‘You can salsa?’
‘Um, no – but I’ve always wanted to learn,’ I said, starting to realise how silly I sounded.
His eyes lit up. ‘Just when I thought you couldn’t surprise me.’
I held my breath, thinking he might just decide to come along. But as I watched, he glanced around the room and his eyes dropped.
‘You’re not going as a group, Vi, and we both know it. Anyway, it’s not a good idea despite how much I’d like it to be.’ And with that, he shut down and the walls came up. Typical Linc.
And typical me, I bristled, retrieving my hand suddenly and stepping away.
Spence chose that moment to reappear, carrying a tray of shot glasses.
‘Time to get this party started, Eden.’ He glanced over his shoulder nervously. ‘And preferably before Dapper comes back!’
Around me, everyone was smiling and tossing back their drinks. I glanced at Lincoln. He watched on, unimpressed.
I grabbed a glass and threw back the shot.
‘Cars are here!’ Steph called out.
Spence tilted the tray, holding a final glass in Lincoln’s direction. Lincoln simply shook his head. Without delay, and just because it all hurt and I needed to take it out on him, I grabbed his shot off the tray and gulped it down, ignoring the burn in my throat as I smiled.
‘Waste not want not,’ I said with a shrug before turning tail and heading for the door.
CHAPTER FOUR
‘Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve …?’
Hebrews 1:14
Two hours and a couple of spiked cups of punch later, I escaped the dance floor to get some fresh air.
Everyone was buzzing, laughing at the dorky dance moves of Steph and Salvatore and at Lydia Skilton trying desperately to grope Spence – not that he minded. Jase and I danced along with Zoe and the others until finally I managed to slip away, hoping to give Zoe a chance for some one-on-one time with Jase.
I slipped out the sliding doors of our school-hall-turnedballroom and onto the small balcony. The truth was, the night was kind of a let-down. Not what I’d imagined in all the lead-up school years and, in the grand scheme of things, less important, too.
Once I was alone, I let my facade slip. My smile fell away and the loneliness I usually kept at bay rose to the surface. As soon as I opened myself up, I sensed him. And realised just how close he was.
I straightened and walked back to the doors, looking into the ballroom. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him, standing just inside the entry, wearing a suit and open-necked shirt. There was something about the way he filled a suit – something that made me think it was the original reason for their creation. But suit-genetics only favoured the few. His hair was ruffled, light brown with golden streaks, his full lips were parted just enough, his golden-brown skin screamed to be touched and, best of all, his wickedly enticing green eyes looked right into mine.
He’s here.
My heart skipped another beat and I wanted to run, or leap into his arms, something. But instead, I found myself walking slowly towards him as he glided closer to me, hands in pockets. It felt like the entire room fell away and it was just us, staring at each other, inches apart, my soul crying out for his. I narrowed my eyes and put my hands on my hips.
‘Why are you here?’
He winced. ‘You’re slurring.’
‘Choose to ignore it and answer the question.’
He considered for a moment then nodded, as if coming to a decision. ‘Three reasons. One,’ he glanced in Jase’s direction, who was standing at the edge of the dance floor chatting with Zoe, his eyes on us, ‘to keep his hands off you in that dress. Two, the last time I let you walk out of a room without telling you how beautiful you looked, I ended up fishing you out of a volcano and you left before I could tell you …’ he swallowed, looking me up and down. ‘You look stunning.’ His eyes bored into mine, silence stretching until he blinked back to awareness. ‘And three,’ he smiled devilishly, ‘if you’re going to have fun and salsa with anyone, it’d better be with me.’ His look slipped into something more basic, more predatory and decidedly like … a challenge.
Holy Hell. What has got into him?
My mouth was dry. I was cemented in a deer-caught-inheadlights moment when Jase strolled up, clearly unhappy at Lincoln’s arrival.
‘Everything okay, Vi?’
I looked at him, eyes wide, mouth agape.
What to say, what to say …
But Lincoln spoke first, putting his hand up to stop me. ‘Jase, I’m sure I haven’t been clear with you on this issue. I apologise for that. Entirely my fault.’
Oh shit.