A familiar figure appeared in the mirror, his steps so light and graceful that it almost seemed like he was floating as he came into the room.
“Liem!” Delly squealed, hurrying over to him.
He met her enthusiasm with a huge smile, pulling her into a hug.
And just like yesterday, Cody followed him, arms crossed as he propped himself on the doorjamb.
“Ire,” Liem said, stepping up beside me. “You look lovely in that jacket.”
“I don’t hate it,” I admitted. “Your outfit is working for you too.” He was wearing a faded purple T-shirt with the collar torn open so it hung off one shoulder. Against the vanity lights, his eyebrow and ear piercings gleamed.
“Thank you.”
I caught Cody’s gaze in the mirror, and he gave me a nod of greeting before turning his focus back to Liem.
There was a concerned edge to how he watched him today that hadn’t been as strong yesterday.
“How are you?” I asked Liem softly, looking him over with subtle glances as I fussed with the sleeves of the jacket.
He shrugged, but it seemed heavy, the light that’d shone in him yesterday considerably dimmed. The contrast took my breath away, and even more so when he answered, “I’m happy to be here.”
There was only sincerity in his dark eyes as he held mine.
I nodded and gave him a soft smile. “I’m happy you’re here too.”
“Oh, yeah,” Delly said as she joined us and adjusted the collar of the jean jacket. “That definitely works.”
My black bralette had crisscrossing straps in the front, and I had to admit, it looked pretty cool underneath the acid-washed jean jacket. She fussed with my hair, dousing it with so much hair spray that I had to cover my face with my hands.
But it smelled like backstage at the local auditorium before a recital, and I took small inhales, microdosing the nostalgia.
Liem took over and fluffed my hair while Delly applied some light makeup to my face, discussing poses and lighting as if I were a mannequin.
I didn’t mind.
“She needs earrings. Big ones.”
The three of us all froze, then looked at Cody in surprise. He was still leaning against the doorjamb, but a small smirk was playing on his lips.
“This is a 90s thing, yeah?” he asked.
“Loosely,” Delly said.
He shrugged. “I’ve watched every 90s show known to man with my best friend. So, you need earrings.”
Delly hummed and rifled through a bag on the vanity, then held up two pairs for the room to inspect.
Cody uncrossed his arms and walked up to us. “The hoops.” He flicked his gaze to Liem. “Yeah, Ti Bet?”
Liem practically lit up, his eyes bright as he smiled. “Yeah, Dezi.”
Dezi?
Delly cleaned the earrings before handing them to me. I slipped my regular ones out and dropped them into my jacket pocket, and as I was putting in the second one, a knock came from the open doorway.
We all turned at the sound as Cole sauntered into the room, his camera hanging from a leather strap on his shoulder. The huge grin he’d been wearing slid right off his face as his gaze traveled over us.
“Ho-ly hell,” he said thickly. “The bi panic that just entered my body is extraordinary.”
