Chapter 40
Daniela
This is the kind of auntie moment I live for.
Dex and I are at a quiet corner table with Jackson, who is having a crisis.
Apparently, he has a crush on Carly’s daughter. I don’t want to break his little heart, but a three-year age difference is a big deal in little kid years. Her daughter, Jessica, is Ten. He’s seven.
Jackson, being the insanely brave seven-year-old that he is, wants to ask her to dance, but he’s not sure he should. How a seven-year-old boy is so interested in asking a girl to dance is beyond me. Most of my eighth graders aren’t as mature as he is .
“Aren’t you boys supposed to think girls have cooties at this age?” I ask him.
He gives me a look as if I’m being preposterous. “Cooties aren’t real, Daniela.”
“Then go ask her for that dance. The worst that can happen is she says no.”
“What?” Dex interjects, whipping his head toward me. “That’s a terrible idea. Don’t do it, dude.”
“And why not?” I ask Dex.
“What if she says no?” he asks.
“What if she doesn’t?” I counter.
“You—” he stops himself, shaking his head at me, grinning.
“I’m going to do it,” Jackson cuts in, standing up with a brave face on.
“Go get her, killer.” I holler after the little guy.
“You’re going to get his little heart broken,” Dex chastises me, but he’s still smiling.
“Why are you being such a pessimist? Have you ever thought that maybe she’ll say yes?”
“No.” He shakes his head, side-eyeing me. “I didn’t.”
Then he grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze. It tugs at my heartstrings.
We watch Jackson in silence as he paces around the dance floor, looking for his crush.
Dex lets out a sigh. “I hope my kid is half as cool as him one day. ”
My stomach drops, and I suddenly feel like I need to get a drink. I let go of his hand.
“I’ll be back,” I tell him, barely looking his way.
I head to the bar and toss back a shot. And then another.
A few people come up to me to chat, but none of them are Dex. He’s probably pissed at me for running away like a coward again.
I don’t want to be a buzzkill at my best friend’s wedding that I helped her prepare for all summer, so I try to suck it up and join back in.
I pull Carly away from her boyfriend for a dance, leaving him standing there alone with a pouty face.
“Sorry, babe,” Carly hollers back to him, only a hint of pity in her voice. “Ladies first.”
He seems to take it well, standing off to the side to watch as we laugh and spin around a few times. It’s hard to tell with him, though. He’s so quiet.
Honestly, I can’t even recall his name right now.
After Carly returns to her nameless boyfriend, I dance a little more with the crowd, still avoiding Dex, but I don’t enjoy it. I hate myself for it right now.
The crowd starts to thin out, and things are winding down.
I start to feel dizzy, so I stumble over to the side yard and flop down onto a patch of fake grass.
Why? I don’t know.
It looks refreshing .
I was right. It feels cool on my skin as I take a seat. I tuck my head between my legs, trying to stop the dizziness. It only makes it worse. I lift my head back up, and tears are streaming down my cheeks.
Damn it.
Things were going so well. What is wrong with me?
“Dani?” Dex walks over to me, concern in his expression. He’s studying my face as I try to subtly wipe at my cheeks. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry.”
“What’s going on?” He’s squatting down in front of me, his elbows on his knees, looking as beautiful as ever.
“Nothing…” I say.
“Oh god,” I hear a voice as two people walk by us. “What a hot mess.”
Dex whips his head back to look. Marny is staring at me as she walks by.
He stands up and takes two angry steps toward her.
“Get the fuck out of here, Marny. Seriously.” His tone is deep and vicious.
I’ve never heard him like that before. She shrivels under his stare as he points toward the parking lot.
She scurries off with a friend, speechless.
He crouches down again, grabbing my face to look in my eyes. He looks pissed, but there’s a hint of tenderness there, too. “You’re okay.”
I nod, then hang my head in between my legs again. I don’t want to hurt him. I hate this situation I’ve dug myself into. But it’s been so long, I don’t know how to tell him at this point. And things between us are going…good.
“I’ll be right back,” I hear him say. I don’t look up until I hear him return a minute later.
“Here.” I look up and he’s handing me a water bottle with the cap already off. I take it and chug.
“This feels familiar.” I force a chuckle. “You’re taking care of me once again.”
He doesn’t laugh.
I let out a heavy sigh. “I can’t keep doing this.”
“What do you mean?” His brows are knitted in concern.
“It’s complicated—” I start, but my attention turns to the backyard, where I hear the DJ announcing that it’s time for the bride and groom’s send-off.
We look at each other, so many things still unspoken between us.
“Come on,” he says, reaching his hand out to me.
I take it and let him pull me up. The movement makes me light-headed for a brief moment, and I take a second to balance myself.
“You good?”
“Yeah. I’m okay.”
He tucks my arm in his and leads me back.
The remaining guests line up to send Liam and Layla off with applause. They’re both beaming. Layla looks wasted .
A car waits to take them to a hotel for the night, and tomorrow they leave for their honeymoon to Italy. Liam’s parents are staying at the house with Jackson. I had planned to stay one more night and leave tomorrow, which is something that also hasn’t come up with Dex yet.
Dex turns and looks down at me with a dark expression. “Come home with me. We’ll talk.” The expression softens slightly as he studies my face.
“What? You still want me—”
“You’re keeping something from me, and I want to know what it is.” He stares at me, daring me to contradict him.
I simply nod.
He turns and looks away as he leads me out of there.