Chapter 24 #2
She really did resemble a modern-day, alternative Cinderella. Her dress was the perfect shade of blue, and the choker added to the effect. She swayed her hips to make her skirt swish.
“It works for you.”
“Hell yeah, it does,” Livy agreed. “If you’re going to pull out this level of talent, you’re dressing me for every date I ever go on until the end of time. And my wedding.”
Hazy scoffed. “I can’t believe you’d consider letting someone else touch your hair for your wedding. You’d betray me like that?”
She twisted in his arms and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek. It left a sticky patch where her lip gloss stuck to his skin. His heart skipped a beat.
Fuck, it couldn’t be doing that. Sister. She has to be like your sister. You will not ruin this for Lover. Or Livy. Think of every gross, weird thing you know about her.
Hazy came up empty. Livy had no weird or gross qualities.
“No, I wouldn’t betray you like that.” She turned back to the mirror and admired herself again. “Oh my gosh!” She slapped his arm three times in excitement.
“What?” he asked.
“Hair and fashion totally count as hobbies.”
His mood lightened as he realized she was right.
While they waited for Lover, Hazy watched over her shoulder as she picked out the last of her makeup haul.
He was fascinated by the way Livy window-shopped.
As kids they’d spent a lot of time adding stuff to an online cart they’d never purchase.
Hazy still took up the practice sometimes, using the shopping app as a cure for boredom.
He didn’t need—or want—any of the junk people used to fill a void they should be filling with meaningful relationships and retirement savings.
Livy added everything of the slightest interest to the cart. Every once in a while a text from the guys would pop up and she’d swipe it away to keep browsing. Hazy had no idea what he was missing by ignoring his phone, but for once he didn’t care. Livy’s shopping habits were way more interesting.
When another banner popped up, Livy’s thumb moved to dismiss the notification, but she accidentally opened the text thread. To one of his go-to hookups, Tiffany. Who had sent a very naked picture.
They both panicked. He reached for the phone as she tried to shove it at him, and their colliding hands made the phone clatter to the ground. “Sorry!”
His cheeks heated with mortification as he picked the phone up off the floor and stuffed it into his pocket.
He cleared his throat. “It’s fine.”
“I really didn’t mean to invade your privacy.” Her voice came out squeaky, and her blush showed through her foundation.
“I know. It’s okay.”
Neither of them seemed to know what to say, and he didn’t think it could get any more awkward until she said, “I’ve never sent a nude.”
He thought back to the boudoir photos she showed him when they set up her dating profiles and how she hadn’t been comfortable enough to send them to Lance. “I’d be shocked if you had.”
“Hey! I can be sexy.”
“I’m sure you can,” he placated her, fully aware of her ability to be sexy but unwilling to delve deeper.
“My boobs don’t look like that, though.”
Christ, he didn’t need to be thinking about her boobs again. “Well, she paid five figures for hers to look like that...”
A knock at the door saved Hazy from having to continue the conversation. Livy stood, taking a deep, shaky breath.
Hazy couldn’t help but notice the obvious shift in her mood.
He should let it go, but the thought of her leaving the house feeling insecure when she looked as perfect as she did made him want to cry.
Her face had been full of joy a few minutes prior.
He reached for her before she could get too far away, dragging her toward him.
“Valentine is waiting!”
“He’ll let himself in.” Hazy tugged her all the way to the bathroom and stood her in front of the mirror again. “Look,” he said.
“What are you talking about, Connor? I’ve seen it. You did a great job.”
“I did. You’re beautiful.”
Livy’s mouth turned up the slightest bit at the corners.
“Say it,” Hazy prompted.
“Say what?”
“Say, ‘My name is Livy Stewart and I am beautiful.’”
“We don’t need to do this.”
“Yes, we do. We’ll stand here until you see it again. Because you aren’t going on another date until your ego is so fucking big you’ll have to buy a wheelbarrow to drag it around with you.”
She huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes, but followed his directions.
“My name is Olivia Stewart and I am beautiful.”
“No, no, no. You’re with me. And when you’re with me, you’re Livy. Say it again.”
Livy stared at herself. When she twisted to check a different angle, he placed his hands on her hips, determined to get her to see her beauty without searching for some nonexistent flaw.
“My name is Livy Stewart and I am beautiful.”
“And hot,” he added.
“And hot,” Livy parroted.
“And stunning.”
Livy rolled her eyes again, but repeated his words.
“And brilliant.”
“And brilliant.”
“And funny.”
“This is a lot.”
“Yep, and we’ll be here until you believe it.”
“I believe it.”
He dug his fingers into her hip, and she placed her hands over his. “Do you?”
Her smile lit him up.
“Yes!” she shouted, exasperated.
“Then say it,” he said.
“And funny.”
“People fall to their knees at my beauty.”
“I’m not saying that.”
“Why? It’s true.”
“Oh my God. Valentine is waiting.”
“And he can keep waiting.”
Livy sighed. “My name is Livy Stewart and I am beautiful, hot, stunning, brilliant, and funny. People fall to their knees at my beauty.” She was laughing before she got through the last part, and Hazy’s job was done.
He pointed her toward the door and slapped her butt when he said, “Go get him then, Tiger.”
She flipped him off as she walked through the door.
When they left, Hazy revisited Livy’s abandoned shopping cart and submitted the seven-hundred-fifty dollar order.