Dani…I…I can’t.
Christos’s house suddenly snapped into focus, and Dani flung her eyelids open. Somehow during their kiss, she’d crawled practically into Theo’s lap. His hands were around her waist, her knee across his thigh. Like she was about to jump him right in front of all these people.
She pulled her lips from Theo’s, and he opened his eyes, looking up at her with his beautiful blue irises. Eyes she’d stared into so many times before, but in this moment, there was something else there. Worry? Regret? Apology?
Pity?
She’d seen him make the same face that night. After she told him how she’d felt, and he’d rejected her. Something else had happened that night, though. Why couldn’t she remember? Moments before…the memory was getting less fuzzy…moments before she’d…oh fuck.
Before she’d vomited on his shirt.
How could she have forgotten?
Their present audience hooted and hollered, clapping at their very open, sensual display. Most of Dani’s relationships had been hot, heavy, and brief, so she’d never been one to shyaway from public displays of affection, but not like this. Not where she was two seconds away from straddling a man in front of others. And not when in the midst of remembering one of the most mortifying moments of her life.
Her cheeks flushed, almost matching her pinky-peach dress. And when she glanced down, she could see her nipples at full attention.
“Nowthat’swhat I call a kiss!” someone called out, clearly unaware of her mental anguish.
While the rest of the party seemingly moved on, she quickly removed herself from Theo’s lap and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, trying to play down the moment with a bashful smile. And avoiding eye contact with Theo. The last thing she needed was his pity.
But he turned to her and placed his hand on her forearm.
“Dani…I…I…”
Can’t.
“I’m sorry,” she then said, hurrying from her seat and rushing out of the room with one hand on her lips and the other across her waist. She didn’t want to hear that word out of his mouth again. Once had been enough.
Air. She needed air. Her heart pounded as she made a beeline out the door to the patio. Deep breaths. Deep breaths.
She paced with her hands on her hips. This whole time, had Theo remembered that night? Had he been living with that memory each day for the last year? Aware that she’d poured out her heart and that he’d said no?
How could she have been so foolish? And she’d comehere? To Greece? He must have really thought she was pathetic, still clinging on even after she’d thought he’d died. No wonder he’d been acting weird around her.
A light caught her attention—the glass patio door catching the reflection of the moon as Theo opened it to join her outside.
“Please, Theo. Please not now,” she said, walking along the railing to the far end of the patio where hopefully no one else could see her.
But he either didn’t hear her or didn’t care, because he walked right over to where she was hiding.
“Hey,” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder like a football coach trying to console a player off his game.
She closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry. She hadn’t cried the first time Theo had rejected her—that she could remember—and she certainly wasn’t going to do so now.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what got into me,” she said, waving him away and refusing to look at him.
“There’s nothing to apologize about. Everyone was egging us on.”
“I know. But I didn’t mean to getsointo it,” she said, rolling her eyes at herself for acting like a silly, dreamy-eyed teenager.
“Well, I suppose if we’re making apologies, then I should be the one apologizing to you.”
She furrowed her brow and finally looked his way.
“Apologize for what?”
“For putting you in an awkward position.”
