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He approachedokay?"

"Yeah, everything’s fine I forgot we rented a limo to take to the reception Just leave the car here and we’ll take a cab back to "

"Limo ride, huh? Is there beer? I could really use one," he said sounding a little uncomfortable This wasn’t his element I could see it all over his face, but I appreciated that he cafor then?" He put his hand on uided me toward the limo door I was about to climb in when I felt a small cold hand on my wrist My heart dropped I didn’t have to even look up to knoho the hand belonged to

"Alexandra, li party only" Her tone left little rooht Dane here to spend the weekend with ave her a fake s uest He goes with me this time" I couldn’t see Dane’s face, but I felt his hand press into my back

She looked into the crowd and s sure no one atching our exchange and if they were, she wanted the else surrounding her She was still s when she returned her attention to me, "I paid for this limo, my rules"

I wanted to slap her I was not a violent person, but everyfor me to slap her I didn’t, of course, but I wanted to She needed to control everything I wondered if it is as exhausting for her as it was forto let her control me this tirabbed Dane’s hand and led him toward my car A smile spread across my face and when I looked over at Dane he had a prideful sood for once Maybe this hy my mother liked control

I heard her say my name once, but she didn’t come after us She can’t e For once, I didn’t think about the consequences and concentrated on how it made me feel now Dane was the ultiood too

As soon as we got to the car, Dane picked hed as he put round and pressedso close andout of ainst mine One of his hands touched the side of my neck while the other rested on the top of the car He tilted et about everything but hiive hiry, yet sensual I loved it when Dane kissed ht die if he didn’t have me I wanted him just as bad

Raindrops started to fall fro down my make-up covered face and bare shoulders I didn’t care what it was doing toto break me away froht on a fewme breathless and lonely, so he could pull his jacket over et sick," he said, practically setting er seat I rubbed avewhen he entered the car and reached forit softly If a heart could sht now

"Are you cold?" he asked, rubbing o

"I’ better," I replied He ht before he put the car into gear, he turned to me "What you did back there, Baby…I’m proud of you" I wanted to cry He didn’t know it, but that was the first ti I’m proud of you was alers with his as we drove in silence to the reception So much had happened in such a short amount of time today I felt revived and happy

The reception was a circus of wealth; wealthy people, rich décor, fancy suits, beautiful dresses and an extravagant feast This ti party at the head table and Dane sat with the other spouses and significant others I hated being away from him, but at least this felt fair One of ive a speech My nerves were already working overti to a room of people made me uncomfortable and it was even worse that I didn’t know these people in the literal sense This was sad, considering I had been around theave his speech first and then it was rabbed the microphone with one hand and held note cards in the other as I looked at the crowd I saw laring with her eyes It sent a chill down the entire length of ain this weekend She was angry; her eyes said it all The rain had altered my appearance fro bullets My father looked like he had so wason He hadn’t said a word tofor any sort of attention fro frorin, but one meant to easeat

"First of all, thank you for co I am so happy that Gwen finally found soreat catch and I knoill make a wonderful husband I think we all wish to find that special so I reht Phillip ho and everything was Phillip this, Phillip that I knew then that he was her forever man To love, happiness and forever I love you Gwen and Phillip" I felt guilty as I sat back down in my chair The words in h truth to it I glanced over at Gwen before takingWere they tears of realization or happiness? I wondered if she knew her relationship was not what it should be

After the cake was cut and the couple had their first dance, Dane appeared at the head table Dane in a suit made my heart pound He was handsoy sort of handsolisten toldHe sht of dancing with Danesx with your clothes on; our bodies said what our lips didn’t

We danced forfor a quick drink Even when slow songs would turn to fast ones we stayed close, our arhtly around each other He had his lips pressed against my cheek and when he spoke it felt like a soft warood ti?" he asked This wasn’t the first tie in some way and it always made me a mixture of nervousness and elation I was nervous, because a big part of me didn’t think I could ever have this My parents would never approve of Dane and giveI had with Dane beyond e had noould be an uphill battle I was elated, because he was thinking about it He wouldn’t be asking about weddings if he wanted to completely avoid thehts "No, I don’t want a big wedding I want soet that ifwith hershould be exactly like you picture it I hope when the time comes, my badass Alex comes out like she did today You should have seen your lanced back as alked away from her If I had, I would have broken down and did as she wanted I had always been that weak

"It isn’t always that easy," I said, honestly "Do you want a big wedding?"

He pulled back and looked right into irl popped intotome because my knees eak before I kissed him

"I love you" It was all I could say It was honest, and in this ain "I love you, too"

We stayed on the dance floor until the hts cahts ofHappyon his back with me nestled in the crook of his arer over his face,all of it His nose looked like it had been broken a time or two, but I loved how it looked on hiirl dreamed of but often seemed to be wasted on ht kiss to explore that part of hioing to stop me today

I crawled out of bed, threw on a t-shirt and rab us some coffee It was early and I wanted to beat everyone else to the kitchen My plan was to "sleep" inat eleven then leave immediately after I needed to stay away from my mother asfor ht about all the events from the day before and it made me feel elated, yet a little nervous Elated I finally stood up to my mother, even if it was a rather small issue, and nervous for the sae Even if I avoided her today, she would get me back soan to poor coffee into the on the marble in the foyer I iet enough air into s I couldn’t avoid her today and I was alone