Deeper Healing

29| Peace Offering

Leilani Edwards

"I think this dress complements my figure perfectly well," Imani chirped cheerily after what felt like hours of tossing away a hundred imperfect dresses.

I turned away from the bodycon dresses I'd been skimming through to Imani with hopeful eyes which only turned a bit sour when I saw the slinky dress she held up with twinkling eyes.

It was a navy blue glittery mini dress with the deepest plunging neckline I'd seen all afternoon and ring cutouts around the waist. The dress was pretty, really pretty, but it just didn't stand out in the way she wanted it to for me and her sulk told me my reaction said exactly that.

"Come on, Lani," she cried. "I mean, it does show off my tits which he did say he's into."

I sighed, folding my arms. "Is your intention for him to skip all the lovey-dovey romantic stuff and go straight to the part where he rips off your dress which is very expensive by the way and go straight to smashing you?" I tried to phrase it out politely.

She quickly hung it back on its rack with a dramatic hair flip. "Nope," she replied with a small grin.

I lightly chuckled, turning back my attention to helping her find the perfect dress.

In all honestly, Imani was the closest female I had to a best friend, a relationship that'd budded over the few couple of weeks we'd spent hanging out here and there and just being cool with each other at work. She was my sole consolation, apart from Nikolai and partly Isla that I wasn't a loner and I could do this friendship thing and let it turn out perfectly well.

Since it was a Friday and our once-in-a-blue-moon half-day at work, I'd agreed to tag along with her to a boujee brand store to help her pick out a dress for her first physical date with a guy she'd matched with on Tinder and had been chatting with for days.

She seemed happy and excited about it and he seemed pretty decent from the information he'd let on so far and he seemed really into her. I just hoped he'd live up to her expectations in reality and not burst her bubble.

"You know, we could have made it a double date or something cute along those lines," Imani mused, walking around a rack of floral dresses to stand in front of me. "But then this drone," she complained, poking me on my shoulder with her finger, "mysteriously feels allergic to men."

"Every creature with a dick between its legs and suggestive intentions peels off my skin lately, plus who needs a man when you can always ride solo and pull it off like a pro," I voiced, rolling my eyes a little.

Imani cocked an eyebrow. "The mysterious guy whose identity we're still yet to unravel who you're cohabiting with doesn't have a dick I suppose?"

"Fuck off," I laughed, averting my eyes from her and back to the clothes. "Yes, he has one, but he is not a creature. He's a gentleman and honestly one of those people the world doesn't deserve."

"That's the smitten language for I'm madly in love but too ignorant to admit it because heaven knows which asshole broke your heart."

"Girl, please," I chortled. "Love is off vocabulary on this one."

She groaned at me before turning to the deep orange dress she'd picked up which she cringed at and immediately put back on the rack. I thought so too because the colour was too shouty in a way that washed her off.

"Whatever, Leilani, but don't put yourself out there as single for my sake, please. I seriously can't picture you with predators like Collin who hilariously thinks he stands a chance with you of all people."

"God, I could throw up," I cringed. "But don't worry, he's far from my taste and no offence, but I'd honestly rather die single."

"Just be careful though," Imani cautioned me in a softer and more serious tone. "Rumour has it he once tried to roofie a girl he approached and turned him down."