I’m braiding my long, brown hair, wet from the shower, and mentally preparing for another day of midterm prep when there’s a knock on the door. My stomach flutters, wondering who it is. Could it be Theo and Raph coming to continue what we started at the park last week? I practically skip to the door,desperate to find out if what I’ve been dreaming about these past few nights will finally come true.
To my surprise — and the desolation of my vagina — it’s not them. Dina stands on the other side of the door, coffee and breakfast in hand.
“Well shit, Hayles. Don’t look so damn disappointed.” She walks past me, setting her things down on the small table.
“What? I’m not!”
“Oh, you were, but that’s alright. I might be too if I had many a suitor to sweep me off my feet. I’m going to need all the details of your little impromptu date, but right now, I just need to get out of here.”
A bolt of fear shoots through me as she sits. “Did something happen?”
She lets out a breath. “No, not really. But with midterms, my dad, and everything else going on, I just need a break. Our last girls’ day ended early, so I thought maybe we could head to town and just escape it all for a bit. I promise to have you back with plenty of time to study for next week’s midterms, and I kind of already let Principal Cael know we’d be stepping out for the day. What do you say?”
I study Dina’s face. The strong angel who’s been my best friend for years looks anything but strong today. She looks tired, worn down, and in desperate need of a pick-me-up. How can I say no to that?
“Hell yes! Give me a few minutes to get ready, and then we’ll head out.” I jump into action, pulling on a pair of ripped jeans and a gray tank top before grabbing the oversized leather jacket off the hook on the back of my closet door. It’s soft beneath my fingers, and as I slip it on, I’m reminded of that day in the library. I have my own ideas of who left this for me, not that it made any sense. Yet somehow it’s become one of my favorite accessories lately.
Stepping out of the closet, I slip on a pair of strappy sandals.
“You ready? We can take these on the road,” she calls out, holding on to the bag filled with our breakfast sandwiches.
“Almost!” I duck into the bathroom to brush my teeth, and add a layer of mascara before I’m finally ready to go.
As I get closer to her, my stomach rumbles and we both laugh.
“On second thought, maybe you should eat this now.”
“Nah. I won’t perish just yet, but you bet your ass I’ll be scarfing it down the moment we leave campus.” I head toward the door, about to twist the knob, but notice that Dina hasn’t followed me.
She’s staring at my jacket with an almost knowing look on her face.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, wondering if maybe she recognizes the jacket and can shed some light — or confirm — whose it is.
But, of course, she doesn’t.
“Hmm? Oh, nothing.” But the glint in her eyes gives her away. “Let’s go.”
“Hayliel!”
I walk around the racks until I spot Dina standing in front of a wall of lingerie.
“Which of your men do you think would like this the most?” She raises her brows up and down, her lips tilted up wickedly.
My cheeks flame despite my attempts to keep the blush at bay as I ponder her question. The piece she holds up is little more than tiny strings of fabric and lace, dyed a deep teal blue that reminds me of the deepest parts of the ocean. I think of Raphael and Theo, of Ezekiel, and honestly, I think they’d all find it hot, but something tells me Zeke would want to tear it off of me the most. Well, if he didn’t hate me, that is.
I say as much to Dina, regretting the words as soon as they leave my mouth, because it only proves that I still think of him. After the way he rejected me, that angel shouldn’t hold even an ounce of my attention.
“I’ve said it before, but clearly it begs repeating. He doesn’t hate you. At most, he hates himself for how much he wants you. Trust me.”
Her words strike a chord deep within me, and I pick them apart while I play with the frilly edges of a silky pink babydoll top. “It’s a nice thought, but it doesn’t really make sense. Actions speak louder than words, and he’s done nothing but ignore me since finding out about my wings. Why would he do that if he wanted me?”
“If he didn’t want you, then why was he so worried about you when the demons attacked? And if he isn’t interested in you, then why has he been hanging around when he obviously doesn’t care for Raphael and Theo? Think about it, Hayles. That angel has it bad.”
I stay silent, not willing to voice my racing thoughts. Trouble. That’s what he is. That’s all it would cause if he really did like me. At least Raphael and Theo aren’t making me choose, or they haven’t yet, anyway. With the way Zeke acts around those two, I doubt he’d even want me to stay friends with them if we started dating. This is for the best.
We exit the shop without buying anything and walk down the street until we find this gorgeous boutique. Inside it sports modern decor and rows upon rows of accessories. From hair to wings, this store has it all.
Dina and I spare each other an excited glance, then we split up. Down one aisle I find jewel-toned wing brushes and bedazzled clips. There are shiny wing-tips and feather glitter, the former of which remind me of the man from the Guild who spoke at SCU before the attack. Then along the back wall I spot the mostbeautiful harness. A dainty rose-gold chain dangles between the model’s breasts, flowing underneath and around her back and shoulders. The chain wraps around her neck like a choker, with several more breaking off and appearing almost woven off the side and over her shoulders. I don’t know how anyone would get this on, but shit, it’s stunning.
