A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, and I headed to answer it when I peered out the window and saw Christian standing on the other side.
“Hey, baby.” Christian greeted me as I opened the door for him.
“Hey, babe.” I tipped up on my toes and kissed him, and then he pulled back and stared at me again. “You’re beautiful on a normal day, but looking at you tonight has me all the way lit. You look stunning. I swear that I’ll have the most beautiful woman on my arm at the ball tonight,” he praised.
“Nah, that’ll be me,” Sampson, Sawyer’s date, declared, walking up behind Christian.
“Is that my baby?” Sawyer gushed from behind me.
Christian stepped inside the apartment to make room for Sampson to come in and greet Sawyer. She ran into his arms as he hugged her and kissed her all over her face.
“Both of you ladies look stunning,” Sampson stated.
“They do. I feel like we’re going to be the envy of every man in that room,” Christian stated, and my stomach tensed. Was this what tonight was about for him? He didn’t know that I knew about Jeremiah, but if I knew, there was no way that he didn’t know. After all, they were best friends, and from my understanding, they were still in touch with each other. I would ask him about it once we got in the car because this wasn’t the time or place for that discussion.
“Does it feel like we’re going to the prom?” Sampson teased.
“Man, my nerves are shot like prom night. I know that much,” Christian replied.
“I don’t plan to get as drunk tonight as I did on prom night,” Sawyer stated with a groan.
“My prom night was kind of boring.” I reflected.
“Well, tonight won’t be,” Christian promised.
“We need to head out. Our people are in the car waiting, babe,” Sampson announced.
Sawyer and I hugged and kissed each other’s cheeks before we rushed out of her apartment.
“Remember, tonight is about reclaiming your power, showing Belle how to fight when the world is against her, and being the most beautiful person that you already are. If you see that punk ass, hold your head up and keep moving. Okay?”
Giggling, I replied, “I’m fine. Now that Christian is with me, I’m much better.”
“And don’t forget, we’re all seated at the same table, so I’ll have your back too.”
“Thanks, Sawyer.”
“Make sure that if you go anywhere, like the restroom, you take me with you. Don’t do shit on your own because I don’t put it past him to follow you and be an asshole,” Sawyer warned.
“Gotcha. Girl, get in that car. That man looks like he’s about to go stir crazy,” I stated, nodding my head where Sampson stood beside their limo.
“Okay. I’ll see you soon, boo,” she stated.
We gave each other one last hug, as if we weren’t going to see each other again, and we headed to our individual vehicles. She was riding in a limo with Sampson and some of his friends who were also attending the ball.
“You look exquisite, Angel,” Christian declared, staring at me as he helped me into the chauffeur-driven Escalade.
“Thank you, baby. You cleaned up well yourself,” I replied, taking him in. He wore a black jacquard three-piece suit with silver lapels and trim.
As we pulled off, I turned to face him. “Chris?”
“Yes, baby.”
“Did you know that Jeremiah was in town?”
He closed his eyes briefly before he nodded. “I did.”
“And you didn’t think you should tell me that?”
