|| Coral ||
I hated feeling guilty, and right now, I hated that I hate feeling guilty.
Because as Wyatt stood beside me, listening carefully to the choreographers who were introducing themselves, I dreaded how to make him believe that I actually did send the message to him while not forgetting how he treated me back then for a second. Ugh, I should have double-checked the texts. Regardless of that...
It was hard to keep that part of me down that just wanted to run wild and scream at him till my throat hurt so that I could get my closure. And maybe I would. Just not now. I had to hold back until the wedding. Better not make the already awkward situation worse.
For now, I should just go along the flow.
I took a determined breath and started paying attention to a couple of choreographers standing in front of us.
"We will at first show you the full dance, then teach you to step by step, is that okay?" Katrina asked.
"Yes, that would be great. Thank you," I said and moved back a few steps to give them space.
I had already given them a call about the songs and types of dance I wanted. Since my dance along with Wyatt's was supposed to start after the first dance and our dance with the bride and groom, it was better to start it slow, then take it up a few notches to encourage the other guests to hit the dance floor.
As Katrina and her husband Kevin started the dance slowly, I looked for Wyatt's reaction. He had an almost smug look on his face, thinking that he could pull it off.
Oh, you poor daydreaming lad...
After a few seconds, as the music got louder and the steps got faster, his eyes widened. Till the end of the dance, he just gaped with his jaw dropped.
"Holy shit. What the hell was that?" Wyatt let out under his breath when Katrina and Kevin finished.
It took everything within me to not burst out laughing and leaned closer to Wyatt's ear to whisper provocatively, "You'd better not embarrass me."
He gave me a horrified look while I straightened my back up, knowing I was going to have way too much fun with it.
As you've guessed, Wyatt was not a great dancer. God didn't bless him with any artistic talent, whether it was drawing, writing, singing, or dancing. He was absolutely deplorable at all of the aforementioned qualities.
Katrina clapped her hands and asked with an eager smile. "So what did you think? Can you guys pull it off?"
Before I could open my mouth, Wyatt spoke up, "Can't we just do the starting slow-motion dance?"
"You mean the waltz?" Katrina asked.
"Yes, that."
"Well, you're already doing the waltz with the bride."
"What? I'm dancing with the bride? Since when?" he asked, sounding a bit lost.
I jabbed him with my elbow and hissed, "Since the beginning. How could you not know the best man dances with the bride?"
"No one mentioned that, so I thought we weren't doing that," he protested, and I rolled my eyes.
"That's really sad, Wyatt," Katrina said apathetically and turned to me. "Anyways, shall we start?"
I nodded and dragged Wyatt to join me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and motioned his confused soul to place his hands on my waist.
Wyatt hesitated for a moment before putting them there. When he did, I got little goosebumps. It was strange how his hands on my clothed waist were sending me chills when once I used to let those hands roam freely all over my body.
And when I looked up at him, I had to suck a deep breath, realizing how close we were. In a perfect position to kiss.
If I were to stand on my tiptoes or if he were to bend down a little, one of us could steal a kiss. But that was a line I definitely wasn't going to cross, no matter how tempted I was.
Dancing together was as far as we would go. Having ten inches of distance between each other was as close we would get. That was the reality of our current relationship.
———
"I cannot believe how a human can be so awful at dancing! What's so hard about it?" I almost shrieked when we were out of the studio.
"Hey, not everyone is gifted at such a useless thing," Wyatt retorted.
"Choreographers and professional dancers make a ton of money annually with what you call useless," I taunted.
"Whatever." He heaved a sigh. "That was torture."
"Oh, really?" I stopped walking and put my hands on my hips. "What about me? How many times did you step on my foot? And how many times did you almost drop me?"
He also stopped walking and turned to look at me. "Well, at least, I didn't actually drop you."
I shot him daggers through my eyes. "You'd be dead if you did."
He laughed, and I glared at him harder. He immediately covered it up, disguising it with a cough.
I frowned and twisted my lips upwards. I bumped his shoulder intentionally and started walking at a brisk pace.
Wyatt easily kept up, walking beside me silently.
It was unbearably awkward as it had been all day.
The silence remained uncomfortable until I received a text from Ara, saying she and Theo were also done with their lessons and all four of us should have dinner together. Along with that, she sent a restaurant location. Basically, no way to turn it down.
I frowned once again and slipped my phone back into my white shorts pocket.
"So we are having dinner together," Wyatt said, also putting his phone back in his pocket, probably reading his text from Theo.
I nodded.
"The restaurant is a little far. I can drive you there."
"Did I ask you for help?" The last thing I needed was to rely on my ex-boyfriend to drive me to a hangout.
"No, but I'm offering it as a gentleman—"
"Well, I'm declining your offer like a gentle lady. While I might not be as rich as you to own four expensive cars, I can afford a cab." I flashed him a tight-lipped smile and entered the hotel lobby.
"Even so, won't it be a waste of money to get a cab when we are heading to the same location?" he reasoned.
I pressed the elevator button and crossed my arms. "It's my money. I decide whether to waste it or save it."
Before he could speak up, the elevator door opened and we both entered. He released a sigh and finally said, "Fine. Do whatever you want."
"That's better," I said triumphantly, though I felt strangely suspicious of his sudden admission of defeat.
———
I was waiting for my cab outside the hotel, dressed up in a simple white crop top and blue jeans.
It was really hot, even for a June night.
Maybe I should have gone with my denim shorts. What a pain.
After a minute, when my cab arrived, I got in swiftly, happy at the cold inside. Just as I was about to give an okay to start, the door beside me opened up, giving me a startle to raise my hand over my heart.
And there stood Wyatt, flashing me a cheeky smile.
"Can I ride in with you? My car broke down," he said and didn't even let me give the chance to protest before scooting me to the side and sitting beside me. "You can start the car," he told the cab driver who nodded.
"What the hell, man? What are you doing? Why are you here?" I shrieked.
"What? I told you my car broke down," he said innocently.
As much as I highly doubted his car breaking down, I pointed out, "Call your driver to bring another car or something."
"He's been sick for a while, you see," he said, shaking his head sympathetically for his 'sick' driver.
"Oh, my God, get your assistant to do it then!"
"His license got seized by an officer last week."
"Then get another fucking cab!"
"But why bother? We are going to the same location to meet the same people."
Was he trying to mess with me on purpose and get a reaction out of me? Then oh, my gosh, he was doing a damn good job at it!
"I don't care. Just get out!"
He looked at me straight and asked, "Give me one good reason why I should."
That got me stumped for a minute. I couldn't possibly pull the ex-card right now.
"You— it's not fair. I'm paying the whole cab fare."
"Well, then, there's only one solution to that. Let's go halfsies. Just like we always used to." He gave me another cheeky smile and relaxed in his seat while I wanted to pull out my hair in annoyance.
I crossed my arms stubbornly and said, "No need. I'll pay the fare to make up for not making sure my explanation text reached you."
He chuckled. "And that's supposed to be enough?"
"Well, I'll make it up to you bit by bit." He chuckled a little bit more in amusement. "Don't think that you can order me around just because of that," I reminded grimly.
"Since when can I ever order you around?" he commented rhetorically.
"Whatever." I rolled my eyes and looked out the window.
What the actual hell was wrong with him? Did he forget about my temper? Did someone mix something in his evening coffee? God, why didn't they just mix poison instead of whatever crazy drug this was?
It was uncomfortably quiet for a while. At least for me, it was uncomfortable because Wyatt seemed way too relaxed.
I couldn't sit still for any longer without knowing his reasons, so I cleared my throat finally and asked in a calm voice, "Why are you here?"
"Like I said, my car—"
I glared at him. "Don't give me that crap. Why would you want to be with me? Aren't you, like, super mad at me for supposedly breaking up with you with no explanation?"
Wyatt grinned and said, "But I also said I'd cover it up well. So why shouldn't I try to get along with my dance partner?"
"Are you serious?"
At my deadpan, he met my hard gaze with his soft one. "What does it matter? What I'm saying is, I just want to be with you right now."
I hated that the soft look in his eyes could get me weak. My tongue trembled as I uttered the next words, "Y-you can't go around saying stuff like that to your ex-girlfriend."
Great, Coral. In the end, you did pull up the ex-card.
"I can only say these stuff because you're my ex-girlfriend."
"What, to get on my nerves?"
He twitched his lips upward, his soft look being replaced by mischief. "Maybe."
I slapped his arm and turned back to the window. I heard him chuckle once again.
"Aren't you supposed to be a cold businessman? Why are you being so cheeky with me?" I grumbled.
"That's just an image for the media. You know me. I've always been carefree, or as you might like to call, cheeky."
That I knew. Though he did a good job at hiding his cheeky side during our initial dating days.
"You've become more like your dad," I murmured, getting another laugh out of him. "Speaking of your dad, how's he been?"
"Oh, he's been well. He's in Italy for an art exhibition at the moment."
"Ian will be back before the wedding, right?"
"Of course. There's no way he would miss his one and only nephew's wedding. He's going to be back even before the rehearsal dinner."
"That's good."
I wondered if Wyatt's dad disliked me now, knowing that I broke up with his son for no apparent reason.
Ian used to adore me a lot, though it did take me quite some time to actually muster the courage to meet him due to my commitment issues. It would be a shame if he gave me cold-shoulder now, though I wouldn't blame him.
"Don't worry. My dad isn't one to hold grudges," Wyatt said, and it surprised how he managed to read me.
Despite that, I gave him a narrowed look and said, "But apparently, his son is."
Wyatt laughed, and I really, really wondered if this guy had been vulnerable without me like his cousin said. He seemed fine to me.
The rest of the ride was weirdly comfortable. It was strange how it took only a single day for us to get comfortable once again and how the dull ache in my chest kept losing its edges.
I truly feared what awaited us for the next fourteen days.
★★★