Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 234779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1174(@200wpm)___ 939(@250wpm)___ 783(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 234779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1174(@200wpm)___ 939(@250wpm)___ 783(@300wpm)
I can’t really argue with that.
___
As long as homecoming felt, this dance seems to fly right by.
Hunter was right. When the snow king and queen are announced, our names are called. He takes my hand and hauls me up on stage with him, and while I’m still not comfortable with so many eyes on me, it doesn’t feel as frightening as the night of homecoming.
He was right about the other thing, too.
Valerie must have been holding out hope that she would win, because when my name is called instead of hers, she stands at the front of the crowd in her tight silver dress and seethes with rage.
I don’t pay much attention to her, though. I’m not worried she’ll pull anything tonight. Whether she likes it or not, she knows I have Hunter’s protection now. She knows he’ll retaliate if she does anything to me.
Once Hunter and I have our crowns and sashes, we get to take another photo with them on while the principal finishes up his announcements.
Then it’s time for the king and queen to dance. Hunter takes my hand and hauls me out on the dance floor.
The music that begins to play isn’t like the rest of tonight’s playlist. It’s Christmassy and classical, the kind of music you imagine people waltzing to at a real royal ball. The kind of music we did dance to at the ball in New York.
The music brings me back to that night—the better parts of it, anyway. Being held in Hunter’s arms and whisked across the dance floor. Hunter must be feeling it, too, because he leans down and kisses me.
I’m so swept up in the romance of the moment, dancing with my perfect man, it would be really easy not to notice anything else.
But even though I’m not worried about Valerie like I was at homecoming, that whole awful experience trained me to keep an eye on her. Even though I’m thoroughly enjoying this moment with Hunter, I’m very aware of where she’s standing.
She’s right up front watching us. Her silver dress is shiny so it catches the light. She’s hard to miss if you’re as aware of her as I am.
So I don’t miss it when she reaches beside her and grabs Wally by his tie. I don’t miss it when she yanks him close and crushes her lips against his.
My heart falls. Not only because she’s kissing him, but because of his response. He doesn’t pull away, stunned. He doesn’t break the kiss and demand to know what the hell she’s doing.
He grabs her around her tiny waist and pulls her flush against him, deepening the kiss with the kind of easy familiarity that makes me think this isn’t the first time they’ve kissed.
“Oh, God.”
Hunter’s grip on me tightens protectively, even though he doesn’t know what has upset me. He turns to look in that direction, and his face freezes with shock.
Next to Wally, white as a sheet and looking as if she can’t breathe, is Sara.
We stop dancing, but the train wreck isn’t over. Before I can break away from Hunter and run over to Sara, Anderson inexplicably gets involved, shoving Wally away from Valerie and asking what the hell he’s doing.
Valerie takes a step back, her gaze jumping to Anderson. He looks at her as if he’s wounded. I can’t tell what she says to him, she says it too quietly, all I know is he raises his gaze back to Wally and says something else to him. Wally doesn’t back down and takes a step toward him, and then Anderson lunges at Wally and takes a swing at him.
Finally catching on to something happening, people in the crowd start to part to give them space. There are gasps and murmurs as people realize a fight has broken out, but I’m not looking at any of that. All I’m looking at is Valerie, because she’s looking at me with a little smirk on her face.
I shake my head at her, my face twisted with disgust. “You’re pathetic,” I mouth, so she knows I’m not impressed by her bullshit.
Her smile slips, but I don’t give her any more of my attention. Teachers and chaperones have broken through the crowd to pull Wally and Anderson off each other. Sara is still standing there in her purple dress. She hasn’t moved an inch. It’s like her feet are rooted to the ground.
I go to her, grabbing her arm. “Come on.”
She doesn’t say anything, just numbly lets me pull her away from the fight.
Chapter Sixty Seven
Riley
My heart pounds as I shove my way through the crowded gymnasium. I find a little alcove in the back corner where there aren’t any people and stop there.
I turn around to face Sara. She’s pale and expressionless. I think she’s in shock.
“She kissed him,” she finally says.