18. Sparkling Night
18
Sparkling Night
A lexa stared at the beauty her sister had transformed her into, staring back from the mirror. She haven’t had a serious makeover or dressed up in the past few months, so her reflection looked almost foreign to her.
Her floor-length gown mirrored the deep hues of the night sky, a rich navy blue, clinging elegantly to her figure before cascading into a flowy skirt. Delicate lace adorned the bodice and the gown’s fitted silhouette accentuated her curves. The off-shoulder neckline revealed a subtle glimpse of her collarbones, where a silver chain with blue stones replaced her cross pendant.
Cassie curled her hair into gentle waves, pinning them in twists to the side of her head, and let the rest cascade over her shoulder .
“Aw, look at you, Alexa.” Cassie rested her chin on her shoulder from behind. “Dressed up for prom.”
“As if this is my first time.” Alexa forced her eyes to roll.
Last year, an upper-class student invited her to go with him, then asked her out on a date, which provoked Jude to jealousy. That had led to their first kiss and then a relationship.
She clenched her jaw at the memory and tried not to think about it.
“No, but I thought you might not want to attend this year. That’s when Tristan happened.” Cassie smiled at her wistfully in the mirror. “He’s brought back the old you, minus the blushing machine— ouch! ” She jerked back with a laugh as Alexa nudged her in the ribs playfully. “You can’t deny I’m right! See, you’re blushing now.”
Alexa narrowed her eyes at her sister’s laughing reflection. “I’ll get this back at you when you and John are finally together.”
Cassie blushed crimson and Alexa laughed in triumph. “We—Alexa, I told you he’s being just a good friend to me, as always.”
“Oh, come on Cass, I wasn’t born yesterday.” She enjoyed teasing her sister about John too much, as she always had, before Brandon stepped in. Now it felt like they were back to the old times when Cassie still harbored a crush for her best friend and told no one but her loyal little sister about it. But of course, being loyal didn’t mean Alexa wouldn’t tease her sister mercilessly every opportunity she got. “I’m still waiting for your first kiss with him. ”
Cassie’s face turned scarlet if possible, and Alexa doubled over. “You little twit, I won’t tell you if it happens one day.”
“Oh, please, that’s old news, Cass. Couldn’t you come up with something new and more creative?”
“Is that a challenge?”
She smirked. “We both know I’m the first one you turn to if your biggest dream is fulfilled.”
Cassie rolled her eyes.
“See, you’re not protesting!” She pointed out gleefully, this time earning a coy smile from Cassie instead of another glare.
“Fine. I never stopped loving him.” Cassie held up her palms in surrender and sighed. “I didn’t realize it when I was still with Brandon.” Her mouth twisted saying his name. “But now that Brandon’s out of my life, I realize I feel for John the same as I’ve always felt. And with the way he’s been attentive toward me, I can see glimpses of his restrained feelings too. But, I’m not going to rush us. We’ll take it slowly.”
Alexa tilted her head and smiled at her sister sweetly. “I’m so happy for you Cass.”
“As am I for you.” Cassie took her hands in hers. “Tristan is a sweet boy with a wonderful personality. I’m so glad you have him. In all my life, I’ve never seen so much light and life in you.”
“That’s what Mom said too,” Alexa whispered.
“As if she knows you like I do.” Cassie pressed her lips together in a disapproving way. She opened her mouth to continue but clamped it shut as the intercom buzzed. “That’s either John or your prince Charming. ”
“You meant to say, ‘ that’s either my prince Charming or yours ’?”
Cassie groaned, trying and failing to suppress her smile. “You’re grating on my nerves, you know that?”
“I love you too, sis!” Alexa called after her with a laugh. She turned back to her mirror and took a deep breath, closing her eyes.
If it was Tristan…
Her heart raced imagining him in a tuxedo and his reaction when he saw her.
Or perhaps it was John. He had promised Cassie a friends’ movie night. Either way, Tristan would be here any moment.
She opened her eyes and—
“Mirror, mirror, on the vanity—” said her favorite voice from behind.
She gasped and spun on her heels, but he was nowhere in sight. Before she could groan and ask really, his familiar hands clasped on her bare shoulders and pivoted her back to the mirror.
“—who is the fairest of them all?”
Alexa spluttered a laugh. “Really?”
“Alexandra Ford,” he continued, unbothered by her interruption, and dropped his voice in a husky murmur, “is the fairest of them all.”
She held her breath as his minty breath tickled her neck, the heat of his presence wrapping around her like a blanket. His hands slid down her arms slowly, leaving behind a fiery trail in their wake, reaching her fingertips and withdrawing with obvious hesitance.
Alexa composed herself from the daze and reached behind for him, but her hands brushed with the air instead. She spun around and reached again, but he wasn’t there.
“Tristan?” she called breathlessly.
The intercom buzzed again. Her heart escalated. This time, she was sure it was him. Grabbing the boutonniere she bought for him and closing the balcony door, she hurried out of the room. As she paused at the top of the stairs to take a deep breath, Cassie’s voice floated up to her.
“Alexa, Tristan is here!”
“I’m coming!” she called back, still breathless. She took another deep breath to calm the rapid beat of her heart and walked down the stairs as elegantly as she could, like the female leads in her movies and books. When the foyer came into view, all the breath left her lungs in a whoosh.
Tristan stood at the foot of the stairs, wearing a black tuxedo with a sleek black shirt underneath it, unbuttoned at the collar. Of course, he wouldn’t be Tristan if his attire wasn’t black. His hair was in its perfect hero-hairstyle as always, and in his hand, he held her corsage.
The world around her faded as her gaze locked onto his electric-blue eyes. The way he looked at her made Alexa forget everything else—time, worries, and insecurities. The admiration in his eyes made her feel like her life was suddenly a fairytale, making her feel more beautiful than she already felt she was.
As if, she was the protagonist in her own storybook.
Her favorite crooked grin rose on his lips, and Alexa smiled back. She gripped the banister for support and climbed down to him .
“May I?” She held up the boutonniere as she stopped in front of him. At Tristan’s wordless nod, she pinned it to his coat, just above where the pocket would be. “There.”
Tristan grabbed her wrist gently and held up the corsage in the other, his eyebrow raising as he sought permission in return. “May I?”
Alexa nodded wordlessly like he had, and he wrapped the navy-blue corsage around her wrist. When he was done, he cradled her hand in both of his and met her eyes with a smile before turning to Cassie and John.
Cassie and John. Alexa flushed as she realized they were there, witnessing the exchanges between them.
John chuckled and whistled. “Goodness, Lexi, I can hardly remember the last time I saw you blush.” He tapped his thin, pretending to think. “Have I ever seen you blush though?”
Cassie nudged him on the ribs. “Oh, hush,” she admonished him playfully.
John chuckled again, and then his face grew sincere. “You look lovely, Lex. Can I have a hug?”
Alexa melted, like she always did at his big-brother persona, and left Tristan’s side to him. John wrapped his arms around her loosely, unlike his squeezing bear hugs, like he feared wrinkling her dress or messing her hair.
“Have a great night, little bug.”
She smiled against his shirt at the old endearment. “Thank you, Jonny.”
He winced at the nickname, and she gave him a squeeze, pulling back to look at him, her eyes laughing .
He merely flashed a grin and looked over her head at Tristan. His expression turned somber and sincere again. “Take care of her.” It was an order.
Alexa turned to look at Tristan as he lifted his chin and said, “With my life.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Cassie said and pulled Alexa into her arms. “Enjoy your night you two.” She released her and smiled.
“Likewise.” Alexa winked at her sister and stepped back to Tristan’s side, looping her arm through his. “Shall we leave?”
“Of course.”
This night is going to sparkle, she told herself as they walked out.
* * *
Alexa accepted Tristan’s arm as she stepped out of his car in the parking lot. The soft glow of the prom venue illuminated the surroundings, and the distant sounds of laughter and music floated to them from the building where the celebration was taking place.
Tristan led her through the red carpet that stretched toward the grand entrance adorned with twinkling fairy lights. Inside, the spacious hall was adorned with decorations in the school colors, with chairs and tables arranged around the room and a polished dance floor in the middle where the couples twirled.
Alexa spotted Daphne in her black gown, dancing with her date. She waved as Daphne turned and saw her. Her best friend brightened and waved back. The motion grabbed her date’s attention and he followed her gaze, smiling friendly at Alexa and then looking at Tristan from head to toe.
She turned to Tristan. “I think you’re going to be in the spotlight tonight.”
He winked and leaned over to speak over the music. “I don’t mind as long as you’re standing next to me.”
She gave his arm a squeeze and looked around until she spotted a certain curtained corner. “Let’s go to the photobooth. There!”
Alexa dragged him around the dance floor and entered the booth. They captured a lot of cute and memorable pictures together, showcasing their outfits and infectious smiles. When they emerged, she was strangely animated.
“Do you know how to dance?” She turned to him, hoping his answer would be yes.
“No.” Tristan smiled crookedly. “But I would never turn down the chance to dance with you.”
“Aw, Tristan, aren’t you the sweetest? Don’t tempt me into biting you.” The words escaped her before she could check them.
But it was too late. Tristan’s eyes smoldered. He leaned down to her ear. “Bite me and I’ll bite you back.”
“Will you?” she asked breathlessly.
“You’ll have to find out.” He leaned back and met her gaze. “Now, will you honor me with this dance, my beautiful Alexa?”
She blushed. Oh, stupid, stupid blushes! She placed her hand in his and let him lead her to the dance floor. They found their place among the twirling couples. Familiar faces smiled at her and their eyebrows rose in question when they saw Tristan. She mouthed to them saying, boyfriend.
Tristan rested his hand on the small of her back and Alexa placed hers on his shoulder. They danced away in each other’s arms song after song, the tension slowly easing into teasing smiles and laughter. As the current song reached its pinnacle, Tristan dipped her in a graceful arc.
Their eyes met; his smoldering and hers slightly wide. When the final notes faded away, he straightened them slowly, their faces only inches apart.
Alexa held him a little tighter and realized she wasn’t the only one. Tristan’s fingers began tracing delicate patterns along her back, sending a cascade of shivers down her spine.
“Your ex is glaring.”
“Hush, you’re all I want to think about now.”
Tristan grinned and brushed his nose to hers. He opened his mouth to say something when the next song began, with a familiar melody. By the way his eyes lit up, she realized he knew it too.
A Thousand Years.
“It’s my favorite, thanks to you.”
“Me?” she asked, taken aback.
Tristan nodded, swaying them to the song. “I heard you sing this one day before we crossed paths, and I liked it instantly. I looked up its name on the internet, and it has been in my daily playlist since. Soon, it became my favorite.”
“Can I ask why?” she asked, transfixed in his gaze, even though she already guessed his answer .
He smiled gently, confirming her thoughts. “I feel like the song is about you and me, from my point of view.”
“How?”
He leaned to her ear and murmured, “Listen.”
The day we met, frozen I held my breath, right from the start I knew that I found a home for my heart beats fast…
Alexa’s heart escalated. Immense warmth filled her chest unlike the hundred other times she’d listened to this song and sang it. Her feelings stirred, and he was right; every line felt like it was written in his point of view.
He fell first and hard, he knew she was someone special for him from the start although he dreaded the exposure of his secrecy. But when she leapt from the bridge, all his doubts and fears disappeared into the thin air.
When the chorus began, Tristan leaned back to look at her. The love shimmering in his breathtaking blue eyes made her feel inside out, the passion and longing emanating from him wrapped around her like a magical blanket.
Of course. He had, in a sense, died every day waiting for her, and had loved her before she ever knew him.
The next stanza began, and to her surprise, Tristan sang along, his gaze growing intense with each line.
“Time stands still, beauty in all she is, I will be brave, I will not let anything take away what’s standing in front of me, every breath, every hour has come to this.”
One step closer …
Alexa’s heart was set on fire. She didn’t wait another moment to bridge the gap between their lips and kiss him.
Tristan froze against her mouth. His fingers stilled on her back and their dance stopped. His lips were as soft and sweet as she had imagined, but the fire ignited in her bloodstream at the contact was beyond her wildest dreams.
She began pulling away, but then, Tristan stirred and captured her lips in a searing kiss. The fire intensified. Alexa slid her hand from his shoulder to his collar, gripping it and pulling him closer. Tristan groaned into the kiss, and pleasure rippled through her. She pulled away from him. They had to get out of here.
“Take us out of here,” she said breathily as he pressed his forehead to hers.
Tristan didn’t waste another second. He turned and led her through the crowd. Alexa scanned their surroundings as they stepped outside. Seeing no one around, she tugged at their joined hands to stop him. He turned and she stepped close to him, staring at his wet lips after a brief glance at his darkened eyes.
“No second thoughts?” he asked huskily, cupping a side of her face.
“None,” she murmured back, and his lips met hers.
Their lips moved in an urgent dance. Perfection. It was utter perfection. Electric waves, fireworks, butterflies… it was everything Alexa had imagined true love’s kiss to feel like. She burrowed her fingers into his hair and he groaned, giving her a thrill of satisfaction.
Somewhere between the kiss, Tristan teleported them to the parking lot. Alexa didn’t register it until he pressed her back against a car. For someone who had never kissed before, Tristan kissed her like an expert. His hands caressed the curves of her waist and her fingers traced the contours of his face, the race of her heart matching the tempo of their shared breaths.
Tristan’s lips left hers and kissed along her jaw, down her neck and back to meet her lips again, leaving a trail of fire on her skin. The world around them ceased to exist, the distant sounds of prom all drowned out.
When they finally pulled away, flushed and breathless, she locked her gaze with him in a shared realization of their profound moment. A smile played on Tristan’s lips as he brushed a strand of hair away from her face. The electricity of the kiss lingered in the air, rendering her speechless with their intertwined breaths for a moment.
“Are you okay?” Tristan whispered, breaking the silence, his fingers tracing the curve of her cheek.
Alexa grinned, tainted with a blush. “I’m more than okay.”
“I’ve dreamed of this moment time and time, but in none of them have you taken the first move.”
“You did say you’d bite me back if I bite you.”
“Oh, Alexa.” He leaned down with a sigh and nestled into the crook of her neck. “My beautiful, wonderful Alexandra.”
She sighed and tipped her head to the star-studded sky, beaming with closed eyes. “I love how you say my full name.”
“You used to hate it, didn’t you?” he murmured against her neck, his tickling breath making her shiver. She clutched onto the collar of his shirt and hummed in response, too dazed to speak. Tristan chuckled softly. “I’m affecting you, am I not?”
“Very much,” she whispered. “And I like it.”
“You like it?”
“I love it,” she corrected herself.
Tristan smiled against her neck and kissed it. “So, you love it when I call you Alexandra?”
“Yeah.”
“And you resent it when others call you that.”
She hummed.
Tristan copied her hum. “I was actually planning to call you Lexa because I’ve never heard anyone call you that before, but I guess I’ll go with Alexandra.”
“You can call me anything you like,” Alexa said, running her fingers through his thick hair.
“Anything? Can I call you Lexampkin then?”
She sensed his teasing grin and pushed him away playfully, laughing. “No! Whatever that is.”
Tristan chuckled with her, his eyes mischievous, tender, and laughing. He cupped her face and pressed his forehead to hers. “Guess I can’t call you anything, after all.” His thumb traced her wide smile. “I’m curious. What’s with that smile?”
Alexa tilted her head, not breaking the contact of their foreheads. “I’ve never felt so happy before.” She sighed. “I feel… ecstatic.”
Tristan closed his eyes, as if he was soaking in the warmth of her confession. “You make me the happiest man alive, Alexandra Ford.”
Alexa traced her fingertips around his eyes, smiling as he smiled against her touch. She ignored the rapid beat of her heart and pressed forward the question burning in her mind.
“Do you… do you think we were meant to meet?”
Tristan opened his eyes. “There’s nothing else I believe more than that,” he said and kissed her soft and sweet.
Alexa smiled against his lips, and returned the favor, her heart full and light, soaring to the clouds. At that moment, she knew it. He had her heart. And there was no one she’d rather trust with it than him, to keep it safe, cherished, and treasured.
This night was indeed sparkling.