Stay With Me (She's With Me #2) - Jessica Cunsolo Page 0,79
Charlotte smirks as she puts the final curls in my hair. “Always be prepared, that’s what I like to say!”
I laugh and try not to move. “I apologize for doubting your packing skills.”
“But if it wasn’t for this event, you still wouldn’t have used it,” Annalisa says from where she’s sitting in front of us on the bathroom counter.
Charlotte frowns, but she’s not offended. “I’ll remember that on New Year’s Eve when you want to get all glammed up and try to get your grubby hands on my ‘useless’ curling iron.”
“Hey, I never said it was useless,” Annalisa protests with a grin. “I said it would be useless on this trip. There’s a difference.”
“Nuh-uh!” Charlotte argues, putting the iron down. “All done, Amelia! Let me brush these out and you’re good to go.”
I’d vetoed wearing my hair in a fancy updo in favor of keeping it in loose curls, making it easier to hide my face behind my hair if I get caught by a camera flash.
“Thanks again, guys,” I say as Charlotte angles my head to her liking.
I’m fully capable of doing my own hair and makeup, but I wanted this experience with my friends—a memory I can store and recall with fondness when I’m forced to leave them; something that will remind me that I had real friends when I feel alone wherever I end up.
“What are best friends for?” Charlotte replies like she was just reading my mind. “All done!”
She puts the brush down and turns me so I’m fully in the mirror. “You look so beautiful! Well, you always look beautiful, but you know …” Charlotte gushes, her huge smile mirrored by Annalisa’s.
The sight of the three of us, standing side by side in the mirror, hits me right in the stomach. I’ve never had friendships like this. I probably never will again.
“Thanks—really, for everything.” I bite my lip to stop myself from saying something that sounds like a good-bye, but in a way, it is. I’ll never get this moment again. I take a snapshot of it in my mind and store it away, close to my heart.
“I want to see the whole thing together.” Annalisa smiles and ushers me out of the en suite and into the bedroom. “Hurry up and put on your dress so we can zip you up.”
Before I know it, I’m standing in front of them in my dress and heels, my clutch in my hand.
“I wish you’d let us take a picture of you.” Charlotte frowns as she adjusts pieces of my hair.
“We don’t need pictures,” I tell her. “Let’s just live in the moment.”
“I can’t wait any longer!” Annalisa turns and rushes out of the room. “She’s coming down!” she yells to the rest of the house, and I laugh at her excitement.
“Are you ready?” Charlotte asks me, and I nod. This moment feels bigger than it actually is, but to me, it’s the only time I’ll get to be all dressed up with Aiden. Maybe we’ll even dance.
Charlotte stands back and lets me head down the stairs ahead of her. My friends come into view as I descend the stairs, but my eyes land on Aiden’s handsome face and stay there. His eyes are striking against the deep navy of his suit, and my heart squeezes as they lazily trail down my body, drinking me in in the same way I do him.
His broad shoulders fill out his suit perfectly, and it tapers in to fit his narrow waist. The black tie I know isn’t a clip-on stands out against the white dress shirt. I’ve never seen Aiden all dressed up, but it’s definitely a sight I could get used to. Aiden normally turns heads, but he’s goddamn jaw dropping right now.
His eyes meet mine, and the heat and intensity in them steal my breath and make my heart pound against my rib cage. For some reason, I feel shy by the time I reach him, but I can’t look away from his unwavering gaze.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, and I think I stop breathing. Has Aiden ever told me that before?
“You look good too,” I tell him before turning to face my friends, who are crowded around the base of the stairs.
“You look amazing, Amelia,” Mason says. “Even more than usual, if that’s possible.”
Aiden shifts, and I look away from Mason to see Aiden’s jaw clench.
“Thanks, Mason,” I say, a pit forming in my stomach.