Page 59 of Awestruck at Dusk
I turned my neck and looked up at him and whispered back, “I love you too.”
He kissed my lips softly and lingered there for a few seconds. He then pulled a black, somewhat long but narrow jewelry box out of his inside jacket pocket. “I was going to wait until tomorrow,” he said, handing it over to me. “I should’ve given this to you earlier today. I feel like it’s going to look great with your dress.”
“Nathan,” I said, turning around to face him and grabbing the box. “But the party—you must’ve already spent a lot of money on it and—”
“Nonsense. Please just open it, love.”
I did. It was a ruby pendant necklace with a thin rose gold chain. It was so beautiful.
“Oh my God, Nathan,” I said with a gasp. “I love it.” I trailed my finger along the chain and around the stone.
“Do you want to wear it?”
“Yes. Yes, could you—”
“Of course.” He took the necklace out of the box and made me turn around again. He fastened the chain around my neck, and I looked up and saw William standing beside stage left. Zara was cuddled up with him, swaying from side to side to the rhythm of the slow tune.
I couldn’t seem to look away from them. As much as I tried to remember William telling me how it was something he could never explain—that it wasnothing—it served no purpose.
I wished I could feelnothing.
“They seem cozy,” I whispered to Nathan as he tucked the jewelry box back inside his jacket pocket. And I know I shouldn’t have said that, but yeah, I was drunk, jealous, and confused. Probably the drunkest I’d ever been in my life. But I was still standing and able to talk to people, so I thought I was good.
Nathan looked at them but said nothing, and that was so unsettling. I wanted him to say something, but he didn’t, and now there was no way to know what he was thinking.
Tobias joined them, and Zara placed her arm around him too. And for some reason watching that also hurt. To see how great her relationship was with all of them. It made me crazy jealous.
I looked away.
The band was done playing “Where Are You Going,” but a soft flute kept playing, and that’s when Dave addressed the guests. Everyone reacted by screaming, whistling, and clapping. He wished me a happy birthday and mentioned how they couldn’t leave without playing the next song. And I knew what song that was going to be.
The band started playing “Crash Into Me” as everyone kept making noise, and I felt a fire burning inside me. My gaze wandered toward William, and I caught him watching me too. This was our song. And he’d made this happen, brought Dave Matthews Band for my birthday because he knew how much I loved them. I just couldn’t. I looked away but found myself unable to keep it that way.
William sang the song with his arm around Zara’s shoulder, but his gaze aimed my way. And I felt like he was singing it to me.
Lily appeared next to me and hugged me. Joel stood next to Nathan, ran his hand around his shoulder, and said something to him in Swedish. They both laughed and chit-chatted—the bromance.
Lily and I sang as we stood next to each other with my arm around her waist, and her arm around my shoulder. “Your favorite song,” Lily whispered. I saw her glancing at William next, and he was singing the chorus, no … shouting it at the ceiling with such emotion I could feel my skin reacting. Lily knew all about it being our song and the meaning behind it.
The song ended, and I had to let a slow breath out through my mouth just to chill the fuck out.
“We haven’t been able to talk, just you and me. You know, after everything that happened,” Lily said to me. “I’ll be in New York for the rest of the week. I think we should have one of our sessions. What do you say?”
Yes, please.
I nodded, and my wide eyes made Lily laugh. I was desperate to sort things out.
The band went on to play all kinds of percussion instruments like drums, bongo drums, and others I didn’t even know their name. The guys were doing an improv on the spot for what it seemed. You couldn’t tell what song was going to be next. Then a flute joined in.
Dave stepped out of the spotlight as the band kept jamming. He walked over to William, who was still standing just beside stage left with Zara, Tobias, and my new best friend AKAsnitch-guy:Liam Kelly.
Ugh. He was cute, though.
William kept nodding as Dave leaned in to talk to him. Dave then walked back, grabbed his guitar, and took the microphone to say how they couldn’t say goodbye without “Say Goodbye.” The crowd cheered again as he invited William to join him.
The band vamped as William jumped up on the stage and was handed a guitar.
“Oh, my God!” Lily shouted, laughing.
