Beg You to Trust Me (Lindon U #2)(59)
“Probably noon. I think Raine requested a couple study rooms for a few hours.” He looks between me and the phone in my hand. “Is everything okay?”
More than. “I’ll go with you tomorrow. May need to cut out early.” I click my tongue. “I also may need to borrow someone’s truck to pick up Sky when she flies back.”
He studies me for a split second before nodding. Whatever he sees he chooses not to push. “Fine with me. I don’t have to be anywhere tomorrow night, so you can borrow mine.” He stands and starts walking out. From over his shoulder he says, “Take something for your shoulder if you didn’t already. It might help.”
It won’t, but I say, “Will do.”
Once he leaves, I stare at the messages Skylar sent me to make sure I read them right.
Blondie: What do you say?
What do I say?
I meant what I said in the truck. I wish I’d been the one to take her virginity—to share that experience with her. Make her feel good, feel beautiful and valued and so many other things.
But sending her a picture of the hard on in my pants would probably be too much if she knew how much I liked this idea of hers, so I settle on something a little more subtle.
Me: Anything you want, Blondie. I’m your guy
And I mean it.
Anything, no matter how small or how large, I’d give to her. She wants someone to hold her hand around campus? I’m down for that. She wants someone to snuggle up to during movie night? I’m more than happy to be her human-sized pillow.
Everything else…shit. It’s dangerous territory to even think about those things. Especially because I’m too fucking sore to jerk it right now.
Then again, a cold shower may be exactly what I need.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
SKYLAR
There’s a knock on my bedroom door as I tug at the hem of my new cream-colored dress. It cracks open and Serena’s head pops inside before I can answer.
“Oh my God! Look at you, hottie!” She slips inside and closes the door behind her as she studies the tight material encasing my body with a wide smile on her face.
“It’s short,” I complain, trying and failing to get the material to stay mid-thigh. All it does is slide back up to a place that makes me nervous to do anything other than stand.
Rena shakes her head and walks over to me, hands on my exposed shoulders as she examines me with a proud look on her face. Her loose curls are in a braided updo that looks like a crown around her head. “Don’t tell Mom this,” she whispers, “but I’m totally jealous of your body. Your thighs are life.”
My face scrunches at her admission as I glance in the mirror at the thickness she’s referring to. I used to be more self-conscious about my legs, but I’ve embraced them. None of my sisters can catch food with them when it falls quite like I can. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve won. “Why don’t you want Mom to know that?”
She steps aside and looks into the reflection as she brushes something off the simple yet elegant dress. “Because I promised I’d go to that new juice bar with her, and I really don’t want to. It’s something to do with fasting, which sounds awful.”
The last thing her and Mom need to worry about is fasting. Not only do they eat something green, leafy, and lean with protein at every meal, but they also work out almost every single day. Me on the other hand? Green is my least favorite color, especially in the form of food, and the only particularly lean thing about me is my fingers. Working out? Well, running from my problems is probably as close as I’ve gotten at this point.
“You can tell her no,” I point out as she plays with my hair. I haven’t even touched it yet beyond washing it earlier in the shower. It’s air dried into a frizzy mess.
She shrugs. “I know, but it’s Mom.”
Not sure what to say, I stare at my reflection in silence. I’m surprised Serenity approved this dress. There’s nothing necessarily fancy about it. It’s sleeveless, tight, and has a plunging neckline that shows off my boobs.
I look…hot. I’d be surprised if Dad doesn’t give me a disapproving once-over.
“What shoes are you thinking?” she asks, guiding me over to the sit in front of the makeup table. I never used it much over the years. It’s white like the rest of the room is with a mirror attached that has bright stickers and lights lining the sides of it. Nightlights that Serena bought me because I was afraid of the dark, and stickers Sienna bought me because I was obsessed with collecting them.
Now they look silly, but I keep them up for the nostalgia.
“Serenity laid out a pair of black heels.” I point toward the strappy things resting beside the bed and make a face at the height of them. “I think she’s trying to kill me.”
Rena snorts as she puts a brush through my dark locks and begins working her magic. She’s always been great with styling hair and doing makeup—nothing like Olive, which makes me miss being in Lindon a little bit. “She wouldn’t try killing you until after the photos were taken.”
Smiling at the truth, I return my gaze forward to watch her work. “Has Tony hinted at any kind of proposal? I know there’s been a lot of speculation surrounding this, but Ser doesn’t seem to know what’s going to happen.”