The School Reunion by Shalini Boland

Author:Shalini Boland [Shalini Boland]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Psychological, Thrillers, Suspense
ISBN: 9781662507090
Google: jtm4zwEACAAJ
Amazon: B0BXYXVPDK
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2024-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

CHLOE

Jasmine finally gets her way and coaxes me and Harrie on to the now crowded dance floor. We’re joined by more people – some who I remember, and others I don’t. Before long, we’re all smiling, laughing, singing, leaping around. It feels like a release from the two years’ worth of sadness I’ve had in my heart. I’ve been dragging my divorce around with me for so long that I’d forgotten how to enjoy myself.

It’s cathartic to let go and have fun, dancing away to the songs from our teenage years. We know all the words, all the riffs; we remember all the dance moves we used to practise in our bedrooms. It’s as if our grown-up cares have melted away and we’ve reverted to a time when a three-minute song could sum up everything we were feeling.

I’ve managed to avoid another encounter with Chris this evening, and I’ve accepted that Nathan Blake isn’t coming tonight. That my desire to see him was probably nothing more than a symbol for my new start. Something to focus on, to get excited about. But, as the music pulses through me and I let go of my tightly held inhibitions, I realise I don’t need a man to kick-start my life. I’m doing it all on my own.

The instant I have that realisation is the moment I spot him.

Is that him? I’m sure it is. My stomach flutters.

He’s standing at the bar, laughing with friends. The music seems to fade for a moment. I lose my rhythm and stop dancing. Stand breathless on the crowded dance floor. I can’t stop staring. He looks just like his profile pic, only more gorgeous, if that’s possible, wearing a tux. Tall, broad-shouldered – a man rather than a boy – dark-haired and dark-eyed. I can’t believe he’s actually here.

I blink and carry on dancing, although now I’m detached from the music, my brain and heart both speeding out of time. I’m not confident enough to go over there and talk to him yet; I need time to compose myself. I’m a sweaty mess. And I’ll also need a drink for courage. I think we have another half a bottle of Prosecco left. I weave my way back to the table, where I sit and pour myself a large glass, my hands trembling. I take a couple of gulps and slip my phone from my bag, opening the camera app to check my hair and touch up my make-up.

He’s actually here.

All my daydreams are coming at me. All my wishes and hopes. My childish fantasies. I peer through the crowd until I spot him once more, but my hopes instantly disintegrate when I see who he’s with. Abigail Matthews and Zara Wickes are all over him, flicking their hair, pushing out their chests and laughing obnoxiously. He looks as though he’s enjoying the attention. I wonder if he took Abigail up on her offer to crash at her place. But surely, if that were the case, they would have arrived here together.

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