Page 7

Jack

Half an hour later, I was on my fourth rum of the night. Handling my drink had never been an issue, my university years had seen to that. My throat was dry and my nerves uneasy, so keeping my hands busy by holding and spinning my glass was the only option.

Like any social event, Mike and I were joined at the hip chatting to attendees.

Unlike other events, Mike was the chatty one with my head elsewhere.

I couldn’t shift my mind from the interaction with Willow and Cain, I’d never seen Willow so vulnerable and insecure.

I had a hunch there was far more to Cain than he’d reveal. The thought made me nauseous.

Pretending to listen to Mike’s small talk, I subtly glanced around to try and check on Willow.

Instead, I found Cain standing with a group of men in similar dinner jackets, sniggering together.

Willow wasn’t with him. My search for her became more frantic, concern shooting up my spine as my eyes ping-ponged across the room until I saw an abnormal shadow peeking out from behind some large curtains against the stone wall.

“Excuse me for a moment,” I muttered to Mike and the small group.

I moved towards the curtain slowly, so as not to bring attention to myself. The figure shifted behind the curtain, desperate to stay hidden. Leaning against the wall I kept my gaze on the room while all my focus remained on the girl behind the curtain.

“Mind if I join you?”

She startled and took in a sharp breath. When she realised it was me, she relaxed, nodded and stepped further into the darkness. I stepped in beside her, relishing the calm the darkness brought. Silence lay between us. It was a comfortable one for me and I hoped for her too.

“Want some?” I offered her my glass tumbler which she eyed with temptation before taking a modest sip.

“It’s busy out there tonight,” she rasped.

“It is. We’ll get some hefty donations tonight. That’s a reflection of your hard work. ”

I finally looked down at her. Her head rested against the stone wall, eyes closed, and mouth parted as she focused on her breathing.

“I’m glad, it’s a worthy cause.” Everything she said was careful and calculated.

We remained quiet, but I continued to watch her, trying to find an answer in her features to explain her nerves, but fell short. Eventually, her eyes found mine and we stayed there, stuck in each other’s gaze.

“Willow— ”

“We should— ”

We spoke at the same time before insisting the other go first. Since she was too polite to speak first, I took the reins.

“Willow, are you— ” I struggled to find the appropriate words. “Is everything okay?”

Her mouth popped open, as her eyes widened and bounced around my face and the black space around us, lit only by the stream of light behind me.

Standing this close to her, I looked her over while her focus was elsewhere. Her lashes were full, lids a smoky brown with golden shimmer all across. Her perfect lips lacquered with a deep burgundy gloss.

“You know you can talk to me, right? About anything.” My little finger brushed along the length of hers, the one not holding the glass. Her breath hitched and my gaze travelled down to her gleaming lips.

“Attention everyone, dinner is about to begin. If everyone could please take their seats.”

The MC announcement jolted us out of our respective stupors. Beyond the curtain, the crowd travelled to their tables.

“Time to go.” I moved to leave the curtains but turned back to find Willow staring up at me, unmoving. “I meant it, Willow. You’re always here for me, let me be there for you.”