Page 201 of Finding Delaware

He grabs the bag off the floor and throws it at me again. “Would you just put on the suit and shut up?”

“I swear, this exact scene happened in a Marvel movie once,” I snort, unzipping the bag to find a sleek-looking tuxedo inside instead of a superhero costume, much to my disappointment. “Are we going to a wedding?”

“You’ll see,” he says, zipping his lips, pretending to lock them and pitch the key over his shoulder. Despite the heavy ache in my chest, his antics get a choked laugh out of me. I wish Taylor were here to witness whatever weird fuckery is happening right now.

Peeling off my clothes, I do my best to slide into the tux, but I’m not exactly having an easy time with it, seeing as I’m over six feet tall. Logan’s eyes widen when he spots the new tattoo on my chest, sputtering slightly.

“D-did you just get that?”

I nod, buttoning up the white undershirt. “Yep. He hasn’t seen it yet, though. I... I think he’s mad at me.”

There’s a slight pause before Logan shrugs, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “I’m sure he’ll come around.”

Something odd catches in his voice, and I narrow my gaze at him, immensely suspicious. He just smiles and shrugs far too innocently. Before I can pry any more information out of him, we’re pulling into the parking lot of our old high school. A frown tugs at my mouth as I glance around, finishing up getting dressed.

“What are we doing here, Logan?”

“It’s a surprise.” He climbs out once the driver opens the door and offers me his arm, which I scowl at before exiting without help. Glancing down at my feet, he scoffs.

“You didn’t even put on the nice shoes that came with the tux.”

“These are brand new Astro Grabber’s, Logan. They’re the nicest shoes on the market right now. Got them with my signing bonus.”

With an eye roll, he turns toward the steps leading to the school’s front doors. “Okay, Mr. Football Star, let’s get a move on.”

“Hey, I can buy you a pair if you want.” I follow after him, trying to shake the itchy feeling that arises from being here again after all these years. “Maybe for your birthday.”

“I’m holding you to that. It can be your apology gift to me.” He leads us through the dimly lit halls, which is creepy as hell, and I grab his arm just before we get to the gym.

“If you get one, where’s mine?” Raising my brows, I drop his arm when he faces me. “We both hid shit from each other and for my part in that, I’m sorry. I should have been a better friend and trusted you with everything.”

His honey-brown eyes soften as he nods slowly. “Yeah. Me too.”

“So, are we good? I don’t want to leave with any bad blood between us on Friday. I love you, man. You’re my best friend.”

“Yeah, Huck. We’re good. And I love you, too, or whatever.” He shifts on his feet awkwardly, looking uncomfortable as hell, and I chuckle at the sight. This guy literally cuddled with Matty in a tent back in May but can’t even handle a few words of affection.

“You need to be more open about your feelings, Loge. It’s okay to tell your friends you love them.”

“I just did, didn’t I?” He glares at me as I continue to laugh, a small smile curling his lips. “Asshole. Anyway, we’re here.”

I glance over his shoulder, my grin fading when I take in the double wooden doors behind him. “The gym?”

Just being back here after what happened is like a lightning bolt to my nerves. The last time I stood here, I was with Royce, preparing to break it off with him while feeling like my life was ending. And it almost did. All because of what took place inside this gym, among other things.

Music filters through the door, hitting my ears for the first time, and Logan grins as he slowly pulls on the handle. “Surprise.”

The lights are what I notice first, balls of color bouncing off the walls, ropes of twinkling lights strung from one end of the room to the other. Paper streamers hang from the rafters, fluttering gently, glowing balloons covering the entirety of the gym floor. And standing in the middle of it all is Taylor, stealing my breath away in a fitted tux matching my own, looking so beautiful it hurts. He’s frowning downat his phone, typing furiously, and relief washes over his features when he glances up to find us standing there.

“About damn time, Jesus,” he mutters irritably, gazing over my shoulder at Logan, who smacks his lips in response.

“Not my fault Huckslee drives like he’s eighty. Or that he was less than enthused to get into the limo.”

“Yeah, yeah, thanks for getting him here.” Taylor moves his sparkling eyes to me, a smile lighting up that gorgeous face as the doors shut behind me. “Hi.”

“What...” I swallow, sweeping my eyes over the decorated space. “What’s happening right now?”

His grin turns shy as he follows my gaze, taking in the flickering tea lights and confetti joining the balloons on the ground. “I’m calling it prom two-point-oh. Or, prom as it should have been.” Turning to me, he holds up a plastic box I hadn’t noticed with two matching boutonnieres inside. “If you’ll be my date?”

---