CHAPTER 41LeviAureliaLevi #3
They moved fast. Unbelievably fast. Before she knew it, the bathroom counters and vanity were overrun with makeup palettes, curling irons, bottles of mysterious potions, and hair tools that looked more like medieval torture devices.
“Sit,” Ivy ordered, patting the chair in front of the mirror.
Aurelia sat. She wasn’t sure if it was free will or fear that got her there faster.
With military precision, Ivy whipped the towel from her head and attacked her damp hair with a comb and a series of expertly applied products.
Meanwhile, Grace stood before her, gently cupping Aurelia’s chin, tilting her face this way and that as she murmured to herself about bone structure and undertones.
It should have been unsettling, but instead…it felt like something else entirely.
They were doing this because they cared. Because they wanted her to feel beautiful and confident. Like she mattered.
And that recognition hit her so hard she almost choked on it.
Tears welled before she could stop them, slipping silently down her cheeks. Lost in the whirlwind of emotion, she didn’t even notice the way Ivy and Grace had paused until she glanced up to find them staring at her with shared concern.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Grace asked softly, her voice as gentle as the hand she laid on Aurelia’s shoulder.
Aurelia swallowed hard. She was tired of running from this. From all of it.
Blowing out a shaky breath, she confessed, “I’m feeling…
everything all at once. And I don’t know what to do with it.
I’ve spent a long time burying my feelings.
Ignoring them. Now they’re all right here, and I don’t know how to handle it.
” She gave a watery, self-deprecating laugh.
“I don’t even know how to be this person. ”
Her voice cracked, but the truth made her feel lighter.
With a trembling but genuine smile, she looked between them and added, “But I do know this—I think you’re the first real friends who’ve ever made me feel like I matter. And that means more than I can even explain. Thank you. Both of you. So much.”
Ivy let out a choked squeak and turned her back to them, furiously dabbing at her eyes.
Grace gasped in dramatic fashion, pointing. “Oh my God. You broke Ivy! She’s crying! Ivy never cries. Quick, where’s my phone! I need pics or it didn’t happen!”
Ivy spun around, eyes blazing, her long ponytail nearly taking Aurelia’s head off. “Try it, Grace. Try it, and Isaac will be scraping your remains off the driveway by midnight.”
The three of them held each other’s gazes for a tense heartbeat—and then the tension shattered into wild, helpless laughter.
They laughed until they cried for an entirely different reason, the heavy weight of emotion transforming into something bright and full of life.
This.
This was what she had been missing. Another priceless gift that had quietly found its way into her life because of Levi.
Once the laughter faded, the mood shifted again, and the cosmetic commandos re-emerged, their playful banter giving way to fierce determination.
With a knowing glance between them, they got to work—their magic tangible in every brush stroke and curl of her hair. And for the first time in a long time, Aurelia sat perfectly still, no longer resisting the transformation…but embracing it.
Tonight, she wouldn’t just attend the ball.
She would own it.
Levi
Levi hadn’t been allowed near their bathroom since Ivy and Grace commandeered it. He felt a brief pang of sympathy for Aurelia, trapped in their clutches with no escape. He knew firsthand how relentless his friends could be when it came to getting someone ready for an event.
Already dressed, Levi adjusted the cuffs of his tailored black tuxedo.
He had foregone the usual bow tie in favor of a formal paisley print tie threaded with rich fall tones—deep golds, coppers, and burgundy—woven seamlessly into the fabric.
His dark hair was styled back in precise waves, giving him a sharp, regal edge.
The outfit was perfect, but it was nothing compared to what he knew was coming next.
With one last glance in the mirror, he joined Owen on the couch. His best friend had shown up a while ago and was now flipping through the channels, looking entirely too comfortable in his own sleek tuxedo and classic black bow tie.
Levi’s knee bounced restlessly as he kept glancing at the closed bedroom door.
Owen shot him an amused glance. “Your anxiety is nauseating. The whole couch is shaking. If you wanted me bouncing like this, Lockwood, you should have bought me dinner first.”
Levi stilled his knee but didn’t bother replying. The second the door cracked open, he flew to his feet.
Ivy and Grace exited first, appearing far too pleased with themselves. Then…Aurelia stepped into view.
Levi forgot how to breathe.
She was nothing short of divine, a vision that seemed to step straight out of his most impossible dreams.
Her long chestnut hair flowed in soft, cascading waves, the vibrant rainbow strands threaded through like stolen light from a prism.
Her skin glowed beneath the warm lighting, every soft curve of her face touched by it, her full lips parted slightly as her deep brown eyes, lit from within, locked onto his.
And then there was the dress.
The sheer, nude-toned fabric clung to her curves like a second skin, dusted with thousands of iridescent crystals that sparkled in every imaginable color, casting light across the room as she moved.
The bodice was a masterpiece, clusters of crystals blooming into intricate vines and floral patterns, winding their way delicately along her torso. Whisper-light tulle sleeves floated over her arms, each dotted with crystals that seemed to hover weightlessly on her skin.
The skirt deepened into rich ombré shades of eggplant and crimson, as if she carried the sunset itself in her gown. She looked like she belonged to another world—half goddess, half queen—and all his.
Levi’s throat tightened painfully.
“I could search every language and still never find the words to describe how beautiful you are,” he rasped, his voice hoarse with emotion.
Aurelia’s cheeks flushed pink, her soft smile dazzling. She then twirled in the dress, a beam of pure joy lighting up her face.
“It even has pockets!” she squealed.
Levi let out a relieved laugh, pride swelling in his chest. That tiny design detail, one he had requested personally, was the crowning jewel in her eyes.
Joy surged through him, but it collided with the unmistakable punch of dread settling low and hard. If she looked this stunning to him, the rest of the men at the ball were going to lose their minds.
He would have to keep his jealousy in check, or he was going to lose his shit every time another man glanced her way. Tonight wasn’t about him. Before he could think any further, a heavy hand clapped his shoulder.
Owen leaned in, a devilish grin curling his mouth. “This is going to be so entertaining to watch,” he murmured.
Levi groaned internally. I’m completely and utterly screwed.