He rolled his eyes, ever the annoying older brother. “Okay, Millie.”
Tomorrow night? ??
This time, it was Logan’s smile that made my body sing.
Logan
You are so bad.
You think so? Just wait until I get my hands on you again.
Amelia. Behave. You’re going to kill me.
Logan wasblushingon his side of the car, and I felt immense pride in having elicited such a reaction from him.
We’re in the backseat of Adam’s car, I reminded myself. ‘Behave’ was right.
For the next hour and a half, I did everything I could to ignore the pull of the man sitting beside me. I also did everything I could not to let my mind jump back into anxious thoughts about what all of this meant and the potential likelihood of Logan bailing on the whole thing. He’d asked to see me again, which was promising. Although he hadn’t actually agreed to tomorrow night either.
No other man had ever made me feel so unsure of myself or of the future. But, to be fair, no other man had ever made me feel the delicious highs that I felt with Logan either. It was like being ten steps ahead while simultaneously being fifteen steps behind. We were already so close with so much love to give to each other. But we didn’t quite know what to do with it when it was right in front of us.
As Adam finally drove the car back into the parking garage beneath his apartment building, the darkness within overcoming us, I prepared myself to say goodbye to Logan.It’ll be okay, I thought. No matter what—I would be okay.
Logan got to the trunk first and pulled everyone’s bags out. “You coming up?” Adam asked.
“Nah, I gotta get home.”
Adam nodded. “Okay, sounds good. Let’s catch a game next week if you aren’t too busy.”
“I can do that.” He reached his hand out to pull Adam in for a quick side hug. “Thanks for driving.” He turned to Rachel and smiled. “It was so nice to meet you, Rachel. I’m sure I’ll see you again real soon.” Rachel smiled back as she swooped in for a hug.
And then Logan’s eyes fell on me. He kept his face neutral, but even in the darkness of the underground lot I could see the mischievous sparkle in his eye. He stepped forward with his arms outstretched and pulled me into a friendly, platonic hug, knowing Adam and Rachel were right next to us and watching.
As he hugged me, he moved his mouth to my ear where the others couldn’t see, and I felt him softly breathe me in. “Tomorrow,” he whispered, sending goosebumps up my spine.
ChapterFifteen
EIGHT YEARS AGO (AGE 17)
I had just finished curlingmy hair when my mom walked into the bathroom, catching my eye through the vanity mirror.
“Oh my—” She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “Amelia, you look absolutely beautiful.” I could already see the shine of tears threatening to escape.
Looking back at myself, I smiled. “Thanks, Mom.” It took me over three hours to get ready for tonight, and I had to admit that I’d done a pretty decent job. I’d kept my makeup light, wanting to go for a more natural, classic look. I’d added a smidge of blush high on my cheeks and a little bit of shimmer to highlight my bone structure.
A pop of purple on my eyelids brought out my green eyes, making them look much brighter than they normally did. Half of my long, dark hair was pinned up in a loose knot while the other half flowed down in a cascade of curls. My black dress was sequined in the bodice, flowing down from a high waistline into a gorgeous, satin skirt that hugged my curves and pooled around my feet at the floor.
It was a backless dress—not exactly ideal for a brisk night in April—but I didn’t care. I knew that this was theperfectprom dress the moment I’d seen it in the store.
It was worth being cold for.
“Do you want to eat anything before you go?” My mother approached me from behind, making a small adjustment to a piece of hair in the back before she reached for one of the pearl clips I had laid out on the counter. “I could heat up some leftover chicken alfredo?”
“We’re going to eat before we head to the venue, but thanks anyway.” My mom’s physical presence always had a way of calming my jitters. I wasn’t exactly nervous for the night ahead, but it was my senior prom. This was a night I would remember for the rest of my life, and there was for sure a little pressure that went along with that.
“What time is Paul picking you up?” She grabbed another clip to pin up a falling strand of hair.
“He said he’d be here at six,” I replied, looking at my phone to see the time. “So, in about fifteen minutes.”
