selfless love that should be the foundation of marriage. The two clasped their hands and couldn't break their eyes away from each other. Mrs. B quietly cried, leaning her head into her husband's shoulder when they said their simple vows, making promises to love and cherish. Sylvia gave a watery laugh when Connor promised never to finish the last of the coffee.
Everyone cheered when he wrapped her in his arms for a passionate kiss. Levi's eyes glowed happily in his handsome face when he looked over at me, and I was sniffing into a balled-up tissue from his mom.
People began to file out both sides of the rows of chairs, and I told Mr. and Mrs. B to go ahead so I could wait for the crowd to dissipate a little bit. As people milled around, chatting happily, I saw Levi's tall frame weave toward me.
He set his hands on the armrests and leaned down to kiss my forehead. "You were crying," he accused with a sly grin.
"I was not."
With a cocked eyebrow, he looked at the tissue that I still held with a death grip. "Really?"
"Shut up." I sighed. "It was a really beautiful ceremony."
"It was." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder toward where we'd be eating dinner. "Do you want to stay in your chair for the meal?"
"As opposed to what? You gonna make me stand?"
Levi growled under his breath, "You make me insane, Sonic."
I laughed. "Normally, I'd say my chair, but ??
"What?"
I scrunched up my nose. "I don't want to be sitting lower than everyone in the pictures."
"That would be awful," he said seriously.
The band continued to play softly in the background, but it was a tune I'd never heard before.
"I think we should dance now," he told me.
"Why now? Everyone will stare."
Levi looked over his shoulder. "Nah, they're all too busy gabbing. No one will even notice us over here."
Staring hard at everyone, I knew he was probably right. Not one single set of eyes was on us as far as I could tell. They were looking at photos of Connor and Sylvia, taking pictures, and milling around the tables full of different teas, lemonade, and appetizers to tide them over until the dinner started.
I took a deep breath and locked my chair, pulling up my dress so that I could set my feet safely on the even ground. Levi held his hand out, and I took it, standing as gracefully as I could manage.
His smile was wide, and I couldn't help but match it.
"I like your dress," he said as he slid his hand around to the bared skin of my back.
Leaning my weight into him, I curled one hand into his as he pressed it again his chest. My other arm went around his shoulders, where I could feel parts of him that I'd never felt before. The soft hair where it met the hot skin of his neck.
We swayed gently to the music, and I breathed easier when I realized this wasn't hard at all. He led with his body first, so I knew when to shift one foot to the side, then the other as we made a slow turn.
His cheek was pressed against the top of my head, and occasionally, he'd press his nose into my curls and inhale audibly.
I smiled into his shoulder. Levi's thumb brushed up my spine, tracing each bump under my skin before he moved to the next one.
"I missed you this week," he said quietly.
I closed my eyes and wrapped my arm more tightly around his shoulder. Ashley sang quietly in the background, and I pressed the words into my heart before I tried to answer.
And if I love but once in this cruel, weary world, well, I'm glad I loved once with you.
"I missed you too," I told him once I could lift my head and meet his eyes. "You don't seem surprised it took me this long."
"Because I know you," he answered as if it was the simplest thing in the whole world.
"I don't ?? I started, then exhaled slowly when the words weren't coming in the way I wanted them to. "I had to make sure this was about you and me. Not just that I was ready for more with anyone. Does that make sense?"
His eyes searched my face. "I think so."
"It was like, if I just wanted a boyfriend, but the person could be interchangeable, then I'd never want to risk your friendship in my life. I wanted to be