I look up at him, and he winks. The air around us is lighter. People with a sense of humor can make another person feel likea king, when in reality they feel like a fraud. And that’s what I am right now, a fraud. Among my own family and friends today, I feel like an imposter, unable to be completely happy.What’s wrong with me?
“May I?” A low voice interrupts our dance, and we both look at the intruder.
Archie—because that’s his name now—stands next to us, his shoulders squared, his eyes narrowed and trained on my partner’s hands on my body.
“May you what?” my dance partner asks, a little attitude creeping into his voice.
“Have this dance.” Archie’s lips purse and his eyes lift to meet the guy’s.
“No, we’re dancing.” The guy’s voice gets angrier, and I can’t even blame him, considering Archie was the first one with an attitude and a pissed-off face.
But if I thought he was pissed off before, now he turns into a murderous figure, and I get a little scared for the guy. I take a step away from him, giving the most apologetic smile I can muster.
“I’m sorry, I already promised this dance to him.”
He looks between Archie and me, throws his hands in the air, and says, “I so don’t need that right now. Have at it.” With that, he walks away, leaving us alone in the middle of the crowded floor.
“What do you want?” I ask, chewing on the inside of my cheek.
“A dance.” He steps closer and places his hand on my waist and takes my hand in his other. Then he pulls me closer, not so gentlemanly as the guy before. No. Archie’s hand possessively moves from my side to my midback, and he pulls me into him by my other hand. His chin touches my forehead, and my face smacks into his chest. His lips lightly graze my skin for a briefmoment—or did I fantasize about it?—before he pulls away. Just a little, but it’s enough to make me feel an instant gush of coldness.
“Why did you pull away?” I blink away the haze he put me into in exactly five seconds.
“You know why,” he murmurs into my skin, and my breath catches.
“You can’t do that.”
“Why?” he asks breathily.
“You know why.” I throw his own words at him.
“Tell me anyway,” he whispers. His chest heaves hard. His inhales are uneven. Every time my hair gets stuck in his five o’clock shadow, his mouth falls open, and he makes very deep breaths. It’s unsettling.
It’s arousing.
I can’t control my body, and my own breathing changes to match his.
“You won’t have me, but you don’t let anyone else have me either. It’s not fair.”
“It’s not,” he agrees too quickly.
“Then make a move, or let me be,” I challenge and look up at his face.
His hand tightens its hold on my back.
“I will.”
“You will what?”Please, tell me you’ll make a move.
“Let you be.” With that, he drops my hand and takes a step back.
“You’re a fuckin’ coward,” I growl, watching his nostrils flare in challenge, but he quickly puts out the fire, turns around, and walks away.
I feel like an idiot being left in the middle of a dance floor like that. I look around, and sure thing, quite a few curious looksare being thrown my way. I can already see the local rumor mill begin its work. Just great.
When I walk away from the dance floor, I find the guy from before with a sad look on his face. Awesome, now I’m the object of pitying.
I say goodbye to everyone, congratulate Alex and Freya one more time and wish them a happy honeymoon, and leave. Before I go, I catch Kenneth’s understanding stare, and I want to roll my eyes.
