My phone buzzes as I finish clipping the buckle to my heel in my bedroom, back in Philly, cameras positioned overhead.
4 days and I bought new makeup for you –Mom
I head to the vanity just to check my face once more. It can’t be that bad…well it’s notgood. A purplish bruise puckers on my cheekbone. It could have been worse. My eye could have swelled shut and oozed puss—that’s what Connor told me to lessen my misery. It worked. Now I’m just happy I don’t have a puss-filled eye to deal with.
And I can also say I’ve been punched. The bachelorette party hasn’t aired yet, but if anyone thinks it’s my fault, I don’t really care.
Connor walks into the bedroom, shirtless and in a pair of black slacks. His muscles ripple across his abdomen, dipping down towards a place that I saw early this morning. He’s sexier than he realizes—no,no, he definitely knows how hot he is.
He holds up two button-downs by the hanger. “White or blue today?”
“Did you just come out here to show off your body?”
His eyes gleam with mischief, telling me that’sexactlywhat he did. “I need your impeccable fashion advice, darling. White or blue?”
But I like this more than he knows. It feels comfortable and normal. Sharing space. Sharing each other. I want to wake up and be the woman who chooses what color he wears for the day, and I want him to be the man who chooses what position we’ll take at night.
“White,” I say easily. “I like you in white.”
“Blue it is,” he replies casually.
I glare and his eyes rake my body, taunting me even more. He loves to make me mad. He rests the blue shirt on the desk and takes the white one off the hanger.
“What are you working on today?” I ask as I head towards the door, my purse hung on my forearm.
“My proposal for Cobalt Inc.,” he replies. “The board members approved it this morning. It will go into effect within the next few months.”
He still hasn’t revealed what he’s doing to the company.
I think he just wants to surprise me.
I slip into the hallway, wearing a dark purple peplum dress. Before I can go downstairs, Scott ascends them. His ugly gray eyes latch onto mine. Really, whatever part of him was decentlycuteorhothas suddenly become putrid like a rotten sulfuric swamp.
“Rose, how are you?” he asks cordially.
“Brilliant,” I say. “As always.”What? I never claimed to be humble.
“Of course. You’re a member of Mensa, you graduated in the top one percent of your class, and you know random facts that no one cares about.”
Prick.
He flashes an oily smile.
And there goes my future children. Sorry, Connor. My ovaries just withered and died.
Before I can combat with something much nastier, he says, “Where’s your necklace?”
I frown and my heart jumps in fear. Did I lose it? I quickly touch my chest, and I relax once my fingers find the smooth diamond pendant. I even glance down to double check. The thin chain is still clipped.
Now he’s just trying to pointlessly irritate me. “Go annoy someone else,” I snap, “preferably someone from a different universe. Maybe you’ll reunite with your ancestors.”
I try to shove past him, but he sidesteps and blocks me. “I was talking about yourothernecklace. The one with more than one diamond.”
“I have many diamond necklaces, Scott,” I retort, not realizing how bitchy and snobbish I sound until it’s too late.
“Not this many diamonds,” he says, taking a step closer to me. “The inside is leather.” And then he drifts to the left, stuffing his hands into his pockets and sauntering away.
I stay frozen, too stunned to force my heel down the stairs.
