Alex

I blink and am brought back to reality. The reality where Enzo is currently dancing with me, his arms wrapped around my waist as everyone around us is still having fun and dancing to the beat.

I'm no longer having fun because I remember. Us, right now, made me remember the pain. It made me remember the coldness in his eyes as he told me our relationship couldn't work. It made me remember the way he left and never once gave me any sign of life for two damn years.

What hits me even more is the fact that Enzo doesn't look like he wants to leave, right now. This time, I'm the one who wants to run away.

His eyes bore into mine, and he lets me see the vulnerability and the softness in them. I want to look away, but I don't. I only mutter, "It feels familiar. Are you gonna leave me after the dance is over?"

His shoulders tense. I don't regret my words. Does he regret the ones he said a few years back? Probably not.

I look down at my feet, blinking repeatedly.

Don't break down right now. It's the fucking past, Alex.

His low voice brings my gaze back to his. "No," he says, getting closer to me. "Fuck, no, Alex. I wish I could go back in time to fix what I've done..."

And then he stops himself and looks away, his jaw clenching. There's something I'm missing. There's something he's not telling me.

I shake my head. I should stop analyzing everything. It's not like I was worth it, back then, or even today. That's why it's so easy for people to walk out of my life.

"Alex."

I look at him. His eyes are intense. Too intense. He's way too close.

"What?" I murmur, swallowing nervously.

"I'm sorry. I know it probably won't change anything. But I never wanted to hurt you."

He closes his eyes and shakes his head. I don't know how I manage to do it. I just remember the progress we've made over the past week, and so I force myself to pronounce the next few words.

Forgiving others and ourselves, like Elena said.

"It's...fine. It is, okay?" I clear my throat and smile softly. "It's the past. We should focus on the present, Enzo."

He looks surprised—no, intrigued. His gaze drops on my lips, and I'm gone. He can't do that now. He can't—

"What if in the present I want to do something really stupid?" he demands lowly, his eyes briefly meeting mine before they go back to my mouth.

Shit.

The words are stuck in my throat. Say something, for God's sake. I glance around me nervously before I look at his face again.

"Well, stupid things...are stupid." No shit, Sherlock. "You shouldn't do them." Right.

Enzo looks up, his brown eyes turning amused for the shortest moment before they're serious again.

I hate—love—when he's serious.

I'm screwed, damn it.

"Okay," he declares calmly. My heart definitely isn't. "What if it isn't stupid, then?"

Oh.

What do I say? What do I do? He's not giving me any clue to what he's thinking now. He looks me in the eyes, and he waits.

I wish I had my drink in my hands. I wish he wasn't so attractive. I wish I didn't feel anything at the moment.

"If it isn't stupid," I finally articulate, breathing hard, "then you should do it. Time is precious. You never know what can happen tomorrow."

Inhale. Exhale. There. I said what I had to say. And he seems to like my answer.

I start regretting it when he rests his forehead on mine. And then he whispers, "I really want to kiss you."

I take a shaky breath and close my eyes. It feels way too real. It's too good to be true, and that scares me.

His lips brush mine so gently I almost don't feel it. It's almost nothing, and yet it makes me shiver like crazy.

I should step back and walk away. I shouldn't let that happen. I don't want that to happen.

But you do.

Enzo stays there—his nose touching mine, his breath tickling my face, his mouth so close to mine—and then, once he knows I'm not going to reject him, he leans in and kisses me.

It's gentle, and it feels so familiar and amazing I almost want to cry. It makes me remember our first kiss; he's taking his time, my hands are resting on his chest, and I'm frozen on spot. But his lips and the way he makes me feel—so loved and precious to him—is all too familiar.

But things have changed. Time has passed. So why do I feel the same way?

Because he's Enzo. You never stopped loving him.

But he did. Didn't he?

The music stops. So does our kiss. When I open my eyes and meet his, I blush.

Blushing and being a red-haired woman is the worst. I look like a damn tomato.

I'm not only reddening because of the way he's currently staring at me, his eyes fulled of desire and questions. No, there's also the fact that everyone is currently staring at us.

Great. My eyes meet Elena's.

She's grinning.

I narrow my eyes.

There's an awkward silence. Even Xander is quiet, his eyes going from Enzo to me with a confused expression. He's about to say something probably funny to break this silence when something else happens.

The window in the living room explodes.

Enzo moves before I can, his body protecting mine from the pieces of glass. I think I scream in surprise, but everything happens so fast I can't think properly. Elena screams something, and then it's quiet.

I realize I'm on the floor, Enzo laying right beside me. He turns his head in my direction, his eyes full of concerned.

"You okay?"

I nod numbly, trying to understand what the hell just happened. This whole situation definitely feels familiar.

"What the hell?" I hear Elena say, and I stand up on shaky legs before I make my way to the window, Enzo behind me.

There's something on the floor.

A rock.

Jake picks it up and turns to face us, his expression somber. There's a folded paper taped to the rock. I cross my arms, anxiously waiting for him to read what's written.

He clears his throat. "Give me the girl."

I stiffen. Enzo snatches the paper from Jake's hands and reads the note himself. He clenches his jaw and runs a hand through his hair, turning to face the window.

"Son of a bitch," he mutters under his breath.

I stay still and try to process everything.

Give me the girl.

Yep. That girl is me. I'm fucking special like that.

Goddamnit.

"I told you," Xander comments quietly, scratching the back of his head. "Something was going to happen for sure."

We should have listened to him.

*

Hi! I'm back with a NEW CHAPTER!

I finished editing SAMB and sent the manuscript to my editor, so I'm back to writing the sequel. 😁

I don't know if I'll be able to write a lot right now and update regularly yet, but I know I'll at least update more when SAMB if published.

If you're not on IG and haven't seen the cover reveal...

It'll probably be out at the end of July. Fingers crossed! I'll make an update when it's out.

Anyway, don't forget to vote! It means everything and takes one second to do. 💛

I'll see you in the next chapter! ;)