Page 55 of Begin Again

“Did you really have the name of your ex tattooed, or why are you so upset?” Scott asked, leaning in. He seemed to be the only one of us who hadn’t noticed the shifting mood.

Kaden rose so suddenly that he jarred the table. He edged past me without speaking.

“Did you have to, Spencer?” I heard Monica ask. I was watching Kaden heading past the dance floor, probably toward the bar.

“I thought he was over it,” Ethan said.

“Dare I ask what this is all about?” Dawn probed.

Monica started to answer her, but I couldn’t concentrate on the conversation anymore. All I wanted to do was go to Kaden. Not only because he had been there for me over the last week, but because… well, I just had the feeling he needed me now.

I excused myself and got up. Ignoring Dawn’s questioning glance, I walked in the same direction I’d seen Kaden go.

I spotted him on a barstool. He was drumming his fingers on the counter and was staring at the whiskey glass in front of him. He moved his knee to the beat of the song playing in the background. I approached him and stopped by his side, at the bar. He stiffened.

“Not now, Bubbles,” he growled and turned away.

I could understand him so well. When the subject of Thanksgiving had come up earlier, there was nothing I wanted more than to disappear into my room. I knew how he was feeling—and I also didn’t want to push him to talk about something if he didn’t want to.

I put my hand on his arm. He swung around to face me, his narrowed eyes throwing sparks. “I said-”

“Dance with me,” I said in a firm, composed tone.

He drew his eyebrows together and looked at me with suspicion. “What?”

“Dance with me,” I repeated, tugging his arm.

Kaden’s eyes grew wide. He seemed too surprised to resist. He slipped off the barstool and let me lead him to the middle of the dance floor.

I closed my eyes and let the music in. It was loud and vibrated through my body. I started to move. As soon as I felt the beat, I opened my eyes again. Kaden was frozen in place, staring down at me. I stood on tiptoe until my mouth reached his ear.

“Stop worrying,” I whispered. “Dance.”

I ran my hand through my hair and then rested my fingers on Kaden’s shoulder. His lips were parted, his eyelids half closed. Suddenly I felt something touch my hip, and in a second Kaden had pressed my entire body against his. For a moment I lost my breath. Kaden’s grip was firm, his expression unreadable.

My heart beat faster, and my hand drifted over his stomach to his chest and higher. Kaden drew in his breath as my fingers grazed the crook of his neck. His gloomy expression was gone.

We danced and danced. We turned off our thoughts, forgot everything around us, and let ourselves go. I didn’t know how long we were moving together to the rhythm of the music, but at some point I felt weightless. Only the touch of Kaden’s hands kept my feet on the ground. His movements slowed until we were almost standing still.

“I want to go home,” he whispered into my ear.

I looked up at him. His face was glistening with sweat and his expression veiled, but he didn’t seem as tense as before.

“Okay. If you need some time to yourself, I’ll rejoin the others,” I said, trying to be relaxed. But a certain gruffness in my voice betrayed how I felt. “They’re probably worried.”

“I don’t think I made myself clear.” Kaden pulled me close again. He bent his head down until his hair touched my forehead. “We’re going home now. You and me. Together.”

I caught my breath and nodded as if in a trance. It felt as if Kaden emitted a magical force that I was powerless to resist. There was no more distance between us—and I didn’t mean only physical distance.

Without another word, he took me by the hand and led me out of the club. Even when we got outside he didn’t let go, but pulled me all the way home—which wasn’t far. He mounted the stairs in record speed and opened the door with such force that it banged against the wall.

“Kaden!” I shouted, starting at the noise.

Suddenly I felt my back against the wall; Kaden took my face in his hands. Before I could gasp for air, he kissed me.

For a second I was frozen, then I returned his kiss with fire. I dug my fingers into his shoulder, stroked his neck with my other hand. He moaned.

At that moment nothing existed for me except Kaden.

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