Jules hadn't once glanced at him but she was very aware of him. His voice filled her as he spoke to everyone at the table. His gaze was on her when no one was looking. Gideon spoke to her through the event and the meal. He made it quite obvious that he wasn't there out of his own free will even without mentioning it to her.

Everyone had moved to the floor as the dance had started. Eric asked Jules to the floor and Selene made Ceaser dance with her. The two couples danced close to each other as his gaze shifted back and forth from Jules to his mum who smiled just smiled at him.

"What is it, mum?" He asked

"Nothing." She shook her head.

"There's clearly something on your mind."

"I've decided not to interfere." She said, "Whatever happens should happen because you want it to not because I made it happen."

Ceaser looked at his mum thinking of whatever he had planned for after the function. He was going to talk to her.

"How do you like the McGuire boy?" Eric asked Jules who smiled up at him.

"He's... fine." She said, not knowing a better word to use

"Just fine?"

Jules scoffed a laugh.
"What are you trying to get me to say?"

"Nothing," Eric said too quickly. "Just you both seem to hit it off well."

"Well, he's pretty good at holding a conversation." She said, "He's ok."

Eric nodded not saying anything.

"Don't worry Eric." She said, "No one's going to steal your date."

Eric smiled
"I hope..."

"May I cut in?" They both turned when Gideon showed up beside them.

Eric looked at her silently asking if she wanted to dance with him and she gave him a nod.
"Of course son." Eric said before he walked away from the dance floor leaving Jules in Gideon's arms.

Gideon smiled at her and she smiled back in return as they danced.
"You look beautiful." His face was serious.

"Thank you." She blinked up at him.

"I've been meaning to ask all night."

"What?"

"How do you know the Thompson's?"

She was quiet.
Well, well, well. Here was an example of someone who didn't read or listen to gossips.
"Uh..." She thought "Mutual relative." She said truthfully.

Ceaser was related to her daughter and was a Thompson.

Gideon nodded.

Selene could have laughed if the look on her son's face wasn't deadly. She had seen why he was throwing daggers, arrowheads, bullets, whatever at Gideon. She had given Eric a look who got up when he saw her and made his way back on the dance floor towards her.

"Son?" Eric tapped on Ceaser's shoulder who stopped dancing "May I dance with your mum?"

Ceaser nodded before he stepped aside and let his dad take his mum into his arms as they danced. He on the other hand had set his gaze on someone. He made his way straight for them.

"I'm cutting in." He said just as Gideon smiled at him before he stepped off the floor.

Jules' back was to him and her breathing had begun to escalate. She released her breath in a whoosh as Ceaser placed his hand on her waist and turned her to face him and their gazes locked.

Jules felt her heart beating erratically in her chest as she danced with him. They moved together in sync with grace and finesse. Even though Gideon was just as beautiful as Ceaser, she didn't have the connection she and Ceaser shared with him. Because of that connection, he was unable to charm his way through. It would have worked if she wasn't in love with Ceaser, but she was and every man that came up to her, she compared to Ceaser and no one. No one, she was certain, was ever going to be able to replace him in her heart and her life.

"You are so beautiful." Ceaser said and she felt his voice deep in the pit of her stomach as his voice vibrated through her sending familiar waves of emotions through her.

The intensity at which he said it made her yearn for him more than she had the past weeks they had been apart. Being this close to him and unable to do to him what she wanted to do was torture for her.

Jules sucked in a breath as she pulled away from him, stopping their dance. They stared at each other, both wanting the same thing but yet that one thing hung over them like a pendulum reminding them why it is they were unable to act upon whatever drew them like a moth to a flame.

Jules couldn't take any more of it, so she walked off the dance floor not knowing where she was headed but her leg didn't stop as it just keep going. When she finally stopped, she found herself at the balcony, the very familiar balcony and she could have smiled at the feeling it brought back but the irony hit so close to home. She ran away from him because her feelings had become almost unbearable and she had come to the place where the special memory of their first kiss played in her head as she closed her eyes embracing herself.

Ceaser had followed her the minute she walked off the dance floor. Everyone had been staring but he didn't care about everyone. He needed Jules and he needed her weeks ago, his stubborn heart and clueless brain had just taken him that long to figure it out. She was going to keep needing time and space until he talked to her and explained to her that the more time she took, the more time he spent thinking about her and the more space she asked for, the more his space filled with millions of her around him. He was suffering from thinking about her and being unable to touch her. He needed her in his life for she was in everything around him and he couldn't live another second without her.

Ceaser followed her Vanilla scent to the balcony which brought back a memory that made him almost smile if not for the situation he was in. He caught sight of Jules standing there with her arms around her. Her silhouette was captivating as he took his first step towards her then another and soon enough, he was right behind her. Ceaser wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back into him, his chin falling to her shoulder.

"I miss you so damn much." He groaned painfully and Jules felt the familiar ache in her chest as she swallowed. "Please Jules, don't punish us any longer. Don't punish me any longer." He pleaded. "I need you so much. I haven't been sane since you left. I would do anything you ask of me except let you go again. Anything except be without you again. I can't stay in this hell you've condemned me to, a life without you is no life, Jules."

Jules pulled away turning to him.
"A life without you is better than one where you lie to me every time." She said through the lump in her throat "What? We get married and I realize our marriage is a lie too?"

Ceaser's eyes shut tightly
"I would never do that to you."

"Well, it almost happened." She snapped "You almost got married to me with a lie hanging over us and I didn't even know it."

"I was trying to protect us."

"By lying to me?" She asked "Ceaser, there's no relationship if we can't trust each other enough to know that no matter what it is, we would always work it out. But you didn't even trust me enough, that's what hurts, not because of the way you approached the situation in the beginning when you found out about Ivy but because you almost let us get married not trusting me with that secret."

Ceaser stared at her, confused.
"You're not angry about that?"

She blinked back the tears.
"I was at first, but I understand now why you did what you did." She said "I'm not angry. I'm just hurt that you don't trust me as well as I trust you. I bared myself to you and I thought you did the same but you kept something so important from me and destroyed what was supposed to be the best day of our lives."

Ceaser took a step forward.
"And it was the biggest mistake I ever made." He said, "Jules, I didn't tell you because I was afraid I was going to lose you and I did anyway but I promise there are no more secrets and if there are, you are the first person I will tell."

Jules stared at him
"How do you expect me to believe that?" She said, "I don't trust you anymore."

Ceaser felt the pain radiate in his chest as he looked down and shut his eyes painfully.

"But..." His gaze snapped up at her "I am still so in love with you." She paused "I don't think I could ever stop loving you. That's why I want to make this work."

Ceaser let out a whoosh of breath as he felt lighter than he had since all this took a wrong turn. He took another step in front of her coming so close to her.
"You are simply amazing." He said "I promise I'm going to earn back your trust and I promise never to lie to you again. Except a little white one for surprises."

Jules laughed a little with tears in her eyes and he smiled before he cupped the side of her face.
"I missed you so much." She said painfully.

"I missed you too sweetheart." He moved even closer, her chest brushing against him "So painfully much."

Their gazes had not wavered.

"I need to kiss you right now." Ceaser groaned out and Jules' heart almost broke at the question in the statement.

"I think I would die if you don't." She said, almost inaudible.

Ceaser's gaze dropped to her lips as Jules watched him. A moment passed and another as he took his precious time leaning into her for the kiss she had dreamt of every hour of every day. She wanted to lean in and kiss him but his hand held her face in place.

"Dammit Thompson, kiss me already!"

The last thing she saw was his smile before he descended down on her hard and wanting. He wanted to take his slow time drinking her in but Jules had something else in mind as she kissed him like she was ravenous and well she was. Her hand on his shoulder supported her up, the other in his hair tugging and pulling his head closer to her. Ceaser hand on the small of her back, pressing her into him and the other had found residence on her butt which would have been better if her dress wasn't so thick it was like he touched a pillow. Ceaser's ferocity had already matched hers and they were kissing like this was their first and last kiss.

When they finally broke apart, they were both panting.

"Damn Jules, you're trying to kill me." Ceaser said breathlessly which made her smile.

"Well, you just brought me back to life." She said

Ceaser brushed against her hot cheek as he just stared at her.
"I am so in love with you." He paused "I would never stop and I will keep loving you for as long as I live."

Jules looked into his eyes as she remembered what he had told Ivy on her birthday.

I promise I will do everything I can to get both of you back. You both are the most important thing to me and I can't live without you.

She felt a tear escape her teary eyes as she tip-toed and placed her forehead against his, sighing.
"I love you too."

They both leaned in for a soft kiss forgetting about the function that was ending in the other room.