“I can’t tell you what’s going to happen, Em, but what I do know is that when you find the kind of love I think you and Jeremy might have, you fight for it. You grab on and hold it tight and don’t let it go, no matter what.”
Molly’s voice breaks a little on the last word, and the sadness coming from her has concern flooding me. But before I can ask her what’s wrong, she keeps talking.
“Sometimes you still don’t get to keep it, but if that happens, you at least want to know you did everything you could. Living with regret is the worst kind of torture.”
Somehow, I don’t think Molly is talking about me anymore, but I know better than to press her on it. Because as cheerful and outgoing as she is, there is a part of Molly that is closed off even from us. A part of her that she never unlocks, ever. But as quickly as her sadness cloaks her, she shakes it off.
“Incoming, Em,” she murmurs. “And for the love of god, please sleep with that man tonight because holy hell.”
I turn to see Jeremy and Maddy making their way across the dance floor. When Maddy spots me, she trots over, face flushed and happy.
“Did you see me and Jeremy dancing? He said I was really good even though I stepped on his toes like five times. Want to come dance with us?”
I glance up at Jeremy. The look he’s pinning me with and the intensity in his gold rimmed eyes has electricity prickling under my skin.
“Hey Maddy, did you know there’s a Pittsburgh cookie table over there? Asher put it together for Hallie and Ben and there are like twenty different kinds of cookies. Want to go check it out? I think there’s a chocolate chip calling our name.”
Molly tosses me a look that says, as clearly as if she said the words out loud,fuck him tonight. And holy god, do I want to.
“I like peanut butter cookies.”
“Well, you’re in luck because I happen to know that Asher is the peanut butter cookie master.”
They walk away just as the music switches to something slower, and Jeremy holds out a hand to me.
“Want to dance, Ems?”
I nod and put my hand in his, not trusting my voice to make words.
Jeremy leads me to a corner of the dance floor and spins me around, sliding an arm around my waist and bringing our joined hands up to rest on his chest. I wind my arm around his neck and press a little closer to him. He responds immediately, tightening his arm around my back. He pulls my body flush with his and rests his cheek against my temple, swaying us gently to the music.
“I like holding you like this, Ems. It feels exactly right. Like your body was made to fit against mine.”
Jeremy presses a kiss to my temple then dips his head to kiss the spot behind my ear in a move that has shivers running down my spine. I know he feels how this is affecting me because he smiles against my neck, giving me one more kiss there before pulling back so he can look me in the eyes.
“I like it too. I know we’ve danced before, but…”
My voice trails off, not sure what I was going to say next. But Jeremy knows and finishes my sentence for me.
“Not like this.”
“No. Not like this.”
“Everything about the past couple of months has meant a lot to me, Ems. Running with you, talking to you, learning everything about you, spending time with you and Maddy, getting to touch you.”
He slides his hand up my back and then down again so it’s resting right on the curve of my ass, his fingers teasing lower, burning through the thin silk of my dress.
“Getting to kiss you.”
Letting my hand go, Jeremy cups my jaw, bringing his lips to mine in a long, slow kiss that has my brain fuzzing and my fingers twisting into his shirt as I lean in for more. If anyone in this room didn’t know before that there was something going on between Jeremy and me, they sure do now. I can’t find it in myself to care.
I want everyone to know.
Jeremy is mine.
When he pulls back, his eyes have the tiniest bit of uncertainty I often see when he reveals pieces of himself to me and every part of me wants to tell him it’s okay. That I’ll keep those pieces safe. That he can be himself with me. But this isn’t the time, and this definitely isn’t the place, so instead, I lean up and kiss him this time. He sinks into it immediately, letting out a small sigh of what sounds like relief, and this time when he pullsback, the uncertainty is gone, replaced with determination. And when he speaks, his voice is earnest.
“I kind of did a thing, and I hope it’s okay.”
