Lessons in Corruption (1)

LYDIA'S POV

The engagement party was supposed to be about my brother, that was what everyone kept reminding me, tonight was about celebrating him, his fiancée, and the beginning of the life they were about to build together. It was supposed to be an evening of laughter, photographs, champagne glasses raised in celebration, and relatives I barely remembered hugging me like we had seen each other yesterday.

Instead, I had spent most of the night trying not to look at Daniel, which was difficult when he was standing twenty feet away. He was beside my brother near the center of the room, listening to one of the uncles tell a story everyone had heard over a dozen times before. Daniel laughed politely, shaking his head as the older man gesticulated dramatically with his hands.

I looked away, only to look back a few seconds later, this time he was already looking at me and like the countless times we had found ourselves in this situation I looked away trying to calm my heart that was beating so loudly. I immediately turned toward the table in front of me pretending to be making a choice between the numerous deserts spread out on the table.

This was ridiculous, I was twenty one years old, old enough to know better than to behave like a teenager with a ridiculous crush, especially when the man I had a crush on was my older brother's best friend.

Daniel had been around for as long as I could remember, he always attended family dinners, he was there in every church service, at a point he taught our teens Sunday school classes, he showed up with flowers for my graduation, was present during my baptism, had sat beside my family during Sunday services more times than I could count.

For years, I had convinced myself that whatever strange feeling existed between us was entirely in my head. Then there were the looks, those impossible, lingering looks. During Sunday service, whenever the congregation bowed their heads to pray, I sometimes opened my eyes a little earlier than everyone else, and more often than I should admit, Daniel was already looking at me.

Tonight was different, tonight, there were too many people around us, too much noise, too much warmth in the room, and though we were a couple feet away from each other the tension was thick

“Why do you keep staring at him?” I nearly choked on my drink. I turned toward my cousin.

“I don't.” She raised an eyebrow.

“You do.”

“I was looking past him.”

“To what?”

I glanced behind Daniel. A wall. “Nothing.”

She laughed.

I rolled my eyes and walked away before she could say anything else.

Then I felt it, that familiar sensation of being watched, I looked up and he was across the room, his eyes met mine, and this time, he didn't look away, neither did I.

The room seemed to disappear around us.

People moved between us, conversations continued, music played softly in the background, but for those few seconds, none of it seemed to matter.

His gaze dropped briefly to my mouth before returning to my eyes. Heat rushed into my face, I looked away first, my hands suddenly felt too warm, I hated that one look could affect me so much, I hated that some part of me wanted him to do it again.

Later, when photographs were being taken, Daniel ended up standing beside my brother.

I tried not to notice him, keyword tried. Every time someone called for another picture, I found myself looking in his direction. Once, twice, he caught me the third time, the corner of his mouth lifted, not quite a smile, more like he knew why I was staring and he was beginning to enjoy it.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur, eventually, guests began leaving, my brother was still surrounded by relatives, accepting congratulations and answering the same questions over and over again.

It had begun to get dark and exhaustion was slowly creeping in so I brought out my phone to order a ride, before I could open the app, Daniel appeared beside me.

“You're ready to go?” I looked up at him in shock

“Yes.” I responded in a quiet voice.

“I'll take you.” My fingers tightened around my phone.

“You don't have to.”

“I know,” he said it simply.

Just those two words, no need for an explanation. I glanced toward my brother, he was still occupied.

“I can get a ride.”

Daniel nodded. “I’m not saying you can't, what I'm saying is let me take you”

Something about his expression made my stomach flutter, he waited, I should have said no, I knew that.

There were a hundred reasons why accepting a ride from him was a bad idea, he was my brother's best friend, he was older than me, I had spent years pretending I didn't feel what I felt whenever he looked at me, but perhaps the worst part was that, for the first time, I wasn't sure I wanted to keep pretending.

I slipped my phone back into my purse and surrendered “Okay.”

Daniel's gaze held mine for a moment, then he nodded.

“Good girl”

I had spent years wondering what would happen if Daniel ever stopped pretending, now I was about to find out, and somehow, as I followed him into the night, I had the terrifying feeling that getting into his car would be the easiest mistake I ever made.