Page 121 of Catching My Dreams

Ella winced. Olivia’s mom had convinced her daughter to enter her high school talent show, but the result had been a singer taking home the first place trophy, a contemporary dancer taking home second, and a pianist taking home third. Olivia hadn’t even been named in the honorable mentions.

Ella and Noah, who’d been in the audience, had both seen the way her self-esteem had taken another knock that night.

“The judges were all idiots,” Chris told Olivia.

She shrugged, her eyes cast down on her gingerbread house. “Ballet just isn’t as exciting to watch, and nobody wants to endure the boringness of classical music. It’s why I didn’t want to enter in the first place.”

“I’m with Chris,” Ella said. “The judges were all idiots.”

Olivia rolled her eyes, but Ella could tell the praise had brought back some life to her pale blue eyes, which had more often than not been filled with sadness since she’d given her family a piece of her mind.

“Whatever,” Noah and Riley’s half-sister said. “I think Noah’s house should win.”

“I vote for Riley’s,” Asher said, his voice oddly gentle.

Ella looked at the lavender-haired woman, her grin falling when she saw the way Riley was looking down at her slightly messy and very colorful creation. Her shoulders were weighed down with grief, and when a tear escaped her glassy eyes, she wiped it quickly from her cheek.

“You okay?” Asher asked her quietly.

Riley looked up, meeting her boyfriend’s gaze. “Yeah,” she replied, but her bottom lip trembled, and her voice shook. “I just miss him.”

“I know,” Asher said, his voice barely audible to the others as he pulled Riley into a hug.

She sank into the embrace.

“Group hug,” Chris declared before making his way around the dining room table and wrapping his arms around the couple.

Riley let out a wet chuckle, and Noah and Ella walked around the table to join them. Ella wrapped her arms around Noah and Asher, laughing when Chris started slowly swaying, forcing them to all join in.

“Get in here, Livvy,” Noah said, waving over his half-sister.

She looked hesitant—she and Riley were apparently back on shaky ground—but she joined in, her arms resting lightly around Noah and Riley.

“You guys are ridiculous,” Riley complained from inside the circle, but she was smiling broadly, her eyes still shining with moisture.

Ella spotted Archie hovering around the group, and she reached down to pick him up, adding him into the hug and wrapping her free arm back around Noah.

Noah nudged Ella with his hip, and she turned her head to look at him.

“Love you,” he mouthed, his blue eyes alight with happiness.

“Love you, too,” she mouthed back, leaning into his side and resting her cheek on his shoulder.

Noah kissed the top of her head, and Ella smiled. For the first time in her life, she was truly happy, and so much of that had to do with the man at her side.

He’d been so many things to her over the years.

Her friend and her childhood crush.

Her enemy and her biggest regret.

Her lover and her hope for something better.

And now, standing beside him, the locket he’d given her dangling from her neck and his promise glinting on her ring finger, she knew he was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

“Happy birthday, man,” Drew shouted over the loud music. His speech was slurred from the drinks he’d clearly helped himself to.

Chris hadn’t supplied any alcohol, but people had brought plenty of their own.

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