Paper Hearts

  Alec closed the gap that was separating us. My pulse exploded when he reached up and fingered the beads at my throat, his knuckle gently sweeping across my collarbone. “I know I’ve said this before, but you’re really talented.”

  “I… Thank you,” I whispered, holding as still as possible.

  Is this really happening?

  “I took your advice about the whole do-what-inspires-you thing,” I rambled, a desperate attempt to keep Alec here in this moment. “Told my mom that I was ditching law school for jewelry design. Turns out you were right: I had this step-by-step plan for my life, and even though I would’ve been miserable, the thought of throwing it all away was too terrifying.”

  His face remained as blank as it had been for most of our conversation, but I didn’t miss the spark that flashed in his eyes. “And?”

  “Well, I don’t have everything figured out yet, if that’s what you’re asking, but I’m in the process of researching what schools would be a good fit for me.” I allowed myself a small grin. “Who knew not knowing every detail of my future could be so liberating?”

  “What did your mom say?”

  “She was surprisingly supportive.”

  He smiled for the first time since I’d ambushed him, but there was something off about it. He wasn’t looking at me, but through me. “You’re lucky,” he said, and I immediately knew he was thinking about his dad.

  My shoulders slumped as my momentary spurt of happiness faded. “I’m sorry about what happened with King.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t be. It’s for the best. If he hadn’t reneged, I never would’ve had the motivation to do my own thing. I was being a hypocrite, preaching to you about taking a risk when I was too afraid to take one myself.”

  “I think the situation is more complicated than you being afraid to go out on a limb,” I said. “But I’m glad you figured things out. I want you to be happy, Alec.”

  “I want the same for you,” he replied. After a moment’s pause, he tugged me into his arms, and somehow, it was like I’d never left. We stood like that forever, holding each other as the walls between us crumbled away.

  “Felicity?” he said, after some time.

  “Yeah?”

  Alec dropped his forehead onto mine, but didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. I knew exactly what he was thinking. I could feel it in the way he looked at me.

  I missed you.

  I missed you too.

  • • •

  “Holy purple.”

  Alec smiled as he guided me into the ballroom. “It’s my sister’s favorite color.”

  “Really?” I teased, glancing around at the party. “My guess would’ve been yellow.”

  Vanessa’s wedding planner had turned the expansive room into a magical garden of varying shades of violet. Overflowing bouquets of lilac filled the centerpieces; mauve drapery surrounded each crystal chandelier like petals of a flower, dipping down from the ceiling in half-circle loops before uniting with the rafters; plush periwinkle sofas were arranged in groups around the hall so guests could relax and chat if they grew tired from dancing, and the up lighting cast the walls in a lavender glow.

  Everything about the decor was extravagant. As horrible a person as King Williams was, he didn’t spare any expense on his daughter’s big day.

  Stella must have been watching for us, because we’d only made it ten feet inside before she materialized at my side.

  “Hey, you two!” Her greeting was overly cheerful.

  “Everything’s fine, Stella,” Alec said, even though she hadn’t asked a question. He lifted up our hands, which were locked together. “See? We’ve made up. No need to worry.”

  “Okay, first,” she replied, holding up a finger, “I never said I was worried. I had the utmost faith you guys would work things out, and Felicity can attest to that. Second, I didn’t come over here to check up on you guys.”

  Alec and I exchanged looks, and then he made a face at Stella as if to say, bullshit.

  “What? I’m serious.” Stella propped a hand on her hip. “I’m here to keep Felicity company while you guys preform.”

  “Already?” Alec asked, craning his neck around.

  I followed his gaze to a stage where a live band was playing, and to the side of the platform stood the remaining three Heartbreakers—Xander was tuning his guitar while JJ repeatedly poked Oliver with his drumsticks.

  Turning back to Stella, Alec said, “Isn’t it too early?”

  She shook her head. “Vanessa’s been asking.”

  “But—”

  “No buts.” She gave him a gentle shove in the direction of the stage. “You’re the one who promised your sister a show, remember? It’s only a few songs. We’ll be right here when you’re done.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I told Alec when he looked to me for confirmation. “I promise.”

  “All right,” he said with a nod. “See you in a bit.”

  I watched as Alec skirted around the party to join his friends. As soon as he had the strap of his bass over his head, the Heartbreakers took the stage. I expected Oliver to greet the crowd, but he hung back and let Alec step up to the microphone.

  “Hello?” He tapped the mic. “Can I have everyone’s attention please?”

  A hush swept through the ballroom, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling when Alec brushed a hand over his bangs.

  “Um, hi,” he said once it was quiet. “I didn’t make a toast during dinner, so here we go. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Alec and I’m the very proud little brother of the beautiful bride. I want to start off by congratulating the newlyweds and thanking you all for making the trip here today. Many of you flew in from different parts of the world. I believe that’s a testament to how amazing the couple standing before me is, that we all want to be here to celebrate this special day with Vanessa and Chris. On behalf of the entire Williams clan, I would like to welcome my new brother in-law into our family and…”

  Stella leaned over and whispered in my ear. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard him say so much in one go before. Color me impressed.”

  “I’m not,” I answered, my eyes still locked on Alec. He must have shared a funny memory or cracked a joke, because the crowd laughed. “One of the first things he told me about himself is how close he is with Vanessa. He would do anything for his sister, even give a speech.” Alec and I had that in common, and it was one of the main reasons why we understood each other so well.

  Stella tipped her head. “Makes sense. I can relate to that on a personal level—Ooh, look! Oliver’s up.”

  Back onstage, Alec had passed the microphone to Oliver, who adjusted the stand before charming the audience with his trademark smile.

  “Good evening, party people! I hope everybody is having a fantastic time so far tonight. As per the bride’s request, we are going to play a few songs. So without further ado, we’re the Heartbreakers and we hope you all enjoy the show!”

  JJ counted the band in, smashing his drumsticks together over his head, and they kicked things off with a cover of “Marry You” by Bruno Mars. As they played, Stella and I sang along. Five songs later, Alec whispered something in Oliver’s ear, set down his instrument, and hopped offstage. He cut through the mass of wedding guest as if he was on a mission, and I quickly lost sight of him.

  “All right, ladies and gents. We’re going to slow it down in here for the next few minutes,” Oliver announced. “This next song is dedicated to the little lady dressed in pink at the back of the room. Hi, Felicity! Sorry about this. Alec promised you’d turn bright red, so he alone should be held responsible for any embarrassment I might be causing at the moment.”

  Laughter filled the room, and not only did my face burst into flames, my entire body flushed.

  “Aw,” Stella gushed, and I gave her a small shove
to shut her up.

  “I’m going to kill him,” I muttered.

  “How about you dance with me instead?” Alec asked, stepping back into view. He didn’t give me a chance to turn him down. Taking my hand, he led me onto the dance floor and tugged me against his chest. My embarrassment dissolved as he placed a hand at my waist and held me close.

  “This is going to sound totally lame,” I said, “but I’ve never danced with anyone before. Sorry in advance if I crush your feet.”

  “You’ve never danced before?” Alec’s mouth gaped. “How is that even possible?”

  Well. This was more humiliating than I anticipated.

  “No, I mean with a guy. I don’t go to school formals. Between homework and actual work, my weekends are booked solid.”

  I didn’t add that I’d never been asked to one before. No point in embarrassing myself further. Asha always had an endless supply of guys wanting to be her date, but I was never that lucky. Usually Boomer and I hung out at the diner—me waitressing and him playing Game Boy—while she went to Homecoming or Spring Fling. But this past year, Asha wouldn’t let us miss out on Junior Prom since, according to her, it was the kind of memory that would last a lifetime. So Boomer and I went together, strictly as friends. The thought of slow dancing with him was strange, so we’d spent most of the night by the punch bowl, laughing at people’s bad dance moves and the couples who needed to get a room.

  My response made Alec happy, I could tell. He offered me a smug grin and spun us in a circle. “So I’m your first then, huh?”

  With the best brows-arched, are-you-shitting-me look I could muster, I said, “Better watch out. You’re on the verge of sounding like JJ.”

  Alec laughed so hard we had to stop dancing right in the middle of the floor. The other wedding guests glanced at us in curiosity as they drifted by, but I hardly noticed. The sound of his happiness was dazzling.

  “You know,” he said, grasping my hand and tugging me back against him once his laughter was under control. “I wanted to dance with you the night we met. It was when I saw you walking around the garden fountain. You were humming ‘Astrophil,’ your hair was starting to curl in the heat, and even though there was an extravagant masquerade taking place a few yards away, you were completely lost in your own world. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.”

  My breath caught in my throat. “So why didn’t you?”

  He shrugged—or made what passed as a shrug since his arms were wrapped around me. “We didn’t even know each other.”

  “And yet,” I said, as the song slowly faded. “I would’ve danced with you all night.”

  A grin returned to his face. “Good, because that’s exactly what I plan on doing.”

  Epilogue

  We were finishing off a pile of Nicoli’s homemade French toast when Rose’s phone vibrated against the table. She wiped her mouth with a napkin before glancing at the text. As she read it, her eyes went round.

  “No way!” The chair she’d been sitting on jerked backward as she shot to her feet. “I can’t believe it!”

  Asha froze, a fork poised halfway to her mouth. The last bite of sausage she’d speared fell off and hit the pool of syrup on her plate. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. This is perfect!” Rose turned to me. “When I found out you were coming for a visit, I arranged a surprise for you.” She was speaking at full tilt, like she couldn’t get her words out fast enough. “I didn’t know if my idea would work timing-wise, but something came up and now we’re in business!”

  I smiled despite my confusion. Man, was it good to be with my sister again.

  My grounding had lasted through the end of September, six full weeks where I was cut off from Asha, Boomer, and Alec. It was easier to handle not spending time with my friends because I saw them at school, and since things with Asha were tense, we didn’t talk much anyway.

  With Alec it was different. Between his work schedule and my imprisonment, we’d only been able to hang out twice following his sister’s wedding—both times when he’d stopped by the Electric Waffle during one of my shifts. Being apart from one another was maddening, especially considering we were still in the heart racing, stomach fluttering stage of our relationship. Nevertheless, we made the most of a bad situation by texting every day.

  But more than anyone, I missed Rose. We had so much time to make up for, and I hated that she lived so far away. The miles between us made me feel like I’d found her only to lose her again, so when my punishment finally came to an end, the first thing I did with my renewed freedom was go for a visit. Without a second thought, I purchased the cheapest flight I could find from LA to Seattle. I flew out to Washington on a Friday after school, this time with my mom’s permission.

  The only small hitch was Mom didn’t feel comfortable letting me travel alone, so I’d bribed Asha into coming with me. She’d needed a victim to rewatch all four seasons of Immortal Nights with her before the fifth and final season aired, and that was a price well worth paying. The marathon turned out to be a blessing in disguise. During the eighty plus hours of Lilliana LaCroix and her supernatural gang, I was able to mend the rift I’d caused in our friendship, no groveling required. Asha was so eager to hear about my rekindled romance with Alec that she forgave me on the spot.

  All things considered, I felt like my life was back on track after being derailed by the turbulent end to my summer.

  “What kind of surprise?” I asked, pulling my robe tighter. Undeterred by the October weather, Rose had the kitchen window propped open, allowing a crisp, morning breeze to drift through the room.

  Her mouth curled into a sly grin. “Go get dressed and then you’ll see.”

  I nodded, then brought my dirty dishes over to the sink before heading to the guest room Asha and I were sharing. Rose was in scheme mode, I could tell. Whatever she was up to, it had better not interfere with today’s touring itinerary. I had our entire weekend planned out down to the minute, and today was no exception.

  There were so many places I wanted to go in Seattle, like the Chihuly glass exhibit that Asha had mentioned. I’d read up on the city since my last stay, and in addition to the main tourist attractions like Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, visiting the Fremont Troll and the Museum of Pop Culture were at the top of my to-do list.

  When I returned to the kitchen ten minutes later, Asha was already gone. She’d made plans to hang out with her cousin but would return later tonight in time for our flight home.

  Sitting at the table in her place was my boyfriend.

  I stopped midstride and did a double take. “Alec? What are you doing here?”

  Based on his outfit, it looked as if he’d just returned from a wilderness expedition. He was wearing a red and black lumberjack flannel, and there was a windbreaker draped over the empty chair at his side. A gray beanie was pulled over his head, and strapped to his feet was a pair of heavy-duty hiking boots. Most surprising of all, however, was the stubble on his face. He was normally clean-shaven, but Alec appeared to have lost his razor. That, or he really had been traversing the wild these past few days.

  I’d never envisioned him as an outdoorsy type, not even when I learned of his love for hiking and mountaineering. But now, seeing Alec dressed like someone out of a North Face catalogue, I was able to appreciate this other side to him, a side he didn’t often share with the rest of the world.

  “Wow,” he said, standing to greet me. “That wasn’t the warm welcome I was hoping for. What gives? Not happy to see me?”

  Alec’s teasing cured my shock, and I threw myself at him in response, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as he lifted me off the ground. “Of course I am,” I laughed. “It’s just that I don’t understand.”

  “He’s your surprise, dork,” Rose responded. She was leaning against the countertop, observing us as she sipped at her morning caffeine. Her lip
s curved up over the top of her coffee mug. “I figured you guys haven’t seen much of each other lately, so I extended an invitation to him.”

  “I didn’t know if I’d make it, so we decided not to tell you,” Alec added. “The band was supposed to have a major meeting about our upcoming tour tonight, but our manager Courtney came down with the flu. I caught the first flight out as soon as I heard it was postponed.”

  “That’s awesome!” I exclaimed, and when Alec raised his brows, I quickly backtracked. “Well, not the part about your manager getting sick. I hope she feels better soon. What I meant was, I’m super excited to see you.”

  Alec grinned and brushed back one of my escaped curls. “I know,” he said, planting a kiss on my forehead. His face felt like sandpaper. “I’m excited to see you too.”

  Twenty minutes later, we were cruising down the highway in the Jeep Wrangler Alec had rented at the airport. It was just the two of us, since Rose claimed she had errands to run. But we all knew she was only making an excuse, giving Alec and me an opportunity to spend time together.

  I couldn’t be more grateful.

  Although this was supposed to be a sisters’ weekend, there was no telling when I’d get another moment alone with him—and that was because of my mom. She was still wary of Alec, which wasn’t a surprise considering his association with the biggest rebellion of my life. The two had yet to meet, but when that finally happened, I knew Mom would see the same, caring person I did. Not an aloof rich kid or just a guy in a band. Alec Williams was so much more than that. He was someone who wasn’t afraid to chase his dreams. Someone who inspired the people around him. And he was the boy who held my heart, because the music rooted in my soul, an inherent tune that made me who I was played in his as well.

  “Can you pretty please tell me where we’re going?” I asked for the fourth time, batting my lashes for good measure.