can’t say that I have,” I shake my head as I whisper back.
“I love showing you new things,” he dips me backward as the crowd claps for Jake. My head tilts in laughter as he helps me back up to join the clapping.
“This is a song I wrote with a good friend of mine while looking out over the ocean at his beach house,” Jake glances over to Nick, who blushes a little.
“You?” I lean over and whisper in his ear.
Nick merely winks and leads both my hands back around his neck before placing his around my waist. Smirking, I rest my head on his shoulder, comfortable, secure, and happy. My eyes wander around to the streetlights creating a romantic glow, a few other couples dancing around similar to us, and Jake, who’s singing his heart out with his eyes closed. As our bodies slowly rock, I hear him humming the words. I lower my head a little and close my eyes. Nick’s hand gently sweeps a few fallen strands out of my face, causing me to squeeze tighter.
Suddenly, someone bumps into me, and my eyes pop open. Our eyes meet, and the man says, “Excuse me.”
Nick, not looking up, mumbles, “It’s OK.”
My eyes stare into Justin’s, who looks not only bewildered but crushed. His fedora slides to the side, hiding his face as he slips his hands into his jean pockets, something I haven’t seen him wear much of, and continues down the sidewalk, fading out as quickly as he faded in.
Snapping back into reality, I touch the end of my ponytail and look at Nick with a warm smile, “Do you mind walking me back to the hotel now?”
“Sure,” he nods slowly, “so soon?”
“Yeah. I hate leaving Belle alone so long.”
The two of us stroll arm and arm toward the hotel, laughing over jokes, songs we know from the radio, and our favorite things about the evening. Arriving at the elevator, I linger for a minute, knowing the date needs to end but unsure if I should cut all ties or not.
“Tomorrow?” Nick raises his eyebrows, hopeful as his fingertips graze against mine. “Can I show you some sites?”
“Um,” my voice hums, deciding on the playful approach. “I’ll text you.”
“How do I even know you own a phone?” The question seems like it should have come much earlier than this moment.
I pull it out of my clutch and dangle it for his view, “Better?”
“It is if you use it to text me.”
“We’ll see,” I hum out before asking some guy with grocery bags to hold the door for me. “Good night.”
“Good night,” Nick waves and waits until the door shuts.
My lips slowly start to curl into a smile as I let out a heavy sigh of relief. Leaning against the wall, I twirl a strand of hair around my finger, humming the last song we danced to.
“Enjoy yourself?” A voice startles my thoughts.
Quickly, I glance over to see Peter lower the brown bag he’s carrying. Relieved it’s only him, I shrug, “As much as I needed to.”
As if he knows something I don’t, he raises his eyebrows as the door dings, releasing us both from confinement. Arriving at our hotel room, I wait for Peter to unlock the door, as he does the same.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” he asks, annoyed.
“Too lazy to open the door?”
“Your hands are little more empty than mine,” his head tilts down at the bag.
“And
“I love showing you new things,” he dips me backward as the crowd claps for Jake. My head tilts in laughter as he helps me back up to join the clapping.
“This is a song I wrote with a good friend of mine while looking out over the ocean at his beach house,” Jake glances over to Nick, who blushes a little.
“You?” I lean over and whisper in his ear.
Nick merely winks and leads both my hands back around his neck before placing his around my waist. Smirking, I rest my head on his shoulder, comfortable, secure, and happy. My eyes wander around to the streetlights creating a romantic glow, a few other couples dancing around similar to us, and Jake, who’s singing his heart out with his eyes closed. As our bodies slowly rock, I hear him humming the words. I lower my head a little and close my eyes. Nick’s hand gently sweeps a few fallen strands out of my face, causing me to squeeze tighter.
Suddenly, someone bumps into me, and my eyes pop open. Our eyes meet, and the man says, “Excuse me.”
Nick, not looking up, mumbles, “It’s OK.”
My eyes stare into Justin’s, who looks not only bewildered but crushed. His fedora slides to the side, hiding his face as he slips his hands into his jean pockets, something I haven’t seen him wear much of, and continues down the sidewalk, fading out as quickly as he faded in.
Snapping back into reality, I touch the end of my ponytail and look at Nick with a warm smile, “Do you mind walking me back to the hotel now?”
“Sure,” he nods slowly, “so soon?”
“Yeah. I hate leaving Belle alone so long.”
The two of us stroll arm and arm toward the hotel, laughing over jokes, songs we know from the radio, and our favorite things about the evening. Arriving at the elevator, I linger for a minute, knowing the date needs to end but unsure if I should cut all ties or not.
“Tomorrow?” Nick raises his eyebrows, hopeful as his fingertips graze against mine. “Can I show you some sites?”
“Um,” my voice hums, deciding on the playful approach. “I’ll text you.”
“How do I even know you own a phone?” The question seems like it should have come much earlier than this moment.
I pull it out of my clutch and dangle it for his view, “Better?”
“It is if you use it to text me.”
“We’ll see,” I hum out before asking some guy with grocery bags to hold the door for me. “Good night.”
“Good night,” Nick waves and waits until the door shuts.
My lips slowly start to curl into a smile as I let out a heavy sigh of relief. Leaning against the wall, I twirl a strand of hair around my finger, humming the last song we danced to.
“Enjoy yourself?” A voice startles my thoughts.
Quickly, I glance over to see Peter lower the brown bag he’s carrying. Relieved it’s only him, I shrug, “As much as I needed to.”
As if he knows something I don’t, he raises his eyebrows as the door dings, releasing us both from confinement. Arriving at our hotel room, I wait for Peter to unlock the door, as he does the same.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” he asks, annoyed.
“Too lazy to open the door?”
“Your hands are little more empty than mine,” his head tilts down at the bag.
“And
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