Page 32 of The Casualty of Us
He holds out a hand with a twitch of those damn dimples, and I stare up at him, making him wait a good ten seconds before countering. “This is your move? Really?”
“The tea didn’t seem to be doing it.” He shrugs, hazel eyes all lit up but pushing more seriously with a quiet rasp. “Dance with me.”
“Fine,” I sigh dramatically, placing my hand in his and letting him haul me up. “But just so we’re clear, it’s under duress.”
“Of course it is,” he scoffs, pulling me away from the group as some slow electronic beats start to fill the air. “Wouldn’t expect anything else.”
I wrinkle my nose at the sound of a low voice starting to sing about a window, and he grabs my other hand. “What song is this?”
“A classic, Freckles.” He smirks, winding our fingers together and lifting my hands to his shoulders. “It’s a classic.”
I roll my eyes at his playfulness, but it only makes the dimples cut deeper into his face as we start to dance. Everything about him echoes through the movements as he starts to sway with me. Unexpectedly twirling me under his arm and coming to my back before having me raise my hands in the air as we jokingly move side to side of each other. Forgetting abouteveryone else in the room as we simply exist in our own little bubble of movement and music. Smiles edging more grins and singing bringing us closer together before swaying takes us apart. His movements smooth to my ridiculously uncoordinated attempts but not caring anyway because of the magic of the moment.
In getting lost in the simple happiness of something pure.
A guy caring enough to make me laugh, singing along to lines about only you.
Hayes winds our fingers together again as the song comes to a slow stop and brings them back to his shoulders, ending with us in the same position we started in.
The only difference being the silly grin on my face matching the one on his now.
I lift my brows at him teasingly. “A classic, huh?”
“Something like that.” He drops his hands to my waist. “Had to make sure you knew I was original at least.”
“Oh, I’ve never had any doubt about that.”
A quiet laugh falls from his lips, and my eyes drop to them, the rosy color making me stare for a couple of blinks too long before quickly looking back up. Blue meeting hazel as something sparks suddenly between us. It has me sucking down a breath at the way my stomach starts to flip and his gaze drops down. Staring for a lot longer than I did with these tiny movements to his eyes, like he’s tracing the shape of my lips.
His eyes rise back to mine with a surety there, hands squeezing gently around my waist. “I like you, Ophelia Sage.” He drops his forehead to mine. “I’ve known it since the first time you cursed at me.”
My fingers tighten on his shoulders, and I try to rack my brain for something to quip back, but it’s like my neurons are checking out one by one. Overloaded by that faint hint of cedar that has everything low—
“Dude!” Ollie’s voice crashes in. “Baby sister!”
I jump at the loud intrusion, and Hayes’s fingers give me another squeeze, frustration flaring in his eyes for a beat before his hands drop away. Both of which are why I quickly take a step back and turn to see Ollie staring at us with a look of horror on his face. Holden stands beside him with a slightly impressed expression and his gaze bouncing between the three of us.
I roll my eyes at my brother and immediately move to grab Holden’s hand. “Come on, I promised you a shot.”
Leaving the other two to work things out among themselves.
And hoping that involves copious amounts of drinking on the part of my brother.
Chapter Eight
OPHELIA - OCTOBER 2012
“I love you both so much,”Ollie slurs, hanging off my shoulder on one side and Hayes’s on the other. “By the way.”
We finagle him through the doorway of their dorm, and Holden lets the door close behind us with a bang while calling out, “All clear!”
“Bed,” I order him with a quick glance back, wondering how I ended up one of the most sober ones tonight before pressing, “By the way, what, Ollie?”
Because this shit is just too good to pass up.
“Oh!” he exclaims, head lulling in my direction as we half walk, half carry him to his room. “I’m going to marry Marley. Did you know?”
“No, I didn’t.” I press my lips together to contain a laugh as Hayes scoffs one out on the other side. “Does Marley know this?”
