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“You’re so pretty,”Sunny said hours later as I considered my reflection in her mirror. I missed lunch and took up most of her day, but I kept her busy. After so long together, she knew my name was Bridget yet didn’t seem to put two and two together that I was related to Layla.
Which suited me just fine.
She waxed my eyebrows and my nether regions, so I was now hairless, as I preferred. My formerly waist-length straight hair curled like it had been waiting to do so my whole life, so spirals of it bounced to my shoulders. It seemed darker too, since she’d cut away a lot of sun damage from years of not caring. Still red but not so strawberry now, and the curls fascinated me. We gabbed about movies while she painted my nails, and just because she was a sweetheart, she gave me a new lip gloss to take home.
Roy ran in to pay as I rose.That’s good, because I forgot to think about money.
I shook my head, frustrated with myself. How spoiled was I? I’d do better in the future.
I thanked her, and when Roy handed me cash, I tipped her generously.
“You look beautiful.” Roy smiled at me. “He’s going to swallow his tongue. He’d be here, and he tried to be, but Stephen told him you needed some space and that he should do his PT or you’d be madder.”
Stephen appeared as if summoned, then walked toward us from across the street. “Look at you, Bridget. You’ve always been gorgeous but this is something else.”
Roy elbowed him. “He really wouldn’t like you talking about her that way. Come on. He’s texted every ten minutes since the physical therapist left.”
“Maybe we could stop for some coffee, then?” I asked with an ornery grin.
Michael hadn’t done anything wrong, since it wasn’t his fault another lover of his dropped by to nurse him. But it still pissed me off, and maybe I did have some of that redhead temper people were always bringing up.
“Sure.” Stephen nodded. “Let’s get a coffee.”
Roy sighed. “Fuck.”
We took our time ordering coffee and then headed back to Michael’s house just as the sun was starting to come down over the horizon. I’d stayed out the whole day.
The door was flung open, and an obviously pissed off Michael stormed from the house. I didn’t even open the door to the car before he did it for me and hauled me out. I had the straw for the iced coffee still in my mouth when I blinked up at him.
He opened and closed his mouth before he just let out a “wow,” looking at me.
I let go of the straw. “Hello. Should I have gotten more coffee? Is your guest still here? I can take mine to my room if you’re not finished yet.”
Stephen snorted and then turned his back to us, pretending to look at the horizon as Roy quickly waved at Michael and ran down the driveway to do some possibly made-up patrol.
Michael took my hand and tugged me with him into the house. His hair was wet, as though he’d recently showered. He’d had PT earlier. Was he okay?
“Is your shoulder okay? What did the therapist say?”
He blinked. “It’s going to be fine. He said what you might have anticipated—I’ve been doing too much with it, but he’s worked with me before, so he’s hardly surprised. I can sleep on my side if it doesn’t hurt.” He cupped my cheek. “Your hair is so beautiful. It always is, however you wear it, but I never imagined it like this. Those curls.”
“I hated them when I was young. I like them now.” I threw my coffee in the garbage under his sink. I didn’t have time or anywhere to purchase clothes, so unfortunately, I wore the same outfit as when I left the house.
He whirled me around to look at him. “Did you do this because she said those ridiculous things to you?”
My temper, which had been cooling, surged. “You let her call me ugly, so thanks for that.”
“What?” He legitimately looked befuddled and then it was like his brain caught up. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t fathom that would bother you because it was so far from the truth. You looked gorgeous. Why do you think she said that to you? I didn’t stand up for you because everyone in the room, except apparently you, knew you were the most beautiful woman anywhere, and I guess I forgot that for a second.”
I didn’t want to cry and only let two tears slip away before I stopped them. “I know I shouldn’t care. I don’t really. And I’ll just remember going forward that you aren’t going to be my savior if someone insults me. I’ll take care of it myself in the future.” I pulled out of his hold. “Oh,” I held up a bag I forgot I carried. “I bought my own blow dryer, too, or I guess you paid for it. I’ll leave it here when I go, since you bought it. Or I can take it, if you’d rather I didn’t leave any trace of my presence.”
I headed into my bedroom, and he followed me. “I hurt you. I’m sorry, but is it bothering you more that I didn’t jump in to tell Sylvie that you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, anywhere? Or is it bothering you that I slept with her over a year ago?”
I dropped the bag on my bed. “You know what? It’s possible that both things are true.Boththings are bothering me. If you’d like, I can parade an ex in front of you so we could see how you like it?”
He laughed, but the sound held no humor. “Are you kidding? Every guy you’ve gone out with for years has been like a parade for me. I’ve had to vet them. Watch them. Wonder if you’ve taken them to your bed or not and not say one fucking word about it, because it’s my job to watch the woman I’m in love with—who rejected me—go out with other men.”
