I caught Katie’s eye as I was slipping out of the room, heading for the doors that led to the stairs. Her eyes widened as a small grin appeared on her face.
She knew.
She saw him.
I mean, she had only seen him once—when he randomly showed up at the house the other day to give me back my ID—but I’m telling you right now, Emmett had a face that was simply unforgettable.
I paused, staring directly at her, asking her—without even saying a word—if she’d cover for me.
She nodded, just once, and then went back to talking to another woman that had joined their group.
I wanted to jump with glee, but instead, I pushed through the doors as quietly as I could and sneakily slithered through the hallway like a con artist. I should have worn black!
I ran up the stairs, extremely pleased with the fact that I could run up stairs in heels without tripping and hurting myself. I guessed all those etiquette debutant classes my mother forced me into had paid off in the end.
As soon as I got to the third floor, I was winded and out of breath. My chest huffed and puffed, wanting to break out of my tightly fitting gown. It was a little hard to breathe with the fabric suffocating my ribcage.
I peeked my head forward, looking down one end of the hallway, but I didn’t see Emmett. I turned the other way and did the same, but I still didn’t see him.
Guilt started to pull at me.
Maybe I should just go back downstairs.
What are you even doing, Fallon? Ditching your future life? For what? A guy that made your heart skip a beat all to just leave him behind in the end? Turn around and go be the daughter you were meant to be.
I swallowed my pride and my want for something more and turned on my heel to head back to the gala, but that was when I heard him.
“Where are you going?”
My heart lit up like a sparkler on the Fourth of July. The fireworks were lit and ready to take off any second, all from the sound of his voice.
I spun back around, looking through the darkness of the hall, and that was when I spotted him. He appeared out of thin air, slowly creeping toward me.
Emmett wasn’t wearing the vest or bowtie any longer. He was sporting his black slacks and sleek shoes with that white dress shirt unbuttoned at the top.
He walked closer to me, and I did the same to him. I felt like I was walking on land mines – bright yellow “Danger” signs popping up with every step I took.
We met in the middle of the hallway, inches away from one another. My eyes automatically fell to the open part of his shirt, and an eagerness flew throughout me when I saw even more of his hidden tattoos displayed right there in the open.
I wanted to take his shirt off all the way just so I could learn what they were.
“What are you doing here, Emmett? I officially think you are the craziest person I’ve ever met."
He smirked.
“And I’m pretty sure I love it.” I laughed quietly.
Emmett locked his jaw and stared down into my eyes. My heart was pounding against my ribcage, nerves gripping my throat.
“I couldn’t take one more day of just talking on the phone. I had to see you.”
I laughed. “But here? You should have just asked me to hang out. We do have a bucket list to complete, you know.”
“I like you, Fallon.”
I gulped, briefly looking away. “Emmett…”
“Don’t say it. I already know.” He stepped back and rolled his eyes. “You’re not mine for the keeping. Trust me, I know. You’ve told me that more times than I can count.”