Olivia was momentarily blinded by the flickering on of a spotlight, which settled on the mysterious figure. Her hand flew to her mouth. It’s Jackson!
‘Oh my goodness!’ Olivia tapped the shoulder supporting her. ‘You’ve got to let me down!’ Olivia scrambled to the ground and sprinted over to Jackson, throwing her arms around his neck. ‘You’re here! You’re really here!’
‘Do you think I’d miss this?’ Jackson murmured into her hair. From behind his back, Jackson pulled out a pink rhinestone cowboy hat and placed it on top of Olivia’s head.
She felt the rim. ‘Jackson, it’s absolutely perfect! How did you know?’
Jackson jerked his head over to where Ivy was still looking on, smiling in Brendan’s arms.
‘Have I ever mentioned I love having a twin?’ Olivia asked, pushing up on her tippy-toes to plant a kiss on Jackson’s cheek.
‘It was tough to keep this all from you.’ Jackson straightened Olivia’s hat. ‘I was sure my wardrobe manager was going to give it away when I was on the phone to you while she was helping me choose your perfect Stetson.’
Olivia smacked her head. ‘So it really was your wardrobe manager!’
Jackson’s forehead wrinkled in the cutest way Olivia had ever seen. ‘Who else would it have been?’
Olivia blushed and looked away. ‘Um, I don’t know,’ she said quickly. ‘I didn’t recognise the voice, that’s all.’
Jackson shrugged off Olivia’s comment and laced his fingers through hers. He led Olivia out to the dance floor. The singer nodded to the other band members and they switched to a slow song. Jackson curled his arms around Olivia’s waist and she pressed her cheek into his sturdy chest. Now this was what Olivia called ‘perfect’.
She recognised the recording light glowing on Charlotte’s camera. She was filming the whole thing. Charlotte wiped a tear from beneath her perfectly applied mascara. Who knew – Charlotte had a sentimental streak!
‘Olivia.’ Jackson’s breath tickled her ear. ‘I can’t stay long. I managed to talk my way into one night off, but tomorrow it’s back to work.’
Olivia kept swaying with the melody, enjoying the smell of Jackson’s cologne and the fact that there was no telephone between her voice and his. ‘I understand. I can save sadness for another day. Tonight, I’m all about the happy.’
As the last slow notes of the song faded, Ivy and Brendan made their way over. Olivia hugged her sister. Without her, this surprise wouldn’t have happened.
‘Er . . .’ Brendan looked at Jackson. ‘I think this might be a sisters-only moment. Punch?’
Olivia nodded at Jackson and the boys went off in search of Lucrezia’s famous punch recipe.
The next part was harder. ‘Ivy, I know.’ Olivia rested her hands on Ivy’s shoulders.
‘Know what?’
‘I know that you might not be back after the summer. Your dad – our dad – he sat me down earlier today, after we were done preparing for the dance, and explained everything to me.’
Ivy slumped. ‘Are you mad at me?’
‘How could I be?’ Olivia thought her sister needed to have a little faith. ‘You’re about to find out if you can become the best vampire ever. I mean, how cool is that?’
‘Not as cool as having you as a sister,’ said Ivy, her goth-lined eyes shining.
As everyone danced around them, the twins shared another hug, this one longer and tighter than the last. Life was changing and for the first time since they had discovered each other, Ivy and Olivia were going to be apart.
Will things ever be the same?