Freya,
I know I don’t deserve your time, but I’m asking for it anyway. Join me for dinner tonight.
Forever yours,
River
My heart squeezes and I can no longer tell whether it’s from pain or pleasure. Maybe both. I press my lips together, aware of Jude and Eli watching me but not saying anything as I place the invitation to one side and open the box.
Black tissue paper crinkles as I lift the lid. I move it to one side to reveal the soft, sheer material of a forest green dress. I can already tell it’s gorgeous and probably more expensive than all of my wardrobe put together.
My jaw aches. I poke my tongue into my cheek and breathe through my nose. If this is River trying to make amends, he’s doing a shitty job. Either he’s foolish enough to think he can buy my forgiveness or he’s bossy enough to still be demanding what I wear even in the midst of our rift. I’d put my money on the latter which makes my decision easy.
I pick the dress up by hooking my finger through one of the thin shoulder straps and turn to face Eli and Jude. “There’s not a chance in hell I’m wearing this dress for him.”
Jude grins. “I was hoping you’d say that, which is why I bought you this.” He opens Eli’s deep oak closet and gets outa black dress with barely enough material to actually count as clothing.
I narrow my gaze but Jude’s eyes twinkle. “Trust me, you’re going to want to make him realize what he’s missing.”
My brow twitches.Now, that’s an interesting idea.
I walk by Jude, taking the dress from his fingertips and disappearing inside Eli’s ensuite.
When I come back out, Eli and Jude pause mid-conversation. Twin gazes lock onto me, tracing over the copious amounts of bare skin and the curve-revealing material.
The dress is stunning, and desire burns in their eyes.
What little black material there is, wraps around my body, crisscrossing over my breasts and hips before flowing down to my ankles. In the skirt, two long slits reveal the fronts of my legs raising all the way up to the top of my thighs. My stomach, back, and collarbones are all left bare.
I’ve never been confident enough to wear a dress that shows off so many of my scars but the way Eli and Jude look at me makes me forget I am anything less than perfection.
“Think he’ll like it?” I ask.
Eli gives a choked laugh and shakes his head. “I think he’ll fucking hate it.”
I grin. “Good.”
I turn to Jude who still hasn’t managed to find any words as he stares at me with his mouth hanging open. “Can you do my hair? Only if it’s not going to hurt though.” I eye his shoulder, seeing right through his zip up hoodie to the bullet wound in his shoulder. The image of blood pooling out of him is stained into my mind but Jude’s words break me out of it before I get too lost.
“It’s fine. I can do it.”
He has me sit on the edge of the bed and I sigh in pleasure as he gathers my curls in his hands. Then he goes still.
“Eli, why the fuck are your initials cut into Freya’s shoulder?”
My hand reaches back, the healing cuts rough under my fingertips. “I asked him too,” I say, hurriedly.
Jude lets out a puff of air. “You know River might literally kill you, Eli.”
Eli smirks from where he’s leaning against the wall. “Worth it.”
“Besides,” I shrug, “River doesn’t exactly get a say right now.”
Jude brushes his fingers over the initials. “Is it wrong that I’m kind of jealous?”
A small smile teases my lips and I wait quietly as Jude goes back to doing my hair.
He rakes his fingers through the waves and twists them into some sort of braid before using the butterfly clip I’d left in Eli’s bathroom to pin it up at the back of my head.
