Forbidden Serenade

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I needed a new swimsuit. I stared at myself in the one I owned in the mirror in my bedroom. It rose high on my chest to ensure none of my cleavage showed and had a little skirt bottom. It screamed mom and could pass as a small dress instead of a swimsuit.

I didn't want to be a mom with Elijah. I wanted to be a woman.

Tossing it aside, I decided to grab a new one tomorrow. I was already taking a long lunch break from Leo's restaurant to get my hair done. It was something I had scheduled long before Elijah had invited me, but I was grateful I could touch up my hair before seeing him. My brown roots were showing on my dyed blonde hair.

I went to bed, dreaming of sand between my toes and the sun on my skin. In the morning, I was in a chipper mood already. Then Elijah text me.

Looking forward to seeing you this weekend beautiful.

I read it several times. It seemed more intimate. Like a comment in a relationship. Pushing the thought aside, I reminded myself of the photographed woman comfortable with her hands on him. He wasn't just mine. I sent a message back, trying to remain casual.

I can't wait :)

After dropping the kids off at school, the day ticked by slowly. Finally, lunchtime came, and I hurried out to my hair appointment. I sat in the chair while my longtime stylist fluffed my hair.

"Are we doing the usual? Bright blonde and trim?"

The woman I'd once been reflected at me in the mirror. She was always striving to be enough. To be skinny enough. To be beautiful enough. To satisfy James as a wife and mother.

I wasn't her anymore.

The words raced from my mouth before I lost my nerve. "Actually, can we change things up? I want to go back to my natural color. Brown with maybe a few lighter highlights. And some cute bangs that I can kind of sweep to the side. What do you think?"

My hair stylist grinned widely. "It's going to look amazing."

Even though it was my idea, I battled nerves during my appointment. It had been hard to bring my naturally brown hair blonde and now I was undoing it. It would take time to reverse the color if I hated it.

James would be furious. He loved the blonde.

He didn't matter. I no longer had to live up to his standards. It was only mine that mattered, now.

I liked my more natural color.

After dying, washing, cutting and styling, I was turned in my chair to see the finished product. I stared in shock at the unfamiliar woman. No longer was she James' little trophy wife.

She was Riley Turner.

She was strong.

Independent.

Beautiful.

After paying and leaving a generous tip, I hurried to the mall for a new swimsuit. Instead of one covering every inch I could, I opted for more sexy ones. I tried on several before finding the perfect one. It had a white top with a black pattern which crisscrossed over my chest. The second half was black and came up to my breasts in a v shaped which was extremely flattering and made my mom tummy much less noticeable.

Feeling as high as a cloud, I hurried to a couple more stores. Using credit cards which I knew was horrible, I bought some new items for an updated wardrobe. Tossing aside the conservative, most often dresses, style James preferred, I opted for what I liked. I grabbed some flare jeans, a handful of cute shirts, and some more sexy shirts that showed some cleavage or dripped low in the back. I paired them with casual sneakers and sandals. On the way to the register, I grabbed some jewelry James always hated. He said it was cheap if it didn't come from a reputable jewelry store.