24. Bel
It’s been a week since I saw him in person even though he”s been texting me every day. A week since he unmade me with his body and left me to sleep it off. I”d woken the next morning feeling sore and sated in a way I hadn”t been in a long time.
Even now, so many days later, I get hot all over again just thinking about him and what he does to me. As if he can tell I”m thinking about him, my phone buzzes on my nightstand. I snatch it up and check the text.
Psycho: I’m bored. Wish I was with you.
Me:Sorry, but I doubt it. I’m in dress-picking hell.
He shoots a text back just as fast.
Psycho: Send me a picture, and I’ll help you choose. Though I’d prefer if the dress was on the floor instead.
I stare down at my bed and then take a seat on the edge while I type out my response.
Me:Of course you would. I’ll send a picture when I figure out which one I want to wear.
His reply is almost instant.
Psycho:You better, or else. ;)
In my mind, I can see the crease in his brow and the sexy mix of arrogance and mirth in his grin. I”m tempted to send another text, but instead, I slide the phone back onto my nightstand. I assume he’ll be at the meeting tonight, so I’m excited to see him.
I’d love to sit here and flirt with him all day, but he still hasn”t responded to my all-or-nothing request. I let him have me in every way he wanted, but I”m still not sure I can let him all the way in yet. The fear of having my heart broken all over again is paralyzing.
I shift to look at the line of dresses across the end of my bed. All sent by Sebastian for the party tonight. Well, one of them will be, if he has his way. I stare at the ruffles and trains of materials I”m not so sure of. Not a single one of them is my style, and they all scream...frilly in my opinion. Which makes no sense because he”s usually meticulous with his style, and what he picked out for me after I moved in was all perfect too.
These dresses scream...innocence. Like he”s trying to label me as something I”m not. And as I stare at the shimmering fabrics I”m not entirely sure I appreciate it. Him trying to label me, or dress me like some Mafia Barbie.
I tug my robe tighter around my waist and furtively ignore my phone still not announcing a text from Drew. Dammit. I can spend five minutes not thinking about him.
I sigh and stand, skirting the end of the bed to stare at the dresses from another angle. Is this normal for these kinds of meetings?
One of the dresses is pink with tiered frills. One is lavender, one is strapless, and ends in a sweeping train. The other looks like a bridesmaid”s worst nightmare. That’s for sure going to Goodwill. Out of nowhere, the door to my bedroom opens, and I freeze as a woman walks in carrying a stack of towels. She stops dead in her tracks, spotting me.
”Oh my God, I”m so sorry. I thought you were still out.”
The horror on her face makes me feel uneasy. Does she think she’s in trouble? I push the thought away and give her a smile. She”s wearing the usual uniform staff wear, a black button-down shirt and a pair of khaki pants. Her dark hair is tied back in a tight braid and the overhead lighting catches a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. I can’t pinpoint it but I feel like I’ve met her before.
I tilt my head to the side as if looking at her from a different angle will help me recognize her.
”Have we met before?”
She shuffles the towels between her hands, and I rush over to help her. When she waves me off and carries the stack into the bathroom, I wait by the bed.
Returning, she smoothes her hand down her pants. ”Sorry about that. Yeah, we actually might have met. I attend Oakmount.”
I snap my fingers and grin. ”That”s right. I knew I”d seen you at the library a time or two.”
She blushes, ducking her chin as if she’s embarrassed. ”Yeah. I’m just working here to earn money for school.”
I chuckle and wave around the room. ”It doesn’t look like it now, but a few months ago, I understood that all too well.”
She nods, no doubt having heard about how my life has changed, along with everyone else on campus. ”I”m sorry to hear about your mom.”
I give her a smile and nod. ”Thank you. I miss her so much.”
She clutches her chest. ”I can”t imagine. Family is everything to me, and I don”t know what I”d do if I lost my mother. She”s actually the one who helped me get this job.”
I sigh and smile even though I don”t feel it, my eyes shifting back to the dresses on the bed. ”Since you’re here, and I could definitely use the advice of another woman, can you give me your opinion? What do you think of these?”
She steps beside me and peers down at the dresses, a frown twisting her lips. ”Well, they are...pretty.”
I nod. ”Yeah, pretty is right, but would you wear any of them?”
She shakes her head. ”Honestly, no. I mean...they are pretty, but like for a sixteen-year-old maybe?”
Yes. That”s it.Pretty but far too young for me. They look like the type of dresses that belong at a high school homecoming dance, not for a sophisticated adult event like the one we are about to attend.
There”s a noise at the door, and the girl glances up almost anxiously. ”I should get back to work. Good luck picking a dress. If it isn’t too late, maybe you can order something else?”
I check the clock beside the bed. Not too late, but it”ll be pricey. I nod at her and give her a wave as she heads out the door. She gently closes it behind her. When the door closes, a thought occurs to me, and I rush over to yank it open.
”Hey. Did you want to maybe hang out sometime?”
She stops by her cart and glances back. ”Oh yeah, I mean, sure, if you think it wouldn”t be a problem.”
It takes me a minute to realize what she means. If it will affect her job here.
”Oh no, it”ll be fine. I”ll talk to you later. Elyse, right? You know my name by now, for sure.”
“Yes, and I”m looking forward to it.” She smiles, and I disappear back into my room, closing the door behind me. First things first, I need to find another dress to wear, because these are just not going to cut it. I grab my laptop off the dresser, settle it on my lap, and open it.
I head to Google and search for local dress stores near me. Ellen’s Boutique pops up as one of the results, and I navigate to the page. It takes me a total of ten minutes to find a different dress, and I hit the order button, paying extra for delivery. Then I place the laptop on my pillow and leave it open just in case they email back. I’m so full of joy and happiness it doesn’t feel like anything can ruin today for me.
While I wait for the dress, I go into the bathroom and prepare for the party. My usual messy bun and mascara aren”t going to cut it for this event. I need to be presentable, mature. I take my time putting in my contacts, curling my hair, and smoking out my eyeliner.
A knock on my door startles me, and then I remember my dress. One of the kitchen staff lays it out in the bag across my bed.
”Thanks,” I call, as I finish my makeup, slicking on a swipe of bright red lipstick. I smile happily once I’m finished and head back into the bedroom, unzipping the bag to get a look at the dress.
Perfect.
I tug out the black dress and gather it up so I can step into it. The cap sleeves fit over my shoulders perfectly, and I zip the back easily, then the side. The skirt is full with a slit that goes up over my knee. The back is fully open, exposing my skin. The front is the only part of the dress that is fully covered, and the sleeves cutting triangles across my shoulder blades across the back are the only connections between the front and back.
It”s sexy and sophisticated, and I wonder if I”ll see Drew tonight in this dress and what he”ll do when he sees me. I finally give in to the urge and grab my phone off the bedside table again. I missed a text while I was getting ready
Psycho: I miss you. Where is my picture, Flower? You have five minutes or I’m taking your ass again, and this time I won’t be sweet.
Those three words make my heart squeeze in my chest. I angle my foot out of my dress so the slit slides open around my thigh, then snap a picture and send it to him. I don”t have time to sit and wait for him to respond. Sebastian will be waiting for me to make my grand appearance so we can get ready to leave. I quickly add a simple bracelet and grab a clutch from the closet to stash my cell phone in.
The strands of long blond hair brush my bare waist, tickling me as I walk down the stairs to meet Seb. He”s standing by the front door dressed perfectly in his tuxedo.
The smile on his lips slips when he catches sight of me. ”Uh, Bel, I did not pick out that dress.”
I grin back at him. ”I know. I did. The dresses you picked out were pretty, but they were for a sister, a little sister. And while I’m your little sister, I’m also a grown-ass woman. None of them felt like me.”
His forehead furrows, and he stalks around me in a circle. Pausing, he curses. ”You can”t wear that.”
”And why is that?”
Casually, he slips his hands into his pockets and stares down at the floor for a second as if trying to gather his thoughts. ”You look like...”
”Like...”
”Prey.”
I blink slowly, so slowly I’m pretty sure my eyes close.
“I understand your hesitation, Sebastian, but this dress is me. I’m not hiding, not anymore. I”m going to walk into this meeting with my head held high. I don”t care if anyone sees me as prey. They will learn real fast that I’m not to be messed with.”
He smirks, and I pin him with a glare. “What?”
“Not a damn thing. You just find a way to shock me over and over again.”
“Good. I can’t have people anticipating my next move.” I grin.
”Nope, let’s go.”
He extends his arm out to me, and I take it, slipping my own into his letting him lead me to the car waiting for us. I”m grateful for it because I might look like I have it together, but I’m pretty close to falling in these dangerously high heels.
Sebastian holds the car door open for me, and I slide inside. As soon as I’m secure, he closes the door and jogs around to enter the other side, taking the seat beside me. I fidget with my hands, staring straight ahead.
We ride in silence most of the way, but as we get closer, he shifts to look at me.
”It’s very important that you stay near me and as close to me as possible. I’m wary about this entire event, and I can’t protect you if I don’t know where you are.”
I nod. ”No worries, captain. I’ll be right at your side the whole night. Plus, I don’t know anyone who will be at this party or meeting. It’s not like I’d leave the one person I do know to mingle with people I don’t. That’s the first rule of being an introvert. Everyone knows that.”
“You’re such a nerd.” Sebastian smirks and shakes his head.
The car slows, and the anxious knot in my belly tightens. We turn right, and I peer out the window, noticing that we’ve pulled up to a gate. Not surprising. Rich people and their fences. Sebastian rolls his window down and hands his invitation to the guard posted outside the gate.
Once the guard waves us inside, the car eases up a long driveway, and I swear my eyes bulge out of my head when the massive fucking mansion comes into view. There”s a line of cars waiting for valet, and we wait with them, because why not.
When it”s our turn, a valet opens my door and helps me out.
”Welcome to the Marshall estate.”
I nod and smile, then my smile slips, and I glance anxiously at Seb. ”Did he just say Marshall? I knew his dad was hosting it, but I didn’t think it would be at his house!”
Sebastian isn’t paying attention to me, though. He is texting furiously on his phone. I feel bad for whoever is on the receiving end of that message. He’s still pounding on the keys when his phone rings.
With a sigh of frustration, he gives me a remorseful look. ”Give me a moment.” He hits the button and steps away speaking quickly in French.
My high school French is rusty, but I catch a few curse words in the mix. Even so, I can”t focus on it because the name Marshall rings in my head like a bell. Had Sebastian told me this party was at Drew”s family home? I don”t think so. Why hadn”t Drew told me about it either when I just saw him a few days ago?
Shit.Everything comes raining down on me at once. Am I even ready to see Drew’s dad again? I monitor Seb, silently urging him to hurry the hell up on his call. But he only talks faster and moves farther away. So much for making me stay near his side all night.
I look between Sebastian and the front of the house. This strange feeling of being full, content encompasses me. I can do this. Turning my attention back to the house, I lift my head, and start up the stairs alone.
I”m no one”s fucking punching bag.
Not Drew”s, not his dad”s. No one’s.
I square my shoulders and make it to the wide open double doors. With an exhale, I make the choice that it”s time to start this new life properly, by facing down the end of my old one.