Page 71 of A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street
‘Still recovering. I’ve never spoken to that many people before. No one laughed. No one made fun.’
‘No one who matters ever would. And if they did, they’d have me to deal with. And I know all the most painful places to insert a sewing needle.’
His laugh is one of relief and my arm slides around his back and I pull him into a hug for a few moments before we get swept up in the excited chatter of the crowd.
Ali pulls Witt aside to talk about hiring out rooms for special occasion dining and themed dinner nights, and I leave the two men to it when I spot Mickey, Lissa, and Marnie together in the crowd.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to let you down.’ I go over to them. ‘I know I shouldn’t have gone—’
‘I wish you’d have said; you could have come with us,’ Lissa says.
‘Youwent?’ I say in surprise.
‘Ofcoursewe went,’ Mickey says. ‘Just because we objected to the castle being sold doesn’t mean we aren’t nosy little caterpillars. You can’t work in the shadow of a place like this for years andnotbe curious about what it’s like inside. We thought it was going to be our last chance so we both donned our masks and pretended we hadn’t been there.’
‘I wish I’d have known, I’d have gone too,’ Marnie says. ‘I’ve always dreamed of aBeauty and the Beastmoment in a ballroom in a castle.’
‘I don’t think this will be the last ball we throw here. You’ll get your chance. And next time,everyonewill be welcome, including any lurking Beasts who haven’t been turned back into princes yet.’
Marnie looks excited at the prospect.
‘Don’t know what you were so worried about, Sade.’ Lissa pats my arm. ‘No one can resist the call of a fairy tale. We’d never hold that against you.’
‘Love you guys. Team Ever After Street.’ We all do a fist-bump and Witt catches my eyes from across the room, looking as though he needs rescuing from Lilith and her husband, and I edge my way towards them.
While a well-timed waiter distracts Lilith with a champagne refill, he manages to slink away and pull me into the ballroom. His revelation has caused such a stir that most people have migrated into the main entrance hallway to chat, and it’s quiet in here.
‘There’s a certain irony to escaping into a ballroom, considering we wouldn’t have met if we hadn’t been escapingfroma ballroom,’ he murmurs.
‘I guess we’ve got the castle to thank for that.’
‘Got the castle to thank for a lot of things. Reminding me of the good when I’ve spent so many years thinking only of the bad. Bringing you into my life. Your mum’s stories and the love that was once shared here, and will be again.’
Every word makes me melt, and it’s a good job his arms are around me, holding me steady. The singer is still singing at the other end of the room, and we’re doing something that’s a cross between a hug and a dance, and as she finishes one song and starts the next, it just happens to be ‘Once Upon a Dream’.
‘And I didn’t even ask for that,’ Witt whispers.
‘Maybe the castle is letting us know it appreciates being part of a fairy tale for the first time in years too.’
‘It feels like it’s come to life over the past few weeks. Not literally.’ He looks around like he’s expecting Mrs Potts to roll up with a cup of tea at any given moment.
‘Thank you for being the best Prince Charming I could’ve dreamt of meeting. The prince I’ve spent my life waiting for without realising it. The dream that everyone hopes will fall into their life one day.’
‘Thank you for making me feel like Snow White.’
I choke on a laugh at the unexpected mental image while I wait for him to explain.
‘It’s like you’ve woken me up from years of slumber with true love’s kiss. The castle was like a poisoned apple…’
I narrow my eyes at him. ‘The fairy-tale analogies are getting too much now. Next you’ll be telling me there are seven small chaps mining in the grounds somewhere.’
‘You never know.’
He cuts off my laugh with a kiss that’s straight out of a fairy tale. His hands close around my waist and he lifts me up while twirling us around and gently lowering me until my lips reach his, and we don’t break the kiss until my feet touch solid ground again. He spins me around so my skirt flies out in a perfect circle and then pulls me close. His hand curls into my hair, holding me up as he dips me low, using his leg to support my body in the swiftest of moves, and he presses his lips to mine from above, clutching me so strongly that I’ve never felt more secure, or more loved.
When we pull back, he asks the singer to do ‘Once Upon a Dream’ again. His arm slides around my waist and pulls me to him as mine slips around his shoulders and my fingers thread into the hair at the nape of his neck, and we’re just swaying with each other, enjoying the closeness, humming along to a song that’s summed up our relationship since that first night, and I’m still not entirely certainthisisn’t a dream.
He’s got my whole heart and has had since the moment he walked into the study, apologised to a lamp, and made me feel like a princess. I never thought we’d be able to save the castle and rescue The Cinderella Shop, but wonderful things can happen if you believe in love, fairy tales, and just a little bit of magic.
