She’d happily done the grunt work asked of her, from blowing up a million balloons to organizing myriad spreadsheets, to make sure this event was a success.
They were raising money for a worthy cause. All around her, people were having fun, thanks, in a small part, to her efforts.
So yes, theoretically, she was having a good time. But she couldn’t stop thinking that Donovan was somewhere in this packed room. She’d damn near hyperventilated when she learned he was one of the night’s honorees and gave a moment’s thought to quitting. But she’d quickly come to her senses and realized that was impulsive and something the old Jada would have done. Instead, she’d put her head down and gotten back to work.
That didn’t mean she didn’t think about him approximately a million times per day. She’d even tried to rehearse what she would say if she saw him tonight, but could never come up with anything that did justice to how much he had meant to her. What he still meant to her. Would she even have the courage if she did have the chance?
Earlier, she thought she’d caught a glimpse of him, thought this was her time to find out, but then someone called her name, and by the time she returned to the spot, he was no longer there, if it had even been him in the first place.
Anytime anyone asked about him, asked about them, she smiled, nodded, and said she was working tonight, so they couldn’t spend much time together, but she’d surely pass along their congratulations. All in a day’s work.
And her heart ached all the more for it. It had been aching for ninety-two days, three hours, and twenty-seven minutes. But who was counting?
She missed him. There, she’d admitted it. But she’d done the right thing, saving him from her chaos. She’d done the right thing, focusing on herself.
Then why do you go home every night and spend the time wondering what he’s doing? Wondering if he’s thinking about you too?
“Jada!”
She turned to see Sydney coming toward her. “Jada, we need to start tallying the winners of the silent auction.”
An hour later, Jada found a loveseat in an out-of-the-way corner of the hotel lobby and collapsed. This event-planning business was no joke. She’d been running around nonstop, putting out little fires that popped up every three minutes. She was exhausted. Exhausted, but happy.
Mostly happy.
Other than watching as he’d accepted his award, she hadn’t seen Donovan. That was probably for the best. Bursting into tears in the middle of a ballroom didn’t exactly scream professionalism.
She tipped her head back and closed her eyes, exhaling. She needed this break. She needed the quiet.
Donovan filled her thoughts. His smile. His Principal Dell–ness. His patience. His determination. The way he looked at her. She missed it all. She missed him.
The ache had only gotten stronger.
She’d walked away to discover her place in the world and to protect him from her and the chaos she brought to his life.
You’re a coward. She shook her head, but the treacherous thought remained.
You let the best man you’ve ever known get away because you were afraid you wouldn’t be enough for him. That he would realize she wasn’t smart. That he would get bored.
Where had that gotten her?
Even though she’d found what she was looking for in her professional life, she wasn’t as fulfilled as she’d hoped. But she could do something about it. If she had the courage.
Was she ready to claim what—who—she needed in her personal life?
Yes, she was. Tonight. Now. Before he had a chance to leave.
Jada’s eyes flew open as she leapt out of the chair. She ran toward the ballroom, nearly careening into a group of tourists and their suitcases.
“Sorry,” she called back over her shoulder, never slowing down. She was a woman on a mission to get her man.
She ran headfirst into a brick wall and bounced off. “Oof.”
No, not a wall. A human body. She glanced up, preparing to apologize. The words died in her throat, surprise rendering her mute.
“Jada.” Donovan was there in all his handsome, not-imaginary glory. His eyebrows arched, a grin teasing at his full lips. “Going somewhere?”
She shook her head. “Not anymore.”
“Good. You are a hard woman to track down.” His deep voice rumbled, laced with a thread of humor. He was so handsome, so perfect. Her fingers itched to trace the line of his clean-shaven jaw, but she didn’t have that right anymore. She’d turned her back on that right. “From what I hear, you have a lot to do with tonight being such a success.”