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He snickers as he hands me a glass. “True.”
I raise it and wait for him to set the bottle down. He turns to me with his glass in hand, the strings of light reflected in his perfect eyes as he gazes back.
“You want to make a toast?” he asks.
I bite my lip in thought, but only for a second. “To learning new life skills,” I say.
“Like jump-starting cars?”
“Or opening champagne bottles.”
“I like it,” he says with a nod. “It’s a classic for a reason.”
We tap our flutes together and take a slow sip. Bubbles rush through me, igniting the heat in my cheeks as I just can’t stop smiling.
Drew hums as if he forgot something. “Hold on,” he says as he hops back into the helm.
I stand still, filling my lungs with fresh air. Tonight, this perfect night. And it’s only just begun.
Music fills the air from small, hidden speakers somewhere along the boat. It’s Marla’s Song by Criminal Records; a smooth, slow song I know by heart.
Drew returns and snatches my glass from my fingers. He sets them down and comes back, slinking in close to dance with me.
I laugh, happy to oblige. I take his hand and place the other on his shoulder. He rests a hand on my side. We drift into a casual, almost lazy, sway beneath the strings of lights.
“I love this song,” I say, my heart smiling.
“I know,” Drew says. “Jenna told me this was your favorite album.”
I raise a brow. “When did you two get so chummy?”
“We have a lot in common.”
“Like what?” I ask.
“You.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
Drew takes a breath. “Yesterday morning, we talked a lot about you while you were out with Seth.”
“You did?”
He nods. “She told me about a dance you had in tenth grade.”
Well, I wasn’t expecting this.
“Okay...” I look down, my stomach turning a bit. “Why would she even bring that up?”
“She didn’t. Not really. It came up while she was bandaging my nose. She said she broke hers once, I asked how, and...”
I nod.
Charlie Nolan.
“Is that why you asked me to the mask ball?” I ask.
“Partially, I think,” he says. “I guess I thought if you went with me, then I could make you forget all the shitty things that happened to you.” He shakes his head. “But I realize now that’s not my job.”
