Out of loyalty to his father, Spencer didn’t want to go. My brothers tried to persuade him, but it was me who convinced him. Signe did her best to ignore Spencer, even though she had been his step-mother, and Spencer didn’t want to deal with her rudeness for the night. I came up with an idea of a dance, so that itwould be impossible for Signe to pretend Spencer wasn’t there, since everyone would be talking about him.
We practiced for two days straight.
And now, Spencer leads me in a Viennese waltz, the very same dance we did then.
It feels so good to dance again.
It feels so good to have Spencer holding me, his back straight and strong, his hand holding mine like it’s something precious.
“You’ve still got it,” I tell him as we make the turn at the end.
“You bring it out in me,” he counters.
The warmth in my chest grows as we waltz, the hem of my dress swirling around me. At the end, pausing before my chair, Spencer breaks hold and spins me around, before dropping me into a dip.
My laughter bubbles up as I lie in his arms, his hand holding mine pressed against his chest.
And then it dies as our eyes meet. “I need to be here,” he says in a low voice. “I need you to see me, Lyra. Because I see you. I always have.”
He settles me on my feet and bows over my hand.
Dimly, I hear cheering from the others, but I can’t focus.
It’s hard to catch my breath.
After the fashion show comes the obstacle course. The winner will get time alone with me.
For the first time, I really hope Spencer wins, so I can ask him what he meant.
It’s a good strategy to remind me of our shared past, but bringing back memories only shows me what we didn’t have.
Do I want to be reminded of all the missed opportunities?
We were friends. I… I’m still not sure what to call what I felt toward him. But we were never together, and I blame Spencer for that.
Maybe that’s not fair, but it’s how I feel.
Grayson explains what will happen as I stand with Sophie and Camille, sipping champagne. Odin stands by the men to offer moral support.
Still wearing their suits, they will be divided into two groups for a tug-of-war challenge. The winning group will be then put in pairs to compete in a balloon popping contest, and a three-legged race. The two winning pairs will then compete in a bouquet making contest.
It’s the strangest, most random set of events, and it’s hilarious.
The Blue team, led by Boone and Jon, beat the Red Team. Tanner and Dylan do their best but are no match for the combined strength of the bad boys.
Watching Jon compete in a kilt is a highlight for all.
They pair up: Jon takes Rand as a partner, Boone has Leo, and the four of them win the three-legged race, mainly because Jon and Boone manage to carry the smaller men across the finish line.
I’m happy to see Spencer and Liam take third place.
The three pairs are then tied together around their waists, given a balloon, and told to pop it.
I have never laughed sohard.
Boone wraps Leo in a bear hug, squeezing, but the rubber doesn’t give before Leo is crying out that Boone might break his ribs.
Spencer and Liam push their balloon to their feet and eventually, by stamping over each other’s feet, manage to pop it.
