“I’m in love with Miles Lindon,” I said to the room, with the confidence of my auctioneering voice. “Does anyone have anything they’d like to say about it now it’s all out in the open?”
“Speak now or forever hold your peace,” Miles added, and I couldn’t hold back a tiny spark of a laugh at the pure sad craziness of all of this.
Again, you could hear a pin drop.
“Good,” Miles said, with the confidence of his auctioneering voice. “Then I guess it’s time the band started back up. Nothing more to see here, folks.”
The bustle of the guys and girls on stage was a wave of shrugs before they started up again with a lively number, and slowly but surely the crowd shrugged to match and went about their chatter.
Miles leaned in really close, pressing a smile against my ear. “Well, that was quite a dramatic way to reveal our truth,” he said, and I turned my face to his.
“Way to kill a whole town’s worth of gossiping birds with one stone,” I said, and planted my first public kiss on his lips.
He sighed and pressed his forehead to mine. “Do you want us to head back to yours to try to reason with your parents?”
I shook my head. “No. I want to get back to yours and celebrate our first night as an official couple. Plus, Mum and Dad won’t be up for the conversation. Not for quite some time.” I paused. “I’m hoping we can christen the beginning of our new Faith and Miles life together.”
His eyes sparkled.
My smile bloomed bright.
“Now that really does sound like a celebration,” he said, and led the way.
Holly was waiting, still open-mouthed in the doorway as we reached her.
“Holy shit!” she laughed. “Jeez, Faith, at least you waited until I’d stepped inside the place before you dropped the big bombshell on the whole universe.”
I pulled her in for a hug. “Sorry,” I said. “I was planning on being here to at least grab a champagne with you before the night was up.”
I looked her up and down, surprised to find just how glamorously she was made up considering she’d been working so late. A dark red ballgown with beautiful glitter eye makeup sparkling bright.
Her cheeks burned so rosy, and I couldn’t read her expression, not for the very first time in years of friendship.
Not until someone cleared their throat behind us… and that person was Stephen Jones from warehousing, all dressed up in a tux.
“Oh, wow,” I said, with a grin, and Miles was grinning too, clearly as taken aback as I was. “When did this, um…”
She rolled her eyes. “Maybe during one of the crazy long stints you’ve been slamming into saving a bazillion kittens.” Her laugh was amazing. “I thought it could be a surprise.”
It was definitely that alright, and a good one. He looked as happy as she did when he took up position at her side and wrapped an arm proudly around her shoulder.
“Turns out our cousins know each other,” he said. “Small town.”
“It sure is that,” I agreed, and gestured to the room as I squeezed Miles tight. “Everyone knows everyone.”
“And everyone else’s business,” Miles added, but it didn’t matter. Not anymore.
We were both very proud of ours. It was beaming from both of our faces, I’m sure.
“Get away with you,” Holly laughed. “You’re practically gagging to get home. You’re both damn well itching for it.”
I grabbed her for another hug, and she swayed me so hard in her arms.
“I’m really pleased you got your dream,” she whispered. “You deserve it.”
“And you deserve a good dream yourself with Stephen,” I whispered back. “I’ve heard he’s a decent guy.”
“He sure seems that way,” she said.
I watched with a grin as Stephen led her to the dance floor and Miles did too.
“You ready, Cinderella?” he asked, and I nodded.
“Time to go home with my prince,” I said, and it was the greatest feeling ever, walking out of there hand in hand.Chapter FortyMilesShe was a pool of such deep colours as we made our way home that night, hand in hand. Hope and pain and guilt and excitement, all of them blending like rainbow shades in the darkness.
All of those shades and love.
Love from both of us, so grateful to finally be expressed.
I, too, had a deep pit of guilt for the friends of mine I’d betrayed so badly, by taking their daughter, but love knows no boundaries. Especially not with a beautiful eighteen year old woman at my side who had captured my soul.
We were quiet on the way back, swaying close and pondering our new world together, both of us trying to digest our new road ahead.
I was just truly grateful. Grateful at never again having to watch her pull away and wave a mute goodbye as she left me.