He’ll be at the dance with Amber.
Shiloh had told me. That had hurt but was no less than I expected.
“Or deserved,” I said softly to my reflection.
I’d hurt him, which was precisely what I wanted to avoid all along. But that’s what love does. It hurts.
And yet kissing Miller felt so good.
I put another coat of lip gloss on, but it didn’t help. It’d been four days, and I could still taste him.
I waited out in front of the school for River at seven as planned, but there was no sign of him. I texted him, and there was no answer. Minutes passed and I grew tired of waving sheepishly at students going by in couples or groups, many giving me curious stares.
Maybe River’s in the gym already and can’t hear his phone.
Walking the red carpet alone was more than slightly embarrassing, and inside, there was still no sign of River. I spied his teammates and their dates. No quarterback.
Embarrassment warred with worry. Maybe something had happened to him. Or to his mom.
“Have you seen River?” I shouted at Donte Weatherly, the star wide receiver.
“Yeah, he was at dinner with us. I thought he was coming straight here.”
“Me too.”
“He’s probably just running late.” He flashed me his perfect white teeth, contrasting brightly with his warm brown skin. “I’ll text him for you, my queen, and let you know when he answers.”
I smiled. “Thank you,” I said and wandered away, through a morass of dancing bodies. I scanned the crowd but realized it wasn’t River I was searching for.
Evelyn, Caitlin, and Julia found me. They all looked beautiful: Caitlin in red, Julia in blue, and Evelyn in black with red roses clipped to her long black hair.
“Where’s River?” Julia asked.
My cheeks burned. “Good question.”
Caitlin’s eyebrows shot up, while Evelyn wore a strange smile.
“He’s not here?” she asked.
“I’m getting a little worried, actually,” I said to combat the actual fear that I was being stood up.
“We just saw one of the Lost Boys,” Evelyn said. Lost Boys was her new nickname for Miller, Ronan and Holden. Outcasts who were seen roaming the Boardwalk almost every night. Given the connection between Santa Cruz and the classic vampire movie set here, the name had spread like fire.
She smiled sweetly. “Your Miller.”
My stupid heart fluttered, though I made my voice hard. “He’s not mine.”
“I suppose that’s true,” she said as the DJ started “Dance Monkey.” She pointed through the crowd. “He’s here with Amber.”
I followed her gaze. Amber looked beautiful in pink, real daisies twined in her long blond hair that swayed and flowed as she laughingly tried to get Miller to dance.
My eyes drank him up. He wore a suit coat and his hair was damp from the shower but for a stray lock that fell over his brow. Stubble still shadowed his angular cheeks, highlighting his full mouth and those lips that kissed me so perfectly…
As I watched him, something in my heart unfurled. Like a tight fist finally letting go, warmth and lightness expanded in my chest. I sucked in a breath.
He is mine. He’s always been mine.
Tears sprung to my eyes, but I willed them back. It wasn’t fair of me to ruin anything between him and Amber, but if we could have a real talk before a spark caught fire between them, we might have a chance. If he hadn’t already given up on me. If it wasn’t too late.