Page 108 of Chasing After You
“I mean it,” I say, my voice thick in my throat.
“I’m at the new club downtown. Tower something,” Mirabelle says, and hearing she’s less than ten minutes away is definitely the best-case scenario here.
“I’ll be there soon. Wait for me, okay?”
“I’ve been waiting, but you didn’t want me,” she slurs, and there’s a crash as the call drops. Did she drop her phone, or hang up on me? Both options are a possibility, but neither makes me worry less.
I hate that Mirabelle thinks I didn’t want her. I do. I want everything with her. I want to call her mine, and make sure she knows I mean it.
I pull up to the curb, pulling cash out of my wallet as I cut past the line, heading straight for the bouncer. I see it in his face that he recognizes me, wordlessly taking the cash after quickly opening the door. I scan the crowd,looking for the familiar blonde who drives meoh so fucking crazy. It’d be helpful if I knew what she was wearing.
A horrifying thought creeps into my mind that she’s passed out somewhere in the building, and I might not be able to find her.
The flashing lights are warping my vision, making it hard for me to see, but I’m not leaving until I find Mirabelle. Finally, I spot her dancing with her hands above her head, her eyes shut as she’s lost in the music. I push through the crowd until I’m behind her as Mirabelle turns, her eyes widening before she throws herself into my chest. I catch her, wrapping my arms around her instinctively.
“You came,” Mirabelle says, smiling at me in a manner she hasn’t since I messed everything up. Fuck, I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure she doesn’t ever question again whether I’ll show up.
“Of course I came.”
“I’m so sorry I had dinner with Quinn. I thought I could make myself like him, but he wasn’t you. I don’t know how I’m ever supposed to want someone else, but I wish I wasn’t like this,” Mirabelle rambles, and I smooth her hair.
“It’s okay,” I try to reassure her as I spot someone out of the corner of my eye shining a light at us. Are you fucking serious?
Mirabelle doesn’t notice, shaking her head. “It was so dumb, but it felt nice to be wanted, even if it wasn’t by you. I’m trying, but maybe I’m not meant to find a love like my parents have.”
Yeah, we’re definitely continuing this conversation when she’s sober so I can clear up all of this to make sure there’s no mistaking how badly I want her.
“Mira, you’re drunk. I think we should get you home, okay?”
She looks at me, stepping out of my touch as strobe lights momentarily blind me. I shield my eyes, seeing the look of hurt on her face makes me want to do nothing more than pull Mirabelle back into my arms and kiss her senselessly so I can fix whatever it is that I just said wrong, but I’m not going to do that when she’s drunk.
“I don’t want to leave. I’m having a great time, Henry.”
I would consider believing Mirabelle if she wasn’t wobbling where she stands, looking like she’s on the verge of throwing up. “How much have you had?” I ask, hoping that Mirabelle will give in this one time.
Mirabelle’s face goes white, and she takes a step back, but I don’t think she’s going to get very far.
I make a decision before Mirabelle disappears into the crowd, pulling her back to me, lifting her like she weighs nothing. “No. We’re leaving,” I insist, making the choice for her before she gets sick in front of all these people with cameras on their phones.
“Put me down.” She shrieks during an unfortunate lull in the music and if people weren’t looking at us before, they are now. We only have a matter of moments before they figure out who we are, if they haven’t already.
I put my mouth next to Mirabelle’s ear, speaking clearly so she can hear how serious I am as I set her on her feet, but I don’t remove my hands from her. “No. You are underage and drunk out of your mind. There is no reason for you to stay unless you’re looking to be tomorrow’s headline. I will put you down if you want to walk, or I can carry you.” I doubt she could even walk out by herself, but at least I’m giving her the option.
She nods as I spot flashes from the pictures being taken around us.
“Fuck, we need to get out of here. Are you walking or am I carrying you?” I ask, moving us further away as more people turn our direction.
“Carry me please.”
I’m going to have to call Stacey to give her a heads up about this. She’s going to fucking kill me, and probably Mirabelle.
Mirabelle sways as I turn her, keeping my face angled downward. “I need you to jump a little, and wrap your legs around my waist.” She’s ungraceful, but I’m able to adjust her quickly, securing Mirabelle in a better position that allows us to move more easily through the crowd. Mirabelle tucks her face into my chest, letting her hair hide her face like a curtain.
“Please don’t throw up on me,” I say, making Mirabelle snort.
“I’m not going to throw up on you.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
