Page 64 of Can't Take My Eyes Off You

‘What’s a conversation with me worth to you?’ I ask.

With that, he flashes a confident smile and stands from his chair. ‘Alright. I’ll sing something. Foryou.’ He makes his way to the guy that DJs this place. They talk for a few moments then Will takes the stage.

Tables of women cheer for him, realizing who he is immediately. I wouldn’t be surprised if the stage was covered in panties when he’s done. Then the music starts, and I’m suddenly invested.

‘Oh. My. God,’ Olivia says with a swoon. ‘He’s doing a song from one of her favorite movies.’

My heart slows as I realize the same thing – a movie I’ve made him watch a hundred times, easy. A rom-com involving Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles.10 Things I Hate About You. A classic.

Will grins my way, singing the song animatedly, reminding me he’s a reality star with zero shame, pointing to me in all the right spots. The entire room’s invested in this performance. People have their phones out to record every second. Everyone trying to glimpse who this Portland Royal is singing his heart out to.

Bianca sits next to me, watching him with the same stupid smile I probably have. ‘How drunk is he? ’Cause he seems shockingly sober for a karaoke performance like this.’

‘He’s three months sober,’ Cole says.

My head snaps from Will to Bianca to Cole. ‘What?’

Cole nods slowly. ‘I probably shouldn’t say anything more.’

My gaze moves back to Will. We’re in a bar, and he’s sober? Here I am, literally puking drunk, something I never ever do, and I find out he’s sober. Why didn’t he tell me?

He sings the words he used to say to me daily, throwing his arms out exaggeratedly in my direction. Yes, I’m ear-to-ear grinning, enjoying every single second of this as he embarrasses himself with an impromptu performance that he’s selling in a way my poor heart is tossing money at.

When the song’s over, the crowd applauds him as he walks back over to us, his hands shyly shoved into his pockets, a goofy grin on his face and a hint of pink in his cheeks that wasn’t there before. He stops at the table, looking at me.

‘Well?’

‘That was, uh…’ I laugh to myself, unable to look away from him. ‘Pretty adorable, if I’m honest.’

I’m caving. Iwantto hear what he has to say. ‘You wanted to talk?’ I ask.

‘Yeah.’

‘My driver left without me, so I need a ride home.’

I can feel our friends’ heads flipping between us, following the conversation, but our eyes are only on each other.

‘I’ll drive you,’ he offers, pulling his keys from his pocket and extending a hand my way.

23

WILL

It takes her multiple tries to get the correct code into the security system, and considering I no longer know it, I can’t help besides offering to call her sister, which she refuses. Third try’s a charm and it turns out I did know it. The security code for the store is my birthday. Which has me wondering if her hating me with the venom of a thousand cobras might be a bit of an exaggeration?

‘No Williams or Willys in my room, so don’t even try it. I had to have an exorcism of you after you left, so don’t undo what cost me a hundred bucks to do, Adler,’ she says, struggling with the key in her apartment door.

‘You had your roomexorcisedof me?’ I laugh out loud. ‘Like I was a guy haunting you?’

She turns to me suddenly, her back against her door. ‘More like you were a demon poking my heart,’ she says like I’m a total imbecile, jabbing her finger into my chest.

When she’s satisfied that I understand, she goes back to the lock, turning the key, and opening her apartment door. I glance around her place with a relieved sigh. Everything is exactly as I saw it last and though I’ve never lived here like we’d planned so long ago, the place feels like home. A feeling I haven’t had in a very long time.

I close the door behind me, and when I turn back her way, she suddenly throws her arms around my neck, a mess of tears sliding down her cheeks.

‘Do you have any idea how worried I was?’ she asks through sobs.

I wrap my arms around her, holding her close. ‘I’m sorry,’ I say. ‘Honestly, I was a little scared you really did hate me.’

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