Reaching our friends, I shake hands with Kane as Fiona and Amberlyn hug.

“You look amazing.”

She grins as she cuddles into me. “Thanks, did you guys enjoy your dinner?”

Fiona’s face flushes as she shrugs. “We skipped it.”

Amberlyn rolls her eyes as she laughs. She looks around the room. “It’s beautiful in here.”

“Yeah, it is,” Fiona agrees. “Is this a new ballroom? I don’t remember this being the one we celebrated your birthday in.”

“Thanks. It’s the newer renovated ballroom; wait, you were there for my birthday?” I ask, surprised I missed her, but then again, I spent most my time hiding. I didn’t even want to have the party, but my parents insisted. Had to keep face that our family was strong after what happened with Casey.

“I was. It was a great party. I only saw you like once. It’s so weird, ya know? Before I didn’t get to know you, now I do. It’s nice.”

We share a smile as I nod. “It is.”

When a waiter passes, I reach for two glasses of champagne, giving one to Amberlyn before taking a sip of the bubbly drink. “The drink I owe ya.”

She laughs as she takes a quick drink and then says, “Next is dancing.”

I shake my head. “Not here. Maybe later.”

Her brow comes up. “Why not here?”

“Everyone is staring, love. Let’s lay low, just go with it.”

Her eyes narrow as she sets me with a look. “Who cares if they are staring? I sure don’t. I want to dance with my boyfriend in this beautiful ballroom. Are you going to dance with me, or do I need to find someone else?”

Now my eyes narrow before I say, “The hell you will.”

She grins as she hands Fiona her drink, slowly backing up. “Well, then you better come on,” she challenges and I grin as I hand Kane my drink to follow her. Reaching for her, I pull her against me and stand there as she moves against me to some pop song I know my sister must have chosen. I can feel people staring, and the anxiety is eating at me. I want to let go like Amberlyn has. She’s dancing like no one is watching, as if it is only us two in the room, but that is hard for me.

When she pulls me close, I think it is for a kiss. I slightly tense because the last time I kissed this gorgeous girl in public, we ended up in the papers. But instead, she whispers in my ear, “Just let go.”

I pull back some, a grin curving my lips as I hold her gaze. “I’m trying.”

“No, you’re not. You’re super tense. No one matters but us. As long as we are having fun, why does it matter who’s staring?”

I hold her gaze for a long time as she grins up at me with no cares in the world. All she cares about is me, and I couldn’t love her any more than I already do for it.

“It doesn’t,” I say and she nods, her grin growing.

“That’s right, so let go. Have fun with me.”

Holding her closer, I run my nose along hers before capturing her mouth with mine. We kiss and tease as we move and soon no one is there. Only Amberlyn and her gorgeous, aquamarine eyes. The eyes that captivate me. When the song changes to a slow one, she wraps her arms around my neck and I hold her waist as we slowly sway to an old Michael Bublé track.

“So my uncle called today.”

“Yeah?” I ask. “Your uncle back in America, right?”

“Yeah, his girlfriend is pregnant and he was questioning how I like it here, because I guess they want to settle somewhere and probably hope I’d want to stay here so he can have my parents’ home.”

I can only blink as I hold her gaze. “What did you say?”

“I told him that he can buy my parents’ house from me. I know that’s crazy ’cause we’ve only been dating for like seven weeks, but I can’t think of leaving you or the only family I have. Even if for some off-the-wall reason we don’t work, I love it here. I love the family I have here, and I’m happy. I know once I start school that things will be strained between us, but I think we might work, ya know? I don’t know, is this crazy?” she exclaims, her face turning red.

I shake my head as I gather her closer, running my nose along hers. “No, it’s not crazy and we will work ’cause like you, I feel we will. I’m invested here, Amberlyn. Whole heartedly.”

Her eyes shine as she holds my gaze. “Me too.”

Does that mean she loves me? Our gaze is heated, and I can’t look anywhere but in her beautiful eyes. The words are there and I almost utter them but before I can, the song ends and Fiona is there beside us.

“Amberlyn, you have to come see the chocolate fountain and come to the powder room with me because all these people scare me.”

I want to tell Fiona to wait, but Amberlyn is laughing as she nods. “Okay, I’ll be back.”

Kissing me quickly on the cheek, she is off and as I watch her, I know that I can’t wait anymore.

I have to tell her I love her.

The chocolate fountain is amazing.

After eating way more sweets than I need to, I follow Fiona to the bathroom and wait alongside the sink with my thoughts drifting back to Declan. The word good doesn’t even give how he looks justice. Fucking hot is more like it. The suit he is wearing hugs every single inch of him and is tailored just for him. It’s a charcoal color with an off-white tie. He’s gorgeous and I love being on his arm, centered in his gorgeous gaze. He makes me feel like I’m the only girl in the world, and I can’t get enough of it.

When my uncle called earlier, it was too easy to agree to sell the house. While my heart hurts to know that I am letting go of the only thing that my mom and dad shared with me, I know it needs to be done. I have to let go of everything to move on completely. I still have all the important things, and my uncle agreed to ship all those things here. I am thinking that I might get my own place, maybe rent a flat in town so that I’ll still be close to the pub. I’m not sure. I might wait and stay at the pub with my family, or maybe Declan and I will want to get a place. I’m not sure but either way, I am so excited to start my life and I hope that it’s with Declan. I am putting my whole heart in his hands, and I can’t help but feel like it is the right thing to do. It as if my mom sent him to me, the perfect man, all for me.

With a content grin on my face, I wait as Fiona washes her hands before looking at me in the mirror while she does her hair. “Having fun?”