Page 92 of Crazy Pucking Love
I wanted to stomp my foot and demand we go now, before I fell apart in front of all these people, but I figured I could survive one more stupid too-happy song. Whether or not I could do it without bursting into tears was a different story. I signaled for another drink, but the dimpled waiter was nowhere to be seen. I scanned the bar area, trying to catch the eye of someone else who would bring me alcohol,stat.
“The next song is a special request,” the female singer seated behind the piano said. “It’s going out to Megan, and I’m supposed to say, sorry for being so stupid, and if you’ll give me another chance, you can have full control of the music, even if it means I have to listen to…” She squinted at a paper in her hand. “Stupid Harry Styles every minute of every day.”
“Sounds like someone screwed up pretty bad,” the male singer behind the other piano said with a chuckle.
I stared at the stage, sure they must mean a different Megan. And a different Harry Styles—well, maybe not a different one. But a lot of girls liked One Direction. I knew I couldn’t be the only one, much less the only one named Megan.
I bet there were a lot of guys out there who were stupid and sorry. In fact, it’d be harder to find a non-stupid guy.
But then the opening notes of “Kiss You” started, and the woman currently working her way across the ivory keys added, “Megan, Dane’s sorry. And apparently, he wants to kiss you.”
My mind must be playing tricks on me. That’s it, my lack of sleep has gotten to the point of hallucination.
But then the crowd parted for someone tall and muscular, wearing the same hat as Dane usually wore.
I glanced at my group of friends, who had a combination of sheepish and guilty expressions on their faces.
Then Dane stepped through the crowd, his gaze on me, and I forgot how to breathe. His footsteps slowed as he approached. “Hey.”
I crossed my arms, unwilling—and unable, honestly—to get out any words, even one as simple as hey.
“Okay, so you’re pissed, and you should be. I was stupid, and I am sorry—you have no idea how sorry. See, I thought I was doing what was best for you. I didn’t think I deserved you, and I still don’t, but the truth is…” He spread his arms wide. “I’m completely lost without you, Megan.”
A giant lump formed in my throat, and I shook my head. “You say that—you say things like you’re crazy without me, and that you only want me. But then you pull away again, and I just can’t…” I clenched my jaw, hoping that would keep the rising tears from falling. “I can’t do it again, Dane.”
A desperate look crossed his face and he reached for me, capturing my wrist as I turned to go.
“Wait. Megan, please. Just hear me out.”
I couldn’t help but notice we had a captive audience, but I tried to push that out of my mind. I wasn’t going to go easy on him because there were witnesses around, only to end up feeling like a fool later. He thought he could get the performers to play one of my favorite songs and I’d just say oh well about all that pain and anguish—sure hope he’s serious this time? “You broke my heart,” I said, and despite my best efforts, a tear slid down my cheek.
He recoiled like I’d slapped him, and his grip on my wrist loosened, making it easier to jerk my arm away. But then resolve set into his features and he closed the foot of space I’d managed to put between us. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, and that’s the one I regret the most. I know you’ve given me more chances than I deserve, but I also know that I don’t want to go one more day without you.” His eyes locked onto mine. “Megan, I need you. I should’ve fought for you—for us—and no matter how long it takes, I’m going to prove to you just how much I love you.”
My bruised heart fluttered, torn between letting those words sink in and pushing them away before they could hurt me. “You…love me?”
“How could I not? I knew I was in trouble that first night you brought me here, when I was having a horrible night, and you took it upon yourself to cheer me up. Then, in your car, this was the song that came on…” He pointed at the ceiling, and I decided now wasn’t the time to point out the speakers were on the stage. “I couldn’t tell you the song that came on when we won the hockey championship last year, but I remember this one. Everything about that night is seared in my brain. I was too afraid to let myself admit it, but I fell a little in love with you that night. And each night after only made me fall harder.”
The song ended, and the female performer asked, “Are they dancing yet?”
When the audience yelled that we weren’t—anyway, I assumed it was about us—the same familiar notes started.
“I, uh, kind of begged and bribed them not to stop playing this song until you at least danced with me.” He extended his palm. “Dance with me? Please.”
“I…” The truth was, I wanted to give in—the song, and the declaration of love made it hard to think about anything but how much I loved him. How every inch of me missed every inch of him. But now I was the scared one, afraid to take a risk. I’d put myself out there again and again, refusing to abandon him, only to end up abandoned.
People I didn’t even know shouted, “Dance, dance, dance,” and then hands shoved me toward him.
Dane caught me around the waist. My senses short-circuited as my body collided with his. Everything about him was so familiar, from his cologne to the way I fit perfectly against him. “I don’t mind the help from the crowd—I certainly need all I can get—but I won’t force you to dance with me. I just…I knew I had to try.”
I peered into those dark brown eyes, at the vulnerability swimming through them, and found the guy I’d spent so many nights with. From the diner to our hot spots to his bed.
“One dance.” I placed my hands on his shoulders, unable to hold back a laugh at how loudly the crowd cheered. Then I shook my head. “I can’t believe your cocky ass thought one dance would be all it took.”
“Mysorryass hoped so. But I also knew it’d take at least one song-worth of groveling before you agreed to dance with me.” He gripped my hips, his thumbs sliding under the hem of my shirt—the same way they did our first night here, and like then, goose bumps spread across my skin. “So, if you were happening to consider giving me another chance, I just want to be clear…I don’t want you to give up your engineering program, or anything else for me.”
“To be clear, I’m never doing that again.”
“Good,” he said. “You deserve to do what makes you happy, and I would never want to hold you back.”
