A Different Blue(128)

boys for a nerdy English school teacher. At the moment, I was completely enamored with all

things British.

We counted down and then watched as the big clock welcomed the New Year into our corner of the

world. Shouts of “Happy New Year!” and hugs and cheers and noisy revelry broke out around the

room. Tiffa and Jack had tears on their cheeks as they kissed and held each other, obviously

moved by the year they had had and the years that were to come. And I had helped give them that.

I turned to Wilson with a smile, but he looked away, watching the room erupt without joining the

celebration.

“Let's go,” he said suddenly, “Are you ready? I want to go. We'll sneak out. I'll call Tiffa

in the morning and thank her for the party.”

“Oh. Okay,” I nodded as he hustled me toward the door. He grabbed our coats and was trying to

slip out when Tiffa rushed over to us, calling out for us to wait. Wilson winced, and I wondered

why he was in such a hurry to leave all of a sudden.

“Darcy, wait! Don't whisk Blue away yet! The fireworks are unbelievable from up here. You

missed them on the Fourth of July too! And we haven't crowned the Ha Ha Ha champion!” She

descended on us, wrapping her arms around our shoulders.

[page]“I think Justin has that all locked up, Tif.” Wilson's voice sounded strange, and a look

passed between brother and sister that made my chest feel tight and my face burn hot.

“I see,” Tiffa said softly. I wished I did. She leaned over and kissed my cheeks and squeezed

my hand. “Thank you for coming, Blue. Jack and I consider you part of our family and always

will. When you're ready, you should come see Melody. It would be good for all of us, I think.”

Her eyes shot to Wilson and back to me. “Happy New Year, luvs.”

We descended to the parking garage in silence, the elevator surprisingly full, considering the

fact that it was barely midnight and most parties were in full swing. I pressed back into Wilson

as floor after floor added a few more occupants all going down. Wilson kept his hand in mine and

watched as the numbers ticked lower and lower. My mood descended just as rapidly as I wondered

if the trip home would be filled with apologies for a kiss that had lit me up like the Fourth of

July . . . or New Year's Eve, to be more exact. Tiffa was right. The fireworks from her balcony

would have been unbelievable. I wished we would have stayed to see them, to share another kiss

as crashing colors filled the air before reality swept the magic away.

Vegas was a party town, and the crowds were heavy, making navigating away from Tiffa's building

slow as the strip was lined with people swarming from one hotel to the next, soaking up the

bright lights, endless food, and glitz of a city that catered to celebrations in the extreme.

Luckily, The Sheffield was on the south end of the Vegas strip, making it easier to side step

the thickest intersections as we climbed up and onto the beltway that would swing us east toward

Boulder City. Wilson had been quiet as he maneuvered his way through the crush of traffic and

people, but as the city and her lights fell away behind us, the silence was more than I could

stand so I decided to make light of the whole thing.

“You kiss like an old woman, Wilson.”

The car veered wildly, rocking us slightly as Wilson swore and righted the vehicle, his head

swiveling between me and the road.