I swallow. Ithasto be good. If it isn’t, I’m going to cry. Zoe’s right, I spent every free moment over the last few weeks working on this dance. I had to give up on a few parts once I added Easton dancing with me, and cut some other sections I just didn’t like anymore. I practiced the dance so many times that I even started dreaming about it. But now every step is perfect, and it feels good, because I know what I’m doing it for. This video.
That’s why we’re all here today: Easton and the guys, Jase, Mae, Zoe, and Skye. We’re in a dilapidated old factory in Southie, with broken windows letting in the freezing cold air and steel beams that probably used to divide the hall into separate areas. Zoe, Jase, and Mae have spent the last few hours decorating every beam with dozens of strings of fairy lights. If everything goes as planned, the lights will look like stars.
Skye knows the owner of the building, an old friend of her aunt’s, who lets her use it for her own videos. That’s why there’s electricity, even though the hall has probably been empty for years. Skye hasn’t said much about who her aunt’s friend is and why she chose this place, but we quickly realized how familiar she is with it.
The guys are setting up Jax’s drum kit in the back, and Skye is shooing them around until she finds the perfect spot.
“Okay, that’s good.” Her voice echoes loudly, and Jax groans with relief and collapses onto his stool. She gives him an amused glance before turning to Easton and me. “I’d say we’re ready to go. It’s your turn now. We’ll shoot the dancing first, and then we’ll film you playing the song.”
“All right.” My stomach tightens nervously, but then Easton puts a hand on my shoulder. He smiles. “Ready?”
I nod and take off my coat, handing it to Mae, whose eyes are shining with excitement. “Have fun,” she says.
“You can do it.” Zoe gives me a quick hug. “You’re going to be great!”
I just nod and pray she’s right. The air is cold on my warm skin. The dress I’m wearing is much too thin for this time of year. It’s black with a tight-fitting top and long sleeves, and a short full skirt that swings around my thighs when I spin.
Easton holds out his hand to me, and his fingers close around mine. “Ready,” I reply.
He smiles again and pulls me away from my friends, into the center of the hall. Skye explains how she wants to film each sequence, and I become more restless and nervous with every passing minute, afraid that I won’t be able to do it. But I can do this. I must.
Then I feel Easton’s hand on my waist, and all at once I feel completely calm.
“Everything will be fine,” he whispers, as if he can sense my unease. I feel his breath on my cheek, and my skin begins to tingle. I lean against him for just a moment, needing his closeness and warmth, the certainty that he’s here with me.
“Okay,” I whisper back.
He lets me go and we get into position.
The music starts somewhere nearby, too quiet for the video, but that doesn’t matter. Skye will add the soundtrack later, and then it will be perfect.
I take the first step, then the second one. My body relaxes. My muscles are supple and flexible; I already warmed up.
I dance, and I’m the girl I’m meant to be. The girl Easton dances with until midnight. Everything inside me feels lighter. I spin, and he’s right there where he’s supposed to be. I put my hand in his and his grip is warm and firm. We spin together. A smile spreads across my face all by itself. I forget who I am and what I’ve lost. I only exist in the moment; I’m the girl from the song. I look up and meet the gaze of those blue eyes.
He smiles, and I love him.
One more spin, my hand in his and butterflies in my stomach. We look at each other, and everything is so simple. Dancing, with him, here and now. It’s all about the music and the emotions we want to share with whoever is watching us. I move away and Easton grabs my hand, pulling me back toward him in a spin. My hand comes to rest on his chest, and I can feel his heart beating fast and hard. I look up at him again, meeting his blue eyes, and his gaze flickers to my mouth.
He’s breathing heavily, just like me, and suddenly I feel so warm. We’re caught up in our own frenzy. Seconds turn into minutes and then hours; I don’t know how long it’s been. We go through the steps, every move, over and over again, with short breaks when Skye wants to change the camera angle or if a spin wasn’t quite how I wanted it.
“That was great,” Skye says at last. “One more time, and then we’ll move on to the band, okay?”
Easton and I just nod; we’re breathing too hard to talk.
“Let’s go. Positions!” She smiles at us and disappears behind the camera again.
I look at Easton and I’m tempted to change the choreography, even though I shouldn’t. But I can’t help myself. There’s something in his eyes that makes my whole body tingle. My skin is glowingand I feel incredibly warm. It’s just him and me. My heart is racing, joy rushing through me. I smile as I go into the last spin.
I move away from him and he pulls me back, my hand on his chest. I feel his heartbeat beneath my fingers, and my smile widens. Then it fades when I look up and meet his glowing gaze. It’s only for a few seconds, but those seconds stretch into infinity. Our very own infinity, captured in a brief moment. That moment holds everything.
We move closer. It just happens, completely instinctively. He hesitates just a fraction of a second, because this isn’t part of the plan, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t care, and neither does he. He lowers his mouth to mine. Our lips meet gently and firmly, and it’s so, so warm. My eyelids flutter shut and my body lets go. All I can feel are his lips on mine, but it’s not enough. His hands are on my back, roaming over my dress, but I want to feel them on my skin. Heat floods me, and my heart stumbles.
We only break apart when we hear our friends laughing. “That was a really nice ending,” Skye says with a smile.
“Thanks,” I mumble, embarrassed, my cheeks glowing red as I look back at her. Easton’s face is glowing just like mine, but that doesn’t stop him from pulling me toward him and kissing me again. Longer. Deeper.
“You were amazing,” he whispers against my lips, his fingers wandering over my back, giving me goose bumps. Not because I’m cold, though.
