Page 130

“Remember what you said earlier?” I lower my voice to barely a whisper as the world’s worst idea takes shape. “About dragging Jordan out of here?”

Her face lights up. “If you mean kidnapping him, I approve. Let’s go find him.”

Nicole pulls me away from the guys and tucks my arm in hers, leading me down the red carpet to the main doors. I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m kidding, and maybe I am. So why does making Jordan my love slave sound like such a good idea?

“Can you believe what they did to the place? No boring art exhibits tonight.”

She’s right. Instead of being the showcase, the art forms a subtle backdrop to the hot-pink glow of the decorations—from the cardboard arch at the entrance to the tissue-paper flowers plastered to every surface. Jordan would’ve undoubtedly made some snarky comment about a Barbie fashion explosion and wasted youth. God, I miss him.

As soon as we step inside, Jeremy grabs Nicole from behind, lifting her from the ground.

“Hey, Kennedy!” he shouts over the sound of The Psychedelic Furs. Apparently, the Pretty in Pink theme runs deeper than the decor.

“Put me down, you big jerk! This dress was expensive.” Nicole squeals as Jeremy twirls her in the air.

“Sorry, no can do.” Jeremy hoists her over his shoulder and turns toward the dance floor. “Let’s dance!”

“Jeremy, wait!” My pulse pounds in my throat. Kidnapping may be extreme, but it beats following through with the competition. If sex is on the table tonight, there’s only one man I want as my partner. I only hope it’s not too late to beg his forgiveness. “Is he here yet?”

Jeremy spins back to me.

With one look at his sad smile, my last shred of hope dies. “He’s not coming, is he?”

Jeremy shakes his head. “Did you expect him to come watch you pick another guy?”

With a solemn shake of my head, I concede defeat. “I don’t blame him for staying home.”

Jeremy jostles Nicole, earning another shriek. He laughs off her protests, then smirks at me. “You may have broken the guy’s heart, but it’s not like he’s sitting at home crying in his Cheerios. He had other plans.”

Jealousy sinks its teeth into me. “What other plans?”

Ignoring my question, Jeremy turns toward the dance floor with Nicole in tow. “Come on, baby, my song’s almost over.”

“Wait!”

“We’ll be back!” Nicole dissolves into giggles as they disappear into the crowd.

“Everything okay?” Elijah slides an arm over my shoulder, and I resist the urge to shake it off.

I force a smile. “Everything’s fine.”

“Want to dance?”

That’s the last thing I want to do, but I nod, and Elijah leads me to dance floor as the up-tempo song fades into the familiar chords of “In Your Eyes.” I half expect to see Jordan crossing the room with a boom box raised over his head, but when I look for him, he isn’t there.

“Did you ask them to play this?” Even I can hear the hurt in my voice as I hurl the accusation. It can’t be a coincidence. Not twice in one night.

He barks out a bitter laugh. “No, Kennedy, I didn’t ask anyone to play anything, and I don’t get the significance of why that would upset you.”

“It doesn’t upset me, it’s . . .” I can’t find the words to explain. He wouldn’t understand anyway.

Elijah takes a step back, and we’re the only two people in the middle of the dance floor not dancing. “It’s what? You’ve been acting strange all evening. Why do you hate this song?”

My eyes well up, and I blink back tears. “I don’t hate it.”

“Then what?”

He waits for me to explain, but I can’t. How can I put into words what the song means to me? Maybe Mom was right. Maybe it is fate. My heart takes off like helicopter blades, slicing me from the inside out, and I turn on my dangerous heels and make a break for it, shoving my way across the dance floor.