“Ugh.” I hiked up my gown and stalked toward the limo we were sharing with Drew and Muriel.
We went to the Ivy, a very posh and obscenely expensive restaurant, for dinner before going to the dance. As soon as we walked into the banquet hall, I immediately knew I had a big problem. The prom’s theme was winter wonderland. I hadn’t paid attention to the theme before agreeing to go with Xavier. I hadn’t planned to go, so I didn’t care what the theme was.
“Milayna? Are you okay?” I was standing in the doorway. My mouth went dry, and I couldn’t get enough oxygen. Xavier looked at me, worry lines framing his mouth. The people behind me sighed loudly, irritated that I was blocking the entrance.
“Hmm? Yeah, I’m fine.” Forcing a smile, I stepped through the door. I sucked in a breath, my hand flying to my throat before remembering I’d taken off the necklace with Chay’s ring before coming to the dance.
The banquet hall was decorated with pine trees draped in colored lights. Glass snowflakes hung from the ceiling, catching the lights like mini-prisms and sending rainbows throughout the room. It looked so much like the ice rink at the zoo where Chay gave me my promise ring that it stole my breath and a lump grew in my throat. My hands started to shake, and I could feel the sting of tears behind my eyes.
I gotta get outta here.
“Muriel? Bathroom.” I walked away.
“Is she okay?” I heard Xavier ask behind me.
“Oh, yeah, it’s just a girl thing. We always travel to the bathroom in packs.” Muriel burst through the bathroom door and hurried to me. “Vision?”
“No.”
She tilted her head. “Then what?”
“Chay.” I could feel my lip start to quiver and bit down on it hard.
“You saw him?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head.
She sighed. “Then what, Milayna?”
“He gave me the promise ring at the ice rink at the zoo.”
“And the prom’s theme is…”
“Yeah. It caught me off guard is all. I’ll be okay in a minute. It just… I wasn’t expecting it. Could you tell them I’m touching up my makeup or something stupid like that?”
“Okay, take as much time as you need.”
“Thanks, Muriel.”
I pulled myself together and rejoined Xavier minutes later, smiling like nothing was wrong while I was dying on the inside, strangled by memories of a man I couldn’t give up on, but who clearly didn’t want me.
I’m pathetic. If there was ever a real-life soap opera, I’d be a candidate. I have an angel in love with me, whom I don’t love back. A half angel I love who tried to kill me and then walked out of my life—just vanished while I wait like an idiot for his return when he’s made it clear he doesn’t want me. Yeah, I’ve got this love stuff figured out. I should start my own advice column. Sure.
Prom was my first time going out since Chay left. The first few times Xavier asked me to go to prom with him, I’d said no. But Muriel bugged me—make that nagged the crap out of me—about it so much, I finally gave in. She declared it a double date with her and Drew. I made it clear to Xavier it was a non-date, date. Friends only. He agreed and that was how we ended up at prom, in each other’s arms, swaying to a ridiculously slow love song.
Shabby apartment… rainy night
Laying my head on Xavier’s shoulder, I closed my eyes. I was getting used to the flashes of images streaming through my consciousness.
TV dinner… a far-off wail of a police car… the news playing on television.
My eyes flew open. The news was playing on television in my vision. Straining to listen to the broadcast, I was sure it was a way to locate him. If only the reporter would mention a city, we’d have somewhere to start a search. Up to that point, no one knew where to begin looking for Chay. He’d disappeared from his life without leaving a breadcrumb to follow. The news broadcast was my breadcrumb.
KHOU news…
I held my breath, waiting for a mention of a city or a state, but like so many times before, the vision failed me. They gave me small snippets, brief glimpses of his life, but nothing helpful. That vision was no different.
***
“Thank you, Xavier. I had a really nice time,” I told him when he walked me to my door after prom. It was late, my feet hurt, and I wanted to get out of my dress in the worst way. The last thing I wanted was for him to lean in and kiss me… That was what I told myself anyway.
When he leaned down, tilting his head to angle his mouth over mine, I found myself rising on my tiptoes to meet him. When his arms slid around my waist, pulling me closer, I went willingly. When his tongue tentatively touched my lips, they parted. And when the kiss ended and he pulled away, my hand fisted around his shirt front and pulled him back for another, and, for a moment, thoughts of Chay and visions vanished.
***