‘Don’t say hot,’ Seth warns, strolling up to us. ‘She seems to take that a bit offensively.’
The corners of Kayden’s mouth quirk. ‘I was actually going to say beautiful.’
‘Lair,’ Seth coughs, but then grins.
Repressing a smile, Kayden lifts one of his arms toward me. The first thing I notice is that there’s something sticking out of the sleeve of his shirt … a piece of gauze maybe. But then my eyes travel to what’s in his hand. A rose with a short, bare stem. He takes it and tucks it in my hair beside my ear, making me feel pretty. I’ve never been a fan of looking this way. That is, until now. But I think that has more to do with the way Kayden is looking at me, with this lustful, burning desire.
Screw prom.
This is so, so much better.
I’m about to tell him how much I love him when my attention darts to a pale figure running across the grass, yelling, ‘WOO HOO! Halloween fucking rocks!’
He looks familiar and I squint to get a better look at what’s going on. ‘Wait. Is he …?’ I trail off when I realize the reason why the figure is so pale. ‘He’s naked!’
Kayden’s eyes widen as he tracks my gaze then he places a hand over my eyes. ‘What the hell is it with streakers and Halloween? I swear I see at least one a year.’
Seth chuckles. ‘It’s the freedom in the air, to be whoever you want to be.’
‘I’m pretty sure he’s in my English class,’ I say. ‘And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look him in the eye again.’
‘Why?’ Seth asks. ‘You’re not the one who was seen in a very unflattering outfit. You should hold your head up high, baby girl.’
‘I know, but every time I look at him, I’ll picture his …’ I bite down on my lip, unable to finish the sentence, let alone get the picture of what I just witnessed.
This time Kayden laughs and he lowers his hand from my eyes. ‘You’re so adorable.’ Then he kisses me and I don’t feel shy or ashamed. Adorable I can handle. Kayden kissing me I can handle. Seeing more naked people tonight, I’m not so sure.
The night is turning out to be amazing. The atmosphere is electric, the decor is vibrant in the most eerie way possible, and the rock combined orchestra music the band is playing is hauntingly poetic to the point that it gives me chills. Violet calls it Symphonic Rock.
We’ve been dancing for a while – Seth, Greyson, Violet, and me. Kayden and Luke are hanging out at the table. Luke seems distracted by something and Kayden keeps getting texts from someone, so they’re both living in their own world. It makes me a little sad that Kayden’s not out here with me, but I don’t have time to wallow when Violet decides she’s going to teach me to dance per Seth’s suggestion.
‘There’s no way I can dance like her,’ I tell the both of them, not because I’m afraid, but because I really don’t think I can. Violet dances like a mix between a ballerina and one of those rocker chicks that can head bang in the most elegant way ever. She seriously looks like she belongs on stage with a microphone in her hand, a band of guitars and violins playing in the background.
‘Sure you can,’ Violet says with an encouraging smile that looks foreign on her because she hardly ever smiles. She seems in a good mood tonight, though, so I decide to play along and follow her lead.
‘No, move your hips,’ she instructs, putting her hand on my waist and guiding me to the rhythm. I’m not one for my personal space getting invaded, but I shake it off since we’re standing in the center of a crammed crowd anyway, and try to do what she says. ‘Let the music own you. Don’t overthink it.’
‘And dance like you mean it!’ Seth shouts over the music as he raises his hands in the air.
I take a deep inhale and try to do what they both said, but I’ve never been one for dancing.
‘You’re overthinking it,’ Seth tells me, his eyes wandering over my shoulders. ‘And now you have the perfect distraction.’ My brows furrow as he mouths, Dance like it’s your prom.
All I can picture when he says it is what I’ve seen on movies. Bad music and decorations while people way too overdressed rock back and forth with their hands on each other or do some sort of silly dance off. But then Kayden comes up to me, takes my hand, and spins me around, causing laughter to erupt from my lips.
‘Aw, and the secret dance moves come out,’ I say, laughing when he spins me again and then crashes me against his chest. Kayden once told me that he secretly knew how to dance because his mother used him as a dance partner when he was younger.
His arms slide around me as I rest my head on his shoulder. ‘That was supposed to be a secret,’ he whispers in my ear, giving my lobe a soft nip.
The band takes a break and the DJ turns on a song I know. ‘My Immortal’ by Evanescence. It’s slow and relaxing and I find myself unstiffening and leaning against Kayden as I rock to the music and drift away from reality.
‘I hope you’re having fun tonight,’ he whispers in my ear, his hand on the small of my back pulling me closer. There’s something in his touch – a desperation.
‘Of course I am.’ My eyelids slip shut as the warmth of his body drowns me and I pull him closer, wishing he knew that everything was going to be okay. If only I could make him see that somehow, that he’ll always have me, that he’ll never be alone.
‘Good. That’s all I want for you – nothing but fun.’ His breath catches. ‘You deserve to be happy.’
I angle my chin up to look him in the eye. ‘I am happy.’ Unlike him. He looks like he’s in pain, on the verge of crying. ‘Who was texting you?’
He shuts his eyes and shakes his head. ‘I don’t want to talk about it tonight, don’t want to make another one of your nights depressing.’
Where the heck is this coming from?
‘You don’t make any of my nights depressing. What the fuck, Kayden?’ It’s rare for me to curse, so when I do, it has a purpose. Right now, I’m panicking because he looks like a guy that’s about to break up with his girlfriend. ‘A-are you b-breaking up with me?’
His eyes snap wide in horror. ‘What? No! Why the hell would you say that?’
‘Because you look like you’re about to!’
‘I would never say that to you! Ever!’
We’re yelling over the music and I hate it. We never yell, even behind doors, only talk passionately. But this is yelling and it’s the worst feeling in the world.