BOOK ONE || the city lights series
Adina Ricci is the daughter of two of the most famous people on the planet. She grew up in the spotlight and she never once felt ungrateful for what she had been given. But, right before her fourteenth birthday, he...
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GREEN. BROWN.
My eyes go back and forth as Mrs. Reynolds finishes up her speech, going on about how hard her students have been working this year and how difficult it was to choose who would stand up on stage today. I'm not listening, though.
I can't believe he's here.
This is what I think when I see Vaughn, and his beautiful emerald eyes, sitting at the table my family is on.
Dad's furious brown eyes flit between Vaughn and then me, his arms crossed in what I can only assume is supposed to be an intimidation tactic on his part.
Vaughn can't be there. He's crazy if he is. But I can't blame myself for thinking this considering he hasn't broken eye contact with me since I first saw him a few seconds ago. His face is stoic, no emotion at all. Not even when they revealed my painting.
My painting.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit.
I knew this was a mistake. I knew I shouldn't have brought this here, allowed people to see this slither of my heart.
My Dad is here. My brothers. Strangers.
But, then I realize. I don't care what they think. I only care about what he thinks.
And that scares me, not in a way you would think. It makes my heart beat faster, my chest moving up and down more rapidly than before.
I want him to see this. The thing I'd been working on since I left. The one thing that made me forget all the bad things that had happened, that were happening in my life. It distracted me in the most special and warm way I couldn't have ever gotten from a tv show or board game, which Arden and Darius tried to use to distract me a few times. They never worked.
I mean, what did I expect? I love him. I love him so much that I now know I can't stand back and let my Dad, or myself, get in the way of us. Not anymore.
I'm not scared to say how I feel, not that I was in the first place. But, I know that, once they let me go back down to the rest of the guests, I won't be waiting around for Vaughn to make the first move.
"...and again, we thank you so much for joining us tonight, and I hope you all have a great evening." Mrs. Reynolds finishes before gesturing for Freddie, Tea, and me to step off the stage.
As my feet walk down the short three steps off the platform, my eyes don't leave his. They can't. I'm scared that if I do then it'll prove that this is all a dream and that he's not really here.
