"Oh wow. Thank you so much." I barely manage to say as I learn how to speak again. Monique had replied to my email only yesterday, but just with a simple 'better' and I didn't see her for the rest of the day so I couldn't discuss it any further. "You liked the title?" I question in disbelief.

With a soft laugh, Monique nods.

"Yes, I actually did. I think we can definitely work with it. I'm not promising you a new role or anything but it's a start." she confirms. I find myself squeezing Theo's hand back as I try to hold onto reality. "Anyways, I just thought I'd come tell you that and congratulate you Elizabella. Now, I better go mingle some more. Enjoy your night you two."

"You too Miss Kelliher!." I chirp as she walks away. 

"You're getting published?!" Theo exclaims, any walls between us firmly deconstructed as we both revel in the moment. Eyes wide with excitement for me, he lets go of my hand but it is only to grip me by my shoulders while I remain speechless.

"Yeah, I guess so." I meekly respond, still staggered. I've always been one to set my standards incredibly low and prepare for the worst, since the disappointment is at least a little less hard to cope with then. But now, I've actually received good news and I'm struggling to take it all in.

"Congratulations Ella." he rejoices, lightly shaking me in an attempt to break me out of my trance-like state. I shake my head as though that'll bring me back down to Earth. "So, when do I get to read this magazine-worthy article?"

And just like that, I return to reality. 

Recalling everything that I had written that night on my bed, I am determined that Theo can never read this. That article is basically a report of all my miserable failures in romance, in particular my complete sense of disarray when it comes to a certain guy in recent times and how conflicted he has made me. I never expected this to get a spot in the magazine and it was honestly a desperate last minute attempt that I'm a little embarrassed that Monique read now that I think it over. But she liked it, she actually liked it, so I try to focus on that instead.

"Oh, don't bother. It's nothing. Just some girl stuff." I dismiss with a wave of my hand. 

"Well, I'd still love to read it," he assures me, finally lowering his hands from my shoulders, "How come you didn't tell me that Monique had you write an article for her?"

Not wanting to tell him that the actual reason was because I like to use him to distract me from these things or that the damned article was all about him, I take the easy path that I know will shut him up. 

"We haven't really spoken lately." I argue. 

When he immediately looks down in shame, biting down on his bottom lip with hesitation, the guilt rushes in for taking a stab at him just to keep my secrets and when he was so thrilled for me. But I try to assure myself that it was a fair call and wasn't exactly that far off of the truth. 

"Right. I-" he begins before Damon arrives and so obliviously interrupts. 

"I'm back! Sorry about that." he says, unaware or not caring about what was going on. Usually I'd be irritated by all the interruptions that were taking place tonight but for once I'm grateful because they've certainly saved me from some conversations I did not want to have. "Did I miss anything?"

"Actually-" Theo begins before I too cut him off, not needing for Damon to hear the news and read that article either.

"I was just wondering what was on the menu for tonight." I interject, hoping that Damon falls for my lame attempt to mislead him.

Sure enough though, Damon believes me and begins to mumble on about chicken and crab as I look in Theo's direction to check that he is going to keep my news to himself. He looks a bit confused but fortunately seems to be going along with my charade. We both chime into what ends up being a tedious discussion about food at events and which performers there would be tonight, but I soon notice Damon's attention wavering. Turning to look at where his gaze is fixated, I spot someone waving him over yet again. 

Noticing that I've picked up on his distracted state, Damon looks to me pleadingly. "I'm so sorry to do this again but I could really use a minute to go chat with someone if that's okay. I promise I'll be really quick, and when I come back I'm all yours for the night." he assures me. 

Honestly not wanting to put in the effort with someone who would clearly prefer to be off talking with someone else so desperately, I dismiss him with multiple confirmations that I'll be fine. Left alone once again, I realise that Theo could bring up the article again but hope that he doesn't since I was obviously avoiding it with Damon. 

"Want to dance?" Theo instead asks out of nowhere, offering his hand to me as he nudges his head in the direction of the other couples beginning to accumulate on the dance floor. 

"Yeah, I don't know. Is the same moody teenager version of Theo that appeared last week going to make return?" I question.

"I deserved that." he admits abashedly, nodding softly. "But can you give me a chance to prove that was a one-off?" he asks, hand still hanging in the air before me waiting. 

I look between his pleading expression and that lingering head before the push over in me reluctantly answers him. 

"Fine, but I'm warning you that I'm pretty uncoordinated." 

I'm just glad he hasn't mentioned the article. Yet. 

"Don't worry. We can be uncoordinated together." he promises, taking my hand in his and walking us over onto the dance floor. With couples surrounding us and swaying to the beat of the band, Theo pulls me in closer so that one hand rests on my waist while the other is intertwined with mine. It is only now as his touch lingers on my body that I realise just how much I have missed it; how much my body has ached for it. 

"It was odd not seeing you this week." Theo comments as we slowly find our rhythm on the dance-floor. 

"Yeah, it was." I admit.

"I'm sorry if I was kind of a dick last week." he apologises, looking down at me sincerely. 

"No, it's okay. You were fine." I dismiss, wanting to just move past the disagreement once and for all. I just want everything to be back to normal because I ultimately have to admit that I'm not ready for things to end between us. 

"I really wasn't, he insists, "I guess I just let my disappointment get the best of me, and it didn't help that Damon formed part of the discussion." And so the answer ultimately ends up being that it was not just Damon's inclusion that irritated Theo that day. I'm not sure how to feel about that because far too many questions still remain. I still don't know whether I'm just overthinking everything; whether it shouldn't mean anything that Theo wanted me to join him tonight. 

"I think I just needed some time by myself to think things over and realise that. But I guess I had nothing to be upset about because here I am with you while Damon gets to talk to a bunch of stuffy old rich guys, even if he is trying to still win you over." he teases, immediately smirking at as I try to frown at him but fail as I attempt to back a chuckle.

"What do you mean by he wants to "win" me over? I told him I didn't feel that way about him and he said he understood." I adamantly assure Theo. If he's going to be the one to bring up Damon then I'll take the opportunity to have my questions answered. 

Theo chuckles. "Well, I'm pretty sure anyone but you could tell that was a load of crap. You know, sometimes people do say things they don't mean just to make someone happy and keep them around."

As I begin to ponder over his words, my mind lurching closer and closer to the depths of overthinking, Theo does what he does best and rips my attention away from everything as he suddenly twirls me around before he dips me in perfect timing with the music. From this position, I am met with the mesmerising coffered ceiling and chandelier which hangs above us that I could only imagine is a dream for an architect like Theo. Theo's head hovers over me, a mischievous grin growing on his face as his navy blue eyes gleam and he revels in his ability to catch me off guard. Pulling me back up, my body is pressed firmly against his and his arms hold me tightly in place as I return to an upright position. 

"What happened to you being uncoordinated?" I ask breathlessly as we slowly sway on the spot .

"See, I was right- sometimes people lie just to keep someone around." he cockily replies, always wanting to prove his point. I shake my head at him, not sure why I'm even surprised by his repeated smugness or stubbornness at this point. "Do you want to get out of here?" he randomly asks.

My head snaps up to look at him with scepticism, with his proposition surely impossible.

"What?" I question in disbelief. "I can't leave Damon. I feel like I just got here."

"Damon will be fine. He's been off sucking up to everyone we work with anyways. Plus, you're not missing anything special. The charity got the donation it needed from your ticket, your job is done." he reasons. Lowering his mouth to my ear, he whispers: "Come on, leave this dreadful gala with me."

Checking around the room once more to see if Damon is returning any time soon, I can't even see Damon nearby anymore. Realising that if Damon is planning to leave me alone all night then why shouldn't I, I take a step back from Theo.

With my hand still intertwined in his, I tell him "Okay, let's go" before he pulls me along with him and we rush out of the gala like a pair of rambunctious kids off to get into lord knows what kind of trouble.