Perfectly Imperfect(75)
He looks delicious.
I chose my outfit with much more care than his obvious need for comfort. I feel a smirk lift my lips when I think about walking through the doors of Logan dressed as I never have before.
Where my makeup is done to subtly show beauty, my clothes are not. My black pants are tightly stretched against my thighs and butt, tapering out with a barely-there flare down to my four-inch red Louboutin heels. Even though the pants aren’t showing any skin, the way they’re tastefully painted on makes me feel as hot as Kane praised me to be this morning. An impulsive purchase from Torrid that makes me wish I had found the plus-sized clothing store long before now. My top, like the shoes, is blood red. I might have gone a little overboard when I was told it was a power color, but now that I’m wearing it, I feel it. Powerful.
The chiffon tunic-style tank top is low cut, showing off a generous amount of my cleavage. It isn’t tight anywhere else, but the way it flows from my breasts makes me look slimmer. And on top of that is a black blazer that, when buttoned, makes my chest look even larger than their double Ds.
It’s subtle but designed to make every curvy part look amazing. When I looked in the mirror this morning, I felt stunning.
“Are you ready?” he asks when I stand next to him, taking my hand in his and giving Cam a nod.
“Yeah.” I nod, smiling widely up into Kane’s handsome face. “I really am.”
Five minutes later, we’re walking through the lobby of the Logan Agency. Mary looks up, and for a quick moment before her infectious smile hits, she looks confused. My eagerness to get this over with has me cutting our conversation short. As much as I would love to catch up, I know I have the advantage right now because they’re not expecting me. The element of surprise allows me to hold all the power because they have no prep time.
Kane holds my hand as we walk around Mary’s desk and make our way down the hallway. I look around at the images on the wall, taking in the dim lighting, and I don’t feel an ounce of trepidation. None. I wondered if I would get this far and freak out, doing the opposite of what I set out to do today and just fall back on old habits. But being here around the images that used to make me feel even worse about myself drives home for me just how far I’ve come.
Looking over and up at Kane, we share a smirk, and I give him a wink, letting him know that I’m okay.
“I need you to let me go in there alone,” I tell him, something I had left off last night when I was telling him about coming here today.
His eyes harden, and he instantly protests. “Not happening. I won’t bend on that. I agreed to stay silent and let you drive today, but I will not let you go alone. Not f*cking happening.”
“Kane—” I start.
He stops walking, and I almost lose his hand when my body keeps going. Turning, I look at him in question.
“I’m this close,” he says, holding his pointer finger and thumb just an inch apart. “This f*cking close to throwing you over my shoulder. This showdown might not frighten you, but I’m going out of my mind worrying about what’s going to happen when we walk through those doors. Those two held you captive in abuse-driven fear, Willow. You can’t ask me not only to stay silent, but also to let you go alone. Not when I can and will protect you if it comes down to it. Please, don’t ask me that.”
His voice is just a whisper when he’s finished, and he’s not hiding the despair on his face. I knew he was against me coming, but I didn’t realize just how much it was affecting him. I hate it. I would do anything to erase this expression from his face, but I also know I have to do this.
“Okay.” I nod. “That wasn’t fair of me and I’m sorry, but please, no matter what is said, let me get everything I have to out. Then you can burn the place down for all I care.”
His shoulders fall, his relief instant. “Thank you.” He sighs, dropping his head and giving me a light kiss. “Well, then let’s go.”
We start walking again, and I take a fortifying breath when we step into the outer waiting area of my father—no, Dominic’s office. Luck is on my side because the transparent walls of his office are set to their foggy privacy setting. His door is open, and I can hear him inside laughing.
A few steps further and I hear my sister’s hyena-like laugh and cringe. I don’t think I realized just how annoying that noise she makes when she laughs was until this moment. It puts a smile on my face when I realize just how much I had built her up in my head to be flawless. No one with a laugh like that could be considered flawless.
I step into the open doorway and keep my smile in place with no effort when the occupants inside look over in surprise at the intruder.
“Looks like lady luck was even more generous than I had initially thought,” I tell Kane with a laugh over my shoulder. “Everyone I wanted to see today just happens to be here together. I’m sure we can all agree to skip the polite ‘how have you been’ portion that usually comes when you haven’t seen family in so long and all admit that we really don’t care.” I continue into the room, Kane’s hand still holding mine, and let the powerful rush their surprise gives me spike my adrenaline a little more.
Looking over at a stunned Ivy, practically draped over an equally shocked Brad, makes me roll my eyes. They’re both dressed impeccably, but I notice Ivy’s face looks a little less Botox perfect now. Her skin, not having been kind to her as she ages, is dry from years of skin damage, and the bags under her eyes could probably count as a carry-on with most airlines. I’m now seeing the woman I had always thought got the better genes through the eyes of reality. She hides it well, but the way she’s lived her life is clearly catching up with her. You can’t expect money to buy everything, and Ivy is living proof. It can’t buy happiness.