"You're sure?" I ask.
"I'm sure." He stands, crosses to me, hands settling at my waist. "You're stunning, Elowen."
His mouth finds mine, a gentle kiss hiding his desire.
"We'll take it," he tells the sales assistant.
"Calder—"
"And shoes," he adds, ignoring my protest. "She'll need shoes."
Twenty minutes later, I walk out of the shop with a gorgeous dress, elegant heels I'll probably only wear once, and a feeling of being thoroughly, completely cared for.
"Thank you," I say when we're back in the car.
"For what?"
"For spoiling me. For making me feel..." I search for words. "Cherished."
His hand finds mine. "You are cherished. Always."
The day of the get-together, I spend extra time getting ready, styling my hair in loose waves instead of the usual braid, careful makeup. Grandma calls in the morning to wish me happy birthday. The sound of her voice brings tears to my eyes; it’s my first birthday without her, and even though I have my pack, I still miss her.
“I’ll make it up to you at Christmas,” she says. “We’ll have a lot of catching up to do.”
“Love you, grandma.”
I sense her smile. “Love you too, little one.”
I knock on Lila’s door to show her the dress when I’m ready, but she doesn’t answer, and I hope that she’s enjoying a date in town with someone she will want to see again.
When Calder picks me up from my dorm room, his reaction is everything. "Elowen." His pulse picks up, his pupils dilating.
"Too much?"
"Perfect." He's in a dark suit, looking unfairly handsome. "Absolutely perfect."
Tyler and Julian are waiting by the car. Tyler in a navy suit, Julian in charcoal gray. Both stare when I approach.
"Wow," Tyler breathes.
"Statistically, you exceed the expected standard of beauty,"Julian begins and stops when Tyler elbows him in the ribs. "You look beautiful.”
I can’t help smiling.
But by the time we reach the Ashford estate, my mouth is dry, and I’ve wound my hair around my fingers so many times,
"Stop," Calder says, his thumb brushing my knuckles.
"Stop what?"
"Worrying.” He flashes me a sideways smile. “Breathe. They love you already."
"Your mother tolerates me." It sounds harsher than I intended, but I’m too nervous to take it back.
"That was before the marks. Before it was official. Trust me."
The estate comes into view, even more impressive twinkling with millions of fairy lights. Several cars are already in the drive.
