Ollie gave me a look. “Are you okay? You’re looking a little tense.”
Not wanting him to know I was thinking of Cameron, I forced myself to loosen up, shaking my hands out.
“I’m not used to being in my human form this long. I need a good run. I miss the forests and shit. No big deal. I’ll be fine.”
Something about the way Ollie looked at me told me he didn’t fully believe that, but instead of pressing, he changed the subject.
“There’s other news, too.”
Raising my head, I looked into his eyes, already sure of what it was. “The test results?”
He nodded with a grim smile. “Got the email about an hour ago.”
Moving close to him, hungry for information, I put a hand on my old friend’s shoulder.
“What did it say?” I asked.
15
Cameron
“How do I look?” I asked, twirling in a small circle in the living room.
Gael shrugged and made a disgusted face. “Your boobs are hanging out. Gross.”
Heat rose to my cheeks as I looked down. There was cleavage, but it wasn’t like I was dressed like a stripper.
“My boobs arenothanging out. This is… it’s classy.”
Rick had had the dress delivered to the office that afternoon. He’d apparently picked it especially for this evening. It wasn’t my usual style, but it was very nice, and obviouslyveryexpensive. The gift made me more uneasy than ever, but my guilt at how I’d dumped him overrode my worries.
One more night, and this would be over. I wouldn’t flirt or allow Rick to flirt. If all went well, he’d get it into his head that things were over, and maybe we could be friends after some time had passed. Rick was a nice guy, after all. Just not compatible as a boyfriend. Not with me at least.
The dark crimson satin hugged my curves. A single decorative strap ran up and around my neck with fake diamonds adorning it, and a ruffle ran down the left side. The hem came only to mid-thigh, shorter than I was used to or would have liked, but I wasn’t going to complain. I might even keep the dress for some other occasion in the future.
“I guess,” Gael said. “Other than the boob thing, it looks good. Can I go play Super Mario 2? I downloaded it for my emulation program, and I want to start practicing speed runs. The world record is eight minutes and eleven seconds. Can you believe that?” He said it all in a rush with wide, excited eyes.
“I honestly don’t know what any of that means,” I said. “You’re going next door, so you’ll need to take it with you.”
Gael rolled his eyes. “Do Ihaveto stay with Maggie? Her apartment smells like cats, and she doesn’t even havecats.”
“She’s the only one Mom and I trust to watch you,” I said. “It’ll only be for three or four hours until Mom gets home.”
“Fine.”
Gael leaped off his chair and rushed to his room to get his laptop. Once he was gone, I put my hands on my boobs, lifting and adjusting them.Werethey falling out? Now I was self-conscious. I should never have asked an eleven-year-old boy his opinion on a cocktail dress.
He came back with his backpack, and I quickly walked him to the neighbor’s apartment next door and thanked Maggie for watching him. The apartment was eerily quiet when I got back.
My nerves had been shot all day, and I’d barely gotten any work done due to thinking about dealing with Rick at the gala tonight. Making sure he understood we weren’t getting back together while still having a good time would be a delicate balancing act. I’d also been so damn distracted because I couldn’t stop thinking about that outlandish little tryst with Nate in my bathroom. The shock of that still ate at me.
I did not hook up with strangers.
All of this did nothing to help the headaches and nausea. Though, I’d finally managed to find a cocktail of antacids, stomach meds, and ginger extract cough drops that kept the nausea at bay, and I’d basically gotten used to the thudding headache at this point. I was ready to meet Rick’s parents. There was still the possibility I’d make a fool of myself, but that fear was much less than it had been a couple days prior. If I made a fool of myself, then so be it. I no longer had to worry about them being my future in-laws, so who cared?
A knock at the door made me jump. I peered through the peephole. An older man in a crisp black suit stood outside. That wasn’t Rick. It was also, obviously, not the crazy guy who’d attacked me. Even then, I wasn’t sure I wanted to open the door to a stranger. Not after all that had happened.
“Yes?” I asked, calling through the door.
