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Stopping on the porch Luke pointed at it. “How did that get there?”
Declan raised his hand. “Oh, that would be my guys, they jimmied the lock and bypassed the ignition. No big deal. Just get in and drive it.”
“It’s not my car!” Luke yelled, looking at him.
“Oh.” Declan wiped a hand down his face. “Well, that money you were going to pay to free Brit with. Use it to fix it.” He looked around and frowned. “Can I hitch a ride with you guys, I seem to be stranded.”
“Shotgun!” Brit yelled as she raced to the car. She turned to find both men standing on the porch ducking. “What are you two doing?”
Declan came down the steps and said, “I don’t know what he’s doing but in my line of work when someone yells shotgun you kiss the ground.”
“Me?” Luke said, strolling to the driver’s door. “I’ve been around you too long my friend, too long.”
For the first time since her ordeal with her family had started so long ago, Brit finally felt free.
––––––––
IT WAS CHRISTMAS EVEand Brit was leaning over the vanity applying her makeup for the night’s festivities, standing in her bra and underwear. As a token of all their hard work they had done in the weeks leading up to the big night, Kim and Dean had told Jasmine and her each to pick out their choice of room to stay in throughout the holiday season. Jasmine had picked the room right beside Brit’s choice of the Honeymoon Suite. She was regretting it of course. The memories that she and Luke had shared within the walls of the room haunted her the second she had walked in, and she missed him.
Since the second he brought her back from the emu farm, Luke had kept his distance from her. The only time he paid attention was to scowl at her whenever he cast his glance her way. At first, she thought it was to give her space and time to think, but after the second week of being treated as if she was a distant friend, she knew that wasn’t the case. She had fallen in love with a man that had only wanted a side fling, it seemed.
Sighing, she stood straight and looked at herself in the mirror, as she pulled her hair up into a messy bun, and desperately tried to capture the soft tendrils that escaped it. Finally, she gave up and decided it was good enough. Jasmine had offered to French braid her hair, but Brit declined, she just wasn’t in the mood for a party, especially one that was going to be as grand as the ball.
With one last look, she flicked the light off and went into the bedroom area. The dress that Abbi had gifted her laid across the foot of the bed waiting for her. Wearing it tonight was going to be the only highlight of her night, she was sure. Picking it up, she stepped into the gown pulling it up to settle on her shoulders.
She was unsuccessfully zipping it up when a knock sounded on the door, “Come in!” she called knowing it would be Jasmine. With Destiny’s approval, Brit had given the teenager the dress that Destiny had bought for her.
“Oh, my goodness you look gorgeous!” Jasmine exclaimed, the second she walked into the room.
“Thanks,” Brit mumbled. “I won’t be looking so gorgeous if I don’t get this zipper up.”
“Here let me.” Jasmine came over to the bed and set two masks on the mattress.
“Where did you get those?” Brit asked, looking at the feathered masks, one that matched her dress perfectly right down to the dazzling beads.
Jasmine pulled the edges of the dress together and quickly zipped it up. “I made them, one for the both of us.”
“Well thank you!” Brit pulled the teen into her arms, giving her a tight squeeze, she said, “That was sweet of you. That dress looks gorgeous on you by the way.”
“You think so?” Jasmine asked, looking down at it.
“Absolutely.”
“Maybe Luke will dance with me,” she gushed. But when she saw the look on Brit’s face, she hurried to apologize. “I’m so sorry Brit!”
“Pfft.” Brit waved a dismissive hand. “It’s no big deal.” Oh, but it was a big deal she thought as soon as she felt the sting of tears hit the back of her throat. Blinking her eyes for fear of ruining her makeup she snatched up the masks.
“Come on.” She hooked her arm through Jasmine’s, handed her a mask and said, “Let’s not be fashionably late, alright?”
––––––––
LUKE WAS STANDING BYthe fireplace, a good place as any he figured, waiting for Brit to walk in the room, when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Kim looked at him. “What are you hanging out by the fireplace for?” She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the middle of the room.
“Hit the music she yelled!”
More people joined them on the makeshift dance floor as the sounds of Jingle Bell Rock started playing on the sound system.
And that’s how Brit saw him as she walked into the room. She wasn’t there for more than a minute and Mack in his Santa suit was tugging her to the dance floor to cut a rug, as he claimed.
