You Stole My Heart

CHAPTER FOURTY FIVE

After everyone's parents feel that they have embarrassed their kids enough, they leave and shortly after that, the limo arrives.
As everyone is filing into the vehicle, Zac pulls me over to the side.

"I haven't gotten a proper chance to talk to you yet," he grins as he swings his arms around my waist, leaning in to whisper in my ear.
"I absolutely love this dress on you tonight," he traces his finger along my shoulder, causing an electric feeling to run through me, from my skin to my very veins, and I lean forward for the kiss, and Zac's eyes darken.

"Hey, love birds, get your asses in here!" Ryder calls from the Limo, and like that the moment is gone.

"We'd better go," I whisper, and Zac groans in frustration. 

"We'll finish this later," he winks and helps me into the limo, and I'm blushing at his comment.

Arriving at the Star Grand Hotel, which the school miraculously managed to book as the venue, is almost surreal. I can't believe we've made it this far.

I mean, I'm standing here, with my childhood crush for my senior prom, with my best friends (who are dating,) and the most unlikely friends.

"You okay, Skittles?" Zac whispers in my ear, his breath ticking the sensitive skin.

"Yeah, I just, I just can't believe this is real."

"I know what you mean," he murmurs, taking my hand and leading me into the hotel. As if the lobby isn't grand enough, the ballroom really blows your mind.

It's almost an exact replica of the ballroom in Beauty and the Beast, and I kinda wish I was wearing Belle's gown right now.

The night goes by in a blur, dancing with Zac, dancing with Carley, judging everyone else's dresses with Amelia, stolen kisses in empty corners of the room, I don't think I've ever been this happy.

"Hey, Sarah, care to dance?" Ryder stands in front of me, and Blake, who I was dancing with, just sort of hands me over to him, without a word from me.

What the...

He's actually a really good dancer, but I feel really awkward dancing with Amelia's boyfriend. Not to mention Zac's best friend.

"This is so weird," he seems to echo my thoughts. 

"You're the one who asked me,"

"Yeah, well, I had to tell you something." His eyes won't meet mine.

"Please don't tell me you've been in love with me for the last four years," I tease, trying to get rid of the awkwardness.

"No, of course not! That was Zac's job," he scoffs, than seems to realize what he said. My eyes widen.

"Uh, what I wanted to tell you is that...I never liked you. I mean, I didn't know you, but you seemed to have this affect on Zac, like, he'd become weird, stop acting the way he usually did. I hated it, I thought you were starting to turn him into something he wasn't."

"Ryder I would never-"

"I know, okay. I know that now. Amelia and I were talking, and she made me realize that I acted differently because of her, too. It took me a while, but now I know that you weren't turning Zac into something else, you were...crap, this whole chat is so damn cheesy, you were bringing out the real Zac, you know, like Amelia does for me."

"You're right, that is cheesy."

"Shut up, I'm trying to be sincere here. This is me giving you my blessing to date Zac, okay?"

"Your blessing?" I raise an eyebrow, trying really hard not to laugh.

"Ugh, whatever. I'm glad Zac has you, okay?"