Chapter 19 #2
“We used to go every summer, and I still try to go once a year if I can, but—”
Winnie breaks off as all the air sucks out of the room.
Everyone’s head turns at once, because that’s just the sort of presence Tyler has, whether he realizes it or not.
And he clearly doesn’t, as he charges hurriedly through the door, oblivious to the numerous sets of eyes studying his every move.
He only cares about one, it seems. His gaze fastens steadily on her.
Winnie swallows as he approaches. Tyler lifts his muscular, suit-clad arm and sweeps his blond hair off his forehead.
He clenches his strong jaw, offering her a look so heated thighs all across the room must clench too, hers included.
Her friends subtly back away to give them space.
His blue eyes pin her to the spot. She doesn’t even realize what he’s holding until he’s standing directly in front of her, his hand open in offering.
A golden puzzle piece sits in the center of his palm.
“Tyler, what?”
“I couldn’t stand the thought of you spending this whole party wondering, so can you just turn around and let me put this on so everyone in this fucking place will know exactly how I feel?”
Before she can respond, Nina cuts in from the doorway. “We need that again—without the language this time, Tyler. We’re on cable. Remember?”
His nostrils flare.
A smile pulls at Winnie’s cheeks.
He takes a deep breath, straightens his shoulders, and says, in a much less grumpy tone, “Winnie, will you accept this puzzle piece?”
It’s a struggle to keep the laugh out of her voice. “Of course.”
Her hair is already swept up in a styled bun thanks to Harper’s skills, so she just turns around and offers him her neck.
He reaches around her and arranges the pendant over her collarbone before securing the clasp.
His fingertips rest against her skin for a moment too long, eliciting a shiver.
As if he can’t help it, he traces the movement, trailing a path down her spine, his touch molten through the rose-gold silk of her gown.
Soft lips find the sensitive spot where her neck meets her shoulder, pressing once, then twice, his kisses like a promise of things to come.
Jealous stares slice at her from all sides, so she spins in search of a more friendly view—him.
“Just so you know,” she murmurs, fingering the puzzle piece nestled over her heart, “I wouldn’t have spent the whole party wondering.”
The left corner of his lips lifts in a half-grin. “Maybe I just wanted an excuse to touch you.”
“You don’t need one of those either.”
He settles his hands on her hips and steps closer, brushing his thumbs across the silk. “You look unbelievable.”
Thank you, Sam, she thinks, remembering how her roommate shoved this dress into her arms at the last minute.
It’s a little bolder than her usual style, a curve-hugging slip dress, nearly nude with just a hint of metallic pink, leaving no room to hide.
These days, though, it’s becoming harder to find a reason to shy away.
Just as Winnie is about to lift her arms around his neck to finish the embrace, Nina interrupts. “Tyler!”
“What?” he asks, not bothering to turn his face.
“It’s time for the welcome speech.”
He digs his fingers into Winnie’s flesh for a quick instant, sending a rush of heat through her, before stepping regretfully away. “I’ll find you later.”
He lifts her hand to his lips in parting, then winks.
Winnie doesn’t understand why, until she feels the little ball of paper he slips into her palm.
She waits until production is distracted, deep in the process of going over his speech, before turning away and unrolling the little clump. It’s a quote from Hamlet.
Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.
She clasps her hands around the note and holds it to her chest as she breathes deep, overwhelmed, not only from the words, but from the meticulous way each letter is written.
She knows Ty. She knows this wouldn’t have been easy.
She can picture the way he bent over the small table in the corner of his room, utterly focused as he carefully crafted every line, trying to make sure it was perfect for her.
And it is. It would have been perfect even if the ds had been bs, or the spelling had been jumbled, or the letters varying sizes, because no matter how he wrote it, she knows it came straight from his heart.
Winnie turns, trying to catch his gaze.
Instead, she meets hard brown eyes. Victoria glares at her from across the room, looking utterly ravishing in a fitted black sheath dress with side cutouts, the harsh angles of the dress matching those of her face. Winnie stares right back, not shying away.
Bring it, she thinks, hoping her message makes it across the room. I’m not going anywhere.
Every time Tyler singles her out, the target on her back grows bigger.
But she doesn’t care. For whatever reason, it doesn’t matter anymore.
She’s twenty-five. She’s got her dream job.
She’s got her dream guy. Tyler trusts her.
It’s time for Winnie to start trusting herself, too.
For the first time in her life, the world is her fucking oyster.
And she’s not going to let anyone bring her down.
I’m defying gravity, bitches.
She walks over to her friends, not because she’s running—because she doesn’t care enough to give Victoria another moment of her time.
The rest of the evening passes in a blur.
Winnie soaks in every moment with Ty, every moment with her friends, and she buries everything else—the judgmental looks, the whispers, the sneers.
Then she goes back to her room and packs up her things, focused on the adventure ahead instead of the baggage she’s determined to leave behind.