Page 137 of Awestruck at Dusk
I was so optimistic that I packed a nice outfit for this date, even when I didn’t know if it was happening or not. But itwashappening, and I couldn’t hide my excitement as I finished getting ready, even if it was after midnight and I was collapsing with exhaustion. It seemed to me like I was still running on pure adrenaline.
I finally stepped out of the bathroom wearing the perfect little black dress with a heart-shaped neckline.
“William!” I gasped and covered my mouth at the scene before me. His suite was beautifully set up for our date. Candles filled the space, and a small table for two had been placed right beside the terrace. A small vase with different kinds of flowers decorated it.
William smiled at me as he watched me marvel at the improvised but stunning and intimate setup for our date. “You look—beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I said, rushing to hug him. “I love this.” I kept looking around at everything.
“It’s the best we could do on such short notice,” he said, kissing my hair. “That’s why I’m not complaining about how long you took in there.”
“I’m sorry. But the shower’s awesome.”
“It is, right?” William laughed. “Come.” He offered his arm to me, and I linked it with mine as he guided me toward the table. “The restaurant staff left this wine for us, and I ordered some food. They’ll bring it up as soon as it’s ready.”
“Perfect.” I smiled. “I’m sure everything here is delicious.” He pulled the chair and helped me to my seat.
“It’s insanely good. You have no idea. I snuck into the kitchen a few times and cooked with the chefs here when I was filming during the summer.” He sat next to me. “I learned how to make a few dishes, so be ready to eat a shit-ton of South African food when we get back.” He laughed as he grabbed the bottle of wine to uncork it.
I couldn’t stop staring at William and marveling at him. Not only was he the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life, but he had the biggest and kindest heart too. And it made me feel so special that he would share it with me.
He changed from his white t-shirt to a floral, vintage-style, short-sleeved button-down shirt that looked great on him. Ugh! He could pull anything off.
“You’ve been into pastels lately, haven’t you?” I teased as he poured red wine into my glass.
He laughed under his breath and said, “Ilaria insists on how pastels are hot this season. Once we go back to NY, we’ll see what she has in store for the fall. And you met her. I do whatever she tells me to do—mmm, you need to try this wine.”
It seemed to me like William hadhereating from his hand, not the other way around as he said. I remember her trying to please William when he expressed his opinion about my outfit for Tobias’s premiere. But yeah, I would probably do whatever Ilaria told me to do, too. She was scary as hell, but she had a great taste in fashion.
I sipped on the wine, and it was divine, just as he said.
“Can I just say your Midsummer outfit was the mostperfectthing I’ve ever seen you wear?” I liked calling it the cotton-candy outfit. “Please tell me you sent it to the cleaners right away to get the bloodstains off of it.”
“Actually,” he said with a silly smile, “it’s rotting away in my closet in Sagaponack.” He laughed. “I left in a hurry, as you might recall. And I’ve just been crazy busy these past few months. I haven’t been able to go down there. So let’s say it’s your fault.”
“What?” I gaped at him. “We need to save it when we get back. I really want to see you wearing that number some other time.” I laughed.
“You loved it, didn’t you?” He laughed with me.
“Obviously.”
“Well, I loved that little Enzio de Luca dress you wore on your birthday,” he said, sipping on his wine and looking up and down at me with that fiery gaze that always made me nervous. “What do you say we take my Midsummer outfit to the cleaners so I can wear it again while you wearthatdress so I can tear it off you afterward. And I’ll let you do whatever you want with my suit, of course.”
My face warmed up, and William smiled at my feedback. He had this power over me, to make me feel things in such a heightened way that it was impossible for me to hide my reactions from him.
William teased me all the time but knowing that the things he said would actually happen made me feel nervous—an amazing kind of nervous. Things were real now. We were done with taunts and games. I still couldn’t believe it.
“All I really wanted to do at Midsummer was stare at you, but I couldn’t,” I confessed. “I guess that’s why I was in such a bad mood. Well … that and Zara, of course. But now I feel like an idiot.” I dropped my wineglass on the table and reached out for William’s hand. My finger grazed the thin scar from when he cut himself that day. David had done a great job with the stitches.
William frowned.
“I’m sorry about what happened with Zara,” I said, looking at our laced-up hands. “I’m so embarrassed about how I acted, about my stupid jealousy, and … I don’t know. I was so immature, and I know I doubted you, but it was so hard not to feelsomethingwhen I saw you two together.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” he replied, lifting my chin to meet my eyes. “I have to admit that I was a bit harsh with you that day.” He stroked the back of my hand with his fingers. “I wished I could’ve told you from the start that she’s my sister, but I couldn’t. Zara wanted to do things her way and on her time, and I had to respect that. I couldn’t start revealing that because it was convenient for me. And I couldn’t tell her how I felt about you either because I knew it would be an issue for her since you were with Nathan. That’s why she was so angry with me when she caughtour little exchangeat the cottage. I’d been denying my feelings for you since your birthday, so I had to deal with that too.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sure it must’ve sucked for you,” I told him. “And Zara hates me, right? I mean, I probably would if I were in her position.”
“She doesn’t. Zara’s been through a lot. I’ve talked to her, and she’s mostly glad that the truth is finally out,” he said, kissing the back of my hand.
