Not a Reunion

Chapter 37

Thea

I never planned on going out tonight. I had planned on staying at home and settling into my apartment. I had gotten back here a few weeks ago, but the first week was spent going over to my old apartment to box things up. Liam was home most of the time, and whenever I would see him, my heart would clench harder and harder in my chest.

Liam didn't cheat on me; he didn't talk to other girls; he didn't abuse me or anything like that. He only did something worse: he hadn't been able to continue loving me.

That was far worse than anything else he could've done. He took my heart and promised to love me forever, but he couldn't.

When I had gone home yesterday, my friend, Patricia, told me that I had to go out with her. Supposedly, it was the last night of the summer, and we needed to celebrate one more night of freedom. We were going to be back at work for the rest of the year and needed to use our privilege. When I told her that we were already at work, she simply told me that we weren't. I'm not sure if she was trying to gaslight me or simply didn't care, but I didn't question it.

And then today she came over to my apartment with a dress in her hand. She was holding it up with a big smile when she said, "It'll fit you perfectly."

The definition of perfect was that the dress was made of thin fabric that hugged my curves a little too well. The dress was tight in all places, and when I stepped out of my bathroom, I found that it was short as well. Short wasn't the term, really; it would very well show my butt if I were to move the wrong way.

I was trying to tell her that, but when I got out of the bedroom, she was smiling at me. She put a hand up and was like, "Yes, it fits you like a glove."

I pull the hem down as I walk toward her with a frown. "No, I don't think I like that," I tell her with a little whine in my voice.

She only waves me off, hitting my shoulder, and says, "Oh, but it is perfect." I shake my head, but Patricia was already smiling broadly at me. She smiles with her eyes, her honey eyes disappearing, as she says, "Oh, it's so good, Thea. You are only twenty-four; you need to enjoy a few nights out."

I nod, but then look down at my dress. "But like this? I will not be doing so much more than going to a bar."

"No," Patricia says, and then pulls on my hand. "You've been in a relationship for so long, and now you aren't. Don't you want to get out there anymore?"

I laugh, pulling on my dress, and say, "Yes. But come on, the dress!"

"It is perfect," Patricia sums up, and then looks down at my shoe rack. "I need to find your best heels." then she finds the heels that I had bought for my engagement. It was a stiletto one that was higher than I had anticipated it to be. It was so thin that I was sure it would break with me walking in them. But they were very beautiful; I could recognize that.

"Oh, this is too good," she says with a smile. "One run of your leg up a guys leg, you are in."

I roll my eyes but slip on the heels regardless. They fit perfectly, and when I stood up, I felt taller than I have ever been in my life. But it was manageable. Walking in these was nice and not too uncomfortable. I look at my appearance in the mirror again and then notice that I'm missing something. I run back to my room and grab my lipstick. I went back to the lipstick and thought it was kind of weird and yet miraculous that Mason had noticed. It was then that he noticed how I felt more comfortable and was doing better.

I run a layer over my lips and then pop it in my purse. I then exhale a breath and say, "Well, I guess we are going to get going now."

Natalia nods, grabbing my hand in hers before she moves our hands in the air. "Oh, definitely," she says with a wink from her perfectly lined eye. I laugh as I head out of the door and to where I would welcome my brain into a place where I didn't really want to be.