Ysis #3
For the next two hours, they worked their magic as we talked about everything from motherhood and relationships to funny salon stories that had all three of us laughing until my stomach hurt.
Amid Bella fixing my hair, September blending my makeup to absolute perfection, and all the stories we exchanged in between, I’d completely stopped thinking about where Kade was taking me.
I was simply enjoying being surrounded by good women, good conversation, and a little piece of normal that felt long overdue.
When Bella finally stepped back and admired her work, she clasped her hands together with a proud smile.
“There.” I turned toward the mirror, my eyes widening at the woman staring back at me.
“I have no idea why my husband put y’all up to this,” I admitted honestly, turning back toward them with the biggest smile on my face, “but thank you both so much.”
“Our pleasure, girl.” Bella wrapped me in a warm hug before zipping up her makeup case.
“I gotta get back to the shop, but you have fun tonight.”
“I definitely will.”
“I’ll see you soon, boo.”
She gathered her things as September did the same, and after one last hug, the two of them disappeared down the hallway, leaving me standing alone in the beauty room, more curious than ever about what my husband had planned.
Smoothing down the front of my dress, I took one final look at myself in the full-length mirror.
The feathered bob framed my face perfectly, while the flowing fabric hugged every new curve pregnancy had blessed me with before cascading to the floor.
For the first time in weeks, I didn’t see swollen feet, dark circles, or the exhaustion that had quietly settled into my eyes since this war began.
I saw a woman. A wife. A soon-to-be mother who still felt beautiful despite carrying two tiny humans determined to stretch every inch of her body.
I looked good, but more importantly, I felt good.
Sexy, confident, and completely wrapped up in the kind of fairytale I’d spent most of my life believing only happened to other women.
I slipped into the wedges Bella had paired with the dress before giving one last approving nod to my reflection.
Between the flawless makeup, perfectly styled hair, and the way the dress complimented my growing stomach instead of trying to hide it, they had worked absolute magic.
Whatever Kade had planned, I suddenly found myself just as excited to see the look on his face as I was to find out where we were going.
That man had a habit of making ordinary moments feel unforgettable.
I couldn’t help the smile spread across my face as I imagined whatever elaborate surprise he’d spent the entire day lying to me about.
Just then, the front door downstairs opened before closing again, followed by the unmistakable sound of Kade’s voice echoing through the foyer.
“Ysis, baby...where you at?”
“I’ll be right there,” I called back, grabbing my clutch from the vanity before taking one last glance at myself in the mirror. Satisfied, I made my way toward the staircase, smiling even wider the closer I got to the sound of his voice.
We met at the top of the stairs.
The second his eyes found mine, he stopped walking altogether. He didn’t say anything at first.
He just stood there looking at me with the biggest, goofiest smile I’d ever seen spread across his face, taking me in from head to toe like he’d never laid eyes on me before.
It was one of my favorite things about my husband.
No matter how many times he saw me dressed up, he always reacted like it was the first.
“Mrs. Myles,” he said, climbing the last few steps before reaching for my hand. He brought it to his lips, pressing a slow kiss across my knuckles without ever taking his eyes off me.
“You are absolutely breathtaking.”
He shook his head in disbelief, smiling to himself. “Now tell me...how in the world did a man like me get so lucky, huh?”
“I ask myself that every morning when I wake up beside your fine self.” I tilted my head with a grin. “Then I remember God knew you needed supervision.”
“See? This why I married you.” He laughed, throwing his head back.
“No,” I corrected, slipping my hand into his. “You married me because I look good on your arm.”
“That too.” He looked me over once more before helping me down the stairs, refusing to let me rush despite the fact that I was perfectly capable of walking on my own.
“Easy,” he murmured.
“I got you.” By the time we reached the front door, he’d already opened it for me.
“You ready?” I took a deep breath, feeling butterflies flutter inside my stomach and my chest.
“More ready than I’ll ever be.” The moment we stepped outside, I immediately understood why he’d been acting so strange all morning.
Three black Rolls-Royce Cullinans sat lined up in front of the house, their paint gleaming beneath the late afternoon sun.
An armed member of Kade’s security detail stood beside each vehicle, dressed in tailored black suits with earpieces tucked discreetly beneath their collars, scanning every direction with practiced precision.
“Kade, baby...”
“I know,” he answered before I could even finish asking. His hand rested against the small of my back as he guided me toward the middle SUV. “It’s for our protection.”
He opened the rear passenger door, waiting until I was comfortably seated before nodding toward one of the guards, who closed the door behind me.
Moments later Kade climbed in beside me, and as the remaining security detail settled into the lead and trailing vehicles, the small convoy pulled away from the estate.
I looked from the tinted window back to my husband, unable to hide the amused smile on my face.
“All this for a date? “Whew...I’m scared of you.”
A slow grin spread across his face as he reached over and intertwined his fingers with mine. “You should be,” he said with a wink. “I’m a bad muhfucka, baby.”
I rolled my eyes, laughing as he leaned over and stole a kiss that left me smiling long after he pulled away, my curiosity growing with every mile we drove toward whatever surprise my husband had waiting for me.
The farther we drove from the city, the more convinced I became that my husband had completely lost his mind.
Every time I asked another question, he’d smile that arrogant little smile of his changing the subject, refusing to give me so much as the smallest hint.
At one point I’d even resorted to bribing one of the security guards during a stoplight, only for him to grin apologetically through the windshield before shaking his head.
Apparently everybody had signed some imaginary blood oath to keep me in the dark.
“I don’t like surprises,” I lied. Kade looked over at me with the most disrespectful expression I’d ever seen.
“You one of the worst liars I know.”
“I can lie.”
“You can’t even order food without ruining the surprise for yourself.”
“That’s different.”
“It ain’t.”
“It is.”
He laughed, reaching over to squeeze my hand before bringing it to his lips. “Just trust me.”
“I do.”
The response came so natural neither one of us stopped to think about it. I trusted him without a shadow of doubt. That realization fizzled warmly inside my chest as the convoy turned down a long, tree-lined driveway leading toward one of the most breathtaking private estates I’d ever seen.
Fresh white florals framed the entrance as valet attendants stood waiting near a grand porte cochère, each one dressed in black and gold. The property looked like something pulled straight out of a bridal magazine, elegant enough to host royalty while somehow still feeling warm and inviting.
“Kade...”
He only smiled. “Told you.”
One of the guards hurried forward the moment our vehicle stopped, opening my door before Kade reached inside to help me out. I adjusted my dress, looking around in complete confusion as soft music floated through the evening air.
“What is this place?”
“You’ll see.” He intertwined our fingers before leading me toward the entrance.The second the double doors opened...
“SURPRISE!” The room erupted. I froze. For a second my brain couldn’t process what my eyes were seeing.
Pink and ivory balloon installations stretched nearly to the ceiling, elegant floral arrangements decorated every table, and oversized letters spelling BABY MYLES stood proudly against the far wall under shimmering chandeliers.
Everywhere I looked there were people smiling back at me.
Kayla, Bree, Lauren, Nia, Mama Sina, Yayo, Marcus, Bella, September, Cazmir, Majeston, my editor, my publicist, employees from Myles Tech, friends, family—people who had somehow become both.
“Oh my God...” My hand flew to my mouth.
The room exploded into applause as my girls came rushing toward me, wrapping me into one giant group hug that nearly knocked me off my feet. “You thought we forgot about you?” Lauren laughed through happy tears.
“Bitch, please,” Kayla added, squeezing me tighter.
“We had work to do.”
Nia nodded proudly. “You really thought we was just ignoring your calls?” I looked between all of them before turning toward my husband.
“You.”
“Don’t look at me. This was all them.” He pointed toward the women still surrounding me.
“Babe...”
“I’m serious.” He laughed.
“I just helped decorate.” Everybody started talking over one another.
“He lying.”
“He definitely did more than decorate.”
“He picked the venue.”
“He picked the food.”
“He picked security.”
“He picked the flowers.”
“He approved everything.”
Kade shrugged shamelessly. “They gave me a list.”
“You did the whole damn list!” Bella yelled from across the room. I laughed so hard I ended up crying all over again.