Page 106 of Better Than the Movies
I just smiled and shrugged as “New Year’s Day” by Taylor Swift came on.
“See, she’s too nice to tell you she hates it.”
“Or she’s too nice to tell you that she loves it and you have no fashion sense.”
“Bennett’s over there,” Noah yelled over the music, and pointed to the dance floor. “With Alex.”
I looked in the direction his finger was pointing, and my stomach sank when I saw them. They were dancing, Wes’s arms aroundAlex’s waist as hers were locked around his neck. She was wearing a red dress that made her stand out from the crowd, and I couldn’t come up with anything but compliments for her.Quite a catch.He was leaning down so he could hear whatever she was saying, and they were both smiling.
I felt queasy.
Had he always looked so impossibly handsome? And had he always smiled with such warmth? I could feel his fondness for her from across the room just by staring at his really nice mouth.
The mouth that had been on my mouth.
When I attacked him.Ugh.
I took a breath.
I reallyhadfallen hard for him, hadn’t I? I stared at them, the picture-perfect couple, as Taylor Swift made my soul ache.
Please don’t ever become a stranger
Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere—
“Do you want to dance?” Michael looked down at me, and I realized he’d probably misinterpreted my stare of longing as a wallflower’s wishful gaze.
“Um, not yet,” I said, pinning a smile on my lips even though my cheeks were warm and I felt ill all of a sudden. “Unless you want to?”
“Nah, I’m good.” He gave a shake of his head that was all relief. “Want something to drink?”
What I wanted was for him to stop trying to make us a thing. We both knew it wasn’t there with us, but Michael seemed hellbent on going through all the romantic motions, I’d started theevening guilty of the same thing but quickly realized I couldn’t force it.
I should’ve said something when we saw Laney at the restaurant, because if I’d learned anything lately, it was that honesty was the best policy.
So I said, “I’d love a Diet Coke, but don’t hit concessions until after you find Laney and talk to her.”
His eyes narrowed. “Come again?”
It came with a smile and an extra helping of Texas on top, yet it still did nothing for me. I was fully recovered, filled with Michael antibodies, so I looked at his face that had been a part of so many childhood memories, and I said, “She isn’t hung up on her ex; she’s hung up on you. Go find her.”
He stared at me for a second, looking like he had no idea what to say.
I smiled at him and nodded, just to show I didn’t care.
“You sure?” He looked concerned, gazing at me the exact same way he had so many times when I’d been crying dramatically over neighborhood shenanigans, and it hurt my heart a little. I was letting him go, the dream of him, and Little Liz had never allowed herself to imagine that would ever happen.
“Yes, I’m sure.” I laughed and pointed toward the mass of overdressed students. “Now go find her!”
“C’mere.” He pulled me into a hug, and it was weird how emotional I felt. He drawled into the top of my head, “Thank you, Lizzie.”
I rolled my eyes and pushed at his shoulders. “Will you go, please?”
He grinned and saluted me, which should’ve been dorky but was a little adorable. “Here I go!”
I watched him head off in search of his happy ending, and then I pulled my phone out of my pocket. No messages. I shut it off and put it back, letting my hands settle into the pockets. I looked at Giant Baby, at the lack of detail on his papier-mâché face, and tried counting how many little smoodges of paper it’d taken to create that thing. Because I needed something—anything—to look at other than Wes.
I looked at that baby for a solid five seconds before my gaze shifted back to the dance floor.
