Page 26 of Fake It Till We Fall
“Come on.” His hand slipped into mine, and he led me away from the cookie table. “I know a spot.”
Grayson
I didn’t let goof her hand as I guided Harper through the crowd, weaving past kids with glow sticks and couples clutching cups of cider and hot chocolate. My pulse pounded harder than it should have, considering all I was doing was walking across the plaza.
But it had nothing to do withwhatI was doing and everything to do withwhoI was doing it with.
Harper Bennett.
I never could have imagined having this moment.
I led her to the edge of the plaza, away from the crowd gathered directly in front of the town’s Christmas tree. Therewas a small retaining wall that I helped Harper jump on before climbing up next to her.
“Is this okay?” I took her hand again once I was next to her.
She glanced down at our hands, but didn’t pull away. “This is a great spot,” she said. “How did you?—”
“Would you be surprised if I told you that I’d helped them build this wall a few years back?”
“No.” She laughed. “That wouldn’t surprise me at all.”
The countdown began, voices rising all around us, and for a moment, I just let myself look at her. The lights from the plaza reflected in her eyes; the snow dusted her knit cap and her shoulders. She looked exactly like she belonged there in the moment with me. As if she’d never left.
As if the last fifteen years apart had never happened.
The numbers dropped.
Five… Four…
Instinct kicked in. I slid my arm around her and pulled her back against my chest, steadying her as she looked up.
“Grayson,” she whispered.
Two… One…
The tree flared to life, lights cascading up the branches in a kaleidoscope of colors against the night sky. There was a surge of emotion at the sight of it.
All around us, the crowd cheered, but I barely heard them. All I could hear was Harper’s exclamations as she took in the splendor of the tree.
“It’s incredible.” She twisted her head to look at me. “You did this?”
I nodded, unable to speak with her lips so close to mine.
“It’s amazing, Gray.”
“You’re amazing.” Her eyes narrowed in confusion, and I regretted the slip the moment it left my lips. This wasn’t real. Just because my own feelings might not have ever completelydisappeared didn’t mean I needed to complicate the situation more than it already was. “I mean, it needs to look real, right?” I added.
She nodded, but I could see the uncertainty in her eyes.
My throat went tight. I did the only thing I could. I lifted my gloved hand to her cheek and spun her gently until she was up against me. I bent my head and pressed my lips to hers. It was just enough to send sparks racing through me.
The band started to play, and I pulled back to see couples moving into the empty space in front of the tree to dance.
Before I could think better of it, I stepped back slightly. “Dance with me.”
“Here?” She looked down at the small platform we stood on. “Now?”
“Yes,” I said. “It’s what people would expect, right?”
