I inhale a gush of air and move my hair to the side to expose my warm neck.
“There’s no rush, though.” He goes back to the mirror to continue buttoning his shirt.
Wow.
He may not be affected by our little moment, but I most definitely am.
I spend the next twenty minutes pinning my hair back and applying makeup, all while refusing to give my attention to Malaki in his high-end, black suit. Benedict wears dress attire daily, yet I can whole-heartedly admit that I have never been this distracted by a man in a suit before.
Malaki is hot in his hockey uniform, especially on the ice, but it should be illegal for him to wear a suit.
It tangles everything inside my head.
“You ready, Future Mrs. Young?” he asks.
I can barely manage a glimpse at him leaning against the bathroom door. “Mm-hmm,” I squeak. “Just let me check on Charleigh real quick and tell Zoe bye.”
“I’ll be downstairs.”
After eyeing Charleigh sleeping in her room, I head to Zoe’s bedroom and peek through the crack of the door. She’s lying on her bed but pops up when she sees me creeping.
“Don’t you dare try to sneak out without showing me your dress.”
I slowly push on the door, and her jaw drops. “Now thisis what I expected you to look like on prom night.”
My shoulders fall. “I had better things to do than go to my senior prom.”
“Better things?” She rolls her eyes. “I’m not sure I’d consider making sure Dad didn’t choke on his vomit from drinking too much a better alternative.”
I scoff. “Fine, I mean…I had more…important things to do.”
My dress is pretty.
It’s light blue, and the glossy satin looks good against my olive-colored skin.
It feels wrong, though.
“What’s wrong?” Zoe asks.
She always knows when something is up with me.
I pull on the slit in my dress. “It feels wrong to get all dressed up and go to some fancy event with a man like Malaki. I should be staying in with Charleigh, but instead, I’m having my younger sister watch my baby and–”
“Reese.” My sister scrambles from her new bed, which just so happens to be bigger and nicer than any bed she’s ever had before. She places her hands on my bare shoulders and gives them a gentle squeeze. “You do know that you’re allowed to be more than just a mom, right? You’re allowed to have fun and get all dressed up to spend the evening on a date.”
“It’s not a date,” I argue.
She shakes her head. “Whatever. Just…” She squeezes my shoulders again. “Promise you’ll have a good time tonight. Charleigh is fine with me.”
“I know she is. I wouldn’t trust anyone else to watch her,” I say.
Except Daisy.
And maybe Malaki.
Wait, I would trust Malaki?
“It’s just…” I let my words fade because the real reason I’m being hesitant is simply a reaction to how I grew up, and we both know it.
