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 (Part 2)
Elias
I step into Lacey's dressing room expecting to find her standing in front of the mirror, but she's miles away. She's tucked away in the far corner, nestled in the single blind spot in the room where the glass can't catch her reflection. I walk over to her, cautiously, hoping she hasn't changed her mind about having me in here with her.
My hands are unsteady as I reach out for her, but I do my best to shake the feeling before I make contact. I tell myself I'm reading into things. That Ava's comments earlier are just messing with my head. But the second I touch Lacey, her reaction throws me right back into limbo.
Her shoulders tense up under my fingers and eventually go back to rising and falling in time with the sound of her crying. I gently turn her around to face me and find her eyes spilling over with tears. I catch as many as I can on the edge of my thumbs before they slip out of my reach.
"Hey, ¿Qué está pasando? ¿Qué tienes?" (What happened? What's wrong?)
"Nothing."
Lacey's staring down at the rows of brand new, braided leather bracelets I picked out for her along with her swim suit. These six little bands were the main reason I brought her here. They're the surprise behind the bravado--and they're close to perfect. Each one exactly fitted to her wrist--just like I hoped they'd be.
But Lacey's reaction is anything but hopeful.
She's running her fingers over one bracelet at a time and crying. Crying like she doesn't want them. Like she doesn't understand why I got them. Like me getting them was a mistake.
A new kind of panic rises in my chest, so I do the only thing I know how. I hold her. I pull her close, tilt my head down, and kiss the top of her head as softly as I can manage.
"Lace--I've been thinking about getting these for you for a while, but I wasn't sure how you'd take it, and if you don't want them, that's okay. I didn't mean to put you on the spot--I guess what I'm trying to say with this is, I know what it's like to walk around wearing scars you don't want people to see, so I figured if I got you a couple good memories braided into a handful of bracelets that maybe you'd finally have enough to drown out the bad ones."
Lacey doesn't say anything.
At all.
For a very long time.
Long enough for all the air to disappear out of the room, and my lungs, and my veins. She stands in complete silence, suspending me between heaven and hell just waiting on a reaction. But she doesn't give me one.
She tilts her head back and stares at me. And I can't read her. Not those eyes. Not that stare. Nothing. But I need her to respond to me. So I do what I probably shouldn't. I keep talking.
"For the record, it's okay if you hate all this. We can leave. I h-have better things planned after this so--if you think this whole shopping thing sucks, you can tell me. I can take it, just---say something. Please?" I ask.
Her hands answer my question. Lacey lightly grazes fingers along my jawline and lifts herself up on her tip-toes 'til she's close enough for me to feel her breathing.
"For the record, te amo."
Lacey whispers a kiss against my lips and shuts down my brain, lungs, and heart all at once.
Thank you guys so much for reading! I can't wait to share the next update with you! I apologize that this one is so short (it's the rest of Chapter 62 Part 1), but I certainly hope you enjoy it. Much bigger update next time :).
#RealTalkQuestionofTheWeek
1. Name one gift you received that was extremely meaningful for you. Who gave it to you? Why was it significant?
