Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Morgan stood beside me in the mirror of our shared bathroom. For the first time since we were small children, we could accurately be described as identical.
“Wow, there’s hope for you yet,” Morgan marveled, running her hands through my newly straightened hair.
It hadn’t been her intention to help me tame my head of coils and curls, but she’d tossed one look my way as I’d struggled with a blow dryer, and couldn’t help herself. “Just let me trim these ends, and…”
The sound of snipping could be heard as Morgan evened me out.
“There.” She set the cutting shears aside, facing the mirror beside me again. There were small differences here and there, but no variances that stood out prominently.
My hair was about an inch or so longer than Morgan’s, hitting just above my butt. For the first time in a while, we were the same skin color.
My sister was never one for being outside, unless it was poolside somewhere.
Three weeks locked inside had turned my once cocoa complexion an unfamiliar chestnut shade. Morgan was thinner than me by five or so pounds; extra weight that I seemed to carry exclusively at my hips and backside. All courtesy of a diet that wasn’t nearly as strict as hers.
“Mm-hmm.” Morgan crossed her arms triumphantly. “Just don’t let Mom get a good look at your face. Because your eyebrows are just…” She shook her head. “Mom would know immediately.”
“Wait, what’s wrong with my eyebrows?” I inspected my face in the mirror, looking for the flaws my sister apparently saw.
“Oh nothing,” Morgan replied. “They’re just… They’re not mine. But yours are cute… for you.”
I tried not to roll my eyes at the condescension of her words. “Thanks Morgan,” I said through gritted teeth. “For all your help.”
“Need help picking out an outfit?” Even without her saying, I got the feeling that this was weirdly enjoyable for her. The sparkle in her eyes as she did my hair was like that of a person who’d been waiting a lifetime to get her hands on it.
“I was going to wear jeans, a nice blouse…” I explained. “…and heels.”
The outfit wasn’t too Lauren, and thankfully, it wasn’t too Morgan either. This was a happy medium between what either of us would wear. Neither of my parents would think twice about that outfit walking out the door.
No more than twenty minutes later, I was dressed in exactly what I said I’d wear.
I had on a pair of dark wash skinny jeans coupled with a loose, pale blue button down shirt.
The first four buttons of the shirt were undone, exposing a black camisole that complimented my strappy black, six-inch pumps.
“Tie your hair up in a high ponytail,” Morgan instructed after she got a look at my outfit. “This outfit does not go with hair that’s down. Also… red lipstick. Now that your hair is tied back, you need earrings. Silver studs will do.”
“So?” I asked after going with all of her recommendations. My sister only smiled at first, taking a step back to get a full view. For a moment she just stared.
When she finally did speak, all she said was, “Remember if Mom and Dad sniff this out… I had nothing to do with this.”
I nodded at her warning, reaching for my clutch and cell phone. The cell phone was really going to help me sell this ruse. As far as my parents were concerned, Lauren had no phone. Morgan did, however. I was halfway out of my bedroom when Morgan said one last thing.
“We really are so pretty,” she marveled. I laughed to myself. That was as close to a compliment that I could hope for from her.
Mom was in the kitchen when I went down to grab the keys off the hook.
Her attention was split between finding a mug and waiting for her tea kettle to whistle.
I dug into my clutch for Morgan’s driving sunglasses, sighing in relief once I had them on.
Mom glanced my way before reaching for the screaming kettle.
“Got a date tonight?” she asked after I took the keys from off the hook. My palms began to sweat, and I realized I’d never given much thought to whether or not our parents could tell our voices apart.
“Mm-hmm,” was all I managed.
Mom didn’t seem perturbed by this, and she casually asked, “Do you need money?”
I couldn’t remember the last time Mom had asked me as Lauren anything like this.
Even before I was grounded. I knew Morgan was Mom’s favorite.
Once upon a time, I was Dad’s favorite, so it didn’t bother me as much as it should.
Now I was no one’s favorite, and I found myself… jealous. For the first time.
“You know I don’t pay on dates, Momma.” I might’ve just gave the most Morgan-like response I could’ve ever given. It certainly wasn’t anything Lauren would ever say, so that could’ve been why Mom just laughed instead of focusing on the minute details of my voice. “See you!”
And just like that – I was free.
***
I was already ten minutes late.
For reasons I couldn’t explain, I was unbelievably nervous. It didn’t make sense to me. On paper, I had no reason to be nervous. I was driving to meet a man who I knew for a fact was into me. What was I nervous about? I don’t know, I told myself.
Except, I did know.
My mind wandered to the black lace underwear set I wore underneath my clothes. As the owner of a drawer filled with mismatched panties and bras, the effort I went through to find something both sexy and coordinated was… questionable. Did I think something was going to happen tonight?
Never had I ever chosen underwear with the impression that someone might see them. Until that night.
That’s not all I did.
I shaved. Not everything, but almost everything. I didn’t want to look too prepared, but I also didn’t want to look like a cavewoman down there.
I was now seventeen minutes late.
Why?
Because I’d stopped to buy condoms.
I couldn’t tell you what I thought was going to happen tonight, but I knew I was prepared. No matter what, I was prepared.
In my purse was a box of size large, pre-lubricated condoms. I didn’t even know if large was the right size. When thinking about it, I just sort of figured better to buy a size too big, than to buy a size too small.
“Oh you don’t have condoms?” I spoke to myself as I drove to the Safe House, practicing what I might say. “That’s okay. I bought some on the way here!” I forced a laugh, doing it over and over until it sounded the perfect mix of relaxed and cheerful. “Can never be too careful!”
I made a face. Scratch that last part. ‘Can never be too careful’? No, that just won’t work.
“Oh look, I found condoms. This is my sister’s purse. Lucky coincidence, huh?” I did the fake laugh again. “I’m so glad she’s a ho.”
Bemused, I shook my head, pulling into the neighborhood. It was now six-twenty, so I was twenty minutes late. I wondered if Kain was annoyed that I’d kept him waiting.
Ambling through the quiet streets of the community, I checked my phone for any texts, finding nothing but a dying battery. Twenty-one minutes late.
It was six-twenty-one when I pulled up to the Safe House.
Kain’s car was already in the driveway, and so was he.
There, leaning against the back of his Camaro, he stood in a white Henley shirt, loose-fit dark jeans, and a pair of white Forces.
At the sound of my car pulling up, his gaze raised from his phone.
His shoulders relaxed ever so slightly, and a smile appeared. God, that smile…
If not for the length of my heels, I would have run into his arms the moment I stepped out of my car.
My choice of shoes, however, would have me suffer the impossibly long show of walking at normal speed.
Kain straightened up a little, rising from his leaned position against his car, stuffing his phone into his back pocket.
He was shameless in the way that he watched my stride, his eyes traveling up and down the length of my body boldly. It made my heart beat with adrenaline.
I started to apologize for my punctuality. “Sorry I’m la—”
Before I could finish, Kain had me wrapped up in his arms. I took in a sharp breath, a shiver running through me at the familiarity of his usual scent.
I’d long forgotten the soapy smell of Kain’s skin, but the rest of my body clearly hadn’t.
His head dipped toward mine and I rushed to fill the shrinking distance between us.
When our lips touched, it was like electricity was coursing through me, reviving a part of me that I hadn’t realized was sleeping. I could’ve lived in that moment.
Naturally, it had to be Kain to finally pull back. For a second, he just looked at me, an eyebrow slowly climbing as the differences in my appearance began to register.
“I had to make myself look like my sister to sneak out of the house,” I explained before he could ask. I reached for a strand in my ponytail. “Morgan has straight hair. Do you hate it?”
“I don’t hate it,” he assured. “You had me thinking you made these changes for my sake, though.”
My eyebrows came together questioningly. “What if I did make the changes for you?”
Did he like me better this way?
Kain shrugged his shoulders, his arms still situated around my waist.
“It’d just be unnecessary, is all.” He leaned in a little closer, his cheek brushing along my left temple ever so lightly. “I didn’t think you needed to change a thing,” he almost whispered into my ear, before drawing back, a faint smile in his eyes. “But whatever gets you outta the house…”
Something in my chest jumped, seemingly awakening something between my thighs.
Buying those condoms was the smartest thing I’ve ever done.
Kain dug in his pockets and pulled out his car keys, sending my thoughts blazing.
“Wait, we’re not going inside?” I asked, surprised. The box of rubbers I’d picked up on my way here suddenly felt heavier. I clutched my purse tighter, closer to me, feeling like I was hiding the evidence to a crime.
He shook his head. “Nah… Why? Do you want to?”