He blinked.
“I was too wrapped up in someone else to do that...But that someone else has clearly moved on, so maybe tonight I should go ahead and—”
“Stacy is just a friend.”
“You two look like a lot more than friends...Friends don’t put their arms around each other or play around like you two have been doing.”
He rolled his eyes. “She’s just a friend.” He placed my arms around his neck again and picked up the dance where we left off. “Of all the men you could’ve dated after me, you chose Damien Edwards?”
“I didn’t know I needed your approval for whoever I choose to date.”
“Seeing as though you were only supposed to be dating me, I’m sure you can see why I would be upset with your poor decision-making skills. You can do a lot better than him.”
“Taking dating advice from an ex-boyfriend? How appropriate.”
“I never did get a chance to buy you that thesaurus...” He tugged at the bow on the back of my gown. “Does your new boyfriend know that I bought you this dress?”
“He doesn’t know about you at all.”
He twirled me around. “Does he make you happy?
I didn’t say anything. I continued dancing with him, trying to read his eyes and force the words I wanted to say out of my mouth. “I’m...I’m sorry that I left you, Jonathan.”
He stopped moving. “Excuse me?”
“I’m sorry that I left you...”
He sighed and twirled me again, not saying anything in response. He kept swaying me to the beat, acting as if I hadn’t said anything important.
I felt tears welling in my eyes and jerked out of his arms. “You don’t believe me? I really am sorry...I didn’t mean to hurt—”
“You did. You left me for a bullshit reason and you never even tried to explain what had been going on between you and my mother.” His eyes turned to slits. “And the next time I happen to see you, you’re wrapped up in my competitor’s arms and his tongue is ten feet down your throat. You saying ‘I’m sorry’ is supposed to fix that? I haven’t been able to think about another woman, let alone date one since you left me. Yet, here you are with Damien Edwards, damn near having sex on the beach.”
“It’s not what you think...” I tried not to cry. “I was wishing he was you the entire time.”
“So you did f**k him?” He hissed. “Because if he were me, that’s exactly what you would be doing.”
“No...”
He rolled his eyes. “It took everything I had not to drag you out of that room at the opening ball, Claire. You’re lucky some of my investors are here because if they weren’t, I swear to God I would’ve grabbed you by your—”
“Jonathan—”
“Your nerve is un-fucking-believable. If I wasn’t so angry with you, I’d f**k you right here so you could feel exactly how—”
“I love you, Jonathan.” I leaned forward and pressed my finger against his lips. “I don’t have any feelings for Damien and I don’t want to be with him. I’m only using him to get over you, and I am sorry for leaving...I really am...I don’t expect me saying that to magically erase what I did, but it’s the truth.”
He was silent for a while. “Why did you come here with him at all? You knew there was a chance that I would be here.”
“I didn’t...”
“What’s your excuse for kissing him in front of me then? You knew damn well that I was watching you...”
“I was mad at you for letting Stacy get that close to you. I wanted to make you jealous...”
“I was already jealous...” He clasped my hands and started to dance with me again, staring into my eyes. As we moved across the floor, he rubbed the small of my back and sighed. “How are Ashley and Caroline?”
“They’re doing okay...Caroline has a boyfriend now, and Ashley’s currently grounded for taking my car without permission. I actually enjoyed having her home this past weekend. She helped keep my mind off—”
“Me?”
I nodded. “I’ve missed you so much...I don’t know what I have to do to make you believe me but—”
“Prove it...”
“Fine,” I whispered. “Kiss me.”
“In public?” His eyes lit up. He looked like he couldn’t believe the words I’d just said. “Just because I’m about to kiss you doesn’t change how angry I am.” He smiled as he pulled me closer. “You’ve pushed me to a limit that I didn’t even know I had.”
“I didn’t realize how much you meant to me, Jonathan.” My lips were inches away from his now. “Can we leave right now? We can disappear before Damien gets back and before the lights go up so people won’t know what’s going on. I just want to be with you and—”
“Three. Fucking. Months.” He dropped his arms from around me and stepped back.
What? “I—”