UNDER REVISION - Road Rage, Dark Shadows MC (Book 1)

Getting Ready - Silver

Silver

I grab my brush and pull it through my dark brown hair before fluffing the natural waves up with a little bit of product. I swipe some mascara over my lashes and add some lip gloss, before reaching for the final touch, a pair of dangling earrings that look like feathers and a simple silver bracelet with an infinity symbol on the clasp.

Standing in front of the mirror on my closet door, I assess my appearance critically. The shimmery singlet halter top cinches in just under my breasts, accentuating my tiny waist. The gold color of it complements my pale skin, although a little more sun probably wouldn't kill me. A short black skirt covers my lower half–a silky material underneath and covered with an overlay of black lace. In my other life, the one where I'd spent all my free time with Asher Steele, it'd been a favorite. Now, though? I grip the hem and tug, second-guessing my decision to wear it. Since moving in with Chloe, I've definitely put on some much needed weight, meaning my hips and ass have plumped out a little, making the skirt ride higher than normal. My boobs are still small, but they're proportionate to the rest of my body now.

It's pathetically sad that the biggest adjustment might've been getting used to eating three regular meals a day. When I'd been living with my mother in our trailer, food had never been readily available. I'd worked two jobs around school to pay for rent and food, but the food disappeared just as fast as I bought it, and never into my mouth. When I'd got the hell out of dodge, I'd been so focused on saving every penny that I'd lived off ramen, with a diner meal thrown in now and then when the chef had been feeling generous.

Already used to go without, it hadn't seemed like a big deal, but now I was experiencing how the other half lived–you know, the people that always knew where their next meal was coming from, so they didn't have to hoard cans under their bed.

I slide a hand over my hip, feeling the texture of the lace on my skirt under my palm, wondering if Ash would approve of the new curves. I'd heard enough people say that men like a wee bit of something to hold on to, and, while the club girls had been all sizes, they'd had one thing in common–tits and ass for days. They'd clearly known how to dress to show off their assets, and had made it real clear where they thought I was lacking. Ash had never seemed to mind, though. Maybe it wasn't just about looks for him, but more what I'd let him do to me. I guess not every girl was down to be choked during sex, as well as not expecting any kind of emotional attachment.

Looking at my reflection one last time, I wonder if I had been one of those girls, would anything have been different? They say things come easier to beautiful people, and while I'm not exactly ugly, would a little enhancement of my features really have made life easier for me, rather than everyone treating me like trailer trash?

I doubt it. Not when the entire town I'd grown up in had known exactly who my mother was and how she'd liked to spend her time. No one had ever given me a chance, believing right from the get-go that I'd turn out just like her. With enough people believing it, it'd been hard for me to think any differently, which is one reason I'd left as soon as I turned 18 and never looked back.

Pushing my past away, I grab my phone and smile when I see that 16 minutes have passed, knowing Chloe will probably be up to drag me down by my hair any second. I've never been one of the high maintenance girls, taking hours and hours to get ready, mostly because I'd never seen the point in all of it. Well, and also having no money to buy any make-up or product might've had something to do with it. Now, I think I'm probably too stuck in my old habits to really change anything.

I turn away from the mirror and pull out my favorite black chunky heels, as well as a black jacket to cover my bare shoulders. Leaving the room, I head downstairs and follow the sound of voices coming from the living room. By the time I reach the doorway, the voices have fallen quiet and I walk in just in time to see Chloe pressed up against Trevor, their mouths locked together. I press my lips together to hide my smile as I delicately clear my throat.