Page 62 of Third Time Lucky

‘Never mind,’ Asher chuckles. I grab three drinks and let Asher and Mitzi rent our headphones and pick our playlist. As soon as we put on the headphones, the music starts playing in our ears, transporting us into a world where only we exist.

‘May I have this dance?’ he asks Mitzi. ‘I’m coming back for you soon,’ he tells me as she accepts.

He leads her to the dancers, swaying to the beat, letting Mitzi lead him for a bit. He’s doing remarkably well, until he isn’t.

Before I know it, he’s doing the sprinkler before pretending to rope me in. He’s a tornado of awkward limbs and exaggerated movements, but he wears his lack of grace with a pride and confidence that makes it endearing.

I match his moves, laughing the entire time.

‘Your brother may have done you wrong,’ I laugh as he reaches me.

‘That last part was all me,’ he says, proudly. ‘Mitzi convinced me that the only way to dance is with your soul, so, I let it lead and here we are.’

My breath catches in my throat.

‘Wooo! You guys are so bad you’re good!’ Madi yells over the music, relieving me of coming up with a response to his incredibly sweet line there.

She clinks her cup to both mine and Asher’s before dancing her way over to Aaron, who gleefully accepts her into his arms.

The two of them take to the dance floor, their bodies immediately drawn together in a heated embrace. I don’t know what they’re listening to, but we definitely didn’t choose the same playlist. Their movements are fluid and sensual as Aaron holds her close, his hands gripping her waist as she sways her hips to the rhythm of the music on his thigh.

‘Oh, how I wish they were a little more prudish,’ I say to Asher, who laughs. Right now, I’m glad Mitzi left to use the ladies’ room.

‘Don’t look directly at them,’ he says, covering my eyes jokingly. ‘You know what they’re doing, right?’

I shake my head.

‘Aaron’s obsessed with eighties movies. When he was a kid, our mom spent most of her time in her room. So, Aaron hung out with her, and they watched VHS tapes all day. If it was hot in the eighties, he’s probably got it memorized. I’m pretty sure he learned this fromDirty Dancing.’

My eyebrows shoot up my forehead, and laughter emerges loudly. ‘I think you might be right!? Ew.’

Suddenly, our song changes to something slower. We turn to one another, wide-eyed as if we’ve got caught in the air before a summer storm. Do we stay on our own side of the gym, or do we come together and take advantage of a romantic situation like adults?

Asher sways closer amid bubbles, offering me a hand that I accept. He twirls me before pulling me close, his hand resting on the small of my back. His touch sends a shiver down my spine as we sway to the romantic melody playing in our ears. It’s a waltz of sugar and spun glass, our delicate movements weaving a tapestry of sweetness and grace. The world around us fades into the background, and all I can focus on is the warmth of his touch and the steady rhythm of our hearts beating in time.

‘I feel like teenage Ash again,’ he whispers, his voice warm on my neck.

‘Can you imagine being teenagers without the weight of tragedy crushing us?’

‘I can.’

‘Sort of a dangerous feeling, isn’t it?’

‘Like walking onto a minefield,’ he says, his eyes searching mine, a silent question lingering in their depths.

‘We could get seriously hurt,’ I say, picturing the aftermath of one wrong step.

‘Or we won’t,’ he suggests, hope in his eyes.

How are we saying so much without actually saying anything at all? The world around us blurs into nothingness, leaving only us in our private bubble of shared emotions. The moon casts a gentle glow over us, adding to the enchanting atmosphere of the night. The heat of his touch seeps into my skin, igniting a fire that spreads through every fiber of my being.

‘We need refills, join me?’ Madi interrupts.

My heart stalls in my chest. Now?

‘It’s cool,’ Ash says, releasing me. ‘I’ll check on Mitzi and Aaron while you’re gone.’

I nod, sad to walk away from him.

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