I laugh softly, relaxing into his embrace. “About how lucky we are. How right this feels.”
As we sway to the music, a profound clarity strikes me. While my friends have spent years dating, searching, and sometimes settling, I’ve had what they’re looking for all along.
The certainty I feel with Connor isn’t just familiarity—it’s recognition. His thoughtfulness shows in how he packs my favorite snacks for road trips without being asked, learned to braid my hair the summer I broke my wrist and believed in Antonio’s company when others wouldn’t. These aren’t just gestures; they’re evidence of something I’ve been too blind to fully appreciate until now.
I rest my head against his chest, feeling the heartbeat I’ve felt countless times. While others still search for their person, I found mine a decade ago.
His steadiness anchored me through nursing school, through my father’s heart surgery, through every storm life has thrown our way. What I love most isn’t just his reliability, but his passionate defense of what matters and his dry humor that reduces me to breathless laughter. I allow myself to believe thatwe’ll make it, that our future will remain uninterrupted and beautiful.
“I believe this dance belongs to me, Meesha.” Dennis stands beside us, impeccably dressed in a suit.
My body tenses instantly. Connor’s arm tightens around my waist.
“Non, all her dances are for me,” Connor replies coolly.
Dennis’s gaze slides to me, lingering uncomfortably. “What about her kisses? Are those all for you too?”
The temperature between us drops several degrees. Connor’s jaw tightens visibly as the DJ transitions to a livelier song. The sudden burst of bass makes my heart jump painfully in my chest.
“What exactly are you implying, là?” Connor asks.
“Why don’t you ask Meesha?” Dennis’s smile widens, predatory and smug.
My throat closes as I spot Jasmine watching us, her brow furrowed in concern. I grab Connor’s arm, my fingers pressing into his suit jacket.
“Connor, let’s go,” I whisper urgently, tugging him toward the exit. “He’s not worth it.”
“I actually came to speak to you man-to-man,” Dennis continues, raising his voice to be heard over a burst of laughter from a nearby group. “About Meesha and me.”
“There is no you and me,” I snap, panic rising in my tone as I scan the room desperately for an escape route. The exit seems miles away, blocked by clusters of celebrating guests completely unaware of my world collapsing.
But Dennis steps closer, blocking our path. “We met in Vegas a few weeks ago and hit it off... and now we’re in love.”
“What?” Connor’s voice drops dangerously low.
“You’re delusional,” I hiss, pulling Connor toward the exit. “Connor, please let’s just go. He’s stalking me.”
“She wasn’t calling me delusional when we were kissing,” Dennis calls after us.
Connor stops abruptly, turning to face me. The music continues around us, but the moment feels suspended in silence. A server pauses beside us, offering champagne before reading the angst and quickly moving on.
“What is he talking about, Meesha, crisse?” His voice is controlled, but his eyes betray his confusion.
“I’ve been waiting patiently, Meesha. But I’m done waiting. He deserves to know who you really want.”
“Can we please discuss this somewhere private?” I plead acutely aware of curious glances from nearby guests. Carmen catches my eye from across the room, her expression questioning. I look away quickly.
“No.” Connor’s expression hardens. “I want to know what’s going on. Right now.”
I take a deep breath, my hands trembling. “It’s not what he’s making it sound like.”
“Then what is it?” Connor asks, his voice strained.
“I... I did meet him in Vegas,” I admit, lowering my voice and stepping closer to Connor, trying to create an illusion of privacy. My legs feel weak, caught between fight and flight, neither option promising safety. “We chatted for a bit and then we kissed. I didn’t stop it right away.” My eyes fill with tears, blurring the decorative lights into starbursts. “It meant nothing, Connor. It was a stupid mistake that I’ve regretted every day since.”
Connor’s face goes completely still, his eyes searching mine. Around us, the party continues, oblivious to the way my world is cracking apart at the seams.
“You kissed another man,” he says slowly.”
