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“How the fuck did you even get in here?” Josh asks, making no move to get out.
“I picked the lock. Bray taught me how when we were kids. Never really thought I’d be thankful for those painful hours. But here we are.” She drops the bags on the bed.
“Babe, want me to send her back to the loony bin she came from?” Josh asks me.
I shake my head no. “No, I want to keep her,” I tell him.
He smiles. “Okay, I’ll bring you back some food, and mimosas, and water.”
* * *
After what feelslike hours of being primped and prodded, Ella declares that we’re ready.
“Are you sure about this, Ella? We’re only going to be spending a few hours in a car heading back to the farm. This is too much.”
I stare at my reflection in the mirror. Ella gave me a royal blue dress; it’s made of a light, sheer material. The dress has thin spaghetti straps that crisscross at the back, with a deep V-cut along the neckline that shows off way too much cleavage. The fabric falls halfway down my thighs, so although it’s not that short, it feels short. So much of my skin is showing.
Ella put soft curls in my hair, leaving them hanging down my back. It’s my face that has me most confused. I don’t recognise the woman staring back at me. All the fading yellow bruising has been covered over and hidden under the flawless makeup Ella applied. Shiny pink lips and dark eyeliner make my blue eyes appear bigger than I’ve ever seen them look.
“You’re stunning, Emily. Josh is going to be tripping over his own tongue. I can’t wait. Come on, let’s go. Remember, confidence. You are a strong, confident woman, and no one, not even Josh, is going to be telling you what to wear.” Ella’s pep talk hits me harder than it should.
I can’t bring myself to tell her how wrong she is. I’m not strong or confident. And honestly, if Josh hates the dress and wants me to change, I’m probably not going to argue with him about it. As much as I want to have Ella’s confidence and self-esteem, I just don’t. What I can do is fake it for a little while.
“Okay, let’s go.”
