her. He may have avoided her attentions for the time being, but he didn't want to test the strength of his resolve. Taking the stairs two at a time, he found himself in front of Dani's bedroom door, without consciously realizing he was running to her.
----
Chapter Eight
Dani wrapped herself in a blanket, tucking her bare feet beneath her as she curled into the window seat. The sky, or at least the tiny sliver visible through her bedroom window, was dark and starless.
It figures. Can't even wish on a star tonight.
She sighed. Wishing and hoping did no good. It would never make her beautiful, and it would certainly never make Zach forget Chantal.
And it definitely wouldn't make him fall in love with her the way she'd fallen in love with him.
She pulled up her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs, squeezing her eyes shut to stop the useless tears. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She never should have agreed to the farce she was playing with him. Hell, she never should have agreed to be Fiona's bridesmaid. She'd known being around Zach would be difficult. But as usual, she put her desire to please a friend ahead of her own best interests.
She banged her fist against the window seat. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
A knock sounded at her door, so soft her banging almost drowned it out. She jumped to her feet, listening.
"Dani, are you awake?"
It was Zach. She tamped down the sudden elation at hearing him at her door. He likely just wanted to talk about Chantal, or worse, check to see if she was all right.
She closed her eyes. She couldn't bear his pity.
But she couldn't make herself pretend to be asleep and leave him out in the hallway either. She wiped tears from her face with the back of her hand and opened the door a crack. He smiled, and her foolish heart fluttered.
Stupid heart.
She did her best to steel herself against him. "It's late Zach. What do you want?"
"I need to talk to you," he whispered, glancing toward Jonathan's door. "I can't do it here. Can I come inside?"
"It's late, Zach," she repeated." I'm tired. Can't we do this in the morning?"
"This can't wait till morning. Please Dani."
She hesitated. She was telling the truth. She was tired. Tired of fending off Chantal's barbs, tired of pretending they didn't hurt. And she was tired of pretending she wasn't in love with Zach.
I'm in love with him. The thought filled her with elation and trepidation at the same time. How could she feel so much for him after such a short time? How did she avoid getting her heart broken?
Part of her wanted to tell him to go away and leave her alone, but she found she simply couldn't turn him away any more than she could leave his knock go unanswered. She opened the door and stepped aside, wordlessly closing it behind him when he entered. She turned to look at him.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Here comes the pity. She made herself smile. "Of course. It takes more than a dose of Chantal to get me down."
"That's good. I'm glad." He paced to the window before standing in front of her once more, his gaze intense. "Chantal told me she loves me and wants me back."
Her heart plummeted. She could barely make herself breathe. Squeezing her eyes shut, she steeled herself for what came next. He'd tell her thanks for her help, but they didn't need to pretend anymore because he was in love with Chantal and wanted to be with her. She just hoped she didn't break down and cry in front of him.
He put his finger under her chin, forcing her to look into his face. "I told her she and I were through. This time I didn't go running back to her when she called. And I have you to thank."
"Me?" She squeaked out the word. Her mind raced as fast as her heart. What did this mean?
"Even though the arrangement between us was just an act, you've shown me what a good relationship should look like. I don't want to go back to a one-sided relationship again, where I do all the giving and Chantal does all the taking. Thank you for helping me realize
----
Chapter Eight
Dani wrapped herself in a blanket, tucking her bare feet beneath her as she curled into the window seat. The sky, or at least the tiny sliver visible through her bedroom window, was dark and starless.
It figures. Can't even wish on a star tonight.
She sighed. Wishing and hoping did no good. It would never make her beautiful, and it would certainly never make Zach forget Chantal.
And it definitely wouldn't make him fall in love with her the way she'd fallen in love with him.
She pulled up her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs, squeezing her eyes shut to stop the useless tears. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She never should have agreed to the farce she was playing with him. Hell, she never should have agreed to be Fiona's bridesmaid. She'd known being around Zach would be difficult. But as usual, she put her desire to please a friend ahead of her own best interests.
She banged her fist against the window seat. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
A knock sounded at her door, so soft her banging almost drowned it out. She jumped to her feet, listening.
"Dani, are you awake?"
It was Zach. She tamped down the sudden elation at hearing him at her door. He likely just wanted to talk about Chantal, or worse, check to see if she was all right.
She closed her eyes. She couldn't bear his pity.
But she couldn't make herself pretend to be asleep and leave him out in the hallway either. She wiped tears from her face with the back of her hand and opened the door a crack. He smiled, and her foolish heart fluttered.
Stupid heart.
She did her best to steel herself against him. "It's late Zach. What do you want?"
"I need to talk to you," he whispered, glancing toward Jonathan's door. "I can't do it here. Can I come inside?"
"It's late, Zach," she repeated." I'm tired. Can't we do this in the morning?"
"This can't wait till morning. Please Dani."
She hesitated. She was telling the truth. She was tired. Tired of fending off Chantal's barbs, tired of pretending they didn't hurt. And she was tired of pretending she wasn't in love with Zach.
I'm in love with him. The thought filled her with elation and trepidation at the same time. How could she feel so much for him after such a short time? How did she avoid getting her heart broken?
Part of her wanted to tell him to go away and leave her alone, but she found she simply couldn't turn him away any more than she could leave his knock go unanswered. She opened the door and stepped aside, wordlessly closing it behind him when he entered. She turned to look at him.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Here comes the pity. She made herself smile. "Of course. It takes more than a dose of Chantal to get me down."
"That's good. I'm glad." He paced to the window before standing in front of her once more, his gaze intense. "Chantal told me she loves me and wants me back."
Her heart plummeted. She could barely make herself breathe. Squeezing her eyes shut, she steeled herself for what came next. He'd tell her thanks for her help, but they didn't need to pretend anymore because he was in love with Chantal and wanted to be with her. She just hoped she didn't break down and cry in front of him.
He put his finger under her chin, forcing her to look into his face. "I told her she and I were through. This time I didn't go running back to her when she called. And I have you to thank."
"Me?" She squeaked out the word. Her mind raced as fast as her heart. What did this mean?
"Even though the arrangement between us was just an act, you've shown me what a good relationship should look like. I don't want to go back to a one-sided relationship again, where I do all the giving and Chantal does all the taking. Thank you for helping me realize
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