Chapter 28
Sunny
My eyes flew open and darted around the room while a wide grin crossed my lips. Finally. I threw the covers back and climbed out of bed. Opening the closet door, I stepped inside and sifted through all the clothes.
“Ugh. Really, Dahlia?” I said out loud.
I picked a pair of black leggings and a black tank top.
This would have to do until I went shopping.
Stepping into the bathroom, I stared at myself in the mirror.
This will not do. I went back into the closet and pulled down the box from the top shelf, sifting through the different colored wigs until I found mine.
Dark, long, wavy. I slipped it on my head.
Pulling out the boxes of different colored contacts, I grabbed the brown ones and popped them into my eyes.
After putting on some makeup, I brushed my teeth and headed downstairs.
“You and that painting.” I shook my head as I passed it in the living room.
Dahlia’s phone pinged with a text message. Glancing at it, I saw it was from Alex.
Good morning, beautiful. Thinking about you.
That conversation could wait. I had more important things to do. Grabbing the remote on the table, I pressed the button, and Good As Hell by Lizzo blasted through the speakers. I danced around the room, singing into the remote as if it were a microphone.
The phone rang, and Tess was calling. Turning off the music, I answered it.
“Hey.”
“Dahlia? Are you okay? You were supposed to be at the gallery thirty minutes ago.”
Shit.
“Uh, yeah. I got into a little fender bender on the way in. I was just going to call you. It took a while to talk to the cops.”
“Oh no. Are you okay?”
“My neck is really sore, and I have a burn where the airbag hit me.”
“The airbags went off? I wouldn’t call that a little fender bender.”
“I’m just really shaken up,” I lied.
“You poor thing. Don’t worry about the gallery today. Take the day off and rest. Maybe go get your neck checked out.”
“I think I’ll do that. Thanks, Tess. I’ll talk to you later.” I ended the call.
Grabbing my purse and keys, I climbed into the car, rolled down all the windows, and blasted some music. Another text came through from Alex as I was driving.
Are you okay? You didn’t respond.
Sighing, I replied.
I’m fine, Alex. At work. Can’t talk.
I tossed my phone into my purse.
I parked on Duval Street and climbed out of my car. The island buzzed with life. People were walking up and down the streets. Music could be heard everywhere you turned. The warm, salty air, with a hint of jasmine, filled my senses.
I wandered into a tiny bookstore and looked around.
Then I stepped into a sweets shop and sampled homemade fudge.
It was the best thing I’d ever tasted, so I bought some.
As I wandered down the street, a jewelry shop caught my eye.
I stepped inside and walked over to a display of bracelets made of pale blue sea glass.
They were beautiful. I bought one and slipped it on my wrist.
Glancing at my watch, it was twelve-thirty.
I sat outside a café with a Cuban sandwich, chips, and an iced tea, watching people pass by.
After refueling, I entered a cute little boutique and bought some new clothes.
I carried the bags to the car and tossed them into the backseat.
As I opened the driver’s door, I stared at my reflection.
Dahlia would wonder where all the new stuff came from.
Dahlia was about to make a mistake. This time, she was the victim of a cheater, which fueled her anger and pain.
Her first reaction was to get rid of Alex quickly.
And if we’d let her stay in control, she’d make a choice that would imprison every one of us.
So we did the only thing we could. We let her sleep.
But it wouldn’t be too long before she woke up and took control.
When I arrived back at the house, I took my shopping bags upstairs. There was a knock at the door. Shit. I took my wig off, popped out my contacts, and ran my hands through my hair. Racing down the stairs, I opened the door, and Alex stood there, holding a bouquet of beautiful red roses.
“Hi.” He smiled.
“For me?” I grinned.
“Always for you.” He handed me the bouquet and stepped inside.
“They’re beautiful. I love them.” I hugged him. “I bought some fudge today. Would you like some?”
“Fudge?” His brows furrowed. “Didn’t you work today?”
“Uh, yeah. I bought some on my lunch hour.”
“I’m not a fan of fudge. I thought I told you that before.”
I shrugged. “Maybe you did, and I forgot. Did you eat yet? Let’s order dinner.” I bounced into the kitchen, opening the drawers, looking for the takeout menus.
“You’re in a fantastic mood.” Alex smiled.
“Because life is beautiful.” I grinned. I found a Thai menu. “How about Thai?”
“Thai sounds good,” he said. “Your usual?”
“Uh, I think I’ll go with the Pad Prik with shrimp.”
“Really? I thought you didn’t like that.”
“You thought wrong, mister. I love it.”
“Okay.” He pulled out his phone and placed the order.
My phone rang. When I glanced at it, Tess was calling. I hit the decline button and let it go to voicemail.
When our food arrived, I took down a couple of plates, grabbed some silverware, and took the containers into the living room.
“What are you doing?” Alex asked.
“I thought we could watch a movie while we eat.”
“You want to eat dinner on the couch?”
“Yeah. Why not? It’ll be fun.”
“What has gotten into you?” He grinned, sitting next to me.
“What do you mean?”
“I have never once seen you eat on the couch. Nor have you ever suggested it.”
“I guess there’s a first time for everything.” I smiled.
Of course, Dahlia would never do something as fun as eating dinner on the couch. She was too proper to do such a thing. But my nineteen-year-old self loved to do things others wouldn’t.
After we finished eating, I stopped the movie. “I’m going to go upstairs to change. When I come back down, be ready to go.”
“Go where?” Alex’s brows furrowed.
“Out. Duval Street.”
“It’s almost nine o’clock. You want to go out now?”
“Of course.” I laughed. “Duval Street is the best at night.”
“Damn. You sure are in a good mood today.”
“I’ve decided that life is too short just to sit around the house. I want to go out and explore Key West’s nightlife.”
“Who are you and what have you done with Dahlia?” He chuckled.
“Maybe you just haven’t met all of me yet. I’ll be ready in five.” I raced up the stairs.
I slipped into one of my new dresses. Black.
Spaghetti straps. Short. Fitted. It was perfect for the Key West nightlife.
I stared at myself in the mirror. Her hair would have to do for tonight.
I applied more eyeliner with a cat eye. Bold.
Dramatic. Just the way I liked it. I dug through Dahlia’s makeup bag and found a bold red lipstick.
After swiping my lips, I slipped my feet into a pair of black stiletto heels and went downstairs.
“Damn, Dahlia. You look incredible.”
“Thank you.” I smiled. “Are you ready?”
“I won’t lie. I’m liking this version of you.” He walked over and slipped his hand in mine.
Dahlia would have immediately pulled away. But not me. For tonight, I wanted to know what it felt like to enjoy someone’s company.