Chapter 26.


    The following days pass by in a blur.


    Maverick and I got closer than before after I told him all that happened in the past shitty year of my life.


    He''s more protective now, I think, like I''m a fragile ss he wouldn''t want to break.


    I can remember him freaking out the other day when I spilled hot water on my hands while trying to


    make coffee. It was cute. Not the hot water stuff though, I screamed like a woman inbor.


    Lately, we''ve gone back to just dieting as he has a lot of work piled up already and won''t be able to go


    jogging in the mornings as frequently as we used to.


    It''s been a month since we met and my feelings for Maverick grow stronger every time he cracks one of


    his swooning grins at my silly moments. I look at him in the littlest moments, like when he brushes his


    teeth, or tug at one of his brown locks absentmindedly, and I am breathless knowing it doesn''t take a


    million-dor telescope to notice the crushing beauty of the universe.


    I''m scared to tell him. I know he has other issues to deal with and I hate to be one of those issues but I


    don''t know how long I can suppress this new feeling.


    I fling open the door of my wardrobe and stare at it like a dress would jump out itself if I stare hard


    enough.


    It''s the night of the ball party and I can''t figure out a dress to wear. I try out a few sleeveless gowns I


    find out they''re not my style. Why''d I even shop for them anyway?


    I finallye up with a dress after turning my whole closet upside down. I almost don''t recognize my


    own self when I step in front of my mirror.


    I''m wearing a Navy blue dress with pearls that are beaded into thece. It''s V necked and stops right


    above the beginning of my stomach not to forget the off-shoulder that exposes all of my skin. My outfit


    is paired up with stiletto high heeled diator sandals.


    My makeup, like my outfit, is bold with my lips being the center of attraction. The mascara entuated


    on my eyes makes them pop while my lips are painted in a nude lipstick.


    I can''t remember thest time I dressed like this. Correction, I''ve never dressed like this.


    "Hey," I see Maverick pop his head into the room. "You done?"


    "Kind of," I say, unsure of whether to clean the whole makeup and storm the party with my hoodie and


    jean. My eyes sweep up his body and I suck in a breath.


    He''s wearing a suit.


    The night-ck ensemble fit his tall, athletic figure well.


    He looks younger all suited up. I like it as much as I liked the slight trace of facial hair that often


    bordered his full lips like a dark shadow. His hair is neatly styled away from his forehead as usual.


    From the mirror, I see him walk up behind me and ces his hands on my arms, slowly gliding them


    down my own hands. A shiver runs down my spine when he interlocks his fingers with my tiny ones,


    crisscrossing each of my arms with his and enveloping my body with his warmth.


    He leans down to bury his face in the crook of my neck and nuzzles his nose against my now racing


    pulse.


    "Why so worked up?" He says into my neck. "You''re all jittery."


    "I''m nervous," I admit honestly. "What if tonight doesn''t go as we nned?"


    He raises his head up to look at me. "And what did we have nned?"


    I think about it for a moment before frowning at myself. "Nothing."


    "Exactly. Just be yourself tonight and avoid trouble."


    I want to listen to him but with Tony at that party tonight, I can''t make any promises.


    ~~~~~~~~


    Maverick''s cares to a stop in front of a mansion. I can see the colossal pinewood doors wide open


    where the maroon carpet begins. There''s a slight buzzing in the air as people I can''t recognize walks


    around in their long borate dresses and suits. Cameras shes from different angles of the


    entrance.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "This is huge," I say as he helps me out of the car and slides his hands down to meet mine. We walk in


    together and all eyes darts from every direction to us. "Everyone''s looking. Why is everyone looking?"


    "Chill out, its normal. Just smile and wave," I do as he instructs as I''m greeted back with smiles and


    more stares.


    "Isn''t the Mayor supposed to be at gatherings like this?" I ask, surveying therge crowd of people.


    Yeah, I''m definitely going to shit my pants if Ie face to face with the Mayor considering what


    happened weeks ago.


    "Who cares? He''s probably giving birth to illegitimate children," I want to chuckle at his statement but


    the way he says it sounds... Personal?


    I feel him tense beneath my hands as his features harden. "Tony at 3 O''clock."


    My eyes dart towards the direction and I see him in all his glory. He looks macho than thest time I


    saw him and his hair is now in curly locks. I thought I was ready to see him but now that I''m watching


    him walk up the stage, my breath hitches and the back of my eyes burn at his sight.


    Maverick gives my hand a slight squeeze which somehow reassures me.


    "I wee everyone to the 5th Annual Ball," He begins and cheers erupts from the crowds,


    everywhere is silent again after some moments. "A year has 365 days; this is the same for everyone,


    but how different it seems to a child or young person, to an Adult or Elderly person. There is a long time


    till Christmas, a whole year until one''s birthday, and an eternity to the summer holidays."


    "What I would like to talk to you about is the important period that we call the new year. This is a time


    when we make the new year''s resolutions, this is the time when we could make some determination


    about the things we have been thinking about during Christmas. Sometimes, after some great event is


    over, we close our minds on it and forget about what we have done. That is, after Christmas, we pack


    our boxes of ornaments and tinsel. The Christmas themes are taken off the radio and we go back to


    doing the things that we did before. Of course, when we do that, we miss one of the greatest values of


    Christmas."


    "I know most of us gathered here are already sessful in what we do but here''s a toast to the future,


    a toast to the past, and a toast to our friends far and near. Happy new year."


    There''s thunderous pping heard in all areas of the room. Everyone is pping. Everyone except


    Maverick and me.


    "I need to go to the restroom," I say before spinning around on my heels but I''m held back firmly on my


    wrist as Maverick looks down at me, with concern clouding his eyes. "I''ll be fine."


    He lets go hesitantly and I dash off to a corner, wanting to be alone and away from people. Especially


    Him.


    My chest heaves up and down heavily as I try to steady my intake of breaths. Tony can''t have that type


    of effect on me anymore. Whatever that happened is already in the past. I can''t keep reying the pain


    all in my brain like an old song stuck in your head.


    "I didn''t think you''de," I freeze at the sound of the familiar voiceing from beside me. "You


    changed, I almost didn''t recognize you."


    "I''m not here to see you," I say, my voice spitting out coldness.


    "Of course not."


    "Then what do you want?"


    "I want to apologize," Tony says and I almost can''t believe my eyes... I meant ears. "I shouldn''t have


    taken you for granted. It was a dick move which I''ll always regret because it cost me you. I know I


    wasn''t the perfect boyfriend but if you could give us another chance, I swear to God..."


    "Shut up!" I yell. My whole body is about to explode from anger. How dare he. "You can''t treat me like


    shit all these years and expect me toe running back to you just because you ''apologized''. You


    don''t know what I went through the nights you were away, you never cared. You weren''t there when I


    needed you the most, or when I even needed you at all. I deserved to be loved and to be missed. I


    deserved to have someone who notices the emptiness in the air when I''m not around!"


    Almost everyone is looking in our direction already and he too looks speechless by my outburst. My


    chest feels a lot lighter now that I''m letting it all out, but there''s still more I have to say, so I continue.


    "I thought I couldn''t move on until He came along, my cure for heartbreak and he''s everything you''re


    not. He told me he was going to make you pay by bringing out the best in me, the best in April. And I


    am proud of the oue because dear lord, you should see the look on your face right now."


    "And does he feel the same way I felt, or feel about you?" Tony asks and I pause. The one question


    I''ve been blocking from my mind since. There''s a possibility my feelings are not being reciprocated and


    Maverick''s just being a really sweet person with no ulterior motive, the thought of that possibility


    disheartens me.


    "He does, more than you''d ever think," We both turn to the direction of the voice to see Maverick


    standing almost ten feet away from us. "He''s a gentleman, you see, being able to live with an amazing


    woman for a month without having her climb his voluptuous body over, and over, and over. I am He. He


    is me."


    He walks over to us, standing between Tony and me and jabbing a finger to his chest. "And you need


    to fuck off."


    I''m grinning foolishly from ear to ear when he faces me and cups my face with a hand. "You did well.


    I''m proud of you, but there''s something I''ve always wanted to do when I got the chance."


    My brows furrow as he lowers his mouth to my ear area and whispers, "Don''t freak out." Then in one


    swift motion, I feel his hot lips cover mine.