Just One Year(30)

Looking at myself in the mirror, I tilted my head. “Well, whaddya know? She does clean up nice.”

Remembering that I had some old makeup in my bathroom, I went in and opened the drawer, feeling clueless. What to do. What to do. After a moment I realized I didn’t know how to apply eyeliner. So, I turned on one of those YouTube tutorials and watched a girl who had over two million views apply her eye makeup until I felt confident enough to try her technique. It took about twenty minutes and some trial and error, but my eyes were now fully lined and my lips plumped up with a mauve color. The finishing touch was a little rouge on my cheeks. Initially, I put on too much and had to wipe some of it off. By the time I finished, I’d managed to achieve the thing I’d always tried to avoid: I looked even more like Ariadne.

Having second thoughts, I hesitated before heading upstairs for Sunday dinner. But it wasn’t going to get any easier, so I gave myself a mental nudge and made my way up the stairs.

When I entered the dining room, every head turned in my direction. Time seemed to stand still as they took me in. Was it that drastic?

My father looked stunned, probably to see the spitting image of the woman who’d broken his heart. Maura looked almost proud, like she was saying to herself finally. Shelley looked envious, and I assumed she’d be ransacking my room as soon as possible, looking for the makeup. And Archie and Caleb? Well, let’s just say if there were a competition for jaw dropping, I’m not sure which guy would have won.





CHAPTER TWELVE




* * *



CALEB




Christ.

What had she done to herself?

Her eyes, her lips, her breasts—everything was magnified. She looked different, but absolutely beautiful. I’d always recognized Teagan’s natural beauty, though, even when she tried her hardest to hide it. But now she was flaunting it. And I didn’t know what to make of that, except that I suspected it had something to do with Archie. That angered me for so many reasons.

Shelley’s eyes were wide. “You look beautiful, sister.”

“Thank you.” Teagan batted her lashes and looked down at her feet.

Tongue tied, I couldn’t stop staring at her.

“What made you get all dolled up?” Maura asked.

“I felt like a change.”

You could see the pride in Lorne’s expression. “You look lovely, honey.”

“I second that,” Archie said.

Of course you do.

I was the only one who hadn’t said anything, mainly because I was speechless. Teagan’s cheeks turned redder, and it wasn’t the makeup. She clearly wasn’t used to being bombarded with so many compliments at once.

God, she really did look gorgeous. It was like she’d gone down to her room a girl and come upstairs a woman. I’d never realized how much hair she had, either. She normally kept it tied back in a ponytail or up in a knot. The makeup she wore brought out the green in her eyes. And it was hard not to notice her ample chest in that fitted shirt.

Over the past several weeks, I’d begun to view her in a sexual way—as much as I tried not to. She always hid behind her clothing, but seeing the effort she made tonight scared me. I actually needed to worry about her and Archie, and that didn’t settle well in my stomach. I could see now how complicated my feelings for Teagan really were. I just didn’t know what to do with that realization.

She finally sat down, and everyone’s attention went from her to the food in front of them. Aside from my continuing to steal glances at her, dinner went as usual until Archie spoke.

“Teagan, this might be a dumb question, but do you have a curfew?”

My fists tightened.

“I’m nineteen. Curfew ended when I turned eighteen.”

“Ah. Very good. Remember that bowling place you were telling me about yesterday, the one that stays open late?”

“Yeah?”

He cocked his head to the side. “Would you want to go tonight?”

A breadstick I’d been holding snapped in my hand.

“Sure. That sounds like fun,” she said.

Clearing my throat, I asked, “What is this place?”

“Wonder Bowl,” she answered. “It stays open really late. After ten at night, it’s half off to bowl. And they have six-dollar pitchers of beer.” She looked at her father. “For those who are legal, of course.”

“When she was showing me around the city, Teagan said she felt like sort of a dork for liking bowling,” Archie explained. “I told her I was in a league back home for a while.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course he was.

No way was I letting her go out alone with him tonight.

I glared at him. “Sounds like fun. I’ll ask Veronica if she wants to join us. We can all go.”

Archie forced a smile. “Brilliant, then.”

He was definitely on to me. But I didn’t care. Looking after Teagan was my priority.

***

We borrowed Lorne’s car to drive to the bowling alley.

Veronica wasn’t thrilled. She’d apparently never bowled in her life and had no interest in coming. But I made it sound like I really wanted to go, and eventually, she gave in and agreed.

As we waited in line for those nasty bowling shoes, Veronica made small talk with Teagan. It seemed forced. I suspected Veronica still held a grudge about my ditching her at the restaurant to check on Teagan the day of the attack.