“What? Henry, there’s no one else dancing.” I glance around the room, but despite the classical music playing, no one is dancing. Henry sets my champagne on the tray of a passing waiter passing, unraveling himself from around me to lace our hands together.
“So? It makes you happy. I might not be able to salsa, but I can sway pretty romantically,” he says, moving us toward an unoccupied area in the corner of the hall.
God, the way this man makes me feel has ruined me forever, and he doesn’t have a clue.
Henry pulls me into him, and I loop my arms around the back of his neck as his hands fall to my hips. “I like you,” I say honestly as we sway gently back and forth.
“Really?” he teases, his face filled with a quiet ease that speaks louder to me than any words could. “I had no idea.”
If only he knew how true that was. Henry has no idea how long I’ve been pining for him.
His eyebrows furrow in confusion as I stay quiet. “Mira? I was just teasing you,” he says softly.
“I know. I was just thinking.”
“About?”
I could tell him the truth, but then I risk the chance that Henry will look at me like I’m a lunatic, or I can evade.
I choose option two, it’s the one I’m best at when it comes to him. Now that I have Henry, I’m afraid to lose him.
“I’m thinking about how happy I am.”
Before Henry can ask more questions, I distract him by pulling him down to kiss me. He kisses me back for a few moments, smiling against my mouth. Henry pulls back, resting his forehead against mine. It feels like he sees me—the real me.
“In case you haven’t noticed because of what an idiot I’ve been, I really like you too.” Roll the end credits.
All these moments with Henry have been precious gifts beyond my wildest dreams. Honestly, if he weren’t standing in front of me, I’d think Henry was someone I had conjured up in a dream. I’ve always seen him for who he is, rather than how everyone else sees him.
Henry’s a knight in shining armor, but he’s mine.
“Magnifique,”43 he says tenderly.
I love you.The words are on the tip of my tongue, but it’d be insane to voice them when we’ve only officially been dating for a week.
“Toi aussi.”44
There’s a short cough to the side of us, and I turn to see my dad standing there.
“Mind if I cut in? Lia said she wanted some fresher arm candy,” Dad jokes, and Henry wisely chooses to step back so they can trade places.
Dad spins me, and I laugh as I turn toward him. “You’re much better at this than Henry,” I joke, and Dad’s smile lines are prominent. He and Mom have been so happy together; even when they’re mad, they’re still happy.
“So Owen just told us something interesting,” he says, and I roll my eyes. Of course my uncle has already told them what happened with Miley. He’s such a gossip.
“Miley is just . . .” I trail off as Dad shakes his head.
“He did tell us about her, but I’m more interested in why he said he was happy you and Henry were actually in a relationship now,” he says, quiet enough that no one else near us can hear. My eyes widen as he sways us to the beat of the music. Uncle Owen told them? What the hell was he thinking?
“Dad, I-I’m sorry. It was fake, but we are actually in a relationship now,” I admit quietly. I can’t tell if he’s mad or not. I try to look for Henry to see if Mom is ripping him a new one, but she’s laughing and he’s smiling?
“Except it wasn’t ever fake for you. This thing with Henry.”
I shake my head slowly. “No. It was never fake for me, but it was fake for him. I almost messed everything up, Dad. We’re together now, but does it ever stop feeling like it could all slip away so easily?” I ask, my voice no louder than a whisper as my bravado slips away.
His dark eyes, which match mine, soften. “Mirabelle, never in a million years could you mess things up with Henry as much as I fucked things up with your mother. And look where we are now? I’m still with the love of my life despite everyone who thought we were doomed from the start. I have a beautiful daughter who I love more than anything, and three sons who mean the world to me.”
“What happened between you and Mom?” I ask, stuck on that part of his point because I’ve never heard anything other than my parents being happy together. They started dating in college after Mom’s year abroad, and they’ve been together ever since.
