Leap of Faith

Day Seventeen

*~*~* Cate *~*~*

“Then, on Dad’s side there’s my aunt Rachel and her husband,” I tell TJ through the bathroom door as I apply mascara to my eyelashes. “So, they have three kids called Levi, Asher and Myka. Myka is a girl, by the way.”

TJ had come over to pick me up an hour ago but we were still at the house because I kept poking myself in the eye with the mascara wand and ended up with red eyes as a result. I check the time on my cell and see that I’ve still got another forty minutes before I am officially late for my sister’s engagement party.

“Where does Nathaniel fit in to the picture?” TJ asks from where he’s lying on my bed.

For a while he was pacing the room, and then he was at my desk chair, then at the edge of the bed, now he was lying in a cross shape in the center of the bed. To say he was bored would be an understatement, but I’d kept him occupied by giving him the lowdown on my family. I’d already warned him that a lot of people would assume he’s my boyfriend, and told him to go along with their assumptions because it would be easier than explaining the whole just friends thing to them.

“Nathaniel is my cousin from Dad’s side,” I tell him as I dab some cover up under my eyes. “There’s also my cousin, Hugo, too. They’re both really nice.”

“If they’re so nice,” TJ starts and already I know how he’s going to end. “How come Georgie hates Nathaniel so much?”

I know TJ’s been dying to ask me this question since last week when he found out that Georgie hates my cousin. I’m actually amazed it’s taken him this long to ask me, but now the question is out there, I suppose I’m going to have to explain.

“Nathaniel is a bit of a ladies man,” I say in the politest way possible. “He and Georgie had this one-night thing that she thought could be more, but I know my cousin, and that was never going to happen. In Georgie’s defense, Nathaniel did lead her on and broke her heart. I think that’s why she was wary of Greyson at the start because he reminded her of Nathaniel, and Georgie didn’t want her heart broken again.”

There was silence from the bedroom. “Makes sense, I guess,” TJ finally said.

Having dabbed some shimmery gloss on my lips, I move to the mirror to take in my reflection. The dress, strapless navy lace, hugged my curves and fell to the floor. I skimmed my hands over my hips and turned to get a sideway view, checking that neither my stomach nor my butt was sticking out too much. I smiled at how well the dress fit, and had to give Vivian and Margarita props for knowing what style would suit me best.

I wobbled a little in the gold strappy heels but managed to stay on my feel long enough to hook the gold skull bracelet around my wrist. I knew Mom and Vivian would flip their lids when they saw the cuff, but I didn’t care. It was the only part of the outfit that was decidedly me. I’d let them put me in a dress I hadn’t chosen and shoes I couldn’t walk in, so the jewelry had to show some of my personality.

All morning and for the better part of the afternoon I had been in girl Hell and had been pushed and pulled, waxed and threaded to within an inch of my life, but seeing the final product, I had be stand back and be amazed that it really was me that I was looking at. My hair had been put in a Gibson tuck and looked effortless, although it had taken almost an hour to get it to look so un-put-together.