Page 14 of Julia.

Walking down the hallway, I find myself frantically searching for a bathroom to check myself. As soon as I spot one, I rush inside and lock the door behind me.

I'm mortified to see that my face is as red as a tomato. Gosh, I must have looked like a complete fool in front of him. I splash some cool water on my face, hoping to calm down the flush in my cheeks. Then I take a deep breath and steel myself, ready to face the ballroom once again. I just hope Mom is almost done and we can head home soon.

As I step back out into the grand hall, it’s not hard to find Mom from afar talking to a few other guests. I approach them with trepidation.

“Ah! Julia, here you are!” Mom exclaims, her tone welcoming as her gaze lands on me. “Come here and get to know everyone a little better.”

I force a smile and introduce myself, but my mind is elsewhere. I keep glancing around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Sebastian, but in vain. Just as I’m about to ask Mom when are we going home, she waves over the redheaded man I had met earlier and he approaches us, his eyes twinkling.Oh gosh! Not him!

“Tom, how lovely to see you again!” Mom goes and interlocks her arm with Tom’s, bringing him closer to me. “Darling, Tom was actually looking for you.”

“Really?” I ask, feigning interest.

Tom seems a bit embarrassed as he pulls a tight smile. “Yes, um, in fact I was telling your mom how much I’d love to dance with you before the ball ends, but I couldn’t find you.”

Before I can even open my mouth and speak, Mom does it first. “Well, Julia is here now and she’ll be delighted to dance.”

I’ve never hated Mom more than I do now. I force myself to smile and accept his invitation, despite wanting nothing more than to just leave the damn ball once and for all.

Tom shows me his arm and I hold it, making our way to the dancefloor. As we walk together, I try to ignore the sick feeling in my stomach. Tom is perfectly pleasant, but I’m just not interested. Every second feels like an eternity as we shuffle around to the slow music. The closeness of the dance makes me quite uncomfortable, and I cannot wait for this to be over soon enough.

Finally, the song ends and I breathe a sigh of relief. But before I can escape, Tom holds me by the wrist and says, “Let’s dance to this next song, please, it’s one of my favorites.”

I can feel my heart sinking at the thought of enduring another slow dance with him. But just as I'm about to reluctantly agree, I hear a voice behind me.

“I think the lady has had enough, Tom. Thank you.”

Recognizing the voice, I spin around to see the one and only Sebastian standing tall and imposing right there, dressed in a sharp tuxedo. My heart nearly hurdles into my throat as I stare like he is some sort of Adonis. He holds out a hand to me, and without hesitation, I take it. As he leads me away from Tom, and onto another part of the dance floor, closer to the center, I can feel everyone’s eyes on us, but it’s like I’m walking to heaven and everything else fades away.

As we get in position, my heart keeps racing, and my mind goes into overdrive. I can’t believe that I’m here, about to dance with him and feel his body close to mine. As he places a hand on the small of my back, it sends shivers down my spine, and I feel like I’m walking on air.

It’s all too easy to notice the way his eyes meet mine. They seem to see right through me, making me feel exposed, vulnerable, and yet, at the same time, so alive.

As we move to the music, I feel myself getting lost in the moment. It’s as if the world around us doesn’t exist, and all that matters is the two of us, moving in perfect harmony.

I can feel his breath on my neck as we sway back and forth, and I can’t help but fantasize about what it would feel like to kiss him.Gosh! Again?I try to push the thought out of my head, but it keeps creeping back in.

As the melody intensifies, he pulls me in for a dip, and I feel his arms tighten around me. I’m not sure if it’s the music or the way he’s holding me, but I feel like I could stay like this forever. My heart is pounding as Sebastian pulls me closer, but I don’t protest, liking the warmth of his body way too much.

“Why did you step in?” I ask, breaking our quiet silence. “Maybe I was having fun with Tom.”

There’s a hint of amusement in his voice as he says, “If your face was any indication, I'd say you were very far from it.”

Blood rushes to my cheeks, and I find myself flushing at his words. “I was, um, just thinking about the music, that’s all.”

“The music? Really?” He pulls me even closer, causing me to gasp.

“What are you doing? Everyone can see us!” The worry in my tone is evident, but Seb holds my chin up, forcing me to hold his gaze.

“Was it really the music you were thinking about?” He asks, his eyes burning into mine.

I feel my resolve crumbling under his scrutiny. Breaking eye contact, I lean to his ear and say in a whisper, “I'm afraid what I was thinking about will remain a secret.” I can’t help but inhale his cologne, trying to bury the smell in my memory.

“If I tell you a secret, would you share yours with me?” he asks, looking me again in the eye.

I notice how much we have slowed down our pace, and at this point, we are moving just the bare minimum to keep up appearances.

Feeling my heart pounding in my chest, I play along and murmur a quick, “Maybe.”

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