The ballroom of the Sherwoods' mansion was brightly lit as the chandelier glistened above the dance floor, paired with twinkling white lights hung throughout the room. Elegant streamers laced around the banisters as tables were covered in white linens and gold plates, matched with glittering wine glasses and silverware. A live band was set up at one end of the ballroom, cellos, and violins softly playing as couples began arriving. Grandma Clara was near the entrance with Audrey Sherwood, her best friend and chairwoman of the Sherwood Foundation for Autism Awareness, welcoming each guest with a warm smile and a bubbly laugh as they greeted their friends and families.

I hovered near the edge of the dance floor, swaying slightly from side to side so the hem of my red ballgown brushed the top of my matching glittery heels. Nodding to a few people who were making their way to the assigned tables nearby, I let my gaze roam around the ballroom, admiring the ballgowns and evening gowns of the other women who appeared to float elegantly as they bustled around. I was so lost in my thoughts I didn't hear footsteps approaching from behind until a voice spoke, startling me.

"Shall we?" Eli appeared at my elbow, offering me his hand as he tilted his head towards the open dance floor.

"Not even in your dreams." I shot back, rolling my eyes at his charming demeanor.

"Ava, please. Dance with me," he said with a smile still plastered on his face, nodding to a couple passing us with curious glances on their faces.

"And what, pretend the world doesn't exist around us?" I shook my head violently, the curls framing my face trembling at the force. "That only happens in movies, Eli. And not the ones where the couple is mortal enemies."

"What?" Eli took a step back, momentarily startled by my outburst.

With an opening between us, a group of teenage girls sashayed through to the dance floor, giggling over boys and gossiping about people's fashion choices; I took that as my chance to escape before Eli could gather his wits and ask me what I meant by "mortal enemies." Without hesitation, I quickly disappeared into the arriving crowd, desperate to find Lucy or Mia, and to gulp some cold water down in an attempt to soothe my suddenly coarse throat.

Before I could get too far, a hand wrapped around my upper arm and veered me to the left, towards a semi-dark hallway and through a door; shaking my head to clear the daze clouding my senses, I realized my mysterious companion had pulled me into the West Library. A minute later, I noticed the fireplace had been lit long before our arrival; another passed by before I realized the person standing in front of me was Eli. His expression was dark as he stared at my face, his eyes searching for who knows what before he spoke.

"What did you mean by, mortal enemies, Ava?"

"You know exactly what I meant." I stood my ground as I met his heated gaze; whether it was lust or something else entirely that fueled the fire that lit his eyes, I couldn't tell. Squaring my shoulders back, I retained my composure as Eli swirled around to face the fireplace, lost in thought.

"How long have you known?" Eli asked quietly, his face half exposed by the dancing orange light.

"The night my parents saw you at the police station, after the fight at the Rabbit Hole," I answered, my eyes not leaving his back.

"Who told you?"

"My dad."

"Did he tell you everything?" Eli turned to face me, a wary expression lingering in his gaze.

"Yes... but I also remember that night. When I was kidnapped..." I let my voice trail off as memories threatened to swarm my head; I cleared my throat and continued. "Your mom took care of me, fed me mac and cheese. She made me feel safe, even if it was just for a few minutes. I'm sorry to hear she passed away."

Something flickered in Eli's eyes - anger? Hatred? -before he paced a few feet towards the bookshelf, resting his hand against the dark wood. Silence weaved its way through the atmosphere, cloaking us almost blanket-like.

"Are you intimidated by me?" Eli asked abruptly, his back to the books as he strode forward, putting an overstuffed chair between us.

"No," I said, almost smirking in amusement.

"Then why are you so nervous whenever I'm around?" He nodded to my hands. "You've been fidgeting with your dress since I shut the door."

"I'm not nervous around you," I scoffed, smoothing the satin material down, attempting to cover any signs of wrinkles from the accused fidgeting.

"Oh really?" Eli tried to hide his smirk, but his eyes twinkling with humor gave him away.

"Yes, really. You have no power over me."

I shot daggers at Eli as he slowly stalked forward, his eyes darkening as he closed the space between us. The temperature rose in heat, my skin growing warmer by the second. Eli raised an eyebrow questioningly, his lips curling into a knowing smirk.

"You sure about that?" He asked, trailing a finger along the base of my neck down my exposed shoulder. A shiver involuntarily spasmed down my spine and flared through the rest of my body.

"Yes." I managed to say out loud, thankful my voice had remained steady despite the hummingbird thumping in my chest. "Absolutely."

"I think," Eli lowered his head towards my neck, his lips softly brushing against my earlobe, "that you're lying to yourself, Ava."

"Is that so?" I whispered, attempting to remain still and slightly grateful for the flowy red material covering my wobbly knees.

"Mhm," he murmured, his breath cooling my skin. "I think you're fighting desire and love because you're scared."

"Scared?" I lifted my hand to his chest, pushing him away slightly to look him in the eye. "Scared of what, exactly?"

"Pure happiness."

Eli's answer, spoken with confidence and warmth, shocked me to my core. My body froze in surprise as I stopped to contemplate his observation. Was he right? Was I scared of being happy?

"What makes you think that?" I questioned him, unsure I wanted an explanation.

"You're a Centofanti," he started to circle around me slowly, his eyes devouring my body from top to bottom, as if he could see what was underneath the red strapless ballgown. "A rival gang member coming from a wealthy family that values honor, loyalty, family bonds. All of that means something to you."

My heart pounded louder, filling my eardrums as he continued.

"You don't want to disappoint your family - your parents, your grandmother, your uncle. So, you follow the rules, only question things when absolutely needed, and you focus on fulfilling your role in the family business, which leaves you unable to find someone who understands you, your family, and your lifestyle."

"You don't know what you're talking about," I said in a hushed tone, my voice cracking as I tried to stay calm. Eli chuckled under his breath.

"Don't I? You know exactly who I am and yet, you're still in this room with me. You could walk out, rejoin the others and enjoy the rest of the ball your grandmother put together. So, what's stopping you from opening that door and leaving?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, I spun around and pulled Eli into my arms, our lips hungrily melting together as I backed him against the closest wall. My fingers slid into his hair, grasping and tugging gently as I guided Eli to the base of my neck, a soft moan escaping from my throat at the contact. His hands hugged my waistline, his fingers pressing the fabric of my dress into my skin as he turned us around, my back against the wall for support.

As he resumed trailing kisses along my neck, I reached up and slowly began unbuttoning his white shirt, splaying my fingertips on his chest. Just as I moved towards his torso, the doorknob jiggled as someone tried to enter; quickly thinking, Eli positioned me behind the door and grabbed the wooden material in one hand as it spun open, stopping whoever was on the other side from walking into the room.

"Good evening, gentlemen. What can I help you with?"

"Hello, Eli. Nice to see you again." Uncle Leo's voice was both pleasant and surprised at the man in front of him; I threw a hand over my mouth as my eyes grew wide, the realization dawning on me as a second person spoke.

"You haven't seen my daughter recently, have you?" Dad asked Eli, his voice almost tired as if he was physically exhausted.

"No, Sir. Not since she rejected my offer at a dance some time ago." Eli replied smoothly, feigning concern. "Is she okay?"

"I'm sure she is... her grandmother is waiting for her before she has the band play the waltz. It's Ava's favorite." Dad said, most likely smiling at an old memory that popped into his head.

"If I do see her, I'll let her know," Eli promised, gesturing towards the door in his hand. "Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I'd like to get back to... entertaining my company. She's a shy little blonde."

"Oh, of course." Uncle Leo chuckled humorously. "Sorry to have bothered you."

With a wave, Eli closed the door as they walked away, making sure to lock the doorknob again. He turned back to me, his face as red as my dress, and I burst into giggles.

"We were almost caught by my dad... making out like teenagers in high school!"

"Yeah... that was awkward." Eli laughed with me, running a hand through his hair.

"So," I said after I finally stopped giggling. "You like blondes, huh?"

"Shut up," Eli growled before kissing me deeply, making my toes curl. "You're the only one I have eyes for. And if I knew for certain we wouldn't get interrupted again, I'd prove that to you right now, right here."

"Except you're not certain and my grandma's waiting for me," I smirked, slipping under his arms and putting some distance between us. "But I can't go out the same way I came in, my dad and Uncle Leo could still be in the hallway and you told them you were with another woman!"

"Well, it's a good thing there's a second way to get into this library," Eli said, gasping in a slightly mocking tone. "It leads out into a hallway near the kitchen. You can go that way and I'll go out the other door in five minutes."

"Okay." I nodded, smoothing away any wrinkles in my skirt. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful. And not like you were just making out with the enemy." Eli winked, dodging the small throw pillow I tossed at him. "Go, before someone else in your family discovers you in here with me."

"I'm going, I'm going." I held my hands up in surrender before swishing around to find the second door on the other side of the room. Before I reached for the doorknob, Eli spoke.

"Ava..."

"Yeah?"

"You really do look beautiful."

"Thanks." I blushed at the compliment, "You look pretty great yourself."

Eli smiled warmly before nodding to the door, holding up his hand to reassure me he'd wait five minutes to follow suit. I pushed the door open and cautiously stuck my head out, surveying the hallway. Once I was certain the coast was clear, I quickly stepped out of the library and made a beeline for the kitchen, grabbing one of the small desserts off of a waiting tray just as Lucy and Mia rushed in.

"There you are!" Lucy exclaimed. "We've been looking everywhere for you."

"Well, you found me." I said innocently, popping the dessert into my mouth. "What's up?"

"Clara's waiting for you before she starts the waltz, People are growing impatient." Lucy rolled her eyes as she grabbed my wrist, pulling me out to the ballroom with Mia trailing behind.

"Ah, there she is!" Grandma Clara beamed at the sight of us a few moments later.

"Sorry, I was sneaking desserts from the kitchen. They had mini pumpkin pies." I shrugged, causing Grandma to throw her head back and laugh heartily.

"You've always had a sweet tooth, dear," she said, wrapping an arm around me as she headed for the center of the ballroom. "Come, people are anxious to start the waltz and you need a partner."

"Oh, Grandma. I'm sure I can find someone to dance with." I started to say; Grandma Clara ignored my excuses as she waved down someone through the crowd.

"Nonsense," she directed to me, beaming as her mystery person appeared. "I'm aware you two have met recently."

I followed Grandma's gaze and nearly choked on air when I realized she was talking to Eli, whose facial expression mirrored one of amusement and irony.

"Yes, I believe your granddaughter spilled tea on me a couple of weeks ago," Eli answered, his eyes dancing with humor.

"Grandma, surely there's someone else I can dance with." I pleaded, ignoring the man only inches from me. "You know Mom forbade me to see Eli."

"Oh, your mother was just upset." Grandma waved my protests off, signaling to the band a few feet away. "Besides, are you really going to break an old woman's heart by denying her the sight of her granddaughter dancing with such a handsome, young man?"

"No," I said defeatedly, slightly pouting at her scowl.

"Good. Besides, it's only a dance." Grandma winked at Eli and clapped her hands loudly, the band starting to play the first few notes of Grandma's favorite song to waltz to.

"Looks like I'm going to get that dance after all." Eli mumbled, just low enough for me to hear. "This may just be my second favorite part of the evening."

"Shut up." I hissed, allowing Eli to take the lead as I tried to avoid eye contact. Eli tipped my chin upwards, forcing me to gaze at him.

"If you start acting weird, your family will be suspicious." He said with a smile, making it appear to everyone else that there wasn't a tension building between us. "Just relax, okay?"

"I'm trying... it's hard to focus around you right now." I admitted, keeping up with the rhythm of the song. "I didn't exactly get enough time to recover from the library."

"Don't mention it." Eli cursed under his breath, his eyes darkening ever so slightly. "Neither did I."

A giggle escaped from my lips at the thought of Eli feeling just as uncomfortable as me. Eli raised an eyebrow, twirling me into a circle. I shook my head, pressing my lips together to signal I wasn't going to answer him.

"Speaking of which." Eli lowered his head to whisper in my ear. "If you want to continue our... discussion... from the library, I'm staying at the Fitzgerald for the next few days. Room 129."

"Is that supposed to convince me?" I asked innocently, batting my eyelashes at him as I stepped away for Eli to spin me before pulling me back into his chest. Eli lightly scolded at me in return, a hint of a smile on his lips as he listened to me laugh at his reaction.

Moving together through the crowd, I let my gaze roam the ballroom, smiling as I watched Aidan and Lucy dance across the floor. Lucy was glowing with happiness, nestled in my brother's arms; her facial expression shifted into one of confusion when she locked eyes with me. She peered at Eli and mumbled something to Aidan, who turned his head to spot us. His gaze hardened as he recognized my dancing partner, leaning down to whisper in Lucy's ear.

"Oh, great." I rolled my eyes, sighing. "Prepare yourself. My brother's about to make his way over here to confront us."

"Afraid?" Eli teased, spinning us so he could watch Aidan and Lucy dance their way through the other couples.

"Lucy's going to know something happened." I muttered, a wave of anxiety crashing through my stomach. "If she says anything to Aidan... hello, brother."

"Sister," Aidan replied, eyeing me weirdly as Lucy stood behind him; her eyes shifted between Eli and I silently. "Elijah."

"Aidan." Eli released me to shake Aidan's hand, a firm grip from the two men. "Lucy. You look beautiful tonight."

"Thank you." Lucy murmured, giving Eli a warm smile while slipping her arm through Aidan's. "How did you two end up as dance partners?"

"Clara," Eli and I said at the same time; our unison earned curious expressions from our company, questions flitting to the tip of Lucy's tongue as she tried to remain poised and elegant to the surrounding room.

"Our grandmother seems to think that I needed a date," I said, shrugging the weirdness off. "At least, on the dance floor."

"I see." Aidan furrowed his eyebrows, his mind lost in thought. "Well, we should probably make room for the next dance."

The last few notes of the waltz floated through the air, signaling the end of the song; applause broke out around us, the band bowing gratefully before positioning their instruments to continue. Lucy patted Aidan's arm, beaming at him.

"I'm going to go powder my nose," she raised on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "I'll be right back."

"I'll go with you," I said, acknowledging the head nod she shot in my direction.

Lucy linked her arm with mine and we hurried away from the guys, weaving through people as we headed towards the ladies' room. Right as we got to the edge of the ballroom, a curvy blonde woman in a skintight black dress emerged from the hallway into our path. Her eyes shifted from Lucy to me, trailing over us as her red lips twisted into a secretive smirk.

"Pardon me, ladies. Headed to the bathroom?" The mysterious woman asked, maintaining eye contact with me. "Lucky there's no line at the moment, but I do see one starting for some of the fellas out on that dance floor, if you know what I mean."

She winked at me before stepping around us and sashaying away, her blonde hair bouncing lightly down her back. Both Lucy and I stared after her in confusion for a split second before continuing down the hall.

Once we entered the bathroom, Lucy did a quick stall change before locking the door. She turned around so fast, her dress flared outward like a princess showing off.

"Okay, spill the beans!" Lucy put a hand on her hip as she studied my face. "Where were you really, earlier?"

"I was in the West Library... with Eli." I admitted, knowing there was no point in lying to my best friend; she'd know in a heartbeat if I wasn't telling the truth.

"I knew there was something between you two!" Lucy squealed excitedly, jumping up and down as she clapped her hands together. "What happened?"

"He called me out on a lot of things... he thinks I'm scared to be happy. That if what makes me happy ends up disappointing my family, then I won't take the chance."

A light flickered in Lucy's eyes and she paused for a moment, biting her bottom lip.

"What?" I asked cautiously, a sense of dread beginning to seep under my skin.

"I love you, Ava. You know that," Lucy said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "But... I have to agree with Eli on that."

I must have looked like I was about to protest because Lucy held a hand up to silence me.

"Just hear me out, okay? Best friend to best friend."

"Okay..." I sighed, settling into the loveseat near the door. "I'm listening."

"In the 21 years that I have been alive, I have never seen you smile and laugh the way you do around Eli. You are so comfortable around him, you glow like it's Christmas morning and we're kids eager to see what Santa has brought us." Lucy sat down beside me and took my hands in hers. "I can also see that you're scared to allow yourself to have feelings for him. And maybe that's because of who his father is or because he's technically the leader of the rival gang. Maybe it's because of how your parents reacted the night of my birthday. I'm not sure, but I do know that you've always had this... fear... of disappointing everyone."

"I never thought about it like that," I trailed off, nodding my head in agreement. Silence embraced us for a few minutes while I struggled internally, coming to a realization. "Lucy?"

"Yeah, Ava?"

"I'm not so sure I want to be in the family business anymore."