He folded his arms around me. “Always.”
Scene 94
Mike
Mike tore his eyes from the sight of them dancing, his teeth buried in his lip. The air felt heavy and humid, and it clung to his tongue as he swallowed. He crossed to a line of large tables dressed in white and dripping in crystal. Reaching for another drink, he heard a gown swoosh on the floor behind him. Probably another woman he’d have to turn down.Don’t they know I’m not interested anymore?He blinked over to see Maggie standing there.
At this moment, he hated how his heart thumped every time he laid eyes on her. He glanced across the dance floor, wondering where Cassidy went.
“He left for the Vanity Fair,” she said.
His brows furrowed. “Alone? Why?”
“I don’t feel like going anywhere,” she said. “I just wanna go home.”
He took a deep breath, scratching his jaw. “Do you need a ride?”
“Yes.” She stepped closer. “Do you mind lending me your phone? Mine is dead…as always.”
His eyes dropped to the floor as her fragrance played with his heart. “Just take my limo. I’ll arrange for another ride.”
“How about we share it?”
“You sure you can endure me that long? It’s a whole thirty minutes to your house.”
“I’ll manage.”
He glanced up, and he saw radiance in her eyes and a curve to her mouth. “When would you like to go?”
Her hand went through his arm. “Now.”
Scene 95
Mike
Mike kept looking through the dark window of the limo, listening to the sound of Maggie’s breaths. He stole a glance or two or ten at the bare skin of her thigh, imagining the feel of it under his touch before looking back through the darkness.
“Do you mind if I stop by your house for a minute?” She finally spoke.
Her question startled him. He looked at her with amazement in his eyes.
“I left something there. Something important, but I never had the guts to return and take it back,” she added.
He nodded, hesitant. The idea of her in his house, the house that witnessed their love from the declaration to the ending, was too much to bear. Yet he couldn’t say no to her. “I haven’t been living there since.” He didn’t know why he had the urge to say that, and she didn’t comment.
They arrived at the house, and Mike turned on all the lights. He stood in the living room, stiff, his eyes focused on nothing.
She wandered around. “Too many memories here.”
“Yes,” he whispered, volunteering no more.
“There’s something about tonight that reminds me of our first night together.”
“Only you didn’t break up with your boyfriend and run to me.”
Her body quivered with laughter.
Although she was mocking him, the sound of her laughter was nice to hear. “I’ll wait here while you look for that thing.”
