Hardy seems to materialize out of nowhere. He stands next to Lily with his arms crossed. “Easy. You don’t need to snap at Lily.”
I throw my hands up. “I’m not snapping at anyone. I’m simply saying that everything was fine until Lily got in the way.”
Her mouth falls open for a second before her lips twist into a snarl. She grabs my arm and drags me off the dance floor. I don’t fight her because I’ve already lost the one person I want to spend time with tonight. I’ll let Lily say whatever she needs to get off her chest, and then I’ll go look for Ella. I just hope she doesn’t get too far.
We end up in a secluded hallway near the bathrooms. The music is quieter here, and harsh overhead lights brighten the space. Hardy stands behind her ready to jump in, as if I’d do anything to hurt Lily. He should know me better than that.
Lily takes a step closer to me, crowding me against the wall. Even in heels, she has to look up to meet my eyes, but her glare is deadly. I briefly wonder if Hardy is standing at attention for my safety. It’s almost enough to make me laugh—if I wasn’t so concerned about Ella.
Lily releases me forcefully, smacking my elbow against the plaster wall. “I’m not going to pretend that I understand what the heck is happening between you and Ella. But for some reason, she doesn’t hate you anymore. She might even like you, you jerk.”
A tingling sensation runs down my arm. I think I hit my funny bone. I rub it through the fabric of my suit jacket. “Gee, thanks.”
She jabs me in the chest, the point of her nail poking me. “So I want to know exactly what you said to her that made her look like you broke her heart.”
I gently brush her hand away with my forearm. “Nothing.”
“Hard to believe nothing sent her running away from you.”
I rub my fingers against my temple. “I admitted to paying the DJ to play more slow songs. I thought things were fine. Then all of a sudden, she ran off. I don’t know the reason. That’s why I was chasing her.”
She lowers her brows. “You paid the DJ to play slow songs?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
I shrug. “So I could dance with her.”
She turns to face Hardy. There’s an exchange of animated expressions between the two of them before she looks at me again. “Do you like Ella?”
“Yeah,” I answer easily.
“No, do youlikeher?”
“Yes.” I nod. “Do you want to see the note I have in my pocket? It even has little boxes so she can check yes or no if she likes me back.”
Hardy takes a step toward me. “I told you not to talk to her like that.”
My hands ball into fists at my sides. Why can’t they see that I care for Ella, too? Do we really need to go through the Spanish Inquisition? “Can you please just look at it from my perspective? Yes, I like her. No, I don’t know why she’s upset. Yes, I’m trying to find her. No, it’s not because I want to hurt her.”
Lily’s face scrunches in concentration before she closes her eyes. “She’s on the balcony.”
I stand up straight. “You sure?”
“Yeah. I’m her best friend. I think I know where she disappeared to.”
I try not to be offended that Lily knows Ella better than me, and I certainly don’t wait for permission before I race down the hallway. As I cross the giant room to the doors leading to the balcony, I accidentally bump into some people. I flash a smile and move on as quickly as possible. Once outside, I look around for Ella. It’s dark out here. The moon is barely a sliver in the sky, and the candles on the high top tables do nothing to light up the space.
I speed walk up and down one side before starting on the other. Then, I spot her. She’s leaning up against the wrought iron rails that overlook the lake. Her face is turned down toward the dark scene below when I come up beside her.
“Go away,” she says, not looking at me.
“Can’t.”
She sighs and looks up at me. Even in the dark, I can see the unshed tears in her eyes. “Please, Connor. It’s just easier if you leave me alone.”
“Since when do I do what’s easy?” A corner of my mouth lifts in a small smile.
