Dashley's breath trembled as Kellan's forehead rested gently against hers. Neither of them moved—time had slowed, and the air between them still pulsed with the heat of the kiss.
"Told you I hadn't forgotten," he repeated softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
She swallowed, not trusting herself to speak. Her heart was pounding so hard it hurt, and she was certain he could feel it through the closeness of their bodies.
"Kellan…" she finally said, her voice uncertain.
"Yeah?"
"What does this mean?"
He exhaled slowly and leaned back, just far enough to look her in the eyes. "It means I'm done pretending. I can't stand by and act like I don't feel something when I do. When I've felt it since the moment I saw you at R&D's."
Her throat tightened. "But… what about Molly?"
"She doesn't matter," he said instantly. "She never did."
"And Axel?" she added, quieter this time.
Kellan's jaw tensed at that. He stepped back slightly, his hands falling away from her waist.
"Do you like him?" he asked, eyes shadowed now.
Dashley hesitated. "He's... been kind. Gentle. But it's different with you."
Something in his eyes softened at that. "Then say it."
She blinked. "Say what?"
"That you feel it too. That I'm not going crazy thinking this thing between us is real."
"I—"
"Dashley!"
Both of them flinched at the sound of her name being called from inside the house. It was Axel.
She took a shaky breath and stepped away, hugging her arms around herself.
"I need to go," she said.
He didn't try to stop her this time. He just stood there, watching as she walked away, her figure illuminated by moonlight and uncertainty.
Back inside, Dashley found Axel by the drink table, looking around.
"There you are," he said, relief evident on his face. "I was beginning to think you left."
"No, I just needed some air," she replied, trying to steady her voice.
Axel studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Are you okay?"
She forced a smile. "Yeah. Just a little overwhelmed. The party's... a lot."
He offered his hand again. "Do you want to leave?"
She looked past him, back toward the hallway leading to the garden.
"No," she said after a beat. "Let's stay a bit longer."
From across the room, Molly watched her return with Axel. But her eyes weren't on Dashley.
They were on Kellan—who had just stepped inside from the back entrance, his tie slightly loosened, his expression unreadable.
But Molly saw the change.
She had kissed him.
That girl had finally crossed the line.
Molly's fingers curled into fist
The party carried on as though nothing had changed, the laughter, the music, the shimmering gowns swirling on the dance floor—but for Dashley, everything felt different.
Axel led her to a quieter corner of the hall, near a large window where the night breeze gently pushed through slightly parted curtains. They talked, but her mind was elsewhere—still in the garden, where Kellan's lips had just left hers minutes ago.
She caught herself stealing glances toward the crowd.
Looking for him.
Looking for Kellan.
"I thought you weren't into parties," Axel said softly, trying to make conversation.
"I'm not," she replied automatically, then glanced at him. "But tonight's not that bad."
Axel smiled faintly but didn't respond. He noticed it too—the way her eyes wandered. The way her mind seemed to drift far from their conversation.
He sighed and checked the time.
"It's almost ten. We should get going soon, I promised your dad."
Dashley nodded, her fingers gripping the hem of her dress. But before either of them could move, someone stepped into their space.
"I'll take her home."
Kellan.
Dashley froze.
Axel blinked, his body subtly shifting in front of her like a protective reflex. "You what?"
Kellan's voice was calm, even—too calm. "Williams knows me. I've walked her home plenty of times. If you've got something else to do, I can take care of it."
Dashley's mouth opened to protest, but the words never came.
"Dashley?" Axel turned to her.
She should've said no. She should've remembered the kiss and the confusion and the promise she'd made to her dad. But instead, she met Kellan's eyes—and there was something in them. A question. A pull.
"I… it's okay, Axel. I'll go with him."
Axel's jaw tensed, but he nodded. "Sure. Just... text me when you get home."
"I will," she said, and Axel gave Kellan one last unreadable look before walking away.
The car ride was quiet.
Not tense, not awkward—just charged.
Kellan didn't speak at first, and neither did Dashley. They were both still somewhere in that garden. In the echo of what almost became more than just a kiss.
But finally, just as they were nearing her street, Kellan's voice broke through the silence.
"You haven't said a word."
Dashley swallowed. "Neither have you."
He pulled the car over just before reaching her house. The engine hummed gently beneath them. Streetlights cast soft shadows on the dashboard.
"I wasn't going to kiss you that night," he said.
She blinked at him. "What?"
"That first time… when we walked home. I wasn't planning to. I didn't even know I wanted to until you looked at me like that."
She lowered her eyes, heart thudding.
"And tonight…" He exhaled and leaned slightly toward her. "I did mean to kiss you. I've wanted to. I just didn't know if I was the only one thinking about it."
He let that hang in the air before turning more fully to face her.
"But then you walked away. Twice. So I need to know, Dashley… did it mean anything to you?"
She looked at him—really looked—and realized she hadn't stopped thinking about it either. Her fingertips still tingled from the memory. Her lips still ached with the ghost of his.
But fear and confusion knotted in her chest. Her voice came out small.
"I don't know what it meant yet."
Kellan's jaw clenched ever so slightly, but he nodded. "Okay."
"I just… I didn't expect it. Any of this."
"Neither did I," he said. "But I can't keep pretending it's not happening."
The silence returned, but this time, it was softer. More intimate.
"I should go," she whispered.
"Yeah." He leaned back in his seat.
Dashley reached for the door handle but paused. She glanced back at him. "Thanks… for taking me home."
He met her eyes. "Anytime."
She stepped out of the car, and he waited, just like he always did, until she was safely inside. But this time, as she shut the door behind her, her fingers touched her lips… and she didn't stop herself from smiling.