Boy, I’ve been living under a rock my entire life.
“Maybe not black,” I say, dropping the fabric from my fingers.
Her blue eyes flick to me, and she smiles. “Well, at least you’re considering it.”
I shrug with a sigh, turning and glancing at the mannequins. “It might work,” I admit. “Or I might put it on and decide this is the stupidest idea.”
Daisy slings her arm over my shoulder. “You never know until you try. Personally, it’s liberating. Remember, this is for you. No one else. It’s okay to love ourselves, it’s okay to be perfectly imperfect because everyone is beautiful in different ways.”
I hum gently. I wish I had that mentality.
“So not the black set?” Daisy asks, trailing after me.
I gnaw on my lip. “I think black is too sexy, maybe something else.”
“Oh my god!” Daisy gasps as she beelines across the shop. She walks towards a teal lace set. It’s not as sexy as the black, but it’s still gorgeous. The detail is breathtaking with the mesh material and small thong. “This colour would look amazing on you.”
As I approach her side, I take the set off the hanger. “Yeah,” I agree. “I love this colour.”
Daisy beams beside me. “It’s perfect, it’s literally you all over. Not too sexy but still sexy enough to give you all the confidence and self-love you need.”
“Should I buy it?”
“Is water wet?”
My head turns to her slowly with raised eyebrows. “I’m being serious.”
“So am I.” She nods encouragingly. “You need to own this.”
I stare at the garments for another few moments and blow out a breath. “Alright. I’ll buy it.”
Daisy claps her hands together. “Yes,” she hisses through her teeth. “I’m so proud and pleased for you. You’re going to look incredible. I can’t wait for you to try it on.”
And for once I’m a weirdly excited too.
When I return homewith my new purchase, no one is in.
Finn is at work, and my parents have gone out to dinner with their friends. JJ is nowhere to be seen, and I ignore the thought of him because I have other things on my mind right now.
I drop the fluorescent pink paper bag on my bed and remove the lingerie set. I take a few steps back and stare at it. The back of my neck begins to sweat.
I lean forward and pick up the set.The lace feels soft and delicate between my fingers.Don’t overthink it. Just put it on.
I strip away my clothes and slip into the sexy two-piece. My eyes hesitate to glance in the mirror, so I grab my pink silk robe and slip it over my arms to build myself up gently. I close my eyes and tell myself to breathe.
Three, two, one.
My body twists, and I face myself in the mirror, arms slack at my sides.
Blood rushes to my face as I take in my body. I startle. The tips of my fingers tingle as I rake my eyes over my appearance, taking in every little detail of my half-naked body.
The bralette cups my chest perfectly, enough to show off cleavage in a way I wasn’t sure was possible. My eyes float down to the way the straps of the thong cling to my hips, giving the illusion that I actually have some.
And considering I’ve always believed I’m short, my legs look…long.
When I drag my gaze back up, I’m quivering because, for the first time in forever, I didn’t focus on the scar across my chest. I barely even acknowledged it because it’s not important.It doesn’t define me.It never has.
My phone buzzes and I reach for it, opening the message from Daisy.
