Adjusting the hem of my dress once more, I walked down the hallway, trying to make sure I was steady on the heels.
Walking in them still felt unfamiliar, but it wasn’t difficult.
The only downside was that Lisa, standing near the kitchen right now, looked like a complete shorty next to me.
“Your legs look even longer now,” she gave me an appraising once-over.
Then she frowned slightly.
“I’m a little jealous.” “And I’m jealous of your hair,” I shrugged, thinking about how I’d wanted wavy hair like hers for a long time instead of the dead-straight kind I had.
On the other hand, I liked myself the way I was.
I just figured that someday I could experiment with my appearance.
“I should get going.
You’re still coming by the coffee shop tomorrow evening, right?” “Definitely.
But send me photos tonight no matter what.
I want to make sure you’re actually having fun,” Lisa walked me to the door.
We were in her apartment right now.
For one simple reason—I didn’t dare change into the dress at my place.
My brother was home today, and he probably wasn’t alone.
The living room was once again full of his friends.
I still had to figure out how to sneak into my room later tonight if they didn’t leave.
Our parents were away on another trip, which meant my brother could do whatever he wanted until morning.
“You deserve this,” Lisa smiled at me softly, approvingly.
“Have fun.
I’m sure every guy there tonight will be looking at you and dreaming about those long legs of yours wrapped around their hips.” “That sounds… not great.” Lisa just shrugged.
Then, opening the door, she said, “You’ve got the kind of looks that… You should use them.
Life is easier for beautiful people.” Using my looks.
And what was that supposed to mean?
I lowered my gaze to myself and thought about something I would never admit out loud.
Even in my own mind, I touched the idea carefully—right now I didn’t actually want to go to the party.
I wanted to go to Dante.
Walk up to him in this dress.
Wrap my arms around his neck.
Press my chest against his torso and… do something that would make Dante lose control.
His strong, tense hands ending up on my body and… I closed my eyes for a few seconds, feeling sharp, hot goosebumps slide across my skin.
I was still wary of intimacy.
After all, it was something new and unknown to me.
Yet somehow Dante sent an electric current through me, and I genuinely liked it when he lost control.
When his touches became rougher, harder, hotter, and his kisses left my lips aching and starved for air.
It was hard to admit, but with Dante I would use my appearance to get what I wanted.
The truth was, I still didn’t know how to do it properly.
And even without anything like that, our relationship was already full of scorching sparks.
I hugged Lisa goodbye and left her apartment.
Outside, I walked along the nearly empty sidewalk.
Gina was supposed to pick me up.
It was on her way, but instead of giving her the exact address I had told her that I would wait near a small diner two blocks from my friend’s place.
All because I wanted to walk a little.
I was enjoying this dress.
After so many years spent in ripped jeans and T-shirts, I had started thinking there would come a time when I would look truly luxurious.
And it wasn’t only about appearance.
It was about stability.
About the feeling of being untouchable.
All my life I had been thrown to the curb.
I had tasted the poisonous, acrid flavor of hopelessness all too well.
I had choked on it for years.
But that very thing had given me an inner lever.
It made me understand what I needed and what I wanted.
I pulled out my phone, intending to text Dante.
But as my eyes skimmed our previous messages, a burning flush touched my cheeks.
They already strongly resembled sexting.
Biting my lower lip, I started thinking about what to write him when I suddenly collided with something.
At first I thought I had somehow turned the wrong way and hit a wall, but as I stumbled back and lifted my gaze, I held my breath and clenched the phone so hard my fingers nearly went numb.
Matteo stood right in front of me.
I took a few more steps backward and quickly hid the phone in my purse.
I didn’t know why that was my first reflex.
Somehow my self-preservation instinct had simply issued that strange order to my consciousness.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, fastening the purse and looking at Matteo again.
Unease tightened in my chest at the realization that something seemed off with him.
I had already started getting used to the fact that Matteo was one gloomy giant, but right now his gaze looked even heavier, darker, more terrifying.
So much so that his mere presence made me uneasy and clearly uncomfortable.
“Did you have a shitty day or something?” I asked, glancing around, trying to figure out why Matteo was standing here.
To the right, there was only a fence.
To the left, across the road, were shops that were currently closed.
In other words, I couldn’t see any place he might have come from, the way he had during our last meeting.
“Can you blame me?
The day was going fine until I saw what you were wearing.” Matteo’s voice wasn’t like usual at all.
Calm, lazy, but with a heaviness that made me want to shrink into myself.
“And what’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I looked down at myself.
“It’s just a regular dress.
My classmate’s birthday is today, and he’s celebrating at a restaurant.
So I didn’t put this on to go buy bread.
And I think it looks perfectly fine.”