I snuck back home early this morning, and it was a good thing that I did, because in what seemed like five minutes—but was really a couple of hours—later, my little sisters come barreling in my room.
“Dani, Dani!” Weston yells. “Pancakes!”
Easton crawls up into bed with me while I hear Weston screaming down the hall.
“Day-Day! Pancakes!”
“I sleepy,” Easton says to me.
“I feel ya, girl,” I say to her, pulling her under the blankets with me.
She puts her thumb in her mouth and closes her eyes.
But sleep is not to be had.
“No sleep!” Weston screams when she comes back into my room. She gets on the bed and starts jumping. “No sleep! No sleep! Mama makes pancakes because Dani home from college! We eat! We eat pancakes. With smiley faces! And blueberries!”
I squint my eyes open. “Maybe you should lie down with Easton and me. You look tired,” I say, hoping I can convince her while at the same time knowing it will do no good. Once she puts her mind to something, there’s no changing it.
Damon walks down the hall. His hair is sticking up, he’s shirtless, and he doesn’t look too thrilled about being up either, but he sees the girls on my bed, gets a naughty gleam in his eyes, and takes off running toward us.
“Better watch out!” I tell Weston, who screeches with delight when Damon flies onto the bed and gently tackles and then tickles her.
“What’s all this noise about?” he asks as Weston giggles.
Easton peeks her head up and says, “I tired.”
“We’re all tired,” Damon says, ruffling her hair. “But I bet you’re hungry.”
She nods her head in agreement.
Damon then says, “Westie, do you know what’s for breakfast?”
She gives him a playful swat and says, “You’re silly. I just told you.”
“I was asleep,” he says.
She rolls her eyes and starts screaming again, “Pancakes! Bacon! And blueberries!”
“What if I’m not hungry?” he asks, snatching her off the bed and carrying her upside down.
“Ahh!” she yells. “You’re always hungry.”
He looks at me and grins. “Guess it’s time to go eat.”
“So, you’re going in the limo with everyone?” Jennifer asks me at breakfast.
“Uh, how did you know that?”
“Everyone knows that.”
“Well, maybe. Chase asked if I wanted to go, and it sounds like fun, but I wanted to ask Damon and Haley if they were cool with it.”
“Of course we’re cool with it,” Damon says, shoving another bite of pancakes dripping with maple syrup in his mouth. “It will be fun.”
“I just don’t want anyone to think it’s, like, a date, you know. Chase feels bad for Lacey getting the chicken pox.”
“Yeah, that sucks,” Damon says. “But Chase was trying to back out, and if you go, he’ll go. And he needs to go. It’s our senior year! The limo is half the fun.”
“I told him that. Plus, I know Haley is so excited. What do you think about her and Pace together?”
“It’s pretty new. But I fully approve because Pace knows Chase and I will kick his ass if he messes with her.”
“Haley was impressed that he asked you both if you were okay with him asking her to Homecoming.”
“That was pretty cool. I thought it was a little odd that he had developed a sudden interest in the girls’ volleyball team and always wanted to hang out at Chase’s house. Our little Hay Girl is growing up, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, she is,” Jennifer says as she reaches down to sneak a piece of pancake to Angel. Although it’s probably not necessary. She’s smart enough to sit under the high chair, where there tends to be plenty of scraps flying around. Not to mention, it delights Easton when Angel sits and wags her tail, causing her to toss her pieces on purpose. “I got to go dress shopping with her and Jadyn, and although she always looks cute and fashionable, with full hair and makeup, she’s going to look much older.”
“And of course, she is probably thrilled about that.” I laugh. “I always wanted to look older and more sophisticated when I was her age.”
“So did I,” Jennifer says, shaking her head and laughing. “Now, I wish I could look younger!”
Her phone rings, and she jumps up and screeches. “Oh my gosh! They’re here! My babies are finally here!”
“Who’s here?” I ask as she runs out the door.
Damon drops his fork and follows her. “Her cars!”
“Well, I guess it’s official,” I say, seeing Jennifer’s exotic cars all lined up with some form of Diamond personalized plates on the back. “You’re a Diamond.”
“And almost all my babies are here with me.”
Jennifer has kept the name Jennifer Edwards since she and Dad got married, but now with two kids, she’s changing it to Diamond. She hasn’t decided if she will for her acting career, but it doesn’t matter that much right now. When she was pregnant with Easton, she stopped taking on new roles and took a hiatus from work.
“Good timing, too,” Jennifer says. “I think I might be pregnant again.”
Dad’s eyes get huge. “Are you serious? Is that why you’ve been so tired?”
She grins and nods. “I’m a little late, so we’ll have to see.”
“That’s more exciting than the cars,” Dad says to her. He’s got Easton on his hip while holding Weston’s hand.
Damon is moving around the cars. We’ve seen them before out in LA, but I know he’s dying to drive them all.
“I think I’m going to drive a different one for each day of the week,” Damon says to me. “Let’s see. Maserati Monday, Ferrari Friday—no, that won’t work. Maybe we go alphabetically. Bentley Monday. No, that sounds dumb. McLaren Monday, Bentley Tuesday—no, shoot, it’s too hard to decide. Maybe Sunday could be like a free day.”
“You could drive Chase’s truck,” I tease.
“Speaking of Chase,” Chase says, sneaking up behind us, wrapping his arms around my waist, and pulling my back against his chest. He leans down and kisses the side of my neck. And it surprises me, especially considering Jennifer and my dad are out here. “Haley just left to go to the spa with some of her friends, said to tell you she wished you could go but there were no more appointments.”
“That’s okay. I got a pedicure earlier this week and can paint my own nails.”
Damon is now sitting in one of the cars while Jennifer stands next to the door, spouting off a million facts about it.
“Why don’t I come up to your room and watch you get ready?” he suggests. “Or you can get ready in mine?”
I end up back in Chase’s room, lying across his bed while he shows me the suit he’s going to wear tonight.
“Is it hard to believe that just a year ago, you were getting crowned queen?” Chase asks me.
“You didn’t watch,” I say sadly, remembering how he was going to escort me after my date ditched me.
“I couldn’t,” he says quickly, hurt flashing across his face. “I knew you won and all. Homecoming is a tough time for me, honestly.”
“Me, too. I don’t have a very good track record.”
Chase smiles. “You’re right; you don’t. Last year, that Baker guy ditched you. Junior year, Hunter asked you but then got back together with Taylor. Sophomore year, you went with a group of girls, your limo broke down, and you were stuck on the freeway for, like, two hours, waiting for a tow truck. Maybe we shouldn’t have asked you to come with us.”
“I did have one good year. Freshman.”
“You were supposed to go with Dalton.”
He hangs his suit back up and then sits on the bed next to me. I lay my head in his lap and stare up at him.
“You told me you’d take me to the Eiffel Tower. Hard to compete with that,” I say as he gently strokes my hair back off my face.
“And instead, you ended up with fried chicken in the garage. The decor was a little cringeworthy. I was lame.”
I shake my head and say seriously, “No, Chase, there was nothing lame about it. What you did for me was incredibly sweet. You made me feel special. Like a princess. It’s not about the decor; it’s about what we shared.”
“I guess it was your first time, wasn’t it?” He winks at me, teasing.
“For fried chicken and champagne, yes. Someday, maybe we—”
“Could do it again?” he says, finishing my sentence.
“Yeah, although I guess the whole point is that it’s to celebrate something special.”
“And we haven’t had a moment like that since …” He stops and looks up at the ceiling, trying to remember.
“That summer,” I say softly.
I figured he’d look upset when I said it, but he doesn’t.
He bends down and kisses my forehead. “It’s been too long. We need to change that.”
I smile up at him. “Yeah, we do.”
So many memories.
Chase
When Haley got home from her spa appointment, Dani went to get ready with her. And I started making plans. While I want Dani to come in the limo with us, it feels awkward or weird maybe to have the exact same plan, just inserting a different girl into it.
Because Dani isn’t just some girl.
I think about what we talked about earlier. About how other than winning queen last year, none of her homecomings ever really worked out the way she’d hoped.
This year, I want to make it special.
My plans with Lacey were to go in the limo, take photos around the Plaza, have a nice dinner, and then go to the dance.
I go over to my desk, find the folder that has all the photos in it from the birthday confetti toss, and sift through them to find the one I’m looking for.
I think about the pretend homecoming in our garage.
And I know I’m going to need some help.
I run downstairs and call out, “Hey, Mom!”
I’m dressed in a suit and ready to go when Damon, Pace, and the other guys going with us—Jax, Luis, and Reed—arrive.
Pace glances at his watch. “So, the girls are supposed to be here at four?”
“You know they will all be late,” Damon says. “Jennifer said to plan on pictures at around four thirty.”
“It’s crazy what girls do to get ready for these things,” Jax says. He’s a big guy of Samoan descent, who I am fortunate to have guarding my blind side when I’m on the field. “I woke up late, worked out, got a haircut, and talked to my uncle about my tattoo. I’m ready to get it now, but my mom says I have to wait until I turn eighteen in January.”
“Did you finally decide on a design?” Pace asks with a grin.
It’s a running joke that Jax will never get a tattoo because he can’t make a decision to save his life. Pace, on the other hand, already has three of them.
“Yep. This is the one,” Jax says.
He pulls out his phone and shows us a really cool Polynesian design. He’s been showing us the one for about two years now—of which none have been the same. I can see why his mom wants him to wait.
And that’s when it hits me. I like our One Eleven logo, but I have always felt it is a little too simple. That it is missing something. And now I know exactly what it needs—angel wings wrapped around the current logo. After Homecoming, I’ll have Haley draw something up. But for now, I need to focus on the present.
“So, wanted to update you guys,” I say. “You all know Lacey is sick, so I invited Dani to come with us. She has to be at the dance to crown this year’s king. But we’re going to do things a little differently than planned.”
I tell them the rest of it and get their agreement and understanding.
“And I’ve got a backpack with a vodka-filled water bottle,” Damon says.
“Just don’t get my sister drunk,” I tell him.
He rolls his eyes at me. “He’s been my best friend my entire life, and he still doubts me. Trust me, no one is going to do anything that might get us kicked off the team. In fact, if you prefer we have a few shots now and leave it here, I’m cool with that.”
“Honestly, that’s probably smart,” Luis, our team kicker, says. “The last thing any of us wants to have to deal with is a drunk date.”
“Word,” Reed, our cornerback, says in agreement.
“Let’s go wait in the basement. Watch a game or something,” Damon suggests with a grin.
I look at my backpack sitting by the door and know there’s something in it that could get me into trouble, but tonight, for once, I’m willing to take the risk.
I’m going through a mental checklist, making sure I’ve thought of everything before following the guys, when Dani practically floats down the staircase, taking my breath away.
She’s in a creamy-colored gown that has spaghetti straps, highlighting tan shoulders. Her long waves are tousled like she could have been outside, riding bikes in the breeze with me just a few seconds before. I stare in wonder, so many memories of growing up with her by my side flashing through my brain.
She notices me and goes, “Chase, you scared me. I didn’t see you sitting there. Where is everyone?”
“The guys are all here. Just went downstairs.”
“Why aren’t you with them?”
I shake my head and smile. “I was making sure I had everything ready for tonight. But I think I was meant to be here. To see you walk down those stairs. Just now. You look stunning.”
She continues walking in my direction. “Stand up,” she says. “What are you wearing?”
“Well, I changed things up a little.”
“Why? I liked your suit.”
“The navy suit and paisley tie matched Lacey’s pink dress,” I admit.
“Ah, good point. So, you decided to go with just a black T-shirt instead?” Her hand slides across my forearm and then up to my bicep. “I love you in black.”
“I hardly ever wear it.”
“I know. And it practically devastates my heart every time you do.”
“Really?”
“Yep. And I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen you in it. Once was when we were young and you wore black for Halloween.”
“I was a vampire.”
“And that summer, when we went to dinner, you wore all black—tee, shorts, and loafers. Then again on the golf course for your birthday. That’s it.”
“I guess I need to add more of it to my wardrobe, huh?”
“You do. Although, that day I brought you the cupcake, you were in nothing but a pair of white linen shorts. Those’ll do, too.”
I lean down and give her a kiss. “Just so you know,” I say, grabbing my suit jacket and pulling it on, “I’m still wearing a suit, but it’s black, and I thought maybe the tee would be okay. I wore a look like this in a shoot I did, so I thought—”
“You’d look incredibly hot?” she says with a grin.
“I was thinking, dressed appropriately, but that will do, too,” I say, repeating her earlier words.
A few more kisses later, the doorbell rings, and all hell breaks loose.
Okay, not actually hell, but we’ve got six couples and, due to remarriages, fifteen sets of parents, some of who brought their other kids.
Fortunately, Jennifer and my mom took charge by hiring a professional photographer, so only one person is taking pictures, but still, all the parents are standing behind her, trying to get early proof of this rite of passage.
We’re lined up in groups and individually in three locations—on the dock overlooking the lake, which someone installed a balloon arch on in our school colors; in the lawn in front of a tall bed of flowers; and standing up on the deck.
Thirty minutes later, the limo arrives, allowing us to finally get on our way.
As we’re walking to the limo, I stop my sister.
“You changed,” she says, finally having a chance to look at me.
“Yeah, I changed a lot about tonight, too. Pace can fill you in, but that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Is there drama?” she asks, her face brightening at the thought.
“No. I just wanted to tell you how nice you look, Hay. My little sister is all grown-up. Your dress is pretty, and I don’t know how long it took to get your hair in those braids and then twisted back into the bun thing, but it’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”
She launches herself into my arms. “Chase, you’re going to make me cry.”
“Don’t do that. We wouldn’t want the fake lashes falling half off. You’d look like you had a spider crawling up your face.”
She scrunches up her nose, punches my arm, and then laughs.
“You’re doing something special for Dani, aren’t you?”
“I didn’t want it just to be what I planned with Lacey, you know?”
“Yeah, and I think that’s a good thing. I love you.”
“I love you, too, sis. Have fun tonight. But, like, not too much fun.”
Back in time.
Devaney
We take a lot of pictures, and by the time we’re done, I feel like I never want to smile again.
But when the limo arrives and we all load up, Chase pulls me onto his lap and kisses me.
And I wonder if it’s weird for his friends. Especially Jax’s date, who, like Haley, is on the cheer squad and friends with Lacey.
But no one seems to think anything of it. They act like it’s normal for me to sit on Chase Mackenzie’s lap and kiss him. That it’s normal for us to be together.
And I guess, in a way, it is.
Everyone, except for Pace, has played sports with Chase and my brother for years. They were friends in grade school. And back then, we were inseparable.
And really, at this point, I don’t care. I don’t care that I’m basically filling in for Lacey. Although I am glad Chase decided to wear something different, especially after learning she picked the other suit out.
We listen to the music loud, dance around, crack jokes, and have a lot of fun on the ride.
When we arrive at our destination, we get dropped off near a fountain, so we can take more pictures. These are much more fun though. Lots of selfies, kissing, and the kind of goofing around no one did in front of our families.
When it’s time to walk over to the restaurant, Chase takes my hand. “So, I hope it’s okay, but we aren’t joining them for dinner.”
“Why not?”
He hands me a stack of photos. “Well, first, I want to re-create these. They were in the hundred and eighty from my birthday.”
I look at the photos of Chase and me at various ages in front of the fountains here at the Plaza.
“Want to know why my mom was obsessed with taking pics of us down here?”
“Yeah.”
He pulls two other photos out of his coat pocket. Both are of his parents. One when they were probably in middle school and the other from their wedding day, re-creating the same pose.
“You know, everyone says you look like your mom, even me, but you look a lot like your dad in this picture, Chase,” I say, pointing to the wedding one. “Exact same body type, broad shoulders, lean torso. Same face shape. Same goofy grin when he was teasing her, like you do me.”
“My mom said she told him if he didn’t stop making bunny ears behind her, she was going to push him in the fountain.”
“I can picture her doing that,” I say with a laugh.
“But she didn’t,” Chase counters.
“And he put bunny ears on her while she was in her wedding dress. Are you telling me you’re going to do that to me?”
“Basically. My parents will get a kick out of it.”
We spend a little time taking a few more photos, and then he leads me back to the limo, which just pulled into a parking spot near where we were.
“Are we going somewhere else?” I ask him, wondering what he has planned and where we might be going.
“You could say that,” he says with a smirk. “Like back in time.”
And when he opens the door and I step in, I’m shocked.
So shocked and happy that tears instantly burst from my eyes.
The inside of the party limo has been decorated with streamers and signs. A little table is set under the disco ball in the middle of the limo, a bucket of fried chicken sitting on top of it.
I launch myself into his arms, crying.
“Please tell me those are happy tears,” he says.
“I can’t believe you did this for me again.” I look into his eyes. “Why did you do this?” I ask, but all I’m thinking is that I’m pretty sure I just fell completely in love with him all over again.
“Because we have something to celebrate. A do-over—sort of. We are finally going to a dance together.”
He kisses me and then moves to pull out the chair for me. I smile and take a seat.
“I was just going to say, it’s too bad there’s no bubbly, but I just noticed this bucket of ice on the floor next to the table with a bottle in it.” I lean down and read the label, laughing. “Sparkling apple juice, just like back then.”
“Let’s have some before we eat,” Chase says.
I notice that the bottle has already been opened, and there’s a special lid on it to keep the bubbles in. “Why is it open already?”
He doesn’t say anything, just grins, pours us each a glass, and then raises his plastic flute into the air.
I do the same.
“To second chances,” he says.
“I will definitely drink to that even if it is only apple—” I take a sip. Stop. Look over at him.
He winks at me, puts his index finger up to his lips, and goes, “Shh.”
Now, I realize why the bottle was open. He replaced the sparkling cider with real champagne. I take another drink, letting the bubbles tickle my nose. I’m not much of a drinker, especially compared to a lot of the girls at school, who get so drunk at parties and then are hungover the next day. After chatting with a few, I realized that most of the repeat offenders had super-strict rules regarding alcohol in high school, and now that they have no parental supervision, they are just on one long binge. We were allowed to have a beer or a glass of wine at home. So, I guess it doesn’t have the same appeal to me. A cheer party when I was a freshman in high school was the only time I’ve ever gotten sick from drinking. And honestly, that was one time too many. At the lake on vacation, I did drink a little too much wine and was definitely tipsy, but still.
After a few sips, Chase refills our little plastic flutes. While he does that, I take his plate and pile it high with chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn, adding some coleslaw on the side.
“Same for you?” he asks me.
“Hmm. Definitely same assortment. Possibly a slightly smaller portion.”
We eat our chicken, surrounded by the homemade decor, and then clear the table of our dirty plates.
“Should we get rid of what we didn’t eat?” I ask him.
“Heck no. Ten bucks says, everyone will come back and chow down on it.”
“But they are having dinner.”
“A fancy dinner. Lots of perfectly prepared and delicious food but tiny portions.”
“True,” I say, but then I forget all about it when he pulls me onto his lap.
We kiss until everyone gets back to the limo.
I’m in heaven at the dance, flitting around and talking to everyone, telling them how amazing college is, and dancing with Chase. The dancing with Chase is the best part of all because I feel like I’ve been redeemed in a way. That I’m finally here with the right person. The cheerleader and the quarterback, who just happens to be my hot best friend. Seriously, I feel like I could write an entire book about this very moment. The music, the way Chase holds me, the fun we have line-dancing to some of our favorite country songs, jumping up and down and grinding during the electronic ones, and slow dancing to others. It’s exhilarating. And it doesn’t hurt that when we walked in, Chase told me I had to put on my crown. Which, technically, I am supposed to wear—at least until the next queen is announced later tonight.
And when Chase twirls me around, my dress flaring out and a crown on my head, I literally have a fairy-tale moment.
With the boy I love.
I never want this night to end.
And I’m not going to let it. I’m going to spend every second of it in his arms—until I have to go back to school.
At nine thirty, as planned, we make our way backstage. The senior court members, including my brother and Chase, are directed to one side, while the underclassmen and I are sent to the other.
The night has been amazing, and I feel like I’m living in a dream.
A school administrator gives us a quick rundown of what will happen next—which is not super complicated. When they call your name, you go onstage.
She sets the new king and queen crowns on a little table next to me. “You may have to crown both,” she tells me. “Last year’s king couldn’t come, and it looks like our backup hasn’t shown.”
She scurries away, envelopes in hand, and makes her way up onto the stage, where she starts announcing the Homecoming Court by grade, starting with the freshman.
“Lookin’ good, Dani Diamond,” a voice says from behind me.
I turn around to find Hunter Lansford giving me a wolfish grin.
“What are you doing here?”
“I guess Douglas couldn’t make it. They asked me to step in. I thought it was kind of lame, but now, I’m glad I did.”
“Great,” I mutter.
Hunter gives me the chin raise. “So, you’re a college girl now. You dating anyone?”
“I’m here with Chase.”
“Mackenzie?” He laughs. “He still have a boner for you? Although I know you’re lying. I was at the game when he asked Lacey. It was Senior Night, and my sister is on the dance team. Don’t worry, Dani.” He suggestively slides his hand across my shoulder. “I can pretend to be your date if you need one.”
“Don’t touch me,” I say, quickly moving away from him.
“Why is it one of the prettiest girls in town never has a date for the ball? Want me to be your prince? Find your shoe? Of course, I’d want some kind of a special reward to give it back.”
The sophomores are being called up now.
“I’m here with Chase. And I literally have no idea what I ever saw in you.”
He throws his arm around my shoulders and leans in close to my face. “Shall I kiss you and remind you?”
“I said, don’t touch me.” I forcefully remove his hand from my shoulder. “And if you do it again, I’ll be the one punching you in the face this time. Are we clear?”
He shrugs. “You must not be getting any in college. Or from Mackenzie. Probably because you’re a bitch.”
I react by kneeing him in the crotch.
“Ugh,” he says, buckling and falling to the floor dramatically.
The junior girls behind me start clapping.
And I can’t help but smile.
I’m thinking about how I stood here last year. Worried about not having an escort. A tradition that they have stopped, thankfully.
I remember freaking out about it—how it would look if I didn’t have a date. How I begged Chase to walk me out onstage. How even though he thought I should have the confidence to walk out there myself, he showed up.
“Because I’m your brother’s best friend,” he said, “I’m giving you the option. Walk out by yourself or on my arm.”
“In other words, what’s it gonna be—the shame of being alone or the shame of being with a younger guy?”
“Wow. Okay. So, helpful hint—neither one is supposed to be shameful. You still don’t get it,” he said, “and maybe you never will.”
My name is called. I grab both crowns, leave Hunter—who is still whimpering—in the dust, and walk proudly out onto the stage by myself.
I take my place next to the junior court as Pace is announced as the first king nominee, followed by my brother, and then Chase. They line up opposite me as the senior girls are announced.
I look over at Chase, who smiles and then winks at me, causing me to melt.
“And this year’s Homecoming King is … Damon Diamond!”
I take the crown and happily walk across the stage, put it on my brother’s head, and give him a big hug. Damon’s beaming, and I’m so happy for him.
“And this year’s Homecoming Queen is … Lacey Turnbull.”
Hunter, who has made it up onto the stage, snatches the queen’s tiara out of my hands, but once he realizes Lacey isn’t here, he looks dumbfounded about what he should do. Chase takes a step forward and meets Hunter in the middle of the stage. Hunter narrows his eyes at Chase in what appears to be some kind of testosterone-filled challenge.
But Chase simply takes the crown from him, and then he goes to the mic and says, “Lacey is home sick with the chicken pox, but I know she will be thrilled to be your queen. I’ll see to it that she gets this.”
Hunter snickers at me.
But I don’t really care what he thinks.
Love worth fighting for.
Chase
“Hey,” I say, joining Dani back at our table once all of the festivities are over.
“Hey,” she says breathlessly as I take her into my arms.
I know she’s been happy tonight, high almost. In her element. And I’ve been right there with her, feeling like I’ve been given a long-overdue gift. That we finally got to this point.
But I feel a little guilty. Because even though this was my dream—to be at Homecoming with Dani and dance with her all night—she’s already had her year as queen.
And this should have been Lacey’s year.
“Let’s get a few more dances in,” Dani says, “before Damon wants to go party.”
“I can’t,” I say.
“Why not?”
I hold up the crown. “I need to take this to Lacey.”
“It was really nice you accepted it for her, Chase. But you aren’t saying that you want to take it to her now, like tonight, are you?”
“Yeah, I am. This was supposed to be her moment. I should be out there, dancing with her right now. I’m sure you can understand since you’ve been there already. Since you got to feel that way last year.”
“Are you serious?” she asks incredulously. “There’s no reason you can’t take it to her tomorrow.”
“It needs to be tonight. And it won’t take long.”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me,” she says, which causes me to flinch.
What she should have done was offered to go with me or said she’d be here when I got back.
“Dani, as much as I have dreamed of you being my date for every single homecoming, you ended up saying yes to Hunter. You could have apologized. You could have asked me. But you didn’t. And you’re not my date tonight either. Tonight, we’re just two people tossed together by circumstances beyond our control.”
“But you got me chicken and champagne.”
“Yeah, because I felt like I was being given a second chance. But standing up there, I realized that if we’re ever going to be together as more than friends, it shouldn’t be due to circumstance. It shouldn’t be because I happen to be there. And it shouldn’t be because it’s the path of least resistance. I want the kind of love worth fighting for, Dani, and I wish with all my heart that this were us for real. But I have to stop wishing my life away. I’m cool with the whole friends thing. I’m even cool with the whole friends-with-benefits thing, But if you ever want to be more than a broken promise, you’re going to have to let me know. In the meantime, I’m sorry, but I’ve gotta go.”
I leave the dance, wondering what I just did.
If I ruined my chance of ever getting what I want. Of being with her fully.
I don’t know what the answer is, but I am compelled to do what’s right.
Our limo driver is out front, and I know Damon isn’t planning to leave for another half hour or so. He wants to fully enjoy his reign as king before going to the after-parties.
So, I hop in the limo, get driven to Lacey’s house, and then send the driver back to the dance.
I can walk home from here.
I know I can’t risk getting chicken pox, so I carefully place her crown, sash, and bouquet of roses in front of her door, and then I step out into her yard and call her.
“Chase,” she says when she answers.
“I’m out front. Can you come to the door?”
“Uh, I look horrible.”
“You’re the queen, Lacey. Come put on your crown.”
“My friends videoed my name being called. Thanks for accepting it for me. I’m really surprised you are bringing it to me tonight since you were there with Dani and all.”
“You were my date,” I say as she opens the door, wearing a pair of flannel pajamas.
She sets her phone down, and I hang up. Her mom joins her, putting the sash over her head, adding the crown, and then giving her the roses.
Even from out in the yard, I can see that she’s crying.
“I know we can’t dance together,” I say to her, “but there’s no reason we can’t dance together—separately.”
I play a song on my phone, turning the music up loud.
I bow to her from the front yard and then pretend to put one arm around her waist and the other up for a waltz.
“You’re crazy,” she says, but she mimics me, coming out onto her porch and slowly swaying with me to the music. Her eyes are closed, but there’s a smile across her face.
And I know that I did the right thing.
When the song ends, Lacey opens her eyes and looks across the lawn at me. “Thank you for doing this, Chase. It means a lot to me.”
“Get well soon,” I tell her. “You know I need you out there on the sidelines, cheering for me.”
She laughs. “Don’t think I didn’t see a video of the play. You do just fine without me, Chase. Always.”
I walk home, go up to my room, take off my shiny shoes and suit, change into some sweats, and then go out back and sit on the dock.
I end up lying back and staring up at the stars, remembering the night in the Ozarks when Dani and I laid in the back of a pickup and did the same. She made some comment about me flirting with girls at the resort. Which I had—in an attempt to make her jealous.
“I’m not going to beg, Dani. A guy can only take so much of having his heart stomped on before he just gives up.”
She whipped her head in my direction and sucked in a breath. “I’ve stomped on your heart?”
“Maybe you are like my mom. Everyone said she was clueless, too.”
“But she told me she wasn’t! She told me how they used to stare up at the stars and think about how infinitely big the universe was and how small they felt in comparison. She said that’s why it took them so long to get together. Because she felt small in comparison to how big their love felt.”
“Is that how you feel?” I asked her, desperate to know the answer. Any answer that would give me hope that someday—
“I understand why she felt that way. When you’re young, like our age, it does feel that way, you know,” she said, sounding confused.
And maybe she was.
“And I completely disagree. Sitting here with you, under the stars, makes me feel like anything and everything is possible.”
And then she kissed me.
Tonight felt like that kind of night. The kind of night when I could envision our future.
Until I decided to take Lacey her crown.
Was I wrong to do that?
The dock sways, and I open my eyes, surprised to see Dani coming toward me. She’s still in her dress, like she just got home.
“Funny you’re out here,” she says.
“Why’s that?”
“On the drive home, I was thinking about the Ozarks. About the stars. I wanted to come out here to look at them. Remember what it felt like to fall in love with you.”
“Are you mad at me?” I ask as she sits down next to me.
“I felt like that tonight,” she says, not answering my question. “Like I was falling in love with you again. It sounds weird. Because I love you. I’ve always loved you. As my friend, my confidant, but it’s much deeper than just best-friend love, Chase. It always has been. And I just—”
I know what she’s about to say. And I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to rock the boat—or in this case, the dock.
“I get it, Dani. You’re in college. I’m here. Someday, the timing will be right for us.”
She pulls her knees up to her chest, wraps her arms around her legs, like she’s hugging them, and rests her chin on her knees. “Do you really think so?”
“I know so.”
“I know so, too,” she says. “Thank you for tonight. I know I got a little pissy when you left, but taking Lacey her crown and stuff was sweet of you.” She lets out a little chuckle. “Do I need to worry about getting the chicken pox, sitting by you?”
“No. I put the stuff outside her door but then stood out in the lawn.”
She reaches out and wraps her fingers around my hand and lies flat on her back. “Can we just lie here together and stare up at the stars?”
“Of course we can,” I tell her, quickly lying back.
“Good, because someone once told me that doing this makes them feel like anything and everything is possible.”
I turn my head toward her. She moves closer to me, her lips as close as they can be without touching mine.
I reach up and gently stroke her face as I say, “Someday, it will be forever, Dani, but we don’t have to start forever today.”
