Fortunately, Forest isn’t pressuring me into anything. He seems willing to adapt to my pace, but I want to learn how to communicate better.
The door opens again, startling me out of my thoughts, and Forest appears in front of me, fully dressed in his evening wear. He has picked a pair of black pants—not dress pants—they are of a thicker material, almost like a pair of jeans. Plus a black, buttoned shirt with the top button open and a light grey vestover it. It’s not the usual chic look the alphas of such an event go for, but it’s definitely a look that fits the occasion. I can’t help but stare at his thick thighs and broad chest, accentuated by the pants and shirt he is wearing.
He looks so hot.
“What’s wrong with what you are wearing?” I ask.
He stares at me. “Are you telling me it’s good?”
“This is clearly your style, Forest. You look great.”
“So, no need to change?”
“No,” I smile. “Now let me match your energy.”
Forest grins and sits down on the sofa, waiting for me to get changed. I know what I am going to wear. Forest and I still need to make sure we are playing our cards right, and now that Forest has decided to go all out by being himself, I will do the same.
“What do you think?” I ask him once I am dressed. I chose a fiery-red dress that hugs my body, with an open back.
Forest’s mouth drops open, something flashing in his eyes.
“They call me the Ice Queen,” I tell him. “I want to show them just how icy I can be in a fiery dress.”
He keeps staring at me, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes dark. “Beautiful,” he growls before grabbing his phone. “I want to make a video.”
“No way!”
“Yes, definitely,” he exclaims. “Twirl around a little.”
“It’s not the twirly kind of dress,” I argue.
“Then strut the corridor,” he offers. “Or come out of the room like you did before.”
His words make me laugh. Maybe it’s silly, but I decide to go along with it. I am not used to doing things like this, to joke around with someone, or to just be a bit silly, but with Forest, everything is much more effortless. For him, I put on a little show, slowly stepping out of the room again, walking down the corridor, and even twirling once.
There is something about the way he looks at me, about how he seems to adore me, that just pushes me into doing unusual things, into being maybe a little bit moreme,and allowing myself to discover new sides to me.
He takes my hand, pulling me closer to him and puts an arm around my middle. “Now a picture with both of us,” he says, reaching out his arm so that he can take a selfie.
The woman looking back at me through the lens is someone I barely know. Is that truly me? How long have I been here? While Jordan took years to destroy me, this man here has managed to put the pieces back together in barely two weeks.
I wrap my hand around his arm. “We’ll rock it tonight,” I say.
“I am starting to believe that, too,” he says. “With you at my side, I feel so much stronger.”
With his newfound confidence and my newfound sense of self-worth, we make our way downstairs and to the entrance hall of the packhouse, where Martin is waiting for us. He stares at us, wide-eyed, when he spots us. “If your goal is to shut everyone up tonight, I just want to say, you’ll probably succeed.”
“Forest!” His mom comes strolling into the room. I haven’t seen her in a while. Donna looks a bit haggard and stressed. It must feel awful to have a whole house of cards suddenly collapse, not that I have any sympathy for her.
“What is it, Mother?” he asks.
His father is hot on Donna’s heels, looking equally as shocked when he sees us. “You can’t leave like that,” he exclaims.
Forest looks at me, and I smile at him. With sudden confidence, he takes my hand. “Of course I can leave like this.” He turns to me. “Do you think I should wear a tie?”
“Not at all,” I say. “It would kill your fabulous look.”
He shows me one of his adorable, boyish grins. “So, I look fabulous.”
