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“Night, Maci,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
“Night,” she said, before pushing the door open and slipping inside.
His heart swelled with emotion, and he lingered for a moment longer. Taking one last look around the hallway, he inhaled, let out a sigh, and strode down the corridor with purpose in his steps.
6
Maci
Maci stood with her back against the door of her hotel room, breath coming in short gasps. She had almost asked him to come inside, and she wasn’t sure if she should regret it or not. There had been something in his eyes when they had made eye contact that had made her heart flutter, and she couldn’t deny the pull she felt towards him. Being near him reignited all of her feelings for him.
She let out a long sigh and closed her eyes, trying to process what happened. It all started so innocently enough. When they had gotten to the end of their drinks, she had almost asked him to come back to her room. She had wanted to explore the connection.
Maci opened her eyes and straightened her back, taking a deep breath. She could feel the energy still buzzing, and she couldn’t deny her desire for him any longer.
She slipped her heels off and threw herself back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling and wondering what tomorrow might bring. On one hand, she was eager to flaunt her success to her enemies and revel in their envy. On the other, she was most excited about spending more time with Dawson and working up the courage to come out and tell him how she felt.
The fear of rejection threatened to cripple her, but she knew she had to persevere and take the chance. She was certain this might be her only opportunity—once it was gone, there would be no turning back. Steeling her resolve, she fixed her gaze on the ceiling and allowed her mind to drift.
She imagined how her enemies’ faces would look when she revealed her success. She could envision their shock and envy as they realized all she had accomplished while they had been busy with trivial matters. A smug smile crept onto her lips as she imagined their reactions.
The thought of Dawson was almost enough to make her smile again. She needed to tell him before they left back to New York City on Sunday. She thought about what she would say, about how his eyes would widen and how his lips would form a smile. The thought made her heart flutter, and she couldn’t help but smile.
As she lay there, a sense of peace washed over her. No matter what tomorrow would bring, she was determined to make it a day worth remembering. With that thought in mind, she drifted off to sleep with a satisfied smile on her face.
7
Dawson
Dawson stood in front of the full-length mirror, adjusting his tie. His freshly dry-cleaned suit was perfectly tailored, the fabric a deep navy blue, and the shoulders cut perfectly to fit his frame. He ran his fingers through his neatly styled hair, running one last inspection of the ensemble. He felt confident and composed, ready to face the crowd of old classmates.
He had worked hard over the past two decades, built himself a successful business, and amassed a fortune. He had never expected to be as successful as he was, but he had made it, and now he was ready to show everyone just how far he had come. He was ready to prove that he was no longer the awkward, introverted teenager they once knew. He was a successful adult now, and he couldn’t wait to make it known.
Dawson walked out of his hotel room and down the hallway, feeling the butterflies in his stomach as he approached the elevator. His rental car was dropped off last night, so he swung by the front desk to pick up the keys.
Dawson drove through his hometown of Grapevine in a luxurious Maserati. The gaze of the townspeople followed him as he made his way down Main Street toward the high school. He could almost feel their jealousy and disbelief as he passed them.
He took a deep breath and tried to put the past out of his mind as he pulled up to the school parking lot. He had grown up, made something of himself, and now he was a tech tycoon with a net worth of two billion dollars. It was time to put the bullies in their place.
As he got out of the car, he straightened his chest and squared his shoulders. He was determined to show them his success and make them regret their years of tormenting him. He had come a long way since his days as a scrawny high schooler, and he was ready to show them his true potential.
He walked through the doors of the school with a newfound confidence. His gaze swept across the room. He was surprised to find that the school had changed very little in the past two decades. The building was exactly the same, the parking lot was just as full, and the football field was exactly the same size as it had always been. But as he walked up the steps of the school, he could feel the emotion of the reunion emanating from the building. He could feel the nervous energy of the surrounding people, and it made him feel both excited and uneasy.
He was among the first to arrive, and he stopped in the lobby of the school to take it all in. He took a moment to look at the various posters on the walls that had hung there when he was a student. He remembered seeing them then, but now they seemed almost surreal, like a snapshot of a past life.
He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Maci standing there with a huge smile on her face. She was wearing a dress that was far too nice for a high school reunion, but it was a style she had always worn and it suited her perfectly.
“Dawson!” she squealed, and before he could say anything, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. “Weird to be back here, right?”
Dawson smiled and returned the hug, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over him.
“You look great.”
“Thanks,” she said, blushing a little. “So do you.”
They walked together to the crowded lobby, his eyes lingering on the people he had known in high school. Some of them changed dramatically, while others were exactly the same. He felt a strange mix of emotions as he looked around, remembering the good times and the bad. He had been both bullied and stuffed into lockers by the football team.
As the hallways filled up, Dawson felt himself getting more and more nervous. It was finally here. He knew he had to make a good impression if he wanted to prove everyone wrong, and he was determined to show them that he was the man he had become.
