12. Cora
12
CORA
“ W hat do you think about this?” I ask Aspen, my bottom lip caught between my teeth as I stare at myself in the mirror. The bikini is electric blue and looks incredible with my red hair.
“You look smokin’ hot.” She narrows her eyes at me. “What’s the face for?”
“It’s new and I just?—”
I don’t have to say the rest because Aspen was there. She witnessed the years of doctors’ appointments and then physical therapy to finally get the go-ahead for surgery.
She saw my old boobs.
And now my new ones.
The ones that don’t need two sports bras to hold them in place, the ones that I’m not desperate to hide because they are so massive people can’t help but stare.
But they are still new to me and while I love them, scars and all, it is still hard to reconcile wearing anything revealing, and that includes a basic scoop-neck shirt.
“You look beautiful.” Aspen takes my hand and squeezes it, the gesture grounding me and allowing my shoulders to fall a little.
“Thanks.” My smile is a little brighter as we stare at my reflection.
This bathing suit had been a late-night, three glasses of wine, online purchase that I couldn’t force myself to return once the hangover had dissipated. Until then, I’d stuck to more conservative options which had earned me a side-eye from Aspen on more than one occasion.
“Are we ready?”
“Yeah, my bag is downstairs, and I packed the cooler.”
“So we’re ready?”
“Ready.”
We move in sync, grabbing our things and climbing into my car as we navigate our way through Magnolia Point to the beach. I spend plenty of time on the May River paddleboarding, but today definitely calls for some salt water.
“I think I’m craving queso,” Aspen says as Just in Queso comes into view. They have the best queso—not surprising considering the name—and the place is bright and loud and a whole lot of fun.
“For the beach or later?”
“Yes,” she says emphatically, and I snort out a laugh as I pull into the lot across the street and park.
But I’ve barely taken one step out of the car when something catches me eye.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I growl, earning a glance from Aspen as she follows my gaze.
And snickers.
A group of young college girls have Talon surrounded on the sidewalk outside the restaurant, listening intently as he points up and down the street. He flashes them a smile and they giggle—all of them—like he’s the hottest man they’ve ever met.
To be fair, he probably is.
Talon Banks has no right to be as good-looking as he is, ruggedly handsome and a freaking delight to absolutely everyone but me.
“You’re glaring,” Aspen says as she pulls me down the sidewalk and in the opposite direction.
“I was not,” I huff. “And besides, I’m wearing sunglasses so you can’t tell.”
“Yeah, that’s not really how that works. Your jaw was clenched so tight I thought you were gonna crack a molar.”
“Where are we going?” I huff as she picks up the pace.
“The Riverside Café. We’ll split a wrap and grab smoothies and then circle back for queso.”
“You know I packed food, right?” I muse.
“Yes, but I just don’t have it in me to fight with you today and I want what I want.” She sighs dreamily. “And I want all the things.”
“You’re too much.” I laugh.
“I’m the perfect amount.”
“You are,” I agree and then lean against the side of the family-owned café. “I’m just gonna wait here; say hi to Elle for me.”
“Fine, then I’m getting all the toppings you hate.” She sniffs. “And you need to stop obsessing over him if you don’t plan on making a move.” With those parting words, she enters the popular tourist destination and leaves me alone to sit and stew over the man down the street.
I hate that she’s right and I hate that he affects me like this. Aside from the incident at my grandfather’s house, Talon and I didn’t interact a lot growing up. We had different friends, and even though we ended up at the same parties, we didn’t hang out.
He’d done all the stupid guy things—staring at my boobs that always seemed to be testing the integrity of any shirt I tried. One time I’d heard a group of them talking about me, making jokes and overexaggerated hand gestures to describe the size of my breasts. Talon had been there too, laughing along with the others.
I was used to it.
Mostly.
I’m sure I didn’t know the half of what was said about me and my body back then. My mother had scoffed and said I should flaunt my assets, that I should appreciate what they would do for me.
But I didn’t want to be like her. I didn’t want to use my body to get ahead, and I certainly didn’t want my accomplishments to be tainted by something like that. It was why I knew I wanted to work for myself—why I’d scraped and saved every penny until I could make my dreams come true.
Aspen and I built a thriving business from nothing.
And what did my mother have?
A bank account she’d accrued from divorcing husbands three and four. Part of me had wanted to warn the guy she’d brought with her to the hearing, but he hadn’t flinched as the judge had gone through the facts of the case including my mother’s deception and lies.
It didn’t matter. The verdict ensured I never had to see either of them again.
Finally.
The woman had left me with enough emotional damage to match the scars still marring my body—scars that meant I’d gone through hell and come out on the other side.
My surgery had been a blessing, and loving how I look on top of the physical relief was simply a bonus. But times like these when I see beautiful, carefree women flirting with men like Talon often take the wind right out of my sails.
“I hope you don’t mind me saying, but that color looks incredible on you.” Talon’s voice jolts me from my musings, and I jump as I straighten to my full height.
Not that it makes a difference considering I still have to tilt my head back to meet his gaze.
“What?” I breathe, but he’s not looking at my face. No, his eyes are roaming over my body like a physical caress, and I can feel my cheeks heat, all my indignation of a few minutes ago lost in the breeze. “Did you just?—”
“Nope,” Aspen says, waving her hand between us before pointing at me. “No way. I’m not doing this today. I have snacks; we’re getting queso and going to the beach.” She thrusts the tray holding the smoothies at me before whirling on Talon and poking him in the chest. “And you… She’s not ready yet so go away.”
“I just said?—”
“Zip it, Banks. I was promised a beach day and that’s what I’m getting. And tell your brother to stop being such a douche!” she snaps before shuffling me back down the street.
“It was nice to see you,” he yells after us, and I can only imagine she flips him off because his chuckle is the last thing I hear as we head off in the direction of queso.