The past three days in New York have been a blur of sightseeing, museum hopping, and trying new food.
Non-stop exploring and excitement filled us as we went around the city the feeling of euphoria overwhelming our senses.
With that known, I should happy.
Especially with me being in a city that I've dreamt of living out my dreams in.
However, whenever my eyes caught grey ones I couldn't help but frown.
I wanted to say something, anything really.
But, I couldn't.
I feared that I genuinely screwed up everything with my fear.
I wanted to run to Myles and tell him how wrong I was, to doubt our relationship, to doubt him.
I wanted to tell him how sorry I was and that no matter what happens we'll be okay.
But, every time I found the courage to I would retreat, doubts clouding my mind.
What makes me think he would want to work things out, especially after everything I said.
We've both made mistakes, but I put the blame on him for things that happened that I also played a role in and that wasn't fair to him.
If I was him I wouldn't want to talk to me either.
But, how would I know if I don't try.
If I don't try to work things out.
It's better to try than to not try at all.
These past four months have been incredible. I don't know how I went so long without him in my life, and now I know I could never go that long again.
Myles means more to me than he knows and I can't just let him walk out again, not without putting up a fight.
Despite this new resolve I've built up and determination to fix things, I haven't found the time nor the courage to approach Myles.
Though I had to do it soon before I lose my chance.
All I can hope for is that everything works out, and I didn't lose the most important person in my life for good.
"So, we finally get the day to ourselves in the grand city of New York and you decide that we'll go shopping," Lance said, his tone sardonic, clearly unimpressed.
Seeing that we've all been exploring in a group and following a tight itinerary that the teachers came up with, they finally decided we deserve some time to ourselves and should be able to handle ourselves for one day.
Talia immediately seized that opportunity to go shopping.
"You didn't have to come," Talia snapped, shooting Lance a sharp glare.
In response, Lance lifted up his hands in mock surrender, as he slightly cowered behind Malia.
"Besides, there is a reason why we are shopping," Talia said a grin appearing on her face.
"Tonight, my friends, and Lance," She continued onto say, rolling her eyes at the mention of Lance's name as he gave her the finger which she returned.
"We will be attending a Gala tonight!" Talia declared with excitment.
"A what?" I sputtered out in disbelief.
"A gala," Talia reiterated her smile widening.
"My dear friends I seek adventure, and crashing a ball will fulfill that desire," Talia explained as if it was the simplest thing in the world.
"So, who's in?" Talia asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"I AM!" Lance said shooting up his hand to add emphasis to his eagerness.
"What, I'm down to get into a little trouble tonight, I mean we are in New York, what better way to have the time of our lives." He said with a large grin as Talia nodded in agreement.
"I'm in," Malia said catching us all by surprise.
"That's my girl!"Lance declared before placing a kiss on her cheek, his arm wrapped around her shoulder holding her tight to him.
West also nodded in agreement, clearly to make sure his girlfriend doesn't end up in jail, which will surely happen if we get caught.
"How are we going to get in?" I questioned, stating the obvious.
"I mean assuming this is a huge event, they'll probably be press and high-security present there. And unless we have invitations I don't think they are going to let us in that easily." I pointed out.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Talia said with a wave of her hand causing me to roll my eyes.
"All I need to know is if you're in," She said.
I glanced over at Myles briefly to see what he thought of this, to find that he was already looking at me.
My first instinct was to look away, but I couldn't.
I held his gaze for a few more seconds before I finally gave my answer.
"Fine." I groaned out making Talia clap her hands in excitement.
"Great! Now that we have that out the way," Talia went on to say before pointing to the building before us.
"I have brought you guys to shmock, one of the best thrift stores in New York. In here are thousands of designer clothes that celebrities have only worn once and decided to donate to us, the less fortunate. This is the perfect place for us to find outfits to wear tonight, and perfectly blend in with the upper-class." She explained excitedly, thrilled to find the perfect dress for tonight.
"We'll split up and then meet back here once we're done," She stated as we all nodded in agreement.
"Oh, and don't worry about ties boy, I got that covered," Talia said with a wink before grabbing ahold of Malia's and I's hand and whisking us into the store.
___
After shopping for three hours and then going to get something to eat, we finally made it back to the hotel to get ready.
On the way back to the hotel Talia informed us of how huge this gala really was.
It was going to have a red carpet where many elite members of New York will walk to show off their designer outfits and it will be broadcasted on live television.
When she said that my worry for how we were possibly going to get into a high-scale event continued to grow, but Talia simply brushed me off, stating that she will get us in.
Once again we parted ways, planning to meet in the main lobby a quarter to eight, seeing that the gala begins at eight, and Talia says that we must be fashionably late.
"Malia are you ready?" Talia asked from outside the bathroom door.
It's around seven now and we finished doing our hair and makeup.
Just as we were about to get dressed, Talia said that we should each get dressed individually.
Each of us will go into the bathroom one at a time to change into their dress, before coming out so the other two can fawn over how amazing they look.
The click of the bathroom door indicated that Malia was just about to come out.
The moment Malia stepped out a gasp fell from my lips, my eyes widening in awe.
I felt the bed bouncing beneath me as Talia let a squeal of amazement, her body jostling up and down on the bed, unable to contain her excitment.
Before us, stood Malia in a beautiful cream ball gown.
The top of the dress was a fitted strapless corset that had a sweetheart neckline and a sheer material underneath. Embroidered on top of the corset were light pink, white, coral, and green flowers that trailed down the dress, the placement perfect.
From her waist down the dressed flared out in a creamy satin fabric with tulle on top that flowed down to the ground.
The front of the dress also had a slit, that allowed some of her legs to be on display, showcasing the light pink heels she wore.
Taking my eyes away from her dress, I took in Malia's beauty.
She kept her makeup neutral, though she had pops of shimmer in the corners of her eyes and along her cheekbones.
What stood out was the small flowers that matched her dress and gold beads that she interweaved into her soft locs, her hair in a half-up, half-down hairstyle.
No words could describe how amazing Malia looked and it made me happy knowing she felt the same way, from the beautiful smile that adorned her face.
These past couple of months it's been a joy seeing Malia's confidence in herself and her body grow, and I couldn't be happier for her
"You look amazing!! More than amazing, actually! You look stunning! Lance isn't going to be able to keep his hands off you," Talia said, jumping up from the bed, spewing compliments towards her cousin.
"Thank you," Malia whispered gently, her head duking down in embarrassment.
"Talia is right Malia, you look like a princess! Absolutely gorgeous! When Lance sees you he's going to have a heart attack," I said with a wink as Malia rolled her eyes playfully at my words.
"Okay! Me next!" Talia declared before running into the bathroom her dress in hand.
Malia and I laughed at her enthusiasm.
To pass time Malia showed me some of the photos she was able to get here and how she was excited to get some more tonight.
As I looked over the photos I was reminded of just how talented my friend is.
Unlike the last time where the door opened gently, the bathroom door flew right open, immediately directing our attention to Talia.
Where Malia had a more innocent and delicate look to her, Talia was the complete opposite.
A silk black dress molded perfectly against Talia's body, accentuating every dip and curve of her body. The top of the dress had very thin spaghetti straps before forming a sweetheart neckline that dropped low, displaying the right amount of cleavage.
The bottom of the dress was more of a mermaid style, with a small train trailing behind her.
On the side of her dress was a very high slit, causing her left leg to be on complete display, her black stiletto heels making her legs appear longer and leaner.
As Talia turned slightly you could see that the dress was backless, the curve of her back exposed.
Her hair was slicked up into a high ponytail, showcasing her high cheekbones and sharp jaw.
Just like her dress, Talia's makeup was bold, with a dramatic wing that made her brown eyes pop and dark red lipstick.
Talia looked daring, sexy, and was surely going to capture many people's attention with her beauty.
"You know I never thought West's face could look redder than I've seen it before, but I'm sure once he sees you tonight, I'll be proven wrong," I said as Maila nodded in agreement.
"You look absolutely stunning Talia!" I complimented, meaning every word.
Malia followed up on the compliments telling Talia how beautiful she looked, as Talia thanked us before shoving my dress in my hand and pushing me into the bathroom.
As I pulled the dress out of its plastic wrap I couldn't help but stare at it in awe, it was truly breathtaking.
How I managed to get my hands on a gem like this is beyond me.
Once I slipped on the dress, a gasp fell from my lips as my eyes connected with my reflection.
The rose gold color of the dress made my skin appeared more radiant, creating a glow around me.
The crystal light beading, encrusted gems, and intricated sequin pattern along the dress shimmered underneath the light, making the dress even more enchanting.
The molding of the dress against my skin was perfect, making my smaller waist and wider hips more prominent.
The deep plunge of the dress gave me some cleavage and shaped my breasts perfectly.
Similar to Malia and Talia's dresses, my dress also had a slit.
The slit started midthigh, letting my toned legs be on display. The slit had champagne pink-tiered ruffles that protruded from it before falling elegantly onto the floor.
My bone-straight hair fell down my back, touching my waist, pinned down by gold-encrusted clips.
The makeup up I wore was light and natural, the highlight on my cheekbones, along my collarbones, made the contours of my face more prominent.
The light shimmer along my eyes and the brown liner making my brown eyes shine.
All in all, I looked incredible and it seemed Malia and Talia thought the same because as soon as my rose gold heel popped out of the bathroom they were in awe.
"I, I have no words," Talia said in complete shock as Malia nodded in agreement, her eyes widen in shock.
"You look gorgeous Jesse," Malia said gently as she continued to stare in awe.
"Thank you, Malia," I replied with a small smile which she returned.
"Myles sure has his work cut out from him, because wow you look, just wow," Talia said letting out a low whistle as she was stumped for words.
Checking the time we noticed we were five minutes late and have kept the boys waiting for long enough.
Grabbing our handbags, making sure we had everything we needed, we head out of the room.
The sound of our heels against the polished white tiled floors directed the boy's attention towards us.
Immediately Lance's jaw fell agape in awe as he gazed at Malia, his eyes never leaving hers for a moment.
Lance wore a grey Armani suit that fitted perfectly with a cream-colored tie that matched the color of Malia's dress perfectly.
"Malia you look, beautiful," Lance said as he gazed at Malia lovingly.
He gently took Malia's hand into his own pulling her closer to him.
Malia's right hand fell on top of his chest, as she whispered something to him causing a soft smile to grow onto his face.
Looking away from the beautiful couple, my eyes moved over to a red West and a grinning Talia.
"You look gorgeous Lia," West let out breathlessly his eyes trailing over Talia's figure.
"Thank you, love," Talia said as her hand tugged lightly on the black-tie he wore.
Pulling him closer Talia planted a soft kiss on his cheek, causing West to almost become the same shade as the kiss mark on his face.
West wore a silk black fitted long sleeve button-up, black fitted slacks, and a black belt. His hair which had grown over the last few weeks was pulled into a man-bun.
West's all-black attire coordinated with Talia's, the two of them looking like a power couple.
Looking at the two pairs I couldn't help but feel a pang on jealously, wishing that could be me, but I quickly shook the feeling off.
From where I stood I felt a heated gaze upon me, turning slightly my breath hitched in my throat as my eyes connected a pair of silver ones.
His heated gaze trailed my figure, his eyes darkening causing a tingling sensation to go through me.
I couldn't help but let my gaze linger upon Myle's appearance.
He wore a button-up, that had the first three buttons popped open showcasing his toned chest and the boxing glove necklace I gave him, making my heart flutter. At the sight of the necklace, I was reminded of the ballet shoes I had adorning my neck.
The sleeves of his shirt were rolled us to his elbows displaying the beautiful tattoos that were etched on his skin. He wore black fitted trousers and black slacks.
I watched as his hand that was adorned with silver rings ran through his hair, which was messy yet still looked good.
Myles looked so good that it should be a sin.
I simply couldn't keep my eyes off him and it seems he felt the same way.
I licked my lips in nervousness, though I didn't miss the way his eyes caught the action.
The heated gaze in his eyes igniting a fire within me.
Before I could act on any of the desires that seemed to almost undo every ounce of self-control I thought I had.
"The taxi's here," Talia declared snapping me out of my daze.
Coming back to reality, I immediately shook my head as a way to get rid of my previous thoughts.
The car ride to the gala, I kept quiet making sure to keep my distance from Myles, unsure of what I would do if I was anywhere near him.
Probably kiss him
Ten minutes later and we have arrived at the gala, fashionably late as Talia wanted.
Stepping out of the car we were greeted with flashes of light.
"Excuse me, who are you?"
"Who are you wearing? Is that Versace?"
"What a beautiful group of people, can I get a shot?"
Left and right paparazzi shot questions in our direction, most of them asking for our names.
Talia soaked in the attention, while Myles stood behind Lance not so much of a fan.
"Sorry, to break you out of your celebrity fantasy, but now that we have all this attention directed to us, how are we going to sneak in," I pointed out Talia as I stood beside her a large grin on my face.
"Follow my lead,"
That was all Talia said before we all graced the red carpet.
Despite no one knowing who we are, we were stopped a couple of times, fashion bloggers wanting to get pictures of our attire.
A sigh of relief fell from my lips once we finally escaped all the prying questions and flashing lights that almost blinded me.
"That was insane," Talia said with a small smile which was then followed by a laugh.
Soon enough we were all laughing in unbelief at what just happened.
The fact that a couple of high school students manage to walk across a red carpet and pose for pictures like we were celebrities was unreal.
Once we sobered up, Talia began to lead us to the entrance of the gala which was being held in this gorgeous three-story mansion.
Before we can walk through we were stopped by a guard.
"Name," He asked a clipboard in his hand with the list of people who were invited.
It was there I thought the gig was up and we will surely be escorted off the premises.
"Cindy Hampton and these are my guests," Talia replied as she motioned over to us.
Looking down at the paper the guard nodded his head before letting us step inside.
"How? What in the world?" I said in complete shock as I stared at Talia who had a smirk on her face.
"How did you know Cindy was invited?" I questioned.
"Last night, I heard her bragging about how her daddy got her an invite into the event," Talia explained with a shrug of her shoulders, clearly having no problem with taking someone else's identity.
Lance laughed at this his hand shooting up to give Talia a high-five.
"What happens when Cindy shows up and they realize you aren't her?" Malia asked.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there, for now, let's go bump elbows with the rich and drink expensive champagne," Talia said with a happy grin.
___
"You don't belong here, do you?"
At those words, I froze in my seat.
It's been over an hour since we've been at the gala and we've managed not to get caught, at least that's what I thought.
Turning around slightly my eyes widen in shock, surprise to find a stranger standing before me and not a guard.
This stranger looked to be in his early twenties and was quite the looker with slicked-back platinum blond hair, electric blue eyes that stood out against his pale skin, and full red lips.
He wore a black tux, and from the Versace logo and Rolex watch he wore I can tell this person was rich.
Once I came to my senses I realized I haven't said anything yet.
It was now that I wished I didn't part from the others to get a drink at the bar.
"Excuse me, I don't believe we've met before," I said avoiding his previous statement.
"I'm Jesse," I introduced myself flashing him a sweet smile as I held out my hand for him to shake.
His lips curved upward, his eyes holding hints of amusement within them.
"No we have not met before, I'm sure I would've remembered if we did, considering you are quite beautiful," He said as he placed his hand into mines.
I watched as he lifted my hand up to his lips, his eyes never leaving mine.
My eyes widen in shock as he placed a gentle kiss on my hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jesse. I'm Elon," He said before gently putting my hand back down a small smile now on his face.
"I must be honest with you Jesse," He began to say, my ears perking up in interest.
"The moment I saw you enter I couldn't take my eyes off you, though it seems I'm not the only one," He said with a small chuckle as he gestured to the other men who were gazing over at me.
"So, why have you approached me now? I asked curiously.
"To see if I could have the chance to dance with the most beautiful woman here," He explained his smile widening slightly.
"Jesse, would you do me the honor of dancing with me," He said his eyes shining with hope.
I don't know what compelled me to, but with a nod of my head, I placed my hand into his outstretched one.
Before I knew it I was swept away to the center of the ballroom, where other couples dance with each other.
With one hand in his and another wrapped around his neck, I whirled around the dance floor, his eyes never leaving mine.
I couldn't help but return the beaming smile that he gave as he spun me around before pulling me in his arms once more.
"You're a natural," Elon complimented as he peered down at me.
"I guess you could say that, but I'm also a ballet dancer," I informed him making joy spark in his eyes.
"Really, now that explains everything," He says with a small laugh.
"You must let me see you perform one day, I'm sure you're a spectacular dancer," He said making my smile widened.
"Maybe, you will," I replied.
Soon the up-paced music slowed down and we were now swaying to the beat.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" Elon suddenly asked catching me by surprise.
"No, why do you ask that," I answered in confusion.
"Well since we've been dancing I noticed that guy over there glaring at me," Elon said slightly amused.
I turned my head around to see who he was referring to.
My eyes meet furious grey ones.
True to Elon's words Myles was glaring at him, his fist clenched displaying his anger.
Why is he so upset?
"Myles is not boyfriend," I began to say as I turned back to face Elon.
In my dreams
"He's just a friend," I explained my mood now dampened.
Though I don't even know if he'll still considers me his friend.
Elon made a sound of understanding before a knowing smile appeared on his face.
"But, you love him," Elon stated making me choke on air.
"Excuse me, I- I don't love him," I said instantly after I recovered from my coughing fit.
I tried to ignore the uncertainty in my voice as the words fell from my mouth.
"Your face says otherwise. I saw the way you looked at him, you looked at him like he was your world, and you only look at someone like that if you love them," Elon continued onto say as I stared up at him in disbelief.
"You don't know what you're talking about," I stated with a shake of my head.
"Besides, he would never see me that way," I said a frown pulling on my face.
"I would have to disagree, Jesse," Elon said making me look up at him.
"Otherwise, he wouldn't be coming this way," Elon said, a smirk pulling on his face as he stared at someone behind me.
"Wha-"
But, before I could finish I was cut off.
"Excuse me, may I cut in?" I heard Myles say from behind me.
"Of course," Elon said, greeting Myles politely before stepping away from me.
"It was truly a pleasure to meet you, Jesse, I hope to see you again. Perhaps one of your performances," Elon said with a small smile which I returned.
"Of course! It was wonderful meeting you too Elon," I replied back.
And with that Elon walked away, leaving with Myles.
Turning around I found Myles's hand stretched out for me to hold.
Looking up at his grey eyes that seemed to hold me in a trance, I gently placed my hand into his.
Unlike when I placed my hand into Elon's I felt sparks ignite within me at Myles's touch.
My breath hitched as Myles's arms wrapped around my waist pulling me close to him, we were now chest to chest.
The close proximity causing my heart rate to pick up.
My arms wrapped around his neck, my fingers making their way through his hair.
Not once did our eyes leave one another.
This feeling of intimacy, the way our eyes connected, felt like our hearts did too.
No longer being able to hold his gaze, I nestled my head against his chest.
In response, his head settled on top of mines his hold on me tightening.
Slowly my eyes closed, every worry I felt washing away a sense of peace filling me.
This felt like home.
Being in his arms I felt safe.
Being in his arms I felt loved.
And it was at that moment that I knew Elon was right.
Once the song came to an end, I slowly lifted my head off of Myles's chest.
Looking up I found Myles already staring down at me.
"You look breathtaking," His words were breathless as he broke the silence.
A smile broke out onto my face at his words, my heart fluttering at his words, the sound of my blood pumping through my veins becoming louder within my ears.
My recent revelation making my nerves shot through the roof.
Though I knew now more than ever it's important I fixed things between Myles and there's no time like the present.
I released a soft breath in an attempt to calm myself down.
Just as I opened my mouth to speak.
"Cindy's here," A frantic Talia said from behind Myles.
Behind her were West, Talia, and Lance who looked a bit panicked.
"What?" I asked in shock as Myles and I pulled apart from one another.
I tried to hide my disappointment at the lack of his touch.
"Cindy's here!" Talia repeated once more.
As soon as her words hit me my eyes widen in panic.
"We got to get out of here before we get caught!" I said as the others nodded in agreement.
"Um guys I think it's too late for that," Lance said making us turn our head to where he was looking.
Three bulky bodyguards were heading our way.
"Split up! It would be harder for them to catch us if we separated," Talia said quickly.
At her words, I felt Myles's hand intertwine with mine before we all dashed off into different directions.
"HEY! Get back here!" We heard one of them yell, but I didn't dare turn my head around.
Maneuvering through the room, I shouted apologies as we bumped into some people.
Just as we were about to make it to the front entrance, a guard popped up out of nowhere, making us turn right.
We continued to run down the hall, with two guards chasing after us, in hopes of finding another exit.
"Over here!"
Looking ahead I caught sight of the others by another exit, beckoning for us to hurry.
Spotting an empty trolley I immediately threw it in the way of the bodyguards.
I couldn't help the laugh that fell from my lips as they toppled over it, falling onto the floor with a thud.
Flying through the door, we all ran together with wide eyes, big grins, and adrenaline pumping through our veins.
It wasn't until we were a couple of blocks away from the gala did we begin to slow down.
"The next time we decide to crash a gala, remind me to wear sneakers," Talia groaned out in pain as she took off her heels.
I couldn't help but laugh at this, and I began to laugh even harder as I thought about tonight.
Soon Talia began to laugh as well and then we were all laughing.
"You guys missed when Talia spilled champagne onto the floor causing the guards to slip on the floor," West said making us laugh even harder.
"When they toppled over the trolley I almost lost it," Lance said giving me a high five.
Our laughter filled the silence of the night as we recapped over the night.
"If I had to crash a gala with anyone, I'm glad it was you guys," Talia said with a smile.
At her words, Lance called for a group hug, and despite our protests we quickly found ourselves squished together.
Once we pulled apart we decided to walk back to the hotel, taking in the beautiful New York lights and busy streets.
Not once did my smile falter as I was overwhelming with joy.
My smile only seemed to widen as I peered down at Myles's and I's hands that were still intertwined.
Soon my gaze shifted to Myles's face that had a beaming smile on it, making me stare at him in adoration.
Sensing my stare, his gaze shifted to mine, his smile widening as he looked at me.
And it was then I knew.
I was in love with Myles.