Page 26 of Third Time Lucky

I match his moves, laughing the entire time.

‘Your brother may have done you wrong,’ I laugh as he reaches me.

‘That last part was all me,’ he says, proudly. ‘Mitzi convinced me that the only way to dance is with your soul, so, I let it lead and here we are.’

My breath catches in my throat.

‘Wooo! You guys are so bad you’re good!’ Madi yells over the music, relieving me of coming up with a response to his incredibly sweet line there.

She clinks her cup to both mine and Asher’s before dancing her way over to Aaron, who gleefully accepts her into his arms.

The two of them take to the dance floor, their bodies immediately drawn together in a heated embrace.

I don’t know what they’re listening to, but we definitely didn’t choose the same playlist. Their movements are fluid and sensual as Aaron holds her close, his hands gripping her waist as she sways her hips to the rhythm of the music on his thigh.

‘Oh, how I wish they were a little more prudish,’ I say to Asher, who laughs. Right now, I’m glad Mitzi left to use the ladies’ room.

‘Don’t look directly at them,’ he says, covering my eyes jokingly. ‘You know what they’re doing, right?’

I shake my head.

‘Aaron’s obsessed with eighties movies. When he was a kid, our mom spent most of her time in her room. So, Aaron hung out with her, and they watched VHS tapes all day. If it was hot in the eighties, he’s probably got it memorized. I’m pretty sure he learned this from Dirty Dancing .’

My eyebrows shoot up my forehead, and laughter emerges loudly. ‘I think you might be right!? Ew.’

Suddenly, our song changes to something slower. We turn to one another, wide-eyed as if we’ve got caught in the air before a summer storm. Do we stay on our own side of the gym, or do we come together and take advantage of a romantic situation like adults?

Asher sways closer amid bubbles, offering me a hand that I accept.

He twirls me before pulling me close, his hand resting on the small of my back.

His touch sends a shiver down my spine as we sway to the romantic melody playing in our ears.

It’s a waltz of sugar and spun glass, our delicate movements weaving a tapestry of sweetness and grace.

The world around us fades into the background, and all I can focus on is the warmth of his touch and the steady rhythm of our hearts beating in time.

‘I feel like teenage Ash again,’ he whispers, his voice warm on my neck.

‘Can you imagine being teenagers without the weight of tragedy crushing us?’

‘I can.’

‘Sort of a dangerous feeling, isn’t it?’

‘Like walking onto a minefield,’ he says, his eyes searching mine, a silent question lingering in their depths.

‘We could get seriously hurt,’ I say, picturing the aftermath of one wrong step.

‘Or we won’t,’ he suggests, hope in his eyes.

How are we saying so much without actually saying anything at all?

The world around us blurs into nothingness, leaving only us in our private bubble of shared emotions.

The moon casts a gentle glow over us, adding to the enchanting atmosphere of the night.

The heat of his touch seeps into my skin, igniting a fire that spreads through every fiber of my being.

‘We need refills, join me?’ Madi interrupts.

My heart stalls in my chest. Now?

‘It’s cool,’ Ash says, releasing me. ‘I’ll check on Mitzi and Aaron while you’re gone.’

I nod, sad to walk away from him.

‘You two looked cozy,’ Madi says as we reach the bar. ‘How’s it going?’

‘We were having a very vague conversation, beating around the bush about how we were feeling?’

‘Oh? What’d ya land on?’

‘Don’t make a wrong step while on a minefield?’

She scrunches her face.

‘I’m pretty sure we were wondering “what if” without actually saying it?’

She smiles sweetly as if I deserve every second of this.

‘Luce, here’s what I know. People come into your life for one of a few reasons. To teach you something. To offer you something. Or to take something.’

‘And what do you think Asher’s here for?’ I ask, my gaze drifting back to him. Mitzi’s talking animatedly with him and Aaron. Ash’s eyes light up with every word she says. She looks so happy. I’m so glad she came.

‘I think he’s here to teach you,’ Madi replies.

‘What, though?’

‘Maybe about trusting your instincts? Or maybe he’s here to push you to follow your heart even when your head says “no.” I think he could be good for you.’

I nod slowly, absorbing her words as I watch him, laughing at something Aaron has said. He glances my way, his eyes crinkling at the corners when he smiles at me.

‘Look at the way he looks at you,’ Madi says, gazing his way. ‘It’s what every girl dreams of.’

‘Yeah,’ I say. ‘I definitely don’t hate it.’ I love the way his smile makes my heart skip a beat.

‘By the way, you never looked at Brandon like this.’

‘I didn’t?’

Hmmm, I had no idea.

‘Nope. Plus, he invited your grandmother. That’s possibly the sweetest thing I’ve ever witnessed.’

Maybe she’s right. Asher may be here to teach me something important about myself.

I’d be an idiot not to accept the lesson.

But what if he’s just being polite, and I’m mistaking kindness for something more?

He never really said how he felt about me when I told him I knew.

What if I want to be loved correctly so badly that I’m turning this into something it’s not?

Seeds of anxiety sprout in my mind, and the last thing I need is more of those taking root.