Page 131 of Drama Queens Don't Fall For Charming Boys

I catch some of the little kids trying to copy us, which is so cute. I slow down my steps so they can get the moves right. See? I don’t need a guy to have a wonderful time at the masquerade ball. I’m having an amazing time with all these people.

“Mia?” Dad says as he weaves through the many dancing bodies to get to me. “Your mother requests your presence at the trivia game.”

“Oh, it’s our turn? Cool. I’ll see you guys later,” I tell my friends and the little kids.

“Aw,” they complain.

I laugh. “I’ll be back soon. With my sick dance moves.”

I meet Mom at the game, and then we proceed to completely demolish it. Of course Mom does most of the demolishing—where the heck does she store all that information?—but I’m surprised by how much I know as well. I guess what I always suspected since I was a little kid is true—I do have some of Mom’s brain buried in my skull.

Not only do we double the amount of money for charity, we manage to win an Xbox, which we immediately give away to a kid who can’t afford one, and we also win a trip to Disney World, which we give away to a family as well. It feels so good to win these amazing prizes for people who need them.

I throw my arms around my mom. “I’m so proud of you, Mom.”

She wraps me in her arms and kisses whatever exposed skin she can find that’s not covered by my mask. “And I’m so proud of you, too, sweetheart. You knocked it out of the park.”

“Only with your help.”

“You were amazing.”

“And I’m so darn proud of both of you.” Dad closes his arms around us. “My smarties.”

I rejoin my friends and the little kids on the dance floor and continue to have the time of my life. But eventually, the music slows down and a slow song comes on. This is the part of the ball I was dreading. I wave to my friends and follow Lexi and the guys off the dance floor.

But someone stands in my way.

It’s a guy wearing a very crisp and brand-new black suit. He has a black and gold mask with such a beautiful design. He seems around my age.

He stretches his hand out to me. He wants to…dance?

My eyes zero in on him, focusing on the parts of his face that I can see. Like his eyes. The emerald eyes I would recognize anywhere. And those lips…I don’t think I can ever forget those lips.

“Declan?” I whisper.

He nods.

I stare at his outstretched hand, my heart picking up speed and racing throughout the rest of my body. I don’t know what to think. What to feel.

“Mia?” he says softly. “Want to dance?”

Slowly, I lift my hand and slide it into his.

With a smile, he leads me to the dance floor, passing all the couples snuggled in each other’s arms. Declan finds an empty area and stops, turning around to face me. His eyes search mine, questioning if I’m okay with this. He and I haven’t spoken much since the kiss scene and he doesn’t want to make me uncomfortable.

I take a hesitant step forward and place my hands on his shoulders. His hands are also hesitant as they gently wrap around my waist. Everywhere he touches burns—I can feel it on my skin, as though my dress isn’t between us. Butterflies the size of bats swarm in my stomach and make me feel like I might faint.

But despite all of these wayward emotions coursing through me, this feels really good. I think a satisfied sigh escapes my lips because Declan tugs me closer to his body, until there is barely any space between us. I lay my head on his chest and he rests his chin on top of my head. And then we sway to the gentle beat of the music.

Like all the other times I was in Declan’s arms, I feel protected. I feel warm. I’ve never slow danced with a guy before, and while I always imagined it would feel amazing, I never knew just how amazing it would actually feel.

I raise my head and look into his gorgeous eyes, getting lost in them. He seems to get lost in mine, too. It suddenly dawns on me that no one is staring at us. No one is calling for Declan’s attention. Because they don’t know who he is. For the first time since he arrived in Edenbury, he’s just like any other person here.

“You can finally enjoy a night all to yourself,” I say.

“What?”

“Sorry, I was just continuing my thought out loud.”

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