by Kate Harre
‘Wow,’ she breathed. No wonder the girls had been excited for weeks about their big event. ‘I never imagined it would be like this.’
‘Did you think us small-towners wouldn’t live up to the big-city sh’zam?’
Annie shook her head. ‘I’m not making a comparison. I didn’t go to my Junior Prom.’ She’d been out of her mind from almost nightly murderous nightmares – Prom hadn’t been an option. Trying to keep herself together had been her only focus. ‘But somehow I imagined it would be trestle tables with plastic punch bowls and paper cups, tacky streamers, that sort of thing.’
‘Ah, well one of the charms of small town life is that the whole town likes to get involved in every event and make it special. There’s a committee of ladies who basically work full-time designing and making decorations for the town functions and another bunch of ladies who do all the catering.’ Adrian pointed at a couple of those ladies who were busily laying out gorgeous platters of food. These must be the “matrons” Chelsea had mentioned. ‘A lot of the women in town might not officially work, but they do so much for the town they ought to be on the payroll!’
The band had started playing and Adrian rather awkwardly tugged her onto the dance floor.
‘You really love this place, don’t you?’ Annie commented, settling her hand on his shoulder and letting him take the lead.
‘Most of the time.’
‘Do you think you’ll come back after college? You could run the local paper.’
He smiled shyly and spun her carefully out and back to him. His forehead was crunched, like he was planning out every move in advance. It was so typically Adrian that Annie had to fight back a smile. ‘I’m not going to study journalism. I’m going to be taking literature because…’ He hesitated. ‘Promise you won’t tell Chelsea?’
Annie promised.
He leaned close to her ear. ‘I want to be a writer – murder mysteries and suspense novels.’
‘Really? Have you written anything yet?’
Adrian nodded eagerly, encouraged by her enthusiasm. ‘I’ve written one book – complete and utter rubbish and it took me almost two years to complete. My writing style kept chopping and changing and my plot was confused and disjointed. But I’ve refined my technique since then and I think I’m getting better.’
‘How?’ Annie asked curiously.
‘I make myself write something everyday, even if it’s only a couple of sentences. But I’m trying to concentrate more on quality rather than quantity.’
‘Would you let me read it once you’re done?’ Adrian was intelligent, dryly humorous and a gifted journalist in her inexpert opinion – Annie was sure he’d eventually produce a gripping novel, if he hadn’t already. But if he was ever going to get anything published he’d need to curb his desire for perfection.
He blinked owlishly at her. ‘You’d really like to read it?’
‘I would love to, if you wouldn’t mind.’
‘No one’s read my book – the thought of handing it over makes me a little nervous. I mean, what if it’s no good?’ He cleared his throat. ‘But then again, it would be great to have someone honestly critique it. Would you be able to do that? No sugar coating, just the brutal truth.’
Annie bit her lip. She was one of those people who didn’t like to hurt other people’s feelings. Being brutally honest would be difficult. But if she wasn’t honest, it wouldn’t help Adrian improve or fix up potential problem areas. ‘I’m honoured you’d trust me with your book, so yes, I’ll do my best to give you honest feedback.’
The band switched tempo. Adrian let her go and they walked slowly in the direction of the refreshments table. He looked at her out of the corner of his pale blue eyes. ‘I know you’re a big softie, but hopefully my writing won’t be so disastrous that you’ll be pushed too far out of your comfort zone.’
She grinned. There was no point denying it.
‘I should be about half way through in a couple of weeks. It’ll be unedited, but I’ll let you have what I’ve done up until that point. That way if you notice any glaring inconsistencies I can fix them before I finish the book.’ He looked nervously excited. This was a big deal for him.
‘Thank you for trusting me.’
He shrugged. ‘You’re just that kind of person.’
*
Alex stood at the big picture window at the top of the landing, where he’d been lodged for the better part of an hour, his forehead pressed against the cool glass. He was staring in the direction of the school. Not that he could see much, just a few distant lights where the gym was.
It was stupid; he knew it was. But he couldn’t help himself. Annie was there, dancing with someone else. Probably a number of someone elses. His gut clenched at that unwelcome thought. He wanted to be there with her, wanted to be the one guiding her around the dance floor. Hell, he’d settle for a hidden spot where he could simply look at her, see what she looked like all dolled up in a pretty dress.
She’d look gorgeous, he had no doubt of that. One of the things he loved most about her was she didn’t constantly check her reflection to make sure everything was in place. She was comfortable with who she was and he thought that was great. The truth was, she looked pretty damn fantastic in leggings and a sweat drenched t-shirt, her hair plastered damply to her forehead. So yeah, she was going to look exceptional in a dress.
He’d seriously considered going over to her place before she’d left, but he didn’t want Jake to think he was perving on his daughter. He could only imagine how Jake would feel about Alex’s messed up face getting anywhere close to Annie.
Maria spoke behind him, breaking the silence, and he jumped a mile.
‘Are you going to stand there all night?’
‘Probably.’
‘I guess the real question is, do you want her badly enough to risk everything for her?’
Alex flushed and thought about pretending he didn’t know what Maria was talking about. But she’d seen how he lit up when Annie arrived, how his eyes followed her around the room, how his mood plummeted on the days he didn’t see her. ‘She deserves better than me.’
‘A year ago I would have agreed with you; but not anymore. Alex, you’re a different person now.’
‘It’s not that simple.’
‘How much do you want her?’ she repeated, unimpressed.
He looked away. ‘More than anything,’ he whispered achingly.
‘So go to her.’
‘I can’t!’ he gritted out, his eyes glued again to the lights twinkling in the distance. ‘The gym will be crowded, lights everywhere – how am I supposed to hide in a place like that?’
‘You’re a resourceful young man. If you want her as badly as you say, you’ll figure something out.’ She continued down the corridor and disappeared from sight.
Alex thought about what she’d said. What was he willing to risk for Annie? When he thought of how much she meant to him and what a difference she’d made to his life, he couldn’t think of a single good reason why he was still standing at the window.
But then the doubts began to creep in. What if she didn’t want him there? She was probably having a great time with her friends. Didn’t she deserve a night off from her Good Samaritan duties? Except he would give anything to see what she looked like in a dress. He could slip in, stay out of sight – she wouldn’t even need to know he was there.
*
Annie was having a blast. She and Adrian had danced their socks off – he might be a bit awkward when it came to slow dancing but he had some mean hip hop moves that Annie had tried valiantly to keep up with… not always successfully. But half the fun of it was laughing at herself.
Finally out of breath, they’d joined Mikayla, Caroline and Chelsea with their partners at a table on the edge of the dance floor. With the exception of Adrian and Chelsea, who were actively avoiding looking at each other, everyone was getting on really well. Caroline’s partner, Dave, was a fellow theatre student with a wicked and often irre
verent sense of humour and repeatedly had the whole lot of them in stitches of laughter.
Taking a sip of lemonade, Annie glanced around the room. Everyone seemed to be having a good time but none of the other tables were demonstrating quite the level of hilarity theirs was.
The clutch in her lap vibrated and Annie discreetly pulled her phone out and read the message waiting. It was from Alex.
Meet me behind the bleachers.
Annie’s heart rate picked up a beat. He was here! Resisting the urge to scan the gym for wherever he was hiding, she calmly slipped her phone back in her clutch and leaned over to whisper in Adrian’s ear. ‘I’m going to the bathroom to freshen up. Ask Chelsea to dance.’
His mouth twisted, but he nodded.
Skirting around the edge of the dance floor, Annie headed for the exit out to the hallway where the bathrooms were, just in case Adrian was watching her. It was also the least conspicuous place to try and slip through the curtains. A couple of girls were right behind her, giggling on their way to the bathroom. Annie stepped to the side and let them pass, which was convenient since it allowed her to press right up against the curtains.
Looking around to check no one was watching her, she brushed along the white fabric until she found where the curtains overlapped. As quickly as she could in high heels, she slipped through the gap and carefully drew the fabric back together.
It was almost completely black, only a mere hint of pale light seeping through the white material. Turning carefully, she lifted the skirt of her dress and slowly picked her way over the wheel casters of the bleachers until she met the back wall where there was space enough beneath the highest bleachers to move around comfortably.
‘You look beautiful,’ Alex said quietly, his voice coming from the left of her.
Reaching out blindly, she felt his fingers curl around hers. ‘How can you tell? It’s so dark in here.’
‘I was watching you on the dance floor through a gap in the curtains,’ he admitted with a hint of embarrassment. ‘You wore red.’
‘You asked me to.’
He tugged her gently into his arms, the darkness giving him the courage to do what he’d wanted to do for so long. The music from the band was slightly muffled through the bleachers and curtains, but he started swaying to the beat, gratefully taking the chance to dance with her. ‘Thank you. Red suits you; but then you’d look gorgeous in a washed out sack.’
A surprised half-laugh hiccupped out of Annie’s mouth. They were the sweetest words she’d ever heard and she didn’t know what to say. So she said nothing. Instead, she moved closer and rested her cheek against his chest. She could hear the thudding of his heart beneath her ear and it seemed to be running at an accelerated rate… just like hers. His chin settled into her hair and he inhaled deeply, a slight tremor running through his body. The arm he had around her back tightened, drawing her firmly against his body and clamping her there. It felt like heaven.
‘I’m so glad you came,’ she mumbled dreamily.
‘I couldn’t stay away,’ he said simply.
Annie’s eyes flared wide at what he was implying. He was holding her like he never wanted to let her go; he’d risked being seen to come here and dance with her. She sucked in a breath and held it, wanting desperately to test what she was thinking, scared to death to do it. Was he ready to take their friendship to another level? Only a week ago he’d said he didn’t even let himself think about it, but maybe he’d changed his mind.
She moved back slightly, tilting her head so she could look at him. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could make out his features. Her right hand smoothed up his chest and settled on his shoulder. She frowned at the feel of the fabric under her hand. He wasn’t wearing a hoodie. Her gaze dropped from his face and she realised he was wearing a bow tie.
‘You’re wearing a tuxedo,’ she whispered incredulously.
He cleared his throat, before explaining gruffly, ‘I wanted to look the part for you.’
‘You are so incredibly sweet,’ she whispered, unable to control the quiver in her voice. His eyes were locked to hers and he blinked slowly, like he was surprised at her words. His vulnerability tugged at her heart… she wanted to touch his face, kiss him, but she wasn’t sure if he’d let her.
She bit her lip, indecision warring within her. She had to find out, because if they were ever going to move forward one of them had to take that step. Tentatively, she lifted her fingers to his lips. The moment she made contact, he jerked back, his hand swiftly coming up to capture hers. He brought it down to his chest and held it there, his big hand covering her much smaller one. His heart was racing frantically.
‘Please don’t,’ he whispered raggedly, his voice laced with strain. ‘It’s too ugly. You deserve more than that.’
Annie closed her eyes briefly, accepting her defeat with no surprise. He wasn’t ready. He might never be ready. Knowing better than to argue, she still put up a token protest. ‘So all I get is a dance?’
‘I’m sorry.’ Releasing her trapped hand, Alex cupped the back of her head and eased it back beneath his chin, holding her pressed there.
‘Spoilsport,’ she muttered truculently, surprising a muffled laugh from him.
His scarred face might be out of bounds, but clearly he wasn’t bothered about his body. Annie slipped her hand inside his jacket and snaked her arm around his lean waist, spreading her palm across the smooth muscles of his back beneath his shirt. His muscles contracted at her touch and he shuddered in her hold.
‘You tie me up in knots,’ he said through gritted teeth.
Annie smiled against his chest. ‘I know. Would you have it any other way?’
He groaned feelingly. ‘I should have stayed home. Much safer.’
‘Not so much fun though.’ She snuggled in close, breathing in the smell of his aftershave. ‘You smell good,’ she mumbled, the filter from her brain to her mouth having gone AWOL. Mmmm, she loved being this close to him.
‘The dark does funny things to you,’ Alex noted in bemusement.
Annie chuckled, but buttoned her lips. She’d tortured him enough for one night.
The song finished and she pulled regretfully away at the same moment Alex released her.
‘You’d better go back to your friends. It’s not a good time to suddenly go missing.’
‘No, it’s not. Thank you for coming, it…’ She took a deep breath. ‘Well, it makes a wonderful night completely perfect.’
‘You’re welcome. Enjoy the rest of your night. And text me when you’re home so I know you’re safe.’ He reached out and trailed his fingers lightly down the curve of her cheek, across the line of her lower lip.
‘Unfair!’ she whispered, trembling slightly at his light touch.
‘I know. Would you have it any other way?’ he murmured gently, echoing her earlier words.
Chapter 13
Annie rolled over, opened one eye about a third of the way and examined her alarm clock. It was late morning. Rolling to her back with a satisfied smile, she spreadeagled across the width of the bed. She had no school, no training session, no responsibilities whatsoever. In fact, her first meal of the day was probably going to be ice cream with Jake. She rolled back over for another half hour or so of shuteye.
When she finally got up, she pulled on her dressing gown and went straight up to Karen’s studio. Karen had her back to the door and her easel angled so she could take best advantage of the sunlight streaming through the windows. The light played over her dark auburn hair, creating a sort of red halo around her head. Her hand, with a fine paintbrush held delicately between her fingers, was frozen in mid air as she stared out the window, deep in thought.
Crossing the room quietly, Annie settled on the sofa beneath the windows, curling her feet under her so she could tuck the edge of her dressing gown over her bare toes. The movement caught Karen’s attention and she carefully placed her brush down on her paint pallet.
‘Morning, honey. Are you f
inally ready to sit for me?’ Karen asked with a smile.
Annie rolled her eyes. It was a conversation they’d had many times before. ‘Nope. I’ve come to talk.’
‘Goody… I’ve been dying to hear about the Prom! Tell me everything.’ Karen leaned forward eagerly, forgetting her stool didn’t have rollers on it and had to catch herself from falling off it.
Smiling, Annie shook her head. ‘Prom was great, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about. I want to talk about you and Dad.’
‘Oh.’ Karen sat back with a grimace. ‘Do we really need to talk about that?’
‘We do. It’s been a week now and I want to make sure it’s not too stressful for you having Dad around all the time.’
‘Oh, it’s fine.’ Karen waved her hand negligently in the air. ‘It’s not like we haven’t lived together before, Annie.’
‘Yes, but this is different. With everything that’s been going on, it’s kind of brought the two of you together again and I’ve seen the way you’ve been looking at him.’
Karen’s eyes widened. ‘How have I been looking at him?’
‘Kind of wistfully, like you’re hoping he’s changed,’ Annie said with a sigh. ‘And then there’s all those “do you remember” moments you guys have been sharing. Do I need to be worried?’
Her hands flying to her cheeks, Karen’s eyes slewed away from Annie’s. ‘I… I don’t know… maybe.’
‘That’s what I was afraid of,’ Annie murmured. ‘You’re still in love with him, aren’t you?’
‘He was the love of my life, honey,’ Karen admitted sadly, her solemn gaze returning to Annie’s. ‘That kind of love doesn’t simply go away… even when you want it to.’
Annie looked down and fiddled with a loose thread on her dressing gown. ‘I want you to be happy, Mum, that’s all I’ve ever wanted. And you and Dad together would be great if it was going to be forever.’ Taking a deep breath, she looked up and met Karen’s shadowed eyes. ‘But the kind of situation we’re in at the moment, that feeling of danger… it heightens emotions, creates a sort of false sense of closeness. You guys have got a lot of history and I know you both genuinely care about each other, but don’t let him hurt you again.’
