sexy, even. Midnight-blue satin hugged the few curves I had, and the slit in the side of the skirt flashed skin whenever I moved.
I’d purchased it to wear at a dance hosted by the hospital for teenage patients but had been too sick to attend.
Until tonight, there hadn’t been an opportunity to show it off.
“You clean up nice yourself,” I admitted as the song changed to something louder and more upbeat.
Instead of releasing me, JJ continued slowly swaying us, stubbornly out of sync with the rest of the floor. “Don’t sound so surprised. You’ll bruise my ego.”
“That’s not possible. I’m convinced it’s made out of titanium,” I said, trying to steer us toward our table. “C’mon. Everyone is staring.”
Just because JJ lacked the ability to feel embarrassed didn’t mean I had the same skill, and a flush was already creeping across my cheeks.
His hand tightened on my waist, easily stopping me and pulling me closer instead. “They’re jealous.”
“Mm-hmm,” I said dryly. “You’re a stud. I get it.”
“They’re jealous,” he repeated, voice lower now, “because they’re not dancing with you.”
Oh wow. That was smooth. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t let this turn into something real, but JJ was making it hard to remember why that mattered.
“God,” I said, shaking my head in amusement. “I’m in trouble, aren’t I?”
JJ winked at me. “I sure hope so.”