43. The Kiss

~ CARA ~

I went completely still. My entire body feeling like even the slightest touch or movement might shatter me into a thousand pieces.

Rig gripped Natalie’s arms tightly. When he pulled back from the kiss, his face dark, for a moment my hope rose. Then it was plummeted to the marble floor beneath my feet as a deep voice called over the noise of the crowd.

“It’s about time you two stopped playing games!”

The entire crowd roared with laughter, whoops and whistles echoing through the ballroom as Rig turned his head quickly to look at the man who must be his father, but whose face was obscured by the people standing between us. But as his father spoke again—loud enough for everyone to hear—I couldn’t absorb any of it. I couldn&r