Page 37 of The Ring
“I don’t know,” I shrugged, leaving it up to him. “What is it?”
I like to control everything, and I was a bit afraid he’d pick a song I wouldn’t like, but I wanted to know his answer more.
He didn’t get a chance to reply because then West arrived and sat between us. He used to do that to annoy me.
The room was empty except for a chair he’d brought in from another room and a small speaker. He connected his phone to it and played this song with the lyrics. He placed his hands where they are now, and we began to dance.
“Why this song?” I asked as we swayed.
He leaned in, his mouth brushing my ear. “Because I feellike this song captures perfectly how I feel about you. Listen to the lyrics.”
I did.
“You’re my end and my beginning,” he whispered, repeating the words. “You have always been.”
He kept going, his voice low. “Cause all of me loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges. All your perfect imperfections.”
Then he added, under his breath, like the thought had slipped out, “Everything about you is perfection.”
He chose the perfect song—one that perfectly encapsulated one of the main reasons I fell in love with him. He never once made me feel like I was too much. That my mind was too much. Even when I thought it was too much. At least not before everything that has happened lately. Maybe… he always felt that it was too much and lied about it.
Back in the present, with that memory burning in my chest, I look up at him. The curve of his lips, the way he holds my gaze, the heat of his breath. My heart races. I can’t stop thinking about how easy it would be to kiss him, how his touch feels electrifying, like a necessity.
Just as I’m about to let temptation win, TJ twirls me, bringing me back to earth.
“Where’s Amelie?” I ask him as he stops twirling me.
He begins a whip turn, pushing me away, and as he reels me back into his embrace, he says, “Didn’t we agree—no talking?”
“Shouldn’t you be with her? You did bring her as your date, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” he replies.
I grit my teeth. It makes me mad that I feel like a jealous girlfriend. I’m not his girlfriend anymore. I don’t have a valid reason to be upset—he’s allowed to date. I have, but beingpresent while he’s doing it revolts me. If he wants to date someone, I’d prefer it if he did it in an obscure corner of London.
I think it’s enough time spent together. Why tempt fate?
I try to pull away, but he pulls me back. “But I’d much rather be here with you,” he whispers, his lips brushing my ear. “No talking,” he adds.
I nod weakly.
It kind of brings me back to high school, when he used to make me feel like the most special person in every room, especially when older girls would throw themselves at him, making me jealous. He never paid attention to them. He was always so gentlemanly, the perfect, loving boyfriend.
But then I remember him and my mother. Sometimes it feels like he’s two different people—one, the person who cheated on me with my mother, and the other, the guy I fell in love with. Maybe he has an evil twin.
His eyes catch mine, and he sees I’m puzzled. “Don’t think, just dance with me,” he says softly.
And that’s exactly what I do. I push all my thoughts aside and enjoy dancing with him, like we used to. Like I wish we could do forever.
As the song ends, TJ dips me, and our lips get so close I can feel his breath on my skin. The warmth of it makes my pulse quicken. I have to remind myself of everything that’s happened, every reason I shouldn’t, just to stop myself from closing the distance
After the dance, I had to get away from TJ. Too many tempting thoughts about him were playing in my mind. So I went to the one place I knew he wouldn’t follow me—the loo.
I didn’t need to go, but I slipped into a stall anyway to avoid standing around looking stupid.
A few minutes later, I step out and find Amelie at the sink, touching up her makeup. I should have gone to the bathroom in my room, but it was a long walk to it. And TJ could have followed me there. Having him in my room right now? Bad idea.
I could duck out, and maybe she wouldn’t see me, but there isno wayI’m going to skip washing my hands after touching the stall lock. And I also want to… well, notwant, exactly—more like Ifeelthe need. A little less now that she came with TJ, but still to clear the air with her.
