Page 112 of Never Have I Ever
I hand her the money, and she frowns. “The drink is for me,” she says. “I’m paying for it.”
I shake my head, a smile on my face. “It wasn’t me,” I tell her, pointing over to Aiden, who’s looking our way. “It was him.”
She turns her head, looking at Aiden, who smirks at her and turns his head away from her direction. “Oh,” she says, taking the drink from me and taking a sip.
She glances at Aiden once more, who’s not looking over anymore as he talks to a girl at the bar, and then turns to look at the guy who she was talking to earlier. How is it so easy for her to be attracted to a guy and forget about him the next day?
I wish I could do that. I wish I could forget Grayson, but part of me also doesn’t want that. It wants to remember every good memory I had with him. How it felt to ride with him on the motorcycle, how he made me feel when he sped up his car, how his lips tasted, how he smiled at me and called me angel, how so deeply in love I am with that man.
I always knew I’d never end up having the kind of love I wanted and dreamed of. I’ve been preparing to be set up with a country club boy ever since I could walk, so I thought, what’s the harm in having fun? But what I didn’t know was that I’d fall deeply in love with him, that it would consume me and make me see everything so differently. The way he holds me, the way he smiles at me, I want that forever.
I want to find something like that for the rest of my life. And I want it with someone that feels the same thing as I do. Unrequited love is a bitch. My heart hurts all the time. It physically feels empty. It's as if a part of me is missing. A part of me that doesn’t want to be mine.
I tip my head back and sigh. I just want to forget it all. The next thing I know, someone’s grabbing at my arm, and I twist my head, seeing it’s Gabi. “C’mon,” she says. “Let’s dance.”
I groan. “I don’t feel like dancing,” I tell her.
She fake gasps. “I feel offended,” she says, putting her hand over her chest dramatically.
I laugh. “I thought Madi was the actress.”
She shrugs and then tugs on my arms once more. “C’mon. It’s the only thing I’m good at. If I can’t cheer you up, then I feel I’ve not done my job.”
I roll my eyes. “Fine,” I say, standing up and letting her lead me to the middle of the bar.
She takes hold of my hands as her hips move along to the beat, and she smiles at me. I stand awkwardly in front of her, and then her eyes snap to mine, and she frowns. “You’re not dancing.”
“No one else is dancing,” I whisper to her, looking around at the guys staring at us with a grin on their faces.
She glances around and then shrugs. “So? Don’t live for them. Live for yourself.”
I freeze in place. Gabi notices and frowns a little. “What?” she asks.
My lips raise in a small smile. “Grayson said that to me once.”
Her brows raise. “He did?” I nod, remembering our trips and how he always wanted me to be myself. “Huh,” she says. “Maybe he’s not a complete asshole.”
I frown. “Yeah.”
She pulls me towards her, and I yelp. She smirks as she squeezes my hands. “No more thinking of Grayson.” Her hands leave mine and drift to my hips. “Dance,” she whispers, and I chuckle, moving my hips underneath her hands until she lets go, and we’re both dancing alongside each other to some 90’s hip hop song.
It feels good. To let go. To dance like truly nobody’s watching, even though they definitely are. I don't focus on any of them. My eyes stay on Gabi as we dance, and she laughs, closing her eyes and moving her hips to the music. I copy her moves, throwing my head back and dancing to the music.
I step back and bump into someone. I snap my eyes open. “I’m so sorry.” I blurt out, turning around and staring at a chest. I look up, and I’m met with a pair of blue eyes looking down at me as he smiles.
“My bad,” he says, chuckling. “You were lost in the music. I should have known better.”
“Yeah,” I say, laughing nervously. “I wasn’t paying attention.”
“I was,” he says. “And you’re stunning.”
My face drops. I turn my head to the side, see Gabriella smirking at me, and then turn back to the guy. He's cute. Tall, light brown hair, blue eyes. But he’s not Grayson. The way he calls me stunning does nothing to me. It’s nothing compared to how Grayson looks at me or calls me angel.
I give him a smile. “Oh, thanks,” I say.
“No worries,” he says with a chuckle, flashing his smile. “Wanna get a drink?”
“Uh… I’m with a friend, so…” I turn to Gabi, and she nods, mouthing ‘go.’ I sigh and turn back to the guy, who’s waiting for an answer. “On second thought, I’d love a drink.”
