[19]

There are different kinds of crazy in the world. There's the take off your clothes and jump into a lake kind of crazy. There's the grab your unsuspecting crush by the shirt and kiss the heck out of him crazy. There's also the date thirteen boys and get heartbroken without learning from your mistakes kind of crazy.

But then, there's the dance with the guy you like while your brain is going into overdrive crazy.

"Isn't there supposed to be music of some sort right now?"

We were dancing in an empty hall, with only the light bulbs around as witnesses. Every now and then, we would bump into a table or a candle stand because we were both terrible dancers.

Or maybe it was just me. I didn't remember Parker being this clumsy the last time we danced. I wasn't clumsy at dancing either, but right now, my nerves were all over the place.

This was crazy. First, we had no music on, I was obviously very nervous, and he was too much of a gentleman to call me out on it.

Parker exhaled, his shoulders lifting slightly in the process. His green eyes roamed my face, which was growing hotter by the minute.

"Someone once told me, "our heartbeats are like songs. If we listen to them closely enough, we can dance to them"."

I couldn't help but arch a brow. Was it just me, or did that statement sound so cheesy? "So this is an experiment?" I asked him.

He grinned then. My heartbeat quickened. Staring up at him, I wondered if I was the only one feeling the electricity between us. It was enough to steal my breath.

"No," he replied to my question, his hold on me tightening by the slightest. "I just didn't have an answer to your question."

We laughed. Mine sounded more out of breath, bouncing off the walls and sending echoes around the room. Then there was silence, save for the sounds our feet made. In the midst of it all, Parker spoke up.

"My mom told you about Clare." It wasn't a question. It was a knowing statement. He knew his mom enough to expect that much from her. Funny enough, she'd tried to be vague about it.

I nodded. "Well, technically, you told me about her first. Five years ago."

Parker looked like he was deep in thought, brows furrowed and hands a little too loose around me for my liking. "Five years," he mused. "That's a long time. I'm surprised you remember."

My eyebrows met the roof. I had expected him not to remember anything about that night. Five years could do wonders to the mind and memory. Besides, each time he tried to talk to me about it, I ran away. If it were another, I was sure I wouldn't be feeling like this. So ready to jump into a love story. Mine and his. We'd be perfect to help each other move on from the past heartbreaks. And not just physically this time.

"I remember everything." To the last detail. "What happened to her?" I'd wondered that ever since his mom insinuated that something had happened to her. Even though asking the question felt like overstepping boundaries, I really wanted to know. Besides, Parker had proven to be open: quite opposing to my first impression of him from that night.

He was hardly a mysterious man.

Parker stiffened. He straightened his spine and held me closer, making my skin tingle. "I don't know what happened to her. But I know my mom did something. I'm just not sure what."

That didn't answer my question. But the good thing was, he wasn't lying. Parker never lied to me. I think that was one of the things that scared me about him. From his outer looks to his heart, I'd painted this perfect picture of him in my head that I didn't want to be tainted. As much as I knew he was a good person and I'd be happy with him, I couldn't help the nagging feeling that something was going to go wrong. Like it always was with my previous boyfriends.

"Okay," I breathed. My nerves were biting at my insides, every ounce of me wanting to tell him I was ready now. I just wasn't sure how to do it yet.

"You know," Parker suddenly began. "Clare was very different from you." My ears perked up at that.

Mrs. Wellington had said we were similar in almost all ways: the freckles and the cheating partner thing. From her description, I saw why she had that opinion, and I agreed with it. If Clare was anything like she'd described, she was someone I would easily get along with.

But Parker was saying something else now. The way he was looking at me made me feel different. Like some rare metal, he'd found. Inside, I knew I was a mess.

"Why do you say so?"

"Clare wasn't as bold as you. She was shyer and reserved, a wonderful script writer. In comparison, you are a wedding planner. The two jobs oppose each other." His gaze dulled slightly. "It was really shocking that she cheated. Although it tore me to pieces, I'm happy she cheated. If she hadn't, I wouldn't have met you and gotten a chance to snag your heart."

And snag my heart he had. With his brilliant eyes and dashing smile, Parker had created an attraction between us. Maybe it wasn't him who did it. Maybe I'd played a role in it too. Maybe it was all the excitement that bubbled in me whenever he was around, but I felt ready. I was ready to explore that attraction.

"Parker," I began with a racing heart. Better to spit it out and get it done with. "I want to try this...us. I want to give it a go." He stopped moving, halting me as well.

At first, Parker just stared down at me with a speechless expression, lips slightly parted. It made me want to laugh, but I couldn't because my heart was slamming in my chest, threatening to burst free. So instead, I watched his eyes brighten up.

"You're not-wait. Did my mom say something to threaten you into this?" He seemed dazed.

"Nothing really," I half lied. The woman warned me not to do what I was currently doing, but here I was. Unafraid. "She just helped me realize how stupid I was being, and she pushed me to grab the opportunity before it flew beyond my reach."

He smiled, the corners of his brilliant eyes crinkling. A breathy chuckle escaped his lips. "This feels fast."

"It does," I agreed, my heart still thumping. I moved my hands up and locked my fingers behind his neck. This felt right. "But it's what I want."

Parker's gaze darkened. He brought his forehead to mine. When he spoke, his voice was ragged and low. It made my spine tingle.

"Me too. But we're not going to rush anything, so it doesn't get too overwhelming."

My heart begged to differ. Being around him alone was overwhelming enough. But He was right. Jumping into things would cause problems. He wasn't going anywhere-no need to rush.

My gaze flickered down to his lips. "Would it be considered a rush if I kissed you?" The question was out before I could stop it. My face heated up.

Maybe I was a hormonal nincompoop.

Parker didn't answer. He just pulled me closer-if that was even possible-and pressed his lips to mine. The zoo broke loose. The kiss was slow, deliberate, and so... Parker. It reminded me of that night, it burned, but I craved more. I had waited long enough for this, and now it was happening. This was perfect. He was perfect. He made me want to try again.

With all doubt thrown out the window, I grabbed his collar and angled my head, hearing Parker grunt in approval and deepen the kiss. Every inch of me was burning, shaking, ready to soar.

But then someone whistled.

We didn't jump apart, but we did pull away, breathless. "Wow," was Parker's comment.

I wanted to say something, but I was too mesmerized by what had just happened to be able to form words. So, I just let my eyes roam his.

Mida materialized from one of the doors with a grinning Simone by her side. When I looked again, I noticed two more heads peeking out from behind the door. They were part of the bridal train.

How long had we been here? Did it matter?

"Sorry to interrupt," Mida teased, her grin matching Simone's. Downright crazy. "But we have a bachelorette party to commence. Unless, of course, you want us to take our party elsewhere."

Behind her, my best friend sent me a wink.

Parker flushed and stepped away from me, removing his hands from my waist and putting some inches between us. I wanted to frown, but a smile was already tugging on my lips. So I let it slide.

"Let's go," Parker said, taking my hand and leading me away.

Before we exited the room, I turned to glance at Simone and Mida, and I was shocked at what I saw. They were holding hands and jumping around like children.

Parker and I didn't make any conversation until we reached my room. It would have been awkward if we hadn't been holding hands.

When we got to the door, he turned to me and planted a soft kiss on my forehead. "Goodnight, Camsy," he smiled. I smiled back.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Of course, babe." He winked and then walked down the hallway with both hands in his pockets and a wide grin on his face.

That night, I slept with a grin of my own.