Fall from Love

it’s still not enough for me to go dance with her.
    I shake my head. “No, thanks for the invite, though.”
    When she walks off, I hear the music change from a fast and upbeat song to more of a slow one. My eyes scan out into the crowd and I find Jenna and Josh slow dancing in the middle of the dance floor, but I can’t spot Holly.
    Just then, I feel someone grab my arm and see Holly standing next to me. Her eyes are glossy and the sweat from dancing has caused small wisps of hair to stick to the sides of her neck. She doesn’t look completely drunk, but she’s definitely buzzed.
    “You having fun?” I shout over the music, breathing in her scent that’s mixed with sweat and the perfume she’s wearing.
    She nods. “Yeah, lots of fun. Are you?”
    I shrug. “Sure, I guess. This really isn’t my scene, but it’s cool. I’m glad you’re having a good time.”
    She leans in, pressing her body against me and says, “I came over to check on you and see if you had any more guesses on my costume.”
    I swallow hard as my eyes trail over her body. When I see that parts of her costume are stuck to her body with sweat, my body feels like it’s being lit on fire. “How about an Egyptian princess?”
    She purses her lips, trying not to laugh. “Not even close.”
    I know it’s a stupid guess. Actually, I’m pretty sure she’s supposed to be a belly dancer, but I don’t want to say the right answer and give up my excuse for staring at her all night.
    She looks out towards the dance floor and then back to me. “Will you come dance with me?”
    I can’t take my eyes off her and I know there’s no way I’m getting out of this one; there’s no way I’m telling her no. “Sure.”
    She grabs my hand and leads me out onto the makeshift dance floor. The strobe lights have slowed down and now match the beat to the slow song that’s playing. I wrap my arms around her waist and she reaches up to lock her hands around my neck. I haven’t danced like this since probably middle school and I can’t help feeling like an idiot. As dumb as I feel, the crazy truth is, I’d do this all night long if it means I get to be close to her like this.
    When the song is nearing the end, she leans her head against my chest and drops her hands to grip my shoulders. My eyes close and I wrap my arms tighter around her waist, pulling her closer to me. There’s a good chance she can feel or hear my heart pounding fast and loud in my chest, but I don’t care. I never thought I’d say this—ever—but I wish this song would last forever. For right now, my wish is granted. The slow song we’re dancing to ends and another slow one begins.
     
    ❧
     
    “Oh, man, I don’t feel so well,” Jenna mumbles as we pull back up to their apartment.
    “C’mon, babe, you just need to sleep it off,” Josh says as he staggers out of the car. He turns around and helps Jenna out of the car since she had issues getting in the car back at the party. When he has a firm grip on her, they start to head up the stairs. Holly’s standing at the front of my car and I feel like an overprotective father trying to keep an eye on all of his kids at once.
    When it looks like Jenna and Josh are doing okay, I turn my focus to Holly. “Hey, you feeling okay?”
    She looks up at me with glossy eyes. “Yeah, I’m good. I just need my bed.”
    “Come on, let’s go.” I grab her around the waist and she wraps both arms around my stomach, resting her head on my chest; clearly using me as a crutch to stand up straight.
    I’m not sure how many drinks she had exactly, but she is definitely going to wake up in the morning regretting every last one of them. When we make our way up the stairs and into her apartment, Josh and Jenna are nowhere to be found. I look down the hall to see that the door to Jenna’s room is closed. Great . Holly’s looking more tired with each passing second and, for a moment, I’m scared she’s going to pass out standing up.
    When I finally have her in bed, I carefully take off her shoes. Even though I’m sure she probably wants to take off her sweaty costume, too, I don’t dare take it off for her.
    “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get you a glass of water. You want to get changed out of your costume?”
    She moans and shakes her head. “No, I’m too tired to move.”
    A few minutes later, I come back and she’s still lying in the exact spot that I left her. Shaking her gently, I hand her the glass of water,