FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS OF THE CHEATER.FAKER.TROUBLEMAKER SERIES (WATTY'S 2016, FICTION AWARDS 2016, HACHETTE AUDIO 2017), JENNY ROSEN & KRISTEN MAGLONZO.
After bullies, braces, and brutal heartbreak shatters his faith in love, soon-to-be fre...
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CHAPTER 62
Elias
Lacey hasn't come out of the dressing room in fifteen minutes.
Tanner's buddy, Kyle, set her up with his stylist-in-residence/girlfriend the second she walked in the front door, and I haven't seen her since. I'm trying to be cool about it.
I've been sitting on this recycled beach-wood bench facing the dressing room, trying to act like it's not twisting my back out of shape the longer I stay in it. Kyle's super proud of this sea monster. Apparently, he spent a month and a half combing the shoreline to find the "perfect" pieces of driftwood to make his dream chair a reality.
Does it look cool? Absolutely. Is it comfortable? Hell no. Which is why I need Lacey to come out in her new threads before this lounging situation ruins the mood.
"Here she is! I hope you're ready to have your socks-knocked off, King Junior. Your girlfriend's a masterpiece."
Kyle's girlfriend, Ava, says as she parts the shell curtains and makes just enough space for Lacey to walk through. I hold my breath for a couple seconds—anxiously waiting for the moment when Lace will step out of the shadows and finally show herself to me—but she doesn't.
Ava clears her throat and motions for Lacey to come outside, but the dressing room stays silent. I stand up out of Kyle's torture chair and dart over to Ava who does her best to shoo me away before I can check on Lacey.
"Not so fast. Girls only, señor."
Ava plants all five feet and seven inches of herself in front of me which I'd be less intimidated by if she wasn't a competitive surfer. The girl's built like a SoCal athlete. Every inch of her is tan and taut thanks to her and Kyle's psycho weekly workout routines. Not gonna lie, this chick could lay me out if she wanted to, so I raise my hands to assure her that I have no plans to cross her on her own turf.
"I totally respect that, Ava. Your shop, your rules. But I gotta check on Lacey to see if she's—"
"It's okay, Eli. I'm here."
If a picture's worth a thousand words, this moment's worth a million. Lacey timidly makes her way out of the dressing room wearing an all-white one piece with the kind of v-cut that Ava must have worked some magic to talk her into.
Sometime between her going into the dressing room and walking out Ava convinced her to let her hair down. I'm thankful for it. So thankful. And even more thankful for Ava's incredible eye because Lacey looks—well, there aren't really words, just reactions.
My heart's thundering out of my chest when she steps in front of me and slowly lifts her eyes up to mine. Her whole face is flushed. Mine probably is too but for totally different reasons. I take my time taking all of her in and let my eyes wander a little further south than they usually do.
