“Are you okay?”

Ayumi looked over to see Katya walking up to her.

“I'm fine,” she replied, smiling tightly. The bride-to-be smiled back at her.

“You look like you're grinding your teeth. How's the ankle?” she asked, and they both looked towards the floor.

Ayumi hadn't needed surgery, thank god, but she would need to wear a medical boot for a month. A whole month. Torture to an active person like her.

She'd tried to use it as an excuse to get out of going to Wulf and Katya's engagement party, but Wulf had seen right through her.

“Double down on Vicodin and wear a long dress. You're going.”

She'd passed on taking any of her pain pills during the festivities, but she had found a long dress. It was made of a heavy silver material, with a strapless fitted bodice that gave way to a long, drapey skirt. It brushed the ground when she walked, which was perfect. No one could see the medical boot on her left leg, or the sneaker she was wearing on her right foot.

Everything is awful and life sucks, but at least my right foot is comfortable.

“Aches a little, but it's not bad,” Ayumi answered Katya's question.

“Good. I'm really glad you came, I hope you know. It means a lot. Especially with Tori running off,” Katya spoke fast. “And you look ... you look really stunning, Ayumi.”

She had a lot of free time now, what with Wulf babying her and not letting her do any real work, so she'd actually taken her time getting ready. If she was going to have to limp around on one good leg all night, then she was going to make sure the rest of her looked absolutely perfect.

Her long, thick hair was in a huge bun on the top of her head, showing off her swan like neck and delicate shoulders. She had her mother's diamond earrings on, which matched her dress perfectly, and together everything set off her almost luminescent skin. Her insides felt like rotting garbage, but her outsides looked like a winter fairy princess.

But not the pretty one who cleans with woodland creatures. The ugly one who can't get anything right.

“Thank you, Katya. You look amazing, as always,” she returned the compliment, and it wasn't a lie. Katya was one of those girls who looked effortlessly pretty no matter what she did, but when she really dressed up, she turned into a bombshell.

“But I'm sorry to say, I don't think either of us looks as good as Wulf,” she laughed, then she gestured across the room.

The man they were appraising was talking to a band. He was wearing a sharp suit, all black except for his crisp white dress shirt. It made him look dashing. That was the perfect word for Wulfric Stone, dashing.

“I'd have to agree with you,” Ayumi said, but she couldn't make herself laugh.

How could she? She was surrounded by couples – the only other single person in the room was Genevieve Stone, and she was single by choice. Everyone else who was there had a date. Someone to go home with that night, someone to kiss when the clock struck midnight. People were looking at each other with love and happiness and it was all just too much, suddenly. She could've been having those moments, too, but she'd ruined it.

Liam hadn't spoken to her once since the hospital. She'd tried calling him a couple times, but she didn't want to bother him more than she already had. Liam wasn't the type to avoid phone calls, she knew, so if he didn't want to speak to her, then it was really and truly over. Just when she'd been realizing how important he was to her, he'd realized how wrong she was for him.

I knew it. The whole time. Why does this hurt so much?

“You know,” Ayumi sighed. “My leg really is bothering me. Would it be terrible if I went home early?”

“What? Yes, yes it would! What time is it?” Katya demanded, surprising Ayumi with how frantic she sounded.

“Uh, a little after ten o'clock.”

“Ten? Are you sure?”

“Yes, look,” she said, pointing at a large countdown playing on a flat screen television.

“Oh, I didn't realize it was so late,” Katya suddenly sounded disappointed.

“It's okay. I'll stay. Two hours isn't a big deal,” Ayumi capitulated. Katya frowned and looked like she wanted to say something, but just then Wulf cleared his throat.

“Alright, alright!” he spoke in a loud voice as he walked to the center of the large room. A wide space opened up, with everyone moving off a wooden dance floor. “Thank you everyone for coming. Sorry Eden couldn't be here to host this himself, but you know he'd want you to have a good time.”

Huh. Odd intro for an engagement party, Ayumi thought. Then again, having an engagement party at the Twin Estates, a building full of people Wulf hardly knew, had always seemed strange.

“The bar is open, food has been served. Eat, drink, be merry, all that jazz. Just please don't puke anywhere, no one likes a party foul,” he urged, and everyone in the wide circle around him laughed and clapped. He moved to join Ayumi and Katya standing at the far end of the room, just inside the circle of people.

“Beautiful speech, Wulf. We should rent you out for other parties,” Katya snorted.

“I don't really give a fuck,” he replied, straightening out his tie. “Is that band going to tune up all night, or are we eventually going to have music?”

Ayumi glanced at the stage where a group of musicians plucked and poked at their instruments. The crowd seemed to be waiting for the music and the dance floor stayed clear.

“They came highly recommended,” she finally offered, turning back to face the newly engaged couple. Wulf was glaring at the band, and Katya was staring over Ayumi's shoulder, at the entrance on the other side of the room.

“Well, I highly recommend they play some fucking music. It's getting late,” he grumbled.

“No,” Katya said, reaching down and grabbing his sleeve. “It's not too late at all, Wulf. I think they've timed it just right.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, then he followed her gaze. Ayumi stared at them both in confusion.

I thought I was the only one losing my mind, but apparently, it's a catching condition. Maybe if I hobble really slowly, they won't notice I've escaped.

*

TRAFFIC IN SAN FRANCISCO wasn't known for being smooth, but late evening on New Year's? Liam probably could've jogged home faster.

“Is this seriously the fastest we can go?” he bitched while he struggled to get into his dress shirt.

“You wanna get out and ask them to move?” the cabbie replied, gesturing to the sea of tail lights in front of them.

“No, but isn't there like ...” he paused while he laid back and shimmied into a pair of slacks. “Side streets? Some secret back alley only taxi drivers know about?”

“Are you for real, buddy?”

“Well, do you at least know how to tie a bow-tie?”

Turned out, the cab driver did. While they were stuck in one place, they both got out of the car and the absurdly short driver stood on the curb, deftly turning the scrap of fabric into a perfect bow-tie.

Liam glanced at his reflection in a shop window. His hair was a little wild and crazy, but after he tucked in his shirt, he had to admit it – he looked good. Damn good. Good enough to set foot in any fancy winery, in any part of wine country.

Good thing she doesn't like wine.

“Hey, have a Happy New Year, alright?” he said as he pulled out his wallet and handed some bills to the cabbie.

“You, too. What about your clothes!?”

“Keep 'em!” Liam had to shout because he was already running down the block.

He actually wasn't too far from home, maybe half a mile. The streets were busy, slowing him down, and it was after ten when he finally skidded to a stop in front of Twin Estates building number two. He ran through the revolving door, almost sending a little old lady flying out into the street.

When he got to the party, he stood in the doorway and struggled to catch his breath. He'd been so busy running out of the club, he hadn't stopped to think about what he was doing. What he would say. Hi? Wanna go out on a real date? If you'd let me, I would fall in love with you so far? I hate wine, too? And then there was the fear she wouldn't be there. It was late, she was injured, she wasn't a big partier. Maybe she'd already gone home. Maybe she'd never even come.

She was there, though.

Liam was tall enough he could pretty much see over everyone elses heads. The crowd was standing in a circle around the dance floor, clearly waiting for the music to start. At the far end of the circle, Wulf and Katya were facing his direction, standing a little inside the crowd.

Facing away from him was an angel. She practically glowed under the shiny lights. She was wearing a stunning dress that complimented her amazing body perfectly, and every inch of her gorgeous hair had been pulled up onto the top of her head, making her look regal and proud.

How could she possibly ever think she wasn't good enough for me?

He went on autopilot. He walked into the room and shoved his way through the wall of people. Strode across the center of the empty dance floor. When he was half way to his friends, Katya finally noticed him. Wulf looked his way, as well, but Ayumi was completely unaware of the fact that her biggest fear and her greatest hope were swooping down on her.

“What's wrong?” he heard her asking when he got close enough. “What are you guys -”

She'd already started to turn when he reached them, so he grabbed her arm and completed the rotation for her. She gasped when she saw who was touching her, but he didn't give her any more time to react. He pulled her as close as their clothing would allow and kissed her like there was no one else in the room. In the whole world.

Like we're in the dark, under the stars, and no one else exists but you.

It was cheesy, but Liam loved cheese, so he smiled against her lips when he heard people clapping.

“What are you doing?” she breathed. He pulled away just enough to look down in her eyes.

“Showing everyone exactly how we feel about each other,” he whispered back.

“I ...” she stammered. “I ... I don't know what you mean.”

“That's okay,” he replied. “Because I'm going to spend a long time explaining it to you, and an even longer time proving it.”

Her eyes filled with tears and she tried to look away, but he cupped his hand around her jaw and forced her to face him.

“I wanted to call you in the hospital,” she cried. “I really did. I didn't mean to hurt you. I want to be with you, but I might be horrible, I don't know. I just want to be with you, and I keep making all these stupid mistakes.”

“I know. So do I. We're going to make a lot more, and it's going to be awesome.”

“Awesome!?”

“Yeah, because we'll be making them together.”

She laughed. Cried a little more. Then laughed again.

“Your definition of 'awesome' and mine are pretty different,” she told him.

“Please be quiet now, I'm trying to sweep you off your feet,” he informed her as his gaze shifted back down to her lips.

“Too late, Mr. Edenhoff,” she breathed. “You did that a long time ago.”

He smiled again.

“I fucking knew it.”