Page 50 of Love, Lilly

We both turn to look at where Sarah is greeting the guests, seeming no worse for wear from the antics of last night.

“You were lucky to have this gorgeous man to take care of you,” Melanie continues, causing Oliver to blush while giving us a small bow.

“Yes, I have been lucky a lot throughout my life to have this gorgeous man taking care of me,” I tell her, gazing into Oliver’s deep-brown eyes with gratitude.

Oliver holds my gaze, saying nothing, while Melanie clears her throat and makes an excuse to leave us alone.

“Would you like to dance, Lilly?” Oliver asks when the music plays. As I hear that the first song up is an acoustic version of “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, I nod in agreement.

As I stand in Oliver’s arms, swaying to a song about friends who become lovers, I think this may be a perfect moment. And it is so much better to dance with Oliver when I am sober.

“What are you thinking?” Oliver whispers into my ear, sending all those delicious shivers down my spine again. This is a feeling I could get used to.

“Just how nice it is to dance with you without being intoxicated,” I tell him. “It is nice to be in your arms without the room spinning as well.”

I lift my head from where it has been resting on Oliver’s chest and take a moment to just stare at him. At his dark-brown eyes and his plump lips and—

Then Oliver’s lips are on mine, and it is perfect. It is our first kiss, and it is just as I imagined it would be. Oliver’s lips are soft but insistent, kissing me almost hungrily, and I match his intensity, putting everything I feel for him into it. As the kiss deepens, Oliver runs his hands through my hair, ruining my well-put-together do while I grab the front of his shirt, trying to pull him even closer. We kiss for hours and only seconds, and before I want it to end, Oliver, with obvious reluctance, lifts his head.

“You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that,” he tells me, his voice thick with emotion.

I stand still in his arms, a little shocked by this admission, and then pull his lips back down to mine. I am not ready for this to be over.

This second kiss is deeper and more passionate than the first. Oliver pulls me even closer to him, our bodies crushed up against each other, as we devour each other’s mouths. When I go to pull away to catch my breath, Oliver’s lips follow mine, as if he’s unwilling or unable to break the contact. It is the most earth-shattering kiss I have ever had, and I cannot imagine going back to kissing anyone other than Oliver again.

When the song ends and our surroundings come back into focus, Oliver slowly pulls away, both of us breathing hard from what has just occurred.

“Was that OK, Lilly?” Oliver asks once he has his breath back.

“Hmmmm,” I reply, still unable to form a coherent thought. Oliver and I just kissed! And it was magical and perfect. And what happens now?

“What happens now?” I blurt out.

Oliver, having regained control of himself a lot faster than me, smiles and says, “Now we get you some food and maybe have another dance again after?”

I look around to see that lunch has been served, and we are expected to take a seat. I hold on tight to Oliver’s offered hand, and I walk with him on shaky legs to the buffet table before serving myself some lunch that I know I have no intention of eating. All the while trying to figure out what just happened and what it will all mean when the weekend ends.

CHAPTER 30

Lilly

As the wedding festivities continue, I watch it all through a fog. Oliver and I kissed. And now he is holding my hand, stroking my leg, and keeping me close, and I can’t figure out what is real and what is pretend. The lines are all blurred. We need to talk about what has happened, but with people around and my new friends vying for my attention—why must I make friends wherever I go?—it is difficult to get some time alone. Oliver, for his part, seems unaffected by what has occurred. Chatting to the people around us, oblivious to my inner turmoil. Did it not mean as much to him as it did to me? He said it was something he had wanted to do, so it must have some meaning, but why wasn’t he shaken to the core like I was?

Oliver, perhaps sensing my inner conflict, picks up my hand that he is holding and brushes his lips over it. He pulls me up from where I am seated and, turning to the group at our table, says, “I think I need some alone time with my beautiful Lilly here.” The women all sigh at this and give me a wistful look as Oliver pulls me back onto the dance floor, otherwise known as the scene of the crime.

“Lilly, are you OK? You’ve been uncharacteristically quiet throughout lunch,” Oliver says as we begin another slow dance together.

“I’m a bit confused,” I tell him, deciding to be honest.

“About what?”

“Are we still pretending?” I whisper, needing to know he is feeling what I am feeling.

Oliver stares at me for several moments while my heartbeat takes off some more.

“Lilly, none of this has been pretending for me.”

As I take a second to digest what this means—none of what? None of the kiss? The weekend? Sarah gets on the microphone to announce that she will throw the bouquet and that all the single ladies should gather in the middle of the dance floor. Melanie, being my new best friend, grabs me out of Oliver’s arms and pulls me into the middle of the pack.

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