I looked at her and then took her hand in mine. I knew my eyes were serious, and for a moment, our gazes just locked. I felt like the twelve-year-old kid so in love with her.
With a sigh, I whispered, “Well, he’s a lucky man. I always thought one day we’d find our way back to each other, you know. But maybe this is better. I like the thought that you are the girl everyone else has to live up to.”
This night really was full of so many unexpected things, and it had only just started. Faith reached out and touched my cheek. She lifted her chin toward Isabella and whispered, “The right girl, she might be closer than you think.”
My gaze fell on Isabella. I tilted my head.
“She’s really wonderful, Faith, but we don’t have a spark.”
Faith squeezed my arm and forced my gaze back to hers.
“You’re kidding, right? The two of you have more sparks dancing around you than anyone in here.”
“Faith, I’ve tried. We’ve tried. Just seems like no matter how many times I kiss her, or touch her, or even just hold her hand, neither of us have that feeling. That fireworks-exploding-inside-you kind of thing. It’s just not there.”
Faith looked back toward Isabella.
“Maybe the problem is you are looking for a spark in an inferno instead of realizing the calm is what you really need to find your light.”
Could she be any more cryptic? Then she looked at me and whispered, “I always thought one day we’d find our way back to each other, too, you know. There has always been chemistry between us. But I’ve learned a lot of things tonight, and maybe, this will be your night too. Sparks don’t always start with a kiss, or a touch, Liam. Sparks can start somewhere else deep in your heart and then it can set you on fire. Stop trying to kiss her and start just understanding her heart. Sometimes, love comes in on tiptoes. Take it from a ballerina.”
“You think?”
“Hey, have a little faith.”
She winked at me, and we both started laughing. Maybe she was right. Maybe Isabella and I were trying to find our spark the wrong way. I always thought physical touch was what caused people to ignite, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe real love, the love I wanted with Isabella, maybe that came from something much deeper. And right now, I was willing to try anything.
We approached our dates and the four of us danced together for a minute until the song ended. Faith thanked me again and then dragged her guy back to the punch. I turned to Isabella, determined to start figuring out another way to ignite our fire, when I realized she looked terrible. Reaching out to her, I grew alarmed.
“Are you okay?”
She shook her head, her eyes growing wider than I have ever seen them. A second later, she fled the gym.
Isabella
I heard Liam running after me, but I couldn’t stop. Dancing had turned the weirdness in my stomach into a full-fledged hurricane. The bathroom was so far away. I wasn’t going to make it. From behind me, Liam was calling my name and telling me to stop running.
“Please, Bella, you won’t make it.”
His words finally cleared in my mind and a second later Liam was at my side, an empty garbage can in his hands. Had he dragged that from the gym? It didn’t matter because half a second later, my head was buried inside it, the contents of my stomach filling it.
Liam reached over and gathered my hair, rubbing my back to try to soothe me. God, he was unreal. What guy does that?A perfect one,I thought sadly. When the first round of the storm inside me passed, I raised my head and leaned up against the wall.
“I’ll cross that restaurant off our list of places to eat again.”
I smiled at Liam. I couldn’t help it. It was exactly the right thing to say to me. No judgment. No telling me I was disgusting. Just an amusing antidote to make me smile. I wanted to talk, I did, but the storm was raging again and my head was back in the garbage can. Liam was back to holding my hair and rubbing my back, and I was back to wondering why the hell I wasn’t madly in love with him yet. My head was still buried in the can when a voice approached.
“Is she okay? Did someone spike the punch? Were you two drinking?”
Liam shook his head.
“Just some bad sushi mixed with some fast dancing.”
I managed to lift up my head. Miss Evans was looking at me with concern in her eyes.
“Oh, Isabella, I see. I’m so sorry. Here, let’s get you out of the hallway.”
Miss Evans unlocked the nearest classroom door and the three of us—and my trusty garbage can—entered it. Before I could thank her, I was back to puking and Liam was back to my hair. I heard him talking.
