17
After the obligatory first dance and father-daughter dance, the dance floor opened to all guests. Dan immediately pulled Makenna onto the dance floor before the first chorus of the first song. At one point, a crowd surrounded Dan as he performed an elaborately choreographed dance as Makenna cheered him on. Zoey gasped when she saw the faintest kiss happen between Dan and Makenna. Then they walked back to the table, and she wondered if she’d dreamt it.
The DJ played the typical wedding crowd-pleasers, mixed with some new music. Zoey and Jonathan sat and talked, about other guests at the wedding and Aunt Lisa, who was throwing herself at Bartender Bob. They laughed and playfully touched, and every time she turned her head, her mother was watching. At first it was jarring, turning and seeing her mother always staring at them, but it slowly dimmed into a slight annoyance.
Zoey waited for her jam, and when it came on, she hopped up and pulled Jonathan from his seat. Zoey didn’t care if her mother laid down an hour-long dissertation about what a terrible idea it was when they got back to Lillyvale. Tonight, she would dance.
Jonathan twirled her audaciously, spinning her around the dance floor beneath the strobe lights. He pulled her closer to him.
“I read your note.”
“Was it sufficient?”
Zoey nodded. “Absolutely. It was sweet. Very thoughtful.”
“There’s more where that came from.”
He pulled her back to him and accidentally slammed his chin to her forehead. “Ow.” He rubbed his chin.
“Way to kill the mood,” Zoey said between giggles, holding her forehead. “That’ll probably leave a mark.
Jonathan and Zoey participated in the chicken dance and the Electric Slide, even doing the Hokey Pokey. The shoes had come off, and Zoey was now walking around barefoot. The bottoms of her feet were black.
Zoey headed back from the bar when the opening chords of “Love Story” by Taylor Swift floated across the dance floor. She heard an audible “aww” from Caroline who held her hands to her chest. Zoey set down the drinks as Jonathan outstretched his hand.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this goes out to the best lady Zoey. Enjoy this special request from the best man himself,” the DJ boomed into the microphone. The DJ initiated the pink and red strobe lights, and a spotlight shone on Jonathan. He shielded his eyes.
“Is that necessary?” Jonathan asked.
“You remembered,” Zoey said as Jonathan took her in his arms.
“Love Story” was their song. Whenever she heard it, she felt a wave of nostalgia and heart flutters. Nights of being alone in his car, talking about their future in Arizona. Nights of listening to it on repeat, thinking about Jonathan.
“Yeah, every time I hear this song, I think of you. Though, technically, we were never Romeo and Juliet,” Jonathan said.
“Absolutely not. I mean, you always check the body.”
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Jonathan said. He wrapped his arm around her waist and took her hand with the other. They swayed to the beat of the music, the only couple barely moving. At that moment, they were alone in the room.
“After my divorce, I really regretted what happened with us,” Jonathan said. “I wished I would’ve fought harder for you. But now…” He looked off. “I’m glad we had the time apart. Because this version of you…is my favorite version.”
“And what is that?” Zoey asked, the song going into the bridge.
“Confident. Spontaneous. Free,” he said. “All those qualities I fell in love with are still there, though. You’re still caring and forgiving and hilarious.” He kissed her forehead.
“This version of you is my favorite too,” she said as the song ended.
“And that was ‘Love Story’ going out to Jonathan and Zoey. Let’s pick this party up,” the DJ said, switching into a popular, high-tempo song.
“This is my jam!” Dan screamed from across the room as he barreled toward the dance floor.
“I need to go to the bathroom.” Zoey kissed Jonathan before breaking away from his embrace. Zoey turned back to seeing Jonathan pouting, his tie loosened around his neck and the shirt sleeves rolled up. He finally messed up his hair, and he looked like himself again instead of the formal best man version he was playing. She was obsessed. She walked away but couldn’t help turning back. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, surrounded by dancing guests, his eyes only on her. She turned back to leave the ballroom with the biggest smile on her face.
Seventeen-year-old Zoey would’ve lived for that moment.
Jonathan sat down while he waited for Zoey. The party still raged with a good mix of ages cutting loose on the dance floor. Brady and Caroline danced in the middle of the crowd, never leaving. Caroline was now shoeless, with a drink in each hand and her husband’s tie hung around her neck.
He smiled across the table to Addison who was alone and engrossed in her phone.
Dan had pulled her up to dance a few songs with him when Makenna took a breather. He tried to talk to her, but she only smiled the kind of smile sad people give.
Zoey appeared in front of him. “I’m back.”
“Is she okay?” Jonathan pointed at Addison.
“I don’t know,” Zoey said. Jonathan watched her circle the table and sit with Addison. Addison set the phone down and turned toward her, smiling and even laughing. Zoey wrapped her arms around Addison as they still sat and then Zoey circled the table back.
“She’s fine. She’s not feeling great,” Zoey said.
Jonathan pulled at his undershirt. The ballroom had gotten stuffy with the amount of bodies and humidity from the rain. While Rachel, Zoey’s mother, had cooled it on the constant monitoring, her eyes on them still made him slightly nervous. Jonathan pointed outside.
“Let’s go outside to check on the rain,” Jonathan said. He offered his jacket and Zoey threaded her arms in. It was so big on her, but it summoned something in him, a heat, a want.
They walked to the entrance and through the automatic doors. The street glistened with moisture as water-covered cars sped by.
Jonathan wrapped his arm around Zoey’s waist. Zoey’s arms circled his waist. “So, I’m planning on going back to Lillyvale to see my mom for a day or two before I go back to Arizona,” Jonathan said. He looked at Zoey for a reaction, but her face remained soft and serene. The breeze slowly picked up pieces of hair, her braid already letting some pieces free.
“That’s great,” Zoey said.
“I was hoping to spend Monday together. Hang out. Maybe go to Tuscan Grove.”
“You had me at Tuscan Grove.”
Jonathan pulled her tighter. Family members and guests from the other weddings left around them, but they still quietly enjoyed the night. Zoey fit perfectly under his arm. Jonathan kissed her hair part, and she snuggled against him.
Here was this dynamic woman, still kind and hilarious, but messy and complicated, willing to forgive him after everything he put her through. He knew he had hurt her, even though she said she was fine, he saw hesitation wash over her when they were together. Like she was holding back. He understood her caution and didn’t want to rush it.
Still, he was all the way in. Damn, he suspected he had already fallen back in love with her. Hard and unyielding, desperate and longing. It ripped at his heart that he had hurt her, and now he was willing to do whatever it took to heal what he had damaged. Sure, she was under his arm, but he wanted the way she looked at him at sixteen back. Maybe Lillyvale would jog her memory.