Salted Wound

Chapter 65 Zamari- Apr 20, 2019

I swear if I hear the words "how do I look" again, the answer is going to be a picture of a cow. I've heard it from so many times from Jade in the last 24 hours I don't think I can answer it truthfully again. Though it's only afternoon, and prom isn't for a few hours, All the girls are excited for tonight, rushing around with dresses everywhere. Ana came over and passed me by completely, to my dismay. She wanted to see Jade and discuss her dress choices. Half of the words they used made no sense to me, so I backed out of the conversation quickly, hiding in my room from the pre-event chaos. The lack of Luis on my back is a weight off my back that feels physically relieving, allowing my muscles to relax for the first time in what feels like months.

I'm laying on my bed shirtless, watching Netflix when someone knocks on my door. I raise a brow in mild confusion. Nobody really bothers to knock on my door.

"Come in," I call.

Ana opens the door timidly, sweatpants and a t-shirt proof that she's enjoying being just as comfortable as I am before we have to dress up. She makes a noise and turns away when she sees I'm shirtless.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know you - like, um." She clears her throat and I chuckle.

"I'm not naked Ana, you can turn around."

"I know that," she says casually, but when she turns back to face me, her face is red and she's fidgeting with her hair.

"What's up?" I ask, fighting a laugh at how her eyes flutter from the TV to me, to the wall, like she can't allow herself to keep her eyes trained on me for more than 10 seconds.

"I just wanted to ask if you know what you'll um, be wearing later for...prom." Her voice dipping and wavering slightly when I get up, purposefully taking my time to walk across the room and pull a shirt on. Her eyes stay trained on my bare stomach and chest until my shirt is on, her cheeks remaining flaming red.

"Yeah, I have something already, my only formal wear," I say, pulling it out of my closet. My "formal wear" is the only suit I own - all black, with a white button-down shirt, simple and to the point.

"At least I don't have to worry about us clashing," Ana says.

"What, you were expecting a red sequined tux?" I tease, and she laughs.

"Oh no, Jade does seem concerned Freddie will pull something like that though. He won't tell her what he's wearing, he asked for a picture of her dress and promised it won't clash, that's all we know."

I laugh. "That's to be expected, I would be surprised if he showed up in a regular black suit or tux."

"Oh yea, tonight should be interesting."

______________

With as much running around as Ana had been doing all day between our houses I'm surprised I haven't seen her dress yet, but she kept me from seeing it as a surprise. I start to wonder about it as I lean against the wall outside her house, waiting for her to answer my knock on the door. The sun has just begun to reach the horizon and would make for a blinding, but pretty, drive to prom.

Finally, Estrella comes to the door, a cat that ate the canary smile on her face as she lets me into the living room.

"Ana will be out soon, she's ready to go but my mom isn't done crying over her baby going off to prom."

I chuckle. "I'll bring her back safe tonight, I promise."

"You better." She replies teasingly.

Ana clears her throat, and I turn toward the hallway, my breath suspended in my chest for a long moment as I take her in. The deep blue fabric of her dress ripples and spills across her body effortlessly, looking like the waves of an ocean after night has fallen. She's wearing three-inch silver heels that remind me of Cinderella. She's almost as tall as me, but not quite. Her hair has lost its curls and she straightened it so it's soft and smooth all the way down to her waist. Her blue eye makeup matches her dress and she has some light gloss on over her plumped lips. She looks stunning.