Page 54 of Yours, Unexpectedly

“It’s the color of your eyes,” she whispers back.

Said eyes snap up to meet her reflection in the mirror and I see it now. “You just like to have my eyes on you, don’t you?”

She just gives a sheepish shrug.

I take out my phone for a picture. I always want to remember this moment.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“I never look this good, I need to document it.”

I hold my phone up for a mirror selfie. We look so right together, me slightly behind her with my hand around her waist. At the last second, I lean down and kiss her cheek before snapping our picture.

I look at it and see Bex is grinning from ear to ear, leaning back against me with the dimple on her right cheek popping out. I immediately set it as my phone background.

“Oh I get to be your phone background, huh?” she teases. “Seems awfully serious for friends with benefits.”

I put my phone back in my pocket and pull her toward me, cupping her chin in my hand. “I want to be more than that, and you know it. What I’d really like is for you to be my girlfriend.” I peck her on the nose when she releases a surprised gasp.

“You don’t mean that,” she says on an exhale.

“I’ve never meant anything more in my entire life. You stir something in me, Bex. I didn’t realize how much I was just floating through life, how much I didn’t even realize I missed you, until you quite literally stumbled back into my life. We can keep doing this just friends thing as long as you want, but I would love to be more than that to you because you are more than that to me. You don’t have to give me an answer now. Just think about it, okay?”

She nods as much as she can with her chin in my grip, a look of awe still on her face, which just drives me crazy. Why does she think she doesn’t deserve more? She deserves everything.

“Can I kiss you or will that ruin these pretty red lips?” I ask.

“I want you to ruin my lipstick, Anders.” Damn, she’s the one who has ruined me.

I laugh and give her a quick peck. “You have to have patience tonight, you greedy woman.”

She lifts her hand to wipe the small smear of lipstick on my lips, but I grab her wrist to stop her. “Leave it. I want the world to know I’m yours.”

And with that, I take a stunned Bex by the hand and we head into the shark tank full of people from my past.

I hope she doesn’t run after tonight.

I hope she decides that I’m worth taking a chance on.

I stare at myself in the mirror and that one fucking straight piece of hair stares back at me. Dammit.

We enter The Plaza’s Grand Ballroom and I should really be used to the grandeur after seeing what the lobby and our room had to offer. However, I am absolutely in awe of the room before me. The sky-high ceiling boasts massive crystal chandeliers, and the room is surrounded by towering arches straight out of a movie scene.

Round tables with lush white and green floral arrangements taller than me circle a dance floor with hundreds of candles littering the tabletops, making it seem like we are in some sort of enchanted fairy world.

I don’t realize I’ve completely stopped walking until Anders ushers me forward with a hand on the small of my back.

“Want a drink?” he asks.

“Yes, please. I’ll go with you.”

We try to make our way across the room to the bar, but Anders gets stopped several times by very elegant looking people.

I know I look good tonight, but that doesn’t make this any less intimidating. He introduces me to everyone we meet as his “friend,” and after our conversation in the bathroom earlier, that word is grating on me.

I want to be Anders’ girlfriend, but I still don’t fully trust myself. I’m nervous and I can’t pinpoint exactly why.

We get to the bar and I order a glass of champagne, and Anders grabs a club soda. “Are you okay with me drinking?” I ask as we turn away from the bar.

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