IF THERE WAS A WAY to crawl into the floorboard of Raven’s car and hide from Adam I would have. I was past the point of embarrassed and straight up mortified. God, I hadn’t expected that Georgina would act that bad. It was my fault for not warning her, but in all fairness, I’d never said I was taking Braden to the damn dance. And after the day I’d had, I was just done. I’d had to prepare a speech Georgina had told me about at the very last minute and I’d spent the majority of the day getting my hair done.
Adam came around the car and helped me out of the seat, which was no easy task in this ridiculous dress Georgina insisted I wear. I was still angry, upset, downright pissed off. I sure hoped I could snap out of it for Adam’s sake. Georgina would be here and so would a heap ton of kids from school. No doubt, Braden. I felt my stomach roll as we walked up to the building.
“Wait.” Adam stopped us on the sidewalk and pulled me to him. Two fingers stroked the bottom of my chin as he looked into my eyes. “Tonight is going to be great.”
I lifted an eyebrow at him.
“Repeat after me. Tonight is going to be great.”
My other eyebrow joined in on the fun.
“I can’t hear you,” he said, in a sing-song voice.
“What a coincidence because I’m not saying anything.”
“Come on, we got this. Adam Nova and Liv Montgomery against the world. You didn’t forget, did you?” His blue eyes sparkled like twin stars.
I had. For a moment I’d let Georgina upset me and get in my head. But at Adam’s words my heart leaped. He hadn’t let me forget. Gone was the gloom and doom boy I’d met months ago. And in his place was a romantic. If he could believe this night was going to be awesome, then I guess I could, too.
I smiled up at him. God, he looked good enough to eat. And he wasn’t even dressed up like a cream puff like me. The suit he was wearing had a beautiful fit. The tattoos that poked out here and there, only made him look even better. It didn’t hurt at all that he smelled like heaven.
“God, you smell good,” I said, leaning forward and taking a whiff at his neck. My nose brushed the column of his throat and he let out a growl.
“You keep doing that and we’re going to have to skip this party and have one of our own.”
I stepped back and looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Can we?” I wasn’t joking. Not even a little bit.
He grabbed me by the hand and started pulling me toward the building. “Absolutely not. This is your special night and this is also the night I get to tell all these rich fucks that Livingston Montgomery is all mine.”
I grinned at the back of his head as we entered the hall. And if Adam hadn’t cheered me up the decorations would have. Twinkle lights hung through the main dance hall and the room was dimly lit. A giant ball hung from the middle of the ceiling that had stars cut out of it. The light cast stars all over the wall and floor as it spun. There were stars everywhere. At least Georgina had gotten this right and respected my wishes.
The dance floor was empty, but the room was not. People littered every side and corner of the room and it didn’t go unnoticed that when we entered everyone stopped and stared. A huge part of me wanted to run for the door and back to our field. Our stars. A place where people didn’t judge us.
I swallowed the huge lump in my throat while Adam squeezed my hand reassuringly before spinning me around and holding me in his arms.
“Let’s dance.”
The music was already playing as he twirled me around and promptly began to lead me in a waltz.
My eyes widened as he led me around the floor so easily, effortlessly. I smiled despite my nerves. “How in the hell do you always manage to surprise me?”
“Hey, you underestimate the Nova men. My father taught me to dance as soon as I could walk, Liv. How else would I romance all the ladies?” He smirked.
Now that didn’t surprise me a bit. José Nova was a damn flirt.
And somehow there we were in our own little world. He’d managed to do that. I barely noticed the whispers and stares. No. Just me and Adam. Against the world.
It wasn’t until a boy I didn’t know asked to cut in three songs later that we finally stopped dancing. Adam was gracious and stepped aside with a smile. But he stood on the outskirts of the floor and drank punch, never taking his eyes from me as I danced with boy after boy.
When he eventually cut back in, relief flooded me. I’d talked and talked until I felt blue in the face. I leaned my head against his shoulder, breathing in his familiar smell.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
His chest vibrated with a quiet laugh. “You don’t have to thank me. If I had to watch you dance with one more boy tonight, I was going to lose my shit. This dance is purely for my sanity.”
We danced two more songs in blessed silence before I knew I should walk around the room and socialize. And I did, with Adam’s hand at the small of my back. We rotated the room and talked with friends of the family and friends from school, but I made sure to avoid the corner where Georgina and Sheriff Rothchild had set up shop.
We headed to the refreshment table for drinks when Braden stepped in front of me, blocking my way to the punch.
“Hey, Liv.” His breezy smile eased my anxiety about running into him. He didn’t seem upset or put out that I’d been firm in him not escorting me tonight.
Still, I only squeaked out a small, “Hey,” and tried to go around him. Awkward didn’t even cover how I felt about having Adam and him breathing the same air.
He ran a hand through his hair and pushed out his hand to Adam, “I’m Braden Rothchild.”
Adam’s wrinkle in his forehead was out in full force at the mention of Braden’s name. I expected him to lose his mind or maybe push past him and completely ignore him, but what I didn’t expect was what he asked next.
“Sheriff Rothchild’s son?”
Braden’s hand was still hanging in the wind, so he pulled it back and stuck it in his suit pocket. “Yep, that’s me.”
“Hmm.” Adam grunted back at Braden and awkward shot to a whole new level.
So, I intervened. My Southerness wouldn’t have it any other way. “Braden, this is Adam. My escort for tonight and my boyfriend every other day.”
Braden’s eyes widened, but his smile never wavered. “Cool. Nice to meet you, man.”
Adam didn’t even attempt a “likewise” or “fuck the hell off.” He just stood there, rooted to the spot, staring at Braden.
“Well, we are on our way to get some punch if you’ll excuse us.”
“Of course, but save a dance for me,” he called out as we walked around him. I felt Adam’s entire body stiffen beside me.
I grabbed his hand and steered him to the punch bowl, worried out of my mind there was about to be a brawl at my ball. Although it did have a certain ring to it. Brawl at the ball.
I poured a glass of punch while Adam leaned against the refreshment table stewing. So much for this is gonna be an awesome night.
“I don’t like that kid.”
“What kid?”
He glared at me.
“Okay, so why don’t you like Braden?” I took a sip of punch.
He crossed his arms. “There are a myriad of reasons I don’t like him, the first being that he wants my girl.”
I smiled. I couldn’t help it. I shouldn’t have. But hearing him call me his girl and get all territorial, well, it would appeal to any seventeen-year-old girl’s senses.
“Come on, caveman. Let’s dance,” I muttered, placing my drink down.
“I’m serious, Liv.”
I nodded. “I know.”
He wrapped his arms around me and we swayed back and forth on the dance floor. “I don’t trust him.”
I paused, shocked. “What? Braden’s harmless, Adam.”
He leaned over and kissed the tip of my nose and pulled me closer. “Just don’t be alone with him. Promise me?”
I’d do anything for him. Especially if it was so important to him, even if I didn’t understand. “Okay,” I whispered.
He mumbled a quiet, “Thank you.”
And we danced and I made a speech thanking Georgina for all her hard work and for everyone coming out. I made sure it was saccharine sweet just for her. We made the rounds again, this time saying hello to Mel and Sebastian. Adam was less than impressed with him as well, but he didn’t let it put a damper on our night.
It was my coming out party, but I felt like it was more our coming out. Now everyone knew. And they couldn’t do shit about it while we were here and dancing. No, none of these people would dare make a scene and embarrass themselves or their family’s namesake.
And as the night came to a close, I made sure to say goodbye and to thank everyone for coming as they left. I couldn’t have Georgina mad about that, too. I knew she was already fuming about my date for the night, if the glares from across the room were any indication.
When everyone was gone and all that was left was just the staff and me and Adam, he pulled me back to the dance floor and twirled me around until my big, pink cream puff bell of a dress floated into the air. I laughed as he snapped me back to him and dipped me low.
His lips met mine softly before he pulled me back up. “I finally have you all to myself.”
“Greedy,” I muttered, this time kissing him.
“Only for you.”
And we danced for another hour more under the twinkling lights of at least a thousand fabricated stars.
It wasn’t an awesome night. It didn’t even rate in my top five nights with Adam, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I anticipated it would be.
I breathed a sigh of relief as he spun me around the floor a final time. I’d made it through the hard part. I’d let them all know they couldn’t keep us apart.
Together, we were unstoppable.
Just a mere hour later, and I’d realize how wrong I could be.