Page 18 of Dear Future Husband

Trey’s emerald gaze intensified as he locked eyes with me. “You look incredible tonight, May.”

I hadn’t yet put on my navy-blue cap and gown; they were folded up in my arms with my silver handbag. A mistake I was now internally ridiculing myself for. I was struggling not to wrinkle the fabric I had locked up in my hold with anxiety and regret that I left myself so exposed to him.

I was in a forget-me-not blue, spaghetti strap dress, with a body-hugging skirt that halted just above the knees. My mom had bought it for me, hoping I would wear it to a school dance. Seeing as I didn’t attend any dances, I felt the dress deserved to see the light of day for at least one special occasion.

“Thank you,” I uttered and smiled lamely as I checked to see Liam’s reaction to his best friend’s obvious flirting. But he already moved on, talking to a group of senior girls I instantly recognized as part of the girls’ basketball team. Realizing I was now utterly alone to face the boy that turned me into a bumbling idiot, I very slowly turned my attention back to Trey.

I did realize one thing after our fateful conversation from earlier this morning.

I liked when Trey looked at me—saw me.

It was scary thinking I might risk him seeing too much. Absolutely terrifying thinking I might reveal too many of the collected shards that made up the shattered bits of my damaged being. But I couldn’t quite care at the moment. My chaotic thoughts and heart were in an orbit that revolved around Trey’s all-seeing green eyes. And the feelings they fluttered to life in my usually numbspirit.

Instead of running, instead of shying away from his exhilarating words and piercing focus, I forced myself to speak. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

Trey’s dimples framed the wide grin he so graciously gifted me. “You’re coming tonight, right? You’re not staying home to read your books?” he asked, taking a step closer and my heart threatened to quit on me.

“Well, I can’t miss karaoke, now, can I?” I teased, my confidence and voice wavering.

Trey’s head tilted back with a laugh. “Nope, you really can’t. The world needs to be blessed with a talent like yours.”

Gosh, I was doing it. I was conversing and not entirely failing. Still feeling a tad unsure of myself, I bit the inside of my cheek, suppressing a scoff at Trey’s comment. I let my eyes wander to find Liam readying for a group picture with the same team of girls from before.

“I won’t hold you hostage in the corner. You better get over there or you’ll miss out on the picture.” I waved a hand to where my brother was now drawing up a larger crowd of students for a group photo.

Trey didn’t follow my gesture. He stared at me, unperturbed, before reaching out and grasping one of my stray curls. His hand briefly brushed the exposed skin of my shoulder as he wound the golden tuft around his finger.

“You’re never allowed to wear your hair up ever again,” he said, just for me to hear.

My brows knitted together. “What—why?”

He shook his head and gently tugged on the curl intertwined with his fingers. The action made me rid us of more of the distance. I was nearly touching him now, with only my arms full of my cap, gown and small purse keeping the space.

What was he doing?

I barely existed to him before this week, so why washe talking to me like this, looking at me like that, touching me? This had to be a game, a joke, maybe even a dare.

Had he found out I’d never been kissed? Did he like the challenge in that?

There had to be an ulterior motive because Trey Turner couldn’t look at me, a ghost, like this and mean it. With that heart-breaking thought, I was eager to run, hide, crawl behind my safe, and usually impenetrable walls.

I didn’t give him the chance to explain. Pitifully, I reached up and retrieved my curl from his fingers. “I better go help set up.”

His brows furrowed at the excuse, and he moved like he would object or even pull me back. But Liam was a perfectly timed interruption.

“You ready to go help with the rest of setup, May? I think they want to start soon.”

I nodded, returning the much-needed distance between me and Trey. I didn’t turn back when Liam asked Trey, “You coming? I bet there isn’t much left to put up.”

Pause.

There was a pause, and it was enough to tempt me to sneak one peek back over my shoulder to see Trey’s eyes were glued to me. Again, those green eyes saw too much. I had no doubt those eyes saw the puny shreds of my soul I so cautiously stuffed behind the walls of my stoned, beaten heart.

Then why look at me like that, like there was something other than a wretched apparition of a girl festering beneath my skin?

“Nah, you guys go ahead. I’ll catch up with you after the ceremony.” He returned to his spot, slouched against the wall. And I walked away feeling like his stare was tunnelling through my not so stable, self-erected walls.

Liam and I helped with the rest of the setup, not that there was much else to do like he had predicted.Afterwards, we found our positions and within the hour, the ceremony commenced.