I think that I was born to be a third wheel.

Since I've already bought a dress and my ticket, I don't see the point in skipping the dance. I think it will be fun. It's okay if when we take photos, all of my friends are in couples and I'm not.

Sighing, I continue to paint my portrait of a stressed-out Squidward, adding even more black to my gray.

"That is both the coolest and most disturbing thing I've ever seen," Nico says from the frame of the door. I look to the side and smile a bit.

"It's me right now," I say, dipping my brush in white now.

"Sorry to break it to you but you're not that hot," he says as he lies down on my bed. I send him a sneer, which he replies to with a smile before getting back up and looking over my shoulder at the painting. "Why is that you right now?"

"It's me because I'm the only person in my friend group going to the Valentine's dance without a date and will probably end spending the night alone near the food station." Actually, now that I think about it, that doesn't sound too bad.

He pauses. "I'm sure there's someone you can go with. Some snotty self-proclaimed social justice warrior or something."

I laugh a little. "I'd rather go alone than with someone I don't know well."

He sticks his hands in his pockets, straightening his back, and walking around a bit. "I'll go with you," he says suddenly.

My brush pauses on Squidward's nose. "What?"

"I mean, I'm cool with your friends and I don't have a date." He smirks. "Then again, if you see me in a suit, you might not be able to keep your hands off me."

"I don't think that'll be a problem," I say immediately.

"Then what do you have to lose?" he asks.

I think this over. He's not wrong, for once. I can spend one dance with Nico without killing him, right?

I put on a smile as I get up and wipe my hands off on my apron. There's definitely paint on my face and half of my hair has come out of my ponytail.

"Ok, but I'm warning you, Accardi. If you see me in a dress, you might not be able to keep your hands off me."

It's a joke but his face darkens, his eyes raking over me in a way that makes my cheeks burn. Lightning strikes in his eyes as his full lips pull into a smirk.

"No promises, Cho," is all he says before making his way out the door.

---

"Do I really have to wait out here?" Nico asks from the outside of my room. Samaya and I are inside as she does my makeup, already in our outfits.

"Just a minute, I swear!" Samaya replies. She's been saying that for the past ten minutes. I can practically see Nico rolling his eyes. "All done," she says to me with a satisfied smile, standing back to admire her work. "Ready to go show Lover Boy?"

"He's not my Lover Boy," I say but give her a smile to let her know I'm grateful for the makeup.

"Oh please. I should've known ever since you guys were making googly eyes in Spanish. He likes you and if you deny it, you're just lying to yourself. In fact," Samaya says as she gets up and stands by the door. "Five bucks says he turns into jello when I open this door."

"Don't be ridiculous," I say.

She grins. "Here she is!" Samaya announces, opening the door with a flourish.

"It's about fucking time. I swear you-" Nico's voice stops as we make eye contact. His eyes stare at me, every inch of me. He's not just looking at me, though. He's drinking me in, taking his time to glaze over the arch of my eyebrows to my exposed collarbones to the end of my dress that leads into my legs.

A small smile graces his lips. "You look gorgeous, Jennie."

My whole body turns red as a wave of heat surges through me but my lips can't help but turn into a smile. He stands, still staring, in a crisp white dress shirt and black pants molded to his figure. A chunky silver ring rests on his finger and his hands flex when he reaches up to scratch his jaw.

"You look very handsome," I concede and his lips pull up.

His blue-gray eyes shift back to my face and he doesn't stop staring at me.

"What?" I ask, internally cringing at my own shyness.

He presses his lips together, looking down then up again. "That guy who lost you made a big mistake."

Another smile threatens to leave my lips when Samaya lets out a whistle. "That sexual tension, though," she says, waggling her eyebrows. I give her a light push but she just laughs. "Come on, we have to take pictures before golden hour is up!"

She sprints out the door but Nico waits for me, catching my wrist in his hands. He stares at me for a moment before pulling out a box. A corsage.

"You got this for me?" I ask, genuinely surprised.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asks as I open the box to white lilies, my favorite flower. He takes the corsage out carefully as I hold out my wrist. It matches his boutonniere.

"Why would you?" I shoot back.

Every time his hands touch my wrist, it shoots electricity up my arm. The edges of his fingertips are soft as he ties it around my wrist and looks at me.

"To make sure everyone there tonight knows you're with me."