Falling For My Nemesis

“I don’t know why it matters, anyway. Not when you’re ditching me to spend time with Olivia. Tell me. . .when you were supposed to meet Mrs. Parks with me, and then this morning when you were supposed to meet me at the market, where were you? Did you and Olivia have fun laughing at me this morning? Oh, poor, little Mia, getting stood up. How funny.”

His eyes widened, giving himself away, but I wasn’t done. The tears came back, stinging my eyes with a vengeance. “So why do you care what I do, when you so clearly do whatever you want?”

He gripped my arms in his hands and yelled, “Because you matter to me. Don’t you get it?”

I swallowed.

Silence consumed the air around us. I mattered to him.

“You’ve always mattered. All these years, the stupid fights, the teasing. . .It was all just a way to get to you.” Carson drew in a shaky breath, then turned around and shoved his hands in his hair, pacing before he pivoted back around to face me. “I thought we had something; you know? I thought”—he shook his head—"I don’t know, like, we were working toward something, and then I go in his room, and I see that, and I—”

“It was a mistake,” I said, hoping he’d listen. “For the record, Ethan kissed me. I didn’t even kiss him back, and though I admit I was in shock for a second, I pushed him away the moment I even realized what had happened. And it was awful. Like really, really awful.” I grimaced.

I could only imagine what Ethan would say if he heard me, but it was the truth, and I had to make Carson believe me. “It was like kissing my grandfather,” I said, stealing Ethan’s words.

I was totally blowing this. If I were Carson, I would never believe me, which meant whatever we had was over. All because of that single moment Ethan decided to become jealous.

I was going to throttle him.

I brought my fingers to my temples, panic swelling in my chest. “He apologized afterward and said he was just freaked out because he got jealous of the time we were spending together and how everything was changing. I have never liked Ethan in that way. Not in the nine years I’ve known him. He has always been just a friend to me. I like you.” Then in a softer voice, I mustered my courage and said, “You’re the one I want.”

His eyes locked on mine.

“I know it’s crazy,” I said. “I mean, me and Carson Brooks? Who would’ve thought, but I—” His mouth crushed mine, and I had never been more grateful to not have to finish a sentence.

He kissed me dizzy. Kissed away my words, all my fears. And when he pulled away, his gaze flickered over my face, assessing. “How was that?”

I exhaled. “I’m not sure.” He frowned in response, and I added, “You better kiss me again. Just to be sure.”

Then he grinned and kissed me again.

EPILOGUE

I smoothed the bodice of my royal-blue velvet dress and smiled. It was a miracle I found one on such short notice, but not only did I find a gown, I found one I loved. It was gorgeous with long, sheer sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. It fit my curves like a glove, and when I walked, the slit gave a peek of my legs and sky-high silver heels.

My prince paused when he saw me step outside. Based on the slight widening of his eyes and the hitch in his step, I knew I chose well, and I counted off my list of accomplishments in my head.

Carson mesmerized.

My very own Prince Charming carrying a bouquet of red roses.

A date with the most handsome guy at Sweet Water.

My gaze flickered over his perfectly tailored navy-blue suit and silver tie. His dark hair had been tamed into a stylishly messy quaff, and his blue eyes glittered—brighter than any ocean I’ve ever seen.

Carson resumed his way up the walkway, his eyes fixed on my face. I smiled at him, and when he finally reached me, he handed me the flowers, then placed a hand on his chest, over his heart and grinned. He shook his head and laughed a little before he leaned in and whispered, “You’re so beautiful, I’m speechless.”

When he pulled away, it took everything in me not to throw myself at him and kiss the smile off his face, but my parents were watching, so I maintained my dignity—just barely—and said, “Carson Brooks speechless? That’s a first.”

Smirking, he raised a brow. “Ready?”

When he reached out, offering me his arm, I nodded, turning briefly to my parents. They stood on either side of me. My father had moved out three days ago—the day after Christmas. It would take me a while to adjust to this new dynamic, but for tonight, I was focusing on the dance, on Carson, on my future.

I handed my mom the flowers and asked her to put them in water for me, then waved goodbye to them, and hooked my arm in Carson’s, allowing him to escort me to his Jeep. Leaning against the side of it were Ethan and Beth, both dressed in black.

I smiled at him as we drew near. In the end, he had been right. We both had dates to the Snowflake Ball.

My life may still be a mess, but for once, I wasn’t trying to control everything, and I no longer cared what people thought about me. If the last few weeks had taught me anything, it was to live in the moment and enjoy the ride. I couldn’t take responsibility for everything, only my own happiness. In the end, things would be okay. I would be okay.