Once the shoe is secure, he takes both of my hands into his and brings them up to his lips. Kissing them gently, his eyes ablaze, he guides me to my feet. His hands roam up my arms, over my shoulders, through the ends of my hair and down my back as he pulls me flush against him. My hands come up to rest on his shoulders, and as he plants a kiss on my collarbone, I let my head tilt backward, my hair cascading over his hands. Before I have the chance to say anything, his lips descend upon mine. I pull away from him, wrapping my arms around his slim waist and pressing an ear to left pectoral, right above his heart.
“Nickayla, what are you doing?” he asks.
I shake my head. “Shh.” I inhale, closing my eyes and listening to the thud of his heartbeat, wondering how we almost lost each other, and how we could have possibly let things get that far. I’m thankful for him in this moment, for what he’s done to fight for me and show me how much he deserves my forgiveness even though he had it before he even asked for it. I just need to breathe him in, before the moment’s gone. I glance up at him, a small smile on my face when I see the concerned look on his face. “You get the cutest wrinkle right here,” I pause, reaching up to touch the pace between his eyebrows, “when you’re worried about me.”
His concerned expression deepens slightly, and then he rests his chin atop my head as he starts swaying us to the slow song that’s playing around us.
“Your hair smells like apples,” he muses.
Giggling, I swat his backside playfully. “What?”
“Your hair always smells like apples. It’s my favorite scent in the world. I—I’ve slept with your pillow every night since you’ve been gone, because it made me feel like you were still with me.”
I feel him tense up, and I know if I were looking at him, he’d be scarlet right now, almost like he’s embarrassed by his admission.
“I’m always with you, baby. I always have been, and I always will be.”
Twenty Nine.
“Mom, don’t you think you’ve taken enough pictures?” Naomi groans, forcing another smile as my mom snaps away on her camera and sniffles. “We’re going to be the last ones at prom at this rate!”
I want to laugh, but I know that will only make things worse. My mom’s the sentimental type, and we always knew that. But Naomi’s the baby of our family. I think it’s finally hitting Mom that we’re all growing up, and this time next year, it’ll be Nomi’s senior year, and she and Daddy will be empty-nesters. Every parent’s dream, right? Having all their kids grown up and off on their own?
Not Alicia Quinn. She’d buy all of us houses on the same patch of land if she could, just to keep us at arm’s length. And if her blubbering mess now is any indication of how she’ll be when Colin and I leave for Big Springs at the end of the summer, I know I’m going to have to pry her off of me with a crowbar.
“Just one more!” Mom says, looking at my dad and bursting into tears once again.
My sister rolls her eyes and stares at me.
“Let’s take a drink of cliched spiked prom punch for every time Mom has said ‘just one more!’ tonight. I swear to God, we’ll be nursing a hangover tomorrow that would make Tia Raquel look like Mother Theresa,” my sister whispers to me while we pose for a millionth time. “I mean, just imagine how bad it’ll be when our dates get here!”
By this point, I’m laughing so hard about Nomi’s jab at our Tia Raquel that I don’t even notice that the doorbell has rung. Surprisingly, Mom has calmed herself down enough to answer the door.
Michele enters, wearing a stunning, black, mermaid cut dress with a neckline that plunges to just below her breasts and a low back that stops just above her ass. I don’t know what shoes she has on, but I’m certain they’re phenomenal, because that’s just my best friend. Nothing but the best for her. Her black ensemble compliments the earl gray, Greek goddess style dress my sister is wearing, and they’re the picture of perfection.
I don’t realize I’ve been looking for him until he appears in the doorway of my parents’ house, a lazy, crooked smile forming on his face as he takes in what I’m wearing.
Last year, I went for bold, dark, and elegant, with a royal blue dress that Colin picked out for me. This year, I’ve gone for soft, understated, and flowing, with a peach colored high-low dress with ombre glitter on the bodice that disappears once it hits my waist. The shoes Colin got me—which I’m sure someone helped him with—matched it perfectly. I don’t have on any jewelry except the locket he got me for my birthday last year and the earrings he got me for our anniversary.
“Nickayla, you—” Colin cuts himself off for a moment, then clears his throat. “You’re breathtaking, baby.”
I blush, and I duck my head. “You clean up pretty well, Colin Westwick.” I grin, grabbing his hand. “Take a few pictures with me before my mom decides to lock us all in the laundry room.”
For the next hour, we indulge my mom in her picture-taking and sobbing before finally my dad convinces her to let us leave. When we got outside, I was surprised to see that there were two limousines, but not when Colin explained it to me. He paid for our limo, and my dad paid for Nomi and Michie’s, which they split with Brody, Bree, Nikky, and Sarah.
I could understand why Colin wanted a separate limo for us. Tonight isn’t just prom. It’s our last prom together. It’s our first public outing since we got back together. It’s not about us hanging out with all of these people whose names we’ll forget come ten years from now. It’s about making memories with each other, and with the people whose names we couldn’t dream of forgetting.
Since we got to prom tonight, Colin hasn’t left my side, and his hands haven’t left my body. There’s not a single touch or word wasted between us. He keeps me within arm’s reach, and although I’m not sure why, I don’t even care.
We’re standing in the middle of the dance floor, entwined with each other as I And Love And You by the Avett Brothers plays, and I can’t take my eyes off of the man I love. Everything about him—hell, about our relationship as well—has changed so much since we were last in this position, at prom and hopelessly in love. And I can’t help but think that we’re both better for it.
“Have I told you tonight how beautiful you are?” Colin whispers in my ear.
I sigh, inhaling his sweet scent. Everything about this night, from the way he showed up at my parents’ house and looked at me like I was the most beautiful being on the planet to the way he took every single picture in every single pose that my mom requested, to the way he called my dad “sir” and shook his hand before escorting me to the car, to the way he hasn’t let go of me since we got here, to the lingering, longing looks he’s been shooting my way all night, is perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better senior prom.
“You may have said it once or twice, but a girl can never get tired of hearing it,” I whisper back.
His hand splays across my lower back, and he pulls me close like he’s about to tell me something when there’s a hand on my shoulder. I turn to see who it is, and I break into a giant grin when I see Brody, hand outstretched.
“Mind if I cut in?” he asks Colin.
Colin nods,. “Be my guest.” He gives us both quick grin. He presses a kiss to my temple before he steps away from me and takes Sabrina’s hand, whisking her away as I hold on to my best friend.
Brody tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear, looking down at me with the stars in his eyes. I haven’t seen him like this in—ever.
I reach up to smooth a stray curl out of his face, and he chuckles. No matter how much gel he puts in his hair, there’s always a piece or three that breaks free, unless he straightens it. I’ve noticed, though, that since he’s been interested in Sabrina, he doesn’t try so hard at looking good for her. Before, it was like he was struggling to fit in, struggling to try and get noticed. But with her, it comes naturally. And she always looks at him like he’s the only guy in the room.
“You seem happy, B,” I tell him.
He’s not looking at me
when I speak. He’s actually watching Bree, as Colin spins her around and she giggles, slapping a hand over her mouth to stop herself like she’s afraid to be happy. With Brody, she looks invincible.
I have to admit, it’s quite a sight to see. Ever since the breakup with Michie, I’ve watched him walk around with bags under his eyes and his head hung low. But since the night he called Sabrina a bitch, the light has returned to his eyes, and there’s a pep in his step that I’ve never seen before. It’s only been a few months since they met, but I get the strong feeling that they’re good for each other.
“I am,” he says. “She’s…like a fucking dream, Nic. I think I might be in love with her.”
I can see it in his eyes that he truly believes it, and the fact that he’s said it aloud shows me that it must be true. Those words never left his mouth when he was with Michele. In fact, they didn’t leave his mouth until it was too late for them. So the fact that he’s saying it now says a lot to me.
“Holy shit, B!” My grin just gets wider at his admission. “Does she know?”
It’s impossible to miss the shake of his head, especially for me because I know him so well.
I hug him tightly, unable to let him go. His head comes down and we embrace each other as the final notes of the song ring out loud and clear.
“If there’s anything I’ve learned from my experience with Colin is that it does no good at all to hold back your feelings. It only hurts both of you in the long run. The worst thing that can happen is her not feeling the same way. And judging from the way she looks our way every five seconds, I’d say she does.” I pause, bringing a hand up to his face. “Tell her.”
While we’re talking, Sabrina walks up to us, but Colin is nowhere to be seen. She holds an envelope in her hand, and she gives it to me without saying a word.
I raise an eyebrow, and before I get the chance to even ask a question, she shrugs. “It’s from Colin.”
With those words, I release myself from my embrace with Brody, but keep his hand in mine. I grab Bree’s hand in my spare one and place it in Brody’s with a smile.
“Have fun, you two,” I say as I saunter off to somewhere private where I can open Colin’s delivery.
I sneak away from Michele and Nomi’s suspicious glances. Once I’m all alone, I tear the envelope open. Inside is a slip of paper and a key card. I stare down at the key, then look at the slip of paper.
Meet me in the limo.
-C
…
After I left prom to meet Colin in the limo, he gave the driver the signal to drive off, and he hasn’t spoken to me since. In silence, we ride together, hand in hand until we arrive at our destination. Once he car has stopped, the driver comes over to open the door for us. Colin climbs out, and then he extends his hand to help me out.
Colin’s arm comes up to wrap around my waist, and I look up at the building before us. We’re in front of the Casa del Mar hotel, right off Santa Monica pier. I turn to look at him and ask him what we’re doing here, but he ushers me inside without speaking a word.
Inside of the Renaissance themed hotel, we’re greeted by a bellboy, and our limo driver hands him two bags, neither of which I knew were packed. One of those bags is my Love Pink tote from Victoria’s Secret, and the other is just a plain blue duffel bag.
“Come on,” Colin says, and leads me to an elevator.
Those are the first two words he’s said to me in about a half hour, but I’m trying not to pick a fight tonight. I’ve come to learn a million and one things about Colin over the course of our relationship, learned how to read him and just about every mood he goes through. So I can tell from his silence, the way he was jittery and antsy while inside the limo, and the way he looks at me like he’s hiding something…he’s shy.
Shy Colin is my favorite. It’s the crooked smile, the way he runs his hand over the back of his neck, the less-than-confident stride, and, my favorite thing ever, the flush in his cheeks.
We exit on the twentieth floor, and, once Colin finds our room, he turns to me with his hand outstretched for the key card. I reach inside my clutch for it and hand it to him. He slides the card into the lock, and then twists the doorknob.
Inside, I can’t even focus on the decor of the room, because there’s too much to focus on. The red rose petals on the floor, the candles littering every surface, the crystal chandelier, the door to the balcony open to a setting sun, more rose petals spread all over the bed, the tray of chocolate covered strawberries on top of the table in the center of the room, and a bucket of ice with a bottle of Pinot Grigio sitting right beside it.
I glance at Colin, and he thrusts his hands in his pockets, grinning at me.
“Oh, my God!” I exclaim.
I burst through the apartment, forgetting that I’m wearing high heels, and start touching and examining everything. I’ve always heard that it was cliche to share a hotel room with your date after prom. But with Colin, everything always exceeds expectations. I run over to the doors that lead out to the balcony, breathing in the scent of saltwater and closing my eyes. I lean over the railing and look down. The waves crash upon the shore and I breathe in the sea air once more before I exhale.
I turn around and run back in the room, and I stop short when I find Colin on bended knee. In his hand is the little blue Tiffany’s box that most girls only dream about. Subconsciously, my hand goes to my mouth, and Colin clears his throat.
There are moments in our lives where one of two things happen: we see our lives up to that point flash before our eyes, or we’re presented with a montage of potential moments from the future. For me, I’m experiencing the latter.
I can see it all. Saying yes to him. Graduation. Moving away to college. Unpacking our moving boxes in our home for the first time—not some rinky dink apartment that someone else is paying for. Our first day of college together. Planning our wedding. My dad giving me away, and Colin wearing the most glorious smile I’ve ever seen on a man in my entire life. Him taking my hand and telling me that he has never seen anything so beautiful. Being pronounced husband and wife. Our honeymoon.
I can see it all. And I want it all. More than that, more than anything in the world, I want it all with Colin.
I walk toward him, almost as if in a trance, holding my breath. I can’t breathe. The sight of him before me has taken away all my senses, and left me feeling like I’m on cloud nine. The minute I’m in front of him, he takes my left hand, bringing it up to his mouth as he gives it a gentle kiss.
“Nickayla Quinn, you are the love of my life. You came into my life like rain in a drought—you showed up right when I needed you most. You always say that I’m the one who saved you. But you’re wrong. You saved me. You’ve been the sunshine in the midst of all the rain. You’ve been my eyes when I can’t see. You’ve been my breath when I can’t breathe. You’re my heart. When I’m without you, I’m nothing. When I’m with you, I’m everything. We’re everything. And I want us to continue to be. Always.” He unties the white ribbon atop the Tiffany’s box, then lifts the lid. “You are the only girl who has ever held my heart. You’re the only girl who ever will. And I want you to be that girl for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?”
I let my thoughts roam to every encounter we’ve had with each other over the course of our relationship. I remember every second of every minute of every hour of every day. I could always feel my walls tumbling to the ground when he bit my neck. I could feel all the puzzle pieces that made up my life falling right into place when he held my hand. I could see possibilities in my mind when he told me he loved me. I always knew that Colin loved me, and he always proved it whenever he touched me, whenever he kissed me, whenever he made me feel like I was on top of the world, before he even said the words.
I know, standing before him, that Colin Westwick is the one for me.
There’s no one else. And there’s no other answer.
“Yes,” I say, breathless. “Yes, I will marry you. Yes, a million times!”
He exhales, a breath that it looks like he didn’t know he was even holding, and gives me a sigh of relief. Silently, he plucks the ring out of the box. I hold my left hand out to him and hold my breath as he places the ring on my finger.
He stands up, and his hands immediately go to my waist. I don’t even bother to try and suppress the tears that are streaming down my face as I stand on my tiptoes and pull him toward me. His head dips low as his lips press against mine. I hold onto him as I leap off my feet and wrap my arms around his trim waist. He places his hands under my thighs, holding me up as he turns around and presses me against a wall. Clenching my legs, I hold on to him for dear life as he kisses me in a way that he never has before. This time, he’s not holding back. This time, he’s giving me everything.
“I love you so fucking much, Nickayla Quinn,” he says into my mouth, catching a moan as it slips past my lips.
“I love you,” I pant.
He drags his hands up my backside, over my back, up my shoulders, and into my hair as he kisses me harder. Each time he does, he gives me another piece of his heart, gives me another reason to love him, a little something more to hold on to.
He shakes his head as I grab his hair and tug on it. “So fucking much.”
Thirty.
He pulls away from me and stares at the ground, almost like he’s ashamed that he’s let things get this far between us. But I’m not. I’ve never been more in love with him than I am right now. Every nerve in my body is on high alert, and no matter how close we are, I feel like I can’t get close enough to him.
I bend over, ignoring Colin’s panic attack somewhere in the corner as he turns away from me. I unbuckle the strap on my shoes and step out of them, kicking them with one of my feet. My hands come up to pull all the bobby pins out of my hair, letting it drape down my back. Reaching behind me, I unzip my dress, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. The dress falls to my ankles, and I step out of it. I’m down to my strapless, lacy bra and the matching panties, and I take a deep breath.
Almost Everything (Nickayla Quinn Trilogy Book 2) Page 25