Page 91 of The Last Dance

I didn’t tell him about Henry this morning. I didn’t know how. And it sounds like there’s also something he’s not telling me as well.

The next hour goes by in a flash, the tension between us fades a little and as we really start having a good time Noah has to leave to go to work. I stand against the wall after he goes, watching Ben and Claire own the room.

‘No wallflowers tonight.’ She pulls me from my spot. ‘We’ve got something for you.’

‘What?’ I glance around as the music stops, a little worried about what they’ve done.

‘Folks, you’re in for a real treat tonight. This isn’t something we normally do but I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.’ A man on stage is making the announcement into a microphone to the whole room. ‘In honor of Ambri’s twenty-seventh birthday, we brought in her favorite eighties rock star… if everyone can please welcome, Billy Idol!’

‘Shut up!’ I squeal along with the rest of the room. ‘You guys!’ I yell over at them as Ben points to the stage. If they somehow got Billy Idol to perform tonight, I’ll owe them forever.

A machine pumps thick fog onto the stage; as it starts to dissipate only the silhouette of his back to the room is visible. Lights flash around the room before finally landing on their target center stage. He rocks back and forth with the beat of the song before finally turning around.

I stand stunned; my heart feels like it’s stopped completely. Black studded leather jacket, a cross hanging from his ear and his neck, spiked hair, chains draped from his jeans and a microphone in his hand. Only it’s not actually Billy Idol. It’s Henry.

The room roars as he starts to perform, dancing around the stage like nobody’s business, mouthing the words to ‘White Wedding’ as if he’s been doing it his whole life. The entire room dances around me as I stare up at him, unable to move, a goofy smile and tears rolling down my face, completely in shock he would do this.

Thisis that overdone romantic moment I was talking about at the restaurant. The one towards the end of every romantic comedy movie ever made. Not this exactly but the one women yell at because we’ve fallen in love with the guy that the heroine is still tryingnotto fall in love with. I now know exactly what that woman is feeling because it’s happening to me right now and my heart can barely take it.

After a minute he makes his way through the room, touching people’s outstretched hands as if he really is some kind of superstar, headed in my direction, handing his mic off to someone along the way and sliding an arm around my waist, pulling me against him and dancing me across the floor.

‘You didn’t actually think I’d miss this, did you?’ He grins.

The fact that he would even go to all this trouble just made me swoon in a way I never have before my entire life.

‘I can’t believe you did this.’ I laugh through the tears.

‘You’re worth it.’ He holds me at arm’s length, looking me up and down with a grin. ‘Madonna, huh?’ He laughs. ‘You look ridiculous.’

‘I should say the same.’ I laugh with him.

‘Yes, you should,’ he glances down at himself with a shake of his head ‘…At least I had a good reason.’

‘And that is?’

‘Well, tonight I broke the barriers I’ve known as my comfort zone. And I did it all to see you smile. Like I’ve said before, I’ll do anything for you, Ambri.’

I grin, the tears finally drying up. ‘I’m beginning to believe that you would.’

He nods, a shy grin on his face. ‘You do this to me, you know.’ He twirls me across the dance floor, dancing better than even I can. ‘And I love it.’

I can’t even remember all the reasons I’d convinced myself to hate Henry right this moment. Whatever they were, he’s somehow worked his way into my heart again, piecing it back together little by little every single time I see him. For now, no one else exists and all I can see is him.

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