I’D DONE IT. I’d started the hard, awkward conversation with my sister—the dreaded sex talk. Usually, that was a parent/child thing, but with the emotional bond Nika and I shared, discussing it beforehand was vital. And embarrassing. But it needed to happen, because soon, I was going to ask Arianna to be mine. Officially. And after that...
I knew Nika wasn’t ready for Arianna and me to take the next steps in our relationship, but I sure was. We’d been dating for about four months now. Four wonderful, blissful months. And every day that went by, I felt so much closer to her. We laughed, talked, opened up to each other in ways I’d never done with a girl outside my family. I felt like Arianna got me. I felt whole around her. Complete.
Being with her made every feeling I’d once felt for Raquel seem two-dimensional in comparison. My infatuation with my former crush had never gone as deep as my feelings for Arianna; I’d barely scratched the surface with Raquel. But Arianna… Like I’d told Nika, I was steadfastly falling in love with her, more so every moment I was around her, or thinking about her, or wondering if she was thinking about me. It was an incredible feeling, one I wanted to expand on, when the time was right. And I couldn’t wait for it to be right. But for now, I was satisfied with asking her to be my girl. At prom. It was going to be perfect.
As I hopped out of bed, I thought about different ways I might ask Arianna to be mine at the dance. During her favorite song? With flowers? Inside a piece of chocolate? Everything seemed hokey, but I wanted to do something hokey for her. Something she’d love, something she’d always remember. I wanted every moment with her to be special. Maybe I could ask Nika for advice. From the lack of emotions coming from her room, I could tell she was still sleeping; that was really the only time we were unaware of each other. I felt guilty asking Nika about much of anything lately though. And talking about Arianna with her was hard, and not just because of the sex stuff. I just felt…bad, like I was doing something wrong by being in a good mood. Like I was reminding her of everything she’d lost with Hunter.
I didn’t want to feel bad, and I didn’t want Nika to feel bad. I just wanted everyone to be happy, but right now, that wasn’t possible.
With a sigh, I stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower. The water was colder than expected, and I immediately turned up the temperature. I hated being cold. That was the one thing from my childhood abduction that I really remembered…being cold. And alone. In a tight space. I hated all three of those things now. I hadn’t had a panic attack since Arianna and I had started dating. She grounded me, gave me strength. And the ordeal we’d gone through with Hunter and his dad had given me strength. I’d definitely been tested during the battle, and I’d come out of it stronger, surer of myself. And with a potential girlfriend who I didn’t have to hide anything from, who I…loved. If Nika were happier, and Hunter’s father wasn’t still out there somewhere, hating all of us, I’d say life was kind of…perfect.
After my shower, I dressed and headed downstairs to get some breakfast. Nika was awake now, and melancholy blanketed her as she ambled around her room. As I walked, I contemplated if my sister would ever be like she’d been at the beginning of the year. Sure, she was a lot better now than she’d been immediately after Hunter had…said goodbye to her…but she still wasn’t the Nika I knew her to be. She was darker, not as hopeful. It saddened me that she was different now, but I understood her pain, her sorrow. I was trying to be supportive and help her through it, but sometimes that was difficult, sometimes I lost my patience. I regretted it whenever I did; Nika needed me.
Mom and Dad were in the kitchen when I got there. Dad was dressed for work in a blue button-up and khaki slacks, and was pouring blood from a steaming carafe into two mugs. “Good morning, Julian. Want some?” He lifted an eyebrow to top off his question.
I eagerly nodded. There was nothing quite like a little plasma jolt to start the day off right. Dad poured me a small glass while Mom came up to my side. Wrapping a cool arm around me, she asked, “Are you excited about the dance next weekend?”
Trying to play it cool, I shrugged. “Yeah, it should be fun.” Possibly life changing. I hoped Arianna said yes. It was entirely possible that she might not believe I was over Raquel, that she might turn me down. God, I didn’t even want to think about that outcome.
Dad handed me my glass of blood and glanced up at Mom. Some secret conversation passed between them as I took a sip. My fangs automatically released as the tangy refreshment hit my tongue. So good. Dad handed Mom her mug, then turned back to me. “About the dance…I think you should know…your mom and I are going to chaperone.”
Setting down my glass, I gaped at them. “You can’t go to the dance. You’re not technically our parents.”
Dad nodded. “We know. That’s why we had Starla clear it with the PTA. They were short volunteers, so we’re helping out.”
Confused, I could only stare at them. “Why would you want to chaperone a high school dance?”
Mom gave me a care-free smile. “What? It will be fun. We’ll get to watch you and Nika clowning around with your friends, listen to some music.” She peeked up at Dad. “Maybe dance a little ourselves.”
I knew that wasn’t it. Not entirely. Something else was going on here. “Dad?” I asked, looking his way. “Is something going on?”
Dad bit his lip, then sighed. He exchanged a glance with Mom before answering me. “Okay, the truth is, while things have been quiet around here for a while now, Hunter’s father is still out there. He knows what we are, and he knows where we live. We need to be cautious… Your mom and I just feel like it would be safer for all of us if we accompanied you to the dance.”
It made sense, but still…it was weird. My parents were going to watch me bumping and grinding with my girlfriend. Or at least, I hoped she’d be my girlfriend by the end of the night.
Feeling weird about the whole thing, I sat down at the table to finish my liquid breakfast.
Done with his drink, Dad rinsed out his cup and put it in the dishwasher. Turning to Mom, he asked, “Ready?”
Sighing as she rinsed out her glass, Mom mumbled, “Do we really have to sit through a seminar on sexual harassment today?”
A playful smile crossed Dad’s face. “It will be fun, and informative. And I think you could use the reminder.”
Mom scowled at Dad. “Me?”
Dad nodded, his expression serious. “I’m your boss. You shouldn’t hit on me nearly as often as you do. It’s unprofessional.”
Mom gave him a blank expression, then reached out and smacked his bottom. “Is that unprofessional? Jackass.”
Laughing, Dad grabbed her waist and pulled her into his body. His fangs dropped down as he growled, “Careful. That may get you fired…or promoted.”
He made a move like he was going to bite her neck, but Mom artfully disengaged herself. Dropping her own fangs, she hissed at Dad, then murmured, “You’ll need to be quicker than that, Mr. Adams.”
Delight filled Dad’s eyes, and I tore my gaze away from them. I swear they forgot Nika and I were here sometimes. Nika reminded them when she entered the room. “Ugh, guys, seriously? It’s too early in the morning for all of this.”
As she sat across from me, I tossed out, “Yeah, aren’t you guys going to be late?”
Dad smirked at Mom as he apologized to us. Mom sighed and handed Nika her bloody breakfast. “Guess we better get this over with. Have a good day, kids.” She gave each of us a cool kiss on the head.
Dad did the same, then told me. “Remember, you’re only allowed to go to shopping after school, then right home.” I nodded as Nika sighed. She didn’t really feel like going shopping, but Arianna had her heart set on it, and she didn’t want to let her friend down. And she did need something to wear, so she’d grudgingly agreed to come along. I hoped she felt better by this afternoon. I hoped she let herself have a little fun. She needed it.
She stared out the window as I drove us to school. It was still frigid outside, but flowers were starting to bloom in gardens, the trees lining the sidewalks were turning pink, and every morning birds chirped their greetings. This one tiny bird that insisted on loitering around my bedroom window was particularly annoying. I’d debated snatching and eating the damn thing on several occasions.
As we drove past the street that led to Hunter’s old house, Nika swiveled around to stare at it. I didn’t think she was consciously aware of it, but she always looked. Hunter wasn’t there though. He and our grandmother, Halina, were miles south of Salt Lake…doing who knows what.
Trying to get her mind off things, I tossed out, “So, did you hear…Mom and Dad are chaperoning the dance. They got Starla to get permission for them.”
Nika smiled over at me, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah, I heard.” Instantly, her grin evaporated. “I heard why too…”
I instantly wanted to kick myself for bringing it up. It would have been kinder of me if I’d asked her if she’d rather go to the dance with Hunter than Trey. God, I could be thick sometimes.
Feeling my guilt, Nika forced the smile back to her face. “Don’t beat yourself up, Julian. It’s fine.” Clearing her throat, like she was clearing away her pain, she sat up straighter in the seat. “Are you still going to ask Arianna out? With our parents there?”
My throat tightened as I considered that. My entire family was going to witness me throwing my heart out there. But they’d been there when I’d realized I had feelings for her, and they’d been there when I’d asked her to date me, so maybe it wasn’t so odd to have them there. Maybe it was good luck. “Yeah…yeah, I am.” And if the fates were with me, she’d say yes.
The closer we got to school, the lighter my stomach felt. It was almost like Arianna and I had the same type of bond that my parents did; just approaching her made me feel buoyant.
Like she was fortifying herself for a battle, Nika inhaled a deep breath while I parked the car. She was preparing herself to get through another day; I felt her determination, as well as her pain. Even though I was eager to see Arianna, I waited in the car with Nika. Twisting her head to me, she forced a smile to her lips. “You can go. I’m fine.”
Even without the bond, I knew that was a lie. She was far from fine. She’d pulled back from the bitterness and anger, but now she was hollow. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, she longed for Hunter. The bright, enthusiastic girl I’d known my entire life was a shadow of her former self, buried under a mountain of grief. I desperately wanted her to feel the joy I felt…I just had no idea how to get her there. “Nick…”
Reading my mood, she shook her head. “Don’t feel sorry for me. I’ll get through this. I promise.” She smiled even brighter, but it still didn’t touch her eyes. “You know, I think I liked it better when I was the one constantly worrying about you.”
Cracking open my door, I smirked at her. “Yeah, it sucks, doesn’t it?”
Trey rolled by on his skateboard just as I said that. “What sucks?”
Shaking my head at my friend, I told him, “Nothing.” Nika wouldn’t want to talk about her ex with Trey; plus, he didn’t remember anything about what had happened that fateful night.
As the three of us walked toward the main building, I thought about the arrangement I’d made with Halina regarding Arianna. Generally, we didn’t let people know about us. In fact, when we left Salt Lake after graduation, no one here would remember us, not even Trey. But I’d convinced Halina to let Arianna keep her memories. I couldn’t bear the thought of her not knowing what I was, of having to hide anything from her. Thankfully, Halina had agreed to let her keep her mind, but only so long as we were dating. If Arianna and I ever broke up, for any reason, Halina was going to wipe her. Arianna wouldn’t even remember me.
I didn’t want to think about the possibility of that ever happening.
Shaking away the thought that was as chilly as the wind seeping through the seams of my jacket, I stepped into the heated hallway and breathed a sigh of relief. Arianna was right in front of me, talking to a couple of her girlfriends. Even from our distance, she smelled amazing. She was growing her golden hair out, and had it in a cute ponytail today. Her long neck was completely taking up my vision. Even though I’d never tasted human blood before, a desire was growing in me to taste hers. I didn’t want to kill her or anything—definitely not—but I did want to taste her. I wanted to know if that sweetness was anything like the smell of her. It had to be. I just knew it. We’d never talked about me biting her, though, and I was a little scared to bring it up. I wanted Arianna to see me as human as possible.
Arianna turned when she felt me approaching, and my stomach flip-flopped. How could she still do that to me after all these months? I wasn’t sure, but I loved it. Nika sighed as she followed behind me. I was trying to control my moods, keep them as even as I could, but it was impossible. I was so damn happy it was ridiculous.
“Hi,” I said, snuggling up to Arianna’s side.
Wrapping her hands around my arm, she leaned up and kissed my cheek. “Hi, you.” Her lips were so soft I had to turn my head so I could feel them against mine.
Between pecks, I again told her, “Hi…”
She tasted incredible, and I instantly lost myself in kissing her. There were vague whistles and giggles nearby, but I tuned it all out as I cupped her cheek and intensified our connection. Not able to help myself, I pressed her body against the wall. Her hands ran up my chest as she melted into me. I instantly wished we were somewhere more private, like the storage closet. Wondering if she’d consider it, I brushed my tongue against hers. She made a quiet, erotic noise that surged straight through my body. That was when we were forcibly yanked apart. Breathing heavier, I looked over at my sister holding us away from each other.
“Keep that stuff behind closed doors, ‘kay?” She glanced up the hall at the group of friends Arianna had been talking to before I’d started mauling her. Several of them were looking back at us and laughing as they walked away. “You scared everybody off,” Nika commented.
From behind me, Trey spoke up. “Not everybody. I’m still here.” He smiled at me, then mouthed, That was hot.
Arianna tittered, embarrassed. I felt the same way as I twisted back around to my girl. It was so easy to get caught up in her. “Oops,” I muttered.
Reaching out for Arianna, Nika grabbed her shoulders and stole her from me. “This is for your own good,” she said, before forcing Arianna to leave with her.
I lifted my palms into the air as I watched them go. “Hey?”
Arianna giggled as she twisted around to leave with Nika. Over her shoulder, she waved and said, “Bye, babe.”
Knowing I’d see her again soon, I waved back. Trey was silent a moment, then said, “By the looks of it, you guys are already sleeping together, so…man to man, be honest with me…” he laid his hand on my shoulder, “how amazing is it?”
His expression was completely serious. Knocking his hand off me, I started walking to first period. “We haven’t yet, I already told you that.”
Trey snorted as he fell into step beside me. “I know. I just don’t buy it. You guys are too…” He twisted his face while he searched for words. “Touchy-feely…so, no, I don’t believe that you haven’t touched and felt everything.”
I felt my skin warming as I thought about what we might be doing in the next few months, if everything worked out like I hoped. “Sorry, but we haven’t gone there, yet.”
Trey held onto my shoulder to stop me. “Where have you gone? Spell it out. Slowly. I need to know.”
Frowning, I shook my head. “No, you don’t.”
He groaned. “Come on, I’m never gonna get any action, so I need to live vicariously through you. What have you done? Second base for sure, right?”
Shaking my head, I walked away from him. That only seemed to encourage him. “Okay, I’ll take that as a yes. Third base?”
Our English class was on the first floor, and we were standing in the doorframe when he said, “Please God, tell me she’s gone down on you.”
Speechless, I could only gape at him while my cheeks flamed. I couldn’t even form the word no. From off to my left, I heard someone softly clearing their throat. When I glanced over, Raquel was standing just within ear shot. She pointed at where Trey and I were blocking the door. Not meeting my eye, she whispered, “Excuse me.”
A weird, uncomfortable feeling washed through me. I knew I didn’t owe Raquel anything, and she’d done quite a number on me earlier in the year, but, well, she had some sort of feelings for me, and I didn’t want to be callous about that. Satisfied that he knew what was going on, Trey clapped my shoulder and walked inside. Stepping out of the way, I let Raquel move into the classroom before me. When she passed by with her head down, her dark hair hiding her face, I muttered, “Sorry you had to hear that.”
I wasn’t sure she’d heard my apology until she peeked up at me. “Don’t worry about it. I get it. You’re a couple…couples do things.”
Feeling embarrassed again, I shook my head. “Arianna and I haven’t…” I didn’t finish my sentence. I couldn’t. It was too mortifying, and none of her business.
Understanding, Raquel stopped on the other side of the door. This was the one and only class we had together this semester, a fact that had barely even registered with me until now. A shy smile on her face, she asked, “Are you and Arianna going to the dance?”
There was something in her dark eyes that bordered on hope. Not wanting her to unfoundedly feel the two of us had a chance, I adjusted the backpack on my shoulder and told her, “Yes. We’re looking forward to it.”
A flash of pain struck her features before her soft smile returned. “That’s…good. Russell and I are going too.” She frowned. “He doesn’t really want to, though, since we went last year.”
I walked through the doorway while she worried her lip. “You could do better, you know?”
She studied my mouth before moving up to my eyes. “I thought so once, but it was too late. You were already with Arianna.”
There was a time when those words would have meant the world to me, but now I just found them frustrating. She started to turn away, and I grabbed her arm. “I didn’t mean me…I just meant in general, you could do better than Russell. Even being alone would be better than being with him.” Firmly believing it, I put every ounce of conviction that I had into my statement. I didn’t have feelings for her anymore, but I still wanted to help her see the truth.
Raquel’s eyes darted to where I was touching her before returning to my face. Smiling softly, she nodded. I hoped she hadn’t read too much into that, but even still, I’d felt compelled to say it. That was all I would do though. Raquel had to leave him on her own. She had to learn to put her life first.
Trey beamed at me as I sat down. He held his fist out, wanting me to bump it. “Congrats on the third base.”
Rolling my eyes, I ignored him.
I met up with Arianna a couple of classes later. She looked upset, and she didn’t cheer up when I kissed her on the cheek. “What is it?” I asked, caution in my voice. Arianna was usually very happy when I kissed her.
She glanced at me, then redirected her gaze to over my shoulder. My sharp vision caught a question in the depths of her shimmering hazel eyes. Shaking her head, she started turning away from me. I gently grabbed her arm to stop her. “Hey, what’s going on? Talk to me…”
Arianna’s lips quivered as she stared at me. Just when I was positive I’d go crazy if she didn’t say anything, she spoke, “Did you tell Raquel that she would be better off with you than with Russell?”
I blinked, hardly believing the words that had left her mouth. “Did I…what?”
The shimmer in her eyes condensed into thick tears waiting to fall. “Raquel? Did you tell her that she’d be better off with you?”
She was minutely pulling away from me, so I released her arm to grab her hand. “No, of course not. Where…where did you hear that?”
“A group of girls were talking about it last period. They said you were all over her this morning. Did you talk to her?” As the question left her lips, so did the tears. My heart cracked as I watched her pain. Damn high school gossip.
Wondering how to answer her without hurting her even more, I mumbled, “I…yes, we spoke…but I never said—” Arianna turned her head away from me, and I saw the splash of more tears falling. Wanting to fix this fast, I told her, “She asked if you and I were going to the dance, I said yes. She said she was going with Russell, I told her she could do better. That’s it. That was the whole conversation.”
Arianna turned back to face me, wet trails down her cheeks. “Why would you tell her that? You had to know it would sound like you…like you meant…you?”
Cringing, I shook my head. “I couldn’t keep it in. Russell treats her like crap. Everyone knows it, but no one says anything.” I glanced at some of the people walking by us for emphasis.
Arianna sniffled as she wiped her cheeks dry. “Except you. You had to say something?”
Sighing, I tenderly grabbed her other hand and pulled her closer. “Yes, I had to say something. I’m completely over her, Arianna, but what I’m not over is watching someone get stomped on and not doing anything about it. That’s not who I am. That’s not the guy you’re in love with.” I completely froze as what I’d just said registered in my head. I’d opened a door in our relationship and thrust her into the spotlight, and she might not appreciate that.
Her eyes widened as she watched my shocked expression, but then her expression softened into a smile. “Yeah…I know.”
She looked down like she was embarrassed, but joy flooded through me so hard, I knew I was being swept away. She loves me.
Biting her lip, Arianna looked up at my face again; her heart was in her eyes. “You know I have…issues with you and her. I’m sorry, I just keep waiting for you to…” With a sigh, she looked back down.
Abhorring the insecurity I saw on her face, I pulled her into my arms and kissed the top of her head. “You don’t have to worry about her. I’m with you, and I’m not going anywhere. You’re the only one who gets me…who knows me.” Pulling back, I stared deep into her eyes. “And…I…I love you.” Saying it lifted a weight off my chest. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops, let everyone know how amazing I felt. Instead, I stroked her cheek, drying where a new tear had fallen. A happy tear this time. “I love you, Arianna,” I repeated, putting my entire soul into the words.
Arianna gave me a glorious smile. “I love you, too,” she murmured.
Hearing her say it was a million times better than merely having it implied. Giddy grin on my face, I lowered my lips to hers. When we separated, Arianna was a picture of joy. Demurely biting her lip, she stared at me a second, then said, “Yes.”
Confusion mingled with my happiness. “Yes…what?” I asked, feeling like I was floating.
Arianna giggled, then smiled. “Yes…I’ll be your girlfriend. Officially.”
I froze in shock, but then euphoria took over. I’d been so nervous about asking her, and here she was, offering me an answer without hearing the question. I laughed as I pulled her into me, then I frowned. Pushing her back, I said, “I was going to ask you at prom…make it special.”
Smiling, Arianna stroked my cheek. “Maybe we can make prom special…another way.”
My earlier shock was nothing compared to what I felt now. Was she suggesting…? “Do you mean…? Do you want to…?” I looked up and down the hallway. “Are you saying we can…? You’re ready to…?”
While I felt stupider with every half-formed question leaving my mouth, Arianna giggled. Holding my cheeks, she made me focus on her face. “Yes, I’m ready. In truth, I’ve been ready for a while, but I didn’t want to rush you.”
I lifted an eyebrow at that. Rush me? Arianna laughed, then gave me a soft kiss. “I guess I also wanted to make sure you were over…her. And I finally feel like you are. So, yes, I want to be your girlfriend, and I want to…share myself with you. Because I love you…and it feels so good to finally say that out loud.”
I nodded my agreement. “Yeah it does…” Leaning down, I gave her a sweet kiss. “Okay, if you’re sure you’re ready. Because I know I’m ready, then let’s do this…on prom night.” Laughing, I squeezed her tight. I couldn’t believe this was not only happening, but might be happening soon. Really, really soon. Damn. Nika and I were going to have to figure something out fast. Prom wasn’t that far away. Double damn. My parents were going to prom with us.
“Oh…shoot.” I pulled away, and Arianna’s eyes were curious. Glancing up and down the hall, I whispered, “My parents are chaperoning the dance. We won’t really be alone prom night.” I sighed after saying it. That was true in more ways than one. Arianna didn’t know about my emotional bond with Nika.
Her face fell as she realized what that meant for our impromptu plans. “Oh…that complicates things. I guess we won’t be able to…” Her cheeks flushed with color as she looked away. “Well, maybe we can still get together later. I could sneak out and come over? Their room is soundproof, right?”
“Uh, yeah, it is.” That could actually work. If it was late enough at night, Nika would be asleep, my parents would be asleep. So long as no one woke up, we might actually be able to spend the night together. Holy shit. I might be losing my virginity on prom night. I genuinely hadn’t seen that coming.
Arianna squeezed my arm tight. “Okay, then. We’ll just have a date after our date.” She giggled like the idea was cute. So much blood was traveling down my body that I thought I might pass out. I was making a plan with my girlfriend to have sex next weekend. Holy crap…I had a girlfriend.
I spent the remainder of the day running through different scenarios in my head—really good ones, and really bad ones. On the good side was an amazing night of intimately connecting with Arianna. On the bad side was Nika, or my parents, walking in on us. I had no idea how my parents would react if they caught us, but I was pretty sure they’d be upset. But they’d have to wake up and open their door to hear us, and that rarely happened. Nika was the larger concern. If she woke up, even just a little bit, she’d feel what I was feeling…and that would mortify us both. I’d have to talk to her soon, let her know this was really happening. Oh my God…this was really happening.
After school, I thought about mentioning it to Nika…but with Arianna and Trey joining us for our shopping trip, there really wasn’t a good way to tell her. All I could share with her was the fact that Arianna had said yes. She was my girlfriend—fully and completely. Nika’s smile was small, supportive, and not surprised when I told her, and I figured Arianna had already filled her in on the news.
“Congratulations, Julian,” she said, wrapping me in a quick hug. I could feel she meant it, but I could also feel the lingering pain that was always buried inside her, like a layer of sludge weighing her down. After separating from me, Nika pulled Arianna in for a hug. “Congratulations to both of you.”
As Arianna squealed and my sister laughed, Trey bumped my shoulder. “Dude? I thought you guys have been going out for months? What is she talking about?”
Tossing him a smile, I nodded toward my car. “Come on, I’ll explain on the way.”
As we headed to the department store where Arianna had already found a dress, I couldn’t stop thinking about prom night. I was almost numb with joy over everything that had happened today. Arianna had told me she loved me. I’d told her I loved her. She’d agreed to be my girlfriend. She’d offered to share herself with me after the dance. If I could pick a day to repeat forever, it would be this day. No…the night of the dance just might trump today. I’d pick both days, one right after the other for eternity.
Trey and I left the girls to it while we went looking for suits. There was a tux shop a couple of doors down, and it took us about twenty minutes to get everything we needed. Sometimes being a guy was easy. When we were done, we sat outside the dress shop and waited for the girls to finish up. I swear to God we waited three hours. I debated talking to Trey about my upcoming plans with Arianna, but I knew he wouldn’t stay silent about it. He’d say something inappropriate at the wrong time, and Nika would find out before I was ready for her to know. I needed to tell her in private first.
Standing and stretching when the girls finally emerged, I asked Arianna if I could see the dress. She held the bag tight to her body. “No way, not until prom.” Her eyes sparkled with playfulness, and, for multiple reasons, I couldn’t wait until next weekend. Turning away from the playful look on my girlfriend’s face, I turned to Nika. “So, what color did you end up getting?”
Nika raised her lip in amusement. “Blood red.”
My face matched hers. “I should have guessed that.”
She shrugged. “The dress spoke to me. But Grandma will need to alter it. It’s a little too long.”
As Trey yawned, Arianna flung her arms around Nika. “We are going to be so hot! This will be the best night ever.” Her eyes locked onto mine, and there was an intensity in the greenish-brown depths that stole my breath. Yes, prom night was definitely going to be a night to remember.