Luke is practically supporting my weight while the timeless blonde woman at the head table, Michael's mother I presume, gives a speech about some charity that everyone should support. I get the feeling that they support a lot of charities.
I am embarrassed by the way I cannot regain my composure, but intensely thankful to Luke for the literal support. I pull away from him after the woman stops talking and the crowd begins to disperse.
"Are you okay?" Luke asks.
"Yeah," I manage to choke out. There is no use in lying though, he knows. "Just a little surprised." Luke looks down at me, concern and understanding clear in his blue eyes.
"Wait here," Luke says. I lean against one of the stone pillars and watch his retreating back. First I worry that he is going to confront Michael, but he walks over to the refreshment table and I breathe a sigh of relief when I see him walking back to me, a glass of punch in his hand.
I can't help that my eyes periodically shift to Michael, and my heart sinks when I see that his eyes are on Luke as he walks across the room. The moment that Luke gets close enough to me, I feel Michael's eyes on me but I refuse to meet them. I can't.
"He's looking," Luke murmurs as he hands me the cup. Blessedly, the gigantically tall boy shifts so that he is standing with his back to Michael, blocking him from my line of sight. I finally relax and take a sip from the cup, glad for the fruit punch flavor instead of alcohol.
"Thank you," I breathe.
"He's coming this way, do you want to move?" Luke says, his voice rushed. I nod frantically, letting him take my hand and lead me the opposite direction. If only I were so lucky. I feel a hand land on my shoulder and I stop walking. Luke pulls up short and turns back to me at exactly the same moment that I turn to finally face him.
"What are you doing here?" Michael asks me in a low voice, standing close.
"I was invited here," I say coolly, wrenching my arm from his grip.
"Kate, you-"
"Mikey!" The blonde barbie has caught up to him, and she is tugging on his arm. He looks down at her for a moment and then back at me. I can see the excuse forming in his mind, and the question is which one of us he will deliver it to. "Come dance," she whines, literally pulling his arm until it is at a ninety degree angle from his body. He doesn't budge.
"Go ahead, Mikey," I tell him. I don't even try to keep the venom from my voice. "You're not worth the trouble." I see the hurt flash in his eyes as I repeat his words from yesterday, but it is quickly replaced by anger.
"Kacey," he barks. Barbie stops trying to disconnect his arm from his body at the sound of her name, and she focuses her attention on Michael again. He stares at me for one more long moment before he turns to her. "Let's dance, baby," he coos with a smirk. To my absolute horror, he latches himself onto her right there, not bothering to actually walk to the dance floor.
My gasp is lost in the slow music, but I know Michael hears it. I turn away from him, but Luke is blocking my path when I try to walk away.
"Luke, what-?"
"Let's dance, baby," he says in a mockingly deep voice, grabbing my waist and walking me backwards. He walks us right past Michael and Barbie, and I feel Michael's eyes on us.
Good.
The music is slow, something classical, and Luke places one of his hands in mine. He takes the lead and spins us in slow circles. He dances surprisingly well. Unintentionally, I glance at Michael and Barbie. They are dancing awkwardly, partially because Michael's eyes are focused on Luke and I. Luke knows it, evidenced by the way that he holds me against his body and deliberately keeps us close to Michael.
