Page 62 of Right With You
The sensation of loss doubled until she smiled. Her beautiful lips tipped up and spread wide and she looked so genuinely happy and at ease, my heart nearly burst in my chest for an entirely different reason.
I loved her. Somehow in all of this pretending, all of this certainty that I wouldn’t end up feeling more than simple attraction and admiration for her, I’d fallen.
Hard.
Instead of guarding myself against the thing I feared most—the thing that was ultimately at the root of what drove me and my grandfather apart, even—I’d let it come for me. And it had, without mercy. She’d encouraged me to be myself, and though I felt crushed with my grandfather’s dismissal, I also felt the inklings of freedom.
Instead of fear and dread and anger like I almost wished for, I felt… joy. Like I wanted to scoop it into my mouth and fill myself up with this love for someone who wanted the best for me, who cared for me. A woman I admired and yes, astoundingly, loved.
Even if she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, return the sentiment.
“Thanks. I—I’ve got to go,” I said, still entranced by the woman across the ballroom.
“Yes, you do. Love beckons and you must answer!” Michele said, and even as Elise drew me to her, I couldn’t hold back the laugh at his cheesy lovesick little heart.
When I reached Elise, I didn’t say anything. She took the hand I offered, and we whisked out onto the dance floor. The perfect excuse to hold her close, especially when I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d get to.
“How’d it go?” she asked after a minute or two of twirling around the dance floor.
“I won’t be shocked if he isn’t at dinner.” I also wouldn’t be surprised if he was and simply didn’t acknowledge my existence, but we’d see. There were only about ten minutes left before they’d ask us to be seated for the dinner portion of the evening.
She inched closer and brushed her hand over my neck, the contact sending a shiver of pleasure through me.
“I’m sorry.”
With slight pressure at her back, I urged her closer. I wanted her plastered to me, but that wouldn’t be appropriate, though a glance around would show a handful of couples getting as close as they could while still managing to stay on tempo—impressive.
“I’m not. I regret that he seems unwilling to listen to me or accept anyone’s opinion but his own, but I don’t regret being honest. I’m sorry dinner will be awkward if he does attend.” It wasn’t fair to subject her to any more of this, so maybe we’d just leave. I could see what Aurelie thought.
“It’ll be—” Elise’s words halted, and her attention was pinned over my shoulder.
I turned to look and saw what’d snagged her focus.Callum.
He stood by one of the bars with a scowl so exaggerated it would’ve been comical if it weren’t upsetting Elise. Before I could twirl her away, he shoved off the bar and sauntered over with a sneer on his lips.
“Well, well, well,” he said, like he’d found us in a compromising position and not dancing in a ballroom at a formal event.
“What do you want, Callum?” Elise said, all impatience.
“Oh, nothing. Just taking a minute to give my best to the happy couple. But you know people who get together by cheating don’t last, right?”
Elise sighed, and I clutched her close.
“No one cheated, Callum. You and me? We weren’t together. We haven’t been for a long time.” Energy coursed through her, but her breathing stayed calm.
He muttered something under his breath, and I nearly lunged for him, but Elise’s hand on my chest held me steady while he stalked away.
“He needs to get a life and move on from you. This should help him figure out you’re really not going back to him.” The grit in my voice might’ve betrayed my repudiation of the man. I almost wished he’d given me an excuse to make good on my promise.
“He’s lost it if he’s been thinking we were together. He must’ve decided his scheme to sell out from under me wouldn’t work, but it makes me nervous that he’s planning something bigger.” She’d directed her attention in the opposite direction, straining away from even the vicinity of where the man had gone.
Leading us to the far side of the dance floor, I used the moment to ask a few questions I’d wanted to but hadn’t wanted to upset her with. “Have you spoken to him recently?”
“No.”
“Good.” It was simple. He shouldn’t have been contacting her at all, especially now. More importantly, “Are you alright?”
Her dark eyes found mine, and she seemed to understand I meant more than generally. I meant was she okay about Callum—with him talking to her and now glaring. She needed only say the word and I’d find a way to haul him out of here.
