Page 49 of We're At It Again

He chuckled, twirling me under his arms.

“I have many talents, and flirting is one of them.”

As we danced, he kept up a steady stream of teasing remarks.

“You should thank me for the costume. You look stunning.”

I smirked, trying to suppress my amusement.

“For what? For making me relive an embarrassing childhood memory?”

He leaned in closer, his warm breath against my ear.

“Your beauty could make anyone forget that day.”

I blushed, the warmth spreading from my cheeks down to my chest.

“You’re impossible.” I said, unable to keep the smile off my face.

“And yet, here you are,” he said, looking into my eyes. “Dancing with me.”

We just stared at each other. The world faded into the background. His eyes softened, revealing a flicker of authenticity.

“You know,” I said, attempting to break the silence. “You’re not the bad boy you pretend to be.”

He raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a smile.

“Well, you’re not the good girl you pretend to be.”

“Touche.”

The music shifted to a slower tune, and he drew me closer, his arms wrapped around my waist. I rested my head against his shoulder, feeling the steady beat of his heart against my cheek. The song ended, and we pulled apart; the spell broken.

“Want a drink?” He asked, leaning closer so I could hear him over the music.

“Please.”

As he headed to the refreshment table, I spotted Maya at her table. She looked at me with a smug grin. Here we go.

“You looked very cozy.”

I should have known wouldn’t waste an opportunity to dig at my relationship with Hudson.

“Maya, you know it’s all for show.”

She placed her chin in her hands, far too pleased with the situation.

“If that was acting, then you deserve an Oscar.”

Ignoring her, I shrugged and attempted to change the subject by pointing out some outfits of people who walked past us. We were having a fun time laughing when Cynthia approached us, dressed as Cinderella. Her face had a smug look. I braced myself for the inevitable confrontation.

“Hey, Luna.” She said. “You look cute.”

“Thanks.”

She ran her hands down her dress to draw our attention to the expensive material.

“Do you like my dress?”

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