by Jordan Lynde
He narrowed his eyes. “Just open it.”
“Okay,” I responded, sliding a finger underneath one of the flaps so I could open it easily. My mouth went dry when I realized it was a small, velvet box. That could only mean one of three things: earrings, necklace, or ring. I looked up at him, not sure if I wanted to open it.
He gave me an impatient look. “Just so you know, I’m not taking it back.”
My heart pounded in my chest as I slowly pulled open the top of the black box to reveal a necklace. The pendant was a beautiful, sparking blue gem shaped in a heart. Above the heart was a small diamond. The chain was made out of white gold.
“The gem is topaz, your birthstone,” Mr. Heywood informed me, ducking his head. “It matched your eyes so I thought why not?”
“This looks . . . really expensive,” I commented, barely able to form the words because my mouth was so dry. “It’s so pretty.”
“I take it you like it?”
I looked up at him, giving him an “are you crazy” look. “Of course I like it! I love it!”
He let out a sigh of relief. “Good. I wasn’t sure if you’d like it or not. Although I do believe your favorite color is blue.”
Grasping the necklace tightly in my hand, I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around him tightly. “Thank you, Chris.”
He chuckled, slowly rubbing my back. “You’re welcome, Holly. Want me to help you put it on?”
I nodded, pulling away from him, and dropping the necklace into his outstretched palm. He gestured for to turn around, so I did, and I soon felt him pushing my hair to one side of my neck. Then he put his arms around me, laying the pendant face up on my chest, and pulled it tighter so he could clasp it. When he was finished he let the chain drop and the necklace lay against my chest high enough up so everyone could see. I smiled down at it, picking it up.
“Thank you again,” I said, turning around to face him.
He smiled, slipping his arms around my waist. “Anytime.”
“Should we go back to the wedding?” I asked.
“Hmm . . . I vote no.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Why not?”
He smirked. “I’d rather spend it out here with you. Alone.”
“Oh,” I responded lamely, feeling my face heat up. “Um, I guess that’d be okay. But Casey—”
“Casey has Jeremy to play with,” he finished for me, bringing his head closer to me. “Right?”
“Right,” I mumbled. The proximity between us had my heart racing and I tried to calm it, hoping he wouldn’t hear it.
“Right,” he responded simply, pushing me back a few steps so that I was against the wall. “Now we can stay out here and . . .” he trailed off, bringing his face closer to mine.
Immediately I closed my eyes, preparing myself.
“Admire your necklace.”
My eyes shot open when I felt my pendant being lifted off my chest. Mr. Heywood gazed at it, a smirk playing across his lips. I stared at him, a little disappointed. When his eyes met mine, he cocked his head to the side.
“You look a little let down.”
I blushed. “I—I do not!”
“What were you expecting me to do?”
“Nothing!”
“Kiss you, perhaps?”
“No!”
“Like this?” he asked, quickly leaning forward and kissing me.
I glowered at him as he pulled away. “No . . .”
He chuckled. “I have a feeling you know what I’m going to say.”
“Holly, you can’t lie to me,” I supplied.
He nodded approvingly. “You’re getting the hang of it.”
Rolling my eyes, I grabbed the front of his tux. “Why don’t you shut up and kiss me.”
He raised an eyebrow. “It seems our roles have been reversed.”
“Seems so.”
“I guess I’ll let it slide for tonight,” he responded with a mockingly reluctant look. “Do as you wish, Ms. Evers.”
I smiled. “I plan to.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jordan Lynde is a college student who doubles as the author of several popular online novels including A Proscriptive Relationship. Fueled by copious amounts of coffee, she has been a star on the social reading platform Wattpad since the age of fifteen, where she has over one hundred thousand fans. Jordan has thirteen completed books and over one hundred million combined reads—all before her twentieth birthday. Follow Jordan on Wattpad at XxSkater2Girl16xX and on Twitter @JordanLynde_
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