Cruz looks from me to the bathroom. “What did you do, little darlin’?”
I glance back at the mess I left in the bathroom, thinking he’s asking about my hair, not my fight with Asher. “Umm.” I run a hand through my hair. For a second I had forgotten how terrible I must look.
“I’m going to set up in here,” the lady calls as she barges into my room and heads for the adjoining bathroom. “Cruz, can you get something to clean this hair up and maybe a chair for your girl to sit on?”
“That’s Georgina,” he says, running a hand through his hair, coming off awkward.
“I figured.”
His hand comes to my waist, and he pulls me to him. “You okay?”
“I’m fine, Cruz.” I sigh heavily. Georgina’s timing is terrible. And I may be having some sort of mid-life crises when I’m only twenty-three, but I’m fine.
He looks me over, his eyes narrowing. “The state of your hair tells me otherwise.”
I pull out of his grip on me, not wanting to get into this with another one of them. It was bad enough Asher caught me mid haircut. “Had a meltdown, life goes on.” I wave him off.
“I’ll make myself useful then,” he mutters, but I can tell this isn’t the end of the conversation.
I can’t stand the way he’s looking at me with so much pity, so I turn away from him and move through to the bathroom, watching her set up all her equipment. She has hair tools and scissors, and tray after tray of fancy-looking make-up. It’s like a mini beauty studio right here in my bathroom. “I’m D-Dahlia,” I introduce myself, remembering to use my new name, even though it feels like a pair of shoes that don’t quite fit right.
She looks me up and down, her ruby lips twisting at the side. “I know who you are. Jagger filled me in. Had to sign one of those NDAs and all. Says you need a new look, but I see you started without me.”
My head drops and my cheeks heat. I’m such an idiot. “I had a moment,” I admit.
She takes my hand in hers and gives it a comforting squeeze. She has a mothering vibe about her, one that strangely feels so soothing when I never got that feeling from my own mother. “Got you, girl. Don’t worry about it. I will have you better than new in no time.”
Cruz returns with a roller desk chair and a dustpan for all the hair. “For you, my little darlin’,” he says as he props the chair behind my knees, then sweeps up the mess of hair, leaving the dustpan leaning against the counter when he’s done.
I take a seat, making it as high as it’ll go so I can see my reflection staring back at me. It’s a horror show, so I look back to Georgina before I burst into tears again.
She plays with what’s left of my hair, running her fingers through it softly. “I would like to say I’ve seen worse, but you really went to town on this, girl.”
“I know.” I sigh heavily, the weight of my spur-of-the-moment decision bearing down on me. But I just couldn’t look into the lifeless eyes of that girl anymore and see the damage he caused. I needed to at least feel like someone new.
Her eyes light up suddenly. “I’ve got an idea. And since you’re hanging with my boys now, I figure you might just be able to pull it off.” She slips her phone out of her apron and flicks through it. “You can leave now, Cruz. We girls have work to do.” She shoos him away while still scrolling.
He’s been leaning on the counter. I can feel his eyes boring into me without looking his way. “Okay, I know when I’m in the way.” He bends to kiss my forehead. “I’ll be back when you’re all beautified.”
I nibble my bottom lip, not sure if I should ask this of him or not, but they’re brothers, he would care. “Can you go check on Ash?” I ask, still worried about him and knowing I won’t be getting out of this chair anytime soon.
His pierced brow rises, and I think he’s surprised. “Sure,” he mutters, leaving us alone.
Georgina hands her phone to me when she finds what she wants. “This, girl, not many could pull it off, but you have the cheekbones and such pretty features, I’m positive you could.”
I look over the image on the phone. The girl’s hair is cut really short all down one side, in a pixie cut then parted on the side and swept over with almost shoulder-length layers. It’s edgy and cool, and I never would have thought in a million years I could pull it off. But that was the old me. Maybe Dahlia can. And right now, I don’t have a lot of other options with the damage left from my head knock. My lips turn up at the sides. “Do it.”
She grins from ear to ear. “I would love to do something drastic like a silver color that would blow Jagger’s mind.” She laughs like she knows him well too. “But that scar looks pretty fresh, so how about we just do the cut for now. I can come back in a few weeks if you want to try it.”
“I might take you up on that offer, especially if you think it might tick off Jagger.” I smirk back.
“He’s easy to piss off, hey?”
I roll my eyes. “He’s a control freak.”
“Nothing’s changed then.” She gets to work snipping away at what’s left of my hair.
“How do you know the boys?” I ask, wondering what her deal is.
