Page 70 of Fake Out Hearts

He raises a brow. “Are you actually going to listen this time?”

I grin at him. “Probably not.”

“Business as usual, then,” he says and checks his phone for the time. “But yeah, I should probably start making my way up there.”

“Break a leg,” I say as Noah leaves, but he ignores the rib. I decide to linger with the rest of the guys through Noah’s speech, but the truth is I’m not sure I trust myself to be alone with Becca right now. As much as I keep trying, I can’t stop thinking about the charged energy I felt with her while we were dancing. It doesn’t help that she keeps stealing glances over at me.

A few minutes later, Noah’s amplified voice fills the ballroom, making everyone fall silent. “Thank you for coming tonight, everyone. It really means a lot to me and the other Aces to see the support,” he says to a brief round of applause.

Noah starts into a variation of his usual speech for these kind of things, but I tune out pretty quickly. I can’t take my eyes off Becca, who’s standing with her champagne flute held in both hands and watching Noah idly. She seems as distracted as I feel, and I notice her swaying a little bit.

Is she drunk?I laugh at the thought. Maybe that was her way of coping with her feelings. I’m feeling a little buzzed myself, although I can’t figure out if it’s from the champagne I had or whatever the hell is going on inside me.

Noah wraps his speech up faster than usual, and the applause from the crowd brings me back into the room. I clap a few times with everyone else, then tell the guys I’m gonna call it a night. We exchange hugs and fist bumps, then I start making my way back to Becca and the other wives and girlfriends.

Margo spots me first and alerts the others, so they tell Becca goodbye before I get to their table and leave together. When Iarrive at her side, Becca’s wearing a goofy smile. “There you are,” she says and laughs.

“Had a bit too much champagne?” I ask gently, nodding at the glass in her hands.

“They forced it on me,” she answers, gesturing after the other women.

“We should probably head home then. I’ll call us a cab. I don’t think either of us should be driving tonight,” I say and reach into my pocket for my phone, but Becca puts her hand on my wrist to stop me.

“Can we walk instead?”

I stare at her, confused. “What? Really? You know it’s several miles, right?”

“Not all the way. Just a little. I heard it was snowing and I want to see it.”

“Sure, if that’s what you want,” I say and offer her my arm. She grips it like a lifeline, and I walk her slowly through the dissipating crowd toward the door. Since we’re going to be walking, I make sure to stop and get her coat from the attendant at the door, then tell the valet that I’ll be back for my car tomorrow.

I don’t know where she heard it, but Becca was right about the snow. It’s coming down slowly in giant flakes that catch in her dark hair and on the fur of her coat. She beams and holds her free hand out to catch a few flakes as we walk down the hotel stairs.

“It’s so beautiful,” she murmurs as we pause under the golden glow of a streetlight. It lights her up like the goddess she is, and I don’t know what comes over me, but I can’t stop myself. I look her right in the eyes.

“I agree.” But it’s not the snow I’m talking about. She glances over, and our eyes lock. All at once, the surge I felt while we were dancing returns and Becca’s face flushes. I’m tempted to kissher, but I loop my arm back through hers instead and continue walking.

She’s definitely drunk though, because she’s swerving while we walk. I hold on tight to her arm to keep her from tipping over, and I laugh when she steps on my foot accidentally.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Your beautiful shoes!” she whispers, but I can’t even be mad. It reminds me of when we shared the bottle of whiskey on the beach, and just how quickly she got drunk from that.

“You’re such a lightweight, you know that?”

Her eyes snap to mine. “No, I’m not!”

“Your swaying says otherwise.”

“Okay, fine. I’m a little tipsy.”

We laugh and keep walking down the street in the general direction of my condo. I have no idea how long she’ll be able to keep this up in a dress and heels, but I’ll keep walking as long as she can. I’m just enjoying spending time with her.

She looks all around us like a kid seeing snow for the first time, her eyes wide in amazement. Eventually, her gaze lands on one of the taller buildings along the street, and she lets out a long exhale.

“You okay?”

Becca stops abruptly, staring up at the building. “You know what my biggest dream is? Like, biggest dreamever?”

I’m tempted to laugh because she really does sound like a little kid, but I want to know what she’s about to say. “Tell me.”

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