Pulling up at the school, the nerves in my stomach started all over again. Even though I had broken up with Cole like everyone wanted me to, it still didn’t seem enough to appease anyone. I couldn’t do anything right anymore and the prom wouldn’t be any different. I just hoped they wouldn’t take it out on Andy too. By showing up with me, they were likely to tar him with the same brush. Which definitely wasn’t fair.
“Are you okay?” Andy asked as he stood by the door with his hand outstretched for me to take.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I shot back, genuinely concerned for his wellbeing.
“I’m already uncool, there is nothing accompanying you can do to my reputation.” He waited patiently, a slow smile spreading across his lips. “I’m joking, Mel. Come on, let’s get our boogie on.” With an offer like that, how could I refuse? I placed my hand in his and walked bravely into the vast unknown.
The theme for the prom was ‘wonderstruck’ which apparently meant throwing about lots of glitter, stars, and balloons. Dim the lights, throw in a live band, and you’ve got yourself a prom.
Eyes watched us as we entered. Having Andy on my arm helped me to keep moving and not run out. Which was probably kind of the point. Dallas found us a table but we didn’t even get a chance to sit before our guys dragged us onto the crowded dance floor.
As it turned out, Andy’s rendition of the robot dance was a pretty fair representation of his dancing ability. He danced like a complete dork which was absolutely perfect considering that’s exactly how I danced.
We shuffled along together as we were lost in the crowd. With so many people condensed into the one place, nobody had any room to stare at me. And I started to relax, my care factor of what other people thought careening toward zero.
We pulled out the dodgiest dance moves we could, exhausting ourselves in the process of flinging our bodies in directions they weren’t used to going. I hadn’t laughed that much in a very long time and there wasn’t a moment when Andy stopped giggling either.
At just after ten o’clock, we were both wearing out when Dallas tapped Andy on the shoulder and whispered in his ear. Andy nodded in response and insisted he suddenly needed some air.
I gave them both a confused look because I thought for sure I heard Dallas say “It’s time.” What on earth was that supposed to mean?
Chapter Nine
My feet were seriously starting to hurt in my too-high heels. And every step I took made my stomach churn at the thought of something being up. Dallas and Andy looked way more excited than they should have been.
They led me across the field, completely ignoring all my requests for information. Apparently I should just shut up and follow them, I didn’t need to know anything else if I knew what was good for me. And I thought we were all friends. They could have been leading me into the woods to kill me for all I knew.
I eventually gave up and followed diligently, like a good little hostage. We had almost crossed the entire football field, not an easy feat in a long dress and heels. I couldn’t see anything in the dark except outlines of the pitch and the trees beyond. We reached the bleachers at the far end of the field.
“Seriously guys, where are we going?” I demanded. They didn’t answer. I stopped and frantically looked around, seeing absolutely nothing. Not one damn thing.
“Guys?” I called out. I admit, I was starting to freak out. Darkness and me didn’t go well, especially out in the night. “Guys?”
I was approximately two seconds away from running blindly in any direction I could. I would probably run into something and chop my head off but it seemed more logical than standing there and waiting for someone to come and get me.
All of a sudden, a million little twinkling lights came on, sending their warm orange glow all around me. I was under the bleachers in a fairy wonderland. That was how you did wonderstruck.
I spun around a few times, trying to catch a glimpse of Dallas or Andy. I still didn’t know why they brought me there and I was desperate to know why they had gone to so much trouble. I mean, how did they even thread so many lights underneath the structure?
“Hey, beautiful.”
I stopped, dead in my tracks as my heart literally skipped a beat in my chest before it started hammering against my ribs. I thought it might burst right on through it was pounding so hard.
I turned around slowly, afraid I might just have been hearing things, putting a voice to words just because I wanted to hear them.
Standing in the middle of the ground was Cole. He was holding a wrist corsage, still in its box. And his tie was turquoise, the exact same shade of my dress. My eyes stung with tears because I didn’t know why he was there and I was afraid of finding out.
“Cole, what are you…? Why are…?” I couldn’t form any complete sentences. How could I even speak when he was taking my breath away like that?
Cole didn’t say anything. He took a few steps to come near me, so close I could smell the cologne that was distinctly his. He lifted my hand and slipped on the corsage, a single, perfect, lily. He only let my hand go again after kissing the back of it, sending goosebumps all up my arm.
“May I have this dance?” He asked, bowing low like a true gentleman.
“There’s no music.”
“We don’t need it.” His lips curled into a gorgeous smile as he waited in a dancer’s stance. I joined him, resting my right hand in his and placing my left hand on his shoulder. He pulled me closer so our bodies could sway with the same rhythm.
Cole was right, we didn’t need music. The beat of our hearts resting against one another was a constant buzz than hummed louder than any music could.
I loved the way I fit against Cole’s body. His hand burned in the small of my back as he stopped me from running away from him again. In that simple, tuneless dance, he repaired every one of my hurts.
Tears brimmed on my eyelashes, spilling over to run down my cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Cole. I shouldn’t…”
“Shh. It doesn’t matter. Dallas told me everything. I should be the one apologizing.” He said the words so gently, it only made the tears worse. He was too perfect, I didn’t deserve him. “I’m really sorry, Mel. I never wanted to drag you into my lifestyle. I wish I could have done more to protect you.”
“What chance do we have of being able to stay together?” I asked, desperate to hear some sweet lies, ones that I could grasp a hold of and remember when it got hard again.
“We have some unique challenges ahead of us, but every couple does. We can do anything we want as long as we believe we can.”
“How do you handle it? You’ve had it a billion times worse than me but you never let it get to you. How do you do it?” The glow from the fairy lights were twinkling in his eyes as I stared into them. They didn’t look so green at that moment, they were darker, more intense.
“I pretend they are all gnomes. When I do that, they look funny scurrying around and chasing after me.” He laughed. “But don’t tell anyone my secret. It’s just between you and I, okay?”
I nodded. I liked having anything just between him and I. If Cole could fight back and hold his head high, perhaps he could show me a way to do it too. I should never have thought he was the problem when it was everyone else that had the issues. I loved him with all my heart, I should have drawn on that strength instead of crumbling like a little girl. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“Your tie matches my dress,” I said, filling the silence even though it didn’t need to be done. Our silent dancing was perfect by itself.
“I told you it would.”
“How did you know what color I was going to wear? I never told you.”
He gave me a mischievous smile which pretty much answered my question. I should have known. “Dallas told you that too, didn’t she?”
“She described it in great detail before sending me a photo. But don’t worry, it wasn’t of the whole dress, just a patch. She didn’t ruin the surprise.” He pulled me even clo
ser, our bodies pressed against each other. “And I’m glad. You look breathtakingly stunning tonight. By far the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen in my life.”
I blushed, even in the dimness I probably glowed red. “I’m not that pretty, it only took me ten minutes to get ready.”
His mouth hung open as he appraised me. “All that took only ten minutes? Color me stunned.”
It was official, the stupid lovestruck grin on my face would never be erased. I wished I could capture the moment for all of eternity so I could replay it again and again. I wanted to remember every detail, every word, every feeling.
“I can’t believe you came to my prom,” I gushed.
“I told you I keep my promises.”
“I know, I should have believed you.”
“Are you okay out here? You don’t want to go inside?” Cole asked.
I snuggled against his chest. “This is perfect. I’m going to owe Dallas big time for this.”
“I already promised to give her a VIP trip to L.A.” That sounded like Dallas.
“Did she organize this secret location too?” I nodded around our private prom underneath the bleachers.
“I can take the credit for that. I didn’t want to turn up and ruin your prom for you. I thought I might cause some unwanted attention. And I could sneak off if you really didn’t want to see me.”
“Of course I would want to see you.” I peered at him shyly through my lashes, just in time to see him lean down and press his soft lips on mine. My body filled with warmth as I lost myself in him. Forever really wasn’t long enough.
My head was dizzy when he released me. The twinkling lights swum around me. It literally felt like the rest of the world and all the nastiness it contained didn’t exist. Cole and I were the last two people on earth and we could slow dance in the starlight to the beats of our own hearts.
I rested my head against Cole’s chest, hearing his heart hammering away. We continued to sway along to the music that was only in our heads.
“Mel…”
“Hmm.”
“I want you to come to Europe with me for the summer.” I stopped and pulled back so I could see his face, I wanted to make sure he wasn’t joking. That wouldn’t be funny. Nobody should joke about that kind of stuff.
“Are you serious?” I asked. I had to double check, his face was too difficult to read.
“Of course I’m serious. I can’t be without you for an entire summer. I want you to come on tour with us.”
“I can’t just tag along.” I wasn’t a freeloader, nor was I a charity case. But I also couldn’t afford to pay my way around Europe. What seemed like a good idea, quickly turned into a sad reality.
“Yes, you can. I want you to be there, it wouldn’t be tagging along. Just think about it, we could see the Eiffel Tower, walk around the Acropolis, eat paella in Spain. It would be awesome,” Cole said enthusiastically. It would be awesome, but I still couldn’t go.
I took a step backwards, out of his arms to stand in front of him. “I can’t go.”
“Why not?” His brows were wrinkled with confusion. I really didn’t want to have to explain why I couldn’t go in great detail. I didn’t want to have to say out loud that I didn’t have the money.
“Because I need to work.”
Cole paused to think before he started nodding. “Work for me. I need someone to look after all my social media stuff. You can document what we do and share it with the fans.”
“You wouldn’t pay someone for that.” He was sweet, but I wasn’t going to take his money.
“We already do and he can’t come to Europe. He’s got visa problems. You’d actually be doing us all a favor. Plus, if the fans know you’re the direct link between them and us, they’ll treat you like a queen. It solves all our problems.”
Now it was my turn to think things through. Going to Europe would mean leaving Dad and Jemma, something I was hesitant to do. But, it would be the trip of a lifetime. I could work for my fare and I would be able to spend as much time with Cole as possible.
Cole took a step closer again, resting his hands on my hips. “Please, Mel? I can’t be apart from you for an entire summer. I want you to come with me.”
Those beautiful eyes drilled into me, making my knees go weak. It would take a lot of convincing to get permission to go, I would be making it up to Jem for the rest of my life, but it was an opportunity too good to refuse. There was no way I could say no to Cole again.
The words escaped my lips before I even realized I had said them. “Yes. Let’s go to Europe!”
Cole hugged me tightly, I didn’t care that it was difficult to breathe. I inhaled his scent and knew I had made the right decision.
When he finally let me go, I was ready to do something I never really thought I would be able to do with Cole. “Let’s go inside to the prom.”
His hands snaked down to entwine our fingers. “Whatever you want, beautiful.”
We left our oasis to face reality again. But it still felt like a dream. I really thought what Cole and I had was over, ruined by people who didn’t even know us. I was ready to fight back, determined that nobody would ever come between us again. Nothing could cause another starburst.
Star Bright
Chapter One
The pinkie finger goes up when you’re drinking tea, right? That’s how you’re supposed to do it? I had no idea and nobody to ask. I was feeling decidedly out of place in the royal palace.
The boys from Two Dimension around me weren’t helping either. Their fingers were clenched around the tiny sandwiches instead of the delicate porcelain teacups. I considered starting with the food too, but I would probably end up with pieces of cucumber stuck in my teeth.
I gripped the saucer, watching the Princess of Denmark and studying her pinkie finger.
It stayed down.
I had my answer.
I picked up my teacup, leaving my pinkie finger down and took a delicate sip. I made sure not to slurp it, the room was quiet enough without my bad manners causing a scene.
“What do you think of our country so far?” The princess asked politely. She had a slightly different accent compared to the other people we’d met so far in the country. It could be British, or Australian, or something.
Reed took the question. “It’s been great. Our Danish fans are awesome.”
“I’m pleased,” she replied. Elegance oozed out of her. If I could borrow even a tiny fraction of that kind of sophistication, I would be very happy.
“It was very generous of you for inviting us here today,” Nick began, with his usual charm. He would probably have her eating out of the palm of his hand by the time we left the opulent palace. “We hope to entertain everyone tonight and do you justice.”
“I’m sure the kids will enjoy your concert very much.” She smiled politely, her teeth absolutely perfectly aligned and a brilliant white color. Surely that kind of smile didn’t come naturally but from many trips to the cosmetic dentist?
Cole gave me a knowing smile beside me, his beautiful green eyes twinkling with whatever was going on inside his head. I would have loved to have known, but it would probably make me blush.
I tuned out their conversation and Cole’s gaze and focused on drinking my tea. It took all my concentration not to spill any of it. Dripping tea on their cream colored carpet would be tragic. I’d probably end up in the royal dungeons.
It was difficult trying to make sense of being at the Danish Royal Palace. Little Melrose Morgan, having tea with a real prince and princess. For the umpteenth time, I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming the entire thing. Things like that didn’t happen to girls like me.
Two Dimension began their tour in London only three days ago. We had flown in and hit the ground running. I was their newly-appointed social media liaison, thanks to Cole and his powers of persuasion.
My role basically meant I had to take photographs of the boys and tweet about what they were doing. I set up their account
so it then automatically filled into their Facebook page. I scanned their comments, retweets, and mentions a few times a day and interacted with their fans on the boys’ behalf. It was way better than serving burgers at Burger Nation back in Meadowbrook, that was for sure.
Which reminded me, I needed to do my job. “Uh, guys, do you mind if I take a photo of everyone?” My eyes scanned the group as everyone nodded.
I stood and took out my phone, turning it back on after palace security had made me turn it off when we entered the grounds.
“Maybe everyone could hold up their teacups?” I suggested, already thinking of a caption to put with the photo. I still couldn’t believe I was giving directions to a real live prince and princess. “That’s perfect.”
I clicked away, taking a dozen photos to make sure there would be at least one clear picture amongst them. “Thank you all.”
They resumed their tea and conversation while I tapped away. I figured I should post the update before a beefy security guard tried to stop me or something. It still felt unimaginable that I was there and allowed to speak to the royal couple.
I was so glad I could actually use my phone again. Not because of the zealous security guards but because of the millions of people that had been sending me death threats. There was a stage where I couldn’t even turn my phone on without it ringing every few seconds. Someone had made my number public and the trolls didn’t have any qualms about using it to tell me off. Whoever it was that leaked my number, I hoped they had some seriously bad karma headed their way.
Since Two Dimension publicly made me their social media liaison and gave me a new phone with a new number, the hysteria had died down. Just as Cole had predicted, I was actually getting nice messages now instead of bad ones. People wanted to be my best friend so I would give them exclusives, suddenly I was one of the accepted ones.
The Star Kissed Collection Page 14