How the Light Gets In (Cracks Duet #2)(26)

“What’s wrong?”

She shook her head and glanced away. “I was just thinking, if Sam were here he’d have loved tonight.”

My heart gave a hard thump. “He did love a good night out.”

“I miss him,” she whispered.

“Me, too.”

We both focused on washing our hands before Yvonne spoke, changing the subject. “Anyway, please tell me you’ve noticed how Dylan’s been looking at you all night. The man is besotted.”

I frowned as I pumped some soap from the dispenser. “He said he wants to date me.”

“Awww. That’s so sweet. What did you say?”

I pursed my lips. “I told him I’m not ready.”

Yvonne was quiet a moment, obviously thinking hard about something. “Can I be frank?”

“Only if I can be Susan.”

She laughed and swiped me on the arm. “Be serious, Ev. I think after all these years you two deserve a second chance. The only time I’ve ever witnessed real love was you two as teenagers. It was clear how much you meant to each other.”

Her words and kind sentiment formed a knot in my throat, and I suddenly felt very emotional. She was right. It had been true love, and if things had been different we might’ve been blissfully happy together.

It was difficult to say yes to trying again, especially when I couldn’t stop thinking about all the years we’d lost.

But maybe I should. If we really were meant to be, it’d be a worse tragedy to waste any more time. I walked out of the bathroom in a tailspin. Dylan and Conor were still sitting in the booth, chatting casually. When Dylan looked up, a smile on his face that was all for me, my heart caught in my throat.

Over by the stage, people were dancing jigs to the live music.

“We should join them,” Conor said, standing and offering his arm to Yvonne. She took it, and he led her to the dance floor. I stood in front of Dylan and his smile grew fonder.

“I guess you want to dance, too.”

I grinned. “Oh, go on. You’ve twisted my arm.”

Dylan shook his head and led me over. He held me close as the music thumped around us. It was traditional, with a punk edge. A flash of Yvonne’s red dress caught my eye, and I saw her and Conor laughing as they butchered a jig.

“Come here,” Dylan whispered and pulled me closer.

His lips brushed along my cheek and I suppressed a tremble at the feather-light sensation. I fell against him, knees weak, and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

“I missed you,” he went on sadly. “For so long I’ve missed you.”

I turned my head into his neck and pressed my lips to his skin. “I missed you, too.”

I felt a shudder run through him, my name a rasp on his tongue. “Evelyn.”

He ran his hand from my shoulder, down my back to rest to just above my backside. We stayed like that for a while, not really dancing but holding each other while all around us people moved. I pulled away from him when Yvonne tapped me on the shoulder.

“Conor and I are going to get more drinks. You want anything?”

“Yeah, get me a vodka and Coke,” I replied.

I definitely needed it.

One drink led to another, and another, and before I knew it I was drunk as a skunk. So much for staying level-headed. Dylan’s hand rested on my thigh as the four of us took a taxi back to his and Conor’s place. It was two in the morning, but none of us were ready to say goodnight.

We tumbled into the house, a messy, drunken riot. Conor fiddled with the sound system, and Of Monsters and Men “Little Talks” came on way too loud. He and Yvonne started dancing giddily, while I wandered into the kitchen to find some water. I grabbed a bottle from the fridge when Dylan came up and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

“Stay the night,” he whispered low.

“I won’t let Yvonne go home on her own.”

I heard rather than saw his smirk. “I’ve a feeling she won’t be sleeping in her own bed tonight.”

I twisted in his arms, trying to formulate thoughts past a haze of vodka. “Dylan . . . you and me . . . we . . . aren’t having sex.”

“But we’re so good at it,” he whined charmingly and tickled my hips. I laughed and struggled out of his hold. I made sure there was at least a foot of space between us when I pointed my finger at him.

“I’m serious. It’s way too soon.”

His smile slowly transformed into a look of passion. “You’ve been mine since the beginning of time, Ev. It’s never too soon.”

“We weren’t around at the beginning of time,” I argued and stumbled away from the fridge. I wandered into the living room and fell onto the couch. I lay there, staring at Yvonne and Conor acting silly when Dylan appeared in front of me.

He sat down and pulled the water bottle from my grasp. He took a swig then muttered quietly, “Feels like we were.”

“Don’t think you can charm me with your romantic ways, O’Dea, because I’m wise to it.”

He chuckled and dropped his head to rest on my shoulder. “Oh Ev, you know me too well.”

He joined me in watching Conor and Yvonne. “I think it’d make me happy if they got together,” he said after a few quiet moments.

“Everybody loves a good caterpillar to butterfly story,” I replied.