Page 203 of For the Fans

But I guess Kyran doesn’t care all that much about hisbig night…

Because he just texted me to meet him alone.

Waiting until the coast is clear, I stealthily creep back into the building through the entrance by the locker rooms. I follow the long hall, peeking into rooms here and there to see if I can find Kyran. I figured he might be in the locker room, where we kissed that time while I was in my Baldwin suit… But he’s not there. Still, the memory brings a flutter to my belly, remembering how much he used to push me away, and how much I’m fucking pleading with any force that will listen that maybe he’s done doing that.

The further in I get, the louder the music becomes, and at this point, I think I’m pretty much right on the other side of a dividing wall between the banquet and the rest of the convention area. Stepping up to a set of double-doors, I push one open and my jaw drops.

It’s just a big, open space; a room used to keep sports equipment and whatnot. But there are lights strung up aroundthe outer edges, draped over furniture, giving the space a dull glow to make up for the lack of overhead lighting.

Wandering inside the dimly lit room, I’m spinning around, searching for Kyran while marveling at whatever the heck this is. I hear something rustling, and I turn to find him walking over from a corner, a soft smile on his lips and something in his hand.

“Hey…” My voice comes out sort of breathy, and his grin widens.

“Hi.” He reaches me, but doesn’t stop until he’s in my space and he’s taking my hand. “I made you something.”

My mouth curves while I gape at him, restless nerves bouncing inside me as he fastens something to my jacket. I squint at it, forehead lined in perplexity.

“Is that a… flower?” I mumble, and he laughs softly.

“I made you a boutonniere out of a napkin,” Kyran says, almost timidly. Then he hands me another one. “This one’s mine.” I’m just gawking at him, totally stunned, as he whispers, “You have to pin it on me, baby.”

My lashes flutter for another few seconds before I snap into movement and do it, pinning a rumpled little napkin flower to his jacket while I ask, “What… What is this?”

He leans in close to my ear, squeezing my shivering hand in his. “Thank you for coming to prom with me, Avi.”

I think I might literally be falling down if he wasn’t standing close enough to hold me up.He’s… asking me to prom? My first prom…

He made a prom for me??

“You did this…?” I glance around at the lights.

“I know… pretty corny,” he huffs.

“Uh-uh.” I shake my head firmly, and he peeks at me. “It’s fuckingperfect, Kyran.”

His hazel eyes twinkle like the lights around us, smile beaming with elation. He tugs my hand to rest on his chest,sealing our bodies together while his other hand rests on my lower back.

And he hums, “Dance with me.”

The band is playing some song I vaguely recognize on the other side of the wall; a slow song that reminds me of people dancing beneath the moonlight in the movies.

Without even thinking, I’m holding his chest while he holds my waist, and starts to move.

But I’m still stiff, because I have no idea what I’m doing. “Ky… I don’t slow dance. I’ve never done it before…”

“I know.” He chuckles. “I don’t care. I just wanna be close to you.”

My fucking heart…It’s floating weightlessly inside me like a balloon as I lean into him, resting my body on his strength and his size. My face tucks into the crook of his neck so he doesn’t see how badly I’m blushing like a lovestruck fool.

My first slow dance… My ownprom… With the quarterback of the football team as my date.

Jeez, I’m like every nerdy girl in every high school movie right now.

But I love it. I don’t even care, I’m in fuckinglovewith it, because I’m in love withhim, andfuck, I can’t believe I ever thought I could stop it from happening.

Kyran moves us slowly to the music, barely stepping, more like rocking us together, his fingers trailing up and down my back.

“You look so gorgeous…” he whispers in between sniffing me, and I can’t stop smiling. “When I saw you tonight, my heart stopped.”